A Soul’s Rebirth and a Maid’s Loyalty

Darkness.

Only darkness.

The sole light was the faint glow emanating from Seraphina Scarlett’s own soul.

Like plankton sinking into the deep ocean, or the pervasive dust and ash after an explosion, Seraphina drifted aimlessly through the air. She moved in a direction unknown to her, without up, down, left, or right.

Before long, countless identical specks of light suddenly materialized around her, all swirling together in a shared direction.

‘Something feels off,’ she thought.

Despite her unease, Seraphina found herself utterly helpless. As merely a tiny speck of light in the vast expanse, she possessed neither limbs nor hands, rendering her incapable of any action.

An indeterminate amount of time passed. During this period, Seraphina noticed the surrounding souls growing ever more numerous, making the space increasingly cramped.

‘It’s so hot,’ she mused.

Each of these souls burned with an intense heat. They seemed to be crying out, their voices a cacophony.

“Oh, Goddess of Life…”

Countless voices echoed ceaselessly from the distance.

“Please… we beg you…”

The voices varied, the languages differed, and they belonged to men, women, young, and old alike.

“Grant me human life in my next reincarnation…”

“Allow me to ascend to Heaven, to attain eternal bliss!”

“Merit… merit… I’ve accumulated a lifetime of merit. Surely, I’ll be reborn wealthy in my next life…”

“Bestow upon me a more glorious next life…”

Countless souls, countless voices, countless desires—like pleas, like condemnations—surged forward, propelled by the flying souls.

Finally, the souls converged, coalescing into a colossal, luminous sphere.

‘My goodness,’ Seraphina thought.

Seraphina was dumbfounded.

‘No wonder it felt off,’ she realized. ‘This process is far too sacred.’

As the souls flew and their desires accumulated, the orb of light grew progressively larger and brighter. Eventually, it transformed into a familiar, glowing entity.

A human figure.

“Cardo… I’ve finally found you.”

‘Cardo?’ Seraphina wondered.

Seraphina glanced around, but found no trace of Cardo.

“There’s no need to look around. I’m speaking to you, Cardo.”

“No, no, no, I’m not Cardo,” Seraphina quickly retorted.

“No, you are Cardo.” The figure’s voice was grand and deep, like a perfectly ripe fruit. It instinctively gave the impression that if one were to upset them, they would emit a sound akin to “Ohohoh.”

“To think, after searching for you for so long, you were hiding right under my nose.”

“I swear on divine honor, I will not let you escape this time.”

Suddenly, the figure extended a hand. In an instant, countless souls surged forth from within her body, flowing into Seraphina’s own soul.

In a flash, a myriad of voices inundated Seraphina’s mind, deafening her with their clamor.

‘Filling, pouring in… Ugh… I feel like my body is going to explode!’

Just as Seraphina felt her body nearing its breaking point, a hand suddenly appeared. It shielded her collapsing form, separating her from the countless wish-laden souls.

Then, another hand emerged, sweeping forward to deliver a solid punch to the figure.

“Ohohoh!”

Emitting a sound precisely as imagined, the figure stumbled backward, instantly dissolving into countless specks of light.

‘You are…?’ Seraphina thought.

Seraphina turned her head to see another figure, equally tall and emanating a golden glow.

‘Cardo?’ she wondered.

“Seraphina,” Cardo said, looking down at her, “Iqiyah Scarlett, the Blood Manor, and even the entire Bloodline are now facing utter annihilation.”

“What do you intend to do?”

[Silence]

‘Though I desperately want to say [Too much trouble, not bothering],’ she mused, ‘as the protagonist, there seems to be only one option here, doesn’t there?’

“I want to go back… I want to save Iqiyah Scarlett.”

“Good,” Cardo responded, a satisfied smile gracing her lips. “As expected of…” For some inexplicable reason, her voice paused. “As expected of the one I’ve chosen.”

“I have good news for you. Because the True Ancestor rashly intruded into your body, the seal on your body has temporarily opened a breach.”

‘A seal? What seal?’ Seraphina wondered.

“As for the time limit…” Cardo calculated on her fingers. “Around half an hour, I’d say.”

“But even half an hour will be more than enough for you.”

“Alright, break time’s over.”

“Now, return to the mortal realm and give that True Ancestor a thorough beating!”

Lifting Seraphina’s tiny soul, Cardo’s large hand hurled it forward. Instantly, Seraphina shot away like a streaking meteor.

‘Holy hell.’

Just moments before, utter darkness had enveloped her.

Yet, as Seraphina flew, in merely a fleeting instant, the space around her filled once more with boundless light.

The acceleration was so intense that Seraphina felt her face being ripped apart.

‘Aaaah! Holy hell! I wanna go home! I wanna go home, aaaaaah!’

Unbeknownst to her, her physical body had already been reshaped. Seraphina’s form once again returned under the command of her soul.

****

Outside the Blood Manor, in the corridor.

Boom!

Levian executed an urgent dive, tackling Iqiyah Scarlett to the ground beneath her. They narrowly evaded a black blade that sliced overhead.

However, the Bloodline members beside her were not so fortunate. Their bodies were struck directly by the black blade, instantly turning to blackness and merging with the darkness of the weapon.

“Stop running!”

The True Ancestor extended her hand forward. The flying blade vanished instantly, only to reappear in her grasp the very next second.

“The terror of slaughter is sufficient… My thirst for vengeance has been quenched.”

“Now… my only target is you, Iqiyah Scarlett!”

“The [Fragment] within you has matured… it’s time for the harvest!”

“Hand over the [Fragment]!”

“Never!”

With no room left to retreat, Levian stepped forward in a critical moment. She stood before Iqiyah, spreading her arms wide, attempting to shield her with her own body from the True Ancestor’s attack.

“If you wish to harm Lady Iqiyah… you will have to step over my corpse first!”

“Levian… you are a very valuable informant to me.”

Facing this maid who had always been loyal to the Scarlett family, the True Ancestor surprisingly showed a hint of pity.

“Thanks to you, I’ve been able to continuously monitor the status of the [Fragment]…”

“I hoped you would continue to serve your purpose, not die so meaninglessly… so valuelessly.”

“Hmph, what nonsense!”

Facing her supposed master, to whom she was expected to be loyal, Levian displayed unparalleled courage.

“I am not your informant! I have always been Lady Iqiyah’s maid!”

“Both my loyalty and my love belong only to Lady Iqiyah! Forever!”

‘Levian…’ Iqiyah Scarlett thought.

Iqiyah Scarlett was stunned. She had always believed this maid’s boundless loyalty was reserved solely for her father.

But she had been mistaken.

Only at this moment did she truly understand that Levian’s unwavering loyalty had always been directed at one person: Iqiyah Scarlett herself.

“Is that truly the case?”

Lowering her head, a hint of red flickered in the True Ancestor’s eyes.

“Then… I find that deeply regrettable!”

The next second, a flash of black light—

!!

Even Levian, renowned for her swiftness, failed to clearly perceive the True Ancestor’s movements.

“Die! Levian!”

Without any preamble, in the very instant Levian failed to react, the black blade was already poised to slit her throat.

However… at this crucial juncture… the True Ancestor inexplicably halted her attack.

Before Levian, the True Ancestor’s eyes widened, her face etched with profound shock.

Yet, her gaze was not directed at Levian, but rather past her, to the space behind her.

“Seraphina!?”

The True Ancestor could feel the power draining from her body.

Behind her, Seraphina’s body, now free from control, slowly descended from mid-air.

Her toes touched the ground, and her eyelids fluttered open. A beam of crimson light shone forth, illuminating the dim corridor as if bathed in a fiery “red” day.

Concurrently, another crimson glow subtly bloomed from her chest, reflecting the red light emanating from her eyes.