Chapter 01
1. The Shame of the Family
As the blood-red sunset slowly fades, a hidden black moon rises into the sky.
When the sun is covered by the moon and darkness finally comes, the whole world closes its eyes and ears, not even knowing it has become dark.
When evil covers the world,
one will appear to light the darkness and take root in the dry land—becoming the sky, becoming the light.
Even if one tries to cover the sky with their hand, their own light cannot be hidden.
The moment the will of God is known, that person shall lead all into the light.
So accept your fate. Only then can evil be stopped.
— From The Record of God
Year 1805 of the Asila Empire
House of Count Treshia
“Again!”
Smack!
A sharp sound echoed through the night air.
Lady Diana of the Treshia family kept repeating only one word—again—as she struck her young daughter’s cheek over and over.
“Again. Can’t you do it properly?”
Her voice was sharp enough to pierce through the air.
Sara instinctively covered her ears and collapsed to the ground.
Her right cheek was already swollen and red from being hit so many times.
With trembling hands, she touched her face. Blood smeared onto her palm—her cheek had been scratched by the lady’s nails.
“….”
Even then, Diana showed no mercy.
She didn’t care that her daughter was bleeding. Not even a single word of apology.
Sara Treshia.
The second daughter of the Treshia family.
A girl with a delicate and beautiful appearance.
But she grew up facing endless insults and abuse—simply because her eye color was different from the rest of her family.
“How disgusting. A child with no proper origin in our family… this must be a curse!”
When the Countess realized Sara had odd eyes, she called it a curse and screamed in horror.
To her, Sara was nothing but—
“The shame of the family.”
Even so, Sara tried her best to be loved.
Because she believed she was still part of the Treshia bloodline.
But that effort was completely crushed when she turned ten.
She learned the truth—
she was not born into the Treshia family.
The Count told her that her real mother died shortly after giving birth.
Because of that, Sara knew nothing about where she came from… or who her real parents were.
Time passed.
Now she was eighteen.
But nothing had changed.
Being ignored and looked down on had become a normal part of her life.
“…I’ll try again.”
She was in pain. She was scared.
But she couldn’t cry.
There was no one here who would comfort her.
Sara picked up the flower with trembling hands.
Her hands were thin enough to show bone, and her wrists were fragile.
Even though she was nearly an adult, she was smaller and weaker than others her age—because she had never been properly fed.
“All the flowers I love have withered because you touched them! What are you going to do now?”
The reason for all this…
Sara had accidentally dropped a flower pot that the Countess cherished.
She had only brushed against it while walking in the hallway—
but the flower instantly lost its life and died.
When Diana found out, she went into a rage.
Not because of the flower.
But because Sara was the one who touched it.
To her, the flower was more important than her own daughter.
“Hurry up and bring it back to life with your precious power!
…You’re not telling me you can’t, right? How many chances have I given you?”
The Countess mocked her and pressed hard against Sara’s forehead.
Sara was pushed back helplessly.
She shut her eyes tightly, enduring the humiliation.
Her tear-filled eyelashes trembled, and she bit her lips until they bled.
“Use your cursed power and fix it. Mother won’t wait.”
Diana let out a small laugh, like a witch.
Sara had a special ability different from the rest of her family.
She didn’t know whether it was magic or divine power.
But to Diana—
it was nothing but a curse.
“…I—I don’t think I can, Mother.”
“What? You can’t?”
The Countess raised her hand again.
Sara shut her eyes tightly, knowing she would be hit again.
Smack!
A sharp sound echoed.
At the same time, the servants watching nearby let out small screams.
“Ahh!”
Sara cried out as she was thrown to the ground.
Tears quickly filled her eyes—
but she forced herself not to cry.
“Mother…”
Her voice was weak.
“Who is your mother? Don’t ever say you can’t in front of me again. Never!”
The Countess shouted angrily.
The maids nearby could only watch silently.
No one dared to interfere.
Sara felt ashamed.
She wanted to disappear from all the eyes watching her.
“That’s enough, Mother.”
A voice came from behind.
It was Derek, the eldest son.
The moment Sara saw him, the tears she had been holding back finally fell.
Derek grabbed the Countess’s wrist.
He was the only one in the family who cared for Sara.
“Mother… please stop.”
He sighed and looked between Sara and Diana.
Then he quickly helped Sara up from the ground.
“Are you okay?”
He gently brushed the dust off her dress.
Seeing her swollen cheek, he frowned as if he himself had been hurt.
Derek stepped in front of Sara, protecting her.
“Mother, Sara is crying. If the servants see this, rumors will spread quickly.
I’ll replace the flowers, so please calm down.”
He tried to soothe the Countess.
But she became even angrier.
“How dare you treat me like this?! Why are you defending this girl?! Don’t you pity your own mother?!”
“Please, Mother!”
Sara watched them with fear.
Her small face was already soaked in tears.
“…Sara.”
Derek called her softly, his eyes full of pity.
“Go now. You haven’t eaten, right? There should be some bread in the dining hall. Go eat that.”
“….”
Sara looked at him quietly, then bowed her head and stepped away.
Even though the Countess was glaring at her—
she left.
* * *
Diana hated Sara.
She despised her.
In truth, the Treshia couple had another daughter—
Beria Treshia, one year younger than Sara.
Diana loved Beria deeply.
But in high society—
people preferred Sara.
Because she was more beautiful.
More intelligent.
When Beria learned one thing, Sara learned four.
Sara was clever. Wise.
She was also one of the family’s greatest prides—
which was why Diana couldn’t simply throw her away.
And that made her hate Sara even more.
Outside, Diana acted like a kind noblewoman who loved all her children.
But inside the house—
she abused Sara without hesitation.
To her, it was justified.
Sara trembled with anger.
But she couldn’t leave this family either.
So outside, she acted like—
“A daughter loved by her mother.”
Because that was the only way she could survive here.
“….”
Sara finally reached the garden and let out a quiet sigh.
She glanced back—
Derek was still talking with the Countess.
“Who is your mother? Don’t ever say you can’t again!”
“Ha…”
Sara let out a bitter laugh.
She wiped her tears roughly.
Then she took out the flower she had secretly brought with her.
As she stared at it—
her eyes changed.
From gold—
to odd eyes.
She gently touched the withered flower.
“….”
It was the Countess’s favorite flower.
She used to care for it all day.
Saying it looked just like her.
But now—
it had completely died.
Sara let out a small laugh.
Then—
a soft blue light surrounded the flower.
Slowly—
it began to bloom again.
The dead flower had come back to life.
This was Sara’s power.
The power to restore life.
Exactly what Diana wanted.
But Sara refused.
Even if she was beaten again and again—
she would never obey.
“Why should I? Why should I do what that woman says? No way. Never.”
She stared at the revived flower—
then dropped it to the ground.
“…It’s not time yet.”
The flower was innocent.
But this family was not.
If she wanted, she could escape.
Marry someone suitable.
Or run away with money.
But she didn’t.
Because she had something she must do here.
She would destroy this family with her own hands.
The flower of revenge—
had already bloomed.
