Chapter 5

Magic art.

The count's mouth opened wide.

Of course, it's all her business. Rumors that the Duke's mistress was engaged in dark magic were actually true.

- Did you understand me? If so, nod your head.

The Count nodded desperately, depicting fear on his face. Juliet smiled with satisfaction and turned around and went away.

- Mr. Count! What happened? Are you okay?

- Eh... It's just ridiculous...

It wasn't until Juliet left the area that people crowded around the count.

The Count Casper, meanwhile, trembled as if he had seen something incredibly terrible.

There was a loud noise behind her, but Juliet didn't even look back.

Looking at people part in front of her, Juliet carelessly thought, "Sometimes, even such a crazy bitch is capable of doing crazy things."

While Juliet was walking slowly, the blue butterfly fluttered behind her.

Juliet looked at her, and she sat on the back of her palm.

Almost completely blue butterfly waved its wings a couple of times sitting on Juliet's hand. Soon, she began to emanate a bluish glow.

Count Casper's fear seemed to be quite satisfactory food.

This spirit was the power of Juliet, a butterfly-shaped monster caused by her mana.

Although she looked small and cute, her true essence was a terrible demon who fed on human emotions...

And his real body was the body of an evil and omnipotent deity, which existed in a completely different dimension. When Juliet asked him why he had taken this form, he replied that he had borrowed the form of a dazzling butterfly only because it was able to deceive human eyes, easily driving them crazy.

These butterflies gave Juliet the ability to cause terrible nightmares in her opponents. The demon caused the most terrible monster or terrifying scene in their minds that the human mind can imagine, after which it devoured the emotions of the victim.

"So now the mystery is revealed," Juliet thought calmly.

Well, the Count of Casper was only half right.

It's true that Juliet's butterflies could perform her "secret magic tricks," but evil spirits loved negative emotions, such as anger and fear, most of all.

Juliet looked at the butterfly, which seemed a little bigger than before, and opened her palms. The butterfly-shaped demon turned into a bluish mass of light and was quickly absorbed again.

The more emotions she absorbs, the more the butterfly will grow, the wider the range of illusions and fantasies it will be able to use.

But full mental domination, such as order someone to jump off the roof in a dream, that is, what she threatened Count Casper, was still impossible for her.

Besides, it doesn't affect the Sword Master.

So, as everyone assumed, she could in no way seduce Lennox Carlyle, even with such a gift.

"If that were possible, it would have been different."

For 10 years now, Lennox Carlisle has been known as the youngest Sword Master in history.

- Miss.

Coming out of the temple, Juliet noticed a tall knight standing in front of the Duke's carriage.

Juliet tilted her head instead of going down the stairs. Apparently, the escort that took her to the temple this morning was replaced by someone else.

- Where did Sir Kane go, and why are you here, Sir Jude?

- My mentor had to suddenly leave on business. I'm here to pick you up.

The young man's name was Jude, he was one of the Duke's knights. Jude Hayon was the youngest of the Duke's retinue, not to mention that he was the youngest in his knight squad.

Jude has been a good-natured and friendly man since birth. He even treated Juliet, his master's mistress, like his own sister.

Looking around, Jude lowered his voice and quietly asked Juliet:

- What happened in the temple?

- Don't worry. Nothing special happened.

- Then why is everyone looking at you?

- Hmm...

Juliet acted as if what had happened had nothing to do with her. Jude looked at her intently, and then nodded, showing that he understood everything.

Jude Hayon, like Juliet, belonged to an aristocratic family. He was well versed in the system, so it was easy for him to guess what happened inside.

The capital's society has always been childish and capricious.

- Miss.

Having smiled meaningfully, Jude fell on one knee in front of her and stretched out a small box instead of opening the carriage door for Juliet.

- He was sent by Duke Carlisle.

It was a deliberate action fully conscious of the people around them. In an instant, Juliet felt the attention of countless people around her. She looked down at Jude.

- ... Did you have to do it here? It could be done quietly in the crew.

He did so not only in front of the temple, which, of course, people's attention was immediately attracted to them, but also in front of the carriage decorated with elegant carvings with the Duke's coat of arms.

Jude winked at Juliet.

As a nobleman, Jude was well versed in scandalous situations.

- This is "Tears of the Sun," a gift that the Duke specially prepared for you," he said it so loudly that everyone who was near the temple heard shortly before he opened the box.

The dazzling necklace appeared in front of Juliet.

The main decoration was a large diamond, a color that resembled the sun at sunset. It is really worthy of the name "Tears of the Sun", as a sea of small, transparent and brightly shining diamonds surrounded a large gem in the center.

Such a luxurious necklace seemed very expensive at first glance.

- Oh, my God!

- Look at this radiance...!

Even before Juliet had to react somehow, she heard more and more people around them began to admire the necklace from afar.

Listening to their conversations, Juliet thought coldly: "now those who have seen this spectacle will diligently spread rumors about what they saw."

And by the evening of the New Year's banquet, the whole capital will know about it.

As the Duke's mistress, for the first time in a long time visiting the capital, behaved arrogantly in front of other aristocrats. And what an extravagant necklace did the Duke of Carlyle give to his spoiled mistress.

With an unflattering expression, Juliet turned her head when she saw a dazzling necklace.

- Let's get out of here.

- Yes, miss.

Only after closing the drawer with deliberate slowness did Jude open the carriage door.

He didn't forget to give his last look at the noisy crowd before climbing into the carriage.

When the carriage they were driving in turned around the corner of the temple, the coachman turned to them to ask where they were going.

- Where should I take you? - Jude, sitting opposite Juliet, asked, as if he had already known the answer. - Back to the mansion?

- No.

- Excuse me?

- I'm going to Montagu County*. Could you drop me off in the middle?

* County: land owned by the Count

While Jude was sitting and blinking confusedly looking at her, the coachman turned the crew towards the outskirts of the capital.

- I'm going to rest at home and then go to the banquet hall right away. Please let His Highness know.

The County of Montagu was empty after the death of the Count and Countess, and their only daughter Juliet went to the North.

But some of the Earl's old servants stayed to look after Montagu's mansion, and Juliet looked at them whenever she came to the capital.

There was nothing unusual for Juliet to visit her hometown.

But even so, Jude's face has a puzzled expression.

- Aren't you going to come back with me?

- Yes. And take it back with you.

- Excuse me?

He felt stupid asking her questions, so Jude was silent for a while before asking her again with a serious expression on his face.

- But why? Don't you like it?

- No, it's very cute.

- Then why? It's incredibly expensive. It's a special birthday gift for you, Miss Juliet...

However, instead of answering, Juliet only smiled.

"This gift is certainly not as good as the mana stone, but it is also useful."

Although it had much less energy than in the condensed mana stone, the large, beautiful diamond still felt mana.

She was a little tinkering with the necklace lying in the box, and the cold ran through her fingers.

The necklace, so skillfully made with these large diamonds, was undoubtedly incredibly beautiful. She didn't know its exact price, but as Jude said, the necklace should be very expensive.

But Juliet didn't even think about how much it really costs. Perhaps one of the Duke's secretaries decided that this price was the right price. Most likely, the Duke just signed a blank check without even looking at the necklace. Just like he did it every year for her birthday.

Juliet knew exactly what this expensive gift, sent to her with his knight, meant.

That meant he wanted to pretend there was no morning conversation.

It was a very similar approach to Lennox Carlisle.

In fact, nothing has changed.

Juliet's eyes, half covered with long eyelashes, did not reflect any emotions. She's too tired to even be disappointed.

If she's learned something in the last 7 years while she was around him, it's that Lennox Carlisle will never change, whatever she does.

The day this man overcomes his pride and asks for her love will never come.

Juliet wasted seven years to learn this stupid lesson.

Click.

Juliet's hand closed the lock on the box.

If that's how it goes, she'll give him the same answer over and over again. Juliet returned Jude's necklace with a slight smile.

- It's not my birthday gift.