- Frey Starlight's Pov -
"Ada?"
I could barely remain conscious now…
All I knew was that I had lost completely. From the very beginning, it had been a hopeless battle. I had given everything I had—and still lost.
Yet, somehow, I was still alive.
And it was because of her…
My sister.
"Lord Starlight, what is the meaning of this?"
Baylor was far from pleased. Losing control of the situation was something he clearly wasn't accustomed to.
He stood there, watching as both his son and niece suffered alike.
Because of this, the curse that had been devouring me from the inside was temporarily halted.
I was still in unbearable pain, but it was a hundred times better than the torment from earlier.
"It's exactly as it looks, Lord Baylor. I assume it's a familiar sight for someone like you."
Despite Ada's sharp words, Baylor remained calm.
"Such harsh words, Lord Starlight… I believe there is some sort of misunderstanding here."
"Spare me your nonsense."
Ada cut him off immediately.
"I have no interest in listening to the words of a wretched man like you—someone who enjoys torturing others while hiding behind his masks."
Bit by bit, Baylor's expression grew colder.
"Oh, Lord Starlight…"
A faint pressure spread through the air.
"Just how much do you know?"
Judging by the atmosphere, I could tell that Baylor could kill Ada with a single strike, yet he hadn't done so. Given the situation, he was holding back.
Despite her pale complexion, Ada didn't waver.
Holding two curses within her body, she briefly glanced at me, then at Seris, before returning her focus to Baylor.
And then… she smiled.
"Unlike you, I have a great relationship with my little brother. He may be annoying at times, but you—you who discarded your humanity, you who killed your own blood…"
Ada's words were sharp, and Baylor knew exactly what she meant.
"Lord Starlight, what are you—"
"You must be satisfied, aren't you? You hypocritical bastard."
She utterly despised him.
"It's fine as long as you don't do it yourself, right? It's fine as long as it's not your own hands doing the dirty work. That's your twisted logic, isn't it?"
"Careful now, Ada Starlight… I'm warning you. You're starting to cross the final line into the forbidden."
"Pfft."
Ada chuckled at his words.
"A warning? Am I supposed to be afraid? Of who? Lord Moonlight?"
She scoffed.
"You want me to fear some pathetic coward who prefers lurking in the shadows? First the previous lord, Drogo Moonlight, and now my younger brother, Frey Starlight… Did it satisfy your twisted desires?"
She was saying whatever she pleased.
And from her last words, I realized—she knew a lot.
About the filthy secrets of the Moonlight family.
But was it wise to provoke him like this?
I was confused.
What was Ada planning?
Her words had a greater impact than I expected.
From Seris, who was silently listening while enduring the curse, to Frost, who didn't understand anything.
And Baylor—who was barely restraining himself from attacking.
"Lord Starlight… you know what this means, don't you?"
Ada nodded.
"Of course. There's no turning back now. One of the great family lords will fall today."
Baylor lifted his chin slightly and took a step forward.
"Then let's end this, here and now."
He gestured toward both Frost and Seris.
"Remove them from the equation. I'm the one you want."
Ada smiled in response.
"Don't worry, I never intended to fight you with the curses in the first place. But they were necessary… to save my brother, you see."
She then spoke words that left me in disbelief.
"Release my brother, Frey, and in return, I will lift the curse on both your son and Drogo's daughter."
Her words were clear and direct, yet I struggled to understand.
"Don't do it, Ada!"
I barely managed to shout.
Was she really planning to throw away her only advantage… just to free me?!
Her opponent was SS ranked! How exactly did she plan to face him?
In response to my weak outcry, Ada gave me a tired smile and whispered:
"Don't worry… trust me."
That was all she said.
Baylor, however, wasn't interested in pointless chatter. He got straight to the point.
"How can I be sure you won't deceive me the moment I lift Frey Starlight's curse?"
Ada chuckled at his question, shaking her head.
"Not everyone is a filthy liar like you, Lord Moonlight. How about this?"
As she spoke, the markings on her hands began to glow.
"The moment Frey Starlight is freed, Frost and Seris Moonlight's curse will be lifted as well."
Her command had been issued—there was no undoing it now. The Iliad Curse would vanish the moment I was released.
Yet, I didn't even know how Ada had managed to cast it in the first place.
By all logic, the Iliad Curse required the caster to be at least stronger than the victim.
But Ada was far weaker than Frost…
Unless—
At that moment, my eyes caught sight of Carmen, still trapped in ice.
She seemed immobile, but I knew better. She had already broken free. Now, she was merely waiting for the right moment to strike.
Then it all clicked.
Yes—this was it.
Ada hadn't been the one who cast the curse. It was Carmen.
It all lined up—the moment Frost tortured me and she descended to face him… the moment she approached Seris before.
She had merely transferred the ownership of the curse to Ada later, something that was possible with the Iliad Curse.
From the very beginning, Carmen hadn't become my subordinate until recently. She had always been loyal to Ada.
But was she serious about this?
Baylor didn't hesitate for a second after hearing Ada's words.
"Very well."
Without even sparing me a glance, he raised his hand toward me.
A glow emanated from his hand, and suddenly, my chest burned as dozens of icy blue veins surged out of me, returning to Baylor.
It felt as if a part of my body was being forcefully ripped away.
Like something that had been with me for a long time was now vanishing.
He had freed me…
At last, The Curse of the Frozen Heart was gone.
At the same time, the markings on Ada's hands burned away, and the black veins that had covered Frost and Seris's skin slowly faded.
Now—there were no more curses.
All trump cards had been eliminated. From this point on, it was raw strength that would decide everything.
And that was the problem.
That son of a bitch Baylor was SS ranked.
Instantly, the space around him began to freeze.
A Wave Controller, and perhaps the strongest one in the empire.
Celestial spheres materialized in terrifying numbers, surrounding the entire battlefield.
"Now, Lord Starlight…"
Baylor took slow, deliberate steps forward.
"First, Frey Starlight, a beast seemingly walking in his father's footsteps. And you, Lord Starlight—you know far too much and have attempted to wipe out my family."
He had made up his mind.
"Unfortunately, that means I must exterminate you both, here and now."
As he spoke, hundreds of celestial spheres primed themselves to fire at any moment—ready to erase both Ada and me.
"So, what will you do… Lord Starlight?"