Chapter 36: A Jewel Out of Reach

‘If you want to be an eagle, hang out with eagles.’

This was a proverb that the head of the Genesis family, Damian Genesis, always used to say.

His daughter, Angelica, took it to heart as a family motto.

Perhaps that was why, when making friends or attending private gatherings, she always ensured that she surrounded herself with people who matched her class.

Family, talent, looks—

She never kept anyone who was lacking in any of these aspects by her side.

To her, the people around her were like jewels that adorned her presence.

Because of this, some young ladies would sneer at her, calling her a ‘classist,’ but she didn’t care.

To Angelica, their words were simply jealousy from those beneath her.

She was noble, and nobility had the privilege of ignoring such pointless grievances.

Then, one day, she found someone who truly suited her.

A perfect jewel that would make her shine more brilliantly than anyone else.

Her name was Lucy Deviluke.

The only daughter of the great ruler of Helatos.

From the moment they first met, Lucy exuded a presence that set her apart from everyone else.

On the day of the academy entrance ceremony, she walked up to the podium with her signature gray hair fluttering.

Her appearance was dignified, her posture exuding confidence.

There was even a certain charisma in her eyes.

Angelica realized it instantly.

Lucy was a rare and dazzling jewel, one that would elevate her status if she could claim her.

And she made up her mind.

‘I will definitely make her mine.’

However, things did not go as planned.

No, calling it a disaster would be more accurate.

No matter how much she flattered Lucy, she never showed the slightest interest in her.

Angelica decided to take another approach—by creating a common enemy.

From her experience in factional politics, she knew that people, especially demons, bonded strongly when they shared a target to despise.

At the time, there was a perfect scapegoat in their classroom: Abet.

The daughter of a traitor.

A child whose father had sold the princess to the enemy.

Angelica believed that humiliating Abet would earn her favor in Lucy’s eyes.

But the result was the exact opposite.

Lucy showed no interest in tormenting Abet.

Rather, as time passed, she began to look upon the bullying with disgust and even grew closer to Abet.

Time passed, and at some point, Abet became a constant presence at Lucy’s side.

Completely incompetent, in Angelica’s view.

She couldn’t help but feel resentful.

She had once confidently declared to her father, ‘I will capture the princess’s heart!’

And yet, the outcome was a complete failure.

In crude terms, an absolute defeat.

To make matters worse, after Lucy started spending time with Abet, she began actively avoiding Angelica.

“That place was originally mine…”

Angelica bit her lip, her thoughts swirling with frustration, contempt, and doubt.

All those emotions soon turned into anger—directed solely at Abet.

“That’s right… That girl is the one who came between me and Lady Lucy…”

A thin stream of blood trickled from her tightly clenched lips.

As a golden-adorned carriage arrived, the gates of the imperial palace opened on their own.

The carriage passed through, heading straight for the main entrance.

—

Lucy, having just finished school, stepped into the imperial palace.

“Welcome, Lady Lucy.”

Rubia, her maid, greeted her at the door.

“Would you like a bath or a meal first?”

Lucy waved a hand dismissively. “I’ll eat later.”

“As you wish. If you need anything, please call me.”

Lucy went straight to her room, removed her coat, and collapsed onto her bed.

Her gray hair, usually neat, lay disheveled and limp.

She sighed. “Ha…”

She was exhausted.

Between researching information on the ‘players,’ searching for a way out of the continent, and training Abet, she had barely any time to rest.

On top of that, the lack of progress was wearing her down.

‘I’d have to gain something to gain strength… But there’s no information on any other player, and I still haven’t found a single clue about the Barrier of Light.’

Finding it was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

“If this were the modern era, I could solve it all with a simple search…”

Lucy found herself missing her smartphone today.

Knock. Knock.

While she was kicking her feet in frustration, a knock came at her door. Perry entered.

“Are you home? Sorry I couldn’t pick you up.”

“It’s fine. More importantly, are you feeling better?”

“Yeah! As you can see.” Perry flexed her arm, though it remained thin.

Lucy nodded, relieved to see her energy return.

A while ago, Perry had suffered a severe fever after being kidnapped.

Lucy had felt responsible and ordered Rubia to take the best care of her.

Thanks to this, she recovered quickly, and her once frail frame had regained some weight.

Lucy sat up, satisfied. “You look healthier.”

Perry’s expression froze, as if thunder had struck her.

She looked down at her body, examining it.

Lucy tilted her head. “What’s wrong?”

“N-Nothing.”

“Oh, I got some chocolate for dessert at lunch. Want some?”

“!?”

Her eyes sparkled, but she quickly shook her head. “I… I’ll hold back.”

Lucy chuckled. “Suit yourself. Now, let’s get you changed.”

—

At the Inauguration Ceremony Hall, the grand event was in full swing.

Many high-ranking nobles filled the audience room, and servants moved busily.

Lucy sat on the throne, expressionless.

Normally, this was Satan’s duty, but in his absence, the task fell to her.

“This is annoying.”

The sound of laughter and conversation filled the hall.

She wanted to get this over with, but nobles valued honor and ceremony.

Just then, a man with slicked-back hair approached her.

A middle-aged man with a gentlemanly air, he bowed.

“It is my honor to meet you, Your Highness.”

“Who are you?”

“Damian Genesis, head of the Genesis family.”

“Genesis…”

“I’ve heard much about you from my daughter. Thank you for being such a close friend to her.”

Lucy blinked. “?? Oh, uh, yes…”

Close friend? What nonsense was that?

—

The next morning, at Edem Academy.

Lucy arrived early, expecting to be the first in class, but Abet and Noah were already there.

“Good morning, Lucy.”

“Yeah.”

Noah subtly moved away as she approached.

Lucy narrowed her eyes. “You… what’s your relationship with Abet?”

Noah smiled. “We’ve known each other since childhood.”

Lucy’s brows furrowed.

This guy… had intentionally brought Abet into her life?

She wanted to interrogate him, but held back since Abet was right there.

Noah smirked. “Don’t be jealous.”

Before Lucy could respond, another student entered.

Angelica.

She walked past Lucy and stood before Abet.

“Miss Abet…”

She hesitated, then bowed her head.

“I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you.”

She apologized—genuinely.