“Flora, did you truly believe that, as an Anika, you could attain Ramita through dark powers? I can vaguely guess who you heard that from, but it’s hard to believe you were that foolish. Or perhaps, did you want to believe those words?” Eugene expressedplete disappointment in Flora this time. Despite trying to empathize with Flora’s dark emotions after witnessing the fake’s hostility toward her, Eugene found Flora’s malice to be beyond understanding.


    Feeling animosity toward someone and taking actions to harm that person are entirely different. Eugene couldn’t forgive Flora, especially considering the potential harm her conspiracy might bring to Eugene’s unborn child.


    “Sven, this person has nned and executed harm within the pce. Bind her and imprison her. We will settle this when His Majesty arrives,” Eugenemanded.


    “Yes, Your Highness.”


    Flora, who had been ring at Eugene with bloodshot eyes, burst into hystericalughter.


    “Jin, I’ll admit my mistake. I underestimated you. Facing someone who gained the power of an evil god, you were too formidable for me alone. Let’s call it a valuable learning experience.”


    Flora chuckled and forcefully grabbed the ne around her neck. Concealed inside her clothes, the ne had a small pendant hanging from a thin silver thread. She pressed a translucent, bulging gem at the center of the pendant with her fingers and immediately swallowed it.


    “Sven,” Eugene called him, signaling him to stop. The warriors who were about to move to capture Flora all stopped simultaneously.


    Light began to emanate from Flora’s entire body, prating through her clothes.“Everyone, step back!” Eugenemanded, her gaze unwavering as she observed the changes unfolding in Flora’s body. The earlier hypnotic spell had taken ce abruptly, catching Eugene off guard, and she couldn’t fathom its nature. No ritual markings, mediators, or vessels were visible.


    The light radiating from Flora’s body began to form discernible lines and shapes, despite being partially concealed by her clothes. It undeniably took on the essence of magic. Eugene’s mind shed to the ritual markings she had seen on a wanderer’s body.


    <i>She drew ritual markings on her body?</i>


    As the light intensified, it nearly consumed Flora. After a dazzling sh, all the light vanished, leaving no trace of Flora.


    <i>Teleportation spell?</i>


    Could it be that Flora had escaped to the pce using this method?


    <i>Teleportation is an advanced spell. Covering such a distance…</i>


    Eugene eximed and immediately issued instructions to the warriors. “Go to Flora’s room in the Golden Key Hotel right away and check if she’s there. If it’s empty, do not touch anything inside. And seal off the hotel so that not a single knight can escape.”


    The warriors swiftly moved, disappearing in an instant. The warriors who had crowded the entrance of the reception room vanished, and a momentter, the maids looked around in bewilderment. It appeared that Flora’s disappearance had also broken the hypnotic spell, leaving them clueless about the events that had just transpired.


    <i>Why wasn’t I affected by the hypnosis? </i>Eugene wondered. It must have been one of Flora’s formidable moves.


    <i>She was confident in her sess, so she entered the castle alone.</i> It seemed that whatever method Flora employed was potentially more potent than Rodrigo’s hypnosis.


    Eugene wished she could summon Rodrigo and inquire, but his sanity had been lost after the incident in the secret warehouse. The cries heard from the prison indicated that he believed he had been abandoned by Mara.


    ***


    As the ritual markings on the floor began to glow, the red eyes of the lizard gleamed. Mara had prepared for the night, but events unfolded faster than expected. Watching Flora materialize as the light of the ritual markings faded, Mara muttered to himself, <i>The form of the spell was strange. It was a mixture of the two.</i>


    Teleportation spells typically requiredpleted ritual markings at both the departure and destination points. However, the two sets of markings had simr yet different forms. In metaphorical terms, it was akin to reflecting an object in two mirrors facing opposite directions.


    <i>It’s possible for spells to be mixed in that way without interfering with each other. </i>This was a novel form that Mara wasn’t familiar with, and the thought of being defeated by such a creature upset him.


    <i>But why is she just standing there? Is she experiencing side effects? </i>Flora remained half-prostrate on the floor, her head deeply bowed, not moving a muscle. A myriad of emotions churned within her—anger, intoxication, the failure of long-time efforts leading to self-loathing. Moreover, Jin’s words reverberated in her mind.


    “Did you want to believe those words?”


    Above Jin’s voice, the echoes of Sang-je’s words resounded in her mind.


    “Anika Flora. Anika Jin obtained Ramita with the power of evil. However, just because the means are wrong, Ramita is originally a divine power. If you set everything right, that power will be yours.”


    Flora’s clenched fist trembled. <i>There’s no way His Holiness would lie to me</i>. If Jin’s Ramita became hers, she could carve her name as Anika, possessing the most powerful Ramita. The Anika closest to God, receiving God’s love. It would elevate her status, and everyone would look up to her.