As soon as Jeff and Jasper left Evorywood, chaos erupted everywhere. After Christopher's true nature was exposed, no one wanted to remain in the village alongside him. However, the villagers could not simply expel Christopher from Evorywood..... and there was a very good reason for that: Christopher belonged to the Purefield Duchy. He was a noble. The people feared that if they offended him today, he could easily ruin their lives tomorrow.
Out of this deep-seated fear, every resident of Evorywood began leaving the village one by one, all heading toward Westirifer. By evening, aside from Christopher, Sarah, and a small number of Christopher's male servants, the entire village stood empty. The once-thriving place had become a complete ghost town.
For the first time in history, thousands of people had fled all at once..... driven purely by terror of a single man.
While the entire population of Evorywood had abandoned their homes on one side, on the other, when Christopher learned of the mass exodus, he too quickly gathered his belongings and departed with Sarah for Whitefen..... the capital of the Purefield Duchy. No matter how arrogantly he had boasted in front of Jeff and Jasper, deep inside he understood the reality: if he remained in Evorywood after today, even if Lucifer himself didn't come for him, countless others had now become his deadly enemies. And what safer refuge could there be than his own family's territory?
And that wasn't all..... Christopher was also the second husband of Greta Purefield, while Felix Lustbound, the current Duke of the duchy, regarded him as an uncle..... or more accurately, a father figure. Because of these ties, Christopher placed absolute trust in the protection of the Purefield family.
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Three Days Earlier
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Roughly three days before Jeff and Jasper's arrival in Evorywood, Mia sat upon the ducal throne. She was no longer the naive young woman she once had been. Through Lucifer's relentless guidance, training, and grooming, the latent ruler within her had finally awakened. She had grown fully composed, beginning to grasp the duchy's problems and..... drawing on her own insight as well as the counsel of existing ministers..... offering practical solutions.
Yet as her intellect and competence expanded, so did the weight of responsibility pressing down on her. Fortunately, she had a perfect remedy for the stress: her son, the most precious piece of her heart..... Lucifer. At that exact moment, Lucifer stood behind the ducal throne-like sofa, gently massaging her head. Mia's eyes were peacefully closed. In truth, Lucifer's exceptionally soothing touch had lulled her into a light sleep right there on the throne.
Meanwhile, Lucifer continued lightly massaging her body while calmly explaining solutions to the issues being raised in the ducal court. This display left not only Mia but everyone present quietly puzzled: why hadn't Lucifer simply taken the ducal seat himself, given his remarkable leadership abilities? Why install Mia as Grand Duchess and Amelia as Duchess instead?
What they failed to understand was that Westirifer was merely the starting point. By entrusting Mia and Amelia with these roles, Lucifer was deliberately grooming them for far greater responsibilities ahead. Granting them these positions was his unique way of expressing love..... because love could not always be shown through physical intimacy alone.
Lucifer loved Mia and Amelia so profoundly that if love could only be demonstrated through sex, he would have spent every waking moment with them in passion. But that was not the reality. Instead, he showered his "mommy" Mia and his elder sister Amelia with constant small gestures, thoughtful gifts, and unwavering care. And this wasn't exclusive to them..... he treated all his wives with the same depth of affection.
Why wouldn't he? After all, Mia and Amelia were not only his mother and sister..... they were also his wives.
While Lucifer was massaging Mia, a lone wagon approached the ducal residence from afar. But the moment it reached the grand main gate, two Viper guards blocked its entry..... and they had every justification.
It was an unidentified wagon. Who could say what..... or who..... was inside? More importantly, the Viper guards understood that no matter the cost to themselves, they could never permit any threat to reach their master Lucifer's family.
The two guards stopped the wagon directly in front of the gate and demanded in commanding tones:
"Whose wagon is this? Who is inside? And what business do you have entering the ducal palace?"
Silence answered from within.
The guards repeated sternly:
"Either identify yourself, or leave immediately. If you attempt to force entry, the consequences are on you."
The instant both guards spoke in perfect unison, more than fifty additional Viper guards materialized at the gate. Ten elite Viper guards swiftly surrounded the wagon from every direction.
It wasn't that the occupant couldn't reveal their identity..... they could. But they struggled to find the right words. With so many guards suddenly closing in, the person inside realized that even a single misspoken sentence could cost them their life.
Gathering immense courage, the occupant finally spoke:
"My name is Eric Purefield, and I have come to meet Lucifer."
One of the Viper guards immediately asked:
"What is your purpose? Why do you seek an audience with the master?"
Eric replied:
"Miss, I cannot disclose that to you. I can only tell Lucifer himself."
The guard snapped:
"That is the second time you have addressed the master by name. Be cautious from now on."
"And until you explain your reason for wishing to meet him, no one here will grant you entry."
Eric tried again:
"At the very least, can you summon one of the ministers?"
The guard answered:
"No. This is the hour of the ducal court session. All ministers are currently occupied."
Eric found himself out of options. Desperately, he played his last card:
"Very well. Since I cannot leave without meeting him, and you refuse to let me enter..... at minimum, escort me personally to the ducal courtroom. There I can state my purpose before everyone..... and speak directly to your master."
After a brief pause for consideration, the lead guard ordered:
"No. 503 and No. 504..... escort him to the courtroom. If you detect even the slightest suspicious behavior, act immediately..... and kill him without hesitation."
No. 503 and No. 504 saluted and replied:
"Yes, Leader."
They began guiding Eric toward the ducal assembly hall. All the while, Eric stared intently at the guards' leader..... who was none other than Platoon Leader No. 501.
At that precise moment, as Lucifer continued massaging Mia and addressing the court, the doorkeeper suddenly announced:
"No. 503 and No. 504 are approaching the ducal courtroom, escorting a man named Eric Purefield."
The moment Eric's surname rang out, Mia..... who had been blissfully relaxed under Lucifer's touch..... snapped awake and alert. But Lucifer displayed no visible reaction whatsoever. Calmly, he turned to Allen and instructed:
"Allen, ensure that Eric Purefield does not set even one foot on the stairs of this ducal court. Speak to him personally. Inform him that no member of the Purefield family will be tolerated here. I have not made this public before, but from this moment forward, issue an official decree across the entire duchy: no Purefield is permitted entry into this territory. And if any disobey after the warning..... execute them on the spot."
With those words, Lucifer vanished from the courtroom so abruptly and completely that it seemed he had never been present at all. Mia, fully comprehending his mindset, remained silent and allowed him to depart without protest.
The instant Lucifer disappeared, Allen rushed out of the courtroom. As he emerged, he immediately spotted No. 503 and No. 504 approaching with Eric.
Seeing them, Allen turned to the nearest guard and ordered:
"Relay this to No. 503 and No. 504 immediately..... the man they are escorting is not permitted to enter."
The message reached them in seconds. The two guards halted abruptly. Noticing their sudden stop, Eric also paused and asked in confusion:
"What's wrong? Why did we stop?"
No. 503 answered firmly:
"You are not permitted to take even a single step inside the ducal courtroom."
Eric frowned deeply:
"A short while ago everything was fine..... you were even bringing me in. And now suddenly I'm barred?"
"Can I at least ask why?"
But Eric's questions received no answer from the guards. Instead, a new voice cut through the tension.
Suddenly Allen appeared directly in front of Eric. As Eric opened his mouth to speak, Allen spoke first:
"You are not allowed here by direct order of the master. The reason is that you belong to the Purefield family..... and the Purefields and my master are enemies. The master has already sworn an oath to erase the name Purefield from this world."
Allen's words struck Eric like thunder. Stunned, he stammered:
"I understand that Christopher and Sarah have gravely wronged Lucifer, Mia, and Amelia..... but why extend this fury to the entire Purefield family?"
Allen replied coolly:
"That is not my place to explain in detail. But I will give you this much: your son and his daughter joined forces to kill my master's unborn daughter while she was still a fetus in the womb. Both your son and your granddaughter belong to the Purefield family. And if that were not enough, you also maintain connections with the Church of Toxara."
"So when my master eventually kills your son and granddaughter, the Purefield family will undoubtedly interfere. Therefore, the entire Purefield lineage must be eradicated. According to the master, this eradication will begin after this winter."
Though Allen called his explanation "vague," it was anything but..... it was starkly clear and detailed.
When Allen finished, Eric spoke quietly:
"Actually, Allen..... I came here after renouncing all ties to the duchy, to the family, even to Elmor and Bianca. I was hoping Lucifer might still accept me."
Allen shook his head:
"I cannot assist you in this matter. I can only convey your plea to my master..... nothing more."
Eric said softly:
"Please do so."
But before anything further could be said, a figure suddenly materialized from Allen's shadow. Eric was so shocked that he lost his balance and fell to the ground. Allen, however, showed no surprise whatsoever.
The figure who emerged was Zyrelia..... another of Lucifer's shadow daughters.
Zyrelia glanced briefly at Allen, then fixed her gaze on Eric.
Gesturing toward him, she declared:
"You are forbidden from being seen anywhere near this ducal residence or its surrounding areas. You are not welcome in my father's Velmora family. Consider yourself fortunate that he is showing mercy by not killing you. His advice is simple: never show your face here again. You may live in the outer territories of Westirifer..... but that is all."
Without even glancing back at Allen, Zyrelia vanished. Yet her voice lingered, echoing through the air:
"Guards..... throw this man out."
The command took immediate effect. The two Viper guards seized Eric tightly and began marching him back toward the same entry gate through which he had arrived.
As they moved, Allen issued one final order:
"After expelling him, announce throughout all of Westirifer: no Purefield will be tolerated inside these lands..... just as followers of the Church of Toxara are not. If any disregard the warning..... execute them."
And with that command, the doom of the Purefield family was sealed.