“Good. This time, it’s absolutely foolproof.”

After shifting the primary safeguard of her magic—changing its trigger target from everyone to Elise and relocating the Holy Light’s activation point from the victim to Elise’s position—Aelia returned to her dormitory with quiet confidence.

Now, only Elise could activate her Purification and Encouragement magic. That damn Hero’s hope of stumbling into luck again was pure fantasy.

As previously noted, this was a challenge she’d set up. Lady Mary had merely been the vanguard—the weakest of the three notorious seductresses. The other two wouldn’t be so easily handled.

Take Miss Catherine, for instance.

Unlike Lady Mary, she was born a marquess’s daughter—noble, refined, and far from the typical seductress. She wasn’t just wanton or indiscriminate.

Her greatest pleasure? Breaking seemingly unyielding men, reducing them to servants subjected daily to whipping, trampling, and riding—stripping them utterly of dignity as men, even as human beings.

Most chilling of all: those broken men would call such torment “rewards,” wearing twisted smiles of twisted enjoyment.

This was the wicked woman the damn Hero now faced… If he submitted, well, nothing more need be said.

If he refused? Conflict with the marquess’s house was inevitable. Win or lose, the marquess would surely lodge a formal complaint afterward.

A perfect resolution?

Don’t even dream of it.

At least, not for that damn Hero.

This wasn’t a problem fixed by one or two sudden awakenings. Before Catherine, he first had to deal with her brother—Hysteron, the marquess house’s heir and de facto ruler.

Catherine’s unchecked tyranny existed solely because of Hysteron’s excessive indulgence. He’d even pre-select victims for her and prepare every tool of abuse.

Crucially, defeating Hysteron meant nothing. He had to *realize* his error and abandon his complicity… which, in the end, required Aelia’s magic to awaken him.

And the spell she’d placed on Hysteron was linked. Unless triggered on Catherine’s end, his magic remained inert. The Hero’s failure was sealed—

“Lord Luke is challenging Viscount Hysteron to a duel?”

The next day at lunch, Aelia learned this shocking news from a maid’s report.

In the Messiah Kingdom’s nobility system, heirs of dukes or marquesses were styled “Lord” until inheriting their titles—unless granted a separate title for merit.

Hysteron was such an exception. For aiding Charles in quelling a rebellion, he’d earned a viscountcy. Though minor compared to his future marquess title, among young nobles he stood unmatched—highly influential, favored by the king.

And now the Hero dared challenge *him*?

Didn’t he fear accidentally offending the royal family too?

*(That damn Hero… already making a foolish move?)*

To Aelia, he’d likely uncovered fragments about Catherine, overestimated his cleverness, and targeted Hysteron first—a self-destructive blunder.

Still… her “sweetheart” was in trouble. She had to show concern. *Ugh. What a nuisance.*

She feigned frantic worry, abandoned her half-finished lunch, and rushed toward the duel site.

Though she left early and moved swiftly, she arrived too late. Everything was already over.

*(Perfect. Right on schedule.)*

Aelia’s face instantly shifted into her practiced mask of concern. She hurried forward, ready to deliver her rehearsed lines—

—but before she could speak, Hysteron knelt on one knee.

“All these years… I was wrong. My indulgence turned that child into what she is today…”

Aelia froze.

Her magic was still inactive. How had he confessed *on his own*?

Enlightened by the damn Hero? After *years* of stubbornness, suddenly repenting after a lecture from some random newcomer?

*Damn Hero… are you surnamed Uzumaki?!*

“Lord Hero is incredible! Even Hysteron bowed to him!”

Praise swirled around her—but this time, she was utterly excluded.

In *her* grand plan, *she* was the one Hysteron should’ve tearfully pledged loyalty to.

*(That damn Hero… stealing what’s mine!)*

Fury surged—then Luke approached, bowed with smug satisfaction, and declared:

“The mission is accomplished.”

*Huh?* When had she given him orders?

Her eyes flicked to a golden-haired elf maid in the distance. *Elise.*

*Did you warn him about Catherine… and he realized to start with Hysteron?!*

*Ahhh, Elise! How could you sabotage your own master?!*

After a brief internal grumble, ever-optimistic Aelia rallied.

She still held advantages. Even if Luke fixed Hysteron’s issue, Catherine wouldn’t reform easily. And even if he miraculously succeeded…

First: Hysteron and Catherine had sold the broken men to multiple nobles, forming a powerful interest group. Stopping now? Impossible.

Second: Many victims’ families were shattered. Releasing them wouldn’t quell the scandal. Worst case? The royal family silences everyone.

And after causing such chaos? The Hero becomes a royal thorn—expulsion from the kingdom, effortless.

Only one problem remained: Elise was now openly aiding the damn Hero. Aelia’s safeguards needed urgent revision.

“Lord Luke, well done,” she said lightly.

Then she slipped away, found Catherine, and modified the primary safeguard: activation now required *her* explicit approval. She also added a fourth layer—a remote alert the moment the safeguard triggered—to protect Elise.

Back in her quarters, Aelia settled in to watch the Hero’s downfall.

True to expectation, Luke acted that very night…

But the result left her speechless.

Her magic *had* triggered.

Not on Catherine.

But on Lady Carol—the one meant to guard the next challenge.

“You damn Hero! Why won’t you follow the script?!”