“Beg me to spare your miserable life! What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue? Weren’t you always so eloquent, so full of hot air? Beg me!”

Alessia’s nails slowly dug into Kanata’s flesh, breaking her delicate skin. Thin trails of blood seeped out.

Kanata desperately wanted to snap back, *Damn it, you’re choking me—how am I supposed to talk?*

She was truly suffocating. The air in her chest was being squeezed out bit by bit, breath refusing to come.

This woman never held back—not even a little.

“Kill… kill me… like you… killed Father…”

“…”

How “amusing”—father and daughter, slain by the same hand. Her father likely never imagined his own disciples would turn into such ungrateful wretches, hunting down his daughter too.

Talk about having a conscience.

“Tch…”

Alessia blinked back clarity for a fleeting second and clicked her tongue in disdain.

Killing the teacher’s daughter… there’d be no way to honor his spirit. Before dying, he’d knelt on the prison floor, kowtowing until his forehead split and bled, begging her—*please*, for his years of service to the Fujiwara Clan—to protect his children.

Alessia had stood frozen, wanting to lift the broken man, but unable.

She turned without a word, locked herself in the break room, bit her own hand until palm and back bled, the coppery taste of blood flooding her tongue as suppressed grief finally shattered.

“You only hide behind our teacher, you useless thing. I’m deeply disappointed. Don’t come back. I need no disobedient Bloodbond Thrall.”

In that instant, all interest in Kanata vanished.

A Bloodbond Thrall beyond perfect control held no purpose. Besides, Miss Kanata Himemiya clearly harbored messy, hidden thoughts.

Might as well set her free.

“You’re dismissed from the Imperial Guard Bureau. Consider yourself fired.”

…

Overnight, Kanata lost her job and most stable income. Imperial Guard pay wasn’t high, but it was reliable—with fixed supply rations.

No one outside would hire her. The public still seethed with hatred toward her father… and toward her and Nozomi, his children.

“Now this… truly… disastrous…”

She let out a bitter smile, wiping bloodstained spittle—tinged with Alessia’s saliva—from her skin, straightening her torn clothes.

No way to face the event participants like this. But the crystal core was secured. Money was money.

Work could wait.

“Maybe… Kabukicho Street. Bosses there… hire anyone pretty. Pay’s good… just accompany guests for a few drinks…”

Losing the role of serving the Sovereign was a heavy blow. Yet her heart felt lighter than ever.

Finally—no more faking smiles at that repulsive, nauseating face.

As long as she kept her life, there’d be a way.

“Time to go back…”

She scooped up the crystal core, tucked it into her jacket pocket, gathered her things, and limped slowly down the path home.