Juliet looked at herself in the mirror, tilting her head with unease.
It had been a long time since she had dressed so glamorously, so her reflection seemed a bit awkward.
‘Just the other day, I was struggling, rolling on the dirt ground.’
However, she kept Lillian’s heirloom, a pearl necklace, unchanged.
The small silver key pendant at the end of the necklace seemed perfectly matched, as if chosen deliberately.
Having not dressed up in such a detailed manner for so long, by the time she was applying her final touch of red lipstick, Juliet had half-dozed off, her head resting in the hands of the attendants.
The attendants woke her up with a gentle shake of her shoulders, smiling with satisfaction.
“It’s done.”
They then brought a mirror.
When Juliet casually glanced at the mirror, her eyes widened.
A stunning beauty blinked back in surprise, with eyes that looked as if they were painted on paper and a complexion that was vibrant.
“Not bad, right?”
Not bad?
Juliet thought that was a huge understatement.
It was hard to believe it was her own face.
‘If I had to do it every day, I don’t think I could ever do it again.’
Juliet preferred a modest look over a flashy one. She believed that her features didn’t suit flashy makeup.
However, she now wondered if her judgment over the past years had been wrong.
Juliet, still finding the woman in the mirror unfamiliar, awkwardly adjusted her earrings.
Like the tiara, the earrings adorned with large rubies and pearls dangled.
“You look very beautiful.”
Then, a familiar voice was heard from behind.
“Roy!”
It was the person Helen mentioned. It turned out to be Roy.
It had been two weeks since she last saw him.
“Hello, Juliet. I came to escort you, miss.”
Roy extended his hand with a gentle smile, making Juliet glad to see a familiar face in a strange place.
* * *
Meanwhile, Teo stood at the entrance to Lucerne’s central ballroom.
Helen had ordered him to be there, concerned for Juliet’s safety.
“Where did that girl go?”
Grumbling, Teo witnessed a peculiar scene.
“Huh?”
A familiar figure, no, Lycanthrope was heading towards the central ballroom with a woman.
“What is that guy doing?”
Teo muttered angrily.
‘This is why you can’t trust werewolves.’
They can’t be trusted at all.
‘Instead of escorting Juliet, he shows up with someone else?’
As Teo waited to confront them, he hesitated.
The partner Roy was escorting was a stunning beauty.
She left an impression as if a red flower was personified.
While Teo was still stunned by her appearance, they went straight into the ballroom.
“Who’s that woman?”
Even though Juliet is naive, she would be upset if she found out the man who courted her brought another partner, especially such a stunning beauty.
‘…What should I do?’
Teo was restless.
“Teo? What are you doing here alone?”
That’s when Eshelrid, who had already arrived at the ballroom, approached.
“No, listen, Eshel. It’s not about that, it’s about Roy and-“
“Juliet?”
“What?”
Teo, taken aback by Eshelrid’s unexpected response, asked.
“Yes. Didn’t Roy escort her?”
“What nonsense are you talking about? I clearly saw that werewolf just go in with some woman-“
…Wait, was that woman?
“That can’t be.”
In shock, Teo dashed into the ballroom.
* * *
Having to leave urgently due to an important matter, Helen left Eshelrid in charge of Juliet and Teo’s protection in her stead.
“Welcome to the terrarium.”
The priest named Archbishop Solon greeted them with great fanfare.
The Terrarium was a beautiful temple building.
The circular building, made entirely of soft ivory-colored marble, wasn’t only vast but also served as accommodation for visitors.
Juliet thought the appearance of the Terrarium somewhat resembled the Colosseum.
“I am delighted to welcome honored guests again this year.”
Archbishop Solon clapped his hands with satisfaction.
Teo muttered in a voice only Juliet could hear.
“That man says the same thing every year. Is he always so glad to see us?”
Juliet sneaked a glance at him. It was said that this man, Archbishop Solon, was the primary assistant to Pope Bastian.
‘But somehow…’
He seemed more pompous than even Pope Seastian.
He always held a small purple book or something similar.
Thinking it was a scripture, it turned out to be a special list of loyal believers who donated a lot, including the 48 major families.
Borrowing Teo’s expression, it was like a list of devout and idle rich.
“Especially this year, I am happy to introduce another lost lamb to you all.”
“I don’t know who it is, but it seems they’ve recruited a new donor.”
Teo remarked cynically.
‘Lost lamb’ is a term for a new believer.
Some families, like the Lebatan family, attended every year, but the list of 48 families sometimes changed.
“Ah, come and greet everyone!”
The excited Archbishop Solon guided them to the banquet hall.
In the middle of the luxurious banquet hall with its front made of glass, a man was standing.
And Juliet found out who the new believer Archbishop Solon mentioned was.
And why did he introduce him with such fuss.
A tall man with black hair and red eyes was standing and gazing lazily as they entered.
“It’s Duke Carlyle!”
* * *
Then, a man dressed in white with a crimson mantle, called the Pope, entered the banquet hall.
The Pope began his speech, but Juliet, with her head bowed, couldn’t hear a word.
‘It’s a lie.’
The reason Juliet kept looking down was simple.
If she raised her head, she would inevitably meet the glaring red eyes.
“The Duke of Carlyle, from the North…?”
It wasn’t just Juliet who was taken aback.
Even though the Pope was giving a speech, murmurs of surprise echoed here and there.
Everyone was disturbed by this unprecedented event.
Of course, anyone invited could attend the breeding ceremony. That was the rule.
‘But, he had never attended before.’
Gathering some courage, Juliet slightly raised her head and shot him a glance.
He didn’t avoid her gaze.
Instead, he sneaked a look at Roy, who was standing next to Juliet, and smirked.
“Welcome to Lucerne. I pray that the light and protection of Ifrit be with all our esteemed guests.”
As the Pope finished his words, a thunderous applause erupted.
Juliet turned her head to join the applause and was taken aback.
‘What…?’
Was it her imagination?
For a moment, she felt as if she made eye contact with the man called the Pope.
Pope Sebastian had quite a notorious reputation.
“The rumors about him are not good either.”
Eshel whispered to her.
“I heard that since he became the Pope, the number of deaths and disappearances has increased.”
He had a face that made it hard to guess his age.
Still, due to the symbolism the Pope held, he seemed to be popular among the believers.
“Your Holiness!”
“Bless us with good fortune!”
“Please bestow your blessings!”
By worldly standards, he indeed had a handsome face that would be considered attractive.
However, Juliet only felt an inexplicable discomfort from him.
Whether it was his face that looked too young for someone who should be over fifty or his glassy eyes, something about him gave a creepy feeling.
Juliet looked at herself in the mirror, tilting her head with unease.
It had been a long time since she had dressed so glamorously, so her reflection seemed a bit awkward.
‘Just the other day, I was struggling, rolling on the dirt ground.’
However, she kept Lillian’s heirloom, a pearl necklace, unchanged.
The small silver key pendant at the end of the necklace seemed perfectly matched, as if chosen deliberately.
Having not dressed up in such a detailed manner for so long, by the time she was applying her final touch of red lipstick, Juliet had half-dozed off, her head resting in the hands of the attendants.
The attendants woke her up with a gentle shake of her shoulders, smiling with satisfaction.
“It’s done.”
They then brought a mirror.
When Juliet casually glanced at the mirror, her eyes widened.
A stunning beauty blinked back in surprise, with eyes that looked as if they were painted on paper and a complexion that was vibrant.
“Not bad, right?”
Not bad?
Juliet thought that was a huge understatement.
It was hard to believe it was her own face.
‘If I had to do it every day, I don’t think I could ever do it again.’
Juliet preferred a modest look over a flashy one. She believed that her features didn’t suit flashy makeup.
However, she now wondered if her judgment over the past years had been wrong.
Juliet, still finding the woman in the mirror unfamiliar, awkwardly adjusted her earrings.
Like the tiara, the earrings adorned with large rubies and pearls dangled.
“You look very beautiful.”
Then, a familiar voice was heard from behind.
“Roy!”
It was the person Helen mentioned. It turned out to be Roy.
It had been two weeks since she last saw him.
“Hello, Juliet. I came to escort you, miss.”
Roy extended his hand with a gentle smile, making Juliet glad to see a familiar face in a strange place.
* * *
Meanwhile, Teo stood at the entrance to Lucerne’s central ballroom.
Helen had ordered him to be there, concerned for Juliet’s safety.
“Where did that girl go?”
Grumbling, Teo witnessed a peculiar scene.
“Huh?”
A familiar figure, no, Lycanthrope was heading towards the central ballroom with a woman.
“What is that guy doing?”
Teo muttered angrily.
‘This is why you can’t trust werewolves.’
They can’t be trusted at all.
‘Instead of escorting Juliet, he shows up with someone else?’
As Teo waited to confront them, he hesitated.
The partner Roy was escorting was a stunning beauty.
She left an impression as if a red flower was personified.
While Teo was still stunned by her appearance, they went straight into the ballroom.
“Who’s that woman?”
Even though Juliet is naive, she would be upset if she found out the man who courted her brought another partner, especially such a stunning beauty.
‘…What should I do?’
Teo was restless.
“Teo? What are you doing here alone?”
That’s when Eshelrid, who had already arrived at the ballroom, approached.
“No, listen, Eshel. It’s not about that, it’s about Roy and-“
“Juliet?”
“What?”
Teo, taken aback by Eshelrid’s unexpected response, asked.
“Yes. Didn’t Roy escort her?”
“What nonsense are you talking about? I clearly saw that werewolf just go in with some woman-“
…Wait, was that woman?
“That can’t be.”
In shock, Teo dashed into the ballroom.
* * *
Having to leave urgently due to an important matter, Helen left Eshelrid in charge of Juliet and Teo’s protection in her stead.
“Welcome to the terrarium.”
The priest named Archbishop Solon greeted them with great fanfare.
The Terrarium was a beautiful temple building.
The circular building, made entirely of soft ivory-colored marble, wasn’t only vast but also served as accommodation for visitors.
Juliet thought the appearance of the Terrarium somewhat resembled the Colosseum.
“I am delighted to welcome honored guests again this year.”
Archbishop Solon clapped his hands with satisfaction.
Teo muttered in a voice only Juliet could hear.
“That man says the same thing every year. Is he always so glad to see us?”
Juliet sneaked a glance at him. It was said that this man, Archbishop Solon, was the primary assistant to Pope Bastian.
‘But somehow…’
He seemed more pompous than even Pope Seastian.
He always held a small purple book or something similar.
Thinking it was a scripture, it turned out to be a special list of loyal believers who donated a lot, including the 48 major families.
Borrowing Teo’s expression, it was like a list of devout and idle rich.
“Especially this year, I am happy to introduce another lost lamb to you all.”
“I don’t know who it is, but it seems they’ve recruited a new donor.”
Teo remarked cynically.
‘Lost lamb’ is a term for a new believer.
Some families, like the Lebatan family, attended every year, but the list of 48 families sometimes changed.
“Ah, come and greet everyone!”
The excited Archbishop Solon guided them to the banquet hall.
In the middle of the luxurious banquet hall with its front made of glass, a man was standing.
And Juliet found out who the new believer Archbishop Solon mentioned was.
And why did he introduce him with such fuss.
A tall man with black hair and red eyes was standing and gazing lazily as they entered.
“It’s Duke Carlyle!”
* * *
Then, a man dressed in white with a crimson mantle, called the Pope, entered the banquet hall.
The Pope began his speech, but Juliet, with her head bowed, couldn’t hear a word.
‘It’s a lie.’
The reason Juliet kept looking down was simple.
If she raised her head, she would inevitably meet the glaring red eyes.
“The Duke of Carlyle, from the North…?”
It wasn’t just Juliet who was taken aback.
Even though the Pope was giving a speech, murmurs of surprise echoed here and there.
Everyone was disturbed by this unprecedented event.
Of course, anyone invited could attend the breeding ceremony. That was the rule.
‘But, he had never attended before.’
Gathering some courage, Juliet slightly raised her head and shot him a glance.
He didn’t avoid her gaze.
Instead, he sneaked a look at Roy, who was standing next to Juliet, and smirked.
“Welcome to Lucerne. I pray that the light and protection of Ifrit be with all our esteemed guests.”
As the Pope finished his words, a thunderous applause erupted.
Juliet turned her head to join the applause and was taken aback.
‘What…?’
Was it her imagination?
For a moment, she felt as if she made eye contact with the man called the Pope.
Pope Sebastian had quite a notorious reputation.
“The rumors about him are not good either.”
Eshel whispered to her.
“I heard that since he became the Pope, the number of deaths and disappearances has increased.”
He had a face that made it hard to guess his age.
Still, due to the symbolism the Pope held, he seemed to be popular among the believers.
“Your Holiness!”
“Bless us with good fortune!”
“Please bestow your blessings!”
By worldly standards, he indeed had a handsome face that would be considered attractive.
However, Juliet only felt an inexplicable discomfort from him.
Whether it was his face that looked too young for someone who should be over fifty or his glassy eyes, something about him gave a creepy feeling.
