Mystica and Dove trailed behind Queen Lucy into her private chamber, the heavy doors closing behind them as the guards remained outside.
Lucy didn't say a word. She walked gracefully to the velvet-lined couch by the tall window and sat, posture regal. With a few rhythmic taps on the armrest, a ripple of magic shimmered across the room—Silent Zone.
"No eavesdropping," she said coolly. "Now that you've finally shown up—twelve days late, with your apprentice—I assume you brought something worthwhile."
Mystica gave a light nod. "We did. Not absolute, but it's the best lead we've got."
Lucy's eyes slid to Dove. "And you must be the one Mystica insisted I allow assist her."
"Dove Verlhare, at your service," she said, pulling the cigar from her lips and bowing slightly, her tone casual but respectful.
Lucy's face didn't shift. "A pleasure. Though I'd prefer you not poison my air with that smoke. My nose doesn't take kindly to cigars."
"Of course, my queen," Dove said. She flicked her cigar up and opened a small, flickering portal mid-air. The cigar vanished through it.
"Anything for you," Dove replied with a teasing smirk, eyes lingering just a bit too long.
Lucy ignored the look. "Now—this discovery about the abomination. What did you find?"
Mystica gestured to her. "Go on, Dove. You did the digging."
Dove cracked her neck, hands stuffed in the deep pockets of her long coat as she stepped forward with a little bounce in her boots.
"So, Queenie," she started, "I got a little nosy. Ran a blood test on the abomination. Compared it to a normal Gaia demon's."
Lucy gave a small nod, her face unreadable. "And?"
"Didn't match. Like—at all. Sure, it's demonic... but not Sync-class demonic."
Lucy tilted her head slightly. "I'm no expert in what you do, but that's expected. The thing is part human, part demon. Of course, the match would be off."
Dove grinned. "Right? You're sharp. But here's the twist— I didn't test the whole soup. I separated it. I tested just the demon side."
She pulled a hand from her coat and held up a finger. "And it wasn't your average Gaia demon blood. It was thicker. Heavier. Potent. Like vintage hellfire compared to cheap graveyard brew."
Lucy's gaze sharpened, interest flickering in her otherwise calm eyes.
Dove smirked. "So, I kept digging. Don't know if my Night Empress gave you the scoop yet—though I doubt she did—but when I first showed up, our theory was that Duchess Aveline dosed herself with demon blood. You know, little injections over time. Let it soak."
Lucy's tone didn't change. "Continue."
Dove shrugged. "We ditched that theory. Fast. That much raw demonic energy in a human body? She'd have turned into mush. I personally believe no one survives a half-fusion like that without frying their insides. Unless you aren't built like any other person"
Mystica nodded quietly. "We confirmed that after the results of the blood comparisons came back."
"Now here's the juicy bit," Dove went on, pacing slowly. "Couple days ago, I got fresh Gaia corpses. Legit ones. Extracted blood myself—nasty work. Did another comparison."
Lucy's voice was calm, but the edge was there. "What did you find?"
Dove turned, her grin wide. "That thing wasn't just having high-tier demon blood compared to the demons used. That demon blood? It was Lord-tier. Power levels matched exactly with the Gaia Demon Lord."
Silence cracked through the room.
Mystica broke it with a cool breath. "We're saying Aveline might've gotten access to the Demon Lord's blood."
"Or worse," Dove said, folding her arms with a playful shrug. "She shook hands with the bastard."
Lucy's fingers curled slightly on the armrest. Her posture, always perfect, shifted just enough to betray a crack in her calm.
"So if that's the case," Lucy began, eyes narrowed, "how did she manage such a flawless fusion? To the point she stayed hidden until the night of her assassination? And more importantly—how did she even meet Sylvathar, the Gaia Lord?"
"I've been wondering that too," Mystica replied. "From where I stand, there are two real possibilities. One—Sylvathar came to her. Meaning a Demon Lord stepped into our realm… undetected."
"That'd be bad, right?" Dove chimed in, sauntering over to a fruit basket was casual tea time. She grabbed an apple, bit into it, and said through the crunch, "I mean, a walking natural disaster just roaming around? Sounds like the rift patrols in the Western region need a serious upgrade."
"Second theory," Mystica continued, nodding slightly, "Aveline went to him. Somehow got past the arrays. Slipped into the demon realm herself."
Lucy didn't flinch. "The arrays covering the entire Western region were built with the combined strength of three kingdoms. They're not perfect, but they're close. How would a noblewoman—wealthy or not—just walk through?"
Mystica's voice dropped a bit. "Which leaves the third, and most reasonable conclusion—Sylvathar found her. And offered her a deal."
"A deal with one of the devil's own children," she finished.
"Whew, that line hits." Dove raised her apple in salute. "Poetic, Your Night Empress."
Lucy didn't smile. Didn't blink. Just stared out the window for a moment, the sunlight glinting faintly off her crown.
"Then the question becomes," she said softly, "why her? Out of all the nobles… why Aveline?"
Mystica tilted her head slightly. "She was powerful, yes. Rich, connected. But not exactly… exceptional. Not really magically gifted. Not politically threatening. I mean before she engaged in those crimes of hers. She was just smart and ambitious."
"Yeah, and maybe a little too curious," Dove muttered, tossing the apple core into a small purple portal with a flick of her finger. "People like that always find the wrong doors to open."
Lucy glanced at her. "You sound like you speak from experience."
"Oh, I do," Dove smirked. "But I'm still cute enough to get away with it."
Mystica sighed but didn't argue.
Lucy leaned back into her seat, one finger tapping the armrest again, slowly this time. "If Sylvathar approached her, that means there's something he needed. Something only she had. Or something only she could do."
Dove folded her arms, serious now. "Whatever it was, it worked. That blood isn't just a drop of power—it's a whole damn legacy. If Aveline survived longer, she might've ascended into something worse."
Mystica nodded. "A hybrid capable of wielding Lord-tier myst... blending it with human cunning. That's beyond dangerous."
Lucy exhaled through her nose, eyes icy. "Then we have a bigger problem. If Sylvathar succeeded once… he might try again."
Dove's grin faded. "So what's the play, Queenie?"
Lucy stood, calm and regal, yet with steel beneath her voice. "We start where Aveline ended. Track her movements. Uncover every secret she kept. And if there's even a whisper of Sylvathar still lingering..."
She turned to the both of them.
"Then we bring hell to the Gaia Lord."