The Life Transference Conversion Ritual.
A forbidden ritual once used by sorcerers to steal the life force of others and extend their own lifespan.
After countless lives were sacrificed because of it, the ritual was ultimately placed on the Empire’s list of forbidden texts and condemned as “a forbidden art that defies all human morality.”
But Ludville had used that ritual in the exact opposite way.
Not to steal another’s life—
But to offer up his own.
Odely slowly approached and placed her hand on the engraved ritual circle.
She could feel a strange current flowing beneath the floor.
‘…Just as I thought. It’s still here.’
In her previous life…
Odely had spent five years in this detached residence on the outskirts of the castle.
Because in their contract, Ludville had specifically stated where she was allowed to live and how far she was permitted to travel.
Suddenly, his voice echoed through her mind.
“Why are you here?”
It had been an unusually warm day.
Spring in the North was still bitterly cold, but to Odely, even that felt warm.
A world she had never once been allowed to experience since childhood.
A place touched by sunlight.
She had thought that if she stepped out just for a little while—
just a moment—
he wouldn’t notice.
But it had only been one hour.
And Ludville had noticed immediately.
The moment he realized she was gone, he came straight to the detached residence without saying a word and brought her back.
Grabbing her shoulders tightly, he had said coldly,
“I clearly told you never to leave the detached residence.”
“This is a clear breach of our contract.”
“Do you wish to terminate it?”
“Never cross this boundary again.”
His tone had been as cold and merciless as ever.
Back then, she had believed…
that she had been imprisoned in this detached residence because she was an obstacle to the woman he truly loved.
That day, however, his fingertips had been trembling ever so slightly.
His face had looked pale.
Unsteady.
She had mistaken even that for the anxiety of a man afraid of upsetting the woman he loved.
But now she knew.
The only thing he had truly feared until the very end…
was losing Odely.
She had needed to remain in this detached residence for exactly five years.
Only then could this ritual function perfectly.
In other words…
The reason Ludville had proposed a five-year contract and practically confined her to this place…
‘…was solely to save me.’
This life-transferring ritual was not a simple spell that activated the instant an incantation was spoken.
If another person’s life force were forced into someone’s body all at once, it could trigger severe rejection or even fatal shock.
Just like receiving a blood transfusion without compatibility testing.
The reason he had kept Odely close to the ritual circle was the same.
He had needed to slowly synchronize her body’s rhythms and mana circulation over a long period of time.
He had to transform her entire body into a vessel capable of naturally accepting someone else’s life force.
Silently.
Patiently.
For five whole years.
Because he had believed that his previous life would be his last chance.
And when every preparation had finally been completed…
He divorced Odely.
Then…
Over the course of nearly one year…
Ludville transferred every remaining year of his own life to her.
Every last bit.
The reason her health had gradually recovered.
The reason her body had become far stronger than before.
It was all because…
She had inherited Ludville’s life.
“…”
Which meant that the very first thing Odely had to do in order to protect him was…
‘Undo this ritual.’
Ludville had already poured half of his life force into completing it.
He had to recover that sacrifice.
Every bit of the half of his life he had already given.
‘The ritual hasn’t activated yet. If I dismantle it now… he’ll get his life force back.’
But to do that…
There was one essential item she needed.
The key that could deactivate the ritual circle.
‘According to his memories, he kept it inside his private vault.’
Without hesitation, Odely turned around and left the hidden chamber.
****
“…She asked to stay in the detached residence?”
The sword stopped in midair.
Without lowering his stance, Ludville slowly turned his head.
Across from him, the knight sparring with him quietly let out a relieved sigh.
“Yes, Your Grace. Lady Odely personally requested it.”
“Already doing something strange.”
Ludville muttered indifferently.
The detached residence.
An isolated building on the edge of the estate that had been abandoned for years.
Even after becoming Grand Duke—
Or before that— he had never once set foot there.
“Wasn’t it basically a storage building?”
“Yes, Your Grace. Recently it has been used as a storage facility.”
“It was originally built as a guest residence for foreign envoys…”
The head butler cleared his throat awkwardly as he explained.
But even after hearing that the young lady had voluntarily chosen to stay in what was essentially a warehouse,
Ludville showed no particular reaction.
He simply didn’t care.
Though…
He did find it rather absurd.
‘Didn’t I tell her I’d marry her if she managed to interest me within fifteen days?’
And right after that…
She voluntarily hid herself away in isolation.
Had she already given up?
Or was this another scheme?
Was she retreating?
Waiting?
Calculating something?
He couldn’t tell.
But…
‘She won’t last long.’
Ludville had already lost interest.
He wasn’t particularly curious why she had made that choice.
If anything, he regretted giving her a full fifteen days.
‘As expected… she wasn’t anything special.’
When he had first seen her that day…
Something inside his chest had tightened.
For one brief moment, the illusion he had been chasing seemed almost real.
He had even reached out toward her without thinking.
…But it had all been a mistake.
Just another hallucination from a man who drank too much.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
“Leave her alone.”
He spun his sword once before resting it casually across his shoulder.
Boredom quickly settled over his face.
As though there was no longer any reason to fight—
or even think about it.
He turned to leave the training grounds…
Then suddenly stopped.
A thought had crossed his mind.
‘Wasn’t that young lady supposed to be frail?’
He had heard she had been so sickly that she had never once left the Cardel estate.
Could a flower raised in a greenhouse really survive two weeks in a rundown warehouse like that?
‘No… she’d already survived three months while missing.’
She had crossed the Northern wilderness on foot.
And yet she hadn’t looked exhausted in the slightest.
‘Being frail must’ve just been another rumor.’
Or perhaps the Cardel family had simply been overprotective.
No one had forced her to stay there.
She had chosen it herself.
There was no reason for him to concern himself over it.
Nothing significant would happen in just fifteen days.
That was the end of the thought.
With no reason to linger any longer, he walked away without another glance.
****
Odely made her way straight toward the vault without stopping.
Before long, she arrived.
She took a quiet breath before cautiously reaching out.
The moment her fingers wrapped around the handle—
“…!”
According to Ludville’s memories, the vault had been sealed with powerful magic.
But…
She felt no resistance whatsoever.
Not even the familiar sting that accompanied magical barriers.
‘The seal… is gone?’
The magical seal that should have been protecting the vault from intruders…
had already disappeared.
Alarmed, Odely quickly pulled the door open.
Creak.
The heavy vault door swung open far too easily.
And then…
‘…It’s gone.’
The small case that should have contained the necklace…
was completely empty.
As though someone had already stolen it.
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