Camilla said that when someone’s body is stolen, the real soul that was robbed can’t leave that body—it stays stuck to it, clinging to the side.

“Then how do you know that so well?”

“Ah, I-I saw it in a dream. Sort of a revelation. Haha.”

When the Duke of Sephra nodded, the two dukes’ gazes turned even colder.

They might call themselves his close friends, and they had spent a long time alongside the Duke of Sephra—but that was exactly why they knew he had the ability to sense the souls of the dead.

“So it really is Prince Abihel.”

A heavy Killing Intent surged up from the three dukes in an instant.

Seeing that, the people on Consort Jabiela’s side hurriedly stepped forward.

“What do you think you’re doing right now?”

“How dare you! Prince Abihel will soon ascend to the throne!”

“The throne?”

When the Duke of Sorpel asked back as if he couldn’t believe it, one of them flinched—but forced the words out anyway.

“There’s a will document bearing His Majesty’s seal. It states that the throne is being handed to the second prince, Abihel!”

Even with countless voices shouting, the three dukes’ eyes didn’t leave Prince Abihel.

As if that gaze weighed on him, he subtly looked away.

“Eva Faith has appeared again.”

“Pardon?”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Eva Faith...!”

At the Duke of Sorpel’s out-of-nowhere words, everyone there furrowed their brows. Only Consort Jabiela and Prince Abihel made stiff, startled faces.

“You all know perfectly well what Eva Faith is.”

“Things that steal other people’s lives to keep themselves alive.”

“And one more thing—they also steal people’s bodies.”

“What are you—!”

The surprise lasted only a moment before displeasure spread rapidly across people’s faces.

Eva Faith, a group that vanished long ago—this was too sudden.

“I don’t understand what the ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) three of you are even saying—!”

“There’s someone here, in this very room, whose body has been stolen by Eva Faith.”

Only then did people understand why the three dukes were giving off such a vicious aura, and their expressions changed completely.

And when they realized the dukes’ eyes were still fixed on Prince Abihel and Consort Jabiela, they reeled again.

“Are you saying you suspect those two?”

The Marquess of Duriel, Consort Jabiela’s biological parent, stepped forward, openly baring their fury.

“No matter that you’re Guardian Houses—how can you act this rudely without a shred of evidence? You will pay the price you deserve!”

“That’s right. Eva Faith? What kind of nonsense is that!”

“If you three want to side with a traitor, fine—but if you’re going to pick a fight, you should’ve brought something real. Eva Faith? Ha!”

With the marquess stepping in, the others who had been flustered hurriedly rallied to their side and shouted too.

Normally, they couldn’t even open their mouths in front of the three dukes—but this was different.

A new emperor was about to be crowned. Shouldn’t they make sure they were seen?

Besides, claims about Eva Faith returning and bodies being stolen were absurd beyond belief.

“On what basis are you saying that? This is an insult to the imperial family!”

Consort Jabiela seized the mood and shouted at the three dukes with all her strength.

“I wonder if you can still say that with a Guardian right in front of you.”

“......!”

But at the Duke of Sorpel’s next words, Consort Jabiela’s body jerked on instinct.

Watching her, the Duke of Sorpel clicked his tongue briefly. His gaze swept the room in a quick scan.

There were probably people belonging to Eva Faith among them.

Maybe they had stolen bodies like Prince Abihel—but there were surely those who had followed them from the start and entered the Imperial Palace in their wake.

“Ahem!”

Everyone hurried to avoid that sharpened stare. No matter what kind of new era was opening, the three dukes were still the three dukes.

“A Guardian?!”

But at that moment, someone raised their voice again—the Marquess of Duriel.

“Do you not know that under no circumstances may a Guardian be summoned inside the Imperial Palace? That alone is treason!”

They couldn’t back down here.

Now that their grandchild would inherit the throne, didn’t they need to fasten the first button properly to strengthen imperial authority?

The Marquess of Duriel glared at the Duke of Sorpel with resolute eyes.

“I’ll present the evidence.”

A voice cut into everyone’s ears, and all eyes turned toward the hall entrance.

STEP.

Someone strode in fast.

It was Camilla.

“Evidence? What evidence?”

The Marquess of Duriel kept frowning. They knew perfectly well there had been talk about her everywhere lately.

They said she awakened the Guardian’s Sword, didn’t they?

So that was why she was bringing up Eva Faith?

If she tried to call that “evidence” and drew the Guardian’s Sword, they intended to laugh in her face.

The Marquess of Duriel also knew a great deal about Eva Faith.

Because the Guardian’s Sword, held by the Ducal House of Jevillan—the Marquessate of Duriel had poured enormous effort into trying to obtain that sword as well.

No—still did. But their ancestors had likely been even more desperate. To catch up to a ducal house that possessed a Guardian, they needed the Guardian’s Sword.

In the end, though, even that sword had chosen Jevillan, not them.

Of course, Jevillan had only found it—they hadn’t been able to use the Guardian’s Sword’s true power at all.

At least that was some consolation.

But then, not long ago, someone appeared who awakened the sleeping sword—and when they heard it was a daughter of the Ducal House of Sorpel, the Marquess of Duriel had no choice but to grit their teeth.

Why did everything end up in the hands of the three dukes alone? How could it be this unfair?

In any case, the Marquessate of Duriel had more information about Eva Faith than most places.

So they knew. Finding an Eva Faith believer was never easy.

Not that it could possibly be true!

Even if, as they claimed, there really was an Eva Faith believer here—no matter that it might be their own child and grandchild—there was no way to expose it.

And there’s no Mirror of Truth here.

They also knew that the Mirror of Truth wasn’t an object, but a person.

They had once happened to see it in an old text: one of Mars’s colleagues had been the Mirror of Truth.

Evidence? Proof? How?

The Marquess of Duriel held a sneer. They were certain the two of them would be humiliated here and forced to retreat.

It looked like they had come charging in trusting only the power of a ducal house—but this time, the marquess had no intention of letting it go.

Holy power?

They had heard Camilla—the child—also possessed holy power. Was she planning to use that?

Even if she did, it didn’t matter. Holy power was of little use in identifying Eva Faith believers.

In the meantime, Camilla had already stopped in front of Consort Jabiela.

Staring straight into Consort Jabiela’s eyes as she struggled to look calm, Camilla opened her mouth slowly.

“An Eva Faith believer who has stolen someone else’s body will be forced out of that body when their True Name is spoken.”

“W-What...!”

Consort Jabiela’s eyes widened rapidly. Even Eva Faith probably didn’t know this.

Long ago, Dorman’s younger sibling—who had been the Mirror of Truth and had read True Names—had only used that ability to distinguish Eva Faith believers.

Because unless you were a reaper, speaking a True Name wouldn’t cause any particular reaction.

But...

“Selena May.”

I’m different.

“Ghk—!”

As her True Name spilled out, Consort Jabiela staggered a step back.

But Camilla spoke again, precisely.

“Selena. May.”

“N-No...!”

As if she felt something wrong, Consort Jabiela’s face drained white and her mouth opened like she was about to scream.

But the soul that occupied Consort Jabiela’s body moved faster than she did.

[Noooo!]

Confirming that they had become a soul again, Jabiela—no, Selena—screamed over and over.

Staring at the body they had left behind as it rotted rapidly.

I already confirmed it.

With whom? Reaper Habel.

When Habel came looking for her to give her the True Name of the one who had taken Consort Jabiela’s body, she asked—just in case.

“Even if a recently stolen body loses the soul, is the body still fine?”

“You’re asking whether it doesn’t rot away.”

“Yeah.”

“When the original soul leaves the body, from that moment on the body is the same as dead. A new spirit merely crawled in and wore the husk.”

It might look fine on the outside, but from the moment the original soul separated from the flesh, the body began to decay.

The moment the occupying spirit left, that hidden rot burst outward all at once.

So that’s why Rania, too...

In an instant, the body rotted and vanished.

Consort Jabiela, though...

It had already been some time since her body was stolen, hadn’t it?

It wouldn’t fully rot and melt away like it did with Rania, but...

“Guh—!”

“W-What is that?!”

“M-My lady!”

People screamed. A rancid stench surged out from Consort Jabiela’s body as it collapsed to the floor.

Someone who had been perfectly alive a moment ago had become that in an instant—how could they not be shocked?

“Th-This... what...”

The Marquess of Duriel—Consort Jabiela’s biological parent—was the most shaken of all.

With their mouth hanging open, they couldn’t even form proper words. Why did their child—fine just moments ago—look like that now?

“You... you did this!”

Only after a long beat did their gaze snap to Camilla.

A single thought flashed through them: Camilla had done something to their child.

At the sight of them looking ready to lunge, the three dukes stepped in front to block them.

But Camilla stopped them and stepped forward herself.

“I believe I just said it.”

Camilla moved a step closer to the Marquess of Duriel instead.

“Someone consumed by Eva Faith—when their True Name is spoken, that spirit is forced out again. And then...”

Her gaze flicked to the dead Consort Jabiela.

“This is what happens. The body rots.”

“That’s impossible!”

The Marquess of Duriel couldn’t accept it. Their mind screamed that her words were true, but they couldn’t swallow it.

“How do you know that? True Names—how would you even know something like—!”

“I...”

Camilla paused. Her head turned, her gaze landing on the Duke of Sorpel.

Even after telling him so many things this time, she still hadn’t been able to say this.

“Because I’m the Mirror of Truth.”

Watching the Duke of Sorpel’s eyes widen, a bitter smile curled at Camilla’s lips.