A/N: Hello! Sorry for the late update! Btw, this is on AO3 and it might be easier to read this there. Without further ado, yororong~

The stench of decay grew stronger the nearer the brunette got to the crime scene. Even so, there was not one wrinkle on his nose. With nearly a decade of crime cases under his belt, it became a scent all too familiar with him.

"These psychos can't have a set schedule." He loudly yawned as he looped the face mask's string around his ears.

Having been awoken at exactly 3 in the morning, Vanderwood was not in his best mood, but more so as he was deprived of the leisure of a quick smoke—a ritual that arose from years of working in law enforcement.

Then again, whether it be an 8-hour sleep or a 5-minute power nap, being a grouch was who he was as a person, a fact well-known within the department. Without exaggeration, it was said that any rookie placed under the seasoned detective's supervision was considered the unluckiest of the lot.

The scene of the crime bustled with shutter noises, overlapping voices, and shuffling feet. Every square inch of the parking lot was being meticulously surveyed for any underlying evidence.

A woman of average height with boyish brown hair and amber eyes approached him and bowed. "Mister Vanderwood."

"Kang."

Jaehee Kang was one of the most reliable blood spatter analysts in the department, doing her job with utmost care and excellence, and never once has she been even a minute late.

Forensic photographers flocking around the body took shots of the corpse in every angle.

More shutter sounds overlapped with each other. The camera flashes that illuminated the victim's body was a disturbing contrast to the depravity meant to be hidden in the dark.

As soon as the forensic photographers saw Vanderwood, they stepped aside to make way for him.

With one knee, Vanderwood knelt and took a closer look at the victim and took in the visible details—pale body lying naked face up; face mangled beyond recognition as if it had been bashed in by a cement block; scratches and ligature marks were left around her neck; and her fingernails were cut to the quick.

"What do you think, Mister Vanderwood?"

Vanderwood mulled over Jaehee's question. The brutal nature could mean a lack of premeditation. 'Kink gone wrong?'

"Let's wait for the coroner's report."

The next day, news of the unknown rape-slay victim would shake the nation.

o-o-o-o

With the laptop screen as the only source of light inside their small unlit bedroom, the three youngest members sat on a bed, backs leaning against the wall and huddling close to each other. Rin, who sat by the right, stretched her arm out towards the bowl and took a palmful of popcorn.

Beside Rin, Eunha whimpered in the middle, having the misfortune of being the laptop bearer. Prior to watching the film, they had challenged each other with one round of rock-paper-scissors, with the loser being the one to hold the laptop.

She turned to look at Rin sitting by her right whose face was buried on the crook of her shoulder.

"Riiiiin," Eunha whined as she nudged Rin. "Let's swiiiitch."

Rin shook her head more, burying her face deeper, ultimately tickling Eunha's neck. Being the one who picked the film to watch.

On her left, Lily held a plastic bowl of cheese popcorn. Blue eyes still peeled on the screen, she picked one and fed it to Rin.

"Lilyyyy," Eunha whimpered and nudged Lily.

"Eunhaaaaaaa," mimicked Lily.

"Let's change places."

"Heh, you wish."

"I'm older."

"A one-week difference is just a blink of an eye."

The sound effects from the film abruptly stopped, followed by the main character shakily standing up.

"Who's there?" The main character, a comely 30-something elementary school teacher, called out to an unknown presence.

"Does she seriously think they would answer?" Lily rhetorically asked, munching loudly.

The main character bent to her knees and lowered herself until her face touched the floor.

"Don't look under the bed, dummy!"

The woman yanked the blankets hanging over the bed, finding a ragdoll lying face up. The camera closely focused on the doll's face, which wore an unsettling grin that was in disturbing juxtaposition with its innocent features.

"Ugh, you should have thrown it when they told you to!"

A looming suspenseful music played as the woman crept closer to the door, taking heavy breaths at the same time.

"Don't open the door!"

"She's so stupid. I won't be surprised if she dies."

"But what if, plot twist, she lives?"

"I'll personally kill her myself."

Lily and Eunha continued shouting warnings at the main character who will never hear them, with Rin being the only quiet one out of them all.

With the woman's hand slowly approaching the doorknob, the ominous background music grew more suspenseful with its rapidly rising tempo.

The three huddled closer than ever, holding hands and hiding their faces as they awaited the main character's fate.

As the woman opened the door…

"I'm back, eve—!"

"AAAAAAAAHHH!"

"AAAAAAAHHH!"

Popcorn flew everywhere as the girls screamed at the same time as the character.

"What the—"

The sudden assault of lights caused the three girls to squint their eyes.

A tall, redheaded woman had just entered, curling her lip at the pathetic sight of scattered popcorns. "I'm not cleaning that up."

"We didn't ask you to."

"But you can if you kindly insist."

Rin paused the video which stopped at the ghost's bloody and emaciated face. "Do you need help with something, Aera?"

"Well-"

"It's your fault! You scared us! And," Lily pointed a finger to the drink Aera was sipping on, "can I have a sip?"

"First of all, that's gross; second, we bought you guys."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's with Sarah."

As soon as the name was mentioned, a magenta-haired woman walked into the room with a drink carrier in one hand and a drink of her own in the other.

"Yaaaay!"

"What did you get me?"

"The usual."

"With extra whipped cream?"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Yeah."

"I call dibs on Java Chip!"

"No fair! I want that!"

While Eunha and Lily bickered over who gets the drink, Sarah had a different agenda.

"Riiiiin!" Sarah spoke in a sickly sweet voice

An unsettling air gripped the room as Sarah walked over to Rin. There was a flicker of a smirk that flashed on Sarah's face, but it was far from playful.

Watching her was like following the movements of a predator approaching its prey.

"I'm sorry I forgot to ask you guys, but I bought a drink that you would surely like."

She took the last drink off the paper carrier and shoved it in Rin's face. "Tada!"

Rin forced a close-mouthed smile as she took the drink from Sarah's hand. "Thank you…"

Unlike the other members' drinks, hers had no whipped cream and had the words '0% sugar' scribbled on the cup.

"Hmm? You don't like it?"

Sarah placed a hand over Rin's shoulder and drew her face closer to Rin. Her magenta eyes tried to meet Rin's amber ones, but Rin casted her gaze down to the floor, then anywhere but Sarah's eyes.

The girls uncomfortably shifted in their spots, averting their eyes from Rin shrinking further from Sarah's honeyed voice and words.

o-o-o-o

Face illuminated by the computer screen in front of him, a young man sat inside the dimly-lit room, mumbling the lyrics of the music video playing before him.

Ever since Saeran learned how to use a computer, the glare of the computer screen was already part of his everyday life—from coding to digging up confidential information about their potential recruits...

Watching videos of idols was not one of them.

"Heart b-b-beat—"

He refused to acknowledge how he has fallen so low that he would watch these idols. Why were they even called 'idols' in the first place? What have they done to warrant such a title? There was nothing special about them.

As the 10th music video played before him, Saeran recalled at the top of his head the information he has gathered about them so far.

When their agency announced the debut of their then-upcoming group, the first member they revealed was Aera Song, the second-oldest at 25 who was the lead vocalist and sub-rapper of the group. When her pictures first leaked, people were amazed at just how beautiful she was, and even immediately assumed that she was the visual. Even Saeran thought so too before seeing their official positions.

But even without her looks going for her, her talent alone was impressive. If she was the lead vocalist, then the main vocalist must be mind-blowing. Aera had a wide vocal range with so much power that she could easily be the main vocalist in a different group.

Her dancing skills were also impressive, just slightly below the level of their main and lead dancers. Her rapping skills were average, but she had a certain push in her voice that made it appealing, which Eunha described as 'a chainsmoker's voice' .

When it came to her personality, Saeran deemed her as the least intolerable one. She was the most mature and did not speak unless she had anything to say. She can be mischievous, which Saeran considered her flaw, but she was caring towards the younger members…

Almost as if she resembled a real mother, a trait he both hated and loved at the same time.

The second member they announced was Heeyoung Min, known as Eunha—the main rapper, lead dancer, and center. After watching variety shows they were in, he came to the conclusion that she was the most annoying one. He can't help but wonder why people bother idolizing those gag-inducing idols. He never understood why girls like her acted younger than their age. Apparently, it worked in her favour since fans came to know her as the 'cute one', and became one of the most popular contestants of the show. Almost everyone assumed that she was the youngest one due to her youthful features, but in reality, she was the third-oldest at 22.

Disgust aside, her audition videos and performances redeemed her in Saeran's eyes for a little bit, mostly her dancing and rapping skills.

Contrary to her "cute" persona, her style leaned more on boy group styles—sharp and powerful. But even with such skill, she was the most forgetful of their dance moves when it came to live performances.

When he watched compilation videos of her performance in a famous rap contest back when she was still a trainee, he understood why she was the main rapper. She didn't have the typical husky or deep voice of a rapper; her high-pitched voice was still evident and had a slight nasal quality to it. As much as he didn't want to admit it, her rap sounded good. It also was not a matter of preference—even the best rappers would acknowledge her skill. She may not be in the same league as the veterans in that field, but with more experience, she may eventually reach that point. In the end, she only placed third, but people acknowledged her skills because of that.

However, most of their songs were not heavy in rap, so a number of people assumed she was placed as the main rapper just to fill the position. When Sarah received an acting gig and the remaining four made a temporary sub-unit, that was the day she proved her detractors wrong.

The third member was Sarah Choi—the main vocalist, visual, and leader of the group.

Sarah was a good dancer, just not in the same league as the dance line. Her voice, on the other hand... Saeran could understand why she was the main vocalist. Although he was only basing it from their concert and music since he couldn't find an audition video of her singing.

Visual, however… Sarah was far from ugly, but Aera seemed to be the more appropriate choice. She may have been chosen because she was curvier than the slender Aera, but that reasoning still did not make sense to non-fans that stumble upon their music.

She used to be the most popular member due to being the agency's favourite, giving her majority of the lines, and acting and advertisement offers. Fans admired her strong and "savage" personality that had them roaring in laughter.

Every video with her in it left a bad taste in Saeran's mouth. Just watching her dug up unwanted memories that haunt him to this very day.

The next member was Hyorin Soo, known by her stage name, Rin, was the lead rapper and sub-vocalist of the group. Unlike the other members, she was only revealed a year into the group's debut due to being underage at the time, hence she was not included in their earlier songs.

When it came to dancing, she was the weakest, but skilled nonetheless; the others were just better than her. With rap, even though she was placed as the lead rapper, Aera was better than her, but because her voice was better-suited for their songs' raps, she received that position.

Though not the best in those areas, her forte lies in singing, and her breathy, youthful vocals were pleasing to the ears. But with Sarah, Aera, and Lily in the group, the odds were not in her favour.

She was the least memorable for two reasons—the agency gives her very few lines, and Rin was timid and too polite so as to not accidentally disrespect the older members. Ever since her debut, the other members overshadowed her; from Eunha's "cute" shtick, to Aera's beauty, to Sarah's special treatment...

...and to Lily's "crackhead" persona.

The 22-year old Suji Kim, known by her stage name Lily, was the third member they had revealed, and was the main dancer, vocalist, and face of the group.

He could see why she was chosen as the group's main dancer. Whereas Eunha was sharp and powerful, Lily was graceful. As she performed her dance, he noticed how fluid-like and effortless she looked, and based on the comments, he wasn't the only one who thought that way. It was as though she was born to dance.

As for her voice, it was charming and unique. It was not as powerful as Aera's, but what she had over Aera was that she could reach higher notes, and that her voice was more memorable, whether or not she had good technique. If Sarah were not in the group, Aera would have been the main vocalist, with Lily as the lead.

Her rapping was the most interesting…not the best, definitely not average either… just interesting.

Then he came upon more videos of her.

It was a mere quirk of the brow at first when she performed her "ostrich dance"; to a snort when she replied "Visual" to the question "What position do you think you deserve?" ; which then transitioned into a chuckle, until the succeeding videos had him laughing out loud.

Aera may be the most beautiful and Sarah may be the agency's favourite, but there was something in Lily that…

Thump. Thump.

...that had him spellbound—from the charming smile that played on her lips, her vibrant personality comparable to a fresh spring day, her on-stage charisma, her angelic features, her refreshing voice, and even the way she walks.

Questions about her floated in his mind. Who was she outside performances and variety shows? Was she still the same as what she shows to the public? Or was it merely a mask? He wanted to know more; he wanted every little detail about her unfound on the internet. He wanted to see with his own eyes the mystery he wanted to unravel.

He smiled to himself. He knew his Saviour could sense potential in even the most useless of all, but now, he appreciated it even more.

He did not care about any of the Believers; they were all useless and dull, but not Suji—she was different from them. The more he watches her, the more drawn he gets.

So he went back to his work, brimming with enthusiasm more than ever as he patiently awaits the day he holds her hand and leads her to their paradise.

o-o-o-o

Rin rolled a lock of Lily's blonde hair around the curling iron. Lily could've done it by herself, but Rin, being the saint she was, insisted on doing it for her.

"Thank you soooo much, Rin! I promise I'll buy you cake!"

"But what if Manager Ahn sees me?'

Lily dismissively waved a hand. "He's just jealous he can't have cake."

Without a knock, the door suddenly opened and Aera's face came into view. "Whoa," she said as she eyed Lily from head to toe. "Going somewhere?"

"Yeah. I have this party thing I'll attend."

Aera tilted her head. "Party? For?"

"Cousin's birthday party, I think. My grandfather sent me the package so I could have something to wear at the party."

"It's a masquerade theme, right?" Rin asked.

The invitation never specified what kind of party it was, only containing vague details regarding a casino and a masquerade theme, but nothing about the host.

"Hmm, if it's a masquerade, then I guess I shouldn't have applied eyeshadow?"

"It's fine. We might remove our masks."

After making final touch-ups with Lily's makeup, Rin held a hand mirror in front of Lily's face. "Lily could challenge Aera, don't you think so?"

Lily stared at the reflection in front of her. Her lips were painted red while her cheeks were dusted with rouge.

But among all these, she was most impressed with how her eye makeup was done. Her dark blue eyes have always been lovely, especially in combination with her light blonde hair, but Rin managed to add emphasis to them with a shimmering silver and black eyeliner.

Rin was almost as good as a professional.

"OMG, you're right!" Eunha gushed.

"Hahaha! I know, right?"

Lily took out her phone and opened the front camera. In mere seconds, she has already snapped 10 photos of her.

"Oh boy, my feed will be flooded again."

"Not just yours, girl."

"Rin, you have magic hands," Lily said.

"Hehehe," Rin sheepishly rubbed the side of her neck, "thank you!"

After chatting for a few hours, Rin and Aera left to go to their respective rooms. Lily checked the clock-it was 10:00 PM.

"Are you sure your ride will come?" Eunha asked.

"Um, they might be stuck in traffic?"

"When are they coming? I want to sleep now."

"Then sleep. You're not even going."

Eunha pouted. "Fine."

.

.

.

While everyone slept soundly, Lily stayed up in the living room, even though it was past her usual bedtime. She dozed off for a few times waiting for a call or text, but none came...

...until the clock struck 11:00 pm and her phone vibrated.

From: Grandfather Stand by the door. Your ride is almost coming.

Lily stood and tied her mask around her head. She then gathered her things—an evening bag containing her dormitory keys, phone, basic makeup, and most importantly, the invitation.

.

.

.

When she got out of the dorm, a cold breeze blew past her, tousling her styled locks. A black car was already waiting for her in the front.

A masked man wearing a black suit got out of the car and stopped in front of her.

"Are you my driver for today?"

"Yes, Miss Suji."

Being called 'Suji' sounded quite comforting. Almost everyone called her 'Lily', even her friends, but never her grandfather. He kept saying that even though she has already risen to fame as 'Lily', she would always be the 'Suji' he adores.

He took her hand and placed a scarf on it. "Please wear this around your eyes."

"What?"

Her question came out harsher than she intended, but she did not bother apologizing.

What kind of game was he playing? Did her grandfather perhaps send a psycho to kidnap her?

"The place where the party will be held is strictly confidential. Please understand."

"Umm…" she stared at the blindfold in her hand. Had it been a stranger who told her this, she would have immediately called the police.

But the man in front of her, though a stranger, was someone her grandfather sent. There was no way her grandfather would put her in harm's way…

...so she removed her mask and wore the blindfold, then allowed him to lead her to her seat.

o-o-o-o

Only when the chauffeur opened the door for her did he remove her blindfold and lead her out of the car. Lily squinted. Having the blindfold on for almost an hour gave her eyes trouble adjusting to the lights for quite awhile.

When they reached the front of the hotel's glass doors, he handed her her mask.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot." Lily took it from his hand and wore it on her face.

"Enjoy the party, Ma'am."

Lily nodded. "Thank you. Drive safely."

As she entered the hotel, masked women and men dolled up and in elegant clothes filled her vision. She could only recognize two or three from the group but other than that, she had no clue who the others were.

She reached the counter. "Hello."

"Good evening, Ma'am." The woman by the counter politely smiled. "Have you received an invitation?"

Lily nodded and handed the receptionist the envelope. The receptionist read it over, typed something in her laptop, and reached for something inside the drawer.

"Here you go, Ma'am. We hope you enjoy your stay."

She handed her a key card.

"Oh, you must be mistaken. I'm not staying here."

"But your name is here, Miss."

"Oh… " Though confused, Lily took it. "Thank you, then."

"The party is that way. We hope you enjoy your stay." The woman gestured towards the side.

Lily thanked her and left. She followed the directions the receptionist said and finally reached the event space.

Lily squinted as the bright chandelier lights momentarily blinded her sights. When she came to, her mouth slightly hung open as her eyes roamed around the spacious room.

"Whoa…"

Potted plants and small statues decorated the room they were in, while luxurious velvet curtains shielded the windows. The walls surrounding them were of an ivory colour that bore no stain. From a corner, a composer led his orchestra in playing a classical piece she was unfamiliar with, but sounded beautiful.

Everywhere she looked screamed opulence.

On one side, caterers were lined up behind a buffet table. She could not see from where she was what the dishes were but there was one that caught her eye—a chocolate fountain from the desserts table.

Her mouth watered instantly at the sight. She could not wait for dinner to come.

More masked guests blurred together in her vision. She caught a whiff of a variety of expensive perfumes, some brands she knew of because she has used them, while some she did not know of. They were a lot more than what she had expected. From left to right, friends who have not expected to see each other excitedly approached each other.

Seeing all the guests forming their own cliques planted in Lily a sense of loneliness. She wished she could invite her friends, but she didn't know if she was allowed to.

She knew almost all of the guests; to be precise, everyone knew who those people were. Their faces were displayed all over the country—in advertisements, in television shows, in elections, and so on.

Lily scanned the room for any sign of her grandfather. Knowing him, he probably had a beautiful woman by his side. That thought alone elicited an eye roll from her.

'Tch. Gold diggers.'

"Excuse me," Lily called out to a passing waiter, then took a glass of champagne from the tray and thanked him.

'Where's that old man?'

Amidst the dull event she was in, she nonchalantly rolled the glass' stem around her fingers, watching the sparkling liquid swirl with beads of fine bubbles rising to the surface.

As soon as she took a sip, its subtle citrus danced in her palate, prompting her to take another sip. The champagne had a pleasant velvety feel on her tongue, along with an underlying tang to it that was not too overpowering but just right.

It's been a while since she last had even a whiff of the sparkling drink—not even cheap ones bought from convenience stores—due to her tight schedule. In fact, the last she drank was given to her by her grandfather, and it tasted exactly like the one she was drinking.

With no one to talk to, the slightest noises around her were more detailed than ever—glasses clinking, chattering voices, polite chuckles, shuffling feet, and drinks being poured.

From what she had read, this was a party to celebrate the casino's opening. Was this what her grandfather had been preparing for? Admiration and pride welled in her chest at her grandfather's success. She did not know much about his past, but all he told her was that he had not always been the rich man he was now. Like everyone, he faced obstacles to get to his current situation.

A classic 'rags-to-riches' type of man that Lily looked up to. He was the reason why she got to live her life in luxury.

Despite her grandfather saying he wanted her to be an idol so his house could finally be quiet, she knew he took pride in her achievements.

"Excuse me?"

Lily raised her head to the owner of the voice.

She looked—no, stared at him. Similar to all of the guests, he was wearing a mask that obscured the upper half of his face. But even if she could not fully see his face, she had a strong feeling that he was handsome.

"Are you enjoying the party?"

'Shit. Even his voice sounds hot.'

There was a smooth quality to it that she could only describe as melodic and pleasing to the ears; it was a voice that she would never tire of hearing.

She was so hung up on his voice that she forgot he had a question.

"Oh! Uh, sorry… yeah, I'm enjoying it." She softly smiled as she lied through her teeth.

Even his chuckle had a pleasant cadence to it. Was it possible to crush on someone based on his voice?

"My apologies. The main event is about to start so please wait a little bit more," he said as he flashed her a charming smile that enhanced his good looks.

What mesmerized her the most were his eyes. It was the most captivating shade of green she has ever seen.

"Are you the organizer of this event?"

"Hmm," he hummed in thought, lightly bobbing his head as he looked up to the ceiling, "you could say that."

Lily blinked. Was there another answer besides 'yes' and 'no'?

She decided to let it be and changed the topic. "What's your name?" she asked him. "I'm—"

"Miss, I suggest you not reveal your full name."

He said it with a smile and a charming tone, but the way he said it sounded off… almost as if… he was warning her.

Lily tilted her head. "Why is that?"

"We may know each other but right now, we're all strangers here."

"Well, isn't making friends and talking to people the point of these kinds of parties?"

"Don't you think it's tiring having to put up an act just to please the crowd?"

Lily furrowed her brows. "I'm not sure I get what you're saying…"

"This place is different. We fake our names and conceal our faces to fully express who we truly are."

She suppressed a frustrated sigh from coming out. She was just asking his name, but why did their conversation reach a dark turn? He could have just told her that he didn't want to reveal his name.

"The everyday masks we attach to our real names deserve a little bit of rest."

Before she could ask more, the man touched his ear, and his face turned blank for a moment.

"Are you… okay?"

He looked like he was listening to something, but he had no earpiece on. She assumed that his ear must have ached.

"Not at all, but I'm afraid I'll have to leave you, Miss. Will you be alright by yourself?"

She nodded.

"That's good. Don't worry, the party's about to start."

And with that, he left her confused, leaving her with the strangest first impression she has ever seen.

.

.

.

"Good evening, everyone."

A loud voice from a speaker sliced through the room and everyone turned their sights to the stage. There stood the weird masked blond Lily talked to. Unlike earlier, he was speaking with a voice changer. Lily found it to be a shame; she wanted to hear his voice again.

"I thank each and everyone of you for attending. To convey our sincerest gratitude, we have sent money along with the invitations to all of you, so you could all enjoy the games our casino has to offer."

The guests clapped and raised their glasses.

'Oh, so that's why they gave us money…'

"Under one condition."

The excitement in the hall soon transitioned to confusion.

"Our only request is that you make time every Saturday and Sunday to unwind. And with that in mind, we have assigned each and everyone of you a room you could stay in."

Curious and excited whispers filled the room at the host's revelation. Lily had no one to talk to so she could only contain that curiosity to herself.

"We hope you enjoy our gifts."

o-o-o-o

Vanderwood leaned on his seat as he read over the autopsy results.

According to the report, her face was bashed in, but the cause of death was asphyxiation due to strangling. Moreover, the body was first found lying face down, but the blood was accumulated on her back. It was obvious that the body was moved, but where it had been, he was unsure.

The killers were cautious enough to remove any traces that would lead to them, even going so far as to cut off her fingernails but not enough to rid it of the victim's DNA. Identifying the victim would not be so difficult, after all.

Vanderwood sighed and massaged his temples.

They seemed to be experienced, but how could they gloss over some basic DNA tampering steps? Could they have been interrupted by a witness? Or did they purposely want the victim to be identified? Were they one of those psychos that brags about their "accomplishments" as if it were something to add on a resume?

At times like these, he wished he was in a unit that wasn't criminal investigation.

'Should've picked the Traffic Enforcement Unit.'

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Come in."

The door opened and the nervous face of the rookie under him came into view. The short, black-haired girl approached closer to his table.

"Kang, what brings you here?"

Vanderwood could sense her cowering deep inside. His unfriendly face alone could instill fear even in a top student such as Hana Kang.

"Mister Vanderwood. We've finally identified the victim."

"Who is she?"

"She's Chaeyoung Shin, a trainee for CH Entertainment. And the trainees say they haven't seen her since 4 months ago."

"Four months ago? Was she reported missing?"

Hana shook her head. "No. They just assumed she went back home after leaving the agency."

"Hmm…" Vanderwood mulled over Hana's words. Having a trainee from a big entertainment agency involved in such a crime would surely cause an uproar.

"What else?"

"She was supposed to debut last year. She actually almost debuted two times before that, but she never really got to."

There were a few things as to why a debut would suddenly get cancelled, one such possible reason being that she broke a rule.

"Ask around about men she has met around last year. She may have broken a dating ban."

o-o-o-o

In a place a distance away from the hotel, a young man watched through the hotel's CCTV, sights set on the blonde he has taken a liking to.

Just a little while and she will be theirs.

It was strange; while he wanted to recruit potential Believers, he had never been so obsessed as to chase them… but not Suji. She was interesting, yes, but never in his life did he badly want to see someone's beauty in the flesh until he saw her.

Plaguing his mind were thoughts of her walking around the mansion, wearing a blue dress with forget-me-nots entangled in her blonde hair—

He repeatedly palmed the side of his head. Shit, why was he remembering specific flowers?

The image of widely smiling at him sent his heart banging at irregular beats. If she were to smile so preciously at him, he would carve her visage in his mind, from the smallest freckle to the dimples below her eyes...he would have every detail leave burn marks into his mind that would follow him even in his dreams.

He had an inkling that the Saviour knew even before he did… that Lily had awoken the side of him he so despised, and that he had marked her as Magenta's new princess.

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A/N: Hope you liked this chapter! Do tell us what you think if it's alright! Love lots!