Marisandra Naiadia’s POV
I was born blind!
I couldn’t do what others could do—something as simple as bathing myself was difficult without my mother’s help. Every little task that others took for granted felt like an impossible challenge for me.
I couldn’t see anything except the darkness that swirled around me… Others might not understand this, or maybe I just didn’t know what it was like to have eyes that could see the world.
For me, there was nothing but an endless void. Or rather… the word they used to describe my world, the thing I had been trapped in my entire life.
A darkness where the voices of the outside world came and went… a place where I could hear everything yet… see nothing!
You couldn’t possibly understand how lonely and terrifying it was.
Yet,
I moved. I kept moving forward… because there was something greater than my fear—my mother’s death.
Compared to the darkness that had always been my existence, losing her shook me more than anything else ever could.
It took me twenty years to reach the level that no one in history had ever been able to reach.
Twenty years of relentless training, pushed my body beyond its limits, sharpening my senses to a level that defied logic. I had surpassed every expectation of my master…
Tang!
Ting!
Sssshhhh!
I crouched down the moment I felt the sword slicing through the air toward me, narrowly avoiding its sharp edge. But—
Step…
My ears twitched.
That faint, almost imperceptible sound of a foot pressing against the ground. It was small, but I caught it. Without hesitation, I lunged forward, driving my water knife toward his foot. But just before it could make contact, he shifted, evading my attack with ease.
I immediately kicked off the ground, twisting my body into a rapid rolling motion through the air. I aimed for his chest, striking without mercy—
Or so I thought.
Before I could land my attack, my master was already standing beside me.
I grinned, bending my leg backwards before launching a swift kick toward him. But yet again, he caught my foot as if it were nothing more than a passing breeze.
“Tch… you’re fast,” I muttered, my grin widening despite the disadvantage.
But it wasn’t over yet. Before he could make a move, I twisted my leg sharply, using the momentum—
Chucckkk!!
My blade pierced—
Master…?
No.
I frowned when I realized my weapon had sunk into nothing but a tree.
A distraction?
I clenched my jaw, heightening my senses, trying to focus. I needed to listen—listen to every tiny shift in the air, every minute disturbance in the space around me—
Chuck!
I caugh–
“Tsk… that’s just a leaf,” I muttered, clicking my tongue in frustration. I had mistaken a falling leaf for an attack.
No, not just one leaf—hundreds of them. I was surrounded by the sound of leaves drifting from the trees, masking every movement he made.
I gritted my teeth. My master had warned me—no matter how well I could sense my surroundings, the moment my enemies discovered I was blind, they would exploit it. They would do everything possible to mislead me, to drown me in distractions.
This was his hardest test. The one I had never been able to pass…
Until now…
A slow grin spread across my lips as my left ear twitched…
A shift. A break in the pattern. The movement of the leaves, the flow of the air—something had changed.
“Got you!” I shouted as I shot my left hand toward the disturbance.
However—
“You’re out,” my master’s voice came, and before I could react, I felt his fingers lightly tap my forehead.
I froze.
He had moved faster than I anticipated, appearing at my right side when I had been certain he was on the left.
Yet,
I just grinned. “Are you sure?” I asked, showing my left hand… which had no weapon at all!
Master’s brows furrowed as he glanced down, and his expression shifted.
There, against his chest, was my water knife, pressed right against his sternum.
His eyes widened slightly before a look of understanding crossed his face.
“Good… No, marvellous,” he said, his voice carrying a rare note of satisfaction. He pushed my weapon away with ease, his skin closing the shallow wound almost instantly.
I lowered my head in respect. “Thank you, Master.”
He laughed, a deep, hearty sound.
Then, after a moment, his gaze lingered on me,
“You have reached the pinnacle, Sandra,” he finally said, “A blank card holder who managed to perfect their craft with only low-level skills… You have defied every limitation. Your name will echo through history.”
I chuckled softly. “If not for you, Master, I don’t think this would have been possible.”
“Hah! Don’t sell yourself short,” he said with a smirk. “It wasn’t me—it was your dedication, your persistence. That’s what brought you here.”
His expression shifted, growing serious. “And now… it’s time. Time for you to do what you’ve wanted to do for so long. You are ready.”
I nodded, my jaw tightening as I clenched my fist.
The time had finally come.
I grinned inwardly.
“I heard… you’ve gotten engaged to some noble?” my master said, his tone laced with amusement as if it were nothing more than a trivial joke.
My lips twitched at the mention of it.
Of course, this ridiculous engagement had nothing to do with my own desires. It was all because of my father, who had suddenly decided, after years of indifference, that I was worth acknowledging—only to marry me off like some unwanted pawn to a noble family.
But that wasn’t even the worst part.
That wretched old hag, my stepmother, that vile whore, took matters into her own hands and ensured I wouldn’t even have the small dignity of a respectable match… No, instead, she arranged for me to be wed to some decrepit old bastard!!
I clenched my fists at the mere memory of it, my nails digging deep into my palms as her amused laughter echoed in my mind.
“Anyway… better be safe,” my master said nonchalantly as if that single phrase was enough to dismiss the entire conversation.
Without another word, he turned to leave.
But I wasn’t done.
“Master,” I called out, “As a token of my gratitude, please ask for anything you desire. If it’s within my power, I will grant it to you without hesitation.”
“Huh?” His footsteps paused, and his tone immediately shifted. The warmth disappeared, replaced by something sharp, cold, and unmistakably dangerous. “Did you forget our deal?”
A shiver ran down my spine as I flinched involuntarily, but I quickly straightened myself and shook my head. “Of course not, Master. I remember our deal very well”
For a long moment, he remained silent, and the air between us grew heavier. But then, as if satisfied, he let out a low hum before speaking again. “Good. It’s good that you haven’t forgotten.”
I exhaled slowly, before adding, “I only meant to express my gratitude for everything you’ve done for me…. Small thing I can give you, Without your guidance, I would not have reached this point. If I overstepped, please forgive me.”
I turned to leave, believing the conversation had finally ended when his voice stopped me once more.
“If that’s the case… then give me your blood,” he said casually.
Momentarily taken aback, but then I gave a small nod.
“…Alright.”
After all, it was just blood.
That was the last conversation I ever had with my master.
I never saw him again after that day, nor did I care to search for him… There was something far more important that occupied my every thought.
Revenge!
And I wasn’t going to settle for something as simple as killing them.
No, that would be far too merciful!
I wanted them to drown in their own despair!
I wanted them to feel what true suffering was!
Especially her!!
That woman. That bitch who hurt my mother. I wanted to rip her soul apart, make her crumble from the inside out, and leave her screaming and broken, gasping for breath as she begged for an end that would never come.
And you know what?
It wasn’t nearly as difficult as I expected it to be.
All I had to do was destroy her family.
No, no… not just her immediate family. That would have been too kind.
Her father… Her mother… Her brothers… Her sisters… Their children… Their cousins… Every single person tied to that wretched whore’s bloodline—
I slaughtered them all~Fu~Fu~
One by one, I erased their existence, leaving not even their future generations!
Without hesitation! Without mercy!
I didn’t care whether they were guilty or innocent.
I didn’t care if they had never even spoken to her before.
None of that mattered to me!
The only thing that mattered was making her feel the same agony, the same devastation, the same hopelessness that my mother felt in her final moments.
And the best part?
Her own daughter was the one who handed me the details I needed.
Hah… never in my wildest dreams did I expect that girl to give me everything on a silver platter simply because I asked.
Damn, that girl was truly messed up in ways I hadn’t even imagined.
Hahaha… I hunted them down, one after another!!
Of course, this wasn’t something I could accomplish in a single night.
I had to be careful… I had to ensure my safety at every step and plan everything carefully before giving a final blow!
It took twenty-five years to complete.
Far longer than I had initially planned.
But it wasn’t over, was it?
Of course not! Next came my beloved father.
The man who had never once acknowledged me, the man who had left me to rot like a forgotten burden.
To him, I had always been a disgrace. A mistake. A curse upon the royal bloodline.
All because I was Blind!! A disabled person in royal bloodline!!
So… what did I do?
Hahaha… HAHAHAHAHA!
In the grand throne room,
“It’s all because of you, daughter! I lost my entire family! What kind of sin is this?!”
A woman screamed in anguish, her body trembling as she stood before the Emperor, her voice laced with raw fury and unbearable loss.
The Emperor, seated on his throne, remained unfazed, his expression unreadable.
“You say that,” he murmured, “But do you have proof?”
The woman’s eyes widened in disbelief as if the very suggestion was an insult. “You don’t believe me?” she spat.
The Emperor scoffed and clicked his tongue impatiently. “Tsk. Show me proof, and I will execute her before your very eyes. Until then, you are wasting my time.”
His voice carried nothing but irritation as if he had been forced to entertain the same nonsense far too many times.
‘Tsk, maybe I should just sleep in the royal chamber tonight,’ he mused, shifting slightly in his seat.
The woman clenched her fists, her body trembling with rage. Then, her hand ignited with powerful magic, glowing dangerously.
“That’s it! If you refuse to act, then I will take matters into my own hands!”
She spun around, her aura surging as she prepared to take action agains—
Thud!
The grand doors to the throne room burst open.
Both the Empress and the Emperor turned their heads sharply, their brows furrowing at the sight before them.
A middle-aged man, his stomach bloated and his face dripping with sweat, staggered forward.
The Emperor narrowed his eyes, instantly recognizing him.
Sandra’s so-called fiancé.
“Hmm… Wha–” But before he could utter a word, something gleamed in the dim light.
A sleek, blue blade had emerged from the man’s forehead, piercing through flesh and bone with effortless precision.
Chuccckkk!
Thud!
Thud!
The man’s body split apart, cut cleanly in half, his lifeless remains crashing to the floor.
The Emperor shot up from his throne, his face twisting in shock. “Who dares—”
Before he could finish, a voice, soft yet dripping with venom, filled the air.
“Hello, Father~”
A figure stepped forward, her regal purple clothes trailing behind her as she entered the bloodstained room.
In her hand, she held a gleaming water knife, still dripping with fresh blood.
She stepped over the corpse of her so-called fiancé, her lips curling into a slow, wicked grin.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”