Published at 23rd of July 2026 9:57 am

Chapter 1865: One of Them

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

A soft knock echoed through the office.

The door opened, and the attendant stepped inside. She bowed respectfully to the three women seated in the room.

"My ladies," she said, "Magus Genevieve Saint Laurent has arrived."

At those words, the three women had different reactions.

Adeline leaned back into the sofa.

Emily folded her hands on her lap.

And the mysterious veiled woman remained unmoving. Though her gaze shifted toward the door.

"Send her in," Adeline instructed.

"At once, Lady Stark."

The attendant bowed once more before stepping aside and opening the door once more.

Outside, Genevieve took a deep breath and steadied her emotions. With a polite smile on her face, she stepped into the office.

She was immediately startled by the people waiting inside.

Though she had never met the former Lady of the Sapphire Tower in person, who in this great city hadn’t heard of the famous Witch of Davos?

Then there was that mysterious woman.

Genevieve didn’t recognize her, but judging by the fact that she sat as an equal beside both the former and current headmistresses, she was undoubtedly someone of immense status.

Pushing aside her surprise, Genevieve composed herself and performed a graceful curtsey.

"Lady Stark. Lady Damon."

Her gaze briefly shifted to the veiled woman.

"My Lady."

Straightening, she offered them all a warm and respectful smile. She turned to Adeline and asked gently, "You summoned me?"

"Come, sit." The Lady of Sapphire Tower gestured to the single, high-back chair beside her.

Genevieve smiled and took a seat.

Meanwhile, Emily studied the young woman with unconcealed fascination.

"So you’re the one Adeline talks about," she said. "To have formed the mana core at the mere age of twenty-five... You have surpassed both Adeline and me in that regard."

Genevieve blinked in surprise.

"...Thank you, Lady Damon."

She noticed how Adeline had a salty look on her face, and the woman hardly did anything to conceal it.

What’s going on? Genevieve wondered.

She hesitated briefly before asking Adeline, "Lady Stark, may I know why I’ve been—"

"Ask her!" Adeline interrupted her sharply, while gesturing to the veiled woman seated across from her.

"Come, now." Emily sighed. "No need to get mad at the girl. It’s not like she’s at fault here."

The more Genevieve listened to their conversation, the more puzzled she became. She inhaled slowly and deeply before turning to the mysterious woman to her right.

Her light blue eyes gleamed with attentiveness as she subconsciously started to observe the veiled woman.

But only a few seconds later, her pupils constricted.

I... can’t read her at all!

She didn’t let the surprise show on her face.

For the first time in years, she felt as though she was staring into a void.

There was no tell. No subtle shifts in expression. No body language to interpret.

Nothing.

It was as if the veiled woman did not exist within the framework Genevieve used to understand people.

Yet what truly shattered her composure was what the veiled woman said next.

"So you have been trained in our way."

Genevieve froze.

This time, she couldn’t hide her reaction. Her eyes slowly widened.

"...What?"

The others around her were also surprised.

"Oh, my!" Emily let out a chuckle. "What do we have here?"

Meanwhile, Adeline remained silent, her gaze fixed on Genevieve as she tried to understand the implications of the veiled woman’s words.

Feeling the Lady’s piercing stare upon her, Genevieve turned toward Adeline and quickly explained, "I do not know what she’s talking about, my lady. I’ve never met her in my life."

Adeline did not respond immediately. Instead, she observed the auburn-haired young woman for several long moments.

Then she turned to the veiled woman and said with narrowed eyes, "Explain yourself."

The veiled woman ignored her entirely.

Her attention remained fixed on Genevieve.

Suddenly, the atmosphere inside the office grew heavy and oppressive.

Adeline’s entire demeanor visibly changed as the air around her distorted. Her words were cold as ice, and her brown eyes radiated a dangerous feeling.

"Do not forget where you are, woman." Her eyes narrowed as mana emanated from her being.

"This is Davos! Do you think you’re not answerable just because you’re one of them? How arrogant!"

Emily made no attempt to intervene.

She simply observed the exchange with a curious smile.

At last, the veiled woman turned to the Lady of Sapphire Tower. She appeared entirely unaffected by the pressure bearing down upon her. It was as though Adeline’s mana did not exist.

"I know where I am, Lady Stark," the veiled woman said gently.

There was neither anger nor offense in her voice.

"This is Myrrandor," she continued. "The only reason institutions such as yours have been allowed to flourish is because the Emperor decreed that this world not be governed by any single Great Noble House, out of love and respect for the motherland."

The office fell silent.

The veiled woman’s words lingered in the air long after she finished speaking.

Adeline’s expression gradually darkened. "You—"

Emily raised a hand.

"Enough."

The former Lady of the Sapphire Tower’s voice was gentle, but it carried undeniable authority. The oppressive feeling permeating the room receded.

Adeline clicked her tongue in annoyance but withdrew her mana.

"I truly do despise your kind," she said to the veiled woman. "Always acting as though you’re above the rest of us just because you have the Emperor’s ear."

"Now, now." Emily smiled. "Don’t let your temper get the better of you."

Adeline snorted. But she didn’t say anything further.

Meanwhile, Genevieve sat there dumbfounded, wondering what she had stepped into.

The veiled woman turned her attention back to her.

"As I said, you’ve been trained in our way."

Genevieve subconsciously refused. "I have not!"

"You have," the veiled woman said without hesitation.

"Your mannerisms. The way you observe. The way you construct psychological profiles. The way you conceal your thoughts while encouraging others to reveal theirs."

For the first time, a faint smile appeared on the veiled woman’s face.

"You may not realize it, but you have been taught the foundations."

Genevieve’s thoughts immediately drifted to the man who raised her, the man who taught her everything she knew.

"My grandfather?" she said softly. "He was one of you?"

A chuckle escaped Emily’s lips. She turned to Genevieve and patiently explained, "Only women may be a part of this ancient order, little one."

Genevieve grew even more puzzled. "I... don’t understand."

The veiled woman replied gently, "It was your mother."

"Impossible!" Genevieve blurted out. "I’ve never even met her!"

"But I have." The veiled woman gave a faint, knowing smile.

Once again, Genevieve found herself utterly stunned. Her lips parted and closed several times before she finally managed to speak:

"Who... are you people?"

The veiled woman answered in a calm, mysterious voice:

"We are the Domina Occulta."

Share