"Veronica, it''s already quite late. Why don''t you rest at my place for the night and deliver the magic mirror to His Highness tomorrow?" Buck spoke in a deliberately casual manner as he walked toward the carriage. "You''re carrying a forbidden artifact. It''d be safer for us to stick together."


    Veronica pondered for a moment, finding Buck’s words reasonable. Without overthinking it, she nodded in agreement. By now, it was well past midnight, and seeking out Prince Roland at this hour was unrealistic. Following Buck’s suggestion to wait until morning seemed to be the only viable option.


    ...


    No. 9 Michelin Avenue. When Buck returned home, Doug, the usual glutton and slacker, had long since retreated to his room, snoring thunderously in deep sleep.


    However, the two maids, leftYi and rightYi, were still waiting quietly in the hall. Buck instructed leftYi to prepare a room for Veronica before turning to rightYi and saying, "If I don’t return at night, you don’t have to wait up for me. Just go to bed early."


    RightYi timidly raised her head, her eyes flickering as she suddenly asked, "Should I rest in Young Master''s bed first?"


    Buck’s eye twitched involuntarily at her words, his gaze unconsciously drifting to certain parts of the maid’s body. A wave of panic surged through him, and he quickly clarified, "No, you have your own rooms."


    "Understood, Young Master," rightYi replied obediently with a nod.


    ...


    Late at night, the world was shrouded in silence, as if all of existence had fallen into slumber. Buck sat alone in his room, his gaze fixed intently on the mirror resting on his desk—a Fourth-Tier Forbidden Artifact, the Twin Soul Mirror. Superficially, it appeared to be nothing more than a palm-sized, antique dressing mirror with an exquisitely crafted copper frame and a smooth, polished surface. At first glance, there seemed to be nothing unusual about it.


    Yet, upon looking into his reflection, subtle abnormalities could be detected. The mirror possessed an eerie power—one that could reveal the hidden depths of a person’s soul. Extraordinary forbidden artifacts were classified under a unique tiered evaluation system, and the Twin Soul Mirror was designated as Fourth-Tier. This meant it had the ability to interact with the rules of existence, a level of mystery even more profound than Third-Tier artifacts, which could transcend reality.


    Thus, the mirror’s ability went far beyond merely reflecting one''s soul. Buck had acquired it for a specific purpose—to rid himself of the "Shadow of the Apostate" that lurked deep within his spirit.


    At this moment, as Buck stared into the mirror, he saw more than just his own reflection. Behind him, a translucent black shadow loomed—an evil spirit. Among the three entities that had once possessed him, only the Watcher had proven to be of some use; the other two had been nothing but a torment. This particular shadow, which had relentlessly tried to seize control of his body, was the most troublesome of all. To finally enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep, he needed to eliminate it at any cost.


    Yet, as Buck racked his brain, he remained uncertain about how to properly utilize the mirror. The last thing he wanted was to end up like Julius, accidentally creating an uncontrollable doppelg?nger. That would be a disaster.


    Just as drowsiness began to overtake him, he noticed something strange—the reflection in the mirror had started to change. His mirrored self was smiling.


    Buck instinctively touched the corners of his mouth, confirming that he himself was not wearing such an eerie grin.


    Then, he saw the black shadow in the reflection slowly merging into his back.


    Buck’s eyes widened in realization, a sudden insight flashing through his mind.


    "Mirror, mirror…" He grinned brightly at the magic mirror and asked, "Who is the real Buck Frank in this world?"


    The Buck in the mirror grinned even wider, opening his mouth in silence, mouthing a response: "Of course, it’s me."


    Reacting swiftly, Buck slammed the mirror face down. In that instant, a weight seemed to lift off him as a stream of black mist was sucked into the mirror’s distorting glow. He could even hear a distant, ghostly scream echoing through the void.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    【Due to unknown effects, the ritual spirit ''Shadow of the Apostate'' has been extracted.】


    The notification on the interface was like divine music to Buck’s ears. He pressed down hard on the Twin Soul Mirror, the corners of his lips curling into an uncontrollable smile. He could have laughed out loud in triumph.


    He had finally gotten rid of that wretched spirit!


    "Since you were so desperate to take over my body, enjoy staying inside the mirror instead, you fool! Hahaha…"


    At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.


    Holding a candle and dressed in a nightgown, leftYi peeked inside—only to see Buck laughing maniacally.


    She paused for a second, then silently blew out the candle, calmly stepped into the room, shut the door behind her, and—without hesitation—began undressing in one fluid motion.


    "No need to undress!" Buck sprang forward in alarm, scooped up the maid, and tossed her onto the bed before hastily climbing in himself. "I just want to sleep! Don’t wake me up tonight."


    LeftYi, with her clothes half-removed, lay dazed in the soft blankets. After a brief pause, she nodded. "Understood."


    And just a few seconds later, Young Master Buck drifted into a deep, undisturbed sleep, his breathing steady, as peaceful as a newborn baby.


    ...


    The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window, filling the room with warmth. Feeling refreshed, Buck stretched lazily and descended the stairs, only to find that Veronica was already waiting for him in the living room, fully dressed and prepared.


    Buck smiled and handed her the Twin Soul Mirror, which was now tightly wrapped in thick cloth.


    "It is, after all, a forbidden artifact," he remarked casually.


    Veronica nodded in understanding. She also noticed something different—the noble young master, who had always seemed gloomy, appeared inexplicably radiant today.


    Oh, and his dark circles were gone.


    ......


    The Twin Soul Mirror was taken away by Veronica. Before entering the sacred vault of the church, it would first fall into Prince Roland’s hands. As for what Roland intended to do with it, no one knew.


    Deep within the palace, Fourth Prince Roland sat in the secret garden of his private residence, leisurely sipping his favorite osmanthus tea.


    The garden was filled with the fragrance of blooming flowers, birds singing merrily, and an atmosphere of serenity and harmony. At that moment, a maid approached, carefully carrying a heavy red box. She lowered her head respectfully and said,


    “Your Highness, the item you requested has arrived.”


    Roland reached out and gently tucked his silky golden hair behind his ear, revealing a breathtaking side profile. He casually opened the box, and inside, the Twin Soul Mirror lay in quiet stillness.


    “Very well. You may leave.”


    Once the surroundings were empty, Roland took out the mirror, placing a hand lightly on its edge.


    "Twin Soul Mirror, can you fulfill my wish?"


    In the reflection, the golden-haired, blue-eyed Roland appeared—a face so stunningly beautiful that it outshone even the flowers in the garden.


    Yet, at that moment, the reflection began to change. The soft contours of his face grew sharper, the crystalline eyes deepened in color, and the delicate, arched eyebrows became sharper, more defined.


    Before long, a different Fourth Prince emerged in the mirror. The princess—had become a prince.


    Outside the mirror, the princess gazed at his own transformed reflection with a complicated expression. Gently stroking the mirror’s surface, he murmured,


    "Mirror, mirror… remember this. He is the real Roland O’Brien Goliath."


    ......


    Afternoon.


    Buck was at home, engrossed in his studies on various hunter skills, when Veronica unexpectedly returned—with the mirror.


    “His Highness doesn’t need it anymore?” Buck asked in surprise.


    Veronica responded, “He said he’s done with it.”


    “Done with it?” Buck blinked. “Then… does that mean we can turn it in and complete the mission?”


    “Exactly!” Veronica broke into a smile, excitement shining in her eyes.


    Their trial mission was finally over. She was about to shed the label of a failure—a thought that filled her with exhilaration.


    Moreover, this time, both Prince Roland’s task and the hunter trial had gone surprisingly smoothly. There had been none of the bizarre, near-death fiascos that plagued her past missions. And all of it was thanks to Buck Frank, whose formidable combat skills were so overwhelming, they bordered on unfathomable.


    As she looked at Buck, admiration flickered in her gaze.


    “Thank you,” she said sincerely.


    Buck shook his head. “No need to thank me. Your keen intuition was the key to our success. I told you before—you will become an outstanding hunter.”


    Veronica parted her lips, as if wanting to say something, then simply squinted her eyes and smiled.


    She realized she might have misunderstood Buck Frank all along. This man was nothing like the infamously wicked noble he was rumored to be.


    In fact, Buck Frank, with his dark hair and black eyes, seemed more refined and charismatic than most aristocrats she had encountered.


    ......


    Without further delay, the two of them took the Twin Soul Mirror and hurried to the church, where they handed it over to the astonished Fernandez.


    The fate of this forbidden artifact was now sealed—it would be locked away deep underground, where it would lie dormant in its designated prison.


    If nothing unexpected happened, it would remain untouched for centuries, carrying with it the many souls it had captured—including that lingering evil spirit.


    With a heavy clang, the iron door imbued with divine power slammed shut, and the sealing enchantment activated instantly.


    As the clergy responsible for handling forbidden artifacts departed, only the mirror remained in the pitch-black chamber.


    Yet, at that moment—within the darkness—a strange, twisted glow flickered from the depths of the Twin Soul Mirror.