《I Lost the Leash of the Yandere Male Lead》 Chapter 1 ¡°Serina, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bring him back.¡± ¡°Serina, please, ¡¤¡¤!¡± ¡°!¡± The pathetic-looking boy cries and desperately grabs my skirt. I don¡¯t care about a boy like that. The boy, who was just 14 years old, had an extraordinary aura. His purple eyes sucked you in. They were dazzling, bright and captivated all the people they met. The more you looked, the morepelled you are to keep looking. But the people in this family are indifferent in the face of the enchantment. The boy begged me again. As usual, I wore the same detached expression as the people around me. His hands mirrored each other in a prayer posture. Gak¡¯s leash was desperate. ¡°Please, Serina, will you bring the stair to me?¡± ¡°You have to be educated, but you don¡¯t listen.¡± The dark gray eyes echoed in her hair color, stare at me with a cold surging force. The eyes of the Duchess of Melford, were so icy that a frosty pressure filled my face which resembled her. ¡°My good daughter,e here,¡± she had such power. ¡°Yes.¡± The ability to overwhelm with just her eyes¡ªnot even needing action to dominate. That¡¯s why she beat those brothers and became the Duke, even though she was a woman. ¡°Please, Serina, please.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Go. Give up this much, stair.¡± stair was still holding on to my skirt. I pulled the hem gripped tightly in his hand but it didn¡¯t budge. If I were you, I¡¯d grab someone else¡¯s skirt and run away. Of course, running away doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll seed, but could postpone the enviable. ¡°My daughter is so tender-hearted,¡± the Duke of Melford mused at stair. Her child, who knew what the servants wanted, began toe this way. Tick, tack. The sound of a heels hitting the cold marble floor is exceptionally sharp. As the footsteps of the servants neared, the stair trembled like a decaying tree in autumn. His white skin frightly turned paler. Sadly, however, there was no one here to sympathize with him even after seeing his despairing visage. The Duchess of Melford had only these kind of people around her. Like herself, there is not a grain of empathy, only a joyful sadism. But there is one exception. ¡°Mother, he dosen¡¯t look well today, so why don¡¯t we do it next time?¡± ¡°¡¯What do you mean he is not feeling well? Then the brainwashing will work even better.¡± The Duke of Melford grinned and pped as if she had aplished something. Herughter did not resonant at all with the situation. To my disgust. This is mainly what the Duke of Melford does to stair. Brainwash him to obey the people of the Melford family. And love Serina. It was bizarre. I try to tell myself I¡¯m used to it, but every time I heard it, I frowned. It was a cruel act towards a young boy, but it was inevitable deed for our family. When I turned to stair, I saw the room of hallucination. A ce specially made for stair¡¯s brainwashing. He visited it weekly. In the Room of Hallucination, the Duchess¡¯s specially-made scented candle produced hallucinations strong enough to melt the average person¡¯s brain. Therefore, stair should not be locked up frequently or for long periods of time. Atst the servants were just around the corner. The servants who came to my door paused. A servant was politely bowed to me and then took Agester¡¯s arm with a throbbing grip. ¡°No, no, no, no, no, no!¡± stair struggled to pull out his seized arm, but the more he resisted the more he was trampled on. The Duke¡¯s servants overpowered him, refusing to let him go. Their ruthless hands seized stair¡¯s head and plummeted him into the floor, and twisted his arms behind him, immobilizing him. The more they do, the more aggrieved they are. It got worse. ¡°Oha!¡± ¡°Serina, ¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± ¡°?¡± stair¡¯s arm escaped from their ruthless grasp and unintentionally brush my ankle. He only frowned small in astonishment at the touch, but stair¡¯s face was stained with sweet sulphur. At my verbal surpise, stair¡¯s attention immediately focused on me. The servants didn¡¯t miss the chance. Theypletely overpowered stair and bound his arm with a rope. stair quickly calmed down, perhaps surprised by the fact that he hit me. The servants mmed his face firmly on the floor and forced him to stop moving. In the process, stair¡¯s fine ck hair was pulled and rolled back on the floor. His eyes still contained only me. As I tried to keep looking at the wobbly eyes, I felt guilty and inadvertently avoided his gaze. ¡°Take care.¡± I turned my back on the tumultuous situation, leaving only the words. There was nothing I could do for stair. What can a 14-year-old girl do? Come to think of it, it¡¯s already been three years since stair was brainwashed. I don¡¯t know if the brainwashing worked well or not, but one day he began to blush at me. It may seem that the brainwashing to love Serina worked, but strangely enough, the other brainwashing did not. He¡¯s not at all following the orders to obey our family. Sometimes, I think it would be better for stair to be prefectly brainwashed. Then this cruelty woulde to a stop. But there is also the important fact that he firmly refuses to be brainwashed till the end. From the moment he is perfectly brainwashed by the Duke of Melford, he will live as her puppet. I¡¯m tired. I arrived in my room and for a long time was lost in thoughts. Iy my tired body on the bed because I didn¡¯t want to think any more. The warmth under the quilt did not go at all with the cold violence of this family. When I was here, I often fooled myself and mentally escaped¡ª like I was somewhere other than the Melford duchy. In that sense of deludedfort I fell into a numb and deep sleep. * * * * ¡°Um, ¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Half asleep, I can feel something warm and cumbersome on the ankle. Nervously, I took my foot away from it, but an unknown ¡®something¡¯ caught my ankle again. Something that wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Ahh?¡± ¡°?¡± I wondered what it was that kept bothering my ankle, and it was stair. He treated my ankles like the precious water of a desert oasis. He didn¡¯t move. ¡°What are you doing now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, Serina.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I made you sick.¡± Ah. I guess you¡¯re talking about your hand grazed by my ankle during your struggle earlier. ¡°It¡¯s not something worth mentioning.¡± Maybe it¡¯s because the brainwashing worked well. stair overreacted like I would die if I was pricked by a thorn. I could see his brainwashing clearly. He stroked my ankle with an anxious look. He never got sick in the first ce, but he is ridiculous in treating people as critical patients, which makes meugh. Who¡¯s worried about who you are when you¡¯re the one trouble? The sight is funny, and oneughs at the absurdity. ¡°No thanks. It¡¯s just a tap. Yes, don¡¯t react sensitively.¡± I pulled my ankle from him. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off my feet as if he had lingering feelings. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Seri,¡± he called my pet name rarely. Ttukttuk, stair began to shed tears like chicken poop with a mournful face, and my body trembled at the embarrassing sight. Here the victim was apologizing to the real assant. What do you mean? What a strange sight it was. ¡°¡­. ¡° ¡±¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤, I was wrong. So don¡¯t leave me with that foot.¡± The stair sat with his knees bent under my feet, imploring earnestly. Please don¡¯t lose yourself. I felt so sorry. stair¡¯s feelings were not real. It was a misleading, irrational emotion created by brainwashing. The reason why he is afraid to be abandoned by me is because he believes he loves me. To love and to believe in love are different levels of emotion. If he doesn¡¯t believe in love, he¡¯ll have no more feelings for me. I stroked his ck hair with theseplex thoughts. The fine ck hair curled up between my fingers. I savor the soft touch. Patting him on the head as if he were crying, I soothed him. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe here and sit next to me?¡° To my words he strained his shaky legs and got up from his seat and settled next to me. There¡¯s really no other dog that listens this well. stair, sat on my bed and stared at my red eyes for a while with a hazy, slightly loosened, longing eye. Charmed eyes were on me My insides gently bent. For a weightless moment, I felt as if time had stopped. A beautiful face smiled and I almost fell in love with him. I thought I got used to it, but I guess not. It¡¯s a beautiful image that I always feel and linger for. ¡°Serina, can I hold your hand?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± As soon as my permission was given, stair hurriedly grabbed my hand. My slender hands are enveloped in his ratherrge hands. He rxes his grip as if he were being careful in case my hand gets hurt. It was a very humorous sight. Holding my hand and fiddling, he suddenly lowered his head and kissed me small on the back of his hand. Maybe that was the beginning, my hand, my head, and my mouth. ¡°Serina,¡± he raises his head and looks at me. Looking at the hazy eyes, I wondered if the day woulde when the brainwashing would be relieved. Seeing him looking at me as if he was loving Serina made me upset. Chapter 2 ¡°Serina Melford¡± is a blessed character who faces deathby relying on the viin, the final boss of the novel. She looks like a pure and innocent beauty. From the description of her in the novel, I think she¡¯s a viin. Long curled eyshes curled like curves caught people¡¯s eyes at once whenever they blinked. The curving silver hair looked like a thousand sparkles at first nce, and the red-eyed eyes were brighter than any ruby. At first, I didn¡¯t realize that this ce was a fictional novel or there was a charater ¡°Serina.¡± I thought it was just a dream. Then, I felt more and perturbed. When I was eight years old I had a mental age of twenty. In the beginning of my discovery, I felt blessed to be a character named ¡°Serina.¡± Most of all, my background was made of diamond spoons. However, when I found out that my mother was thest boss and ¡®king of viins¡¯, I was a little reluctant with a clear understanding that the ending of this novel is when the heroine and the male lead kiss each other at a grand wedding. In contrast to that, Serina, a viin of the novel, was hugging a dying man in the bell tower. His name is stair Cichelon Ponnell Aguernia. The man is a dark horse who lived an unlucky life. The Duke of Aguernia was so famous that he belonged to the fourrgest families of the Empire. With its reputation, there is rumor that the goddess of good fortune guarded the Aguernian family. The goddess, Ji, has always made Aguernia¡¯s businesses sessful. Infinite glory was synonymous with the Aguernian family. Nevertheless, after the death of the Duke of Aguernia, their glory and sess also followed suit. Aguernia¡¯s new Duke had no talent for business. His business is always failing and there was loss after loss. Fortunately, the ducal house had umted a great deal of wealth so their losses weren¡¯t felt in their day to day lives. But slowly a financial crisis loomed like a dark cloud growing heavy with a storm. The Duke of Aguernia, who continued to engage in business despite his poor ability, suffered more and more losses, and eventually the family¡¯s finances were exhausted. To make matters worse, the luxury of the ducal couple was truly enormous. But the worst was yet toe. A natural disaster. Seven trade ships from the Aguernian family on their way to the north were hit by the typhoon and sank without leaving a trace. It was something no one had ever predicted. The sinking of seven trading ships is simply a huge blow. The story stayed in the newspapers for almost a month. Because of this enormous incident, the Duke of Aguernia finances sank with the ships deep in the sea. At that time, there was a person who put out a helping hand, the Duchess of Melford. The Duke of Melford proposed bestowing arge investment to the Duke of Aguernia for the restart of business. As there is a saying that there is no free lunch in the world, her proposal was conditional. Send the sessor of the Duke of Aguernia to the ducal house of Melford. That was the only term. But if the son of a duke became a ything of the Duke of Melford, it was no less than that the Aguernians would bow to Melford. If it had been yesteryear the pride of the Aguernia house would never have allowed it, but things were different now. In the past, they had money and ability to back up that pride¡ªfacts that were absent from the new lord. So he epted the offer immediately. The son of the Duke of Aguernia, who was sent to the House of Melford in such a process, was stair. ¡®Who knew?¡¯ The fact that the Duchess of Melford was brainwashing his precious son. The Duke of Melford, while brainwashing stair, did not neglect the education of his sessor, which he had begun to receive in Aguernia. My brother, Carron, noted this. So he said. -If he¡¯s educated like that and he bes the Duke of Aguernia, then he¡¯s going to use my sister to gulp down Aguernia. He was not wrong. More precisely, that was what the Duke of Melford wanted: a bloodline between Serina and stair. stair was a magic genius. I¡¯ll tell you the amount of mana he has. It¡¯s impossible to describe. The novel mentions that there is no magician on the continent who can follow stair. The Duke of Melford wanted his talent. Melford had been the home of wizards and magic for generations, but even the second most powerful wizard was no match for an stair. The Duke wanted to further her family¡¯s power. That¡¯s why she was brainwashing stair. Obey Melford, love Serina. stair, who loved Serina dug to his brainwashing, blindly followed her like a faithful dog. In the novel Serina used and abused stair to the point he was ruined. The heroine of the novel, the saint, Juliana, only found outter that he had been brainwashed. Feeling sorry for him, she released him from his brainwashing. With her remarkable sanctity the no-longer brainwashed stair is in a state of tumultuous confusion and Juliana takes care of him. Then one day, the stair disappears without notice. Juliana searches for him for a long time, worried. But no trace of him is left and in the story he doesn¡¯t show up for a long time. After time passes, stair appears at the end of the story. It was Serina to whom he ran back to and it was her who destroyed him. When she sees stair, sheughs and destroys him without mercy. Of course, stair wasn¡¯t someone she could directly kill. But he died in her hands. Why did he do that? -My lovely, tell me. You wanted to get away from me like that? -¡­. I¡®m not sure. That was theirst line. * * * -Deng Three years have passed since then. The sound of a bell ringing at the funeral resounded through the forest like an echo. The forest where the funeral was held was as lifeless as a corpse. The nobles present expressed their condolences for the deceased and the families of the departed were busy suppressing their grief. The star of the funeral was thete Duke of Aguernia, stair¡¯s father. His death was unexpected to everyone. Who knew he would die of a sudden heart attack? ¡°I pray for peace for the deceased,¡± said the Duke of Melford, who approached the Duchess of Aguernia. The Duke of Melford consoled her and hosted a perfect imitation of the Duchess of Aguernia¡¯s miserable face. ¡°Look at that¡ªtsk tsk¡­ that pretense.¡± Disgusted, Carron, my brother and youngest out of my siblings, clicked his tongue and shook his head with disapproval. ¡°Seri, what¡¯s going to happen (to him) now?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going to happen? We¡¯re going to go back to our own house¡­¡± Maxion, who answered on my behalf, came up from behind and squeezed in between Carron and I. Carron openly ignored Maxion. ¡°He isn¡¯tpletely brainwashed, is he? But can¡¯t he just go?¡± ¡°Do you really think so?¡± Maxion wondered. Only then did Carron nod as if he knew. ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°Seri¡¯s pet is as docile as a trained dog.¡± They nodded in agreement. Is it because they¡¯re twins? The two of them gritted their teeth every time they saw each other, but in truth, they got along quite well. ¡°Hey, but do you know that¡¯s dangerous?¡± Maxion pointed his finger at the ck-haired boy. Carron and I naturally followed Maxion¡¯s fingers to where he was pointing at me. We were next to the bawling Duchess. And me, now masquerading as the ck-haired boy, froze. The boy¡¯s indifferent gaze turned to the coffin containing his father. In an atmosphere full of grief, the boy¡¯s seemingly insensitive appearance was somewhat alien. As if this situation has nothing to do with him, or is it because of the unique and remarkable appearance that boy has? The boy¡¯s red lips were tightly sealed. His eyes, under long eyshes, searched the funeral hall. A well-made, beautiful face. ¡°What¡¯s dangerous?¡± Maxion, with a stiff look on his face, he stared sharply at the boy. ¡°Look at the tip of your hair¡­¡± The glossy ck hair was like soft silk. What does he mean? It¡¯s perfect. My gaze shifted to the corner of my vision to the tips of my hair. The short ck hair was gradually turning into a patchwork color. It was a subtle change that no one would notice, but at this rate, dark hair willpletely turn to my original silver soon. ¡°This is crazy.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Carron, who grasped the situation, took off his coat. Then he approached the ck-haired boy like he was concerned. ¡°Ek, stair. If you¡¯re sad, you can cry as much as you like.¡± Carron hid me with his coat, covering the head of the supposed stair. Carron spoke to stair very naturally. The aristocrats who saw the scene thought kindly upon Carron¡¯s actions. What a thoughtful gesture, to hide stair¡¯s tears. But the reality was different. Carron only wanted to conceal his dark hair, which was gradually turning into a gray color. The boys and I headed out, leaving the funeral. ¡°¡­. ¡± ¡°The disguise is so weak, man.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said no! Seri is good at changing her appearance, so why are you ming me? Why would she ask Seri to dress up like a man?¡± ¡±Grr¡­¡± My ck hair was nowpletely mud-colored. Someone called out to stair.. It was Mikhail. My brother and the eldest son of the Duke of Melford. Mikhail grumbled and covered my mud-colored hair with his body, blocking possible stares. We looked on from afar at the appetizers, where the Duke of Melford patted the Duchess of Aguernia. The Duchess of Aguernia gave thanks to her. Thest piece of Melford¡¯s familial unit approached us. ¡°Let¡¯s go back now.¡± She whispered gently with a satisfied smile on her face. We headed to the home to the Melford mansion. It where the real host of the funeral and heir to the Aguernian ducal house, stair, was. Upon returning to the mansion, I threw off my dreary ck and silver mourning clothes and changed into a white dress that lightened my mood. ¡°Where is stair?¡± I¡¯ve been on edge ever since I left to attend the funeral on his behalf. Last night, stair cut his wrist without a moment¡¯s hesitation after he left my room. My anxiety drove me crazy. stair must have been slowly going mad. ¡°He is locked up in the dungeon.¡± As soon as I heard the reply, I headed underground. When I opened the old iron door there was a sharp ominous sound, I frowned. ¡°stair¡­.?¡± ¡°!?¡± There was a gag in stair¡¯s mouth and his arms were bound by a metal harness. He could no longer be restrained by even the strongest ropes. stair opened his eyes when he heard my little voice. He began to struggle, trying to close the distance between us. Soon, magic, which had risen from his body, leaked out. The ck mana soon cracked the harness. ¡°Calm down, stair,¡± I said, and his movements stopped and mana disappeared like it was an illusion. I approached him and released the gag from his mouth. He gasped and panted. It must have been a little hot, but my cheeks were reddening. ¡°Serina¡­..¡± he groaned and buried his head on my shoulder. My body trembled with a numb heat at our contact, but I epted him calmly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do in this situation.¡± The key to unlock the harness was in the hand of Melford¡®s head. I didn¡¯t know what to do. My face reflected the tension and bewilderment in my heart. The harness along with the mana restrainer ball cracked. It was stair¡¯s force. The broken mana ball fell powerlessly down and rolled on the floor backwards. It can¡¯t be that simple. I stared at him nkly in astonishment. As I was busy gawking, two hard arms hurriedly enveloped me in a tender hug. Chapter 3 I was firmly sped in his arms. His hug grew with intensity. As it got tighter, it was harder to breathe. ¡°stair, I¡¯m suffocating,¡± was meant to be rxed. I¡¯d be surprised if you were an ordinary jester. My regr person would have taken their hands off me, but he didn¡¯t. Instead, he hugged my body harder. ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me?¡± Well, he must have been brainwashed in the hallucination room for a long time yesterday, and the day before. He couldn¡¯te to his senses in a day. He usually would have reacted immediately to my words, but now he couldn¡¯t. I wondered when he would wake up. He usually waited for my permission to touch me. Meh, I guess I¡¯ll just have to wait this out until hees to his senses. ¡°¡­¡­. Serina.¡± How long has it been? At longst, stair slowly loosened his arms around me. I slipped away from his chest and increased the distance between us. ¡°Are you in your right mind yet?¡± stair nodded timidly. His eyes were still drenched in a hazy reverie. ¡°¡­¡­ Serina, I was dying to see you. Where have you been all this time?¡± stair stared into my eyes and curled his eyes with envy. Unlike his small smile, my mouth shut tightly. I couldn¡¯t bear to say that I had been to his father¡¯s funeral and even attended on his behalf. I know he will find out eventually, but my mouth just wouldn¡¯t open. ¡°¡­.. ¡° ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤, I just went somewhere.¡± stair smiled and asked no more. A guilty conscience choked my heart; I was deceiving him. ¡°Is your wrist all right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± His left wrist was bandaged. The bloodstains on the white bandage indicated that he was not alright at all. I¡¯m d I brought a new dressing just in case. ¡°Give me your wrist. I¡¯ll change your bandages.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very kind.¡± At some point, stair started using honorifguage with me. Entering the room of hallucination and being brainwashed regrly gradually changed him. He didn¡¯t refuse to do it and didn¡¯t cry anymore. Are my eyes faulty, that he smiled under any circumstances? ¡°Don¡¯t do this next time.¡± ¡® ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You look at me a little bit. I can do more if you give me your attention.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Serina, you¡¯ve been so careless with metely.¡± ¡°Is it possible¡­ that you¡¯re only slitting your wrists for that reason?¡± ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯re not supposed to say that.¡± stair¡¯s smile was twisted. He waspletely sincere. Nevertheless, his sincerity was due to his brainwashing. It¡¯s just that. It¡¯s absurd. How far is he going to fall?! I didn¡¯t deserve to say a word because here I was on the sidelines, being a spectator to his torture. Whether it was intentional or not¡ª it didn¡¯t matter because the result was the same. stair had not yet fully sumbed to his brainwashing. But if we brainwash him anymore, there¡¯s no turning back. Just within this year, he has changed so much. For years he had resisted the brainwashing thatmanded him to obey the Duke. But now it was different. He had disobeyed the Melford household members¡ªexcept me, but now he has not resisted the Melfords anymore. I made an oath in my heart when I witnessed his long-standing torment. I¡¯ll release him from brainwashing no matter the cost. ¡°stair, I have something to tell you.¡± When I released the bandage, I saw a deep wound on the white wrist of stair. I applied the medicine as carefully as possible. ¡°You will soon be inheriting your title as Duke of Aguernia.¡± I took my eyes off his wrist for a moment and looked at his expression. stair¡¯s eyes opened a little wide. There was something mysterious about his face. Yes, you are finally going to get out of this hell. Er, what ¡ªyou should be happy, but why do you have such a face? Somehow his face looked overwhelmingly angry and a little remorseful. ¡°Why, no?¡± ¡°Are you abandoning me?¡± To my confusion, he looked dismal. I didn¡¯t expect you to be happy, implying his father¡¯s death, but I certainly didn¡¯t expect you to react like this. ¡°Are you sick of me now?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°Then why would you want to abandon me? You locked me up, hypnotized me, and now¡­ Why do you want to abandon me?¡± stair was smiling because he couldn¡¯t cry. His greatest fear was abandonment to the point that he asked me to kill him if he was going to be thrown away. But there is no way I would do such a thing. ¡°You know why I cut my wrist.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°In my nightmare¡­ you left me.¡± stair¡¯s eyes reflected a numb despair as he recalled his hallucination. I don¡¯t know what he saw, but the pain was written on his countenance and distorted his forehead. ¡°So please, please, please, be with me. Don¡¯t leave, Serina.¡± stair¡¯s eyes shone red with unshed tears. He hugged me. As if he never wanted to let go, he tightened his arms and didn¡¯t budge. I didn¡¯t bother to push him away. What were the two of us like in the original novel? The story only focused on the main character. The viin¡¯s childhood was not in the novel. I only know the protagonist¡¯s past and future, and nothing meaningful about the viin¡¯s life. ¡°stair, are you worried that I¡¯m abandoning you right now?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m afraid.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to abandon you¡­ right?¡± He didn¡¯t answer. ¡°However, it¡¯s my heart¡¯s choice to reject you or not reject you, right?¡± My voice was weak and soft as I mustered up my courage. stair squeezed my waist tighter against him. It made my back ache even more, but I didn¡¯t mention it. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be abandoned by me, prove your worth.¡± ¡°¡­. then you are not afraid of keeping me by your side?¡± ¡°Yes, if you prove yourself, there¡¯s no reason for me to leave you.¡± I didn¡¯t have to tell him how he should prove himself; he already knew what I meant. Restore the Aguernian ducal house¡¯s glory and enjoy a period of prosperity at a level even your ancestors couldn¡¯t imagine. I¡¯m confident because I know the original content. I¡¯m sure I recall stair achieving a lot in connection to his family. He will try to prove his worth because of his ¡°love Serina conditioning.¡± I know it is cruel to use his indoctrination to manipte him, but it¡¯s the only way to get away from the Duke of Melford. If you keep bowing to Melford like you are now, you will never be free. ¡°I¡¯ll give you three years. Until then, prove your worth.¡± And I had to figure out a way to solve the brainwashing in those three years, at any cost. stair would be twenty. ¡°If I prove the value you want¡­¡± stair raised his head. There was a smile in his eyes. That¡¯s cruel, too. ¡°Don¡¯t ever leave me then.¡± It was a kind of deal. I don¡¯t leave his side if he proves his worth. I don¡¯t know if this will be valid after I wipe away his inculcation. ¡°If you prove your worth.¡± Iughed softly once again, and stair looked at me like that in a dreamy way. It was very peaceful. I wish time had stopped like this.
It was unusually sunny. The sun was dazzling, and blooming flowers brightened the atmosphere. I looked around the garden in a daze until I focused on a point in front of me. ¡°Serina, we have a date.¡± The date that the Duke of Melford was referring to was the day stair would return to the dukedom of Aguernia. ¡°When?¡± ¡°In a few days¡¯ time. Surprised?¡± ¡°It is faster than I thought, but it¡¯s not surprising.¡± I sipped the tea lightly. I wasn¡¯t fond of the bitter tea, but it was manageable. ¡°I¡¯m sorry stair isn¡¯tpletely tamed but is inevitable. I¡¯m d Seri you are here to help in that regard.¡± The Duke of Melford slightly narrowed her eyes. She put her ss down on the table and watched me. I wanted to move on and get this done already. As if to respond to her, I also put my ss down on the table. ¡°Serina¡­ I have something to say to you.¡± ¡°Please do tell,¡± I said lightly. , She has long lips. The Duke opens her mouth ¡°Make stair your concubine.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± Just what? Ah, my face just stiffened. I¡¯m too obvious. ¡°What do you think?¡± Her remarks are slow, so I have plenty of room for surprise. ¡°Bring in stair as my concubine?¡± ¡°Yes, you don¡¯t like it?¡± This isn¡¯t a matter of whether I like it or not. The original Serina hated being bound to anything or anyone. So she had neither a husband nor a lover. So I never anticipated this strike. No, she didn¡¯t even have men around her. Of course, stair was an exception. However, it was because she enjoyed the process tormenting him and breaking him down, the more he clung to her. Regardless, the original Serina never epted stair as her concubine. Instead, I¡¯ve had so many rtions with him. Perhaps the reason why the current situation has changed from the original is that I am not Serina. Maybe that¡¯s why I am forced to navigate through this sour situation. Rtionships are necessary to give birth to life. Does the Duke of Melford think that if I bring stair in as a concubine, I will havethatkind of rtionship with him? ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it¡­ it¡¯s that¡­ how can we work when he is going to be a duke soon?¡± ¡°Well, he would jump at the chance just to be near you, it seems like he¡¯d do anything, regardless.¡± Yes, a brainwashed stair would do as she said. I didn¡¯t want to admit it to a certain extent. ¡°So how about bringing the Duke into your harem?¡± Chapter 4 In any history book, there has never been a case of a ducal head bing a concubine.If anyone heard it, they would fall in disbelief. Although it has lost its former glory, Aguernia is Aguernia. And yet, the Duchess of Melford was set on humiliating him for having the audacity on iming the title. Bring the Duke in as a concubine. I had to hand it to the Duke, her thoughts were very different from the people of this country. There¡¯s now against a duke entering a harem, so it¡¯s okay, right? That¡¯s what she thinks. The Duke of Melford said so and smiled gaily. I would typically have responded to that smile, but I wasn¡¯t in the mood now. ¡°Why a mistress? I¡¯m sure the position of legal husband is avable.¡± ¡°It has always been easier to use and abandon a concubine. That¡¯s not the case for a husband. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to have a seat that¡¯s easier to dispose of?¡± In short, Serina is going to use stair and forsake him. Sheughed like a rascal who was up to something funny. The soft voice was filled with excitement. The Duke of Melford has long since nned the future of dolls to y with and break. My body heated up. ¡°Well, that wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea,¡± the voice that came out of my controlled lips was monotonous. I raised my ss again and sipped the tea, taking the moment I needed to calm down. ¡°But you know that stair, even if he doesn¡¯t be my mistress, is already obedient to me.¡± From the start of his brainwashing to even hisst moments, he was never rebellious towards Serina. The bitter taste of tea stained the back of my throat. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t let it in the harem, the child is easy to handle, mother. And I think it¡¯ll be more fun¡­¡± ¡°Really? But you never know. Will stair be a valuable piece, unlike thete Duke.¡± I tilted my head. The red tea in the teacup across the table reflected the likeness of the Duchess. Her face looked strange in the shaking tea water. Like a demon. ¡°If that happens, then I¡¯ll put him on my hand. But I want the best jewelry.¡± I raised my right hand and showed her the ring on my index finger. The clear, transparent ruby shone brilliantly under the sun. ¡°I got the most outstanding jewel at an auction recently. As you know, I only ept the best.¡± I was the actor, and the Duke of Melford was the audience. How does it feel to watch? ¡°I¡¯m going to wait until he¡¯s ripe, just as I don¡¯t eat and wait until the food is ripe. I believe that the more he suffers from thirst, the higher his value will be.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty funny.¡± I heard a ticklishugh. I want to close my ears, but I can¡¯t. I opened my mouth excitedly. ¡°And mother, I¡¯ll make the choice. So the mother doesn¡¯t have to mind my business.¡± I wiped my smile and hardened my eyes coldly. I firmly stated my stance and put a certain amount of energy into it. Stay out of my business. ¡°Well, that¡¯s how you really feel, then I won¡¯t stop you,¡± the Duke of Melfort shrugged. The small gesture gave me a strong sense of relief. I don¡¯t know how much, but I bought some time. As soon as I have solved stair¡¯s brainwashing, I can flee to some remote ce. Even if the Duke of Melford chases me down like a top-notch horse, at least I¡¯ll find a resting-ce either way even if my sanctuary was death.
  • Knock knock
    • ¡°stair, it¡¯s me. I¡¯ming in.¡± I opened his door that neighbored mine. The room, which was calmly arranged, came into my view. His ce with tables, chairs, bookshelves, and bedding, was simple. stair was lying on the bed. I realized that he was sleeping when I came in, and he didn¡¯t move. stair was exhausted; he bounced between the hallucination room every few days and being locked up in the dungeon for making some mistake. I closed the door as quietly as I could so I wouldn¡¯t disturb him. Then in a moment the room became dim. His room was always dark because stair kept his curtains closed. Only a light that leaked through the edge of the curtain lit up the dim room. I spied stair¡¯s bandaged wrist. I approached him as close as I could while still erasing my presence. I paused, making sure he didn¡¯t wake up. It was an empty room, so even tip-toeing rang loudly. I braced myself and sat on the bed, tucking the quilt up to his neck and reaching for the loosened bandage. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Serina¡± stair¡¯s closed eyes slowly opened. His eyebrows trembled with fatigue. ¡°Did you wake up? You can sleep more.¡± But he shook his head as if he had no intention of sleeping anymore. He slowly stirred up in bed, smiling faintly at me. I untied his bandage and applied some medicine. The wound vastly improved. ¡°stair, your day is fixed.¡± ¡°When is it?¡± ¡°In a few days. I hope the wound will heal before then.¡± stair was silent. I stopped talking when I saw his twisted face. Instead, I focused on wrapping his bandage, and Azester watched me like that. I lifted my eyes. I made eye contact. Suddenly, I remembered that I had not clearly informed stair of his father¡¯s death. There is not much time left for us to be together. I had to enlighten him as soon as possible. What did Serina in the original work do in this situation? It was when I was at a loss for words. -Knock ¡°Prince, this is Marina. May Ie in?¡± ¡°Come in,¡± I answered on behalf of a silent stair. At my permission, Marina opened the door and gave us both a slight curtsy. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Marina is a maid under Duke Melford¡¯s directmand. The fact that she came to stair¡¯s room meant that the Duke had something to do with him. I have a bad feeling about this. ¡°The Duke is calling the Young Master.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°How can I know?¡± She said, ¡°If you¡¯re curious, go check it yourself.¡± The stair wordlessly left his bed. He was familiar with this sickening situation. Marina left the room with stair and I following suit. The closer we got to our destination, the more anxious I became. Going this way took you to a damp, fishy cer. The basement was covered with various tools for torture. I ignored the tools spotted over the fence, and I turned to stair. He was looking away with an emotionless face. Then he smiled at me and held my hand. He gave a reassuring grip trying to convey heat to my cold hands. Finally, Marina¡¯s steps stopped in front of the Duke Melford in front of the Hall of Hallucination. ¡°What a surprise. Seri¡¯s here with you.¡± I stole my hand away. I wanted to feel more warmth. Are you thinking of mentally torturing him again? The Duke of Melfordughed silently. ¡°It¡¯s not yet been a week, Mother.¡± ¡°stair leaves soon.¡± The Duke was quietly preparing herself. I noticed, for the first time, a shelf where all kinds of torture equipment were disyed. She picked up a candle I knew instinctively as soon as I saw the candle. It was something different from the scented candles used to drug and brainwash. It looked rough and violet, like a huge, thick decaying raisin. The Duke of Melford lit a candle. There was a familiar and sweet smell. But there was a mixture of unusual, mysterious smells. ¡°¡­¡­Mother, am I smelling something weird? Or is this my misunderstanding?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve increased the ratio of amalion and added a little bit of this and that.¡± Amalion¡­..???? After a moment¡¯s reflection on the unfamiliar name, I realized that it was the primary drug that went into these evil candles. My face hardened. Raising the Amalion¡¯s rate was a death sentence. You wouldn¡¯t want to kill the Duke¡¯s heir. What the hell are you up to? ¡°It¡¯s driving me crazy.¡± My vision was already confused. Unlike me, stair, who was familiar with the scents, was fine, but not me. I had no immunity. In other words, it was impossible to hold out here for a long time. ¡°Marina, tie up stair.¡± ¡°Yes, Duke,¡± Marina¡¯s hand held a harness and chain with a mana suppressor. And that brutal chain? Is that how they want to tie him up? If you tie someone with that they were sure to get bruises and cuts all over. This is not the way this usually preceded. rms were going off. Something was going to go wrong; I knew it in the hollow of my bones. ¡°Serina, are you going to watch from there?¡± She made it sound like she was inviting me to a celebration, but the Duke was sincere. If you want to see it, you should watch it. By some miracle, I was able to feign calmness. If I didn¡¯t force myself to actposed, my reason would have run away. ¡°Mom, can you exin to me what you¡¯re trying to do?¡± ¡°Of course. As you know, there¡¯s not much time left for stair.¡± ¡°¡®Yes, we have about four days left.¡± ¡°So, we need to take a shortcut.¡± ¡°Do we need to?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we wasting time training a dog that already follows their owners?¡¯ Here the dog meant stair. I amused Duke Melford by referencing her favorite title for him, ¡°dog¡±. ¡°As mother knows, stair has a strong mentality that doesn¡¯t work well with brainwashing. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the same with that candle. We don¡¯t have much time, just like you said.¡± The Duke Melford was quiet. ¡°He¡¯s already a well-disciplined hound. Does a good-natured hound need more education?¡± So don¡¯t hurt him any more. Whether or not she knew my eagerness, the Duke of Melford stared at me with red eyes. I was worried that my desperation might be reflected in that prating eye. ¡°Even if the dog leaves me, I can handle it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t waste mother¡¯s precious time.¡± She seemed to be pondering over what to do after hearing what I said. I waited silently until she came to a conclusion. ¡°As you said, I don¡¯t have to waste my precious time. You say you can tame the dog well.¡± It was a moment of cheers. But I could never cheer. Was this moment a joke? I could hear someoneughing at me, and an angel was turning into a devil, deceiving me. ¡°So, prove it.¡± ¡°What ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± ¡°You can handle your dog well ¨CEven if you don¡¯t take it as a concubine this is more effective.¡± Was it the effect of the candles? There seemed to be a continuum of words.     Chapter 5 Why now? The Duke of Melford was not joking about brainwashing stair. She wanted to give him a final lesson. ¡°stair, you¡¯re not going to rebel, are you?¡± I patted his smooth cheek gently. His body trembled in my hand, and I could see his body rxing as if he had epted it. He looked at me as if he was possessed, and I was his god. His unfocused eyes made his brainwashing apparent. He looked at me as if I was very lovable. I took my hand touching his cheek and tucked a piece of his hair behind his ears. When my hand pulled away, he looked at me as if he had lingering feelings and anguish that he couldn¡¯t touch me. He was embarrassed. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± stair held my hand, captivated, and kissed it. But it was expected behavior; Duke Melford was not satisfied. Being picky, eh? I mentally clicked my tongue. ¡°stair¡­.¡± stair thought for a moment, absorbing my meaning and then bowed his knees, lowering himselfpletely. He kissed my shoes. He sat up with his knees still on the floor. He watched my red eyes, his eyes expressing a deluded longing. They are eyes that I hate and feel apologetic towards at the same time. Eyes that are tortured and coerced into loving me. I turned my head toward the Duke of Melford, erasing any sign of regret. Mother, are you satisfied now? My eyes were saying so. When she understood my question, she smiled. ¡°You know how to handle dogs. It¡¯s great.¡± I couldn¡¯t cry andugh from relief. It was time toplete my perfect mask by smiling as brightly as possible. I don¡¯t know what I looked like, but I always had to smile. Even when the Duke said, ¡°Marina, bring another candle.¡± But I could feel my eyes distorted by unexpected words. Why? My eyes opened wide. At the same time, the Duke of Melford twisted her lips with joy. stair¡¯s eyes were half-lidded. He had given up a long time ago. He knew before I did that nothing would change. My fist was strained. I couldn¡¯t get past her without any strength. What could I do after all? ¡°Stop, Mother.¡± At that moment, Mikhail¡¯s voice was heard through the open door. Mikhail¡¯s ck shoes stepped into the light approaching us. ¡°Mikhail? What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± ¡°The Duke of Aguernia¡¯s carriage has arrived.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? The date¡¯s four days from now.¡± ¡°The Duke¡¯s carriage looks nice.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ What are you talking about? The date¡¯s four days from now.¡± ¡°Oops! Did I inform them of the wrong time by mistake? I can¡¯t help it. I guess he has to leave now. I swear, at least that¡¯s not a mistake.¡± Mikhail didn¡¯t have any shame on his face. He med his mistake, but he was slyly smiling. ¡°Well, it¡¯s too fast to go today, so I¡¯ve already told them to wait and have you to leave tomorrow morning.¡± The Duke of Melford¡¯s face hardened. She stared at her son for a long time and smiled tly. ¡°I don¡¯t know who¡¯s my son. This time I¡¯ve been thwarted.¡± I made eye contact with stair, whose knees were bent in a bow at my feet. It¡¯s over now, stair. Now this situation, this nightmare, the hell that seemed to have no end. Finally, some reprieve.
    A woman was standing on the bell tower and staring out the window. In the scene, framed by the window, I saw crowds of people. The faces of the passers-by,ughing and chatting with each other, were lively. The merchants were jolly in dealing with their customers. There was also a rascal among many people, frightening people with his pranks. The woman silently observed them. She was savoring the sweetness of the peaceful spectacle. A gentle breeze tickled her hair. The woman quietly watched her silver hair fluttering in the wind. ¡°There you are,¡± the woman dryly noted. She already knew. I haven¡¯t seen you for a while, but where have you been? She turned her head, anxious. As soon as she saw the man, she frowned as if she had seen nothing. He was a man she knew, but he was different. The man took a step forward. She felt arge presence approaching her; he had changed. There was no man with a hazy look who confessed his love because he was brainwashed. His eyes were alert and clear when he saw me. There¡¯s only a man who looks at me as if he hates me. The woman had a dim realization. Maybe the man¡¯s brainwashing is loose. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I saw you.¡± The man came to see Serina, but I couldn¡¯t understand why he found her. Perhaps it was an impulsive decision. Yeah¡­ Well, that¡¯s it. Even if the brainwashing was done, the man was already a well-groomed dog for her. And Serina, this cruel woman, knew it too well. ¡°You¡¯re still feeling the effects?¡± Sirinaughednguidly. stair was well aware of the meaning of herughter. He¡¯d been with Serina for a long time, but how could he not know? The smile was often the one she gave when she dumped or disposed of someone. He had a hunch. She¡¯s going to kill me. That¡¯s it. For Serina, he was an abandoned dog from the moment the brainwashing went off. ¡°Juliana, is that the girl?¡± Serina came to him, taking off her body that had been leaning against the window frame. It was a leisurely gesture. She still didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be her coborator. The evidence is here; stair was still stuck in front of Serina even though his enchantment was gone. ¡°Al-¡± was anguid voice, as usual. The sweet voice of Serina was poisonous. She slowly touched the back of stair¡¯s hand. He shook and couldn¡¯t resist her touch as if he had been enchanted. ¡°Haha¡­.!¡± It was so funny to see him epting her hand even though his brainwashing was gone that Serina suddenly grabbed her stomach and burst intoughter. Soon she stoppedughing and opened her mouth with a big smile on her face. ¡°My darling Al, tell me. You were trying to escape from like that?¡±
    I had a dream. I dreamed that the original Serina would kill stair. The scene of blood sshing on my hands still stood before me in the novel¡¯sst chapter. Hot blood flowed down and soaked the floor. I couldn¡¯t feel it because it was a dream, but strangely, I had the memory of the sensations as if it had just happened yesterday. Before I came into the novel, I didn¡¯t care about this scene, but now I couldn¡¯t ignore it. I got up from my seat with a throbbing headache. My back was wet with my nightmare sweats. I rolled up my nket and came down from the bed. The clock on the table told me it was two o¡¯clock now. The sky outside the window is dark; of course, it¡¯s before dawn. The moon was high in the sky. My room had a clear vantage point to stargaze. Countless stars were embroidered in the night sky. In my dream, just as Serina looked at thendscape from the bell tower, I went to the window and stared nkly at the night sky. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen so many stars in Korea.¡¯ Before I came into the book, how did I live? Now that I thought about it¡­¡­ Crazy about grades and money and wanting to be recognized. I remember studying with a nosebleed every day. Why did you not have time to look up at the sky? Just thinking about that time makes meugh in vain. Now I don¡¯t want anything. The countless piles of ornaments left little excitement. -The door opened with a shaky stir. There was only one person who would find me at thiste hour. ¡°stair?¡± Groggy eyes fell on me. I approached him slowly and stopped four steps away. He held onto the wall with trembling hands as if it was hard to support himself. He often had nightmares, and then he came to see me. The present-day stair was deeply injured. Often he would sleepwalk to my room after being in the hall. ck mana began to rise around him. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll put you to sleep.¡± I beckoned him toy on my bed and used a gentle melodic voice as sweet as possible, hoping to soothe him. As if to have heard the voice of Serina, stair responded to my voice. Moved towards me as if possessed. ¡°Good job, ¡¤¡¤ here here¡­¡± stair hugged me urgently. Then he copsed on the bed as if he had lost his strength. I fell down with him andy side by side in bed. It¡¯s over. ¡®Are you going to sleep like this?¡¯ He held me tightly and seemed to have no intention of letting me go. After sighing deeply at the sight, I tossed and turned, searching for afortable position. A slightly sweaty body clung to my body, but it didn¡¯t stink, nor was his smell unpleasant. ¡°stair is a good boy, isn¡¯t he? Let¡¯s move your arms¡­¡± ¡°Just sleep like this.¡± What are you talking about? My eyebrows went up. On the other hand, stair had afortable face with his eyebrows soft like a gentle puppy. As stair held my waist in both arms, I had to lie down on his arm. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll sleep well because it¡¯s an ufortable posture with my back lifted. ¡°I¡¯m ufortable.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, right?¡± He changed his posture and moved his arm. Unexpectedlyfortable posture makes me sleepy. ¡°I love you, Serina.¡± There¡¯s it again. His voice confessing love was so sweet it wouldn¡¯t be weird if I got intoxicated off of it. As usual, I waited, and my turmoil has passed quietly, even now. I didn¡¯t care much and didn¡¯t attach too much meaning. At the beginning of the brainwashing protocol, I just wanted to ignore the boy who had fallen into a fleeting state of deluded infatuation. So did I, in a family like this, I promised to protect myself first. I wanted to protect myself even if I hurt others. So I sat on the sidelines. While lying down, I could see a brilliant moon floating through the window. I fell asleep watching the yellow moon. When I woke up the next day, stair was not beside me. Chapter 6 I had to get up early in the morning because I had to see stair Aguernia off. I had slept curled up, I stretched. ¡°Sister, have you seen that bastard Carron by any chance?¡± Indeed, the people of this family had the talent of suddenly appearing behind your back and spooking the soul out of you. Maxion had a ck eye. Apparently, after fighting with Carron. I shook my head with a drooping yawn. ¡°Oh, really. That jerk¡­.¡± ¡°¡­. What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°No, just. Carron threw his gloves at him this morning. But oh¡ª¡± Today isn¡¯t like every other day. I stopped him with my startled expression. ¡°!¡± He had to be talking about stair. Maxionmented at his injustice as he recalled the story. I nodded and listened to him. Throwing gloves in this world meant challenging someone to a duel. Carron often sought out duels with stair and had a record of defeats. Each time, he gritted his teeth and vowed to train harder. Despite such efforts, however, he never won the stair. What¡¯s sadder is that often stair couldn¡¯t be bothered and blew my brother away, but now he couldn¡¯t do that anymore. At one point, the effects of brainwashing worked on him, and he couldn¡¯t bring himself to fight back. So stair¡¯s tactic was to avoid Carron and evade his attacks. Carron was tired of attacking him and not being able to get a fair fight in. ¡°He has been gnashing his teeth since this morning when Carron saw him.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he always grinding his teeth?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± This morning, Maxion witnessed Carron outrage at stair and endured the brunt of his anger while Max tried to hold him back. Carron vaguely disapproved of stair, but he didn¡¯t get violent with him outside of matches. This time, though, Carron decided stair deserved his ire. What kind of a brother would not get angry when he finds a man in his unmarried sister¡¯s bed, arms wrapped around her? When Carron saw the scene, startled, he angrily interrogated him, and in the process, increasingly incited his growing wrath. For Maxion and Mikhail, they didn¡¯t bat an eye; it was a familiar sight. It hasn¡¯t been once or twice that stair has slept in Serina¡¯s room. But only Carron was clueless. If there were a contest for the most naive and purest Melford family member, Carron would win hands down. ¡°I have to go now. I hope you find Carron.¡±
    stair was different today. Dark, tangled hair would curl around his face with a handsome boyish charm. His shirt¡¯s front end was always slightly open, and the skin peeking out would have the sheer sheen of exertion. His eyes were always steeped in a flushed haze and half-lidded. As far as I know, stair was always this disheveled. But not today. His hair was brushed, his clothes looked neat, and his eyes cleared. He wasn¡¯t what I knew. Would he be simr to that when the brainwashing enchantments loosened? Standing in front of the Aguernian duchy¡¯s carriage, he looked dignified, taller. Still, the one looming catastrophe he had in mind was no different than before. stair, who was watching his family carriage in an aloof manner, turned his head toward me. ¡°Will you give me your left hand, Serina?¡± What are you doing? I gave him my hand without much thought. At the instantaneous act, the stairughed as if he was really pleased. ¡°Older sister! Don¡¯t hold his hand!¡± ¡°Hey, you crazy bastard! A little ¡¤¡¤!¡± ¡°!¡± Carron was furious that he hadn¡¯t caught stair and shouted, while Maxion held him tight at the waist in case an ident urred. The servants of Aguerniaughed as if they were flustered at the sight. But I had already given him a hand. I tried to sneak my hand out of his, but stair gripped my hand tighter. ¡°Don¡¯t leave, don¡¯t run off with anyone. I won¡¯t ever let you go.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± With graceful movements, he bowed his head and kissed me gently on the back of my hand. His heroic appearance made my eyes ache. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± stair bit my left ring finger. I flinched and tried to pull my throbbing hand back to the safety of my palpitating heart, but my hand didn¡¯t budge from his grip. I managed to swallow my yelp of surprise. This was entirely out of character. Very different from stair¡¯s typical demeanor. His usual conduct always had an element of cautious reverence, but now he¡¯s doing something bizarre. What is he doing with my eyes wide open? When I asked him with my inquiring gaze, he only smiles mischievously. I was dumbfounded andughed in disbelief. ¡°Why can¡¯t anyone take me away while you¡¯re away?¡± The sharp imprint on my finger pulsed as if my heart had moved there. I was bewildered; he smiled as if he is amused at my reaction and watched me. My eyebrows went up. What the hell is so funny? ¡°I¡¯m recing the ring.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need the mark.¡± I took my hand out of his hand and clenched my fist to conceal it. ¡°Go ahead.¡± stair frowned as if he didn¡¯t want to go and was reluctant to get on the wagon. The carriage set off. Now he¡¯s back where he should be.
    When I opened my eyes slowly, a monotonous room came into focus. The room, surrounded by white walls, gave a sense of quiet minimalism. It goes well with a temple that emphasizes cleanliness. On one side of the room, there was an altar and a silver candle beside it. I slowly looked around the room and prayed with my eyes closed without a purpose. I must look like a believer, but I don¡¯t believe in god. But, here I was, ying at being a devotee¡ªat least for now. I ¡®prayed¡¯ for a long time. Finally, I got up and left the room. The god of this world, Elio, emphasizes solitude to followers. It was not difficult to be a believer. Anyone can if they consistently donate high amounts to the temple. Therefore, most of the people who retreated in the temple were aristocrats. In rare cases, wealthymoners used rooms for meditation. ¡°Oh, praise, Serina! You¡¯re here again today.¡± I was heading out of the temple. A woman in a sacred white suit called me, waving honey blonde hair shook. She smiled purely, bending her eyes gently. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, mydy,¡± I smiled in reply to her smile. ¡°Oh! I¡¯ve wanted to talk to you for a while. How the donation you gave to the temple was used in a good way.¡± ¡°¡­ Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks to you, I was able to add more projects to help improve the lives of people living in the slums,¡± she smiled, very grateful. I mimicked her shining, bright smile, mirroring her delight. ¡°Thank you, Saint. For making my contribution a worthy one.¡± ¡°How is that thanks to me? It¡¯s all thanks to you. We are lucky to have such a good person like Serina at the temple of Elio.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy that I can be of service.¡± The reason why I came to the temple, prayed hard, donated money, and acted as a devout believer is right in front of me. To befriend Saint Juliana, the heroine of the original novel. Juliana was my insurance andst resort to remove stair¡¯s mours. So why haven¡¯t I asked her to remove his enchantments already? Of course, I know it¡¯s faster to ask her for a favor than to implement my ns. Nevertheless, I couldn¡¯t ask her now. stair would need to go to her. And how should I tell her? It was an inevitable question that Juliana would ask, ¡®Why are poisonous nts and dangerous spells piled up in his body?¡¯ When she asks, stair or I would have to tell her, and I couldn¡¯t exin it without condemning my whole family. A saint does not tolerate crime. If the Melford family is indicted, not only me but also my brothers, our employees, and the whole dukedom will suffer. Regardless, if I ask her to do it, I have to be prepared to lose a lot of things or have her help stair while keeping her in the dark. She¡¯s myst resort. ¡°That¡¯s what the saint should say.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so embarrassed. I just did only what I could as a believer in the god Elio.¡± This was not even in the novel. Juliana looked at me with her hands tightly sped together as if she were moved. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to get going. I hope I can run into you next time.¡± ¡°Oh, if you have time during your next visit, would you like me to show you around the temple? It¡¯s an unexpected harvest. I could see the temple by myself. Perhaps Juliana¡¯s guidance refers to giving me a tour where public ess is restricted. There¡¯s not much to say about restricted ess areas. But this is a step in the right direction for our rtionship. ¡°Oh, my God. Then I¡¯d appreciate it.¡± To be honest, I have no interest in the inner part of the temple. What I¡¯m interested in is Juliana. My goal was to be as close as I could with Juliana, befriend her, and earn her trust. I hope the dayes when I can meet her if I want to. Juliana just started to express interest in me. I had to seize this opportunity and use it as much as possible. ¡°I¡¯ll tell the temple in advance.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward to that day; then, Saint, I shall take my leave.¡± ¡°Me too, Serina.¡± Serina smiled softly and turned her back from Juliana. Juliana stared nkly at Serina as she drifted away from her. The silver hair fluttering in the wind looked like silver liquid, light-reflecting, casting a halo. It looked so sacred that it seemed like an angel ascended from heaven. Juliana sighed in happiness. Serina was a woman with an enthralling smile. Even a demon would visit the temple to hypnotize itself willfully. It was no exaggeration to say that the increasing number of men who came to the temple in truth came to get a glimpse of her, thoroughly enchanted. ¡®She¡¯s a good woman.¡¯ Juliana has lived in the temple since childhood. She¡¯s been raised in istion, and she¡¯s always been lonely. Although she had a friend of her age, they¡ªlike the others¡ªended up distancing themselves from her. When Juliana became a saint, and no one truly remained by her side as an equal, her position was too high. There are only those who felt burdened by her or ttered her. But Serina was different. She never ttered and had an attitude of respect and consideration for others, even as a noblewoman of a high-status family. Because of that, it wasfortable to be with her even though they were not familiar with each other. So Juliana wanted to get closer to Serina. Chapter 7.1 ¡°Are you going?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a little tired.¡± ¡°Are you going to be in the study again today?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be reading there today.¡± ¡°Do you want anything to eat?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± I declined the maid¡¯s offer and went into the study. At first, the smell of moldy books and old paper was disconcerting, but since I¡¯ve been secluding myself in the library quite often, I¡¯ve gotten used to it. For the past year, I¡¯ve been spending more and more time in the library. And since a few months ago, I¡¯ve been practically living in the study. One of the hobbies of the Duke of Melford was collecting books. Mostdies collected jewelry, but the Duke of Melford¡¯s collection was amassing knowledge; it was unique for a woman of her status and age. Thanks to that, most of the books, periodicals, and essays I wanted to find were found in this very library. ¡®The biggest problem is that there are too many books.¡¯ Three years ago, I began studying hypnosis elements, like the scented candles Duke Melford used on stair. However, the information was limited, and resources were arduous and time-consuming to find¡ªeven in a resourceful ce like this. ¡°Ingredients of Perfume, written by Duke Melford.¡± ¡®Amalion¡¯ Amalion is an illegal and highly addictive narcotic often sold on the ck market, mainly for recreational use. Those who have taken the drug report a strong hallucinogenic effect. Participants are unable to return to reality because they were enraptured by their deepest fantasies and desires. That¡¯s how sweet ¡®Amalion¡¯ was. It was difficult to find rare poisonous nts that were not known to many people. It was also the main ingredient in those dangerous scented candles; not only was it highly addictive, but with prolonged use, it was fatal. stair spent quite a long time with such an opiate, and it was amazing that he had survived without being destroyed. I began to look for books about herbs being used for brainwashing and enchantments. ¡®I¡¯m sure it¡¯s around here.¡¯ A few dayster, I found out more about Amalion. The process of finding the book and then reading it was troublesome because it was in a foreignnguage. ¡®Found it.¡¯ I picked up a thick book and moved it to my desk. The thickness of the book was a little bit thicker than my forearm. I found my bookmark to resume my reading, The page went over with a fluttering sound, and I focused on the content¡­ How long has it been? I checked the window and the glow of the sunset on my desk. The sky was covered with a red light. ¡°Serina, are you busy now?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m busy,¡± replied I callously, turning back to the book and away from the owner of the voice who just entered. Mikhail frowned and strode along and covered my book. ¡°What are you doing now?¡± ¡°Come on, brother¡ª¡± ¡°Stop reading! You¡¯re basically married to books!¡± I released my frowning brows. Why all of a sudden are you interfering? ¡°Is there anything I can do for you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not for me. It¡¯s for someone else.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°stair came to see you.¡± My face hardened. Mikhail¡¯s eyebrows went up, surprised at my reaction. It¡¯s already been three years since stair left. Since then, I could unwind a little more and do as I pleased After he left, Duke Melford sent myself and spies disguised as servants. I followed her orders withoutining. From my point of view, it was better. Funnily enough, stair¡¯s mansion was more like a haven than the Melford mansion, my actual ¡®home.¡¯ I enjoyed a brief rest there in the name of surveince. Just for a year. stair often wrote five or so letters of inquiry, but I only wrote three lines in reply. I wasn¡¯t very good at writing and didn¡¯t really have anything to say to him. Of course, it was apparent I was deliberately avoiding him. But I didn¡¯t expect you toe all of a sudden like this¡­ ¡°¡­¡­stair is here?¡± Mikhail nodded, with folded arms and turned his head. Why? Come to think of it, hisst letter was, ¡®I miss you, Serina.¡¯ No way. That can¡¯t be why you¡¯re looking for me. But it has been a long time since I saw youst. I sighed softly. Maybe you do miss me. That¡¯s why you¡¯re the one person who doesn¡¯t hesitate to step into this wolves¡¯ den. Stupid fool. stair grew up to be an enviable and capable man. He has indeed proved his worth. Now, merchants always flocked to Aguernia, and the duchy¡¯s military power was at an all-time high. In a vote for the four greatest meritorious writers of the Empire, Duke Aguernia won the top ce. It was a giant leap forward in just three years. And he was just starting. Likewise, he repeated the same ridiculous thing, every single time, like a parrot: ¡°It¡¯s all for you.¡± The more he said that the more I see how badly he was brainwashed and tortured. At least stair grew up into a fine adult even if it was in the name of his imagery love. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to out and see him?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m busy. Tell him toe back next time. Now leave me.¡± Today, I didn¡¯t want to see him. ¡°That day¡± from two years ago haunted me in my dreams. When I see him, I think I¡¯ll be brought back to that time in my mind. That nightmarish day. ¡°He says he won¡¯t go until he sees you.¡± ¡°Then tell him he¡¯ll have to wait and stay like that for the rest of his life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cruel.¡± Chapter 7.2 I focused on the book. I could hear my brother¡¯s tongue clicking in distaste behind me, but I pretended not to notice it. I heard the door shut. Mikhail left the room, and I tried to concentrate on my book, but it didn¡¯t work out. Then, when I was barely starting to focus, I turned my head toward the tapping sound, and something ck was knocking on the window. Ugh. I tried to concentrate on the book again without paying attention, but something the shadow kept whacking on the window. I gave up trying to focus as the noise scratched my nerves. Fed up, I got up from my seat and went all the way to the window. What is this? It was a creature that could not be seen clearly on the other side of the ss. Is it even alive? I opened the window and grabbed it. Its body was the size of my palm, so I had no difficulty holding it in one hand. Looking closely, something ck was wearing a bird¡¯s skin. It seemed like a bat or not, so it was ambiguous to define it. The eyeballs melted down. It was a grotesque figure in which the bones were twisted. I¡¯m holding my breath without thinking. The ck thing smelled of a decaying carcass. I looked around, wondering from which direction this creature came from. The dark red beak opened. ¡°Bad girl! A cold woman! Bastard! You¡¯re a man!¡± ¡®Is that Mikhail?¡¯ ¡°¡­..¡± Mikhail often experimented with dead creatures. I don¡¯t know what kind of experiment this creature is, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a sess. ¡°Mikhail Oravany, can you hear me? Turn this off if you can hear me. Shut up.¡± ¡°No! Stupid! Fool! Urchin!¡± ¡®¡­.¡¯. Mikhail¡¯s experimental creature, like a parrot, constantly repeated abusivenguage. Its cacophony made me throw the thing far away with mana. Thest time I looked out the window, there was a sunset. But now there¡¯s darkness without a ray of light enveloping the sky. I don¡¯t even want to guess how much time has passed. I¡¯m sure stair is gone by now, right? -He says he won¡¯t go until he sees you. What Mikhail said kept hovering over my head. You¡¯re not still waiting, are you? While wondering, I had an inking that he could very well be waiting. ¡®No way.¡¯ I turned to the book¡­. But I didn¡¯t feel like reading anymore. My nerves were all over the ce. The books couldn¡¯t catch my eye. In a huff, I shut the book and put it back in the bookcase. After leaving the study, I naturally walked towards my room. Suddenly, I stopped. Just in case¡­.. I¡¯m just a very inquisitive person. I changed the directions of my steps. I¡¯ll just take a peek. I¡¯ll be in my room in no time after checking. I ran down the hall in haste. It had been night for a while now. The cold wind stung my skin through my thin indoor clothes. Due to the chill, I shuddered. I crossed my arms and sought warmth from rubbing my hands up and down my limbs. I surveyed the scene in the darkness He would¡¯ve been holding out in the cold wind all this time if he was here¡­¡­ I saw a man standing. His cheeks were flushed as if he had been standing for a lengthy duration. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Serina.¡± It was stair. He smiled brightly at me. Then he stepped off his seat and strode toward me. I don¡¯t know what to do. If I told you to go, you should go. Why did you just stand there foolishly? I blinked up at him. I felt a little apprehensive because I had to tilt my head far back to look at his face. He had been taller than me three years ago, but now he dwarfed his past self. Once a boy, stair is now a man that towers over me, with a bigger head, very expansive shoulders, a thick neck, and a sharp jawline. His eyes under strong eyebrows were colorfully luminous, containing a striking tenderness. ¡°It¡¯s getting cold.¡± stair took off his jacket and covered me. Yes, it was cold, but who should be taking care of who? Stunned, I almost frowned in amazement. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­..I can¡¯t tell you to go in because of my greed.¡± ¡°I told you to go. Why are you out here?¡± ¡°Because I want to see you.¡± stair smiled slyly. I lifted my hand and carefully swept it over his red-hot face. stair¡¯s eyes opened wide. How long he stood? His cheeks were icy cold. I stroked his cheek as if to give him warmth. ¡°You¡¯ve seen it. Now don¡¯te again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.No.¡± ¡°Go back. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have time to deal with you.¡± His hand cupped the back of my hand, and he held it against his face, burrowing his cheek against my palm. Bent over, he raises his eyes and looks at me. I can¡¯t help butugh at him being coquettish like a pet cat. Where on earth did you learn this? ¡°Do you remember your vow, Serina, that if I proved my worth, you would stay next to me?¡± His hopeful confidence shimmered in the dark. Chapter 8 ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Remember.¡± stair led my hand to his mouth. Reverently, he slowly kissed my palms and fingers. stair¡¯s lips make tiny suction sounds sneaking up. stair smiles joyfully. Like a predator who finally finds his prey in front of him. All this time, he has been building up his strength with hope. Such cruel words, containing such earnest wishes. I answered back, calmly. ¡°But you¡¯re not the best jewel at the moment, are you?¡± ¡°What if I give you the imperial crown?¡± ¡°What?¡± I doubted what I had just heard, and even though I thought he had just said something extraordinary, he remained rxed. I decided that I heard wrong. ¡°I said I¡¯d give you the Imperialist crown from my hand.¡± He smiled at my surprised face and repeated the same thing. My face froze in shock. I came to my senses and looked around carefully. Fortunately, there was no one around, but us. I lowered my voice even further. ¡°Are you crazy? Are you trying to be treasonous?¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t you like it?¡± Crazy. He is definitely crazy. stair smiled leisurely with a powerful smile. But in my eyes, I couldn¡¯t see his figure stepping on a death path for a mere rebellion. The flower I thought was withering had only changed colors and was still alive. But that flower had lost its original color. Is he the boy I used to know? I didn¡¯t think so. The reason he¡¯s changed like this is because he had to change. After all, I couldn¡¯t mention his father¡¯s death until he left this family. As soon as he returned home, he would have learned many things btedly. For example, the fact that I reced him at the funeral. At that time, Aguernia was falling apart. And it must have been a life-long struggle to prevent it from copsing. He worked hard for the Aguernia house in the novel, too. It was mentioned how in the beginning how humiliated he was in the process of restructuring. How could he escape from ridicule when his family, once at the top, was copsing? Most ignored stair, thinking he would take after his father. But he raised Aguernia in front of those who had first ignored him. ¡°Are you sure? If you give me the imperial power, this country will be ruined.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°Aguernia could be ruined, too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Honestly, I was sardonic, but stair¡¯s answers never wavered. His thoughts contained only me. He would turn a blind eye to any of my disastrous desires. No, he would even aid me. ¡°Serina, everything else is worthless to me. It doesn¡¯t matter what happens to them if you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± He carefully grasped my soft silvery hair and kissed it deeply. ¡°I love you, Serina.¡± My lips went up. It could have been seen as the smile of the victor, but it never was. It was a self-deprecatingugh. I don¡¯t even know how I got to the room. After the conversation with stair, I went up to my room with heavy steps. My body copsed on the bed like a falling rock. I wiped my face down with one hand. From that one day, two years ago, I have been avoiding stair. I didn¡¯t avoid him outright, but I turned him down for one reason or another. But despite the constant refusal, the stair still pursued me fervently. His mansion, which used to be my resting ce, was filled with nothing but loveliness. I had to see him when the Duke of Melford ordered me to spy on him. ¡®How did I get away from stair?¡¯ It didn¡¯t start with much. It was that day two years ago. At that time, I was much more ignorant of ¡®Amalion¡¯ than I am now. (shback to two years ago) As I was in a hurry to release his brainwashing and I searched everywhere for herbs to get rid of toxins. There was a hypothesis that if you took detoxifying herbs for a while, the toxins in ¡°Amalion¡± would probablye out. And one day, I found a herb that was very effective in removing toxins. I made some medicine to feed him, and as soon as I finished, I went to find him. I didn¡¯t think much of it when I saw the blushing and weing stair. The only thing in my mind was getting his enchantment gone as soon as possible. I ignored the cool stomach flower that grazed my throat. I shouldn¡¯t have ignored that sense. stair questioned what the herb I gave him was, and Iughed back at him. ¡®Why? I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll give you poison?¡¯ ¡®I guess you could.¡¯ stair swiftly epted my words. ¡®What the hell do you think of me?¡¯ I opened my eyes and red at him. Heughed, amused at my gaze. ¡®Well, if it¡¯s from you and it¡¯s poison. I¡¯d be happy to drink it for you, Serina.¡¯ He epted the medicine bottle in my hand. And swallowed the contents without question. That moment was the starting point for this rtionship to change. ¡®Hauk¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡¯ How long has it been since he gulped it down? The drugs were affecting him. stairined of a splitting headache right before he stumbled, and I caught him in a hurry. ¡®stair, are you okay?¡¯ ¡®You, ¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­.¡¯ His enchantments had been loosened. And in a sh, his mood¡­ The eyes that looked at me as if I was the most lovable being had disappeared and instead had been reced by other emotions. I expected this is how you would look at me when your brainwashing disappeared, but I felt strange when I experienced it myself. I backed off reflexively. stair¡¯s eyes were unfamiliar. We only stared at each other in silence for a long time ago. He was looking at me with eyes full of hate. I raised my head and looked him in the eye, trying hard to adjust to his new gaze. stair slowly approached me without saying a word. It was like a beast was approaching. Did the original Serina feel the same way? It was hard to be sure whether the brainwashing was gone or not because his eyes were still hazy. The reason I assumed the enchantments were gone because he looked at me like he hated me. There was no hard evidence, but there was too much to specte about. ¡®stair, do you hate me?¡¯ Why did I blurt out that with this mouth? I just wondered. I needed to know if stair truly hates me. I wanted to hear the reason why he looked at me like that from his own mouth. Even though I knew I was being selfish. The stair I knew had lost his reason in the Hall of Hallucination. I had called him affectionately, as usual, but his reaction waspletely different. He frowned as if he had heard a horrendous noise. ¡®Hauk ¡¤¡¤!!¡¯ Quickly my view reversed. stair had pushed me down on the bed, and without warning, he climbed on top of me. I watched without asking what he was going to do. His eyes were empty and, at the same time staring at me like they were going to rip me apart. I had a hunch. Maybe he¡¯ll kill me. There was a moment when the bedsheets got messed up with me kicking trying to relieve the pain. I could feel the dampness of the water, not mine, fall on my cheek. The damp sensation made me forget the pain and stared at him nkly. stair, you¡¯re cruel. If you¡¯re going to kill me, do not have eyes like that. Why are you crying while looking like you are going to tear to death? He shed silent tears. But he didn¡¯t let go of the force that weighed on my neck. I had been wondering for a long time. What am I supposed to do if the unbrainwashed stair tries to kill me? There was no death route for Serina, the viin in the novel. But I¡¯m not going to let Serina die. Maybe changing fate¡¯s road might have brought death on its own. Far from appreciating the situation of a viin who does not face death, I walked directly to the edge of the cliff with my own feet. But there was no regret. I asked myself a long time ago. Do I want to live? No. I don¡¯t have any remorse. The answer was too simple. The fact is so funny that aughes out of the open mouth. What kind of life is it that makes me feel empty? ¡±¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Hauk!¡± I¡¯m running out of breath. I gasped for oxygen without ceasing. stair looked at me dying with a troubled look on his face. I wanted this pain to end quickly. Even if you don¡¯t care about dying, pain is another matter. Tears directly from his eyes fell on my cheeks. My face was wet and the pain on my neck was nearing my limit. stair seemed to want to kill me but not to. It was an iprehensible and contradictory sentiment. Didn¡¯t I have a dim notion that this would happen if I let go of his brainwashing? ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible,¡± he said foolishly, only soothing himself. But why. Why? If he can¡¯t kill the original Serina, will he be able to kill me without hesitation? Turmoil was full of betrayal, but I had pretended not to know. I smiled faintly. At that moment, all I could think was that it was over. Atst, my vision shed. Together, we became distant from God. Simr to the original timeline. Maybe our intertwined immovable fate only ends when one of us kills the other one. It was myst thought before I closed my eyes. When I wake up, stair and Iy side by side on the bed. He was sleeping and I didn¡¯t bother waking him up. I am alive. My realization astonished me, and I looked nkly at the ceiling for a moment. There was a thought that it was all a dream. But the moment I looked in the mirror, my doubt was wiped away. The clear marks on my neck was evidence. Spontaneously, I smiled. I don¡¯t know what was so funny, but Iughed andughed. When I finally came to my senses, I left. stair, who approached me after a time, with still-brainwashed-loving eyes, remembered nothing. What happened that day was something only I knew. Chapter 9 After wetting the pen tip in ink,I began to write letters on parchment paper. I missed writing instruments that I had in Korea. Since scientific advancement is significantly lower in this world, there have been many difficulties. I eventually adapted to the inconveniences, but it was still hard to gather knowledge¡ªsomething that would have taken an instant on my smartphone. [What is needed for Amalion detoxification: 1. rinte (toxic but neutralizes Amalion) 2. Elf (to deal with highly poisonous rinte) -Problem: Hard to find an elf. Very bad feelings towards humans. 3. Sleeping pills.] It took quite a while to find ¡®rinte¡¯ because it is not well known and primarily located in high mountainous regions. The first thing I struggled with most for years was deciphering information about Amalion. Once I had a basic understanding of it, my second objective had been to uncover agents tobat it. Even after so much time, I have only a basic working knowledge of Amalion. ¡®My biggest hurdle is finding an elf.¡¯ Human beings and elves were currently not on speaking terms. Until 30 years ago, humans and elves were constantly interacting and trading. The Elves were outstanding in medicine, and many medical advancements that humans used in this world were contributions discovered by elves. Most importantly, elves were masters of detoxification, poisons, and medicines. The nail in the coffin for Elf and Human rtions urred 30 years ago. A daughter of the head of Elves and a prince of the Imperial family were courting. But their love affair ended in tragedy. It¡¯s still a mystery why, but the prince murdered his lover. The Elves were in an uproar and demanded justice from the imperial family, but the emperor ignored them. The situation worsened when a group of outraged elves was caught and executed, citing their guilt in holding the imperial family in contempt. On the day of their execution, the wrath of the Elf leader pierced the sky and ended up cutting off human interaction. Elfs were still around, but they hid from human eyes. ¡®Now, I need an Elf.¡¯ Because ¡°rinte¡± was scarce and rarely used, there was little to no human beings who could handle rinte without the help of elves. ¡®What if the Elf falls into another person¡¯s hands after first refining all the florintes?¡¯ Meh, I was getting ahead of myself. Regardless, I need an elf. But the odds of finding an Elf were almost nil. ¡®Well, at least I have a chance.¡¯ Fortunately, I have only one chance¡­ through an illegal ve dealer. In the novel, there is a scene in which the male lead catches illegal vers and rescues an elf. That Elf turns out to be the son of the current leader of the Elves. In the wake of this incident, the Elves weed the Male Lead who earned their trust despite being human. He gains a notable and strong reputation amongst the Elves, and they are indebted to him. I need them to be beholden to me so they will cure stair. ¡®¡­Mhmm¡­. If I remember correctly, the guy who ran the ve shop was a subordinate of stair. Was it Galen himself? I recall Galen earning a miserable death at the hands of stair.¡¯ That¡¯s my only chance. By any means necessary, I had to save that Elf instead of the male lead. I folded up the parchment, opened a book to tuck the paper in between the pages, and left the study, heading for my next destination. I followed the smokestack in the distance. Knights were taking off their tops and sweating profusely. Chaeng-! The shriek of sharp-flying swords shing resounded. ¡°Lady¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± A knight that spotted me called me unconsciously. The knights who were fighting stopped all at once. Others gaped, their mouths left open, which amused me with their silly expressions. I looked at them indifferently. I could see a couple of men hold their breath in when our eyes met nonchntly. I greeted them with a smile and turned my head. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Are you busy now, brother?¡± ¡°Yes, very.¡± Mikhailughed, lightly retaliating against my manners from before, saying, ¡°I¡¯m busy, not turning my eyes away from books.¡± He looked very leisurely as he sat back and watched the knights train. ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯ll wait.¡± I flopped down beside him. Mikhail¡¯s eyebrows went up. ¡°Do you have something for me?¡± ¡°I have something I want from my brother.¡± I smiled at him; Mikhail frowned, pretending he didn¡¯t see my cheery demeanor. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Toshif¡¯s invitation.¡± Mikhail¡¯s face hardened, and I maintained my smile; this was to be expected. Toshif¡¯s invitation was an invitation to the illegal ve trade. Toshif was an alias for Galen. The name was known only to the people in the ck market, and Mikhail was also a part of that world¡¯s backbones. Mikhail was kindhearted, but unexpectedly, he¡¯s got an essential position in the underground world. He was a good man, a generous brother but was also a viin in this novel. ¡°How do you know that?¡± Mikhail held a stiff smile and lowered his voice while looking ahead. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen him so pointed. Mikhail was always smiling and light-hearted. His bright personality and charmingughter made people forget who he was and lower their guard around him. One of his talents was getting to know people intimately. Mikhail knew who wore a mask of indifference, like me and who wore a friendly facade like him. His cold face is his real face. ¡°I guess I knew something I shouldn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤Serina¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Mikhail paused momentarily. It was apparent that he thought the information had leaked out from somewhere. ¡°That¡¯s not something you should know.¡± ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t have leaked information. If you lose something, it¡¯s the fault of the person who lost it, not of the person who found it.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°But what should I do? I know now.¡± I couldn¡¯t tell him my ns to save stair. n order to meet the Elves, I needed to infiltrate Galen¡¯s ve ring.I needed to know when and where the ve market opens. When I try to recall what I read in the novel, I couldn¡¯t remember. ¡®This is Mikhail¡¯s specialty.¡¯ An invitation must havee to Mikhail, who has been operating in the underground world. Mikhail¡¯s expression added conviction to my expectations. It would be nice to get information from Mikhail, but it would be a tall order. I decided to be satisfied with the invitation. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not asking for free. I¡¯ll give you a deal. ¡° ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you my blood. You know my blood¡¯s good.¡± My blood has mana. So often, in an emergency where one¡¯s mana has fallen, wizards use their blood as a magic medium. I remember Mikhail saying that the mana in my blood is of high quality and unique. And there were quite a few times when he expressed his desire to use my blood in experiments. Once, I let him use my blood for experiments, it felt ufortable and weird, so I never gave it to him again. Ever since I had to hear his whining pleading with me to no avail. ¡°Seri.¡± ¡°Not enough? I¡¯ll give you a 10% stake in my mine.¡± This is worth a lot more than anything Toshif could turn out. The mine was what I got from stair on my birthdayst year. It hosted many rare and valuable minerals that were sold for astronomical prices. Many aristocrats offered to buy it from stair, but he ignored them and gave it to me as a gift. Frankly, it didn¡¯t move my heart; even without it, I already had more than enough money tost me ten lifetimes. ¡°Stop it, alright?¡± Finally, Mikhail opened his mouth. He looked irate. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m someone who would put my sister in danger for an experiment? The Rigo Mine? Oh, I am very envious.¡± His tone was sarcastic, and his smile was twisted. I waited silently through his retorts full of indignation. ¡°What a waste I still can¡¯t give you that invitation, mine or no mine.¡± Then he patted me on the shoulder and gave me a look. ¡°So, sister, you can keep trying to bargain, but my answer is going to be the same.¡± Mikhail¡¯s hand that was patting my shoulder then used it as leverage as he stood up. Mikhail turned away from me. I stood up and blocked his way. He tried to ignore me, but I snorted mockingly; I wasn¡¯t going to drop this so easily. Mikhail sighed at my ridicule and slowly turned his eyes toward me. I didn¡¯t miss that moment and moved quickly. Pow-! I put a simple swordced with mana in front of his neck with quick handwork. With the sound of a light cut in the air, the tip of the sword was facing his neck. Mikhail¡¯s eyes reflected a sh of surprise. ¡°You know what, brother? ¡°You, you, y¡­¡­.¡¤¡± ¡°If I had stretched the sword a little further, you would have died. Maybe you won¡¯t be so lucky next time.¡± In the distance, we could hear the sharp sound of the flying swords hitting each other from the training ground, but we focused on each other, ignoring all else as we challenged each other with our eyes. I picked a fight, and no one could stop us. The knights didn¡¯t notice us, focused on their rivals in the fighting ring, and I had put up a blocking vision spell. ¡°Who¡¯s worried about who when you almost died?¡¯ Mikhail grabbed the de with cool eyes. He struck the sword that was aimed at his neck. I quickly stretched out towards his neck with the other hand that wasn¡¯t holding the sword and aimed the dagger at his throat. Pressure was added and slightly cut his throat. Mikhail¡¯s eyes deepened. But I had no intention of stopping. ¡°I had already warned you that if I did it one more time, you¡¯d be damned. Was my warning funny?¡± Chapter 10 ¡°No way I¡¯m giving up.I¡¯ve been so scared that I¡¯ve had goosebumps all over my body. But I need an invitation from Toshiff enough to ignore brother¡¯s warning.¡± Mikhail¡¯s face was distorted. I smiled sweetly at him and didn¡¯t break my gaze from his face. I¡¯m confident I¡¯ll never lose this fight. ¡°Serina, it¡¯s myst warning. Stop being foolish. Before I be angrier.¡± Mana began to leak out of Mikhail¡¯s body. The more magical power that gathered around him, the stronger the wind began to blow around us. My silver hair fluttered about. Mikhail swept his dark hair back and directed a cold gaze towards me. ¡°I need Toshiff¡¯s invitation.¡± Like I did, Mikhail created his sword with magic in an instant and swung it so fast it couldn¡¯t be seen. Chang-! The broken de of the sword circled round and stuck to the floor. Mikhail broke my sword in a blink of an eye and pointed the sword¡¯s tip at my neck. But my sword was made of mana, and when I breathed more magic into it, it quickly regenerated. This time I added a little more so it wouldn¡¯t break as easily. ¡°Serina, are you really not going to stop?¡± The wind blew over Mikhail¡¯s fine dark-gray hair. I took my sword and held it with both hands. When I answered with my body instead of my mouth, Mikhail¡¯s eyes held arsenic. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so against it. I¡¯m just trying to participate in the auction.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that.¡± The wind got stronger. It caused the soil to circte around us, creating an increasingly massive sandstorm. Knights who sensed something strange at this point slowly stopped moving. But because I put the blocking magic on, they couldn¡¯t see what was causing this change of aura and power around them. I nced at them in confusion and fixed my gaze back on Mikhail. Mikhail looked really angry. I had never seen him so furious. Honestly, it was difficult to understand. Is it so upsetting that I asked for Tosiff¡¯s invitation? It was clear that Mikhail saw me as his sheltered, naive sister¡ªlike a carefully grown nt in a greenhouse. Certainly, Mikhail was ustomed to danger, and I wasn¡¯t. At least not like him in the underworld. I may have stayed in the mansion more, but the estate has never been a greenhouse. To Mikhail, it was clear that he saw a young and immature little kid even when I had first possessed Serina¡¯s body. It seemed he was tied to the past. I decided to take this opportunity to change that stupid belief for sure. The nts in the greenhouse have been out of the greenhouse for a long time. ¡°Are you going to kill your sister, brother?¡± ¡°No way. But I can keep your feet tied to prevent you from going there.¡± Are you trying to knock me out? My body became stiff with tension. I smiled grimly to myself. If you can¡¯t solve this much, you will be more stupid than you are now. I fixed my sword stance and remained steadfast by admonishing myself like that. My hands were wet with tension. The sword¡¯s handle became more and more challenging to grip. Whoo. I took a slow deep breath and rxed as I centered myself. Bam! I moved first. I swung the sword as hard as I could, but Mikhail had just cut my de lightly. Then with one hand, he lightly tapped my sword. I was pushed back by his force. ¡°You¡¯re weak, Seri. Do you think you can beat me with this?¡± I clenched my teeth, looking for a gap, but I couldn¡¯t see a crack in his defense at all. Anxiety shook my body, but I had no intention of giving up. Even if I failed, I vowed to stand up again and again. Without such a conviction, I wouldn¡¯t have raised my sword against his in the first ce. Mikhail quickly blocked my swinging sword. Lightly hitting my sword, readjusted his de, and swung the sword¡¯s handle at my neck. I leaned over instinctively and avoided it. He thought he could stun me without hurting me. His unnecessary worries provided me with a chance to dig in¡ªwhat a fool. I clicked my tongue and swung my sword. -Chaeng! The attack was also lightly blocked. Although he showed a gap, Mikhail was rxed. He was so confident that he would not lose in this fight. I dug through his cracks over and over again, and my attacks often failed. And whenever Mikhail attacked me, I had to withstand both his force and overwhelming dizziness at the same time¡ªI was panting, losing my breath to my overexertion. The difference in strength between us is so significant that my hands trembled every time I blocked his sword. ¡°Kkuok¡­.¡¤¡¤!¡± Mikhail kicked me in the stomach in ackadaisical manner. I barely managed to support my body with mana, so I wouldn¡¯t fall. My feet dragged on the dirt, leaving long drooping footprints on the ground. Instead of grasping my tingling abdomen, I applied strength to my sword hand. For a moment, I saw him hesitate. He probably figured there was no use in continuing this fight anymore. ¡°Seri, please stop. Surrender now.¡± Mikhail begged me to yield and admit defeat. But it was hard for me to ept a request that sounded like a favor. Mikhail, who struck my stomach, frowned as if he was the one that was actually hurt. He seemed to want to finish this as soon as possible so that I wouldn¡¯t get hurt further. Damn it, there¡¯s no chance of winning. *** I chewed up my innocent lips.My stamina has been pushed to my limit, and if I continue, I will soon be defeated by him. I wanted to use magic, but I couldn¡¯t do it right away. To defeat Mikhail, I had to cast strong magic, and to do so; it requiredplicated calctions. There is no magic in Korea, but various calctions were required to use magic in this world. Distance calction, moon phase, sun position, strength calction, etc. Mathematics was essential for magic. The pace of my calctions was getting faster and faster as I was also busy concentrating on Mikhail. I clenched my teeth and tried to concentrate on two things. ¡®It¡¯s almost done now.¡¯ Chaeng! (sword sh sfx) It was a moment when I thought it was done. Despite hardening my sword, Mikhail broke my sword again. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ ¡°Huh¡­¡­!¡± I quickly made a sword, but I couldn¡¯t wholly resist Mikhail¡¯s attack, who was faster than me. As I rolled back to the floor and staggered, I decided to gamble. Now not only was my kicked abdomen aching, but my whole body was suffering. Mikhail came to me with all his might. I energized my narrow arms and drew his sword toward my neck. And at that moment, I regained my magic power but had no sword. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡±. ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± The sword that was facing my neck stopped at a breathtaking moment. The tip of his sword slightly stabbed my neck and it started bleeding. He apparently thought I would stop it. Mikhail¡¯s eyes shook wildly. I looked at him with a victor¡¯s smile, and Mikhail btedly noticed my smile and his face was filled with admiration. Finally, I made a perfect gap in his defense. I couldn¡¯t check it, but luckily I had just finished the golden calction. ¡°Destroy.¡± ¡°¡­.!¡± Realizing his mistake, Mikhail hurried to wear magical power around her body, but I was one step faster than him. Quang! A white streak of light that hit Mikhail. My eyes were dazzled by the light, and I frowned reflexively. Mikhail was struck by a powerful blow and fell to the floor. I approached him on the floor at a slow pace. Of course, I couldn¡¯t walk quickly because my whole body was tattered. ¡°Listen, Brother. I¡¯m not as good at swordsmanship as you, but I¡¯m much better at magic than brother.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s funny who¡¯s worried about whom right now. But just one thing, brother, you don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Mikhail nced at me once and quietly closed his eyes. I looked down at him calmly, and Mikhail sighed. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Mine 30%. Not below that.¡± As I looked at him with absurd happy glittering eyes, he shrugged while lying down. ¡°I told you not to go, but you¡¯re going anyway, right? If you can¡¯t stop them, you should join them¡ªmight as well bepensated for it.¡± Mikhail¡¯s face was smiling softly again. I got the inkling that it was a lie, like the mask he showed me before. ¡°So where¡¯s Toshiff¡¯s invitation?¡± ¡°I put it on page 273 of .¡± ¡°It¡¯s a book that suits you brother.¡± ¡°Hey, you wicked little sister.¡± I left Mikhail on the floor behind me and headed to his room. * * * Following the instructions on Tosiff¡¯s invitation, I entered a dark and cramped alley. Wondering if I took the wrong turn as I passed through the crampedne, a big building appeared around a dark corner. Who would have guessed that there would be arge illegal ve headquarters in these quiet outskirts? ¡°Do you have an invitation?¡± ¡°Here you go.¡± I handed the man the invitation from Mikhail. The man who opened my invitation opened his eyes wide as he looked at the seal and name written on it. ¡°Go, gold¡­.. Rotor-nim¡­?¡± No one could see my face by wearing a mask, but a smile slowly spread from behind the mask. The man who received the invitation looked surprised and then ordered the man next to him. ¡°Hey, quickly, call the manager¡­! Rotor-nim is here¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes? Rotor-nim?¡± ¡°Idiot! Why are you still here? Go now.¡± The man who received the order immediately gasped and reacted to the name ¡®Rotor¡¯ and panicked. The more he offered and did, the more I tried to reject politely, the more eager he became to find something I liked. He wanted to give me everything I wanted it seemed; he looked mildly perplexed when I declined. He must have wondered what I would buy at the auction for plenty of other things for sale other than ves. Finally, the manager arrived and smiled and cried at me. I realized Mikhail¡¯s influence in the world behind me. Chapter 11 ¡°Rotor-nim, do you need anything?¡± The man called me by Mikhail¡¯s pseudonym, ¡®Rotor.¡¯ It looked like ¡®Rotor¡¯ had considerable influence here. Otherwise, there¡¯s no way an executive of the illegal ve trade would be escorting me. Because of the grade of Gold, they followed behind me as if they were my attendants. They seem to mistake me for Mikhail. I don¡¯t know the details, but Mikhail doesn¡¯t seem to be well-known here. Only his alias, ¡°Rotor,¡± was known. I can¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t recognize me even though we havepletely different physiques. My voice seemed to belong to a man,plete with modtion magic. Maybe I¡¯ll look like a small man to them. In fact, Mikhail was tall. I looked at the flowing short gray hair from the corner of my eye. Just in case, I prepared a hair wig like Mikhail. I had tried to dress up as a man, but it was such a sloppy disguise that anyone with a good eye would notice that I was a woman at once. Fortunately, a deep voice hid the fact. ¡°Anything you need, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Yeah, I do need something. Only then did I look at the manager. When I make eye contact, the manager is stunned. I haven¡¯t done anything yet. Is it because of the grade of ¡®Gold¡¯ on the invitation? I tried to recall the original novel. Gold grade is Rotor, so only Mikhail has a gold rating here. And below Gold, there is a rating of Silver, and below which I can¡¯t remember in detail, there are other grades. It wasplicated for me, who didn¡¯t know thews of the underworld. It¡¯s the world¡¯s misceneous knowledge, which is not exined deeply in the story. Mikhail, you didn¡¯t tell me anything, you just gave me an invitation. Something tells me my task is going to get moreplicated. ¡°Hey, I heard you¡¯re selling Elf this time, am I right?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right! Are you interested in the Elf?¡± The man¡¯s eyes shed a ¡®yes I¡¯ll do anything you want¡¯ look. The man, who quickly glimpsed at my real intention of what I wanted, began to recite selling points about the Elf. I listened to it for a moment to see if there were any useful information points, but it was all very useless. ¡°Are you here to buy the star of this auction?¡± ¡°Yes, so when will the elf appear?¡± ¡°Since he¡¯s the main event, of course, he¡¯ll appear at the very end.¡± No. Then it¡¯s toote. The novel did not say precisely when the protagonist will attack. It just says that he identally found an elf while raiding a ve auction. If I had bad luck, the auction could be raided before the Elf appeared. I didn¡¯t want to be involved in amotion. ¡®I can¡¯t help it. If you can¡¯t buy the Elf, you¡¯ll have to go to n B.¡¯ Buying an Elf is n A. Even before the n was implemented, n B was also set up in case of the male lead¡¯s appearance. It¡¯s a n I don¡¯t want to use. ¡°So, where did you keep the elf?¡± ¡°Yes, yes? That¡¯s,¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The man next to the steward was flustered. Nevertheless, I was a Gold guest, so the man could not give me a firm rejection and stammered. I said emphatically with an unpleasant tone. ¡°I want to see that elf.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­.¡± ¡°What kind of person is Rotor-nim, that you can¡¯t grant a simple request?¡± When the man next to him tried to say no, the manager frowned and stopped what he was trying to say. The steward smiled kindly to me and said he would lead me to the Elf. I rethought my initial assessment that being Rotor would make my task more challenging and silently thanked Mikhail for making my work easier while he was sick in bed. * * * A cry heavy with despair was ringing in the dark basement. The enved aged overnight and plea to be let free. Overseers beat and whipped those that were too loudly begging or too pridefully silent. Those who were beaten couldn¡¯t even resist. Some extended their arms between iron bars, dryly weeping for an escape. The jailer, who saw it, assaulted them again, skillfully avoiding their faces so the ¡®products¡¯ wouldn¡¯t lose value ahead of the big sale. Violent of the verbal and physical sort was rampant. I yed my part and passed them by in an indifferent manner, reminding myself that the male lead would soon destroy this ce, and he would save them. ¡°Tsk. Trivial things are dirtying Rotor¡¯s ears.¡± The custodian looked at me with a servile look and worried that they might have offended me. I only nced at him once and didn¡¯t respond. There seemed to be no end to this basement. When I started to wonder about whether I would see the Elf today, the man¡¯s footsteps stopped. We were in front of an iron cage. A man was lying within it. *** I stepped closer. The closer I got, the closer I got to an overwhelming joy that I would finally get to meet the elves. The proof was that my fingertips were tingling. The main star of this ve auction. And the Elf I¡¯ve been searching for so eagerly. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Well. I don¡¯t know unless I look more closely.¡± Having said that, I went closer and grabbed the iron fence with both hands. The Elf¡¯s blonde hair was tangled around, and something was coagting it. It was blood. The Elf had been abused for a long time, and the blood had hardened and was brown. The Elf did not move, even though I was poking my nose through. The only movement I saw on the Elf was a slow blinking of vacant eyes. The Elf seemed like he was on the verge of fainting. How much abuse have you had to withstand here? There were bruises and wounds all over. Elves are a proud racemitted fiercely to their freedoms and equity. Probably he¡¯s been rebelling for a long time¡ªmaybe ever since he was first captured. And at the end of it¡ªlike all enved people¡ªhe¡¯d learned to give up. The evidence was the hopeless, deste look in his eyes. ¡°Elves are a beautiful species, so he is beautiful. And he¡¯s good at medicine. If you buy this Elf, it will help you in many ways.¡± The caretaker began to sprout out selling points in order to increase the likelihood of apetitive sale. I was quiet as my thoughts were interrupted. ¡°Okay. Could you shut up?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes?¡± ¡°Your banter is disturbing me.¡± ¡°Oh, b-but¡­!¡± The custodian was quite embarrassed. He had made a mistake and stood there awkwardly in silence, raking his head toe up with a solution to remedy the problem¡ªbut nothing came to mind. The man was quite annoying¡ªjust standing there stupidly, perhaps he didn¡¯t understand. I used my mana to lower the ambient temperature, cooling the man¡¯s flesh. The man trembled at the slowly falling temperature. The man¡¯s tremor became even more intense at the feeling of an ominous unknown. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going?¡± ¡°I-I-I will go out!¡± Whether it was the cold or the fear, the man turned pale and scurried through the hall. When the man disappeared from my sight, I collected my mana back, used to chill the surrounding temperature. Even though the temperature was cold, the Elf didn¡¯t even move¡ªnevermind register my presence. I looked down quietly at the Elf. It was amazing that his blonde hair¡ªwith all kinds of dirt, such as blood and dust¡ªstill did not lose its sheen. Every time the Elf blinked his eyes, his green eyes were visible. His darkened eyes andck of reaction told me that he was in terrible shape. It started to worry me. Would it be possible to get him out of here? To be honest, given his current state of affairs, it was utterly unbelievable that the male lead saved him. That¡¯s how broken he was. I studied the hopeless Elf and felt my heart fall. However, I had no choice but to hold on to these straws. ¡°¡­Do you intend to live with me?¡± I opened my mouth to try to provoke a reaction to pull him out of his stupor. With terrible words in his mouth, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± I smiled at the Elf gently. In the original story, he was saved by the main character, but this time, it would be me. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m thinking of buying you.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°You will soon leave this ce that¡¯s worse than a pigsty.¡± The Elf didn¡¯t even look at me. He looked only at the moldy ceiling. It looked like his soul left him. ¡°Why do you keep looking there? There¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious? Why am I buying you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡®What if he¡¯s out of his mind¡­¡­ Then I¡¯m in trouble.¡¯ I don¡¯t know what to do or say. This task wasn¡¯t turning out to be easy. I tried speaking to him a lot but received scant a reply. I looked at his tightly closed mouth and let out a sigh. From him, there was not a glimpse of willingness to continue the conversation. His dull eyes also showed no will to live. Communicating ¡®nothing matters,¡¯ the Elf just blinked. I never thought an Elf, a symbol of a pure and robust spirit, would be so broken. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go home?¡± The Elf didn¡¯t answer. But I wasn¡¯t the one to give up. ¡°I can get you back if you want.¡± The Elf¡¯s eyes turned to me. I bent my eyes curled when I met his green eyes. Can we continue the conversation smoothly now? I spoke again without erasing the smile I had. ¡°I can get you out of here right now.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I don¡¯t know what you are trying to say.¡± ¡°¡®Truly. I¡¯m here to get you out of here.¡± The Elf¡¯s persistent gaze searched me. His vignt eyes regarded me suspiciously. He tried to figure out what my intentions were, but I was wearing a mask so that he couldn¡¯t read my face. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re quick-witted. That¡¯s right. I want something from you. I¡¯m thinking of getting you out of here as long as you do me a favor.¡± Chapter 12.1 For the past couple of days, Mikhail had been feeling so bored that he was on the verge of going crazy. He couldn¡¯t move easily because *someone* used destruction magic on him and turned him into a limp noodle. I can¡¯t do anything but sit around in bed aimlessly; there was nothing fun about it. In the past, I wanted¡ªno, even wished! I could spend all day in bed, but now I realize how stupid I was. -Listen. I¡¯m not as good at swordsmanship as big brother Mikhail is. But I¡¯m much better at magic than you. -Cute¡­ who¡¯s worried about whom right now? But just remember that brother doesn¡¯t have to worry about me. Her words kept ringing in my ears. Mikhail himself knew that Serina is no longer a child. She was old enough to do things on her own. ¡°My younger sister is so good at many things.¡± A happy smile was built around Mikhail¡¯s mouth. I¡¯m a little bit proud, but a little sad too. Did she already pass the threshold where she didn¡¯t need her brothers¡¯ strong arms and relied on herself? Mikhail still felt like it was yesterday when Serina was a child. She¡¯d run out in joy when it snowed and made a snowman with her brackish hands all day long. After making a snowman, she would give it to God as a gift. ¡®Oh, I miss that time.¡¯ The sky outside the window has long been dark. Perhaps by now, Serina would have already arrived at the ve auction. Serina can do anything now. Wherever she goes, she¡¯ll be able to do well, even if she enters a lion¡¯s den. The head recognized this fact, but my heart did not acknowledge it. From the moment she left the mansion, his heart began to beat wildly, and he was frantic with fear that she mighte back hurt. I wanted to secretly follow behind her and protect her from those rough guys, but I couldn¡¯t save her because of this body. ¡°Ah! I have a newly acquired talent that doesn¡¯t help me.¡± Mikhail forgot that it was Seri who made his body like this and began to curse God. ¡®Still, she¡¯ll be okay.¡¯ Mikhail was still unable to allow her to go to the very auction by herself. But he couldn¡¯t help her because his condition was like this. So he called her Savior. The one who can protect Serina for sure. He¡¯s not entirely normal, so I really didn¡¯t want him to meet with Seri or anything, but he was the inevitable choice. The upside is that I feel at least a little morefortable and relieved after sending him after her. ¡®Anyway, something stupid might happen to Seri.¡¯ Mikhail once again med himself for not being able to move. *** Chapter 12.2 ¡°Save me¡­..?¡± He frowned as if what he had heard was ridiculous. I nodded my head with a smile. The Elf, who was previously lying helplessly on the ground, rose up. I think he finally had the heart to engage in a proper conversation. ¡°I hear every Elf has amon sense of medicine. And the elves have their own superior ability to purify, don¡¯t they? I need that ability¡­. If you make me an antidote, I¡¯ll take you safely back to your home.¡± Isn¡¯t this a pretty good deal? It¡¯s not much, but we¡¯d meet each other¡¯s needs. I get the antidote, and the Elf goes home safely. It was a proposal that they could appeal to each other, and we¡¯d have nothing to lose. ¡°If you make me a little antidote, I¡¯ll take you home safely?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°¡­Okay?¡± ¡°How can I believe that?¡± The Elf gave me a look of disbelief. He had suffered a lot. The little beast managed to keep his nose from snorting with a growl. ¡°Don¡¯t believe me if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to believe me.¡± I don¡¯t want him to believe me. I had no intention of forcing it. The Elf, full of distrust of humans¨Cand rightfully so¨Cwill not believe me no matter what I say, and the more I force it and try and persuade him, the worse this rtionship gets. You won¡¯t believe me anyway. What else can I say? ¡°I¡¯ve been nning to buy you at this auction. I nned on buying you even if someone offers a high price. But why would I bother toe to you and tell you this?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And if I didn¡¯t buy you, you¡¯d still be sold to someone else who paid a high price. Of course, you don¡¯t have a choice in it. Then you¡¯ll have to pray that you won¡¯t be sold to a rich sadist with nasty inclinations.¡± Out of all the aristocracy, quite a few have disgusting and dirty hobbies. And many of the nobles who attended these vicious illegal ve auctions had terrible taste. If the taste of the aristocrats who bought ves is vicious, the fate of the enve under them will be worse than death or death. ¡°But instead, here I am. Promising to get you out of here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no evidence I can provide for you to trust me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no evidence, but I mean it. Whether you believe it or not, I intend to take full responsibility for my vow to you.¡± I lifted the mask I was wearing. I desperately needed this Elf. I didn¡¯t hide the expression on my face, hoping that my earnestness would reach him. Elf¡¯s eyes opened wide, surprised. The hero of this novel, Hypron, saved the Elf out of the goodness of his heart. I am too selfish to save the Elf out of the goodness of my heart. I¡¯m not as good as Hypron, and more than anything, I don¡¯t do good¡ªI¡¯m apart of a viinous family and am a viiness myself. I¡¯m trying to get the Elf out of here purely to aplish my own purposes. That¡¯s why I was so much more desperate than the Hypron. Because I had to aplish my goal at all costs. As desperate as I am, here too, I can help the Elf just as well as Hypron. ¡°So, what do you want to do?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes, as you said, I have no choice anyway.¡± ¡°You know it well.¡± ¡°¡­.Keep your promise.¡± The Elf reached out to me through the iron bars. I grinned, grabbed his hand, and shook it. Our deal has been sessfully settled. I had no intention of letting this hand go until I had achieved my purpose. ¡°Hey, human. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Serina. You?¡± I didn¡¯t feel the need, so I didn¡¯t bother to reveal myst name. ¡°I¡¯m Igelto.¡± It¡¯s a different species, so it¡¯s a unique name. The different culture of the Elves was felt in his name with a unique, strong ent. The Elf twisted his hand as if to pull out of the handshake with me. But I grabbed him by the wrist and wouldn¡¯t let him go. ¡°¡­..Why aren¡¯t you letting go? What are you doing now?¡± ¡°Sorry. I apologize in advance.¡± ¡°What¡­.?¡± I apologized instead of letting go of his hand. The Elf looked at me, puzzled, but I pulled him towards instead of asking the question. The Iron Curl. The bracelet I sped on his arm. I filled it with magic. Then the Elf¡¯s face broke. ¡± I shouldn¡¯t have trusted you!¡± ¡°Calm down. This is just a bracelet to make sure of the contract.¡± There¡¯s a magic spell on it that will make you suffer if you break the contract. The Elf red at me with a sulky look. ¡°Do you have another bracelet?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Give it to me, then.¡± I took another bracelet out of my arms and handed it to him. After he snatched the bracelet, he fixed his eyes on me. ¡°Stretch out your hand.¡± My arm was sped with the same magic bracelet. It was almost time for the auction to begin. If I kept staying here, the guards might think it¡¯s weird. ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, then¡­¡± ¡°¡­Igeltho.¡± When I call his name in a small voice, he looks suprised. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Yeah, Serina.¡± I pulled up the corners of my mouth, satisfied. I feel rewarded for all my hard work. ¡°Oh. I almost forgot to say this. There could be a disturbance. At that time, hide in a deserted ce and don¡¯t leave the auction house.¡± ¡°What?¡± He frowned, confused by what I had said. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have time to exin. I took my eyes off him and went back to my box, i.e. to the room assigned to Rotor. They gave him a good room because of his high status. The whole auction house was visible from my viewpoint. There was a red sofa in the middle of the luxurious room. Instead of sitting on the sofa, I approached near the railing and waited for the auction to begin. Fingers twisted in suspense from the nerve-wracking boredom I ended up tapping the railing with anxiety. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for waiting! I¡¯m formally announcing themencement of the auction!¡± *** On the first line of the letter, it said, ¡°A request for my brother.¡± That day, like every other day, I was in the midst of my routine. I had nned for the next day and the next. It was organized without fail. After handling the piled papers, I would be going to the Imperial Pce for a while and then processing documents again. And on other days, I would write and mail a letter to Serina. If his letter had note, I would have been having a typical, predictable day like every other day. Mikhail¡¯s letter stated that Serina went to a ve auction due to ¡°unavoidable circumstances¡± and that he could not be protect her due to ¡°unavoidable circumstances.¡± Mikhail, who could not manage to write down that his younger sister beat him, instead used the catch-all term: ¡°unavoidable circumstances.¡± stair, who was not aware of these ¡®unavoidable circumstances¡¯, clenched his jaw and grinded his teeth. What the hell is that unavoidable reason to let her go to such a ce? For some reason, Serina went to an illegal and dangerous ve auction. And it was bad enough to worry Mikhail. Nevermind stair. There were too many evils in the world¡ªespecially concerning the world of the ck market. stair has never seen Serina ever pleased with a gift. She always says thank you for courtesy when she is receiving one, but she always had a gloomy reaction. The more stair aplished, the more he had to give, and the more he wanted to give. And the more urgent he became to find something she liked and desired. stair wanted to give her everything, but she didn¡¯t want it. So he wondered what she would buy at the auction. Simultaneously, he rationalized that although it was mainly a ve auction, they didn¡¯t only sell ves. The rational thought calmed him down. star was convinced that Serina would never purchase an enved person. ¡®Instead, let¡¯s use this opportunity to figure out what Serina likes.¡¯ Chapter 13.1 The first items for sale were none other than jewelry. Polished gems were popr amongdies and aristocrats. The womenpeted fiercely, and atst, the highest bidder won the jewel. When the gem portion was finished, the ve auction began. ¡°Look at this pure face with honey-like blonde hair that looks like it¡¯s going to melt! I¡¯ll start with 10 gold!¡± 10 gold is equivalent to a month¡¯s worth of living expenses for amoner¡¯s family. That was the ransom asked by the host for the first ve. A blonde woman climbed onto the stage with her arms tied behind her. Her fear was palpable; she was in tears and shaking. Her value soared, perhaps to sadistic tendencies of the bidders who rejoiced in her trembling. As the price went up, her face turned blue. Finally, a man sang twice as many times as a nobleman yelled before him. He won. The auction was longer than expected. I yawned because it seemed so long. ¡°Now, here¡¯s ourst item of the night! No effort was spared in capturing this ve. An elf! Who wants to be the owner of this handsome beauty!¡± As soon as he finished his announcement and spoke hisst word, the cries of loud cheers rang out. They enthusiastically weed Igelto¡¯s stepping up the stage. As if everyone, along with myself, had been waiting for this moment. The man began to jibber away about his selling points. It was disgusting. ¡°Starting with 1,000 gold!¡± At the ridiculous price, I was speechless. Of course, it¡¯s not that expensive for me, but it wasn¡¯t easy even for most aristocrats to spend that kind of money. ¡°1,500 gold!¡± ¡°3000 gold!¡± ¡°8000 gold!¡± But contrary to my expectations, the elf¡¯s price jumped from the start. Igeltho face turned white. From the stage, he met my gaze. I realized that his desperate eyes were asking why I hadn¡¯t ced my bid. The person he thought was his savior was not responding to the rising amount. But I was just waiting until they reached a teau so I could say my price. ¡°We¡¯ve reached 59,000 gold, folks! Anyone want to ce a bid?¡± The emcee inquired loudly. Then he started to count down. The nobleman, who had poured 59,000 gold on Igelto wasughing greedily. Igeltho was disgusted and frowned. 59,000 gold is enough to buy several of the nation¡¯s most expensive stores on the capital¡¯s ¡°Golden Road,¡± where the elite shopped. I clicked my tongue and readied myself to ce my bid. I didn¡¯t want to deal with a back and forth game. So I decided to announce such an amount to make the others give him up. The longer I let this drag on, the more disadvantageous my position would get. ¡°3¡¤¡¤¡¤! 2¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± ¡°500,000 gold.¡± I shouted, lifting my number. At the enormous amount of money, there was a loud silence and looks of disbelief. Even the chatty host forgot his words and was utterly stupefied. I didn¡¯t care and opened my mouth. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to count down?¡± ¡°500,000 gold! Anything more?¡± The moderator quickly regained his senses and started counting down. I watched the countdown at my leisure, and Igelto¡¯s expression improved. ¡°5 million gold.¡± ¡°1¡­¡­! Sessful bid¡­ W-What just said?¡± The voice of the presenter stuttered up to a shrill shriek, and his eyes bugged out. I, too, was speechless and turned towards the man who had said 5 million gold. He was wearing a suspicious outfit, covered by a robe. Everyone here covers their faces with masks, but they aren¡¯t so tightly wrapped up like that. The unidentified man seemed to be from a reasonably wealthy family. I picked up my number. ¡°7 million gold.¡± ¡°70 million gold.¡± The bustling auction house became quiet. Everyone was amazed at the astronomical amount. My mouth was left open in shock; I couldn¡¯t help it. I need to correct my thoughts. This man is not just from a wealthy family; it seems that he is from a very wealthy family. ¡®I¡¯m in trouble.¡¯ If it¡¯s 7 million gold, it¡¯s enough money to buy a castle, but 70 million gold is enough to buy a capital. The man still looked rxed. Must be born into a very, very wealthy family to bid 70 million gold and still maintain anguid manner. But if I lose the elf, it won¡¯t only be my loss. The elf was relying on me, and I needed him. I wondered if I would be able to win this game. Chapter 13.2 Finding her wasn¡¯t that difficult. Mikhail told stair that Serina would disguise herself as a VIP called ¡®Rotor.¡¯ So my eyes scoured the VIP area where she would probably be. I spotted a short gray-haired person. If anyone else had seen it, they wouldn¡¯t have recognized her, but stair quickly recognized Serina. The person¡¯s body structure was analogous to Serina¡¯s and, above all, her ruby-like red eyes showed, the only feature her mask revealed. These were sensible exnations, but he recognized her at a nce before he could even weigh her appearance. I don¡¯t know why. I just recognized Serina. There¡¯s only one person in the world who¡¯s so lovely. ¡®She¡¯s so gorgeous,¡¯ he thought, ¡®even her manly appearance is stunning.¡¯ Of course, even if Serina was covered in disgusting filth in his love-struck eyes, she would still be beautiful. The fact that stair saw her in public, her¡ª a vision of beauty, aroused a strong urge within him to pluck everyone¡¯s eyes who witnessed it. With firm forbearance, he struggled to contain his impulse. Finally, the auction began. The first thing that came out was gemstones. stair studied Serina closely, breathless with anticipation over the question of what she would bid for. But none of the jewelry caught her eye. Still, stair¡¯s eyes were filled with poetry for Serina. Wearing a ck mask with a red rose pattern on each side, she seemed bored and impatient. Rather, she was tapping the railing with his finger, as if she was unamused. ¡®What the hell do you want?¡¯ I became increasingly anxious. After the auction of various goods, the only portion left was the ve auction. ¡®Surely¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯ His fist grew tense. stair struggled to maintain hisposure, barely restraining his soaring energy. When all of the female ves were sold, and only the male ves were left, stair began to loosen up. He gazed at the ves ascending on the stage with significant momentum. But what was this an uneasy feeling? Fortunately, Serina had not yet purchased any ves. Instead, she looks even wearier than before. stair felt relieved at her appearance and exhaled out a hot breath. However, he couldn¡¯t let go of his apprehensionpletely. There were still a number of male ves left. The auction was still going on, and stair got increasingly agitated. It was when the auction was finally nearing its end. Serina was sittingfortably when her eyes started to shine, and paid rapt attention to the person on the stage. At the same time, stair¡¯s eyes quaked. ¡°Now, here¡¯s ourst item of the night! No effort was spared in capturing this ve. An elf! Who wants to be the owner of this handsome beauty!¡± It was the elf that lit a fire in her eyes. In addition to his mysterious and lovely appearance, Elves were scarce, causing the bid to soar. However, not everyone thought about giving up and eyes glistened at the elf. And Serina was one of them. ¡°500,000 gold.¡± Tuk- The leash of reason that was holding him stiffly broke. At heart, he wanted to run and kidnapped the elf that made her eyes sparkle. But he couldn¡¯t. In the first ce, stair came here at the behest of Mikhail, who entrusted him with escorting and guarding Serina from the shadows. ¡°5 million gold.¡± So the only thing stair could do now was prevent that elf from falling into Serina¡¯s hands. stair was much more desperate for Serina than she was for the elf. He couldn¡¯t even imagine the elf by her side. stair bit his red lips without even knowing that they were bleeding. ¡°7 million gold.¡± Serina shouted out a higher price. She had no way of knowing, but the more she did, the more and more twisted his judgment became. ¡°70 million gold.¡± He would never let that elf be by her side. His eyes gleamed with an agitated madness. stair usually thought Serina was beautiful. But his purple were dyed red in no time. *** Igelto asked questions with his eyes and exchanged nces with me. I replied by shaking my head. I started drawing the next n in my head. As the moderator counted down, I worked out my next n. I was pondering for a quick moment. ¡°5¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤! 4!¡± The moderator, worried that the 70 million gold would be withdrawn, quickly started counting down. Igelto¡¯s eyes wide open in surprise, and his face became distorted. ¡®I should bid once more.¡¯ ¡°Kung!¡± ¡®Do it now.¡¯ The audience turned their heads to the violent noise. The man who bursted into the hall urgently ran in, gasping for breath. The man broke the countdown momentum that the nobles were watching with bated breath in excitement. They did not hide their displeasure towards him, who entered in haste, and started toin. As the excitement cooled, the host beckoned security to kick him out. The man who was breathing hard took a deep breath and shouted out loud. ¡°We have a problem! I-i-it¡¯s a raid!¡± ¡°A raid? Wha¡ªWho?¡± The man¡¯s face, who stuttered in fear, was pale. The moderator frowned in frustration. ¡°The Knights of the ck Wolf¡­ ffff ugahhhhh!¡± The man didn¡¯t finish. He stared at the sword pierced through his chest with a clear sound and red spread across his clothes. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Starting with the hysterical scream of ady, the hall quickly erupted into mayhem, and it became a mess. I was calm in the midst of themotion. This was one of the scenes described in the novel from the moment a man ran in. It was an expected development. Chapter 14.1 ¡°Tsk. There¡¯s a lot of trash that needs to be taken out.¡± A man with vivid red hair slowly swept his head around and pulled his sword out of the man¡¯s chest. Then the blood sttered forward, and at the same time, the man with the pierced chest fell limply to the floor. The nobles looked at the horrifying scene in disbelief. ¡°Sir Hypron ¡­.!¡± One noble muttered dumbly. The name of the nobleman¡¯s mouth uttered was the name of that very red-haired man and the name of the male protagonist in this novel. He was also quite famous. Hypron, famous for diving into the underworld like a rat and torturing criminals, regardless of status. He was a man with a strong sense of righteousness but had no mercy towards ouws. The faces of the aristocrats who had heard rumors of him paled. ¡°We have to run away¡­!¡± The havoc started when a man ran to the back door. A few people followed him and began to flee, and soon the crowd turned toward the door. They pushed each other and tried to get out the back door of the auction house. However, due to therge number of people in the crowd, their movements naturally stagnated. ¡°Damn! The entrance is blocked!¡± Shouted a man amid the uproar. As he said, the entrance was really blocked. It was at that moment that there was a huge roar. As the vociferation approached and peaked, Hypron¡¯s soldiers rushed into the auction house. I expected it, so I wasn¡¯t surprised. It¡¯s an interesting situation, so I just watched it for a while. The aristocrats who found the other door were busy fleeing, and Hypron upied by rounding up the illegal ve merchants. Hypron¡¯s knights chased after those who had fled. Because I was in the VIP section, the view was good, and I could survey all of Hypron¡¯s actions without hindrance. Aside from me, there was only a small number of people in the VIP area. Because we were on the third floor, it is easier to get out than the first floor, which is crowded with many people. I searched for the man who shouted 70 million gold but could not find him. As I tried to take my gaze away from the chaos, my eyes met Hypron, who was tenaciously watching me. I turned to look at his bright yellow eyes. I left the room and entered the hallway. I walked in a hurry, realized I was running out of time, and started to break into a run. Fortunately, running with low-heeled shoes did not hinder me. I ran up the corridor for a while, arrived at the stairs, and hurried down. ¡°You!¡± He surprised me. A man suddenly popped out from under the stairs. Looking at the patterns on the armor, I figured he must have been a knight of Hypron. The knight strides in front of me. Did he guess I was a woman? I wonder as he steps in front of me without any fear. No. It may be strange for a well-trained knight to be cautious when his opponent is a slender man. ¡°You better surrender.¡± The knight strode towards me and smiled grossly. I searched my arms and looking for the note. However, the memo paper did note out, but my dagger came out instead. I wrote down various forms on the memo to speed up the casting of my magic. But I couldn¡¯t find it. Whatever, I¡¯ll find it eventually. I gave up looking for it and looked at the knight with an easygoing attitude. There was no need to use magic to deal with this knight. But it is useful for saving time. And I needed time. ¡®But it¡¯s annoying to calcte.¡¯ That¡¯s why I hate math. I sighed and fixed the dagger in my hand. Let¡¯s finish this quickly. ¡°Pfft¨CHa! You¡¯re gonna threaten me with that?¡± When the knight saw the dagger in my hand, heughed as if it were funny. I didn¡¯t care whether or not he found me amusing. The knight slowly walked up the stairs in a rxed manner. It was too ridiculous for him to entertain the thought that I could hurt him. ¡°Mister, don¡¯t be too scared.¡± ¡°Who was afraid of whom?¡± The man who heard my voice frowned. ¡°What. Weren¡¯t you a boy?¡± I didn¡¯t feel it was worth responding to. However, the man took it the other way, with a hungry sultry smile and striding up the stairs. ¡°Well, your sex is not important. I bet you¡¯re a pretty little guy. Let¡¯s first take off your mask.¡± ¡°You will never have the chance to take off my mask and see my face.¡± I threw my sword lightly as if throwing a dart. I aimed it towards his neck. The knight evaded the dagger. Unlike his slovenly appearance, he seemed to have some skill. I threw a sword that carries magics, and seeing that he was able to avoid it, tells me that it wasn¡¯t a lie that Hypron¡¯s knights were selected by their skill and talent ¡°Wait a minute¡­ why is this¡­?!¡± That was the man¡¯sst line. Blood burst out of the man¡¯s neck like a fountain, and his heavy body rolled down the stairs. The de was no ordinary dagger. The de wasposed of millions of sharp threads invisible to the human eye. Those threads slice through everything the moment you infuse it with mana. Unfortunately for the man, He thought he had dodged it, but he actually didn¡¯t. I nced at the sharp, neat cuts on the enemy¡¯s neck. It was a magic dagger that Mikhail made and gifted to me on my birthday. I saved it¡¯s one-time-use; I didn¡¯t expect it to be used for this run. I started down the stairs again and hurried a little bit more. ¡°Here¡¯s another one!¡± This time it was a sound from behind. The man¡¯s loud voice would attract other knights. I quickly approached the man and knocked him out. The knight was winded and fell to the ground. Chapter 14.2 ¡ªMeanwhile, Igelto looked around the auction house in a stupor. It urred to him that he didn¡¯t know what he was doing in this mess. He wanted to get out of this ce just like everyone else, but he didn¡¯t move because of what Serina had said. -There could be a noisy situation. Don¡¯t leave the auction house and hide in a deserted ce. As if she had foreseen this situation. A tumultuous event unfolded as she said. Suddenly, humans in armor-d colorful costumes and took the attendees by force. Many ves escaped in the ensuing confusion. Igelto wondered if he should join the group, but he decided to trust Serina and wait. Although this decision might hold him back, he decided to remain steadfast in his dangerous decision. Stupidly. He looked down at his wrist. A blue bracelet, to be exact. He hid behind a curtain and waited for the screams to cease. Igelto crouched down and blocked his ears with his shaking hands. Nevertheless, he pretended that he could not hear the sound. Even so, he heard everything but pretended he didn¡¯t ¡®What am I doing?¡¯ Igeltoughed at himself. Even when faced with such a situation, his curiosity was ignited, and he could onlyment. Igelto had been curious since he was a child. His personality was to pursue something until he could solve his curiosity¨Cuntil the end. It was that trait of his that got him into so much trouble. For instance, he has long been interested in the human race. The elves say that the human race was greedy, selfish, and evil. Many are extremely disgusted with humans, not only because of the incident from 30 years ago but also from before then. Greedy humans had long ago earned the distrust of elves, who valued their clear conscience. There was often discord between Elves and humans. Elves insisted on justice regardless of power and status, while humans only spoke of profit with gilded tongues and horrible actions. Igelto was curious. Why are human interests so different from the values of elves? He wanted to explore the human world. There were so many things in the world he is ignorant of.. So, Igelto secretly escaped the barrier between the Elf and the human worldte one night. And he was immediately captured by a ver. Igelto¡¯s gleaming eyes, which sparkled beautifully with a curiosity of the world, have long since died. Like the stars shining in the sky die after their lifetime. But Igelto¡¯s life was a little faster than the myriad of stars in the sky. It had been a while since his eyes had dimmed, and saw the beauty in everything. He was too jaded and knew too much to have those shining eyes again. Still, he didn¡¯t know why elves and humans were so different and where the human¡¯s greed came from. In the end, Igelto was convinced it was simply their nature. But, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. Serina. Why did her words sway me? If she had wrapped her words with glib expressions, it would be somewhat convincing to understand why I decided to believe in that human being. But she didn¡¯t bother to be shrewd. There was never a human I believed in. So this was even more strange. It was then when I was hiding my body and pondering over my dilemma. The curtain I was hiding behind rolled up abruptly. ¡°You¡­¡­! Elf!¡± A nobleman wearing a white mask shouted. He approached me cautiously, afraid of tipping off the knights. I backed up and ran into the wall. Surprised, Igelto nced behind him. The masked man, in that very moment, savagely grabbed him by the hair. ¡°Let! Go!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡­!¡± Igelto was being dragged away. ¡°Let me go¡­ Human!¡± ¡°You¡¯re too noisy! I¡¯m going to take you¨C¡° When Igelto struggled, the man smashed his face into the ground. Igeltio¡¯s body,cking energy, copsed powerlessly. ¡°*Cough*¡¤¡¤¡¤! *Gag*!¡± The man brutally kicked Igelto¡¯s stomach relentlessly. Igelto, struggling with overwhelming pain, lost the will to fight. How much more miserable must I be? In the past, I would have done anything¨Cwhether it was shouting, punching or kicking¨Cto get out of this situation. But now Igelto couldn¡¯t find the strength to rebel. After being brought here by the vers, he was thoroughly educated by cruel overseers. His body has long forgotten how to rebel. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh!¡± The man in the white mask screamed and shrieked painfully. At the same time, the ruthless violence ceased. Igelto opened his closed eyes to see what had happened. The man¡¯s hand was on fire. Igelto¡¯s eyes were wide open, surprised at the sudden fire. When the man in the white mask struggled, the fire struck Igelto. Igelto cried at the burning pain. The hot mes started to swallow him as well. ¡°Save me! Save me! Water! Water right now¡­¡­! Somebody bring water!¡± The man gave Igelto a cursing look as he was dying by the mes. The man cried out for help to the end, and the raucous havoc buried he pleas in the auction house. Igelto quietly closed his eyes. Although there was terrible pain, I thought I could restfortably. I never thought that death could be a haven¡­ Chapter 15.1 I silently looked down at the sharp sword aiming its tip at my neck. There were long marks and dark drops of blood in the area where the sword grazed against me. I slowly blinked and watched the man with the de against my neck. I never expected to meet the male protagonist from the novel like this. ¡®This never happened in the original storyline.¡¯ While going down the stairs, I encountered countless knights. When I finally came out of the stairway by knocking them out one by one, a man blocked my path, the main character. He had been waiting for me, standing back against the wall in a rxed manner. ¡°I don¡¯t know you, but you seem strangely familiar. Do you know me?¡± Hypron and I had met a long time ago. We often greeted each other at the banquets and had even danced together. ¡®What the hell?¡¯ As far as the novel goes, he still had to put down the auction house. But why are you waiting for me in advance? I wouldn¡¯t have been so nervous if Hypron didn¡¯t know me. ¡®If he finds out who you are, it¡¯s over.¡¯ ¡°I hope it¡¯s just my feeling, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s my imagination for some reason.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°You know me, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. It¡¯s my first time seeing you today. Who hasn¡¯t heard of Sir Hypron here?¡± I deliberately answered him, letting him hear my voice-modtion magic, indirectly telling him I was a man. So he wouldn¡¯t guess I¡¯m a woman, especially not Serina. ¡®Even so, it¡¯s a sloppy cover.¡¯ Of course, if he takes my mask off, my efforts would be in vain. I am wearing a men¡¯s costume, but he will recognize me as a woman if he looks closely enough. Even if I changed my appearance using the transformation magic right now, I was out of time. From the beginning, I was wondering if I should do some metamorphosis magic, but I gave up because I had used up a lot of mana. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ In this lifetime, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve been so nervous, trapped in a frustrating situation in which there is no escape. My skin became so sensitive, readily reacting to the cold air. Goosebumps sprung up all over my body. It would be impossible to beat him no matter how much magical power I pulled out. If stair was the strongest swordsman on the continent, Hypron was the best swordsman on the continent. His talent was different from the start. Since he was a child, he had honed his skills. It was so great that a standard sword-fighting test could never be done with him. He didn¡¯t stop there and became a swordmaster within a few years of starting sword lessons. In a word, the human named Hypron was born with plenty of male lead buffs. There was no chance I would beat him. That was not to say that there wasn¡¯t a chance of sess if I ran. ¡°Well, we will see if you take off your mask.¡± Hypronughed low and took his de off on my neck. I stumbled back, but he overtook me with arge stride. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± He reached out to my mask. I have a hunch that I¡¯m going to get caught. I closed my eyes tightly. I couldn¡¯t block his hand and felt helpless. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± As Hypron tried to snatch my mask, someone covered my face with a gigantic hand. My face was covered with one hand, and his other hand wrapped around my waist and pulled me into his arms. What the hell is going on here? The split second I wondered about it, my view was shaken by the force. My body was floating. I groaned at the sudden weightlessness. I could tell that the person who shielded me from Hypron was a man based on his size and the texture and physique of his chest¡¯s tight muscles that I was pressed against and his hard back that I had grabbed. He eased the strength of his hand in case my face would hurt. Even in such an urgent situation, the caring attitude was a little funny. Also, I felt a strange sense of relief. ¡®Teleportation¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ he must be a wizard.¡¯ Meanwhile, Hypron¡¯s moment to take off my mask was interrupted, and he murmured in a stunned voice that was cut off. My vision began to obfuscate, and I realized the man teleporting us again. Abruptly, I could see the ve auction house from a distance being devoured by a fireball. The moment I registered the scene, my view changed again. The auction house that was embroiled in mes evaporated. Instead, I was now looking at a wall made of wood? I looked around, perplexed, trying to find out what was going on. It was dim. I was in a room. The floorboards creaked under my weight. I looked around. The stale smell of lumber stung my nose. Nearby was an old wooden table. ¡®It¡¯s like a deserted cabin.¡¯ (TN: Noooo, save the f*ing elf!) ¡°You¡­.¡± The man took his hand off my waist. Then he stepped back a few steps. When I looked back in a hurry, a man was wearing a robe tightly wrapped around him. It was the man who had bid against me for Igelto, the one that dered an astronomical amount. The man who caught my gaze trembled and turned as if trying to run away. Are you running away after helping me? I slightly frowned. ¡°Who are you?¡± Oh no. A feminine, delicate voicees out of my mouth. When we teleported, I must have dropped my magical voice-modifying tool. But the man didn¡¯t react to my sudden and dramatic voice change. As if you already knew my voice. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your help. But why are you running away?¡± The man seemed unwilling to answer. It seemed to me that he wanted to run away from this situation. It was pretty funny to see him sweating as if he was embarrassed. I approached the man at a slow pace. As I got closer, I saw the man¡¯s body stiffen, so Iughed. *** Chapter 15.2 ¡°Well, that¡¯s okay. It doesn¡¯t matter whether you run away or not. But I want to know this. Do you know me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Oddly enough, I think you know me even though I¡¯ve seen you for the first time at the auction today.¡± It was simr to what Hypron said to me. Did he feel this way too? This man I¡¯ve never seen before seems strangely familiar. The man was still silent. I wasn¡¯t disappointed because I didn¡¯t expect his response. ¡°You don¡¯t want to answer that either? Well, that¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t intend to force you.¡± Instead, I walked away to the old table with a single step. I put my hand on the table, smilednguidly, and turned to the man. ¡°I know I¡¯m shameless, but since you¡¯ve helped me once, why don¡¯t you help me one more time?¡± I had no basis for this hunch, but my intuition told me this man would surely help me. *** He ran and ran. His lungs screamed, and he gasped, struggling for air andpletely out of breath. Nevertheless, he ran without stopping. Igelto still couldn¡¯t believe he was alive. I thought I was going to die. Yes. The hot fire hit him, and he was struggling in pain. Then, at some point, I didn¡¯t feel any pain. When he realized that, he felt increasingly strange. Even though mes covered and licked him, there wasn¡¯t a single burn. The bracelet glowed. Igelto took his eyes off the bracelet and looked around. I don¡¯t know when it happened, but the auction house was consumed in mes. And somehow, I was still alive in the midst of all of it. At first, I thought it was a miracle. However, the more I think back, the more I feel that it is not a coincidence. Igelto looked down at the bracelet on his wrist. For some reason, he couldn¡¯t erase the feeling that there was more to this bracelet than he had initially thought. Maybe this bracelet was protecting him. Igelto continued running towards the exit. Finally, there was a light peaking out. ¡°Choke-!¡± The moment before he reached the exit, Igelto¡¯s body was pushed against the wall. Not because he lost his footing, but because of an irresistible force that crushed his body. But it didn¡¯t feel like someone pushed me. The impact on the wall prevented Igelto from moving easily. I looked around hazily with blurred vision. A shadowy figured approach, and I heard the echo of it walking toward me from a distance. ¡°What? You are alive?¡± Igelto instinctively shrunk back. This is dangerous. *** I failed n A: Buy the elf. But n B has not yet failed. I gave Igelto a bracelet for n B. In the first ce, there was no such thing as a magic bracelet to fulfill a contract. It was a word made up to pass the moment. Igelto¡¯s bracelet is meant to protect him from danger. If you didn¡¯t tell him, he wouldn¡¯t risk his life believing in the power of the bracelet. Because there is a risk. At the same time, the bracelet was also a medium for mobile magic. Before the auction began, I drew a magic circle around a statue. The magic circle transported what I desired if I injected mana into it. What I wanted would be moved to the magic circle. Before the male protagonist came at me, I immediately ran to the magic circle and tried to summon Igelto. So the magic circle and the magic bracelet I put on Igelto¡¯s wrist acted as a connecting bridge between us. Human eyes could barely see the ce where I painted the magic circle because it was so dark. Also, the distance from the auction house was adequate. As the distance increases, the amount of mana it consumes increases as well. Considering the amount of magic power I could consume, the distance was close, but it far enough away from the auction house. I wish I could avoid such a troublesome endeavor and just run off with Igelto, but I couldn¡¯t. The first floor was very messy, so it was difficult to move. And you¡¯re going to take the elf out of the area where the hero is? That¡¯s ridiculous. I made a mana sword appear in my hand and drew a circle on the desk. I couldn¡¯t reach the magic circle I had drawn near the auction house, so I had to draw a new one quickly. And then proceeded to draw all kinds of forms within the circle. It was challenging to draw on the rough wood. But now that there was no paper, the only ce to draw the magic circle was this table. ¡°It¡¯s done. Now, then, give it a little bit of your power.¡± It was the same magic spell I drew before the auction started. At my words, the man put his hand on the magic circle. Then, a dim light began to rise above the magic circle. The man was obedient to my words. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the motivation behind all his entric actions. ¡°Is this a moving magic circle?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t recall it.¡± ¡°What?¡± I quickly put my hand on the magic circle. I checked if there was a problem with the magic I drew, but nothing was wrong with it. Even if the lines are loose, I drew them urately. ¡®¡­¡­ Is the bracelet broken?¡¯ Igelto alone cannot break the bracelet. It is designed so that only the person who put it on and filled it with mana can take it off. With powerful mana, the tightly-knit bracelet was a high-grade magic item. If such a bracelet broke¡­.. There is one hypothesis that can be established here. He met a wizard who had a stronger ability than the bracelet had. ¡°Can you use teleportation one more time?¡± The man nodded, telling me could. Chapter 16.1 Teleportation magic is widely considered the most esteemed amongst high magic. To teleport, it takes a considerable amount of mana, so the number of people who had enough magical poweress were few, and the practice of teleportation spells was even rarer. In a way, it was simr to the magic circle I drew up, but the concept was a little different. I used the magic circle as a medium; it was not as convenient as teleportation. There were limitations to space and distance, but it took up considerably less magic than teleportation. However, to teleport, one had to calcte urate coordinates, which made it difficult to use. Distance may not be an issue for teleportation magic, but uracy was. Teleporting is a skill that was talented in even embarrassing archmages. But this man who used teleportation magic instantly, amidst a high-stress situation at that, must be a very skilled and powerful sorcerer. I am also an aplished wizard, but I¡¯m not good enough to use difficult magic like teleporting. ¡°You must have quite a lot of mana? Then please help me. Teleport me back to the ve auction house.¡± ¡°¡­Why do you want to go back there?¡± ¡°I left something very important behind. You don¡¯t want to help?¡± ¡°¡­ No.¡± Even after teleporting once within the auction house and another to this cabin, that would make two times. I was asking for two more times, one to the auction house, and then back here at the cottage again. Usually, this would be wildly brazen, but this man didn¡¯t look tired at all even after two teleportation spells. ¡®Even powerful magicians who could teleport have died, bing porridge right after they used it.¡¯ The man carefully held my hand. A dark beam of light began to envelop our surroundings. It was a very delicate and well-crafted teleport spell seeing that I didn¡¯t get motion sickness, and my vision didn¡¯t whirl. I was deeply moved by his magical genius. The man wasparable to stair. ¡°Thank you for helping me.¡± We arrived back safely at the ve statue. I gave my thanks to the man as the auction building went up in mes behind him. Maybe Igelto is in the auction house. So I turned to go into the building, but at that moment the man grabbed my arm. ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± ¡°I have to go inside.¡± The man was wearing a robe, so I couldn¡¯t see his face, but I knew he was bewildered. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t understand him either. Even I think it¡¯s an insane act to jump into that hot ze without any safeguards; I¡¯m no god. But whatever I did, it had nothing to do with this guy I met for the first time today. However¡ª ¡°Never.¡± The man was determined. He was worried about me. I grabbed the man¡¯s hand holding my wrist. Then I slowly pulled my hand out of the man¡¯s hand. ¡°Hey, Mr. Robe. I¡¯m grateful that you are worried about me, but you don¡¯t need to.¡± To be honest, I was not grateful. The man helped me several times. Thanks to that, I was able to escape Hypron and move to this ce with ease. But I didn¡¯t thank the man. Frankly, half of my heart wanted to curse him, and the other half wanted to me him for this. In the first ce, you were here at the auction, and things would have been so much easier if I hadn¡¯t ced your bid against me. You made things a bit cumbersome. I was extremely selfish. ¡°Thank you for your help. Now I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± The man showed no sign of backing down. I sighed at the sight of him blocking my path. ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡± You are going to jump into the fire with me. It was pretty daring, but I wasn¡¯t surprised. Intuitively, I felt he would propose such a thing for some reason. ¡°You want to go with me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Where have I seen this man? What is this familiar feeling? I crossed my arms and said in a crooked tone. ¡°You will regret it. If you follow me, I¡¯ll use up all your mana until the veryst drop.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright? I¡¯ll use your magic until it is gone. But are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Please use me,¡± said the man in a smiling voice. I was dumbfounded by him. Without any hesitancy, you are asking me to use you so tantly? Of course, from my point of view, there¡¯s no disadvantage. There was no reason to refuse to say that someone with outstanding skills would help me. It was just a little suspicious. Even I knew that amid my urgency. I had no idea why he would help me. Does he have good intentions? ¡°Okay, but this is your choice. I hope you won¡¯t regret it.¡± ¡°That will never happen.¡± *** Igelto quietly looked at the person in front of him. The man in front of me was wearing a ck mask. He effortlessly cut off the bracelet that had been protecting me andughed cruelly. The canine-exposing smile gave off a beast-like chilling feeling as if hunting for prey. Igelto stared nkly at the broken bracelet in his hand. The bracelet was broken and could no longer protect him. Igelto clenched his hands, his wrist feeling bare. ¡°You don¡¯t know how surprised I was. I was trying to bake only that piglet and felt it was unfortunate that I baked you too.¡± The man in the ck mask acted sarcastically as he pretended to wipe a tear away. Igelto frowned at his perverse behavior. ¡°Even when you frown, you are so beautiful!¡± What the hell is this guy talking about? *** Chapter 16.2 ¡°I¡¯ve seen a pretty face like yours only once before.However, even if he frowns, you rank far below him.¡± The man in the ck mask continued to talk to Igelto as if he were happily gossiping with a friend. He continued to excitedly talk about the beautiful man Igelto didn¡¯t know or care about. He spoke about how beautiful the man was, but nothing came into Igelto¡¯s ears. As his consciousness gradually blurred, all sounds were automatically blocked. I felt as if I was left alone in the world. Igelto blinked in his drowsiness. ¡°You can¡¯t sleep when I¡¯m talking.¡± ¡°Hukh¡­¡­!¡± The masked man kicked Igelto¡¯s abdomen. Igelto was unable to resist and groaned with pain. ¡®Whether you believe it or not, I will definitely take responsibility for my words.¡¯ Was this one of the shbacks people get before deathes for them? I remembered what Serina told me. He struggled to forget her voice. Igelto resigned to his evitable death. But there was a part of me that remembered what she said, and I had hope. He wanted to ignore that hope. He hoped to be at least a little less miserable and a little less desperate. Why did you instill hope in me? Her words yoked my neck So he bit his lips hard to try and p himself out of it. Ah. Did I bite too hard? My mouth tasted fishy. He red at the man in the ck mask, swallowing the blood that mixed with his saliva. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been wondering about what to do with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea to stuff you.¡± The masked man gently stroked Igelto¡¯s face. Igelto felt as if bugs were crawling all over his body, and the sensation made him want to throw up. Igelto clenched his teeth. He couldn¡¯t be like this forever. It was stupid to put hope on a human named Serina. This masked man will kill him if he stays still. If so, shouldn¡¯t he resist in the end and try onest shot? As soon as he thought that, Igelto¡¯s body was already charging towards the man. His body, which had been heavy just before, was light at this moment. With all his might, Igelto tried to tackle the man in front of him. However, the man in the ck mask avoided his attack lightly and grabbed Igelto¡¯s head. -Kack! Then he smashed his head against the wall. Igeltio¡¯s ears heard sweet words in the midst of his brittle pain. ¡°Should I just kill you?¡± I¡¯d rather you just kill me. Igelto¡¯s consciousness was bing more and more blurry. He looked down at Igelto with a cruelnguid smile. Igelto¡¯s body trembled at the yful sneer. The man reached out his hand towards him. Igelto quietly closed his eyes. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Bam!¡± Then he heard a voice. He could only hear the voice clearly as he was losing consciousness. ¡°Igelto!¡± Serina was running. Ah. You didn¡¯t break your promise. *** This man is a fantastic wizard. Even though I asked for quite a few teleports to move quickly from one side to another, there were no signs of exhaustion. Although the mana consumption must have been ridiculous, the man seemed unfazed. He was really a monster. ¡°Mr. Robe, can you teleport to the second floor this time?¡± I didn¡¯t know the man¡¯s name, and at some point, I called him ¡®Robe¡¯ because of his robe that was tightly wrapped around him. ¡°Where on the second floor is good?¡± ¡°Please go somewhere with a good vantage point, where you can see the whole auction house well¡­¡± I heard the ceiling cracking, and debris fell. The particles falling to the floor increased, andrge bs of wood fell from the ceiling, clogging a passageway. As there were no paths to take, the frequency of using teleportation increased. I was grateful for the bottomless amount of mana the titan next to me had. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and move to the second floor.¡± My vision obscured, and the scene changed. Robe¡¯s ability to calcte tricky forms in an instant was amazing. We were now in a ce where the auction house stage was clearly visible. As I slowly looked around, I suddenly felt strange. There was no railing where the original handrail was supposed to be. As I looked down, I saw the railing falling to the bottom and shatter. Everything was a mess and falling into pieces. Giant mes were brightly illuminating the auction house. Dangerously, the floor on which I was standing was starting to split. ck smoke was covering all over the ce so that I couldn¡¯t see the surroundings well. I narrowed my eyes, searching for a passageway that still remained open. Where the hell is Igelto? There was no reason to be here anymore, as there was no Igelto when looking at the second floor¡¯s railing. Only the first floor is left. ¡°Where do you want to go next?¡± ¡°¡­you still have a lot of mana left? You¡¯re like an incredible god.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± I didn¡¯t mean for him to apologize. It was apliment, although I said it monotonously. ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you are shy?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look like it, but you are surprisingly timid. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s bad for you to cultivate confidence in yourself and take pride in your aplishments.¡± I could tell Robe was unconvinced. He seemed confused. ¡°¡­Are you looking for the elf?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m looking for the hero of 70 million gold.¡± I said sarcastically. Because it¡¯s because of you, we have to suffer this hardship. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s already dead. Do you really need to find him?¡± Chapter 17.1 ¡°Why do I think you want him to be dead?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve caught me.¡± ¡°Your words and actions are inconsistent. You are the one who bide 70 million gold for that elf, right?¡± ¡°There was a reason for that, but now that the elf is dead, so the motive is gone.¡± He seemed to be relieved as if all his problems had been solved. Seeing his refreshed aura, I was dumbfounded. I doubted whether this was the very same person who bide to buy Igelto from right under my nose. Kong-! ¡°What¡¯s that noise?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s the sound of the building breaking down.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s different.¡± I stopped walking and listened for the sound. However, the sound was not heard again. I started to walk and suddenly heard the noise again. [Hahaha¡­!] It wasn¡¯t an illusion this time. I heard a groan, and how could I not know who it belonged to? It¡¯s the main character I¡¯ve been looking so ardently for. ¡°Igelto¡­!!¡± I ran and ran through the dark smoke, and at the end of it was the elf with a gruesome appearance and standing over him was a man in a ck mask. ¡°Who are you?¡± I slowly approached the man. The man¡¯s eyes wide open when he saw me. The only thing I could see from the masked man was his sky-blue eyes were bent beautifully, giving me goosebumps. His eyes were like a bad guy who found a funny toy. ¡°It¡¯s the third time today¡­¡± What are you saying? The man in the ck mask seemed to frown as he murmured nonsense and his hand reached out towards me, more precisely toward my face. Whack- I sharply shoved his hand out of the air. The man smiled as if nothing was wrong with striking his hand or his disrespect. He peered at my face to the point of being rude. I went one step closer to the man. In the meantime, I created a sword with magical power from my hand. ¡°Please don¡¯t go.¡± Robe grabbed my hand with a low voice. I turned my head in wonder, and he pulled me into his arms. Then his big hands covered my face. Robe covered my face andpletely blocked my vision while at the same time blocking the masked man from gawking at me. I was puzzled and embarrassed by what this was about. I pushed his hand away, but he didn¡¯t even budge. ¡°What are you doing now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please bear with me even if it¡¯s frustrating.¡± ¡°Why are you covering my face?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid your face will wear out.¡± Are you joking? No matter how much I pushed, he didn¡¯t move his hand. So I bit his palm. But he still did not take his hand off. It seems a little embarrassing, just fluttering. ¡°Hope that hand was tasty. By the way, I wish you would move your hand, guy with the robe.¡± The man in the ck mask made a cheeky sound. In an instant, I saw a tendon tense in Robe¡¯s arm. I put a little more strength biting his palm again. It should hurt quite a bit, but he didn¡¯t give up covering my face. Rather, he tried to cover my face more, as if the man¡¯s words motivated him. ¡°But robe guy, where have I seen you? Why do you seem familiar?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what bullshit you¡¯re talking about. And if you¡¯re going to kill that elf, kill him quickly and go away.¡± ¡°What are you saying now?¡± ¡°Oh, can I?¡± ¡°No matter what happens to that elf, it¡¯s none of my business.¡± ¡®You said you¡¯d help?¡¯ This was an egregious obstruction. I pulled the magic power in my body as much as possible, concentrated it in one ce, and with the greatest power I could muster, I elbowed Robe¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­!¡± When Robe¡¯s power was temporarily lost, I pushed him harder once more. I hurried out of his arms and ran straight to Igelto. ¡°Whoa, so cruel. You must be really hated, um?¡± The man in the ck mask kept mocking and picking on Robe, his eyes full of life. I hurriedly hugged Igelto, who was sprawled out on the floor. Then I ced his finger under his nose to see if he was breathing or not. Fortunately, Igelto was alive. He just passed out. ¡°Huh?¡± Another loud bang was heard at the same time the man made a strange sound. Kaakkkkaaaakkk- A rough rumble scratched against my eardrums. I naturally lifted my head towards the source of the sound. The ceiling that had been cracked from before looks like it can no longer support anything. Small pellets fell from the ceiling and thump-! And arge chunk of the roof fell to the floor. The shattered debris fell to the side, making the smoke even less tolerable, and mes spread more severely than before. The building is going topletely copse. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯d love to y more, but I don¡¯t have time.¡± The man looked up at the cracked ceiling and then looked at me as I held Igelto in my arms, my reflection in his eyes. ¡°Stop staring.¡± *** Chapter 17.2 ¡°You¡¯re so cold.Well, then, I¡¯ll get going.¡± The man¡¯s body began to fade. Then,rge chunks fell on his body. But the lumps did not harm him and he disintegrated in the air. ¡°I hope to see you again next time.¡± The man¡¯s hand vanished. I wondered if it would be okay to let him go like this, but it was toote to do anything now. I took my eyes off him and fixed my gaze on Igelto. He was a mess. His body was a wreck; only the appearance of his sleeping eyes seemed calm. ¡°We should go too.¡± Robe came over to me, lightly avoiding therge piece of ceiling that fell where he was a moment before and approached me. His face, glimpsed through his robes, slightly frowned upon seeing Igelto. ¡°The elf ising with us.¡± He said nothing. He just sighed as if he was displeased. He reached out slowly to me, and when I grabbed it, a familiar light enveloped us. At the same time,rge stones fell on us, but the Robe¡¯s magic was one step faster. I slowly closed and opened my eyes. The background had once again changed. ¡®It¡¯s the cabin.¡¯ On the old table, I could see the hasty magic circle I drew. Robe stood next to me. ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°As you can see.¡± He slowly came to me. I grinned, showing him a big smile. ¡°By the way, how long do you n to wear that robe stair?¡± Even though his face was tightly hidden in his robes, I could see that he was embarrassed though his speechlessness and his body stiffening up. As a result, I couldn¡¯t help but feel an unknown smug satisfaction. stair, seemed to be wondering where he went wrong and revealed his identity. It was ridiculous. ¡®If you¡¯re going to hide, hide it well.¡¯ How could I not know? Where was itmon that men had his talent? And such a gifted man is working hard for me for no reason? It was obviously that it was stair. Besides, he had a simr physique stair¡¯s. At first, I didn¡¯t recognize his magically altered voice. But that elusive personality, being flustered by me and that particr overprotection, all pointed to stair. It was amusing that he was trying to hide his identity, so I had decided to go along with it. Then it got a little ugly. I¡¯m trying to get the elf because of *someone*, and that very person interferes with my ns. How frustrating. I can only sigh in exasperation. I wondered, how should I punish him today? I gentlyid Igelto down and got up from my position. Then slowly approached stair. The closer I got, the stiffer his body got. Is that why? I tried to hold back myughter, but myughter kept leaking out. Now the distance between him and me was so little that we were breathing on each other. I carefully reached out my hand towards him. Slip- With a light hand gesture, I peeled off the robe that was hiding his face. Then, a beautiful face, one that I had not seen for a long time, was revealed. It is wasteful to hide such a face. When we made eye contact, stair turned his head aside instantly. So you know what you¡¯re guilty for, eh? ¡°You can¡¯t do that, stair.¡± I grabbed his chin and turned his face towards me so that he had to look at my face. His eyes were helplessly forced to look at me. ¡°Now, then tell me why you were there.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to tell me? But what about this? I can force you to answer. The only reason I didn¡¯t force you to answer before was because you weren¡¯t stair, but now you¡¯ve been found out.¡± stair closed his mouth firmly and looked down. It reminded me of the puppy I had raised in my previous life. When I punished the puppy, it looked exactly like this. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤When did you know?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know it from the beginning. I figured it out about halfway.¡± ¡°¡­..How did you know?¡± ¡°Fool. Isn¡¯t it weird that you don¡¯t know how not to be so obvious?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± I took my hand off his chin. stair looked at my falling hand with longing, but I didn¡¯t care. Is it because I was too tired and worked too hard today? My legs hurt. I walked toward the table and sat down with my hips on it. With my hands behind me, I supported myself up and looked at himnguidly. ¡°So stair, did you have fun deceiving me? The person who tried to fool me was duped, but can I really do it? ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± said stair feeling a sense of injustice. ¡°You weren¡¯t fooled.¡± ¡°Yes. For your information, it was kind of fun tricking you.¡± My eyes curled agreeably, and I smiled. stair sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. It wasn¡¯t hard to fool and tease him. I almost had a convulsion in my mouth while holding backughter. ¡°Good thing I got caught. I had something I wanted to ask you.¡± I propped my chin and on my hand and waited for stair¡¯s proceeding words. stair smiled vaguely, but somehow, his smile looked twisted. I don¡¯t know why he is upset, but I raised my eyebrow, coaxing him to tell me. ¡°Why did you want to buy that elf?¡± Why did I want to buy him? The reason is obvious. stair looked at Igelto lying on the floor. As his cool gaze turned to Igelto, Igelto, who was sleeping well, suddenly began to curl into a ball. ¡°I want him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°I want that elf.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤You want that?¡± ¡°Very. I¡¯ve been coveting and wishing for a long time.¡± He slowly blinked and then slowly approached me. Chapter 18.1 I had to look up at him because I was sitting on the table. As I tried to keep my head up, my neck was stiff, and I rubbed my neck. As soon as I rubbed my neck, stair changed his posture, perhaps because he noticed that it was ufortable for me to keep looking up. Instead, with my body in between, he put his hands on the table, then slowly lowered his body to meet my eye level. I was firmly trapped between his arms. ¡°Lies.¡± stair wanted to deny my words. ¡°Why would I lie to you?¡± His eyes sank in thick shadows. Both eyes shining in the dark were quite intimidating, but they did not affect me. This was his punishment. Not only did he hide his identity from me, but I also wanted retribution for him offering 70 million gold for Igelto, causing n A to fail. Isn¡¯t this fine and cute revenge? I knew very well. I am the one who always holds the reins. [pssht you tell yourself that girl, you¡¯re the one nning borate ns for stair] That¡¯s how it has always been, and it won¡¯t be much different now. Yes, this moment¡ªthis dynamic will never change. Until his brainwashing is cured. Yeah, I know, I was being incredibly selfish. I had a contradictory heart to avoid stair but to make this moment as full as possible. ¡°Your bracelet¡­.¡± He looked down at my wrist, with the blue bracelet, and nced at the bracelet that Igelto held tight in his hand. He grabbed my wrist tightly. ¡°Ou! It hurts, stair¡­.¡± Sharp fury rattled in his eyes. With purple eyes desperately urging me to rify, I realized that the situation had changed. It must have been me who took control of the situation and made fun of him just before¡­ but the moment he saw the bracelet on my wrist, he couldn¡¯t act leisurely. ¡°Are you involved with him?¡± ¡°It hurts. Let go.¡± ¡°I asked what is between you two first.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t let go of my hand now, I won¡¯t see you again. You better let go before you regret it!¡± His dark eyebrows frowned deeper and flinched, his fine forehead cracked. He sighed and let go of my arm. The throb that I had received from him irritated me greatly¨C I was so annoyed. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that, stair? Why¡ª do you want me to do this for you too?¡± I waved my wrist in front of him. The blue bracelet shook and blurred like a wave. ¡°Stop. If you don¡¯t want to stir up my anger, stop.¡± His red lips drew round lines. However, his eyes were not smiling, giving me goosebumps. I stopped shaking my arm. ¡°stair, are you jealous now?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Jealous? Of course.¡± ¡°You¡¯re shameless.¡± ¡°If you already know it, you shouldn¡¯t do this.¡± Having said that, he smiled coolly. It was obvious he was warning me. Unlike his calm face, he seemed to be on the brink of sanity. ¡°But what should I do? I really need that elf.¡± ¡°Serina.¡± I felt like a giant beast was standing in front of me. His distorted his face and growled. ¡°I guess I wasn¡¯t good enough for you. I never thought you¡¯d think you needed something like that.¡± ¡°Idiot. It¡¯s not because you¡¯recking.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± ¡°That elf is indispensable to my ns¡ªvery much so.¡± I purposely entuated the word ¡®very.¡¯ Then stair¡¯s eyebrows twitched. The ¡®very¡¯ emphasis was intended to touch stair¡¯s nerves, but I was honest about Igelto being vital. Without him, all of my ns would be in vain, and the word ¡®very¡¯ may be understating it. To detoxify Amalion, I needed inte, and to process it, I needed an elf. So I went through all this trouble and brought Igelto from the ve ring. It was an odd meritorious act to unravel stair¡¯s brainwashing, but that would not be the case for stair, who did not know it. stair bit his red lips. They were even redder because of his blood. I didn¡¯t say much, but those few words seemed to absolutely aggravate stair. His twisted face looked difficult to untangle. ¡®Shall we fold the y at this point?¡¯ I gently stroked his face. It was a small touch, but his eyes were slightly hazy as if drunk with this warmth. I was lucky, slowly caressing his face. ¡°stair, actually.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to free you from your brainwashing.¡± *** Chapter 18.2 His smile disappeared like he had encountered a strange noise. I continued to speak regardless of how he reacted. ¡°That¡¯s why I need that elf. Only Elves can handle the herbs used to release your brainwashing.¡± He opened his eyes wide, seemingly surprised. I smiled back. I wondered how stair would react. ¡°You¡¯re releasing my mind¡­?¡± He looked hurt. Somehow, he looked desperate, and he looked so angry that his rage couldn¡¯t evenpare to his fury before. Internally, his unexpected reaction astonished and unsettled me. Why is he giving me such an expression when I said I¡¯d loosen his leash? I¡¯m giving him freedom. ¡°¡­Is that how you are going to throw me away?¡± The transparent water around his eyes started to glitter and pool around his reddening eyes. He shook like a dog pleading not to be abandoned. Oh, my. I guess I was too hasty. Right now, he still wasn¡¯t in the right frame of mind, revolving his world around me. If you open the door of the cage to a bird that has been trapped in the cage for too long, the bird cannot leave the cage. This is because the bird has been trapped in the cage for so long that it has forgotten how to exit and fly. So, of course, he doesn¡¯t want to leave his cage and instead fears the world outside his prison. Maybe the present stair is no different from the bird in that cage. He has been brainwashed for too long and has loved me for too long. That¡¯s why he may be afraid after his brainwashing is released. So, is it my role now to teach the bird that there¡¯s a world outside the cell that has locked him up for a long time? Or do I have to just push the bird out of the cage? ¡°I¡¯m not abandoning you. I¡¯m just trying to release the leash that¡¯spelling and strangling you.¡± His eyes were glittery and wet. I started to wipe away his tears that had swelled around his eyes. ¡°Oh¡­!¡± As I tried to wipe away his tears, stair grasped my wrist with strength. At the same time, his tears welled up in his eyes and streamed down his face. ¡°It¡¯s you who tamed me, and it¡¯s you I want to be with in the future¡­ Am I bothering you?¡± ¡°stair.¡± ¡°But what if I have no intention of letting you go.¡± He¡¯s being very clingy. Would it feel like this if I fell in love from this height? A soaking wet and struggling with a sticky sensation, but you can¡¯t escape. stair was like that. He was no different from the height. Maybe I was already at that height. ¡°stair, honestly, I get confused sometimes. Are you afraid that I will abandon you, or are you afraid of not loving me anymore?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s literally what I just said. Are you really afraid that you won¡¯t even love me anymore when your hypnosis breaks off?¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± I couldn¡¯t answer. There were countless reasons for thinking so. I have been determined to free him for a long time, but haven¡¯t I thought about the moment after his inculcation would be released? And how can I forget about ¡®that day¡¯? The day your indoctrination was erased, you tried to kill me. Quite a few thoughts came and went, but none of them were spat out. I justughed and couldn¡¯t say anything. I didn¡¯t want to be hurt. ¡°Even if I¡¯m released, I will not change.¡± He was adamant. His eyes full of conviction as if it were the obvious course of things. He seemed very believable. But I did not believe it. There are things you know only by looking, and there are things you can know without seeing. I was the former, and stair was thetter. As usual stair, he held my hand and kissed me carefully. When his hot touch touched my fingers, I felt an unknown sensation that poked all over my body. ¡°I love you, Serina.¡± Love. What is that what it was¨C really? What was it that made this man so blind? Even if it was artificially brought about by brainwashing, he loves me. So he had to be blind to me. But I hate artificiality. I hate fakeness. I don¡¯t love stair, but I hate manufactured love. I wanted the real thing, and stair¡¯s love was fake. ¡°You¡¯re going to free my brain.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s try it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°But you¡¯d better know this. If you have the illusion that I¡¯m not going to love you after my hypnosis is erased, you are going to be sorely disappointed.¡± stairughed and met my eyes with a challenge. ¡°I won¡¯t change when my brainwashing is released.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Serina, when you find yourself wrong, be prepared to be by my side for the rest of your life.¡± stair slowly rose up. When he lifted his hands from the table, my body was free. Chapter 19.1 ¡°Which of these would you like to wear?¡± The maid presented several articles of clothing in front of me. It was a little ridiculous to prepare several outfits and give me a choice. It¡¯s just a negligee. That¡¯s not a big deal. Even though I lived as the duchy¡¯s youngdy, I still wasn¡¯t used to being served. My memories of living in Korea as an ordinary person were nheless strong, so after bing Serina, I refused maids to attend to me and service me all the time. Until now. ¡°I¡¯ll take this one.¡± I chose clothes with as few decorations and frills as possible. I didn¡¯t want clothes that were cumbersome to sleep in. ¡®Why am I here?¡¯ I somehow teleported from the cabin to the estate of the Duke of Agernia. stair insisted that Igelto stay at his mansion, saying that Duke Melford, my mother, shouldn¡¯t know his brainwashing was being erased. ¡®I¡¯ll take good care of Igelto.¡¯ stair, who said that seemed to have ulterior intentions, but I had no reason I could object. And to be honest, he was right; this way Igelto would be the safest and go unnoticed by Duke Melford. ¡®I¡¯m going to have to send a letter to the mansion tomorrow morning.¡¯ I¡¯m going to be staying here for a while. Previously the Duke of Melford ordered me to stay here to spy on stair. It was the excuse I was going to use for my stay. ¡°Where is stair?¡± ¡°He will be in the bedroom.¡± I wondered awkwardly as the maid cleaned up. Will I go secretly go visit himter? The idea that a young noblewoman visiting a man¡¯s mansion in the middle of the night¨Cnevermind his bedroom, was beyond brazen. But it wasn¡¯t too daring for me. I¡¯ve been sleeping with stair since his days at Duke Melford¡¯s mansion. What¡¯s wrong with visiting his bedroom? [TN: Ummm¡­] ¡°I will be leaving now, mydy.¡± I nodded shortly and watched the maid go quietly. Iy down on the bed, giving up my worries about whether or not to go see stair. The bed, which felt quite different from my room, was quite fluffy. Iid down on afortable bed and settled in afortable position for a while. I was tired from running around so hard today¡­.. I slowly blinked¡­ How long have you been lying down? After getting a little relief from my fatigue, I woke up. The night was deep. It was time to go to see stair. Knock, knock. ¡°Serina, it¡¯s me. Can Ie in?¡± Just in time¡ªit was when I grabbed the doorknob to meet him. It was really fantastic timing. I responded by opening the door instead of talking. When I opened the door, stair promptly walked in as if he had waited. He was dressed in a morefortable-looking outfit. The ck shirt he was wearing contrasted with the white negligee I wore. stair usually wore ck, and I preferred white. There was a bottle of wine and sses in his hand. It was a wine I preferred. ¡°Would you like to join me for a drink?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± stair put the wine on the table as I sat in the chair across from him and watched him set the table. ¡°I think I was too angry earlier.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t regret my words.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± stair sat down, opened the cork, and poured the wine into a ss for me. The wine filled the ss with a refreshing sound. I slowly savored a taste as I sipped it and inhaled its aroma. There was a suggestive silence between us, perhaps because of that. Even the air surrounding us was strange. It was as if it shouldn¡¯t be touched. We were silent with each other, and no one opened their mouths first. I felt like heavy air was weighing me down. I gulped down my drink. The extremely sweet liquor was the exact opposite of the tense situation I was in now. I fiddled with the ss in my hand. Alcohol has a strange power. It made the taut mood not as intimidating. Was I drunk already? ¡°Serina, shall we y a light game?¡± At that moment, stair suggested. ¡°A game?¡± ¡°Yes. The loser has to obey the winner for an hour. How about it? ¡°Okay.¡± I emptied thest drop of wine from my ss. ¡°You can decide on the game.¡± ¡°Well¡­ how about chess?¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do that then.¡± As the sport was decided, the chessboard was ready in no time. With the quick preparations, I wondered if he had decided this in advance and hade prepared. I was confident in chess. When stair was in the Duke of Melford¡¯s estate, I yed chess with him. Almost every time I won against him ¡®Huh?¡¯ An hourter, after three matches, I had lost all three games. It was such a perfect defeat that I had nothing left to say. He beat me fair and square without even a tiny trick. Rather, I did all kinds of cheating and fraud. He smiled and pretended not to see anything. Then beyond that, I asked for a re-do several times, and as expected, stair smiled and agreed. Regardless, I failed. ¡®When did you be so skilled?¡¯ ¡°I lost.¡± I admitted myplete defeat and raised both hands and feet. This wasn¡¯t something that could be solved just by re-doing a turn. I realized I would lose even if I shouted ¡°re-do!¡± a few thousand times. ¡°So, what are you going to ask me to do for an hour?¡± [mwhahaha ughs in pervert* >_> I know y¡¯all will enjoy the next chapters ^_*] *** Chapter 19.2 I lost anyway, why don¡¯t we just enjoy that hour together? Iid my elbows on the table andughed without care, with my chin between the bottom of my palms. I don¡¯t think stair would dare request something that would harm me. I don¡¯t know where this sense of securityes from. Maybe because it¡¯s stair? ¡°Can youe over here first?¡± What are you going to do? I wondered what he would say. I got up from my seat and approached him as directed. stair smiled with satisfaction and hugged my waist. ¡°Sit down.¡± stair squeezed my waist and sat me on hisp. I grabbed the cup in front of me and sipped its wine. It was the cup stair was drinking from first, but I didn¡¯t care. If I had stretched out my arm a little more, I would have been able to grab my own cup, but I couldn¡¯t be bothered. (TN OMOMooo indirect kisssss) ¡°Give me some too.¡± As I took a sip of wine, stair took the ss out of my hand and took a sip of it too. I opened my mouth as I watched his neck and adams apple move as he drank. ¡°So what do you want to do?¡± ¡°Can I do it?¡± ¡°Why not? You won¡¯t?¡± ¡°No.¡± stairughed low and buried his face in my neck. My body trembled with the unfamiliar sensation, but I quietly epted him. As his warm breath touched my neck, my body reacted sensitively. I decided to have light-hearted fun together, but it was too intense for me to be carefree. Instead, stair looked happy. Something hot and soft touched my neck. [girlll..wattt *double checks rating*] I could easily figure out what it was. ¡°Oh¡­.¡± stair bit my throat lightly gently. Even though it was a small pain, my body could not respond insignificantly. I was amazed and hurriedly grabbed stair¡¯s cor. His lips travelled around my neck as if enjoying my reaction. ¡°¡­.hgnnnh. Don¡¯t leave a mark. It¡¯s frustrating to have to wear turtlenecks.¡± ¡°So is it okay here?¡± He asked with his mouth on my skin, sending little vibrations that resonated on my skin coupled with his heated breathes. He slid down my neck and took a swipe around my corbone. And left kisses all over my body. Whileter, stair raised his head. ¡°Serina, if you had won the game¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What would you have ordered me to do?¡± ¡°Well, something very risque?¡± I said that, and I giggled mischievously. stair¡¯s eyes opened wide as if my racy answer waspletely unexpected, and that made meugh even more. After I stoppedughing, stair kissed and nuzzled my cheek a little. Perhaps his mood seemed to suggest that he seemed to regret a little that he had won. ¡°Would you like to y chess one more time?¡± I can¡¯t believe how transparent he is, so Iugh again at his straight forward words. I raised my hand and gave him a flick on the forehead. His eyshes trembled with a prickly sensation. ¡°Why? nning on losing this time?¡± ¡°No way. I will do my best.¡± Is it my illusion that he will try to do his best? stair¡¯s folded his eyes in mirth and smiled sweetly. ¡°However, I have a hunch that I¡¯m going to lose this time.¡± stair slylyughed. Instead of answering, I flicked his forehead again¡ªbut this time, it was loaded with mana. That made his forehead slightly red. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to leave with another guy.¡± ¡°Who?¡± stair grinned at me, but his hands around my waist began to grab me tighter with strength. It was fierce, but I answered with a snort. ¡°Well. Who shall I leave with?¡± I lengthened my words and made fun of him openly. Realizing that he was being teased, stair sighed. Is it because I¡¯m drunk? I wanted to be childish now. ¡°Serina, ¡¤¡¤¡­please. Don¡¯t make such a joke.¡± ¡°Why? I¡¯m having fun.¡± ¡°You next to someone else¡­.. just thinking about it makes me feel terrible.¡± stair frowned and stared intensely into my eyes. In his eyes, there was only my reflection and a feeling of eternalness. ¡°The moment you abandon me and choose someone else.¡± His mood changed. He sharpened his teeth and opened his mouth. ¡°You¡¯d better be prepared.¡± Chapter 20.1 stair gave a twisted smile. It was easy to see that he was putting on a front with this smooth talk. stair looked impatient and nervous. On the contrary, I was rxed. ¡°You¡¯re jealous.¡± ¡°If you know that, please don¡¯t make me jealous.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Haaaa.. Please Serina.¡± ¡®It¡¯s strange.¡¯ I keptughing, everything seemed fun, and I enjoyed every little thing. I wanted to get drunker, and I kept drinking wine. asionally, stair took the cup from my hand, but in the end it eventually came back to my hand again. We drank wine together with one ss. ¡°Unn¡­¡­..¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Just a little¡­.¡± I¡¯m ufortable. After sitting on his sturdy thighs for a long time, my hips hurt, and my posture was a little ufortable. I tossed and turned on hisp to find afortable position. ¡°Wait, Serina¡­! If you move like that¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± As stair shouted, I felt something of a thrilling size, terribly poking under my ass. ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡± While moving, I identally pressed on it. Startled, stair¡¯s waist reflexively bucked and moved. His face was red with shame. What an unexpected naive reaction. Thisrge man was so cute. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Serina.¡± ¡°No. It can happen.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± stair rubbed his face with his hands as if he was trying to cover his burning face. ¡°But when will it go down?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯ stair¡¯s words blurred away in a mumble in extreme embarrassment. I poked fun at him, asking why he was so shy and what caused such a reaction. stair sighed at my mischievous teasing. ¡°Serina, you¡¯re drunk.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m fine.¡± I looked at his white neck. It urred to me that I would like to take revenge on him for chewing my throat so well. When I thought that far I already found myself biting his neck. ¡°Serina ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± As if panicked, his white throat rose red. Either that, or I chewed his throat thoroughly. It was so amusing to see stair flustered. ¡°I¡¯m now sure ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ You are drunk.¡± He murmured quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t get drunk.¡± ¡°When you do things you usually don¡¯t do, you are drunk.¡± ¡°So, don¡¯t you like it?¡± When I stopped what I was doing, stair shook his head right away. He didn¡¯t know what to do with my actions, but he didn¡¯t stop me from doing things. I bit around his corbone in return, leaving a trace of me. I looked satisfactorily at his neck, which had been stered red with my marks. I turned to the clock to check the time. The minute hand of the clock pointed upward as if it were going to hit the sky. An hour is finally over. ¡°Time¡¯s up.¡± ¡°¡­ Already?¡± stair seemed not to have enjoyed the whole hour. He had a somber face. ¡°I should go to bed now.¡± I was alert before stair came, but not now. I was so sleepy that it wouldn¡¯t be weird if I fell down right away. Yawningnguidly, I leaned into stair¡¯s arms. stair got up from his seat, holding me. He carefully put me down on the bed and covered me with a nket. The bed sank by my side. I gently opened my eyes and looked to see what was making me sink towards them. It was stair. He was on the bed, lying down next to me. ¡°You¡¯re going to sleep with me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking something new. Can¡¯t we sleep together?¡± ¡°If you are going to sleep, lie down then.¡± stairughed out loud and chuckled, finding my words hrious. Regardless, I¡¯m going to sleep. stairy beside me and wouldn¡¯t let me go. He hugged my waist tightly and pulled me into his arms. With that power, my pillow was abandoned, and instead, my head settled on his arm. ¡°I love you, Serina.¡± He whispered love into my ear as if it was a promise. I didn¡¯t answer as usual. This rtionship was very strange. No, could it be called a rtionship in the first ce? stair came to the Melford duchy under the guise of ¡°friend,¡± but I never thought of him as a friend. So is he like a family? It wasn¡¯t that either. There are many different sorts of rtionships between people. Often referred to as family friends, lovers, etc. But for me, stair is just stair. He was beyond any definition. Just, stair. And when it was dawn and the day broke, I sent a letter to the mansion saying I would stay at the Agernia¡¯s ducal estate for the time being. I didn¡¯t have any writing skills, and I didn¡¯t feel the need to write a long letter, so I just wrote a note and sent it. Then I got a reply from Mikhail. Watch out for stair. There¡¯s a ferocious beast sleeping within¡ªwhat is he saying? Not once or twice have I stayed in the Agernia mansion for a lengthy time. I gave up trying to read the letter riddled with nagging and threw it in the fire. *** Chapter 20.2 Author-nim, why are you ying with my emotions like this?!? Four dayster. ¡°Mydy, you received a letter.¡± ¡°Is that so? Let me see.¡± When I stayed at the Agernia¡¯s mansion, servants brought me what I needed from the Melford estate. Igelto hadn¡¯t woken up yet, so in the meantime, I had secretly transported Amalion detoxification materials to a spare room. I checked the seal on the letter. The letter was sent from the Imperial Pce. I began to open and read the letter, feeling puzzled. There wasn¡¯t much content. It was brief National Founding Day approaching, and the royal family was hosting a banquet. The letter was an invitation. While reading the letter, my face became vacant. The original storyline has begun in earnest. *** ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh¡ª!¡± The man screamed without stopping, making a hoarse sound even when his throat was worn out. His legs were weirdly twisted so he couldn¡¯t run away, and his hands had been cut to prevent rebellion. Before they were cut, he begged and implored earnestly not to cut both his hands, but it was all in vain. What was even more horrifying was that they acted as if they had no objective for torment. If it was to gather the myriad of information he had, the torture would have paused, questions would have been asked. If so, he would have asked for negotiations and found a way to get out of the situation safely. But the way¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. These men did nothing but torture. ¡°Oh¡­¡­! Save me! Save me!¡± The man shouted again, but all he came back were words that made him dishearten. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s noisy, I¡¯m going to cut the tongue.¡± ¡°Can you do that? The tongue wasn¡¯t in the instructions.¡± ¡°Well¡­. can I say I forgot?¡± Instructions? He was getting more and more confused, but the man, Viscount Galen, quickly rolled his head. Is there anybody who has had a grudge against him recently¡ªBaron Eaglin? Whenever he had a deal with him, he had stolen some supplies, but he wasn¡¯t caught, so he asked: ¡°¡­¡­ did Baron Eaglin send you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s me.¡± A sweet voice that didn¡¯t fit the dark basement entered. Click, ck. The sound of approaching footsteps filled the basement. ck shoes came into view of the bloodstained Galen. ¡°Ah, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Why is this man here ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? He was familiar with this voice, but he denied it¡ªthat is until he checked his face. Viscount Galen realized he was abandoned. ¡°D-duke, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Galen wanted to reach his master even if he crawled on the floor. That way, he could beg to be saved. However, his arm, which is the means of crawling, was cut off, and his legs were twisted. He couldn¡¯t move. ¡°S-save me, please¡­.¡± Fortunately or unfortunately, his tongue was still intact. ¡°Oh. I forgot to tell them to cut your tongue.¡± ¡°Duke, please¡­.. please have mercy on me.¡± ¡°You, there¡ª what are you doing, not cutting?¡± The two men, dazed by stair¡¯s words, approached with torture apparatuses ¡°Duke! I will do anything if you spare me.¡± ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤~! Please! So please be merciful!¡± ¡°Galen¡¯s work.¡± stair¡¯s eyes curved into a smile. It was the first time that his amethyst eyes felt so terrible. Why did people think those eyes were beautiful again? ¡°There¡¯s a lot of people who¡¯ll do anything for me, even if you¡¯re not around.¡± ¡°Well, uh¨C¡° ¡°There¡¯s plenty that are willing to be your recement, so you don¡¯t have to try.¡± ¡°Why-why are you doing this all of a sudden?¡± ¡°You should have kept a better watch over the ve operation, Galen.¡± Now Sir Hypron was involved. It would take him no effort to find out Galen was the owner. But if Hypron caught Galen, he may also find out that stair was also involved. That was the problem, so it was a simple problem to be solved if Galen is killed¡ª without the need of torture. But there were personal reasons that led stair to get involved in torturing Viscount Galen himself. Namely, exposing Serina to danger by allowing her to enter the ve auction and her encountering Sir Hypron Aitez. And that damned elf. There were countless reasons, and they were all rted to Serina. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Mr. Galen.¡± The two other dark shadows loomed over Galen. ¡°No, no¡­.. You can¡¯t do this to me ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Stop! Stop! Please, please¡­.! Afterward, the only thing that filled the torture chamber was a hot scream. stair¡¯s thoughts upon seeing the cruel sight of Galen¡¯s tongue being slit were genuinely absurd: ¡®Serina would hate it if I smelled like blood.¡¯ I have no choice but to wash as soon as I leave. Chapter 21.1 I grabbed the quill after a long time. Sinceing to Duke Agernia¡®s residence, I had idled around, waiting for Igelto to wake up and seldom held a pen. Since the story already began, I decided to briefly organize the original story¡¯s contents in my head. ¡®Crap.¡¯ Ink dripped on the parchment. For a long time, I held the quill in my hand. I put it down. Even if ites to mind from time to time, I didn¡¯t remember enough or in enough detail to write it down and fill the paper. It¡¯s not like I was trying to bang my brain or force a memory out right now, but at the Imperial banquet, it might be easier to remember¡­. that¡¯s right. When the banquet is ripe, there is an attempt to murder the saint. It was an attempt by an insane pseudo-religious group. They fell under the illusion that if the saint is sacrificed, their God would return. Ah, what was their name again¡­ Fascius. There are numerous pseudo-groups in the Empire, but this group has been particrly noted. Fascius serves ¡®some god¡¯ that no one knows about. Because all members of the group are made up of warlocks. A warlock was the main culprit in the distant past, causing a war that shook all continents with dark magic. After that incident, the Empire began to persecute dark warlocks. Those born with ck magic were all executed by imperialw. Whether the nobility or the royal family. There are no exceptions. As soon as one was born with dark powers, they were destined to die. So naturally, those who possess those abilities join ¡®Fascius¡¯ to survive. Only there acknowledges the existence of the Dark Warlock. And children with dark magic are educated and raised there. Children who are all there is to see, hear, and learn from warlocks and be dark wizards themselves. However, Fascius¡¯s n in the original book ends without much impact. Hypron saves Juliana from danger and creates the beginning of a rtionship between the two. After that, Fascius continues to struggle, but due to an unknown internal division, their own end is reached. I still remember it because it ended in vain in the original. Should I be sad? The real viins of this novel are myself and stair. A sound knocks me out of me out of my rivi¨¨re ¡°Mydy, this is Lida. May Ie in?¡± ¡°Come in.¡± I put down my pen and turned to Lida. Seeing her with a bright face, I wonder if she has any good news. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°The guest finally woke up!¡± My eyes opened wide. Lida spoke in a much more energetic voice as if expecting such a reaction. ¡°The guest is looking for thedy! Would you like to go right now?¡± ¡°Of course, I have to go.¡± Ipletely forgot all about the original work and got up from my seat. The guest Lida was referring to is Igelto. Igelto woke up. It was hard to contain my excitement at that fact. The long-awaited elf is now in front of me. I¡¯m a day closer to releasing stair¡¯s brainwashing. I opened the door with my trembling hands. Igelto was looking out of the window with slightly nk eyes that turned to the sound of the door opening behind him. His blurred ze became more and more intense. ¡°Serina.¡± His fresh green eyes were still dull. ¡®The magic of transformation¡­.fortunately works. Apart from the elves¡¯ beauty, Igelto¡¯s presence in the mansion, whose appearance is clearly on a different level from humans, is widespread.¡¯ Knowing that nothing good coulde of an elf¡¯s presence to be known, I oveid his appearance with a human likeness. His pupils were rounded, and his pointed ears rounded. I had no intention of announcing or introducing Igelto to the outside anyway, but just in case. ¡®You should hide it as much as possible, so only a few know.¡¯ ¡°What is this ce¡ª it¡¯s so gorgeous?¡± Igelto looked around and frowned. I don¡¯t think the room is particrly fancy¡ªthe decorations, furniture, and things that would typically be in aristocrats¡¯ rooms. These were standard rooms that I was now ustomed to, but I don¡¯t think so for Igelto, who lived in a different environment from me. ¡°If you feel ufortable, I can put it all away.¡± ¡°There is no need to do that. It¡¯s just a little morous¡ª visually.¡± Igelto¡¯s face was full of discontent. You don¡¯t like the room, do you? I seriously agonized over whether I should quietly change the structure of the room when he was asleep. ¡°By the way, you said you¡¯d save me, but you saved me when I was dying.¡± Oh, that was theint. Igelto¡¯s whole body, which was severely injured, was bandaged all around. He frowned as if his whole body was sore. I shut my mouth without saying anything because Igelto¡¯s words were valid. I was confident when I first met him. Unfortunately, I believed that my operation would be sessful. There was no doubt that Hypron would intervene in the auction house as described in the original. However, from the moment I intervened, the original work has been unreliable. Contrary to my expectations, stair meddled, and Hypron, who was supposed to be preupied with the auction house, chased me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± *** Chapter 21.2 I sincerely apologized to Igelto, knowing that no excuse would work. All I could do was acknowledge my mistake. I¡¯m not going to make a cowardly excuse that covers me. ¡°I was quite adamant that you were going to make it in time¡ªI wondered what great ability you had. I was sure he would save me from that ce.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°But no matter how long I waited, you wouldn¡¯te.¡± Ah, I see; I was unknowingly worried about my safety, so I had designed the operation in a way that would not run into Hypron, who was dangerous. ¡°I regret that I believed in humans.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I was also on the verge of death. The fire covered my body.¡± ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine now, but I wasn¡¯t fine then.¡± At the thought of that time, I remembered Igelto trembling in my arms. Igelto, who felt that pain was alive¡ªthe fact at that time hadforted my nerves. I don¡¯t know if I could or if I deserved to¡ª but I approached him. He was much bigger than me with a broad back, but at this moment, it looked small. Everyone wants to be strong in front of fear, but everyone is dwarfed in front of fear. It¡¯s fear that makes us unable to stand out. ¡°I thought if it was going to be like this¡ªI wanted to just die¡ª but here I am¡­ somehow I¡¯m still alive. ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty funny?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not funny.¡± ¡°What¡¯s funnier is that when I realized that I was passing out and I could live, I felt so much relief¡ªlike I wanted to live.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°I wanted to live.¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± ¡°I wanted to live¡ªit¡¯s insane.¡± He repeated himself, and I nodded quietly. It may have seemed like a light act, but it was heavy to me. Here was an existential dilemma I had also struggled with. I also asked myself, ¡®Do I really want to live?¡¯ And I asked another question about the answer I found. I am not particrly obsessed with life. So, if stair wanted to kill me, I would be willing to die in his hands. It was sincere. So far, there is no reversal of this answer. ¡°But when I thought I wanted to live, a madman rushed to kill me.¡± Igelto remembering the masked man. ¡°It was very painful. I was really sorry to die this time. I wanted to live, but I was on the verge of dying again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­It must have been like a prank from God.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not God who saved me-you did. Your bracelet saved my life. It¡¯s not God, it¡¯s your prank.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I had nothing to say here, even if he was venting out on me. I waited quietly for his ire; all I could do now was wait. But unlike what I thought, he smiled faintly as if it was funny. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Uh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± When I asked, doubting my ears, Igelto nodded his head timidly. ¡°I told you. I really wanted to live.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°And you saved my life.¡± Where did ite from? An unknown light lit in his green eyes. It was as if the snow, which had sunk in and melted a little darkly, cleared up a little. It wasn¡¯t obvious, but it was clearer. ¡°Your prank or whatever. As a result of it, I survived, and you saved me. ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°As you said, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten out of there if it weren¡¯t for you. It might have been something I had to do to get out of there.¡± Is this a characteristic of the Elf race, or is it just Igelto? He didn¡¯t me me at all. In fact, his thank-you was sincere. He thanked me for his ability to escape. I didn¡¯t show up even as he was on the verge of death. I thought you would be furious. At least I knew you would see me with resentful eyes. But now. His eyes are clear. With a smile, Igelto looked slowly around him. It seems that he came out of the space where he was held in prison, and he slightly rxed. My lips were naturally drawing lines of a small smile by that little rxation being spread to me. ¡°By the way, Serina¡­.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Why is my face like this?¡± His eyes had been on me for some time, and turned to the mirror on the wall. He looked at me with a stony face. His face was speaking like this: Come on, what¡¯s your excuse. Chapter 22.1 ¡ªSo¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ you changed my face temporarily with magic? Suddenly, a conversation I had with Igelto a few hours ago came to mind. Because I had changed his appearance with magic without consulting him first, he couldn¡¯t hide his outrage, and his face distorted. I meticulously exined to him why I had changed his appearance while he was unconscious. An elf¡¯sparatively extraordinary appearance attracts attention. My rationale pacified Igelto, but his face still wore an uneasy expression. ¡°His Excellency is quitete.¡± Lida spoke to me as if she were thinking out loud. stair and I always had dinner together. Yet the time for dinner had almost wholly passed when Lida mumbled when he still didn¡¯t arrive. ¡°Yes, I guess his work is keeping him very busy.¡± I replied nonchntly, turning a page. It has been a long time since I read a romance novel. Whenever I was visiting the Duke of Agernia and bored, Lida would hand me a romance novel to appease me. I don¡¯t particrly like romance novels, but I feltpelled to read because of Lida¡¯s sincerity. At least the romance novels were a hundred times better than ounting and catalogue books in this mansion¡¯s study. ¡°How far have you read?¡± ¡°The two went to a masquerade ball.¡± I turned the pages for a while. It wasn¡¯t very interesting, but it was worth reading as a diversion. ¡°Umm? Lady, I think the Duke ising?¡± As I looked out of the window along with Lida, I saw a carriage with the Agernian crest¡¯s sealing in from a distance. I closed the book andid it down on the table. ¡°Lida, can you bring stair to me?¡± ¡°Yes, mdy.¡± At once, the maid left. She opened the door and went outside without feeling a sense of awkwardness. Usually, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for a visiting noblewoman to request the Duke¡¯s presence, lord and master of the mansion of where she is staying. However, this mansion was anything but typical when it came to me. The attendants here take everything asw and put my words above stair¡¯s. The reason is simple because stair authorized such a policy. ¡®Treat Serina as the owner and true master of the mansion.¡¯ After a while, Lida came up. But stair was nowhere to be found. ¡°Where¡¯s stair?¡± ¡°Err¡­That ¡­¡­¡­ He asks to see you after washing.¡± ¡°What?¡± You¡¯re going to take a random bath? My eyebrows lifted slightly at the absurdity. ¡°Why, all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. He didn¡¯t look particrly dirty.¡± ¡°Tell him to do as he likes.¡± What can I do if he wants to wash up? ¡®I wanted you to match my dress¡­¡¯ An unexpected idea popped into my mind, but it was something that had to be done anyway. I needed a dress to wear at the King¡¯s International Banquet, so I wanted to go shopping. Would I choose stair¡¯s suit? While stair was washing up, I pondered about what to wear at the banquet. Not paying attention to the time, I soon heard a knock. It was stair. He knocked lightly, came into the room, and snugly stuck next to me. ¡°Serina, did you call me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­so wet.¡± How hurried you came? stair didn¡¯t even dry himself off properly. His body seemed to be roughly dried, but his head was wet. The shirt was getting wet because of the water that fell off his soaked hair. I felt strange for some reason to see his flesh explicitly through his wet shirt. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you dry your hair?¡± ¡°You called, so I came as soon as possible.¡± stair grinned with real joy. But there was a nagging suspicion at the back of my mind, and I frowned. Something didn¡¯t add up. If you wanted toe as soon as possible, wouldn¡¯t I have toe as soon as I called you? Instead, you did something else and then came. If you¡¯re going to take a shower, you should at least finish your task. Iughed at this ridiculous indecisive behavior that was neither this nor that. ¡°Go to the bathroom and get a towel. I¡¯ll dry your hair.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± stair opened his eyes wide in surprise. ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll bring it.¡± Is it strange that I¡¯m going to dry your hair? stair blinked at me with an astonished expression. Well, I didn¡¯t think it was bizarre. It is not like I hadn¡¯t pampered this Duke only once or twice. I reasoned that it wouldn¡¯t be wrong if I took care of him this time. stair went into the bathroom attached to my room and brought a soft towel. I took the towel, stood up from my seat, and put stair in the chair where I was sitting. He looked a little stunned. ¡°Why are you donning such a nk expression?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to apologize.¡± I could already feel the dampness seep into the towel. I moved the towel around to absorb the moisture from his wet hair. I didn¡¯t do anything special while drying his hair, but stair hummed and mumbled blissfully that it felt good. My ears were ttered by his praise. ¡°I heard you called me.¡± ¡°It was nothing much. Let¡¯s have dinner.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­. I must havee toote. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry for that. What did you do today?¡± Flinch. I was drying stair¡¯s hair, so I felt it acutely when his body stiffened. ¡°Not much.¡± I snorted inwardly. Do you know how I am feeling right now? I wanted to lift the mirror in front of him. For some reason, he¡¯s lying. What the hell have you been doing? ¡°Really?¡± *** Chapter 22.2 ¡°Yes.¡± He was like a child who was afraid of being caught in the ident he lied about notmitting. Whatever it was, it was clear stair wanted to hide something from me. It was evident that stair would reluctantly confess to me if I were persistent. But I decided not to. ¡®I should respect his boundaries to some extent.¡¯ ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll believe you.¡± ¡°¡­..I don¡¯t have much to say.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Really.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I held back myughter. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s innocent or not, but stair iming his innocence as if I weremitting an unfair injustice towards him was too funny. A strong negative is a strong positive. stair was the same. ¡°My arm hurts.¡± Just drying his hair made me feel like I¡¯ve worked hard. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± After wiping his hair, I tossed the towel over the table andid it down. I gently slipped his wet hair, sticking to his cheek, behind his ear. I was worried about his soaked clothes because of the water that dripped off from his head. If you stay wet like this, you will catch a cold. ¡°stair, would you like to take off your clothes?¡± stair blinked stupidly at my words. After a moment, he began to release the buttons, btedly understanding what I had meant. As he undressed, I took the shirt out of his hand. He looked down, his eyshes looking long, trembling as if he was a bit embarrassed. ¡°Serina ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± It¡¯s new to me, stair wasn¡¯t just a man with a pretty face¡ªhis body was impressive too. His corbone with beautiful bones ribbed beneath his white skin and a firm muscr chest and abdomen below it looked solid. I took my eyes off of stair stair decided to live in this room sometimes. He probably has some clothes he has left here. ¡°Wear this.¡± I threw a white shirt at stair. Heading towards the bed I flopped down and then turned to watch him put on the clothes I gave him, lying down. I smiled faintly as I felt a sense of satisfaction. ¡°Serina.¡± stair got up from the chair, walked up to me, and sat on the mattress next to me. For a moment, I felt the bed lean towards him. I looked up at him to see him already staring at me. ¡°stair, I have something to say to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Is that so.¡± He seemed nervous, probably because of my questions from just before. I got up and met his eyes. ¡°Igelto woke up.¡± ¡°You mean the elf?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Igelto woke up safely, but he was still in bad shape. There were still some small scars on his body from his time as a ve. And due to his recent injuries, he couldn¡¯t walk. ¡°When Igelto¡¯s feels better, I¡¯ll start making your medicine.¡± Maybe after a few days, I can make his antidote. Elves¡¯ resilience and healing abilities are much faster than humans. ¡°When Igeltopletes the drug, you know you have to take it consistently?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget to take medicine without me. Okay?¡± stair did not answer. Usually, he was solicitous and listened to me intently¡ªbut now there was no hint of that. My eyebrows rose slightly. I was offended to see him persistently ignoring my words, but I felt even more perplexed. Are you angry again likest time? I don¡¯t think so. No emotion could be found on his face. ¡°stair?¡± Even after calling his name, his mouth was sealed shut. I just quietly blinked at him. His eyes got darker and darker, his extraordinary purple eyes clouded. There was an unknown, meaningful atmosphere. For some reason, stair¡¯s reason seemed to have left. I gently grabbed both of his cheeks and made eye contact with him, leveling him with me. But his lost eyes didn¡¯t even register what I was doing. ¡°stair.¡± I called him again. ¡°stair. Answer me.¡± I called him again. Strangely, I don¡¯t have the confidence that he will escape the grips of his trance and answer me¡ªbut still, I had to try and call him again. ¡°stair!¡± I yelled at him, half angry, half scared, but he still didn¡¯t reply. It¡¯s been a while since he had been entirely unresponsive like this. stair only acted like this when he was entering and exiting the Hall of Hallucinations. ¡®What the hell is going on? Isn¡¯t this situation ispletely different?¡± This wasn¡¯t the aftermath of some torture stair went through at the hands of Duchess Melford. There was no longer any poison buildup in his body, in fact, stair had tolerated the painful withdrawal of the poisonous nts leaving his body rather well. His eyes were drenched in a hazy fog; I have never seen him look like this off the Melford ducal estate. Panic and dread shot through me¡ªI was afraid. I was frightened of going back to that time again, where I felt hopeless and helpless, and I did not know what to do. I did not know how to deal with this situation right now. Icy, bitter air encircled me. Time seemed to have stopped in this strange atmosphere. I heard the clock ticking in the quiet room. Contrary to my hypothesis that time had stopped, time went on smoothly. Goddamn it. Nothing flows smoothly in this room except for time. ¡°stair¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± After a long time, stair responded. He carefully held my shoulder. I was embarrassed by his unexpected behavior, but I did not show it. ¡°Uff¡­!¡± He suddenly gave strength to the hand that held my shoulder and pushed me down. As my back hit the bed¡ªstair climbed on top of my body. Chapter 23.1 I tried to find myposure as I calmly looked back on the past to figure out what went wrong, but nothing came to my mind. Yeah, it should be fine. So what am I supposed to do now? I was baffled on how to respond and solve this unprecedented situation. ¡°stair, get out of my way.¡± I dismissed him in an adamant tone, but stair refused to budge. Are you not hearing me, or are you ignoring me? stair watched me. I did not avoid his gaze and looked straight into his eyes. stair¡¯s hand that held my shoulder released his grip and caressed my cheek. It was a friendly behavior that was unexpected in this situation. Reflexively, my eyes trembled. His hand progressed unhurried and deliberately on my cheek. While he was brushing my cheek, I ovepped my hand with his. His hand, as he stroked my cheek, began to descend slowly. My body stiffened for a moment with a familiar sensation¡­ stair¡¯s dreamy eyes slowly grazed my throat. My body trembled at the cool-hot sensation that tickled my neck. Finally, his hand that was stroking my neck stopped. Then slowly and unhurriedly, he began to wrap his fingers around my neck. Despite the shallow power, I was feeling strangled already. stair grasped my neck slowly. I was sure that he would tighten his grasp. But, despite my intuition, he did nothing. With a stiff neck posture, his eyes were so dry that no emotions could be found. Just blinking my eyes at the feeling of confronting a machine. Tick ??Tick Tick. The sound of the clock was deafening in the room. As the clock passed, it seemed that the inevitable would happen. But nothing happened. If stair put any effort into his hand, my neck would be easily crushed by that force. It would be easy for him, like crushing a flower in the palm of your hand¡ªwhere crushed flowers will color the palms with their own colors. stair knows that. Does stair not want to mar his hands, or does he want to kill me but want me to live at the same time? Or is he looking at a toy in his hand? Ah. I don¡¯t know anything. At first, I had to work very hard to stay calm with his tititing fingertips fondling me. But now, the effort was unnecessary. As if someone poured cold water on me, I was cold. At first, my feelings were surprisingly hot. As if a harsh cold season came after a scorching season, and I forgot the extended heat, now chilly for a long time, leaving me icy. Maybe he was looking forward to it. He said that even if his brainwashing was released, he would still maintain and convey his feelings. I didn¡¯t believe it, but a part of me was expectate. I didn¡¯t want stair to still love me, but I could only hope that our rtionship could still be maintained. How ironic. The string that connected this rtionship is the ¡®brainwashing¡¯ that I was striving so hard to get rid of. As soon as I realized this, the disappointment of recognizing this brutal reality left me a ruined wreck. And, as usual, I removed the traces of the debris and quickly hid them. I breathed out and let my calm facade wash over me. ¡°stair, if you want to kill me, listen.¡± I wrapped my hands around his cheeks and tried to make eye contact. It was impossible to make eye contact with his blurry and unfocused eyes, but I tried anyways. ¡°I¡¯m the only one who can unleash your brainwashing. So you shouldn¡¯t do this to me.¡± I lifted one of my hands from his cheek, cing it on his hand that was holding my neck, and gingerly removed it. Was it because my words reached his ears? Or was there some other reason? He gently lifted his hand from my neck. ¡°And I have one more thing to say¡ª¡± I smiled at him faintly. ¡°Good night.¡± I struck him on the neck with the full extent of my mana within my hand. stair let out a small breath and copsed on top of me. I epted his body and carefullyid him on the bed. Then I pulled the nket up to his neck and covered him. I know I had already made up my mind to ept my fate if stair pointed a de at my neck¡ªand yet here I was contradicting my vow. But what can I do? I haven¡¯t unraveled stair¡¯s brainwashing yet. I could onlyply with his knife against my neck when he was of sound mind. ¡®Why did stair suddenly do that?¡¯ It would be ridiculous to assume that the drug that I gave to relieve his brainwashing two years ago is now causing a reaction¡ªbut his response was so simr to that time¡­ If there was anything different from that time, it was that there was no hatred in his eyes. Instead, his eyes were unfocused and dry¡ªwithout emotion. Those were the eyes when he was dazed from the tortuous brainwashing sessions. I have a hunch that when stair wakes up, he won¡¯t remember what happened. Just likest time, you won¡¯t remember anything ¡ªand then you will tell me that you love me? And then should I ept your words as if nothing happened? ¡°Haha¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Strangeughter bursts out of me. I can¡¯t stopughing because it¡¯s all just so damn funny. A wave of dizziness ovees me¡ªI could fall down right now. I stumbled backwards. The air in the room became thorns and pierced my lungs. I couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. I ran out, fleeing. *** Chapter 23.2 This confrontation has already happened twice. It was enough of catastrophe to drain me. I wanted to run away. I wanted to escape. I wanted to pretend I didn¡¯t know anything. But I can¡¯t. No, I can¡¯t be shaken or thrown into confusion anymore. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. ¡®I can¡¯t stay like this.¡¯ When I struck it twice, I heard a call toe from inside the room. My sweaty hands grabbed the doorknob, slipping slightly, but I was able to open the door without difficulty and entered the room. ¡°Hi, Igelto. Did you sleep well?¡± I had a sore throat from stair, but fortunately, I didn¡¯t have much trouble talking. ¡°It¡¯s dawn¡ªwhat is it?¡± It was a tone soaked in tiredness. After my confrontation with stairst night, I didn¡¯t sleep. All night I looked out the window and sighed. Waiting for the sun to rise. Internally, my head was spinning with tumultuous thoughts. But I strengthened my dignity andposure outwardly. And so I decided when the sun rose, to see Igelto. When the sun rose, I would exin the full circumstances to Igelto. When the sun rose, Igelto would surely know how to fix the situation. When the sun rose¡­ I hope this painful situation would end. I waited for the sun to rise with such an earnest heart. My fingertips tingled with impatience as I tapped them on the window sill until they went numb. My chest was clogged up, and I could only draw up harsh, painful, heated breaths. When the sun finally started to rise, I couldn¡¯t wait any longer. It didn¡¯t rise entirely yet, but I ran to Igelto. ¡°Uh, yes, it¡¯s dawn¡ªI¡¯m sorry. But I have something to say to you.¡± I was a little apologetic that in my panic, I didn¡¯t consider Igelto at all ¡ªonly fretting about my situation. I sheepishly smiled and awkwardly apologized. ¡°You don¡¯t look well. Are you sick?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I was always fine. Although what happened yesterday was unsettling, I wasn¡¯t dead. Wasn¡¯t I alive? ¡°Really?¡± I thought he would take my words at face value, but his expression turned out to be dubious. ¡°So what do you want to say to me at dawn?¡± I retook a deep breath. This time, I controlled it so that he could not hear it. It took courage to say this. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯d like you to start concocting the medicine now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°You still need some time to recover, but there¡¯s a crisis¡ªthat isn¡¯t a little thing¡ª so I¡¯m in a hurry.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Please, Igelto.¡± I implored, almost begging. Igelto, whose lips were sealed, listened to me quietly. They parted for a moment, opening as if trying to say something, but he didn¡¯t say anything. There was a very short moment of silence, but long enough for me to start sweating. ¡°I see.¡± He nodded his head without hesitation. It was the expected answer, but hearing it directly, in person, made me feel overwhelmed. ¡°Why are you looking so sorry? Don¡¯t do that because it doesn¡¯t suit you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s natural to be sorry. I¡¯m asking for favors from a patient who hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet.¡± ¡°Now, don¡¯t pretend to be conscientious now.¡± What kind of impression did I give him? ¡°Anyways, I was thinking of making medicine starting today or tomorrow. It doesn¡¯t hurt that much so I was sorry I was still lying down.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a deal anyway? I make medicine, and you let me go back I¡¯m also grateful for being rescued from very, but I was feeling embarrassed for not doing anything while rxing here in the mansion due to your kindness and hospitality. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been treating me too well. So you don¡¯t have to be sorry, Serina.¡± ¡°Thank you, Igelto.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be grateful. I want to make medicines and go back. It¡¯s good for me to start working quickly.¡± His real motive seemed to be contained in hisst words, but I was grateful to him anyway. He decided to make medicine today. Then, now that the medicines that were going to be made¡­ It was time to tell him about stair¡¯s symptoms. ¡°Igelto, the person you are going to heal is the host of this mansion.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°The owner of this mansion, ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤, is in pretty bad shape.¡± ¡°What are the symptoms of the person I need to treat?¡± Words do note to me easily. I paused for a moment. My chest is stuffy. Igelto didn¡¯t say anything and waited silently for me. When my hardened tongue rxes, I opened my mouth: ¡°He¡¯s addicted to Amalion.¡± ¡°You said he¡¯s addicted to Amalion¡­?¡± He asked in disbelief as if the dilemma was more severe than he first initially thought. Amalion. That¡¯s a name he knows well. Unlike humans, it is the best poisonous nt among the toxic nts known to the elves. ¡°Did he take a drug that extracted a special part of Amalion?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Ji?¡± [t1v: I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s a name of a drug extracted from Amalion] ¡°No. he took Amalion itself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­How much Amalion¡­ for how long?¡± ¡°About six years.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hearing the period, he was terribly surprised. When I began to study Amalion, I also had a simr reaction to Igelto¡¯s. The situation was more severe than I thought ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ Think again. Are you mistaken?¡± ¡°It¡¯s six years. He took it once a week for six years, sometimes twice a week.¡± The more I spoke, the more Igelto¡¯s pupils trembled. He couldn¡¯t believe me. He wouldn¡¯t¡ª ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense¡­. Humans can¡¯t survive that amount¡­.¡± ¡°I wonder what his limit is,¡± said a person who was my mother. Her eyes were bright, curious to what stair¡¯s capacity was. Thanks to that, he had been to the river of death many times. ¡°It¡¯s a year at the longest. Six years is impossible¡­.¡± ¡°Whether it is possible or impossible¡­ the fact that he has been taking Amalion for six years does not change.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Igelto looksplicated. But I wasn¡¯t finished talking yet. The actualmencement to curing him was starting now. ¡°He was brainwashed.¡± His body, leaning on the bed and looking at me, slipped exaggeratedly in utter disbelief. Within a moment his face that lookedplicated waspletely disfigured. Chapter 24.1 ¡°He was brainwashed.¡± I repeated when Igelto didn¡¯t respond. Despite such effort, he blinked nkly, as if it still didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.he was brainwashed.¡± Silence reigned. I waited for him to calm down. His face was horribly distorted and became so strange that it was difficult to recognize. The moment his eyebrows stopped frowning, he spoke in a voice pretending to be calm. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean by ¡®he was brainwashed¡¯¡­. First of all¡­¡­ What brainwashing did he have?¡± I was forced to pause and gather my wits about me at his query. I knew that someday when I met the elf, the day woulde where I needed to exin all the facts. But after actually meeting, it was not easy to talk deeply. I hesitated for a long time. As I struggled, Igelto waited for me without haste. Finally, I managed to move my lips, a faint, numb voiceing out of me. I spoke about the brainwashing the owner of this house, stair, went through. Seeing Igelto¡¯s wide-open eyes, he was almost beyond astonishment, but he seemed to be struggling to keep his wits about him. ¡°How the hell did he get brainwashed with such content?¡± It was challenging to discuss everything so openly. ¡°That¡¯s ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I hesitated for a while again and opened my mouth. From then on, I exined his long childhood story. When I finished speaking, it waspletely bright outside, well into the morning. ¡°Serina¡ªBut can you get rid of brainwashing if you have tinte?¡± I was sitting on his bed before I knew it. I raised his knees and buried my face deeply; my hair shielding my face. ¡°To be honest¡­.¡± As I buried my head in my knees, my murmuring rang softly between my legs. ¡°¡­.. I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I am just hoping and praying it can be solved. Stupid, huh?¡± My strained, half-crying voice was barely above a whisper¡ªit didn¡¯t even seem like mine. ¡°¡­¡­ You¡¯re not stupid.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I kept looking at my mother and studied the scented candles used to brainwash him, but I still don¡¯t know how.¡± From the moment I decided to undo his indoctrination, I was stuck in the mansion¡¯s grand library for several years. I searched the studies, the library, and the whole estate thinking there might be a clue. After years of struggle, I only found a few things. ¡°The main ingredient of the scented candles is Amalion. The drug has permeated his whole body, so we have to solve that problem first.¡± Even if we managed to solve that, there was no guarantee that his brainwashing would be relieved, but this was all I could do. ¡°¡­¡­ Don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not crying.¡± My face, hidden against my knees, was carefully lifted by Igelto¡¯s hands. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it, no matter what.¡± I opened my eyes wide. Laughter bursted out. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± ¡°No, just¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I remembered my brother back at the mansion. I don¡¯t know why, but I was crying when I was a child. At that time, Mikhail had just said the same thing as Igelto: Don¡¯t cry. Oppa will take care of it. ¡°Is there any chance you can get me one of those candles?¡± ¡°Uh? Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to break it down and find out exactly what kind of ingredients it contains. That will increase the chances of undoing the damage.¡± There was a glimmer of hope. I replied as if possessed¡ªwanting to capture that spark before it disappeared. ¡°Yes, I can get it.¡± To do that, I would have to run the risk of getting caught, but this was well worth the risk. ¡°Igelto, do you know anything about a drug called ¡®Micho¡¯? ¡®Micho¡¯ was a medicinal herb that I fed stair two years ago. After feeding him that herb, ¡®that incident¡¯ happened. ¡°I know of it. It¡¯s one of the antidotes to Amalion-poisoning. But it is too weak to detoxify Amalionpletely. A user will only see the detoxification effect from Amalion for a moment. It usually passes through the body within 5 to 10 minutes.¡± So quick? That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t die then The antidote must have passed through stair quickly, either exhausting stair or passing fast enough that the brainwashing came back and didn¡¯t allow him to strangle me to death¡­. ¡°¡®Micho¡¯ detoxifies Amalion, but it can cause rare side effects.¡± ¡°What side effects?¡± ¡°Yeah. If Micho doesn¡¯t fit well with a human¡¯s deposition, it could amplify Amalion¡¯s power.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°Amalion can cause hallucinations. There¡¯s a chance Micho can also amplify those hallucinations.¡± Igelto¡¯s green eyes sank deeply. He said a heavy word. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a rare chance Micho can cause side effects like hallucinations.¡± Two years ago, stair was briefly released from his brainwashing and genuinely wanted to kill me? Or was he hallucinating? *** After I came out of Igelto¡¯s room, I spent a long time specting over our conversation. -If you feed Micho to someone and it causes hallucinations, does the phenomenon recurter? -No. After around 5 minutes, Micho can no longer function in the body. ording to Igelto, what happenedst night and Micho are irrelevant. I understand what happened two years ago¡ªI recklessly fed stair a drug, and there was a reaction¡ª but I still can¡¯t wrap my head around what happened yesterday. Why the hell did stair¡­ ¡®Oh shit.¡¯ Deep in thought and unaware of my surroundings, I arrived at my room in the Agernia mansion out of habit. stair may still be in there. Right now, I was reluctant to meet stair. I turned around without an alternative in mind¡ªall I knew is that I had to get away. ¡®Should I just go back to the Melford mansion?¡¯ When you see stair, you may not be able to control your emotions, and you will get angry. Even though I decided to dismissst night¡¯s incident, I couldn¡¯t help but remember it. stair was my family, but I was a little angry and upset. Maybe I¡¯m being insensitive? Wasn¡¯t it because of my family stair became like this? Wasn¡¯t it because I stood aside and did nothing? I needed to remind myself to understand that stair couldn¡¯t help it because of his brainwashing¡ª but even if I knew¡­ I felt dirty. He has no recollection of what happened two years ago, and he probably doesn¡¯t remember what happened yesterday. Just like two years ago. It makes a person so confused when the other person can¡¯t remember anything. I cannot be a saint. I can¡¯t be nice. Just because I ¡®understand¡¯ and emphasize does not make what happened to me eptable. Because I am a person who is hurt too. The pir that supported me is cracking little by little. Creak. It was then I heard a sound I dreaded behind my back. It was the sound of the door opening. *** Chapter 24.2 I pretended not to hear itand kept walking. ¡°¡­¡­.Serina.¡± It¡¯s amazing. With only a voice and the absence of a physical form¡ªyou can still move the human body. I kept walking without halting. ¡°¡­¡­.Serina, where are you going?¡± stair did not leave me alone at this crucial moment. He grasped my wrist as if he was clinging to me. I peered down my arm. I felt stair¡¯s embarrassment from my cold gaze, but I didn¡¯t want to pay attention to that. ¡°Let go.¡± Unintentionally, a sharp, icy voice came out of my mouth. Surprised, I internally scrambled to remember the tone I usually addressed him with. ¡°Let me go, stair.¡± Yes, it was that soft tone. I rxed my stiff face and looked back at him, smiling tenderly. I made up my expression like that. Suddenly he had a question. About why I am hiding my expression. ¡°stair, don¡¯t make me say it twice. Your hands are sweet but cold.¡± I rejected him. But donned my mild, typical expression. After forfeiting, I removed each finger one by one that held my wrist. When I finally pulled it all off, his face cracked with pain as if the world copsed. ¡°¡­¡­why.¡± His lips, which were just being sweet, opened heavily. ¡°Did I¡­ Did anything wrong?¡± See. You can¡¯t remember. It was unfair, but I had to understand. stair was impaired and I¡¯ve been watching from the sidelines. ¡°No.¡± It¡¯s just two letters, but they have the ability to pierce the heart. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, stair.¡± If there is anything wrong, if there is only one thing, it¡¯s that you can¡¯t remember. It¡¯s a sin that only you get to escape from that memory and leave me to bear it alone. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Ah.¡± stair sighs out a fierce low exmation. That little breath was exceptionally loud to my ears. Like the devil screaming in suffering. ¡°When I woke up, you weren¡¯t next to me -¡° Yes, let¡¯s face it. ¡°Serina¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°stair, please don¡¯t cross the line.¡± I have always said that I understand and am emphatic towards stair. And that still remains the same. ¡°I am with you because I feelfortable with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± ¡°But if you think your presence will always befortable for me, that¡¯s a mistake.¡± I emphasize with him, but I can¡¯t sacrifice myself. I need to protect myself. I was hurt¡ªthere was an angry, sorrowful ache in my heart that made me spiteful and resentful. It leaked poison into my mouth, and I sought relief¡ªand frantically searching for some medicine over it, some relief. ¡°I think I could abandon you now.¡± I know very well that I am using the wrong medication that doesn¡¯t fit my wounds. Still, I couldn¡¯t stop applying it. What I was doing to him now was purely venting my wrath on him. ¡°Did you know that?¡± I stared at him coldly. Unlike me, who stared at him coldly, stair¡¯s eyes had a variety ofplex emotions. Among the countless emotions, the one that was most clearly visible was a terrible grief. Suddenly, I remembered a passage from the original novel describing stair. He was portrayed as a man who had neither blood nor tears. This man? Really, at times like this, I realize once again that the original work was wrong. Unlike the original description, the stair I know has many tears and bleeds red blood¨Cnot blue blood¨Cjust like everyone else. ¡°You are cruel.¡± What¡¯s even crueler is that I don¡¯t say a word of warmth orfort even though I¡¯ve read his feelings. ¡°¡­A very cruel person. You are.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± I took a step forward. I passed him like that. The feet I thought I didn¡¯t have the strength to lift, really easily stepped forward. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t want me to love you but can¡¯t I just stay by your side?¡± Pretending not to hear his plea, I pulled the door to my room open. And disappeared inside. A terrifying silence greeted me. It was the first time that my room, that is, Agernia¡¯s room, felt so cold. Is it because that¡¯s how I treated the owner of this ce? I finally felt that the room was rejecting me, and I was going crazy. As if it were telling me to return to Melford. I went straight to bed and jumped down. The bed shook violently at my copse. I covered myself under the nket, hiding myself as I recited to myself¡ªordering myself to be okay. But like a prophet, I already knew the truth. I am not okay. Things are not alright. If things are left the way they are now, it will not be okay in the future. Why did you say something that you didn¡¯t even mean? I regretted it terribly, but I couldn¡¯t turn back time. Tick ??Tick Tick. The clock sounds many times, dozens of times, hundreds of times. Another darkness came. Chapter 25.1 ¡°¡­¡­look.¡± I¡¯m tired. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m watching ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I¡¯m tired and want to sleep more, but someone kept trying to wake me up. I shook my hand roughly to shake it off. ¡°Lady! Wake up!¡± ¡°¡­Lida?¡± I woke up in a daze; my vision still dark. I awakened in bed, blinking my eyes slowly. It was Lida, a maid serving me in Agernia. ¡°Lady, it¡¯s time to have lunch.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I tried to lie back down, but Lida stopped me quickly. ¡°Are you very tired now, miss?¡± ¡°Yes, so let me sleep a little bit more.¡± ¡°D¡­did you cry?¡± She looks at me and asks me carefully. ¡°No¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± I cried. I¡¯m full of bullshit. ¡°I think your eyes are swollen¡­ Is it because you have been sleeping too long?¡± ¡°I guess.¡± ¡°Stop sleeping and have lunch now.¡± ¡°No. I am not hungry.¡± ¡°¡­¡­. I see. Then you have to eat itter. Or should I bring you some milk?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± When I firmly refused, Lida couldn¡¯t advise me anymore. Normally, I would have listened to her when she was this stubborn, but now it was a very different day than usual. Most of all, I didn¡¯t want to eat face to face with stair. ¡°Oh, mydy, what¡¯s wrong with the Duke?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He seemed to be in a bad mood.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.Really?¡± ¡°This morning, he directly led the training of the knights, but all of them left the training room as if their souls left their bodies. I passed the room, and he seemed as if he was chiding them, it seemed abusive¡­.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that how training is supposed to be?¡± It was his role to exercise his knights¡¯ endurance every day. Wouldn¡¯t it be favorable if their skills improved thanks to stair? So what if they were miserable? It¡¯s their fault for choosing an arduous career such as a knight. ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case in this circumstance¡­. Knights have to live too. Anyway, I¡¯ll go out, Miss. If you are hungry, ring the bell, and I¡¯lle.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, Lida.¡± Lida was about to leave when I remembered something I had to do and stopped her ¡°I¡¯m going out. Please call the carriage for me.¡± *** The carriage rattled. My body was shaken from the impact. My original ns were a mess. In order to arrange our banquet outfits, I originally nned to ask stair to go with me but¡­ I decided not to think anymore. Atst, the wagon stopped thest shaking, finally arriving at Madame nche¡¯s dressing room. I left the carriage and entered the store. Upon entering, he saw an employee busy dealing with his clients and nche¡¯s apprentices. Then, in turn, I saw young girls buying costumes. ¡°What? Miss Melford?¡± I looked around ¡ªuncertain if this meeting was fortunate or woeful¡ªand met a familiar gaze. She got up from her seat as she smirked and stepped up to me with an imposing gait. I faced her with a simr fake socialite smile. ¡°Well met, Miss Sylvania.¡± ¡°Oh my, Miss Melford! It¡¯s been a long time.¡± Ugh, what an unlucky day to meet such a troublesome person. ¡°Miss Melford must havee to get a banquet dress.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Did you get one too?¡± ¡°I just arrived.¡± ¡°I see. Well, good luck.¡± I had no intention of conversing anymore. But, conversely, Sylvania seemed to have a lot to say, opening her mouth. I called over Madame nche¡¯s apprentice without giving Sylvania a moment to speak. ¡°Where¡¯s Madam?¡± ¡°Did you make a reservation?¡± Madame nche¡¯s salon was famous. From her abrasive personality to the clothes she made, there was no one like her in aristocratic society. The clothes she made are always fashionable and renowned. She was a leading designer in the fashion world, so many people wanted her clothes. Madame nche, who held her nose in the air, was famous for being picky with her customers. People had to make an appointment a month in advance if they wanted toe to nche¡¯s dressing room and meet her. ¡°No.¡± Sylvania mockinglyughed without hesitation when she heard my response. The apprentice didn¡¯t gloat because I was a noble, but his face mildly reflected how absurd he thought I was. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Here.¡± Before the apprentice could continue, I took out the card and handed it over. The apprentice¡¯s grim expression straightened up as soon as he checked the card. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± ¡°Would you please call Madame now?¡± I grinned at her apprentice, who held his breath and looked at me. It is true that Madame nche is picky about her customers, but I was an exception. Because I am loyal and a regr customer among the regr clientele who make up a significant portion of Madame nche¡¯s sales. In short, I am the VVIP among her VIPs. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯ll be back right away!¡± His face became ashen. I didn¡¯t bully him! Curious gazes surveyed me, and for a moment, even I doubted whether or not I made amotion. After a moment, Madame nche came running. She was so urgent she didn¡¯t even put down the needle and thread in her hand. ¡°Miss Melford! It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve visited!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Madam.¡± People in the salon were taken aback. Madame nche, who turned her nose up at countless nobles, could also be shamelessly solicitous. It wasn¡¯t as if she was groveling, but it was Madame nche, so it was a fresh shock to them. ¡°Then, Miss Sylvania. See you at the International Imperial Banquet.¡± *** Chapter 25.2 ¡°Miss, I almost forgot your face!Why haven¡¯t I seen youtely?¡± Recently, my attendance at banquets and visits to her dressing room decreased dramatically. It was because I was busy studying and searching for ways to undo stair¡¯s affliction. Now it was time to see different clothes in the dressing room. I had been buried in books and got sick of the smell of paper. ¡°I was just a little busy, Madam.¡± ¡°Then, are you a little less busy now?¡± ¡°Well, probably less than before.¡± ¡°Then, whenever you¡¯re bored, please visit the salon. You know that Miss is my muse.¡± ¡°That I¡¯m Madame¡¯s muse is an honor.¡± It was the unique ttery of a merchant that made the atmosphere lively and was hard to hate. I answered in kind, cheerful. Talking nonsense, Madame nche led me to a room for special guests. There was a red chair under a neatly draped white curtain and a long mirror in front of the chair. Madame stopped in front of a long mirror. In the mirror, the image of the businesswoman was reflected, and as I sat in the chair, my figure shared the mirror with her. ¡°We don¡¯t have to do measurements, right? I think Madame knows my dimensions since we¡¯ve done it many times.¡± ¡°As Miss said, I already know, so we don¡¯t have to do it. Do you have a design in mind?¡± ¡°Well, how about a white dress?¡± ¡°It was white the other day, Miss. How about other colors this time?¡± Madame nche thought worriedly, her concerned eyebrows frowning. Then she pped her hands as if he had thought of something, the noise resounding in the room. ¡°What color are you thinking of?¡± ¡°A red dress. It will go well with Miss¡¯ ruby-like eyes. Actually, there¡¯s a dress I came up with recently¡ªAh! I made this gown I made a few days ago, and I think it will go well with Miss! I will show you!¡± nche rang a bell on the wall excitedly. Promptly an employee entered. ¡°Did you call?¡± ¡°Bring it.¡± ¡°Yes, madam.¡± I was surprised by their conversation. Two vague words were spoken without any exnation, but it was understood right away. After a moment, the employee who had gone out to find the red dress came in again. ¡°Miss, what do you think? It¡¯s a dress made with all my heart and soul. It¡¯s one of the five best works I¡¯ve ever made.¡± As soon as I saw the gown, I was convinced that her prideful words were utterly sincere. This fancy dress would make anyone the main character of the banquet. ¡°I especially revealed it to you, Miss, first.¡± ¡°It¡¯s lovely.¡± ¡°I thought you would like it. Wait a minute. I still have a lot to show you.¡± She rang her bell again. Then the employee got several dresses that had been hung on the disy rack. I looked carefully at the dresses in front of me. ¡°It¡¯s hard to choose because everything is beautiful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a dress I made, so of course. But from my years of experience, I think this will suit Miss the best.¡± She pointed to the gown she showed me first. ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± Madame nche winked at an employee who picked up the dress. ¡°And give me all the clothes on the shelf there.¡± After I spoke, the movement of the employees froze. ¡°These are pretty expensive dresses¡­. Are you sure?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s okay.¡± Iughed lightly and said in a natural tone. ¡°Please send it to the Melford mansion.¡± ¡°Pleasee again! Miss Melford!¡± *** After leaving nche¡¯s dressing room, Lida ran up to me. ¡°Did you buy a lot of pretty dresses?¡± ¡°Yes, there were so many pretty things.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go back now.¡± To Agernia. Can I go back there? I suddenly wonder. After what I did to the master of the estate? Even though I decided to talk to stair, I am terrified. After hurting him so much, do I deserve to visit him? No, I don¡¯t have qualifications, so I¡¯ll have to visit him even more. ¡®Am I such a coward?¡¯ This time I¡¯ll go to him first¡­ There is a world of difference between what one knows and what one does. I censured myself for being self-pitying and specting in frustrating loops. That doesn¡¯t improve anything. ¡ªRing It was at that moment the ding of the bell from a bell tower in the distance caught my eye. Its cheerful sound made me fancy that it was requesting my presence. It¡¯s ringing happened automatically thanks to magical artifacts. The bell should ring without error. That it is ringing now means that the magic artifact is broken, or I heard it wrong. ¡°Lida, you should go back first.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I have a ce to stop by first.¡± ¡°Where? I¡¯ll just wait here!¡± ¡°Sir.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I turned from Lida to my escort. He looked a little surprised that I addressed him. ¡°Escort Lida.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that, mydy. I have to guard you¨C¡° ¡°It¡¯s not a request.¡± In the first ce, I didn¡¯t need anything like an escort. I can protect myself. Nevertheless, he came with me because stair, who heard the news of my going out, sent him. ¡°Mydy, it¡¯s dangerous to go alone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not dangerous, so don¡¯t worry and go on.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t repeat myself. Go.¡± I said firmly. Then neither of them could protest anymore. I watched the carriage leave with the two of them and turned to head towards the bell tower. I started walking slowly in the direction of the bell tower, and then I soon increased my speed. Suddenly I was running. My heart was choking with frustration. I wondered if I was going to die. I had an impulsive thought. I wonder if it will get better if I run to the top with the high winds over there. I felt a strange sense of freedom when the cold wind brushed against me. Even though my lungs screamed, I kept running. I was out of breath, but I immediately felt a sense of releasing. ¡°Haaaa ah¡­.¡± The sound of my wheezing lungs overtook my ears as I cleared my breath a few times. I approached a half-oval window. I looked out and turned my back, and leaned against the wall. My body sank down the wall. I squatted and emptied my head. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing here. I sent off the carriage and ran all the way here¡­ and for what? I buried my face in my knees. I didn¡¯t want to leave. This ce was my little refuge. I buried myself in the shadows cast by the bell tower and closed my eyes. Time passed without meaning. ¡°¡­¡­.Serina.¡± I heard a voice calling me. There is no one here except me. I looked up in a daze. ¡°Serina, you¡¯re catching a cold.¡± ¡°¡­¡­stair?¡± stair crouches with one knee to the ground and one knee up to meet me at my eye level. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Haaa-¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± In the end, you came to me first. Chapter 26.1 I thought he was an illusion,so I touched his cheek with the tips of my fingers. As I exerted pressure with my fingers, and his cheeks went in. I was still doubtful whether the vivid texture was real. This time, I gently stroked his cheek with my entire palm. It was cold, but the soft-touch was vivid. He¡¯s real. After all, I didn¡¯t speak to him first. ¡°What are you doing?¡± stair grabbed my wrist and drew it towards his lips. And as usual, he gently kissed each finger with sincerity. ¡°Ahaa¡­.!¡± stair yfully stuck out his tongue and tickled me from my palm to my wrist. I was taken aback, astonished by the hot, damp sensation, and quickly pulled out the hand held by him and rubbed his saliva off on my skirt. ¡°¡­¡­How did you find me?¡± ¡°I asked your maid because you weren¡¯t in the room.¡± ¡°I never told her where I was going.¡± My body trembled in the cold wind. When I rubbed my shoulders with my hands, trying to gather with warmth, stair took off his cape and covered me. Despite hurting him like that, he came first and is worried that I will be cold. ¡°I thought you¡¯de this way.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why?¡± ¡°Every time you passed this area, you always looked towards the bell tower.¡± ¡°You noticed that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Is it because of his obsessive hypnosis stats in this novel? He had a very good hunch. He knew where I would be just because I stared at the bell tower. stair pulled my body into his arms. He changed his posture and sat mefortably down on hisp. I was stuck in his arms ¡°Did you not hear what I said in the morning?¡± I didn¡¯t mean to do this. Contrary to my thoughts, angr words pop out of my mouth. I don¡¯t want to do this, but my brain and mouth acted differently. ¡°Unexpectedly, you don¡¯t know me. There¡¯s no way I can keep that.¡± stair looked at me with great love. He gently swept my hair away and kissed my eyes. My eyshes trembled. My reflection was in his eyes unconditionally. This man even looked at me as if I was adorable. I wrapped my arms around his neck. As if prompted, he hugged me tighter. ¡°I wanted to give you some time. You said you were sick of me, so I let you spend time without me.¡± As soon as stair sighed, I felt his hot exhale over my head. ¡°If you don¡¯t want me within your sight, I¡¯ll do what you say. So I tried to stay out of sight for a few days.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°But it didn¡¯t work as I thought it might. When it¡¯s only been a few minutes, I miss you, and after a few hours, I¡¯m going crazy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I guess there¡¯s no concept of a yearly rate?¡± I said so. After facing my one-sided anger, he came to me like a bee was drawn to the scent of flowers. ¡°Did you not know? Without you, I¡¯m nothing. You are the only thing in my heart. You are all that there is.¡± As he spoke, stair didn¡¯t even bother to keep up his pride with me, even though I had trampled on his heart. stair smiled deftly. Destressing me even more. ¡°Because you made me that way.¡± Brainwashing. It is the only thread that always carries us and connects our rtionship. And now, in a way, I was cutting that very thread. ¡°Is it bad to live in the way you made it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ll release you from it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless.¡± He fiddled with my silver hair flowing down. And he left a deep kiss. He might have left a kiss on my hair, but it was as if he kissed all over my body. I felt a strange feeling, as if I was bruised. ¡°I already love you, even if there was no brainwashing.¡± ¡°Ha ¡­..¡± Please don¡¯t say that. I tried to swallow the lumpy words that came to the top of my throat. As if dealing with a genuine lover, the words that were sweet and tender but were as good as poison to me. I haven¡¯t seen the future directly, but in the future, after I got rid of stair¡¯s brainwashing, there were two ways it could go: stair either kills me or doesn¡¯t kill me. Our rtionship will be very different. Two years ago, if I hadn¡¯t given you that herb¡ª if yesterday you hadn¡¯t attacked me¡­. Would we at least be able tough and talk here? It is meaningless to have vain hope. ¡°Serina.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­Why?¡± ¡°Are you still suspicious?¡± I was certain, I wasn¡¯t suspicious. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I heard a low sigh was heard from above me. ¡°How can I make you trust me?¡± He phased it like a question, but it was more like a plea. I buried my face in his neck. Then, this time, a different kind of sigh came. stair turned his head and kissed the top of my head. ¡°By the way¡­¡­ Why were you mad in the morning?¡± He knows nothing. That¡¯s why¡­ I get angry even though I know I shouldn¡¯t. I closed my eyes tightly. ¡°If you¡¯re not really tired of me¡­ Don¡¯t say such things, because it makes my heart tremble.¡± I am weird. The reason I¡¯m not transparent with stair is because I want to maintain the status quo of our rtionship. I¡¯d rather pretend that nothing happened until I cleared up his brainwashing, so our rtionship doesn¡¯t go south. Then I poured out my anger on him¡­ ¡°Serina, did I do anything wrong to you?¡± *** Chapter 26.2 stair is very nervous. ¡°I want to know, Serina.¡± Why the hell can¡¯t you remember? I really want to know. I slowly pulled up my upper body and released my arms around his neck. I lifted my face that was buried in his neck and looked at him. I wanted to know what he was thinking now. He looked desperate. He, himself, doesn¡¯t even know what he doesn¡¯t remember, but he keeps wanting to know. A man who knows nothing. I felt my anger grow. At least I wanted him to remember. ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Is there something you often say? It would be better not to know.¡± Yeah, now I¡¯m being crazy. I was referring to stair in the original timeline; it was something he had often said to Juliana. I could usually only vaguely recall the original work, but in my resentment, everything clearly came to mind as if the circumstances were being reproduced right in front of me. Why does my hostility only calm down when I hurt stair? ¡°Is there any reason I shouldn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°If you know¡­¡­¡­!¡± I clenched my teeth and my fists. I need to calm down. I forcibly removed the strength in my hands and forced myself to breathe. ¡°If you know, what¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°Serina¨C¡° ¡°Whether you know it or not, it¡¯s all the same in the end. If your brainwashing is released¡­! Do you really believe it will be the same between us as it is now? Why do you keep saying nonsense? When the brainwashing is over, you will have nothing to do with me, right?¡± ¡°Ha ¡­..¡± His head bent over inughter. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s so funny to stair. He smiled, meeting my eyes, and slowly swept back his messy hair. The strangely changed airflow added tension between us. I bit my lips firmly and stared at his cold, wet purple eyes. His violet that used to contain only warmth sank darkly¡ªbright with ice. ¡°When I get back to the mansion¡­. I¡¯ll kill that elf first.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There is no reason to keep him alive.¡± I was bewildered by the cold firestorm in his eyes. stair continued with a charming smile, but it was a dark smile full of shadows that was never bright. ¡°Why did you bring that elf to the mansion?¡± ¡°That¡¯s-¡° ¡°That bloody brainwashing, brainwashing, brainwashing¡­¡­¡¤! That¡¯s probably why.¡± I stared at stair¡¯s hand that had propped up his body on the floor. His fingers on the floor gathered together, and his fists clenched. His cuffs were unbuttoned, and his white wrists were revealed through his sleeves. How tightly he clenched his fists, his veins sprouted. ¡°You don¡¯t trust me. So wouldn¡¯t it be useless if I asked you to believe me a hundred times?¡± ¡°So you won¡¯t undo your brainwashing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Then it¡¯s better not to cure my brainwashing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really crazy, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Because I grew up like that,¡± he smartly countered. He said it so naturally¡ªand indeed, perhaps he was brainwashed to be crazy¡ªso I had nothing to say. ¡°Don¡¯t be crazy. Would you like to be manipted for life because of that brainwashing?¡± The original stair became the premier brainwashed viin among viins that had the emperor rolling in the palm of his hand. And Serina had fun with him. But was Serina the only one who yed with him? Everything was like a pyramid scheme. Ladybugs are eaten by spiders, spiders are eaten by frogs, and frogs are eaten by snakes. If Serina yed with him alone¡ªwouldn¡¯t that be unfair? The Duke of Melford was a vicious mother who used even her children. She used Serina to control the stair. In the end, she was murdered by Serina, who hated being manipted. It was the rebellion of the little puppet under Duke Melford. ¡°It¡¯s okay to live like that. At least you¡¯ll be with me.¡± ¡°Crazy bastard.¡± ¡°So tell me, just one time with that mouth¡ª You¡¯ll believe me.¡± I nced at him gently. Step by step, I told him why I didn¡¯t believe him. How funny. Now, I was convinced of what to do. Because of this conversation, I did not want to hide anymore, so he impulsively opened his mouth. ¡°stair, do you really want to know?¡± I touched his shoulder. And waited for an answer. It¡¯s yourst chance. ¡°Please let me know, Serina.¡± He responded with great delight. I applied force to my hand on his shoulder. I pushed his shoulders hard andid him on the floor. He blinked his eyes as if confused by my unexpected act. His body rolled back, and my upper body bent over him as well. I naturally got on top of him like I was going to ride him. ¡°stair.¡± I gently caressed his neck. Like he did to me. I gently wrapped his neck with both hands and gave strength to my hands. ¡°You really don¡¯t remember anything?¡± Ding- Due to the broken artifact, the bell rang without knowing the time. Chapter 27.1 Ding- Ding- Three times. The bell rang precisely three times. A sound that was cheerful before now sounds like a bell announcing a death. ¡°I remember, why can¡¯t you remember anything?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± The force of my hands strangling his neck seemed to be suffocating him. Even though I saw him gasping for air underneath me, I couldn¡¯t release the strength I gave to my hands while I watched him panting with pain. My silver hair fell past my shoulders and to the floor. His pitch-ck hair and my contrasting silver hair mixed for a moment. ¡°stair, you really don¡¯t remember anything?¡± I gave my hand as much strength as the pain stair inflicted on my neck. He couldn¡¯t breathe because of it, his distressed eyes watering, but he didn¡¯t lift a hand. His hands at his sides never moved. Like this, he could die. ¡°Why can¡¯t you remember?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Serina.¡± I impulsively grabbed stair¡¯s cor and forced him to rise. His purple eyes quivered with confusion. What am I doing to someone who doesn¡¯t even remember? Chaos shed in his eyes. Just because I recreated it didn¡¯t mean he would remember what happened that day. So I decided to stop doing this meaningless show. I took my hands off his cor. My strength left traces of wrinkles on his shirt. Honestly, it¡¯s funny to talk about doing things like this, but I was also amazed at what I did. I was so impulsive that I didn¡¯t even realize what I did until afterwards. Now, I couldn¡¯t pretend as if nothing had happened. Of course, if I ignore everything and pretend nothing happened, stair will also pretend not to know. But, honestly,¡ªperhaps I¡¯m being paradoxical¡ªbut I don¡¯t want it to be that way. The water has already spilled. I must see this to the end for sure. I had no regrets. It feels good to spill water when the ss is broken. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s probably better if I clearly exin everything that happened?¡± Although my voice contained arsenic, it also had relief. But stair, ignorant of it, looked up at me quietly. Unlike me, his trembling eyes were trying to keep calm. Iughed at him and stared at him. I have long since lost my calmness; I opened my mouth while staring at his amethyst-like eyes. So where should I start exining? ¡°First thing I want to say is¡­¡± I slowly closed and opened my eyes. ¡°If your brainwashing is released, our rtionship will probably be over.¡± I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve said this. I have said this countless times and received numerous strong protests from stair, but today it will be different from before. ¡°Serina¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± ¡°Listen to me until the end, stair!¡± I shouted unexpectedly at him. I was so heated right now that it was challenging to think reasonably. Countless words came to my mind, but I couldn¡¯t figure out which one to choose. So I left everything to instinct. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m joking about this? Without any evidence to back it up? Rather, you¡¯re the one who has no basis, stair.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Talk to me so I can understand, Serina.¡± ¡°So you can understand? How do you tell someone who can¡¯t even remember in the first ce?¡± Ha! I eximed loudly. Apart from the coolness in my tummy, my frustration still remained in the corner of my heart. ¡°Open your ears and listen carefully, stair.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°You tried to kill me. Twice.¡± Finally. I finally said it. The tightly locked door opened, and there was a moment of bliss. But the moment quickly passed, leaving me hollow with a frozen stair. ¡°How¡ªthat¡¯s not going to happen¡­. No way¡ªthis isn¡¯t it, Serina.¡± stair denied it. The guy who¡¯s been eating my sympathy. The man I loved. [t1v:OMOMOMO¨Cshe admitted it!!!!] He¡¯s now pressing down on my selfishness that I¡¯ve been trying to hold back. It was at that moment that I became a selfish bastard. ¡°Yeah. What I said was actually a lie.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Would it be okay if that came out of my mouth? Would that make you feel better?¡± It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t understand him. For some reason, he couldn¡¯t remember what happened that day, so moreover, he would have no choice but to deny my words. But, but¡­ There was no reason to disbelieve my words. And it was my ego, selfishness, and self-centered feelings that dominated me at this moment. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to believe me, don¡¯t believe me.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to convince you, I¡¯m telling you to finally unburden myself.¡± There were countless things I wanted to say. Among them, there are words that needed to be said and words I needed to refrain from saying. But right now, I¡¯m having a hard time distinguishing between the two. ¡°Maybe the ¡®real¡¯ you hates me. You¡ªthe brainwashed you¡ª says you love me¡­¡± *** Chapter 27.2 ¡°Serina.¡± ¡°Does that make any sense?¡± ¡°No. Regardless of brainwashing, I¡ª¡± ¡°If I hear that bullshit about love from your lips one more time¡­¡± A sad light prated his purple eyes. ¡°Serina. Please¡­¡­ I love you, so don¡¯t deny it.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°When have I ever asked you to ept it? I have always endured and suffered, unable to quench my longing. So, don¡¯t deny that.¡± Still, he was saying the same thing. ¡°Then you¡¯re crazy.¡± We didn¡¯t meet under normal circumstances; instead, he met me when he waspletely isted and being tormented. I love you. Me. Of course, brainwashing made him love me. Even knowing that the only words that came out of my mouth are- ¡°Crazy, this is.¡± All I could utter was a denial. As if I had be an idiot, my head was so happy that I had forgotten how to move my tongue to speak. From the very moment, he refuted me. I instinctively opened my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m confused about what is what. No¡ª I don¡¯t want to know anymore.¡± I don¡¯t want to be hurt anymore. I just want to live without knowing anything. But I know it¡¯s toote for that. His mouth is twisting strangely. Notughing or crying. It¡¯s a funny look. His expression crumbled as if he was heading towards the abyss. His appearance was ridiculous. ¡°Serina.¡± He reached out and carefully swept my cheeks. I wondered why the hell he didn¡¯t move his hand. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°So¡­¡­ don¡¯t cry because of me.¡± Am I¡­.. crying? His fingers pressed firmly under my eyes, and only then I knew I was crying. The dampness soaked my cheek and flowed down. ¡°¡­¡­Because I can¡¯t believe I tried to hurt you.¡± His eyshes quivered. ¡°So I denied it. I¡¯m sorry, Serina.¡± I was dizzy by the hot sensation under my eyes. My vision was blurred by the explosive tears, but I looked at him with no emotion. ¡°So¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± As he bit his lips, his red lips became even redder. Thick tears rolled out from the water. Variousplex emotions swirled around chaotically, making it difficult to breathe. Maybe it¡¯s harder toe to his senses than it is for me. Having to face the fact that he tried to kill me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He pulled my arm carefully, and my weak body plunged into his arms. ¡°And then¡­ If I do that again, then¡­.¡± His voice trembled intermittently. As the solid body that should hold me swayed, I felt something break. ¡°Kill me.¡± I raised his head heavily at those words and stared at his violet eyes. His eyes with dreamy colors were still beautiful. It was dark. ¡°You¡¯re not saying you won¡¯t do that, that there¡¯s no next time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Maybe he knows it too. He may deny it to me, but I may be the only one who knows it. That he could try to kill me again. That he could lose his mind and might do something to me Ahhh. I really don¡¯t know anything anymore. It was impossible to make heads or tails of this dilemma because it was a ridiculous situation from the beginning. Really now¡­ it¡¯s time now¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. ¡°I¡¯m tired¡­.¡± The hand that was sweeping my back temporarily stiffened. He must have understood what this means. My limp body was like cotton, soaked with water, and became helplessly lethargic. Leaning in his arms and thought. I want to let go of brainwashing and everything now. ¡°Let¡¯s quickly finish it, stair.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The words sounded more brutal because there was no object. [t1v: aka there might be a misunderstanding¡ªwhat does ¡®it¡¯ refer to?The rtionship? His hypnosis?] I leaned into his arms, tears rolling down my emotionless face. I am tired. That was myst thought before I went unconscious. Chapter 28 I had a dream. In my dream, there was a young me standing in a long hallway. When I turned my head to the side, there was a railing, and below it, I could see arge hall and a massive door on the first floor. When I turned my head back, there was a wall. Unlike the previous one, there was nothing in the background. There was a tingling sensationing from my smaller hand that came into view. There was a small scratch that surprised me. ¡®When did this happen?¡¯ Oh yeah. This was a wound caused by stair. stair threw a vase at me. I had reflexively raised my hand to avoid the flying container, and it hit my hand. This was a wound I got then. Creak¡ª Maybe because it was a dream, the sound of the door opening sounded even louder and grotesque. I turned in the direction of the ringing pitch. I thought I was alone, but suddenly there are three more people besides me. Two men in uniforms are dragging a boy from each arm. I thought that the servants would treat the boy more carefully. The boy¡¯s name is stair. It¡¯s still an unfamiliar and awkward name even though several years have passed since he came to his mansion. With every step the men take the boy recoils and shakes wildly. His head lifted slightly. His purple eyes shed as he saw me. It happened in the blink of an eye. stair rushed at me. The vignt servants, who were on guard, were greatly embarrassed. ¡°Agh¡­¡­!¡± [Gasp] stair grabbed my neck and started to strangle me. Thud! stair¡¯s body fell over mine on the floor. ¡°Get him¡ª right now!¡± ¡°How dare you¡ªMiss¡­!¡± The servants who ran btedly pulled stair off of me. He struggled to escape their arms, but he was too weak to do so. Because he was young and small. ¡°I am ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤! Why am I ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± stair shouted with a voice full of poison: ¡°I have to love something like you¡­! But I hate it! I hate it!¡± Supported by the attendant, I got up and rubbed my neck. My throat was sore and throbbing. I wasn¡¯t startled because he was often aggressive with me. At that time, I was so used to it that I couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen next. What would stair be like after brainwashing * * * I had forgotten. Memories buried deep from a long time ago resurfaced in my dreams. I chewed them over. I woke up early, ate right away, and with Lida¡¯s help, I changed into my outdoor clothes. ¡°Are you going?¡± ¡°Um, yes.¡± As I left the hallway to go out, I ran into Igelto. Even if I didn¡¯t say it, he had a rough idea of ??where I was going. I was going to Melford to retrieve those brainwashing scented candles. ¡°Have a safe trip.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± I sent a letter to Mikhail and asked him to look at the Duke¡¯s schedule. It would be a little safer to visit while she was away from the mansion. He asked why, but I didn¡¯t say. I mumbled and got into the carriage and leaned against my back. My heart is shaking already. I closed my eyes to calm the tremor. It wasn¡¯t long before the carriage started. I closed my eyes, and a darkness of nothing unfolded. Suddenly, the dream I had earlier came to mind. In retrospect, in the beginning, stair and I weren¡¯t close at all. At the time, I didn¡¯t care whether he was brainwashed or tortured by my family. Yeah, that¡¯s what I had thought back then: It¡¯s none of my business. Poor boy. That was all. However, it didn¡¯t take long for those thoughts to change. My daily life had changed since he was brainwashed and loved me. * * * [t1v: shback] Serina. My hand that was pulling a book out from the shelf trembled at the voice calling for me. I looked back nervously. Behind me, as if it were natural, was stair. I dreaded this terribly. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you for a while.¡± Heughed brightly as if he was happy to find me. Conversely, my face was wrinkled without mercy. He came a step closer to me. I shuddered and took a step back and said urgently: ¡°Stay there.¡± I was terrified of him approaching me. If he came near me, I would choke as if the air was polluted. When he tried to reach me, I became nauseous with disgust, like bugs were crawling all over me. ¡°Turn your head. Your eyes¡­ are very upsetting.¡± I hated the way those eyes looked at me. Those purple eyes were as beautiful as jewels, but they were lifeless. He looks at me lovingly, but his eyes are empty. It was as if maggots ate up all the contents and left his eyes void. ¡°Don¡¯t approach me. Act the way you use to. You hate me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­How can I hate you.¡± His speech was stilted and awkward, as if he was a child struggling to read for the first time. His forced expression made him turn white and pale. He looked like a puppet being controlled. I read the original and knew that one day this day woulde, but this is¡­ This change in attitude was creepier than I had anticipated. Even I had to admit that those purple eyes that sometimes express hatred and are sometimes mesmerized by me are captivating. He, who had hated me so much, was now so anxious because he loved me and couldn¡¯t close the distance between us. I left him behind and quickly exited the study. As I walked through the hallway, I saw a familiar face. It was my mother¡¯s maid, Marina. She greeted me with courtesy. I ignored her and continued walking. ¡°Miss, have you ever seen the young master?¡± Marina¡¯s question came from behind me. I knew immediately which young master she was talking about. It must be stair. ¡°The Duke is looking for the young master, but I can¡¯t find him.¡± My fast-paced feet stopped in the middle of the corridor. I didn¡¯t know why my mother was calling him. It¡¯s probably about brainwashing. ¡°How would I know?¡± I won¡¯t tell you, but you¡¯ll find him soon anyway. That was just the way things were. *** [t1v: another scene, still in shback] After washing up in the bathroom,I turned to the mirror. My reflection illustrated a girl with her wet silver hair hanging down and her skin red from roughly rubbing her wet skin. The room was tinted orange by the light of a burning candle. The sky was dark outside the window through the gap in the curtain. It was still hot after washing, so I opened the beige curtains and unlocked the window, and a cool breeze came in. I was in a good mood, but the candle flickered as if it was going to go out, and I wondered if I should close the window. Knock knock. The sound made me leave the window and approach the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± I opened the door without even checking out who the knocker was. And I immediately regretted it. I looked at the figure standing at the door and tried to close it. But stair urgently pushed the door in the opposite direction. Thanks to this, the door could not be opened or closed¡ªwe were in a standstill. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Let me in Seri¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°I never allowed you to use my nickname, and it¡¯s rude toe here sote at night. Go back.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I am sick.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s even more reason you shouldn¡¯t be here. If you are sick, you should go see a doctor.¡± I tried to close the door but to no avail. Rather, the gap between the door and the wall widened. Damn it. He was stronger than me. ¡°What are you doing¡­?!¡± He opened the door, walked in, and hugged me. ¡°¡­¡­I missed you, Serina.¡± He buried his face deep in the nape of my neck and caressed my face as if to find a sense of stability and reality. The stroking sensation gave me goosebumps. ¡°Get away¡­¡­!¡± I pushed him as if I was hitting him. Then his body shook back and copsed limply. Only then could I see his condition. His ck hair was soaked with sweat, and his eyes were hazy and half-closed and heavy-lidded. I suddenly recalled Marina looking for stair earlier. He was on his way back from being brainwashed. ¡°Get out.¡± I grabbed the doorknob and opened the door wide. He grabbed my skirt. ¡°I love you, Serina.¡± It was a startling confession. My body was cold. I¡¯m used to him attacking and hating me all the time. I¡¯m horrified. He confessed love to me with such lifeless eyes. It was more terrible than a ghost murmuring in your ear. ¡°If you¡¯re going to throw me away, I¡¯d rather you kill me.¡± His hand holding my skirt went up and grabbed my hand. Reflexively, I tried to shake him off, but his grip was firm. ¡°¡­¡­Let me go.¡± ¡°I love you. I love you, Serina.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to hear me. Seeing you keep spitting out the words that linger in your head. It was as if I could see an infection spreading. I hated this. It was terrible. It was creepy. Purple eyes gleamed as if possessed. I¡¯ve seen eyes like this before. It was the eyes¡ªnot those who have deep faith, but it was the eyes of the crazy religious. ¡°Let me go!¡± ¡°You know what? Seri, you¡¯re lovely even when you¡¯re angry.¡± He smiled. Soon he burst intoughter. How can youugh at this situation? I¡¯m openly saying I don¡¯t like it and expressing fear. ¡®You¡¯re crazy¡­¡¯ His lips open as if he was trying to say something, drawing a line. I knew what he was about to say and didn¡¯t want to hear it, so I covered my ear with one hand that wasn¡¯t caught by him. One ear was still open, so I could still hear him. ¡°I love you.¡± At that moment, the wind blew through the open window. The candle that had filled the room with a flickering orange light suddenly went out. A strong rejection arose inside my body as if it was a taboo phrase. ¡°Let go!¡± I don¡¯t know where the strength came from, but a burst of energy threw his arm off of me. I ran out the open door, scared that he mighte after me. A dark hallway greeted me, and I ran until I was out of breath. Moonlight drenched through the windows. Stepping on that light, I walked down the stairs. I gathered my wits about me. Why did I run away? It¡¯s my room. Puzzled by my actions, I turned to go back to my room. ¡°Thud.¡± stair was behind me. He came after me. Even though I clearly rejected him and showed my repulsion. My whole body became stiff and icy. ¡°Why are you avoiding me?¡± He asked, his head tilting. As if he genuinely didn¡¯t understand. He was extremely expressionless, like a creepy haunted doll. He reached out to me. I avoided his hand and retreated back. I nced back and spotted the staircase. When I turned my head again, his hand was close to my nose between my nces. The ident happened in an instant. ¡°Arghh!¡± stair rolled down the stairs, and I looked into my hand with shaking eyes. Seeing him approaching, by mistake¡­ I had pushed him. I forced my legs to go down each step on the staircase, ¡°¡­ hey.¡± There was no answer back. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Wake up.¡± It was dark so that I couldn¡¯t see well, but there was something darker and more intense on the stairs. After looking at it for a while, I figured out what it was. ¡°Blood¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± I felt I saw something I should not have seen. ¡°Are you dead¡­?¡± I¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to do this. I just didn¡¯t want you toe near me¡­ My legs were weak. There was no more strength to sustain my weight. A lot of blood came on my copsed leg. At that moment, I couldn¡¯t stand it and screamed. The attendants rushed out, and even when they saw the sight, they moved calmly. I was barely able to calm down after a little coaxing. That night, I couldn¡¯t sleep for a second. I hated you, but I didn¡¯t want you to die. Don¡¯t die. When I think about it now, I was young and tender. Chapter 29.1 [t1v: Still in a shback] A few days have passed since then. In the meantime, I haven¡¯t seen stair. Somehow I heard the news that he woke up. I was very relieved by that. When I saw the blood flowing from his head, I thought he had died. Even now, the memories of that day are clear, and I tremble when I pass the stairs. I sighed, full of confusion, and my anxiety filled the room. I was in the gallery hall where the paintings collected by Duke Melford are disyed. Amonality between all the pieces she collected is that they all look twisted and bizarre. The picture in front of me was no different. In the painting, there was a couple, a man and woman, with perilous appearances. The woman was backed into a corner. She had no ce to retreat from the edge of the cliff. Her expression crumbled hideously into a tearless despair and silent scream. It was disgusting. In front of her, the man hugged the woman¡¯s waist at the edge of the cliff. It looked so ufortable that it would not be strange if he fell off the cliff soon, perhaps because his limbs were twisted. Creak¡ª Someone opened the door and entered the room. I knew who it was without looking. I wasn¡¯t annoyed today. Because I wanted to check his condition. ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± I frowned over the white bandage around his head. ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± Heughs happily. If it were me in the past, I would have felt unpleasant, but today it was different. It was the first time that I had no reluctance in seeing him. Even if there was a slight difort, the sight of his white bandage around his head made it subside. ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Back then, it was an idental mistake.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± He hugged his arm around my waist. I was pushed back by the force that embraced me against the picture I had been observing since a while ago. His unhesitating touch made me ufortable, but I did not show it. Looking at his white bandaged head reminded me of the moment when I pushed him away¡ªthe moment when blood was flowing from his head. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do anything because I was so sorry. ¡°I was rather happy.¡± ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a wound you gave me. So I¡¯m d. No matter what you do to me, I¡¯m amazed.¡± Disgust like acidic bile rose up my throat. ¡°And now I¡¯m hurt, so Seri won¡¯t push me away, right?¡± His purple eyes contained a distorted joy. I shouldn¡¯t have looked into those eyes. A spooky sensation took over my whole body. I lifted my hand, leveraging against the picture, and pushed him. He fell a few steps away from me. I couldn¡¯t ept him anymore and hurried out of the room. Since then, I¡¯ve been avoiding him all the time. Guilt and disgust coexisted, making it harder than before to be in his presence. The only thing I could do was to avoid bumping into him as much as possible. But we met again like two cogs interlocked. In the worst of circumstances. Until then, I really didn¡¯t even think about it. That I¡¯ll do more than push him off the stairs, the ident of that day really happened in an instant. ¡°Haaah¡­¡­! No!¡± He struggled to shake off the hands of the Duke¡¯s servants. However, as adults, their strength was stronger, and stair was dragged away by them. It was always a repeating routine. stair resisted entering the Hall of Hallucinations and being brainwashed until the servants dragged him away with force. ¡°Stop it¡­ ! No!¡± His movements to get out of their grasp, while twisting his whole body as hard as he could¡ªsuddenly paused. Purple eyes touched me. ¡°Serina!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Seri¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± He called me desperately. Other than that, there was no backstory, but I didn¡¯t know what he wanted me to say. He¡¯s asking for help. But there was nothing I could do. I turned my head. I turned my back on that desperate call. I didn¡¯t want to know or help him with his request. Shouldn¡¯t I take care of myself first? How can I help you? Believing it, I snickered and walked as fast as I could, as if running away. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on behind my back. The feeling of guilt that was deeply suppressed creeps up on my heart. ¡®I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It¡¯s natural.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡­ Don¡¯t go, Serina.¡± A murky voice longed mournfully. I haven¡¯t heard anything. I repeat it to myself dozens of times. ¡°Do not throw me away.¡± I haven¡¯t heard anything. I didn¡¯t hear anything. Kkkkkkrrrreeeekk¡ª I stopped at the eerie sound of scratching my eardrum. Whoosh¡ª A gust blew from behind me, and my silver hair fluttered around, and the blue hem of my skirt fluttered in the air. The aggressive wind swept my skin. In the ce where the wind passed, a long line became messy, and blood sweeped out. ¡°Run away mydy! It¡¯s dangerous!¡± Chapter 29.2 A shout came from behind. ¡°Serina! Come here right now!¡± Mikhail yelled at me, hanging from the railing upstairs and running towards me. Instead of fleeing, I chose to check what was happening behind me. And I doubted my eyesight ¡®What is that?¡¯ I stumbled back. Dark magic leaked out of stair¡¯s body. The magical power that circted around him shook and created a fierce storm. ¡°What the hell¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be surprised about. At your age, kids infrequently run like that in the process of growing their magical power.¡± ¡°Mother¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± As I was distracted by stair, I didn¡¯t even notice the Duke approaching me. She brushed my shoulder and passed by. Duke Melford walked towards stair through the fiercely swirling ck magic. Reaching stair, she made a sword with her magical power. I blinked my eyes, not knowing what she was going to do. The next moment I almost screamed in surprise. Duke Melford stabbed stair with the sword. Then, the whirlwind, which was swirling quickly, became stronger. The Duke frowned as if embarrassed and then smiled brightly when her eyes found me. It was an unpleasantugh. ¡°Seri,e here.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Hurry.¡± I hesitated for a moment, but I could do nothing but obey, so I followed hermand. I gulped, nervous. As I approached her, she grabbed my hand in her and made mee a little closer. ¡°Would you like to make a sword?¡± As she urged me and squeezed my hand, I was forced to create a sword with magical power. ¡°Good job. Now then, stab him.¡± ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± What did I just hear? ¡°I told you to stab him.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unavoidable. There¡¯s only one way to stop stair from losing control.¡± You whisper in a sad tone, but why do I feel like you look happy? ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What can I do? When my mother wasn¡¯t able to do it?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s possible because it¡¯s you, Seri.¡± Why is she so insistent? I can¡¯t believe anything she says. ¡°Serina, hurry.¡± My hand holding the sword quivered. The boy¡¯s small body entered my vision. ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°So why is it you?¡± She muttered as if talking to herself. It was difficult to understand. ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking now.¡± As my grip became more assertive, her hand left mine. I gave strength to my hand that held the sword. They say this is the only way to solve it. I have to. ¡°If I do this¡­ will he not get hurt?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that. Maybe he¡¯ll die. But if you leave it like this, he¡¯ll definitely die.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°He might die anyway, wouldn¡¯t it be better to choose the one with the slightest possibility of survival?¡± Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. I do not want to do this. I¡¯m scared. But if I don¡¯t do it, he might die. No, he could die even if I carry through with this. ¡®Possibility¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯ I reluctantly lifted my sword high. Let¡¯s finish this quickly. Hopefully, it will be less painful. ¡°It hurts¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± stair groaned in agony. I hesitated for a moment, but I closed my eyes tightly. It can¡¯t be helped. Really. *** Swing! When the carriage door suddenly opened, I awoke from my thoughts. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, miss.¡± As I stepped out of the carriage, a familiarndscape unfolded after a long time. I finally arrived home. I stared nkly at the mansion instead of entering right away. I quietly closed my eyes. The day I stabbed stair, he almost died again. stair woke up after a long time in aa. Overwhelmed with guilt, when he woke up, I didn¡¯t avoid him or push him away. It was due to pure guilt that made me get close to him. Then I got more and more friendly. Maybe it¡¯s because, on some level, I think I deserve to die if stair tries to kill me. It is for simr reasons that I am striving to erase his brainwashing. Guilt and affection. I opened my closed eyes. And I step into the mansion. * * * As I entered the house through the terrifying sunlight, cool air broke through my cor. The cool breeze blowing from the inside blew past me when the doors opened. ¡°So you¡¯ve finally arrived?¡± The man, looking straight at me with his arms folded in the middle of the hall, said crookedly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve arrived.¡± I replied, annoyed, and I tried to walk past him. If only he hadn¡¯t grabbed my wrist. ¡°That¡¯s all you have to say? ¡°Then you have more to say?¡± ¡°Serina!¡± All of the servants¡¯ eyes were eyeing us. When Mikhail sent a fierce gaze to them, they quickly turned away. ¡°Follow me.¡± Mikhail pulled me along. ¡°It¡¯s better than talking here.¡± Mikhail grabbed my arm and walked forward, striding forward, where he led me to was none other than my room. He closed the door carefully and soon opened his mouth: ¡°You, why did you ask me to tell you when mother is away?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that right now.¡± ¡°What? There¡¯s something else to hide¡­!¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± You will find out someday. On the day when stair¡¯s brainwashing is released. On that day, what kind of expression will people greet me with? What about my brother in front of me? Will you curse me? I suddenly wondered. ¡°Brother, I actually have one more favor to ask of you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Please be on the lookout and let me know when motheres.¡± Chapter 30.1 ¡°What?!¡± It was the most surprised interjection I heard today. His mouth formed a tight disapproving frown. ¡°What the hell are you going to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going into the Hall of Hallucinations. This is the only thing I can tell you.¡± I had been there several times, but only after the Duke¡¯s permission. In other words, it was forbidden without the permission of the Duke. ¡°What the hell are you going to do? What are you trying to do without Mother knowing? Then, what if you get caught? ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking, brother.¡± I pulled my arm held by him away. ¡°If you help me, I will write you full, detailed letters from now on.¡± My usual letters often consisted of one-word answers I wrote as if I were passing by. [t1v: meh texting has ruined us] Howe you don¡¯t send a letter? ¡°Then go out there. I¡¯m busy; I have work to do.¡± I opened the door. Mikhail¡¯s eyebrows wiggled. When he showed no sign of going out, I pushed him out of the room. ¡°Ya¡ªHey¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. You ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± ¡°Oh, and call my maid.¡± m. After finishing my words, I closed the door without hesitation. I heard him shouting something behind the door. It was not long before he returned with a resigned sigh. I felt a little sorry, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I have a job to do. Soon a maid came up to my room. Thankfully, Mikhail obliged my request. I sat on the bed and looked tired. ¡°There will be dresses arriving from Madame nche¡¯s Dressing Room. Take them and send them to the Duke of Agernia¡¯s residence.¡± ¡°Is that all you need, Miss?¡± ¡°Oh, and I want to restfortably, so move all the nearby servants until before dinner.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The maid responded politely and left the room. This was the reason and excuse I used foring to Melford. Usually, ordering servants to bring the dresses would be effective enough, but it had been a while since I came to see my family. I would attend dinner after getting my hands on the scented candle. We would talk, and I would go back tomorrow morning. When I couldn¡¯t hear the maid¡¯s footsteps who left anymore, I immediately got out of my seat and left my room. I had no time to rest. The hallway was empty as I requested. Nevertheless, I was extra cautious and killed the sound of my footsteps. After being in my room all day, I headed to the Hall of Hallucinations. It was a ce where even stepping nearby was considered terrifying. Yet, there came a day that I came here by my own free will. After all, you never know where fate will lead you. My hand holding the iron door was trembling. I swallowed the saliva that was constantly stuck in my mouth. I was very nervous. My heart so fast that I¡¯m worried that it might explode. Whoo. I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down, then twisted my hand to turn the doorknob. Creaaaaakeeekkk- The iron door opened with an eerily icy sound. The sound was loud because it was an old door even though I opened it as slowly and carefully as possible. I was anxious about who may have heard it. After gulping again, I entered the room. There was a drastic difference in temperature inside the room. My body uncontrobly trembled in the air that seemed to be freezing beyond coolness. I tried to calmly search the room. There was thick dust between the ck bricks that made up the hall. On the left, numerous weapons were on disy. On the other side, there are countless iron bars and spaces for locking someone up. There had to be a scented candle somewhere here. I knew where the scented candles were. She always kept scented candles near iron bars. Uh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤? But there were no scented candles. I rubbed my eyes and looked around a few times to see if I was mistaken, but nothing changed. There are no scented candles¡­¡­¡­. Why? My head was panicking, flustered so bad I stopped thinking for a moment. My breathing got faster. I cooled my head by patting my heart. Now wasn¡¯t the time to be frightened. ¡®¡­¡­ Let¡¯s search some more first.¡¯ I wandered back and forth to find the candles, treading lightly, conscious of even the loud sound of my breathing. Instead the only thing that entered my eyes were weapons used for torture. As I was moaning, a bloody sword entered into my eyes. Seeing it, puzzled me. The blood that had undergone browning. The fact that this degree of browning has urred meant that about two days have passed since the blood was smeared¡­. It was chilling. [t1v: it¡¯s chilling that you know that] I felt a cool sweat run down my back, crawling over my goosebumps. It was a dreadfully eerie feeling. I tried to push the thought away, but what if I get caught?¡­ ¡®But wasn¡¯t this room only for stair?¡¯ I have never seen anyone other than stair enter this room. At that moment, a terrible wonder began to grow, and I struggled to ignore it. stair hasn¡¯t been back to Melford for a long time. I turned my head¡ªattempting to turn my mind away from my horrible imagination¡ª and looked around again in search of the scented candles. After a time, I started was getting fearfully anxious when nothing appeared after looking for a while. ¡°¡­¡­Mother!¡± It was Mikhail¡¯s voice. He made a loud voice announcing the arrival of the Duke of Melford. What the hell¡­? You shouldn¡¯t be here! *** Chapter 30.2 ¡°Oh, Mother!It¡¯s been a long since we sat down and had tea together. Why are you always so busy when I ask for us to dine together?¡± I heard Mikhail¡¯s voice again. My fingertips are shaking, and my whole body is cold. The voice was getting closer and closer. For some reason, it seemed that the Duke was walking straighting this way. An overwhelming sense of danger shook me. I heard a scream in my head, Stop now! Give up and run away! ¡°Mikhail, what¡¯s wrong with you today? Why do you suddenly want to drink tea with me?¡± ¡°Right¡­.. I want to start being a more filial son.¡± ¡°Go. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s enough.¡± The voice ¡­¡­¡­ it was right under my nose. I can¡¯t escape. If the Duke opens the door, she¡¯ll see me right away¡­. I looked around in panic, searching for a ce to hide. But I couldn¡¯t see any ce to hide in this wide-open space. ¡°I especially got my mother¡¯s favorite tea¨Cimported from the Eastern Continent! Please, let¡¯s drink it so I can show you your son¡¯s sincerity. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± ¡°Yes, then let¡¯s drink it togetherter.¡± Mikhail was spouting gibberish in embarrassment. His actions weren¡¯t helpful but rather suspicious. Creaaaakeeekkkk- My open mouth, parched, quivered. I couldn¡¯t make a sound, so he fumbled in the air. Although I usually sweat less, my body was an artic rainforest, perspiring a lot. I could feel sweat forming and beading on my forehead. There was no time to wipe it off. ¡°Mother!¡± Mikhail again called Duke Melford outside the door. He hurriedly grabbed her hand, turning the doorknob. ¡°In fact, I have something important I need to tell you right now.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, you must listen to it urgently.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I need your advice, Mother, about my new business.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we do thatter?¡± Please. Please. Please. I prayed so eagerly only a handful of times in this life, so desperate I was at this moment. ¡°Well t-that¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°Hah. My son is really bothersome.¡± And as if my wish hade true, no sound could be heard outside. I was frozen, alert, waiting a long time in case she came back¡­. but it was silent outside. Now is your chance. In a moment of relief, my body¡¯s strength suddenly fell. The moment I tried to take a step, my feet twisted. The body leaned forward. I hurried to regain my center and touched the wall to get my bnce back. At that moment- ¡°Huh¡­¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± Shoosh- The bricks were pushed back, and my hand fell through the wall. ¡®What is this¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡¯ A space was revealed inside the pushed wall. Purple scented candles lined up in the space. A tremendous number of incense candles filled my eyes, making my eyes turn into a swirl of dizzying unpleasant purple. Goosebumps crawled up my arms. She has so many scented candles. It will be used somewhere¡ªon someone in the future. I was reeling from that fact¡ª but pushed it behind me, pretending not to know, and picked up a scented candle. I made sure the same scented candle the Duke had prepared was in its original ce. Then, as my hand touched that scented candle, several aromatic candles fell to the floor. I nervously picked up the candles and put them in ce one by one. Creeeeaaakkkkeeekkk- The door opened with a strange sound. ¡°What is my daughter doing here?¡± It was the Duke of Melford. I doubted my ears. But I didn¡¯t have the courage to confirm the suspicion. All I had to do is turn my head. But my neck froze and wouldn¡¯t move. ¡°What¡¯s this thieving cat stealing?¡± There was only one thought in my head: I¡¯m screwed. I didn¡¯t think of anything else or what would happen next. My intuitive danger alert went numb. The hand holding the scented candle slipped and crashed against the wall and fell. A couple of scented candles that fell helplessly rolled over the floor and hovered around my feet; one bumped into her shoes. My head stiffened, and all my thoughts stopped. ¡°The room is very dark,¡± she smiled softly and picked up the scented candle from under her feet. I couldn¡¯t say anything to the Duke and could only numbly look on. She lit a magical fire on the wick. The dark room became bright, and a sweet and sick smell wafted from the candle. ¡°Now it¡¯s a little brighter.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°So Seri, can you exin what you were doing now?¡± I had to make an excuse. I had to get out of this situation quickly. But my head doesn¡¯t follow my wants. My eyes spontaneously turned to the door¡ªI want to run away. But I knew it was impossible. Mikhail is lying on the floor. He seemed unconscious, as if he had passed out. ¡°He was a little noisy, so I had to put him to sleep.¡± It didn¡¯t matter that he was her son. She was cutthroat. Her reason doesn¡¯t make any sense in the first ce. You knocked him out because he was noisy? How likely is it then that the Duke would show me mercy? She was a woman who knocked out her own son for a ridiculous reason. ¡®¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Did she notice something?¡¯ The Duke, who had gone out, suddenly returned home and headed straight to the Hall of Hallucinations. Despite Mikhail¡¯s dissuasion. It was suspicious behavior. ¡°By mistake of the attendants, letters were mixed up. I identally saw the letter you sent to Mikhail.¡± The Duke, who noticed my question, said as if it were nothing. Was it really an ¡®ident¡¯? It¡¯s frightening to think that maybe I¡¯ve been under surveince all this time. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know how surprised I was to see that letter. My lovely daughter¡¯s got some sort of n that I wasn¡¯t included in. And why is she acting like a thieving cat?¡± The Duke¡¯s gaze touched an incense candle that fell under my feet. Chapter 31.1 ¡°Oh?¡± She lightly stepped towards me. Cold air cut through my throat. The oxygen that allowed me to breathe, the ground that allowed me to stand, all felt threatening. Everything rang my rm bangs telling me that my life was over. The sound of the shoes that were ringing again against the stone floor stopped. I couldn¡¯t keep dragging my feet forever. ¡°I was wrong, Mother.¡± Thud. The sound of my dress rubbing and my knees hitting the floor were exceptionally loud. I knelt in front of her and acknowledged my fault. This is the best I could think of at this moment. ¡°Seri, I¡¯m not asking for an apology. I¡¯m asking why the hell are you trying to steal my candles.¡± My vision was swirling in a haze of candles. If I didn¡¯t concentrate, I wouldn¡¯t be able to know what to do or what to say. Only now did I figure out one more use for these incense candles. This scented candle is also perfect for interrogation. I bit the flesh inside my mouth to try and clear my mind. ¡°¡­¡­¡­I was wrong, Mother. I was blinded by greed, so I did something stupid. Recently, I had someone I wanted to brainwash. So, not thinking clearly, I did this thing in the heat of the moment.¡± I couldn¡¯t think of an excuse to get out of this situation. It was even more arduous because my mind was growing nk. There was no way I could get out of this situation. And if that was the case, it was better to be a ravenous person. I had always acted like that in front of her. ¡°You already have stair, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°stair is already mine.¡± ¡°Um¡­ my daughter is insatiable. So who is the person you want to brainwash?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s Hypron Ites.¡± Damn it. Why did you say his name? ¡°I wanted to trample that haughty, self-righteous attitude of his. So I did something that I really shouldn¡¯t have done¡ªI was impulsive. I¡¯m sorry, Mother.¡± She looked down at me quietly. I don¡¯t know what she was thinking, but it was clear it wasn¡¯t good. My vision was bing hazy. The continuing anxiety and tension were breaching my body¡¯s limits. My body was starting to sway. I suspected the power of her scented candle yed arge part, so control was swiftly slipping away. Two long shadows stretched over the floor were discerned with my flickering sight. A scene where a long shadow bent, on her knees, hitting the ceiling, I looked down, focusing on the shadows. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant scene. Looking at the shadows that illustrated Duke Melford and I like a dark mirror, a pretty amusing thoughtes to mind. What kind of facial expression will she have when stair is released from her brainwashing? It is a scene and a day I very much look forward to. ¡°I¡¯m d you admitted your fault right away.¡± The Duke is my ¡®biological¡¯ mother. Although I was hosted in her womb, we¡¯ve coexisted like strangers. My mother, who relentlessly cuts off and sadistically punishes those who cross the line¡ªeven her own children. We learn early we cannot afford to offend her. It wasn¡¯t a natural assumption. Thanks to that, it was clearer to hate her. Her cruelty made it easy not to get caught up and obsess over ¡®family.¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t think I raised you erroneously.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°But stealing is bad. Isn¡¯t it?¡± Maybe I¡¯m just a child you¡¯ve picked up? What birth mother has such hellish cold eyes when looking upon their children? I chewed the inside of my cheek so hard that the taste of fishy blood stains my mouth. ¡°Since you admitted your wrongdoing right away, I¡¯m not going to give you a severe punishment.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Thank you.¡± She bends down and gently touches my hair. I feel nauseous. I can¡¯t tell whether it¡¯s because she touched me or the scent of her candles. She said, ¡°I thought about cutting your hands so you could never steal again, but I don¡¯t want my daughter to be shunned in higher society.¡± It was hard to breathe now. I couldn¡¯t even hear what else she was talking about. I started to hallucinate. The scent became a pile of boulders pressing against my body. This is what stair has been suffering through. It was the moment I realized how utterly stupid my thinking had been. Because she is the viin of this novel, she is a great being who threatens the main characters. What a stupid idea I had? What good is it in the face of all this pain? In that regard, I, too, was a viin who survives to the end of this novel Regardless of the title, it¡¯s hard to endure the agony. ¡°Shall I pluck out your nails?¡± My fingernails seemed to grow in my drug-addled sight while cold sweat dripped loudly on the floor. I saw a zing me in my sight that asked to be annihted. If I turn that off¡­ This pain disappears. It¡¯s simple¡­ It¡¯s very simple. But I couldn¡¯t. The Dukeughed deeply as if she had noticed my gaze. ¡°You look very distressed.¡± The Duke hugged me and patted my back. At the unfamiliar sensation, I slowly blinked. It was the only means of expressing my feelings because I couldn¡¯t control the rest of my body. She bowed her head and kissed my forehead. Something soft rubbed my forehead and halted before my ear. *** Chapter 31.2 ¡°Seri, I love you the most.So don¡¯t cross the line.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°I think this will be enough for punishment.¡± The Duke let me go. I leaned against the wall and exhaled. I seemed to have be a rat trapped in a closed box. When Ipared myself to a mouse, I felt miserable. She got up from her seat and left my tunnel vision. Along with the sound of shoes, I heard the iron door closing with a rusty croak. ¡°Serina.¡± As my head fell, she turned to her side. I frowned at the bright lighting through the open door. ¡°Stay here. If I see signs of reflection and remorse, I¡¯ll let you go.¡± So I will never be able to leave? I had such a hopeless thought. My eyes gradually closed. Now I didn¡¯t have the strength to lift my eyelids. In addition to the Duke, one more person came in when my trembling eyshes started to obscure my sight. Marina. It was my mother¡¯s personal maid. ¡°Duke.¡± The light entering the room was gradually fading. I heard a sentence as the Duke was closing the door. ¡°The Duke of Agernia is here.¡± What? Creaaaaak¡ª m. The door was closed, and the light was cut off. Why did staire here? I wanted to hear what Marina was saying, but it was impossible. The door was sealed shut, and I felt I became mute. The only sound I heard was the flickering of a small fire. I struggled to move my body, but it was useless. My body fell on the floor, limp¡ªI couldn¡¯t move forward. Giving up was quick. Even more so because the scent wafting in the air was dulling my mind. A tiny corner of my mind hated to think the sweet scent of the incense was prating my head. I closed my eyes. I wanted to fall asleep and pretend I couldn¡¯t feel this cold numbing pain anymore. * * * I think I¡¯m half awake. I¡¯m half unconscious, and a corner of my mind seems present. My eyes are closed, but there¡¯s an excruciating sensation intact. My skin throbbed and burned as if thousands of needles stabbed me. But it wasn¡¯t as painful as before. Soon I could open my eyes, and I repeatedly blinked. The weapons disyed on the wall visible through the iron bars disappeared and appeared repeatedly. ¡°Did you do it?¡± A voice entering my ears surprised me. It was undeniable. ¡°You¡­¡­..Why are you here?¡± My tongue was stiff before. I didn¡¯t have full facilities, but now at least I could move my tongue, but my pronunciation was horrible. Sadly, it wasn¡¯t the time to be surprised by my improvement. ¡°Because I asked. Please let me in.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you are here.¡± Unlike me, who was full of misgivings, he was calm and collected. Come to think of it, I think stair may have arrived here before I closed my eyes. I thought I heard the sound of stairing in. There, my memory was cut off, and when I woke up, I was in stair¡¯s arms. As I stirred, a coat fell to the floor. ¡®Did you cover me?¡¯ As I rolled his eyes up, I saw stair, with his eyes closed and leaning his head against the wall. I rolled my eyes again and scattered my shaky sight around. I noticed one more difference. Location. I was leaning against a wall, but now¡­ We¡¯re surrounded by iron bars, so we must be in prison. I have no idea what is what. I¡¯m disoriented. ¡°stair, I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell youter, so now it¡¯s better to save your words and strength as much as possible right now. I know from experience, but it¡¯s less painful to breathe in as little scent as possible.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I put out the candles, but the scent still remains strong in the room.¡± ¡°Scented candles ¡­¡­?¡± [as in, she lit more than one?] ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I can light it again before I leave.¡± He kissed my forehead and tried to reassure me, but¡­¡­ As I looked around again now, without the tiny candle lights, the surroundings were even darker than before. ¡®No wonder.¡¯ I was better now than before I fell asleep. My stiff tongue was slightly loosened, and my body, which was difficult to control, is now moving ording to my will. ¡°Just go back to sleep.¡± He pressed my head against his chest. It was a morefortable alternative than the ground. However, unlike what he wanted, sleep did note easily. Pain blurred and forgotten for a while with a short nap, came back and stabbed me like a wave. I bit my lips hard. I¡¯m not the only one having a difficult time. stair¡¯s breath was also rough. He pretended to be calm, but he couldn¡¯t hide the cold sweat flowing along his jawline. His heartbeat was also not normal. Leaning my face on his chest, I heard his fast-beating heart. The sound of his heart thumping so hard it was threatening to explode. Sleep fled a long time ago at the resounding of such a psychotic noise. ¡°¡­¡­ It¡¯s loud.¡± But I didn¡¯t hate it. It was like the sound of an rm that awakened my increasingly dazed head, like a drum. ¡°What, do you mean?¡± ¡°The sound of your heart is so loud. I can¡¯t sleep because of it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± He looked at me at the absurd remark. ¡°I can¡¯t just stop a beating heart. Well, if you want, you can stop it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Meaning. Did you taste it too?¡± It seems that I¡¯m not the only one who has a nk head and spits out everything thates to mind. Even his face showed his sincerity. He often said extreme things, but this was just crazy. He seems perfectly willing to disconnect his head from his body to solve the problem quickly. Of course, I had no intention of giving up thisfortable position. My vision distorted, and my head was bing dizzy again when I struggled to open my eyes. I couldn¡¯t help but close my eyes. Chapter 32.1 ¡°¡­¡­stair?¡± After a long time, I opened my eyes again. The warmth surrounding my body just a while ago disappeared. I was leaning against the wall. I was alone. What about stair? Surely he was with me. ¡°¡­¡­Serina.¡± It was stair¡¯s voice. I turned my head in the direction of his call and saw stair eyeing the weapons on disy. I didn¡¯t see him before¡­ When did he go out of the cage? stair came to me with a well-forged ax with a sharp edge. He grabbed the iron cage door and opened it. ¡°Serina.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ What¡¯s wrong, stair?¡± ¡°I love you.¡± It was a sweet phase. What happened after that wasn¡¯t sweet at all. He raised his ax high as if touching the ceiling, then lowered it. A sh of silver passed through my eyes. Red sprayed all over the ce. The ax cut me deeply as if my body was going to split in half. I was deeply wounded. I vomited blood. Red stained at the hem of my dress. ¡°Ah¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± I couldn¡¯t figure out my situation, so a stupid sound flowed from my mouth. For a moment, I was in a panic. It¡¯s different from the pain I¡¯ve felt so far. It hurts. It hurts so much. I feel like I¡¯m going to die. My mind was splitting apart from the pain. It was so painful that I could neither bite nor say anything. I looked up at him, holding onto my abdomen, where trembling arms were trying to hold back the pouring thick blood. ¡®I love you, Serina,¡¯ He was smiling. He swung the ax again. My head waspletely crushed by the ax de. Surprisingly, I still didn¡¯t die. I should have died a long time ago. Probably from the moment he stroked my abdomen. Sadly, I wasn¡¯t allowed to ask questions. The ax flew again. stair was cutting my body into pieces with the brutal ax. I couldn¡¯t cry out due to the unstoppable pain, just hoping for an end to what he was doing. In the midst of the blood, a young stair approached me with bandages. He whispered as he hugged a piece of my shattered head and sulked. ¡°I love you, but why don¡¯t you love me?¡± The blood that ran out of my head got into my eyes and started to sting. As soon as I blinked, the young stair¡¯s neck was cut open by an ax. The boy¡¯s head fell, limp. And there was an older stair with a big ax staring at me without a word. I could make no sound because my mouth was smashed in and in fragments, but I screamed like crazy inside. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Seri, eh¡­!¡± I heard a voice calling me urgently. ¡°Serina!¡± ¡°¡­¡­stair?¡± stair hugged me tightly and cried my name urgently. Ovepping his affectionate face, I saw his cruel smile as he slew me before. ¡°Aahh¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± I pushed his chest and stepped back from him. What¡­ What happened? Now stair wasn¡¯t holding an ax. He was harmless. So what did I see before? The terrible pain is¡­ As stair leaned forward, my body quivered. It was due to learned fear. He gradually narrowed his distance with his knees. Even though it looked harmless everywhere I looked, I retreated from the fear that I could not easily subdue. The cold iron bars touched my back. ¡°¡­¡­Do note.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± He came up to me despite my rejection. He grabbed my wrist with a careful hand. I felt his nails press against my wrist. My heart was plunging to the ground and then flew into the sky. You have to be calm, Serina. I kept trying to maintain my reason by biting the inside of my soft mouth. Nothing was normal from the moment I entered this room. Am I finally crazy? ¡°Your pulse is fast.¡± His hand rubs around my wrist. He asked, ¡°What did you see?¡± ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± ¡°I woke up because you were gasping painfully¡­ I think I know roughly what happened.¡± He rubbed my shoulders. ¡°Did you see an illusion?¡± Was it an illusion? stair¡¯s appearance was alien. In addition to that, I saw even a young stair¡­ But¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤. ¡°It was not a fantasy. I felt pain.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a vision. The scent of that candle made me hallucinate too. The sensation of the nightmare is simr to the actual pain.¡± When I received his patting and verbal reassurance, I calmed down a little. However, anxiety soon came back. Looking up, my face was distorted in distress. I think this is real. He was simr to the stair I know. ¡°Then you¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Are you also a hallucination?¡± *** Chapter 32.2 This was literally the hall for hallucination. Just in case. The affectionate stair might suddenly change. There was nothing strange about him suddenly strangling me. ¡°Impossible. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not an illusion.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°Serina, I¡¯m with you now.¡± Maybe it was an auditory hallucination that I heard Marina say that stair arrived. ¡°We have ten minutes left. Just hang in there. By then, it will be clear whether I¡¯m an illusion or not.¡± His eyes were dim and hazy. Maybe he also had a nightmare. Maybe he¡¯s used to this situation more than I am, and he¡¯s pretending to be as calm as he can be because I¡¯m by his side. This ce was really crazy. How the hell did stair withstand it for such a long time? I stretched over his body. I was exhausted after going through the apparition. I tried not to fall asleep because I was afraid of the nightmare, but my body did not listen. * * * The fluttering wind tickled my hair. Rattle. As the floor shook, my body shook as well. My body was seized with the violent rush of vomiting¡ªI hurriedly grabbed my mouth. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Ret-retching. Blechhhh.¡± ¡°Serina¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± My stomach grumbled badly. I continued to vomit. It seemed out of nowhere. When my nausea didn¡¯t subside, stair stopped the carriage. Thanks to this, my swaying stomach calmed down a little. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°No, Serina.¡± He kept patting and stroking my back. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ I might throw up on your clothes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°No¡­¡­. I¡¯m not okay.¡± For a while, I was holding his thigh and groaning. By sheer will, I lifted my head and raised my body. ¡°Here¡­¡­ it¡¯s all done.¡± It was a bted reaction. I couldn¡¯t afford to look around because my body was struggling with pain. ¡°Well, then, now exin. Why on earth did youe here?¡± ¡°Before that, I¡¯d like to ask you first. Serina, what the hell did you do to get stuck in that room?¡± ¡°I asked you first.¡± ¡°Even so, I won¡¯t tell you until you tell me first.¡± ¡°You¡¯re cheap.¡± ¡°Now you know?¡± When we were trapped in a hallucination room, we hung on to each other as if we were everything, but now we couldn¡¯t talk about it at all. After a long internal struggle, I decided to talk first. I rummaged in my sleeves. A dull object came into my hand. ¡°I went to get this.¡± ¡°You stole it.¡± It was an aromatic candle. ¡°So you were caught then?¡± I nodded. His face hardened to my confirmation. ¡°¡­¡­What the hell? Why did you steal it?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it. If Igelto investigates the scented candle [t1v: if we drank every time she said ¡®scented candle¡­.], he¡¯ll know how to get rid of brainwashing. The more information he knows about it, the better medicine he can make¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Bamm¡ª The inside of the carriage was violently crumpled like a piece of paper. He looked furious now. ¡°Are you angry?¡± His eyes turned cold at once. He was looking at me at yet he wasn¡¯t looking at me at the same time. ¡°Isn¡¯t that elf making you suffer?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s because of you. It¡¯s all for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t understand you at all.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°You think I won¡¯t love you if I¡¯m freed from brainwashing. It doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way you wouldn¡¯t have thought about the ramifications after my brainwashing is erased¡­. Serina, assume it happens as you thought; I don¡¯t love you. But¡­ Isn¡¯t it too risky? ¡° ¡°What the hell are you trying to say?¡± I was always curious. Wouldn¡¯t it be good for him to free his brainwashing? But why is he so resistant and reluctant? ¡°What are you going to do after I¡¯m healed? With your mother¡¯s personality¡­¡­ I can¡¯t leave you alone. You know better than anyone else. If I do what you think I¡¯ll do, I won¡¯t be able to help you¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle my affairs on my own. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°Why are you doing such a reckless thing when you can¡¯t fully anticipate what¡¯s going to happen?¡± It¡¯s because of something as timeless and mundane as guilt. Pushing my life to the cliff because of guilt, I¡¯m so old-fashioned. ¡°Serina.¡± He called my name. ¡°By any chance¡­ Do you love me?¡± Bright purple eyes that can¡¯t read my mind stared at me. I wanted to turn my head away from him, but I couldn¡¯t¡ªfrozen, afraid that those strangely shining purple eyes would dig into me. Chapter 33 Do I Love You? Iughed in vain. Unfortunately, that day hasn¡¯te, and you¡¯ve been brainwashed. If I love you, I will be miserable. Hey. Even if the jewelry is beautiful and you might be fascinated by it, it was useless if it was fake. I won¡¯t bother getting it if the jewels are fake. I¡¯ll just look. Only the real thing has meaning. I have no intention of ying with a fake love that will evaporate the moment I release the brainwashing. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be.¡± It is clear that it was an impulsive deration. I denied his words. stair also expected my reaction; once he doesn¡¯t have to obey Melford anymore, his love for me will disappear as well. stair would also be at significant risk. Once she knew his brainwashing was lifted, the Duke of Melford would try to get rid of stair before venting her anger on me. stair would be the same. He has an undeniable hatred that cannot be overshadowed by the Duke of Melford. The puppet who escaped was out of the Duke¡¯s palm, who was once the owner of the doll¡­. Obviously, they would try to get rid of each other. This would be predictable enough; probably stair himself knew, but I didn¡¯t bother saying it. As I kept my mouth shut, a sigh burst out of him. ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about this, stair. We¡¯re just repeating the same things over and over, and it¡¯s not something that can be solved right away.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°And this is just a presumption of I think things will go; if things go as you say, nothing is wrong with it.¡± You say you¡¯ll love me even if your brainwashing is lifted? Then what was the problem? The brazen and shameless attitude made stair lose his words. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn to answer my questions, stair. Why did youe to the mansion?¡± * * * ¡®Your Grace, mydy has returned to the mansion.¡¯ The moment I heard that my heart went plummeted. In an instant, I felt like I was pulled down from the top of a tower, falling down an endless abyss. Why? I wanted to ask, but I sealed my mouth shut. There are too many unbelievable things to take in, but ¡®why¡¯¡­ if I asked that wouldn¡¯t it prove I didn¡¯t have a conscience? -You tried to kill me. Twice. Her using voice rang in my ear like tinnitus. It tormented me as if it never intended to let him go. However, I couldn¡¯t help but think I deserved to be distressed. I doubted Seri¡¯s words. But I don¡¯t remember what happened the days she mentioned. I tried hard to remember what happened at that time, but I couldn¡¯t remember anything. Other than a short story that came to mind. But even that was a cloudy memory. It was cloudy as if surrounded by fog. You have to remember it. Otherwise, I couldn¡¯t do anything right, whether it was an excuse, an exnation, or an apology. Then Serina left. She was rattled and scared. Maybe she will be gone¡­ forever. Now she could have grown sick of him and hated the idea of seeing him. He headed for the Duke of Melford¡¯s mansion in a hurry. To the ce he loathed. But he had to hold onto her. The person who greeted him at the ce where he ran hurriedly was not Serina. ¡®You¡¯vee?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­¡­¡¯ ¡®Looks like you¡¯re here to see Serina.¡¯ Although he left Melford, he never truly escaped. He was still stuck here. The reason was directly linked to Serina. ¡®But what to do? You can¡¯t meet her right now.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­Why?¡¯ Could it be that Serina refuses to meet him? So what should I do? If she keeps refusing, should I secretly go through her window? ¡®The child is being punished for making her wrongdoings.¡¯ ¡®Err? What does that mean?¡¯ Duke Melford looked at him with a piercing gaze and smiled. ¡®The child is now in the Hall of Hallucinations. She will drink the incense for a long time, so it will be difficult for her toe to her senses for a while.¡¯ The words make me react sensitively. Serina, who is in. Hall of Hallucinations. Incense. Serina. He didn¡¯t have a slow mind. No, rather it was on the pretty good side. It was natural to understand her words immediately but the Duke¡¯s words and his trauma rattled him, tunnel visioning her meaning and observing himself from above. ¡®Thirty minutes have passed since you came. The child wille out in about two and a half hours.¡¯ ¡®How¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡¯ Three hours¡­ ¡®Stop it.¡¯ It¡¯s a difficult time for yourself too, but the fragrance¡­ There was no way she could endure it, who had no immunity to it. What if she goes crazy¡­ No, what if she tries tomit suicide? If you¡¯re in it, you¡¯re crazy. I knew it well after years of experience. I hate to think about it, but in the worst case¡­ it was possible she could die. ¡®You don¡¯t want Serina to die.¡¯ If I had the heart, I could break her out by force. I wanted to, but it was impossible. Because of the damn brainwashing! My head hurts badly as if it is about to break. I can¡¯t even stand straight. It was a phenomenon that appeared when his heart wanted to attack the Duke and was overwhelmed with animosity towards her. I had no chance of defeating her in this state. ¡®She is not immune. Her life could be in danger.¡¯ All I can do is beg. *** ¡®Hmm.I guess since I¡¯ve seen and heard Seri, that child is indeed not immune.¡¯ She didn¡¯t have the eyes of a mother towards a child. It was said she gave birth to her but she was indifferent. For some reason, the fragrance of the perfumed candles did not work on the Duke. Perhaps because of that, she could not feel the power of her incense herself. She could only see when people were in pain. ¡®Oh, then how about this?¡¯ She suggested as if she had an interesting idea. The whole situation seemed to her nothing but entertainment. ¡®You go in there, too.¡¯ ¡®¡­..¡­¡¯ ¡® You¡¯re her dog, aren¡¯t you? Dogs should be with their owners. If you enter the room, I¡¯ll give you two less time¡ªan hour less. How about it?¡¯ stair gritted his teeth. If you express your hatred for her, the more you¡¯ll feel the pain of your head and body crushing. ¡®That¡¯s not a bad suggestion. I¡¯m not going to die for two hours. Even if one of us goes crazy.¡¯ You need to reduce the time! He was about to open his mouth with the intention of negotiating. But the Duke was faster than him. ¡®Don¡¯t open your mouth. I have no intention of negotiating with you.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m scolding my child, don¡¯t try to take advantage of it.¡¯ It was just a y of control, showing off that they were all in her palm. stair stared into her gray eyes. The Duke¡¯s strong steel eyes were unlikely to change no matter what stair suggested. ¡®¡­¡­ I promise,¡¯ he headed for the Hall of Hallucinations without hesitation. And there, I watched helplessly as she gasped in pain. She was in agony. There¡¯s nothing I can do for you. I can¡¯t help you. He also suffered from seeing various nightmares, but it was even more painful that nothing could be done for her. Finally, the agonizing time is over. He hugged her fainted, delicate body and left the mansion with a determination that he would never give up. Duke Melford simplyughed and didn¡¯t stop him. He had a hard time understanding what went through her mind. In his carriage, he waited and waited for Serina to wake up. He was afraid that she wouldn¡¯t be able toe to her senses after being drunk with the incense. I watched her with fear. Only the gentle sound of her breath stabilized him. When she finally woke up, he was happy However, in no time, the joy was reced with the opposite emotion. When she said, she went through all this trouble to clear his brainwashing. Her life was in danger because of what she was up to. It was extremely lovely to see her trying to unravel his brainwashing. He doesn¡¯t know how happy he is when she says ¡®it¡¯s for you¡¯ with those red lips. But he hated that she put herself in danger. The more she tried to release his brainwashing, the more she was in danger. So stair wanted to stop her. He said, ¡®What are you going to do after I¡¯m healed? With your mother¡¯s personality, she won¡¯t leave you alone¡­¡­ If I do what you think I¡¯ll do, I won¡¯t be able to help you¡­.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll handle my affairs on my own. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡¯ She said, don¡¯t worry. One phase. At that phase, he was angry. How can I not worry? I love you. She sometimes¡ª no, she always seemed to forget that. The future he drew is designed for her. I can¡¯t even think about life without her. She seemed to have a contradiction between knowing and not knowing. ¡°Why are you doing such a reckless thing when you can¡¯t fully anticipate what¡¯s going to happen?¡± I always wondered. stair knows how Serina feels about him. Affection and guilt. That¡¯s why she does this¡ªat least that¡¯s what she says. But that wasn¡¯t the Serina I knew. Seri never did anything out of guilt¡ªmore so, and she¡¯s never guilty. Indeed, she¡¯s a woman who values herself above others, even more in dangerous moments. So why? Why are you doing it for me? ¡®Serina.¡¯ A wild thought runs through my head. Love. stair¡¯s love and Serina¡¯s love were different. When he loves, he would never let the other person go. He sticks to the end. But Serina was different. ¡®Do you happen to love me?¡¯ Oh My God. What did I just say? I was surprised even though I spit it out myself. What ridiculous nonsense is that? There¡¯s no way that Serina would love me. It was simply wishful thinking. It will nevere true. ¡®No. I can¡¯t love you.¡¯ The answer returned was quick and decisive. Even though I already knew it, it tasted bitter. Was it so difficult to pretend to calm and casually reject loving me? Everything bes difficult in front of her. Indeed, if I didn¡¯t love you, everything would be easy. Chapter 34.1 By the time stair began to speak,the carriage had already set off, with the sun setting in the distance. Looking at the darkness spreading over the reddish sky, I thought it was beautiful. However, the story I heard from him was not beautiful like the sky. I couldn¡¯t distinguish whether it was the rumbling of the wagon that was making me nauseous or his story. I was so exhausted that I forgot to hand over the incense candle to Igelto and fell asleep as soon as I arrived at the mansion. I hibernated all day long, but still, even when I woke up, my body was weary and depleted as I had not slept a wink. My whole physique felt like an old wet rag. Like a corpse in a grave, I felt I could sleep forever. After a while of struggling to get up, I saw the sunset in the distance. It was a habit of mine to look out the window when I woke up and check the time. Did I only sleep for a few minutes? When I fell asleep, I was aware of the sun setting. It seemed so. ¡°Did you sleep well? You slept for two full days.¡± It was Igelto. Igelto was sitting on a chair by my bedside. ¡°What time is it now?¡± My throat was hoarse, and my voice sounded strange and husky to me. ¡°It¡¯s seven o¡¯clock in the evening.¡± Ah. I slept for two days. This was my first time I had done such a thing. What would have happened to me if stair didn¡¯t turn off the scented candles at that time? Or if I had inhaled a thicker, more powerful candle? I could have easily died; I shuddered at the thought. ¡°He was adamant that if you didn¡¯t wake up, my neck wouldn¡¯t be safe.¡± He touched his neck with an expression of fatigue. ¡°I understood that this ce is also not safe.¡± He acted as if it was a light joke with a smile. ¡°Is your body okay? No, of course not.¡± He reached out his hand and rubbed the center between my breasts. His hand went down little by little, and he pressed down on one spot. ¡°Ugh! It hurts¡­.¡± He didn¡¯t press hard, but a dull and acute pain pierced me as if I was slowly stabbed. ¡°Are you in pain? Of course, you are.¡± He lifted his hand and leaned a little closer to me. ¡°Remember. If you breathe Amalion, it hurts there for a while.¡± I recalled when after stair came out of the Hall of Hallucinations, he always clutched the center of his chest. His shirt would be so crumpled that it was hard to excavate its original form for how much he clenched it. Even so, I had remained ignorant. Even though his wrinkled shirt was telling me about his pain, I hadn¡¯t recognized it. My obliviousness could only give rise to a self-disparagingugh. ¡°Haaaa *sigh*¡­¡­. I wouldn¡¯t have asked you to bring me a scented candle if I knew this would happen. I¡¯m sorry.¡± His face was nk as usual, with a shadow cast over it. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry. I did it because I wanted to.¡± If I wasn¡¯t prepared to risk to this degree, how could I even have started? This was just momentary pain necessary to taking one step closer to releasing his brainwashing. ¡°¡­¡­For the time being, you¡¯re going to be drowsy and sleepy. You¡¯ll be too fatigued to carry on as usual.¡± I had the same symptoms as stair. When he inhaled a lot of incense, he had shown the signs Igelto illustrated. He had looked at me with blurred eyes and slept a lot, recovering after a few days. ¡°Can I get better in time for the banquet?¡± ¡°Banquet? When is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about a week from now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say I think that you¡¯ll get better before it,¡± he smiled, joking in reassurement. ¡°Oh, and I have some good news.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I analyzed theposition of the scented candle while you were sleeping, and it looks like I can make a remedy.¡± It was indifferently delivered, but there was an underlying joy. Igelto gazed at me, smiling. ¡°Serina?¡± When I didn¡¯t respond, he called out to me in worry. But I couldn¡¯t say anything. Talking should be easy, all I had to do was move my tongue, but nothing came out. I¡¯m happy. I¡¯m so happy. My eyshes trembled as I looked down, trying to contain my joy. After a moment, I raised my trembling eyes and I brightly smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong, Igelto?¡± He blinked his lids as if they were heavy, looking dazed, his face looked nk as if he fell asleep at my words. [t1v: looks like he¡¯s fell in a different way] ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯ve never seen you smile like that.¡± As he felt happy, I felt the same way. ¡°By the way, I don¡¯t remember delivering the scented candle to you. How did you get them?¡± ¡°He gave it to me, didn¡¯t you know?¡± stair? I never thought that stair, who always had a displeased look at my work with Igelto, would deliver incense candles in my stead. He¡¯s always helping me with what I do, and I often took it for granted, but this time it seemed a little strange. * * * *** Chapter 34.2 The texture of the cold and rough bricks was felt in every corner of her hand. Duke Melford gently swept the ce and stilled her hand. She pushed the bricks, and the surrounding bricks moved in, revealing a hidden space inside. There was a myriad of scented candles on disy. She habitually counted the number of scented candles. The number ¡¯57¡¯ was exactly right. But why did something feel off? ¡®I stole because there is someone I wanted to brainwash.¡¯ Her own daughter knew her limits. She was a wise child who knew the boundaries well and knew how to take care of herself. Then why would she touch her scented candles? She wasn¡¯t so rash and reckless. Well, it didn¡¯t matter now. She wiped the dust umted on the candles. ck dust got on her fingers, and she frowned. She hasn¡¯t done anything yet, but the remaining time is tight. As she lifted her hand from the space and stepped back, the bricks moved back into ce. ¡°Duke, a letter has arrived.¡± When she saw the letter in the hand of her maid, Marina, the Duke¡¯s eyebrow furrowed into a frown. It was because of that damn seal stamped on the letter. That pattern with arrows in the eagle¡¯s heart. She¡¯s already sick of it. She had snatched the letter. [How long do I have to wait? I¡¯ve been waiting as long as I can. I¡¯m losing my patience. If you keep doing this, this side won¡¯t be able to stand still. It¡¯s breaking down from the inside. I¡¯m doubtful if I should trust and wait for you.] Courtesy was hard to find after soaking her eyes in the letter. The paper was crushed in the Duke¡¯s hand. She threw it away randomly. Marina picked it up carefully. Duke Melford clicked her tongue in annoyance. She left the room in a huff with angry steps. There was the sound of Marina carefully closing the door from behind. Her heels hit the floor sharply as if they represented her feelings. ¡°Hey, but where are we going?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Somehow it will work.¡± It was a little louder than a whisper. It was the sound she heard when she tried to go up the stairs. Duke Melford turned her head in the direction of the words. Her twin sons were wandering in the hallway. The two children were carrying two thick bags as if they were going to leave. ¡°Are you sure we¡¯ll be alright?¡± They noticed that the Duke was nowhere to be found. The Duke smiled quietly at her sons. It was time to take advantage of those children. * * * As soon as I got up, I went to visit stair. There was no particr reason. I was worried if our outfits would match for the uing banquet. No, honestly, I missed him and wanted to see him. After opening the door wide, I realized I had forgotten to knock You can¡¯t keep one simple etiquette out of excitement, I thought to myself disparagingly. ¡°stair?¡± My excitement quickly turned into disappointment. He wasn¡¯t in the room. The red-carpeted room was messy. There was only old, luxurious furniture, but no stair. Ssh- I was looking around the room with regret when the sound of water entered my ear. It came from the bathroom. ¡®You must be washing up.¡¯ I felt a little embarrassed, but I decided to be brazen. I plopped into his bed and sat down. I had a splitting headache again. I struggled to ignore the shallow pain; now I wanted to be happy rather than sick. My eyes studied the room to examine his taste. An unexpected ce caught my eye. A bandage was sticking out of a trash can. I got up from my seat to check it out, and I lowered myself to scrutinize it. It was a bloody bandage. The shock short-circuited my brain. Click¡ª. There was a sound of a doorknob spinning. ¡°Serina?¡± I shifted my gaze from the bandage to him. After washing, his skin was damp. Water dripped from his wet hair flowed through his cheeks. He came out with a rough bathrobe on but was embarrassed because I was in the room. ¡°What is this?¡± I nced at the bandage in the trash can. ¡°Ah. I was injured a few days ago in a fight.¡± stair said as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal, but it didn¡¯t seem that way to me. It was strangely annoying. Is there anybody who could hurt stair in the first ce? I am not overestimating him. As far as I know, only the male protagonist was a match for stair. But it was too early for them to confront each other. Then there is only one person left. ¡®Mother.¡¯ ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± Hebed back his wet hair with a smile. He opened the bottom of his robe, slightly showing off his white abdomen, and muscr nks, and minor wounds that were healing. I reached out and gently stroked the area. ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡± ¡°¡­.. It¡¯s okay now.¡± He covered his face with his hands. His ears were all red. Oops. Only then did I be aware of my actions. It was an unconscious act. ¡°I¡¯ll change my clothes.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯lle backter.¡± I left the room, trying as hard as I could to avoid looking at him. The thought constantly floated in my head while I walked down the hall. The ¡®blood¡¯ I saw on the weapon that I saw thest time I went to the mansion came to mind. What if it was stair¡¯s blood? Perhaps the timing is just a coincidence, but the timeframe fit just right with the browning of blood. From observing the color, I could guess the date and time¡­. It was when stair strangled me. Was it a coincidence? This spection was reasonable because the only person locked up in the Hall of Hallucinations was stair. Prisoners were locked up in different areas. The Hall of Hallucinations was designed and built strictly for stair. My thoughts flowed¡­ What if stair actually went to the Duke of Melford¡¯s estate for ¡®something¡¯¡ªwas this while he was out of his mind? It¡¯s a sufficiently convincing hypothesis. Then what is that ¡®something¡¯? There is one more question. stair said he got ¡®injured in a fight.¡¯ If my hypothesis is correct, he lied to me. So why is he lying? Are you being threatened? ¡®I need more clues.¡¯ I can hardly get a hint. While immersed in my thoughts, I reached the front of my room. I sat down with the chair behind the table. I¡¯m not sure whether stair was hiding something from me, so I couldn¡¯t argue with him. I sighed. I don¡¯t know anything. Tap tap tap tap. Full of turmoil, my fingers struck the table. Chapter 35.1 ¡°Wow.¡± It was surprising that the reply to my letter came in a day, but what was even more surprising was the letter¡¯s content. [It¡¯s regrettable that our trust was only this much. You don¡¯t seem to believe me, so I¡¯ll send my two sons. When I give you what you want, you can nicely let my sons go. What do you think? I¡¯ll send my most precious children, so I hope you won¡¯t say that you don¡¯t believe me. Instead of saying that time is too limited to be generous, perhaps one should learn how to wait. ] The man swept his light blue hair, looked at his letter, andughed loudly. I knew she was crazy, that one viiness but I could have never predicted that she would send her two sons as hostages. The man, Pien, quietly put the letter down on the desk and exited the room. If the author of the letter realized what he had stolen from her, his throat wouldn¡¯t be attached to his body for long. To put it nicely, whether it¡¯s because of Pien¡¯s free-spirited spontaneous personality or badly, because of his shortsightedness¨Che often was bold. He just acted with a simple thought: Don¡¯t get caught. There is only one reason why a man who lives with simple thoughts hadsted in this shady ce for so long. Because he was strong. ¡°Hey, Pien!¡± A loud voice called Pien down the corridor, with a cheerful skip. The greeting belonged to a person Pien loathed the most. ¡°Why are you calling me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance. A chance to make a contribution.¡± This bullshit again. Pien did not hide the disgust on his face. ¡°What¡¯s with that sour look on your face? Do you dare ignore me?!¡± He heard a shrieking yell but wasn¡¯t intimidated at all. Rather, it reminded Pien of an ignorant fly buzzing around loudly. Pien rubbed his itching ears and sent a sharp look to the man. The man was strongly oppressed by his stare and trembled. Wimp. Pien looked down on the man andughed on the inside. The man gulped and opened his mouth without retreating. ¡°As I said before, the people here are cowards who don¡¯t have enough conviction to move. Because of them, warlocks have no face.¡± It was a self-serving interpretation. The reason warlocks did not take action was not that they were scared but because it was not yet time to move. ¡°Let¡¯s stand up and kidnap the saint while those idiots are hiding under the covers. Then we¡¯ll be the highlight of the ball!¡± Pien clicked his tongue against his teeth when he saw the man spitting out his ns in a fit of excitement. Was he always this much of an idiot? I was a moron myself, but this was more than that. I felt like parts of my brain were decaying while listening to this man talk about things he knew nothing about. Pien ignored him and walked past him. ¡°Hey! Wait¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± Did you not think that you would be ignored by spewing such bullshit? The man was flushed with the shame of being ignored by Pien. ¡°You¡¯ll regret it for missing this opportunity, you idiot!¡± You¡¯re going to kill the saint? If he¡¯s nning on murder, he would be making colorful and borate ns¨C earning a bad name for warlocks. The wizard frowned. Pien¡¯s chance encounter with the man irritated him. But, as usual, his irritation was soon quickly forgotten. Insignificant things were always promptly erased from his memory. Pien stopped at a rusty door. The old door made Pien guess the condition of the room inside. ¡°Still, they grew up as precious young masters¡ª I¡¯ll give you a better room.¡± It was a tone of regret, but his countenance belied his joy. This was a prohibited area. Regardless, Pien didn¡¯t care; he grabbed the doorknob and turned it. Buzz- The magic in the room rejected him, but Pien simply dismissed the magic. ¡°Hi?¡± As expected, the two precious young masters were bound together. ¡°Who are you?¡± A boy with a nasty temper answered his greeting. When the boy, Carron, saw Pien appear out of nowhere, he felt his anger rise again. Damn mother! Since the time of stair¡¯s¡ªand maybe his own?¡ª brainwashing, she didn¡¯t seem normal¡­ but how could she not read this from the og trantors site and even reach out to hurt her own family! Still, he¡¯s her child. He didn¡¯t expect his usual thoughts toe back as thorns. ¡°Now, let me go! Take it off¡ªLet me go, you bastard!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, no can do.¡± ¡°What?! Then get the hell out! Son of a bitch!¡± It was natural that unruly Carron couldn¡¯t stand his anger and yelled. Maxion bound up next to Carron, sighed. He was also frustrated with being tied up, but he was with his damn crazy loud brother, who made his ears ring. If he was going to be a prisoner, he wished they had locked him up in his own cell. ¡°Hey, can I ask a question?¡± Unlike Carron, who yelled and panted, Maxion kept his reason and calmly opened his mouth. ¡°Why are we imprisoned here?¡± ¡°Well. Knowing the reason won¡¯t change anything, do you need to know?¡± ¡°Yes, at least I think it¡¯s better to know than not to know.¡± Pian looked closely at the boy who spoke, unlike the irate boy next to him. That¡¯s weird. Why did he look so familiar? He walked towards Maxion, who gulped as he was confronted with Pian¡¯s overbearing aura. It said that if you are stupid, your courage is tall. That waspletely Carron¡¯s story. But that wasn¡¯t Maxion. Even if he wasn¡¯t very smart, he was an independent thinker. It was natural for him to feel raw fear here. ¡°Yeah? But guess what? I¡¯m not your savior or here to answer your questions. I¡¯m here to satisfy my own curiosity.¡± What an asshole! Pien grabbed Maxion¡¯s chin as heined internally. Maxion¡¯s frowned due to Pien¡¯s heavy-handedness. Pien looked closely at his face; he wouldn¡¯t have been interested in it normally, but he wanted to jog his memory. Oh, I remember. No wonder. The woman he saw at the ve auction. *** Chapter 35.2 Her clumsy disguise as a man had been ridiculous, but even in that getup, she was beautiful thanks to her fascinating appearance. So this boy is her brother? Or a person that happens to resemble her? ¡°You said you came to satisfy your curiosity, so what¡¯s your question?¡± Maxion inquired while he held his chin high. ¡°Ah, that? The Melford family is a magician family, so isn¡¯t your blood special?¡± What the hell is that supposed to mean? Maxion, who was trying to pull his face away, froze in realization: Sister Seri! Older brother Mikhail coveted Serina¡¯s blood, but he didn¡¯t know why. The Melford Dukedom, who had produced wizards for generations, would indeed have a unique lineage. For instance, Serina. This man¡¯s words sounded eerily simr to Mikhail¡¯s, who said she had the most attractive blood. At that time, due to Maxion¡¯s distaste, he saw his brother blinded by his enthusiasm for his experiments. Maxion couldn¡¯t help but think he was trash coveting his sister¡¯s blood, so his words went into one ear and out the other. Tactless Carron also grew silent at the man¡¯s words. ¡°Special blood¡­ Isn¡¯t he talking about Sister Seri?¡± Carron whispered into Maxion¡¯s ear, trying to be discreet¡ªbut it seemed Pien picked up on his words. Hey, you idiot! If Pien had not been there, Maxion would have shouted at Carron. ¡°I need your special blood, but I guess your sister has it.¡± Ah. What an interesting coincidence. Let¡¯s meet these kids¡¯ older sister. By meeting, you¡¯ll find out whether or not she was the same woman you met at the ve auction house. And above all¡­ You can get your hands on special blood. Maxion gulped when he saw Pien sky-blue eyes shined like a child who found something fascinating. He felt it instinctively. Sister Seri was in danger because of his stupid twin brother¡¯s mistake. *** Finally, it was the day of the International Royal banquet. I sat in front of the mirror and looked at myself indifferently. The red dress was more beautiful than I had expected. ckce, beautifully embroidered with a rose pattern, descended from my corbone and enfolded around my cleavage. Although the ne was low, it looked elegant. The embellishments descending from the sides harmonized without being overdone or distracting. On the hem was a fine powder made of ground-up gems, sparkling brilliantly under the light. The design of the dress was alluring, further enhancing its sophisticated tempting sex appeal by the red color. It was so gorgeous that it seemed a bit burdensome and too shy. But contrary to my concerns, the maids who helped me dress up were busy praising me. ¡°Oh my! You are so beautiful! At today¡¯s banquet, surely you¡¯ll be the most stunning, mydy¡ªno one will be able to look away!¡± ¡°The Duke will have a hard time protecting the youngdy from countless suitors!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be the main star at today¡¯s ball for sure!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she so dazzlingly beautiful? Won¡¯t all the attendees be blinded?¡± They ttered me, exaggerating. It didn¡¯t affect my confidence but all the praise was too much and starting to get on my nerves. ¡°Beauty is worthless.¡± I saw my appearance and threw words of frustration. Igelto came into my room after I finished up. ¡°Aren¡¯t you too skinny? You look like branches dressed in human clothes.¡± Several pairs of terrified gazes immediately struck him. At that moment, Igelto quietly shut his mouth. -Knock knock ¡°Mydy, it¡¯s time to depart now.¡± I checked the time. The clock informed me that I was alreadyte. ¡°stair must have been waiting for quite a while.¡± The maids reassured me, saying that it is natural to make stair wait a long time when ady was getting ready for an event. It was a privilege and his pride to wait on a beautiful woman¡ªso said the owner of the mansion. I bid farewell to the maids and Igelto and approached the carriage waiting in front of the mansion. stair stood in front of the wagon. The sun was setting, and the cold wind started to blow. Why are you standing here and struggling? His red face due to the chilly wind, turned even redder when he saw me. His eyes widened as if astonished. I tried to talk to him out of concern, but it was stair who opened his mouth first: ¡°As expected, I can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to attend the banquet.¡± ¡°What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know how hard it was for mest year.¡± stairmented under his breath. I don¡¯t know what he was talking about, so it just sounded like gibberish to me, but I had an inkling he was ming me. ¡°Why are you so unnecessarily pretty¡­?¡± When stair grumbled in dismay, only then I understood why he wasining to me. Dumbfounded by the realization, I quickly burst withughter like a deted balloon. ¡°Now¡­ are you being jealous?¡± Come to think of it, stair seemed perturbed by a mysterious problem atst year¡¯s banquet. With what qualifications did you reject the young men who asked me for dance? ¡°Are you really just figuring that out now?¡± I swallowed my saliva. Please, I hope you don¡¯t do that at this banquet. At this rate, all of my personal connections would be cut off by stair. ¡°If you know that now, look at me a little more. Before I make an ident.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see you because I¡¯m looking forward to seeing what kind of idents you¡¯ll make.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do that, Serina.¡± stair carefully tugged my cheeks and made direct eye contact with me with his intense gaze. His purple eyes shed dangerously. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind if time stopped here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ such unpleasant words.¡± I pushed stair away and entered the carriage. I sat down and looked at him, still standing outside. ¡°What are you doing there?¡± I tapped on the seat next to me and beckoned him with a light hand gesture. What¡¯s this? stair looks as if he¡¯s bewitched. ¡°Come here, stair.¡± I smiled with an obvious intention to seduce. He chucklednguidly as I winked at him calctingly. Despite his attempts to draw the corners of his mouth down, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. The tails of his mouth stood constant at a happy angle. ¡°¡­¡­Really, you¡­¡± He shook his head,menting, and covered his mouth with his hand. His big hand covered his face that looked lovely and on the verge of losing his reason. Chapter 36.1 The inside of the banquet hall was warm. It wasn¡¯t that hot, but I could feel my face get flushed. The brilliantly glittering chandelier and its light reflection off splendid shiny statues made me squint and close my eyes. As I opened my eyes, Juliana, the saintess, and I identally met each other¡¯s gazes. Her eyes smiled at me. She seemed busy talking to people from the temple. ¡°Lady Melford, your dress is so beautiful.¡± A voice from my side drew my attention. It was a group of youngdies. ¡°Your outfit¡­. Did you match it with the Duke of Agernia? Is that a couple outfit?¡± What an extraordinary coincidence. The design of the dress I wore was subtly simr to stair¡¯s. When I had first seen his outfit I thought it looked simr to mine but had dismissed my thoughts as wishful thinking. No, it couldn¡¯t be. ¡°No. It¡¯s just happenstance.¡± ¡°Oh my. Is it a coincidence? It looked like a couple¡¯s look¡­.¡± She seemed convinced that we were doing a couple¡¯s look. I didn¡¯t bother trying to persuade her. I doubt speaking would work. I turned my head towards stair. Naturally, many aristocrats swarmed around him. stair rarely participated in banquets, so plenty of nobles wanted to be introduced to him. ¡°Are you two courting?¡± A youngdy who could not hold back her curiosity asked openly; her friend red at her for her breach of manners. But in the end, they both looked at me with inquisitive eyes full of anticipation for my answer. ¡°No. It¡¯s just we¡¯ve been friends since childhood,¡± I said dryly. The girls¡¯ sparkling eyes grew dim with disappointment at my sour reply. Many others were pretending not to eavesdrop released a breath with relief. stair had a talent for captivating people. Thanks to that,dies continued to fly towards him. -¡°You must be delighted to be so popr, huh?¡± When we were younger, I looked at him and teased him of his bewitching ways. -¡°Then what are you going to do? I¡¯m not popr with you.¡± I had clicked my tongue at his displeased face. It was a memory from my childhood. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Youngdies were chatting next to me when someone approached me with a question. ¡°I was wondering what Madame nche¡¯s design the Lady Melford would wear. It¡¯s an exquisite dress.¡± It was Erzea Sylvania. She was a friend to the heroine Juliana. If it goes ording to the original story, she loved stair and hated his beloved Serina. Her goal was to hinder her enemy, Serina and interfered with her affairs while she informed Juliana of everything. ¡°Thank you, Lady Sylvania. Lady Sylvania¡¯s dress is also stunning.¡± ¡°By the way¡­.. did you two dress as a couple?¡± Ugh. Did you approach me to ask this? She had the same reaction as those girls before. Are our outfits that simr? ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence.¡± My denial did not look suspicious, and I smiled brightly¡ªmainly because I enjoyed watching her stomach turn due to her unpleasant personality. ¡°But aren¡¯t your outfits too simr for it to be a simple ident?¡± ¡°So what would thedy like me to say? I replied no because it isn¡¯t. And if it was really a couple look, there¡¯s no reason to hide it, right?¡± I retorted and nced discreetly at stair¡¯s clothes. He turned his head. Ekk! My heart leaped. He caught me staring. His red lips drew a pleased line. I turned right away. Erzea Sylvania entered my sight again. ¡°I apologize for the misunderstanding, Lady Melford. But it¡¯s better to be careful next time. If the ensembles are simr, the Duke could be embarrassed. I¡¯m just saying this because I¡¯m just worried about yourdyship.¡± You¡¯re worried about me? Bullshit. She was subtly ming me that my dress resembled stair¡¯s Why is it my fault when Madame nche designed my dress?¡­ Surely not? As far as I know, stair also gets his clothes at Madame nche¡¯s dressing room. It was highly likely that Madame nche intentionally gave a simr suit to stair. Madame nche was convinced that there was something between stair and I. How annoying. To think such a big incident would ur because I didn¡¯t bother correcting her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I know the Duke of Agernia doesn¡¯t get embarrassed by these little things, and he doesn¡¯t care.¡± You¡¯re the only one that¡¯s sensitive. Erzea¡¯s eyebrows went up. She unfurled her fan quickly, trying to cover up her distorted expression. ¡°And if you keep saying that they are simr ¡­. I think that would be offensive to Madame nche.¡± Every artist wants their work to look creative and original, especially when it came to Madame nche, who had a high degree of pride in her work. ¡°She said that this dress was one of her masterpieces of which there are only enough to be counted on the fingers on her one hand. Wouldn¡¯t she be saddened to hear your assessment of her work?¡± I made the most troublesome expression possible. Several pairs of eyes pointed towards Erzea, but then they immediately lowered their eyes. It¡¯s not hard to sway fickle people. ¡°Oh my! Is this a dress designed by Madame nche herself?¡± ¡°A dress that is counted on Madame nche¡¯s fingers¡­¡± Their concerned looks turned to gasps and exmations ¡°But Lady Melford¡­.¡± ¡°Young Master Mikhail Melford arrives!¡± I looked right at the door. Erzea was speaking, but it was as if a fly was buzzing. All the sounds and noises of the banquet hall blurred out to an indistinguishable din. My nerves were all over the ce. After I left the Melford mansion, I had written him many letters. I was really anxious about him, so I wrote several letters to him, feeling apologetic that Duke Melford would have punished him. [I¡¯m sorry.] [Are you okay, brother?] This sentence was repeated countless times. Every time I wrote down each letter, it was as if there were thorns on the pen I held; my hand hurt in guilt. [I¡¯m okay.] I knew you were only trying to appease me. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡± ¡°Ldy?!¡± Erzea cried as if she didn¡¯t believe what she heard and thought it absurd. I slipped past them. *** Chapter 36.2 Mikhail¡¯s eyes widened when he found me.He had a bright smile as usual. So I felt even more sorry. It was I who had asked him to help me. I regret it. It won¡¯t happen again in the future. Never. Let¡¯s not involve him in my work. ¡°I missed you, big brother.¡± ¡°You? Me?¡± He asked in disbelief, his eyes dazed. I nodded. ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡± ¡°Of course. You know how healthy I am. Unlike you, who has bezy, I am diligent and train my body everyday.¡± When I boasted, I looked fine. ¡°I¡¯m delighted you are okay. But big brother, where are Carron and Maxion? ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± He stretched and rubbed his neck as if it was like pulling teeth to talk about it. ¡°I don¡¯t know. They ran away from home.¡± ¡°What?¡± It was unfathomable. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤What?¡± ¡°They ran away.¡± There was no point in doubting his words. The dark circles under Mikhail¡¯s eyes and his sour crumpled expression proved to me that he was troubled. ¡°What the hell were you doing while those kids were leaving? ¡°I didn¡¯t know! These crazy rascals prepared very thoroughly! When I noticed, they were already out of the capital? All I left behind was a single note saying, ¡®Don¡¯t look for us for the time being!¡¯¡± ¡°So, how long have they been away?¡± ¡°¡­¡­It hasn¡¯t been a week.¡± ¡°Insane.¡± Conscious of where we were, I strived to mask my reaction and turn my twisted expression into a peal of softughter. ¡°So, are you making any progress?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± ¡°I think they prepared it well in advance. The twinspletely erased their tracks, and all their traces were eliminated.¡± Where the hell were those two troublemakers¡­. If they really intended on going far, they would have crossed the border a while ago. If they were just wandering around, they would be near the mansion. ¡°Don¡¯t worry because I¡¯m looking hard for them.¡± ¡°Strangely, no matter what big brother says, I don¡¯t have much faith.¡± ¡°Hey, what do you mean¡­¡± Mikhail looked disheartened. ¡°Duke Aitez is entering!¡± The banquet hall was ame with murmurs. A man with red hair entered the hall in the spotlight and entered with everyone¡¯s attention on him. He had a significant presence that drew people¡¯s eyes to him. Hypron naturally turned his head. His bright yellow and golden eyes reached me by chance. Was it my illusion that his golden eyes shone with a sparkle and glint? While he held my gaze with his own, his lips pulled themselves into a smug arc and opened slightly and silently. Found you. Shocked, I turned my head away. I hide my identity during the ve auction; there was no way to recognize me¡­ That¡¯s a stupid idea. Remember to be cautious and wary at any moment. If I was really unlucky, he might have noticed my identity. I didn¡¯t want to get involved with him anymore. ¡°Big brother, tell me about your search endeavourster.¡± ¡°What? Hey, hey¡­! Where are you going¡ªagain!¡± Hypron¡¯s eyes were still on me. I went to a corner, trying to avoid the unweed gaze. Countless nobles wouldn¡¯t hide my appearance. ¡®Let¡¯s go to the terrace.¡¯ Do you need to hide in a corner? It was also hectic and warm because of the hot, busy air in the banquet hall. I decided it wouldn¡¯t be bad to go outside to a cold breeze. I walked to the terrace. I feltfortable in the outside air. Indeed, at that very moment, I had an overwhelming urge to untie my stuffy corset. ¡®When will it end?¡¯ I¡¯ll have to wait a little longer and then ask stair to leave. While enjoying thefort of the terrace, music flowed outside from the banquet hall. Probably the nobles started dancing with each other. It befitted the tastes of many aristocrats but not me. I still remembered the music I listened to in Korea so this was all very dull and boring to me. ¡®I¡¯m thirsty.¡¯ I haven¡¯t even been allowed a sip of water since this morning because I had to keep a good line when I wore my dress. I couldn¡¯t feel thirsty in the banquet hall because I was very tense, but now, I felt parched. As I entered the banquet hall, I saw several pairs of men and women dancing. I saw Juliana watching them, her eyes shining likenterns. Today she entered the banquet with the people from the temple, but from the next feast, she would be escorted by Hypron. Today¡¯s banquet is where the two hearts will meet. ¡°Here.¡± I summoned a servant carrying a ss on the tray. He nonchntly handed me the ss. Unlike the sweet smell peculiar to wine it¡¯s bitter taste spread in my mouth. I nced around while drinking. The red-haired man was staring intensely at me. Oh. Crap. Eye contact. Fucking Hypron Aitez. As I tried to look away from the burdensome gaze, the Hypron took a step toward me. No way. Surely¡ª- I hoped I was wrong, but I wasn¡¯t. He was so eye-catching that numerous nobles looked at the path he was taking as if they were possessed. The distance between him and I gradually narrowed until he came very close. ¡°Lady Melford.¡± He looked at me and smiled, revealing his white teeth. It was a neat smile, but there was an element of ferocity as if a beast was baring its teeth at me. ¡°Would you give me the honor to dance with you?¡± He bowed slightly and reached out his hand. I tried to look at him as calmly as possible. I tried to raise my lips to smile, but my insides were burning me from the inside out. ording to the original story, it was Juliana, not me, that he approached for a dance. Whether he inquires of Juliana or not, it¡¯s none of my business. The problem was that the original was twisted and fell on me. What the hell are you thinking? Why are you asking me to dance? I had no way of knowing what this man was thinking, so my whole body became stiff with tension. Chapter 37.1 Gasps eruptedfrom the surrounding area. ¡°Isn¡¯t thatdy Melford¡­..?¡± ¡°I think so. Duke Aitez has never requested a dance from any other woman before.¡± I was baffled. I had danced with Hypron before. I¡¯ve even turned down his request to dance a few times before. But why me, now? Why not ask other youngdies? Before I would have epted his offer without hesitation, but after the events at the auction, I was reluctant. Every move he made was suspicious. Maybe he¡¯s noticed something already. I¡¯d better refuse. No, maybe it¡¯s a chance to test his response and see how much he knows. I reached out to hold the hand Hypron had offered me, but before I could even blink my hand was grabbed with force, midair. The grip that snatched my hand shook with anger. I stared up at stair with a look that was asking him what the hell did he think he was doing? What kind of interruption is this? ¡°Excuse me, Serina¡¯s first dance is reserved for me.¡± Since when? A skillful falsehood flowed out of stair¡¯s mouth. Previously donning a soft look, Hypron¡¯s irritated yellow eyes grinded on stair¡¯s thick skin. ¡°Then I hope the youngdy graces me with the privilege to apany her on her second dance.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to work either, Duke of Aitez. Serina is not feeling well and I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll have the strength to dance twice.¡± stair pulled on my arm, leading me away from Hypron. It took me a moment to register the cold mminessing from his hands. He was sweating from anxiety. Somehow his gloved hands looked neat. His purple eyes stared at me intensely and to an outsider, it looked like he was smiling tenderly at me, but I could tell on the inside he was ferocious. Don¡¯t go. His purple eyes and his narrowed pupils fiercely burrowed into mine. ¡°As you know, as all young women do, even though Serina wasn¡¯t feeling well today she used up her energy reserves to prepare for the banquet today. I hope you will excuse me for intervening.¡± ¡°I asked Lady Melford, not the Duke of Agernia. Are you her spokesperson? I don¡¯t know by what qualification the Duke is answering on her behalf.¡± The atmosphere was so harsh that it felt like sparksing off the eyes of the two men. How did things get so annoying? I opened my mouth to resolve the situation before it worsened. ¡°Thank you for taking my condition into consideration from when I told you I wasn¡¯t feeling well, stair.¡± At my words, stair smiled smugly and smirked. At his arrogant expression, Hypron¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. ¡°But now I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve been feeling better after I took a break.¡± As the situation reversed, stair looked mildly stunned. Actually, his first supposition was correct. ¡°Unfortunately, my first dance has already been promised to my best friend. But I will ept your offer for my second dance.¡± I smiled softly. Hypron nodded his head as if satisfied and stepped back. I stood in the middle of the banquet hall with stair who looked at me with sullen eyes. I was now numb to the probing gazes of the aristocrats around me. ¡°Serina-¡° ¡°The music has started.¡± I cut him off by putting myself into a dance posture. stair put his arms around my waist, familiarly. ¡°Why do you want to dance with him?¡± ¡°This kid¡­. aren¡¯t your words a bit too harsh?¡± ¡°Is that what¡¯s important now?¡± A jealous staires off in two ways. Cute or irksome and boring. Now it was thetter. However, I was not entitled to express those feelings, so I suppressed them as much as possible. ¡°I am entitled to dance with anyone I desire.¡± The hand that was holding my waist tightened. I followed the steps along with the gentle flowing melody. ¡°Then promise me that you¡¯lle to my side right after your dance.¡± It was like embroidery that suddenly became strange due to poking the needle in the wrong hole. He donned a fake smile as if the furthest thing from the truth was that he was amused. Looking at that smile, I had no choice but to give him the answer he wanted. ¡°It is true that you are free to dance whomever you want, but you know you have to give up some freedom when I¡¯m with you.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that I get jealous and want to destroy everything around you when I see you with another guy.¡± ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Nor was it mine. At this point, I was confused as to whether stair was wise or mean. He poked at the part where I felt defenselessly guilty, thus getting the answer he wanted. ¡°I¡¯ll be back after dancing, so don¡¯t worry and wait.¡± Finally, the music ended. stair slowly brushed his hands down against my own as if savoring the touch and let it go. As if he had been watching and waiting, Hypron promptly took my hand. He looked at stair as if he were a saboteur and immediately gazed at me. This time, the music had a slightly faster tempo. Hypron¡¯s hand encircled my waist as my hand settled on his arm. stair¡¯s re piercingly stuck to them. *** Chapter 37.2 As Hypron put his hand on my shoulder,I couldn¡¯t help but be struck by how different the original was. It was a sinking unpleasant feeling. The future was no longer predictable and I had no way of knowing if it would be poison or beneficial. Hypron was looking at me meaningfully when he opened his mouth, ¡°I recently saw someone who looked like you, mydy.¡± My hand on his shoulder almost slipped. Someone who looks like me. There was no further exnation because it must have been me. Are you trying to face it head-on without dilly-dallying? What he wants here is my reaction. His golden eyes will pay close attention to whether my pupils are shaking, the angles at the ends of my lips, and whether or not my body is trembling. I have to be as nonchnt as possible. The fact that he chose this direct tactic means he is still not sure about whether or not I was the one he saw at the ve auction. ¡°The gentleman saw someone that looked like me? How interesting. How does this person look like me?¡± He looked deep into my eyes as if he were engraving me in his gold sight. As I made eye contact, I felt overwhelmed by the strange illusion that I was being engulfed in that goldenndscape. ¡°Their eyes were red, like the youngdy¡¯s.¡± A strange smile spread across his straightforward face. ¡°Thedy¡¯s striking eyes are always beautiful.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Thank you for thepliment.¡± ¡°To the extent that I would wager that you are the only one who possesses such eyes¡­¡± The more he spoke, the more his pupils dted and his golden eyes darken and shined. ¡°They¡¯re beautiful.¡± For some reason, the more he looked into my eyes the more it seemed to harden his heart and he seemed to grow more and more indignant. This is dangerous. ¡°Perhaps to the point those eyes cannot be copied even with magic.¡± This was not apliment. Hypron was a man unfamiliar with givingpliments, to the point that in the original the only thing he could utter to his beloved, Juliana, with a nk expression was the one word, ¡®pretty.¡¯ He was trying to determine if I¡¯m the person I met at the ve auction. ¡°What color hair did they have?¡± His gaze passed through my flowing silver hair. ¡°. . . it was the color of gray murky sea.¡± Of course, I hid my hair color back then. I had to break his confidence. I had to shatter it. I have to slowly instill in him the difference between what he saw and me. ¡°It was dark, so maybe I thought it was gray.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡±. ¡°Because it was night.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡±. He seemed to want to solidify his heart. To the point of trying to distort his own memory. ¡°But the Duke is a swordmaster¡­ so your senses are more developed than ordinary people so you¡¯ve seen it properly, you should trust yourself more.¡± His raw yellow eyes scoured through me to see if I really knew anything. An awkward atmosphere developed between us, a stark contrast to the smooth flowing melody. I adhered to my carefree attitude by skillfully dancing the correct steps. ¡°I wonder how the Duke met that woman.¡± ¡°That person is¡­ a man.¡± ¡°Oh. You said you saw someone who looked like me, so I naturally assumed it was a woman. I misunderstood.¡± Such a casual attitude. At that time, I was dressed as a man. That¡¯s why I used the term ¡®woman¡¯ on purpose. He even corrected my assumption that it was a man. Yet I could tell his doubts about me weren¡¯t fully dispelled. ¡°You look like me, Duke. ¡°I want to meet the person the Duke says looks like me.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± The fast tempo was getting slower. It was a signal that the dance with him wasing to an end. ¡°I want to see you again.¡± His amber eyes stared intently at me. Our ovepping bodies from the dance fell apart, and we looked at each other and bowed to each other. It was a formality nobility observed after a dance was over. ¨C Then, after dancing, promise me that you¡¯lle to my side right away. stair¡¯s words echoed in my ears. Idiot. Even if you didn¡¯t instruct me to promise you I¡¯d be there. The obsession he showed me was futile. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it burst into a rainstorm and disappeared like evaporated water one day. I searched for stair, surveying the banquet hall. A nobleman looked around with anxious eyes, took out a round pill from his bosom, and put it in a ss. The aristocrat stared at the blonde-haired woman with a bottle of champagne. With a smile on his face, he moved his feet towards her. The woman he stared at the whole time was a woman I knew well. Chapter 38.1 Juliana. I went straight to her. stair¡¯s words toe straight to his side have already been forgotten. The noble gave Juliana a friendly smile and talked to her a few times, then naturally raised his ss while offering her the other one with the drugs. As if he wanted her to take a sip. ¡°Ah. Thank you¡­.¡± Just before Juliana grabbed her ss, I plucked it away. ¡°Drink it.¡± I gave the cup back to the aristocrat who offered Juliana the wine. The nobleman bit his lips anxiously at this unexpected turn of events. ¡°What disrespect! I¡¯m delivering a ss to the saint¡­!¡± So you were going to double down on being shameless, eh? Well, I guess this was the best an idiot like him could think of. The corners of my lips twisted in disgust. ¡°I found out about something very fascinating, so I¡¯m going to investigate it.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Ser¡ªSerina. No, Lady Melford.¡± Juliana held my hand as if embarrassed by the sudden failing atmosphere. I looked at her. I usually wasn¡¯t the type to make a scene. I need her until stair¡¯s brainwashing ispletely released. Since I know Juliana can release stair¡¯s brainwashing from reading the novel, she¡¯s the hand I need. ¡°Are you kidding me?! Thisdy suddenly stole the wine I was trying to give to the saint?¡± In an instant, his loud protest drew attention. The man shouted louder, I had no idea that things would get this big. ¡°I told you. I saw something interesting.¡± ¡°Oh, that makes sense¡­!¡± ¡°I saw you put something strange in the ss you gave her.¡± The nobles who pretended not to be listening could not hide their astonishment. The banquet hall became boisterous as the revtion made them restless. ¡°Are you ndering me! A conspiracy! Are you saying I drugged Saint-nim¡¯s wine ss?! Where is justice? You can make a perfectly innocent person into a criminal over someone¡¯s mistaken eyes. ¡°Of course, I may have misseen as you¡¯ve said and if so, I will apologize and step down.¡± ¡°Okay! Then, can I drink it?¡± Where did his fearful spirit go? His attitude became dignified. His shoulders, which had been trembling precariously just a moment before, were now steady. ¡°Give me that ss!¡± What¡¯s going on? ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Dodging the hand of the man who held out his hand to the drink, I pulled back my hand holding his ss. ¡°Why are you avoiding me! Oh, you¡¯re doing this because you¡¯re afraid that your lies will be exposed?¡± With an excitable mean expression, the man rushed forward as if he had found a wed hole. Rather than feeling daunted, the man¡¯s fierce conviction changed the gaze of the people around him. Previously those that were casting harsh nces at the men were now sneering at me Either way, I didn¡¯t care and opened my mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of a new type of drug that doesn¡¯t affect those who don¡¯t have holy powers.¡± I looked at Juliana with a pretty smile. ¡°It¡¯s a special drug that only affects those with holy powers. It is a bizarre drug that leaves no evidence even after one examines the ss.¡± Poison. If the drug is used on those who have holy powers¡­¡­¡­. it is a specially formted poison. This drug is not readily avable. Unless through illegal trade. ¡°Holy Lady, would you like to test the contents by any chance?¡± Another twisted original. Hypron asked me to dance without following the original. There is enough possibility. Perhaps it¡¯s this nobleman, mentioned in the novel, who helped sneak in the Dark Warlocks into the banquet hall. ¡°Come on, Saint-nim.¡± I took her hand and handed her a ss. Theplexion of the aristocrat had turned blue to the point of regret. Juliana blinked her eyes and let out her energy. Her power, which shone so brightly that her eyes stung, was beautiful. ¡°Saint-nim, how did you find it?¡± ¡°T-this is absurd¡­. Why is there such a thing in a ss¡­?¡± The novel is twisted. ording to the original story, Hypron should have stopped the nobles before they even approached Juliana. But he couldn¡¯t do that now because his interest was elsewhere. There is a high probability that they would be more adversaries hiding. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°Th¡ª, that¡¯s¡­.¡± Tears welled up in Juliana¡¯s blue eyes. Her pathetic face made her look more innocent. ¡°Did Imit any disrespect towards you?¡± ¡°This, this¡­!¡± The aristocrat drew a dagger from his bosom and rushed towards her. The next thing happened in a sh. ¡°Kyyaa!¡± [t1v: scream sfx] The man swung the de at Juliana. I reacted instinctively, reaching out to her. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± A sharp knife cut deep into my arm. A knife flew past my arm, and red water droplets flew into the air. The nobles who were ogling then screamed in astonishment. ¡°Kyyaaaa!¡± ¡°Someone stop him! No, call the guards!¡± I grabbed my injured arm and stepped back. ¡°Believer-nim¡­..! Are you okay?!¡± ¡°As you can see¡­.. I¡¯m not okay.¡± The nobleman¡¯s eyes were half-opened. Regardless of him being half-dead or almost killing me, he frantically swung and brandish his knife insanely. I casted magic in an emergency. ¡°Arghhhh!¡± The man¡¯s body was set on fire. Fortunately, it worked well even if I casted it in a hurry, but luckily it worked. ¡°Aaaaah! Y-you guys .¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Kyyaaahyuk! What are you doing ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤! Come on¡­¡­ ! Save me! Kill that woman and take the saint ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Hurry up!¡± The aristocrats gathered in the banquet hall shouted for someone to stop the man, but they all fell one step away, fearing that they too would be in danger. Taking advantage of the opportunity, those who were aiming for Juliana rushed in. And there were quite a few of them too. While I was contemting who to kill first, I came up with a magic spell that could be done quickly and did the math. ¡°Kyyaaaaahhhh!¡± ¡°Ahhh! Save me! It hurts! It hurts!¡± It was time to unleash the magic spell. The appearance of the Dark Warlocks who ran in the room bizarrely inted like balloons and then exploded lightly with a pop. As light as a balloon pops. Human life was quickly crushed like a toy in a child¡¯s hand. The moment they died, they gasped for breath in agony. Their faces expressed that they experienced the most terrible pain they had ever tasted. The warlocks who had entered afterward faltered. They were afraid to die so painfully. The question of who killed them like that didn¡¯tst long. I saw stair striding in front of me. stair killed them like that. Wrapped all over my body ¨C I got goosebumps. It wasn¡¯t because of the brutality of ughtering them like that. I almost felt that he strangled me with care. I have repeated countless times that he can kill me once his brainwashing is over. My heavy resolution turned to ashes and scattered in the air. *** Chapter 38.2 An unbrainwashed stair would be powerful.There would be no one able to stop him. If stair aimed to kill me, he could end my life more painfully than he did with them. ¡°Serina.¡± Drip. Drop. Seeing my arm dripping with hot blood, stair frowned. He roughly loosened the cravat around his neck and wrapped it around my arm like a bandage. ¡°Well, I had told you toe right away.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you keep your promise?¡± His angry eyes rebuked me bitterly. The wound, which was numb even after being stabbed by a knife, seemed to have touched his gaze. Not knowing what to say, my head went nk for an instant. I was often at a loss for words when I saw those heavy eyes. Meanwhile, the guards rushed into the banquet hall. The guards who arrivedte captured the remaining Dark Warlocks. They were terrified and did not even think to resist, trembling and quiet as they were apprehended. Perhaps when they are interrogated in prison, their identities will be uncovered. This part was in the original novel. ¡°Serina, I¡¯ll treat you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Before I could answer, stair cut Juliana off. Juliana was restless with his irritated tone of voice. I, too, was bewildered by his sharp, chilling manner, but I held in my thoughts and exined to Juliana. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your heart, but holy powers don¡¯t work on the Melford bloodline that is heavily mixed with wizards.¡± Holy power and magic. The two were capable of opposing each other. Therefore, holy power does not work for everyone. If you have strong magical tendencies, holy power will not work on you. As was true in my case. The Melford family produced many wizards, at least one for generations, and had strong magical blood. On the other hand, stair was different from me because he was a rare case of having incredible magic poweress from a family with no magical inclination and no blood from wizards, so holy powers worked on him easily. ¡°Ouch!¡± The tie squeezed my arm tightly. I grimaced at the sensation of my wound being pinched. Far from stopping the bleeding, the wound seemed to be more painful ¡°It hurts, stair. You did it on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡± I turned my head to stair who was concentrating on wrapping my arm. With such a meticulous and cautious personality, there was no way he could make a mistake in controlling his force when tying a single tie. One of the most important basic things in fencing is being able to control your strength. ¡°Gimme a break. Can¡¯t you tell, I¡¯m worried about you. And if there¡¯s anything wrong, isn¡¯t it your fault?¡± He¡¯s been acting particrly cold today. I wanted to spit out harsh words to him and give him a piece of my mind but I did not open my mouth, being aware of Juliana next to me. ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry that you¡¯re hurting so much because of me.¡± She looked at me in tears. Her glum face gradually grew shiny with her tears. ¡°I don¡¯t know why the Saint is crying when it was Serina who was stabbed.¡± Surprised by stair¡¯s stinging barb, I stomped on his foot to tell him to stop. My heels were high and pointed, so it would be quite painful. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with you?¡¯ I red at him and smiled awkwardly at Juliana. He didn¡¯t have to be friendly with Juliana, but my rtionship with her bes more and more awkward because of stair. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have cried¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No. What can one do with a physiological phenomenon? stair isn¡¯t normally like this¡­ but I guess he¡¯s acting a little sensitive because he¡¯s worried about me.¡± Why the hell do I have to exin this? I¡¯m usually a brazen person, one can¡¯t always be shameless. ¡°And, Saint-nim, I¡¯m sorry in this case. ¡°And Saint-nim, in this case, you don¡¯t need to say sorry, saying thank you is fine.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. And thank you very much. Without you, I¡¯d be¡­¡­.. I will make sure to repay you.¡± ¡°Yes. Please do, I may need your help one day. Would you run to me right away when I say I need your help?¡± ¡°Of course I will! Call me anytime. I¡¯ll always thank you for your kindness,¡± Juliana vowed with determination. If the day came she would return the favor, perhaps it would be to erase his brainwashing. I thought absent-mindedly. One of the attendants ran hurriedly from afar. ¡°Lady Melford, his majesty wants you to go and receive treatment.¡± What a turn of events. The monarch went out with the guards, saying that he would directly punish those who dared to ruin the founding banquet. When he was younger he was leading armies and now as he got older he became more docile. But it was amusing that they remembered to take care of me btedly. ¡°Come on, Serina.¡± He took off his coat, covered me, and propelled me on the back. The servant took the lead and I followed him. ¡°Me too¡­ Can I go with you?¡± Juliana hurriedly shouted from behind. When her powers wouldn¡¯t work, she wanted to see me get better with her own eyes ¡°No. Please do note, Holy Saint. For Serina, stabilityes first.¡± I am stable. I am not an emergency patient. ¡°I look forward to seeing you againter, Saint-nim.¡± I left her behind and followed her attendant. ¡°It would have been really dangerous without the aid of Princess Melford and the Duke of Agernia.¡± ¡°I think his Majesty the Emperor should reward them.¡± ¡°I know. Thanks to them, we were safe on such a precious day.¡± Iughed to myself at the sounds behind me. Do you want me to rejoice even after seeing those cruel selfish appearances? In that situation, you all worried about your own safety, not stepping forward and just trembling¡ªhow absurdly humorous. Chapter 39.1 The people of the temple approached Juliana, who was left unapanied. ¡°Are you all right, saint?¡± They felt guilty for failing to protect her saint at the critical moment. ¡°Thank you for your concern. I want to be left alone for a while now.¡± Juliana pushed the temple priests and nuns away. They were like her family to her, but right now she desperately wanted some solitude. ¡°That¡¯s not possible, Saint. It hasn¡¯t been long since such a big incident happened.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s dangerous right now. You should stay with us.¡± They were worried about the saint, but Juliana looked at them and shook her head, speaking with more force. ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you. I want to be alone right now. I apologize.¡± The saint¡¯s mournful attitude made it difficult for them to refuse her request. ¡°Then we will leave you alone. Pleasee back soon.¡± ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡± She smiled at them and went out into the garden. Arduous. She sank down limply against the fountain. Shaa *water sfx*¡ª White noise from the water filled her ears, muffling her hearing It was rxing. How pleasant. After bing a saint, it was always like this for her. There was nothing she was good at. Instead because of her position as a saint she was always protected and a burden. Today was the worst. Wasn¡¯t she a great nuisance to those around her? Seri even got injured because of her. She even wanted to get to know her better and get close to her¡­ ¡®It¡¯s impossible. It was a stupid idea.¡¯ She sighed with resignation. Tears dripped down from her blue eyes, soaked her cheeks. ¨C I don¡¯t know why the saint is crying. It was Serina who was injured. Maybe this is what he meant. She didn¡¯t want to show the people that she was crying. It¡¯s obvious that they would have fretted over her. Don¡¯t cry anymore. Let¡¯s do our best, Juliana. She tried tofort herself and cheer up, but it was not easy. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± ¡°*Gasp*¡­!¡± When did you arrive? She was so engrossed in crying that she didn¡¯t even know that someone was approaching. Juliana got up from her seat, wiping away her tears. ¡°You don¡¯t have to get up. Here, take it.¡± Juliana raised her head and took in the man¡¯s appearance. He had sky-blue hair with clear azure eyes and handed a handkerchief to her. She stared nkly at the man. A man of captivating rare beauty carried himself like a bad boy, but his physique showed that he was an athletic adult. ¡®Who is he?¡¯ She abruptly epted his handkerchief. And stared intently at the man. His appearance doesn¡¯t look like a nobleman, but the way he looks and speaks is aristocratic. ¡°You¡¯re the saint, aren¡¯t you?¡± He knew who she was. Knowing that she was a saint, he still spoke to her informally. But she wasn¡¯t offended. It was not because of her characteristic benevolent personality, but because he showed kindness by handing her a handkerchief. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m the Saint¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, thank God!¡± The man took Juliana¡¯s hand as if he was overjoyed. She was startled by the unexpected touch. ¡°I heard that Saint was with Serina Melford. Do you know where she is?¡± The man, Pien, was here to see Serina. But, he was perhaps a step toote, the idiots did the job, and he couldn¡¯t see where she was now. Aftering all the way here, he was annoyed becauseing here would be in vain if he didn¡¯t get to see Serina. Perhaps those idiots were being tortured in prison. Oh well, it was their fateful ending. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ why are you asking?¡± ¡°What. Won¡¯t you tell me?¡± When the man rendered a forlorn expression on his face, Julianna was perplexed, and at a loss of what to do. The man was kind to her, but she was also suspicious of him. She had no intention of talking to him about others. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know where she is. Serina followed an attendant somewhere to heal her wounds.¡± She quietly said her name. Serina. When did she address her by her first name? Juliana was a little worried that she might have been rude. ¡°Huh? She¡¯s over there?¡± The man stared straight ahead. Juliana turned her head towards the direction of where he was looking. In the distance, Serina entered her carriage, escorted by a coachman. The carriage bore the emblem of the Agernia family. ¡®Huh? Why isn¡¯t the Duke there?¡¯ She was sure the two of them came in the same wagon, so why was she going back alone? Serina¡¯s partner was Duke Agernia so they must have arrived together. And after the party, he would have dropped Serina to the Melford Ducal estate and then to go to Agernia. That is the principle of the social world that Juliana knew. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be on my way. Throw the handkerchief away!¡± ¡°Wait a minute¡­!¡± The man squinted his eyes and disappeared from her sight. Worried about what might happen, she decided that she should tell Serina quickly. However¡­ the carriage did not appear to have departed. [t1v: inferring that Serina is still within castle walls and not alone] ¡®Will it be okay?¡¯ People shouldn¡¯t be judged by their faces, but the man¡¯s face looked really harmless. Enough to release tension when gazing upon it. Who the hell was that man? With a puzzled face, Juliana looked at the ce the man had been standing on until he had teleported and disappeared. *** *** Chapter 39.2 My wounds were deep and the blood did not stop flowing. My torn wounds were pricked with a needle a total of five times and the tie he put on my arm was wet with blood. I have to leave soon, but my body won¡¯t listen. Iid on the infirmary bed and stared at the ceiling. I was under the illusion that If I stretched out my hand, I could touch the ceiling. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you keep your promise?¡± stair¡¯s lean his head against my bedside. His purple eyes were dark. I patted his forehead with my clean hand. ¡°Are you still talking about that? I wasn¡¯t in a position to keep my promise.¡± I spotted the coat he had covered me with a while ago was curled up in a small crevice between the bed and the wall. I grabbed it and pulled it out. ¡°People were in danger. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t keep my promise ande straight to you.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with you?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°In the first ce, you don¡¯t care about people or their circumstances. So why the hell did you save them?¡± He seemed exceedingly aggrieved. Because I didn¡¯t keep my promise? Because I was hurt? What should I do to alleviate his anger? I grinned when I registered my thoughts. Such thoughts would have been unthinkable in the past. Less now perhaps, but when I lived in Korea, my arrogance was sky-high. Ameliorating someone¡¯s resentment had never even urred to me back then. I would just leave the rtionship. You won¡¯t be able to have friends when you grow up. It was a phrase I heard all the time when I was a kid. But now all I could think of was releasing your brainwashing and sometimes even releasing your anger. ¡°Thank you for covering me with your coat. After all, you were the only one who took care of me.¡± I put the coat over him. I avoided using my injured hand and tried to put the coat over him with one hand; it ended up looking pretty sloppy. The cloak is noticeably tilted to one side, and if he even moved his shoulders a tiny bit it would fall helplessly to the floor. ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject.¡± It didn¡¯t work. I smiled softly and moved to the side. I moved and leaned against the wall leaving enough space on the small single bed. ¡°It¡¯s a little cold. Stay by my side, stair.¡± I patted the space next to me on the bed. Then, stair came onto the bed and put his body close to mine. ¡°Cover yourself with the duvet. Then you won¡¯t be cold.¡± What came back were frigid words. He was genuinely angry with me. I thought it would be easier to calm him down a little. I thought it would be resolved if I smiled softly and whispered a few sweet words. I was overconfident and it was my mistake. He was really angry, so I had no choice but to take him seriously. ¡°Why do I care about the saint? There¡¯s nothing wrong with using this asion to build a friendship.¡± What can I say? In fact, in the original book, I saw the saint break your brainwashing. So I¡¯m trying to get as close to her as I can. The moment I say these words, I knew exactly what kind of expression he would make. No matter how much he loves me, I¡¯d never escape being regarded like a madwoman from that moment on. ¡°Was it something you had to do to the extent of getting yourself hurt? It was a saint who was attacked.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t block it? You wouldn¡¯t be hurt if you hadn¡¯t stopped me.¡± As I looked into his cold, underwater eyes, I was convinced. He wouldn¡¯t understand any exnation I¡¯d give. ¡°I guess I grew attached to her. I¡¯ve visited the temple frequently and ran into a saint often. After that, we talked a few times and became close.¡± It was a white lie. It was the only excuse I could give Juliana and I are close? I could practically hear a passing dogughing at my ridiculous story. ¡°Really? You two grew so close after a couple of encounters that you were willing to sacrifice yourself?¡± But you don¡¯t give your heart to anyone? It¡¯s funny.¡± ¡°I think those few encounters were strong enough to elicit my sacrifice. You know that right? I¡¯m rather weak when ites to matters of the heart.¡± ¡°Liar. Since when did you be so close with the Saint?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so confident that you know everything about my rtionships. And if you did thoroughly know all my rtionships, that would be creepy. It would be difficult for me to treat you like I do now.¡± In fact, stair was my only and most important rtionship. It wouldn¡¯t be unreasonable to know most of my associations. That¡¯s because my personal connections were few, narrow and shallow. I couldn¡¯t easily attach myself to this world. Perhaps because of that influence, I had been busy throwing away people who gathered around me. ¡°Just as I tried to release your brainwashing because I am weak to affection, so I am weak also to the saint.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤you.¡± The more I talked, the more I seemed to displease him. Just like a volcano threatening to explode, if I coaxed him a little more hot emotions woulde bursting out of his mouth. ¡°Do you think Saint and I areparable? I¡¯ve been with you for nearly a decade. But what about Saint?¡± Every time he vomited a word, it felt like a chalkboard being scratched¡ªpiercing my ears. I didn¡¯t want to hear his voice full of annoyance anymore. Chapter 40.1 ¡°Intense encounter?How amusing. You just bumped into each other by chance while visiting the temple a few times. What the hell are you trying to pull? Why are you saying you¡¯re attached to her and protecting the saint at the cost of your own body?¡± ¡°Why the hell can¡¯t you believe me?¡± ¡°If you wanted me to believe you, you should have made a more usible excuse. Are you hiding something from me?¡± He did not back down, growling, and his question hitting the bulls-eye. His voice grew louder and louder. ¡°I hate that you got hurt while trying to save the saint.¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern, but stop interfering. It¡¯s annoying that you¡¯re like this.¡± Before I knew it, I was arguing with stair rather than trying to make him understand. If this is the case, the conversation with him will grow longer and longer and we will react emotionally to each other. Rather than trying to convince him, I deemed it better to discourage him from continuing this conversation than bing more heated and arguing even more intensely. ¡°Serina, the way you look at the saint isn¡¯t the way you look at a close friend. But if she is, then you should know that,¡± he said sarcastically as he smirked; the corners of his lips rising to one side. Like a snake swerving and seizing a fly, his insides were simrly twisting around in anger. Really, he and I had the same temperament. He always lost to me because he loved me, but he had a temper. I was annoyed as he kept resentfully harping on this topic. I wanted to pull out his ws so he would stop hounding me. A violent urge rose to the tip of my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what my eyes were like, but what about when they look at you? Do you think you¡¯re any different? Do you think you¡¯re special to me? Don¡¯t get it wrong, stair.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop my impulse and the words exploded from my mouth. The atmosphere froze¡ªpaying a fair price for my mistake. His purple eyes turned icier than anything else I had seen before. I¡¯m going crazy¡ª how could I say something like that? I made a mistake. I made a huge blunder while he kept scrutinizing me. Spilled milk cannot be picked up again. But even so, I had to safeguard the remaining milk inside. I opened my mouth to make amends right away, but I only blinked and couldn¡¯t say anything. He¡¯s special to me. But why did I say this? Honestly, it was utter bullshit. There was no sincerity behind my words at all. ¡°It can¡¯t be an illusion.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If I am not special to you, why did you offer to liberate me from my brainwashing?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure before, but from the moment you said you¡¯d release me from it¡ªfrom the moment you took the risk¡ªI was convinced.¡± His tone that had been bitter and unnerving until recently was now gone and instead I heard a calm voice. ¡°So Serina, tell me that you just said was a mistake.¡± His purple eyes shook with despair. ¡°If I¡¯ve been living in a delusion all this time, there¡¯s nothing so desperate and hopeless than that. Tell me it¡¯s a mistake ¡ªit¡¯s okay to lie.¡± Please, Serina. His lips parted painfully and urged me. Seriously, why am I in this state in the first ce? It¡¯s not that I¡¯m proud about being stupid. Bloodstains moved up on the back of his hand as he grabbed the sheet. If I reply that it is not a slip of the tongue¡ªhis blood vessels, heart, or brain¡ªmay explode with the shock. I gently put my hand on the back of his hand. ¡°¡­..It was a mistake. I¡¯m sorry, stair.¡± I couldn¡¯t bear to look at his face and lowered my head nor did I have the courage to break this silence. I peeled off the nket and said to him as if running away, ¡°Let¡¯s stop now.¡± The way I got things done was with avoidance. I tried to get up, supporting myself with my unbandaged arms. If only he hadn¡¯t grabbed my arm and pressed me against the bed. He took off the cloak I had poorly covered him with and put it back on me. His strong arms pretended to wrap his clothes around me and instead secretly embraced me. ¡°It¡¯s windy outside, so I¡¯m covering you.¡± A warm breath touched my ear. He put his lips close to my ear and hugged me. ¡°I lost. Do as you please.¡± A bitter smile escaped his lips. As always, he will suppress his anger and expel my anger¡ªagain. So you think I won the argument with him? No, never. Only regret remains. When I look back, I will regret what happened today, but I couldn¡¯t fix this mess. *** Chapter 40.2 Chapter 40.2 ¡°But, Serina, I don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡± This is what he wants to say. His eyes were saying so. ¡°I made a mistake today. I¡¯m sorry. My eyes turned [red] when I saw you get hurt.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to reproach you. I was just worried you might get hurt again like today¡ªbut I was wrong.¡± His voice got low and warm. He gently stroked my hair. ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t like you trying to release me from my brainwashing. I don¡¯t want you to do it. I know you¡¯re going to get hurt.¡± Are you trying to tell me to quit what I am doing? There was a rift between us over the issue of his brainwashing. ¡°Are you trying to tell me to stop?¡± ¡°If I tell you to stop, will you stop?¡± ¡°Never.¡± ¡°See. Don¡¯t I know you? You¡¯re stubborn, won¡¯t listen to a single word, unyielding, seems selfish, but aren¡¯t you actually selfless?¡± He acted like a man that knew me very well and was proud, but I heard him swearing at me. When I raised my eyes to him, he grinned. ¡°I¡¯m not going to stop you. Do what you want. But if it¡¯s dangerous, just avoid it and don¡¯t get hurt.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°This is what I want to say.¡± You truly do care for me to the core. So maybe that¡¯s why my eyes always went to him. He cared more for me than my blood family. Even though I know that living ording to the wishes of my mother, the Duke of Melford was the easiest and safest way. The reason for choosing him was clear. Unlike my mother, who tries to take advantage of me, he always treats me warmly, even if I take advantage of him. However, I know it is not ¡®sincere¡¯ because of brainwashing. Acknowledging that fact easily cracked thefort I felt around him. Our rtionship was heavy and serious, but fragile like ss. It was then that I realized the truth. Even if I be obsessed with breaking his brainwashing I don¡¯t want to jerk him around, at this rate I¡¯ll care about him even afterward. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯m sorry, stair.¡± His embrace wasfortable. I dug deeper into his arms. I hugged him for a while and then let him go. ¡°Now let¡¯s really go.¡± I got up from bed. stair looked disappointed but followed me. When I left the room, I felt a chill. Cold winds blew outside. I unconsciously held on to the coat that covered me. ¡°Duke of Agernia!¡± A servant ran hastily down an empty hallway. ¡°His¡ªHis Majesty is calling!¡± The servant took a deep breath as if he had to run for a long time. stair¡¯s frown showed no sign of yielding any time soon. Today, he has failed several times to keep his facial expressions under control. Fortunately, the hallway was dark and his expression wouldn¡¯t be visible to the attendant. It would be a scandal¡ªa nobleman who frowns at the Emperor¡¯s call. ¡°Serina, could you wait a minute?¡± He seemed apologetic. ¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯ll go first, so you can take care of yourself by teleporting.¡± Iughed yfully but tly refused. I was beyond tired today. I wanted to go to the mansion as soon as possible and rest. He looked upset, but he couldn¡¯t stop me from going. *** stair pressed his fingers to the firm forehead and straightened it. It wasn¡¯t that annoying. Thanks to Serina, he managed to regain his stability. He didn¡¯t know how many times he pictured in his head the time he would spend with her after returning home. But now he was swept away by the Emperor. The ce the servant guided was the prison. The moment he stepped into the dungeon, a strong smell of blood wafted out. ¡°Forego greetings.¡± The emperor, who saw stair start to bow, dissuaded him with an uninterested hand. ¡°It makes no difference to why I called you.¡± The Emperor turned his head and nodded to the detained prisoners. Behind the iron bars were the warlocks captured from the banquet hall. They had been severely tortured. One of the guards poured cold water on the fainted prisoners. They convulsed and rolled their eyes. When they came to their senses, they were startled to see the Emperor. ¡°It¡¯s because of them. It looks like Facius is moving again.¡± Chapter 41.1 Chapter 41.1 Facius. The name of a group of devious warlocks went by. ¡°Recently, there has been news that some of the priests have been disappearing, so there¡¯s a good chance of them been involved with that garbage.¡± ¡°What have they already said?¡± ¡°Utter nonsense. They¡¯re absolutely insane. They were nning to sacrifice the saint to their god? One confessed they nned to kidnap the saint and paralyze her body with poison.¡± The more he spoke the louder his voice grew¡ªas if vomiting the voice with repulsion: ¡°How dare they storm the Founding Banquet! This is like a deration of war against the Empire.¡± While the Emperor lost his temper and started to rant and rave, stair calmly reexamined the situation. ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a deration of war. It is highly probable that they nned this on their own.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If Facius had been after the saint, would they have nned such a shoddy operation? It was a disorganized undertaking that looked like it was doomed to fail. Their actions will instead intensify the safety of the saint.¡± ¡°Perhaps they are sending out their discarded cards to dere war?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this too different from their typical strategy? They like to impress with particr horrors, and they hate being disparaged for looking foolish¡ªbeing taken seriously is important to them.¡± The emperor agreed. He red at the wretched warlocks and wrinkled his face in displeasure. ¡°It¡¯s no use if you hold your tongue! ¡­ Um, it looks like even if I continue to torture them, no more will be divulged. These supposed Facius don¡¯t know anything!¡± ¡°Looks like it¡¯s the end.¡± stair had anticipated such a conclusion. ¡°We need to capture all of the members of Facius¡­!¡± They had been on the decline but they were too strong for hisfort. ¡°Duke Agernia, what say you? Do tell.¡± At the emperor¡¯s question, stair held in his bitter retort. As a rule, this should have been discussed with Hypron Aites, not him. He was the firstmander of the Imperial Knights Temr. But here the emperor was asking for his opinion. Perhaps because as Hypron Aites¡¯ reputation increased day by day so did his connections and the number of people cheering him. He was now more popr than the emperor. The emperor entrusted him with the impossible attempting to destroy his prestige, but Hypron Aites always epted those missions withoutint and always produced sessful results. Therefore, the emperor is trying to solve the Facius problem to raise his poprity and public sentiment. Asking for opinions¡­ Perhaps his ideas would be tools to enhance the emperor¡¯s reputation. If he wanted to, he could fool the emperor and trap him. ¡°Use the saint as bait.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Recently, I¡¯ve heard some interesting information from a priest. Rumors that they¡¯re researching divine powers.¡± It was confidential but there had been a priest who was captured by Facius and then escaped. However, he was caught again shortly after running away. The group holding the priest was not Facius. They were a part of an unnamed group in the underworld. A member of the gang, upon secretly investigating Facius, had learned about the runaway priest and abducted him. The priest risked his life to escape from Facius, but he died in the end. Because the group that kidnapped him tortured him horribly to get information. Coincidentally, the power behind the gang that tortured the priest was one of stair¡¯s forces. ¡°It¡¯s a fact I heard while conducting a reconnaissance by chance.¡± He made up the source of the rumor without blinking. ¡°The fact that their outliers were aiming for the saint would be proof of a general yearning for the saint within the group.¡± ¡°So what are you trying to say?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no harm in using the saint as bait. It¡¯s worth seeing if she¡¯s what they want, and if it proves to be true, she¡¯ll be a considerable help.¡± The emperor frowned as he listened to stair. ¡°Duke, are you crazy? What if others find out the saint was used as a lure? In the Empire, more than half of the poption follows the saint herself!¡± The approval ratings and support of the temple were certainly impressive. Whispering sweet words saying that if they believe in God, something will happen¡ª and indeed when good tidings came theyid im to it as if it was God¡¯s n. It would be hard not to believe. Especially for citizens who needed peace of mind. Therefore, even if it is an emperor with a higher authority than a saint, the ruler would not be safe if it was revealed that they were using the saint. ¡°I would never suggest a high-risk tactic to your Majesty.¡± The emperor¡¯s thick eyebrows rose upward. ¡°Because they¡¯lle to you on their own.¡± It was reported to stair that the tortured priest was said to have muttered half-mad before he died: Must protect the saint. A disy of incredible devotion. Summarizing up all the words he uttered, Facius was aiming for her saint. They would be making their move soon. In the history books, it was written: The warlocks couldn¡¯t be pushed back in the first ce. Their power was overwhelming. However, as the temple entered the war, they began to lose ground. Divine power. It was truly an effective force against magic. It was natural for Facius to n for the downfall of the temple. ¡°So, how do you intend to use a saint as bait?¡± Chapter 41.2 Chapter 41.2 ¡°Your Majesty, please make a splendid stage where the saint can stand out.¡± Facius. They had their own rules when it came to their movements. They liked to instill fear. With a big stage where everyone¡¯s interest would be focused it would be too tempting an opportunity for them to pass up. Although they had been quiet recently, their old tactic was to indiscriminately destroy ces whererge crowds were concentrated to all to instill fear. ¡°If you expose the saint to them and create a situation where they can act, they will surelye. Give them a chance to steal the sweet candy, so they can¡¯t help themselves.¡± ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Let the saint get kidnapped. Then go after them and find out where they are.¡± The Saint. She has a considerable identity. If she is kidnapped, she will surely be delivered to the leaders of Facius. The first objective to aplish by using her as bait is to discover their stronghold, capture warlocks, and then obtain information through torture. ¡°Didn¡¯t they blow up when they were tortured?¡± ¡°There is a magic that prevents torture. The body of a man trying to answer my questions suddenly exploded. It parallels the way the Duke killed them in a banquet hall.¡± How predictable. stair put on his gloves. They were the gloves he took off when she came in contact with Serina. ¡°How many of them are alive now?¡± ¡°Three or four, I think. I can¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°Then leave one alive, and kill the rest.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to follow the survivor.¡± stair nced at the warlocks who had been severely tortured. ¡°Your Majesty, if you don¡¯t mind, may I personally interrogate them myself?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The Emperorughed happily as he saw the cruel light on stair¡¯s face. There was a saying that friends look alike Duke Melford and the Emperor were famous longtime friends. Perhaps that¡¯s why the Emperor¡¯s smiling face ovepped with hers. stair picked up the heated iron. In fact, this was him taking private revenge rather than an interrogation. *** When did I fall asleep? Upon opening my eyes, I saw the inside of the carriage. After rubbing my sleepy eyes, I looked out the window. How far were we? The wagon shook violently. The recoil shook my body and vision. I looked out the window with vacant eyes with my unsteady eyesight. All I could see were trees. My body leaned back as the carriage went uphill. Something felt off¡­ Was there an uphill road on the way to the Duke of Agernia¡¯s mansion? I looked out the window again with a hazy stare. Was this¡­..a mountain? My dreamy mind was suddenly awake. The direction to the Agernia estate is not this way. A sweet scent permeated my nostrils. The smell made me drowsy again. Having grasped the ¡®sleeping scent¡¯ situation, I hurriedly pulled the doorknob of the carriage. Click! Click! I roughly tried to force the doorknob open, but the carriage¡¯s door didn¡¯t budge. It was clear that someone had intentionally locked it. After waking up, I was flustered upon discerning this unexpected situation. I took a deep breath. I circted mana around my body and released magic through my hands. Boom! The carriage door was violently shattered. The fallen door crashed into a tree, scattering debris in all directions. Immediately I jumped out of the carriage. A piercing pain erupted up my legs¡ªuponnding, I sprained my ankle due to my high heels. Whee-! As I got out of the wagon, the coach took the horse by the reins and stopped the vehicle as it was rushing up the mountain. The coachman got off the carriage. With the night sky, the man¡¯s face was further obscured by the shadows of the leaves. He was barely recognizable. But I could tell he was different from the coachman. The ¡®real¡¯ driver who drove the carriage had a chubby body, short stature, and a protruding belly. But this man approaching me was tall with broad shoulders and a slender waist. ¡°Who are you?¡± I frowned. Who would abduct me out of nowhere? As I started to feel drowsy, it became difficult to figure out my location. Especially since it was dark. All I can see is the round moon glowing among the clouds. Soon the clouds drifted past the moon. The moon wholly revealed itself, uncovering the man¡¯s appearance. I held my breath as I looked at him. ¡°We¡¯ve met before, haven¡¯t we?¡± There¡¯s no telling what fate has in store. Damn it, perhaps it was God¡¯s will, to twist this connection like a tangled thread. It was the man who endangered Igelto at the ve auction house. I never thought I would see him again. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 The man swept back his sky blue hair and loosened his shoulders by rolling them and cracking his neck. ¡°I was worried about driving a carriage since it was my first time but it was surprisingly easy.¡± There was no reply, but the man continued. ¡°Serina Melford. That¡¯s a pretty name.¡± How did he know my name? Since when did this man start driving my carriage instead of the coachman? Numerous questions raced through my mind. ¡°What did you do to my coachman?¡± ¡°Well¡­ What did I do? I can¡¯t remember.¡± I looked at him with cold eyes. There was a high probability that the horseman was not safe. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± What were my chances of fighting and winning if I attacked the man here? Slim to none. I¡¯d only seen his skills once but I remembered him using magic. He had used teleportation spells effortlessly. His skills were a level higher than mine. ¡°Take it.¡± The man took a dagger from his chest pocket and threw it. The dagger swirled around in the air, shining in the moonlight and sprinkling light in all directions. With a thunk, the dagger fell at my feet. I stared at it, befuddled. Not knowing the man¡¯s intentions, I frowned and raised my head to peer at him. ¡°There¡¯s no device, so you can rx.¡± ¡°Why are you handing me this?¡± ¡°Cut off your arm with it.¡± ¡°What¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± The man smiled brightly and announced, ¡°If you do, I will grant you your life. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯m thinking of turning you into a stuffed doll.¡± If I cut off my arm, I could die of excessive bleeding. If I was lucky, I could live. I searched inward and clicked my tongue. It was truly a luckless day. As I bent down to pluck the dagger from the ground, the man spoke excitedly, like an audience looking forward to an uing show. ¡°For such a long time, I¡¯ve been curious about Melford¡¯s special bloodline.¡± Special. Mana was deeply entrenched in our blood. The Melford house had a long history of birthing wizards, and it was whispered that amongst wizards we were even more exceptional. It seems that this man heard that my blood was the best among the Melford¡¯s. Ah,e to think of it, Mikhail only took my blood once and used it for an experiment. ¡°Serina.¡± While looking at me he eerily beckoned me kindly. ¡°I want your blood, your bones, and your skin.¡± I held the dagger and straightened my back. I imbued the dagger with the strongest magical power I could muster and threw it at the man. It flew at the speed of ck light. It was hard to see a sword with the human eye. A strange ecstasy rose to my lips. Until the man lightly plucked the dagger from the air. ¡°Did you refuse my offer after all?¡± The man used his finger to spin the dagger. ¡°May I ask why you¡¯re making such a regrettable decision?¡± I slowly slipped off my shoes. The soft texture of the soil touched my feet. I was pricked by a fallen branch and it stung, as the leaves of grass rustled under my feet and tickled me. I put one foot back and sprinted. While running as fast as I could towards the man, I manifested a sword made out of mana. My uninjured hand gripped the sword hard. When I reached the man¡¯s nose, I opened my mouth: ¡°Because-¡° I fixed the hand holding the sword and turned it towards the man. ¡°¡ªI¡¯m going to kill you here.¡± I swung my sword. At that moment, the figure of the man disappeared from my sight. ¡°That¡¯s never going to happen.¡± Suddenly, the man appeared and moved behind me whispered in my ear. I swiveled around and shed my sword at his neck. The sword drew a round circle and sharply aimed towards him. The man tilted his head, dodging my de and then stepped back. His feet rubbed against the soil, leaving long marks on the dirt floor. The man who had retreated speedily rushed towards me. I tried to swing my sword at him again but my hand was blocked by the air. It was abruptly hard to move my body as if I was submerged in water. This was expert magic done by a master. The man was weighing down the surrounding air with mana. I frowned at a more difficult situation, and the man stepped right in front of me. ¡°Hello?¡± The man greeted lightly clenched his fist. Blood before he swings his fist at me. I need to avoid him before he swings his fist at me, but I can¡¯t move. I just tremble. I clench at my teeth, as a faint thought urs to me. You have to move. Otherwise, you may die. Please. Please. Please. I desperately shouted and gathered up my magic. Failure here meant death. Cold sweat ran down my spine. As soon as the man swung his clenched fists, I seeded in dismantling his expert-level magic. I moved my body to evade the fist rushing towards me. Crack! The tree behind me was punched by the man instead of me. Unable to withstand the force of his strike, the tree crumbled and split into numerous pieces, and fell. I couldn¡¯t believe how powerful he was. If I had been struck instead I would have died. The man looked at me, dusting off the tree powder from his fist. I got chilly goosebumps when I saw him smile. ¡°I almost made a stupid mistake. My fist went out of habit. I shouldn¡¯t damage the stuffed doll¡­¡± The man looked at me with worried eyes. When he confirmed that I was fine, he sighed in relief. Seeing that, I made a twisted decision. If I lose to this man, let¡¯s destroy this face brutally. There was no way I was going to be the beautiful doll he wanted. I rushed at him without giving the man a chance to rx. As I sprinted forward, the wind pped me against the face. My de aimed towards his neck. Just as the tip was about to reach him the man skillfully evaded me¡ªas I expected. I didn¡¯t miss my chance and kicked him hard¡ª infused with magic ¡ªas he tried to pass me. The hem of my skirt flipped gracefully. ¡°Cough¡ªspit¡ªcough¡­.¡± The man grabbed his beaten abdomen and twirled it, barely holding onto a tree to support his body that was about to copse. The pain must be considerable because I had gathered my mana to the utmost. Ba-dump. Hot sweat ran down my cheeks. A harsh breath escaped my mouth. My stamina was lower than before because I had hardly moved recently. ¡°¡­¡­.A surprise attack is such a nasty stunt.¡± ¡°A kidnapping is nastier than a surprise attack.¡± I was getting more and more exhausted, but I rushed in without a break. Now was the chance to tear down this man¡¯s body. The man leaped back to circumvent me as I wielded a de. I didn¡¯t stop but released as much mana as possible in time for the man to stop. Bang! When a man stepped on the ground, an explosion urred as if he had stepped on a mine. The man, who was beaten dizzy, stumbled without being able to find his bnce. The man frowned as if he were confused, trying to grasp the situation. Then, white magic, thin and piercing like a needle, poured down like rain on the man¡¯s head. After a series of attacks, the man¡¯s body staggered and fell over. I had knocked down the man. When I confirmed that the man had copsed, I let out a hot breath. My beating heart could not be calmed easily. I wiped my sweat off with the back of my hand so that the salty water running down my forehead would not get into my eyes. My mana consumption was severe because I had used high-level magic against him. I spied the fallen man with wary eyes. Instinct did not let go of my sense of unease. I had knocked him out, but I felt ufortable. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off him. Something is strange. It¡¯s going to be this easy? It was solved too easily. My sense of incongruity wasing from these thoughts¡­ I slowly pulled myself away from him. One step, two steps back. Something rough touched my back. It was a tree. I tried to get past the tree. The moment I turned my body, a crackling sound was heard from the tree. The branches moved wildly, struggling to reach me. ¡®What the¡ª?¡¯ I struggled to suppress my fright and reflexively backed away from the tree attacking me. The soles of my feet were scratched against the rough dirt floor, stabbing me. Maybe after all this, my feet will be covered in scars. The branches could no longere close to me because of the limitations of their length. I sighed in relief. ¡°Ek¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± Behind me, tree branches encircled my body. When I turned my head to look, the tree behind me¡ª no, all the trees nearby were moving. ¡®What the hell is this¡­¡¯ I¡¯ve never seen or heard of anything like this. The branches pulled me hard. ¡°Ugh!¡± My body felt like it was flying. The branches pulled me hastily and my back hit the tree. It embraced me deeper into its arms. Branches bound my arms and limbs. As it tightened more and more, I gasped, pain erupting all over my body due to the pressure. In particr, my wounds from my injuries in the banquet hall were throbbing. Ah. Damn it. It looks like the wound has reopened. I looked straight ahead to check my predicament¡ªI was in disbelief doubting the scene in front of me. The man I knocked out¡­ No, the man I thought I had knocked out stood up. He looked at me and smiled. Chapter 43.1 Chapter 43.1 I knew it. As I suspected. I did think it was suspicious. The man loosened his stiff body, bending his neck from side to side, and straightened his back. ¡°Isn¡¯t this magic quite fun?¡± Magic? Is this magic? I twisted, trying to wiggle my body free, but I couldn¡¯t. I¡¯ve never witnessed such magic before. I frowned as I looked at the tree that bound me, suddenly an answer came to mind: ck magic. ¡°I even pretended to be dead to prove my devotion to my beloved Seri, but why did you react like that?¡± He may have swayed others with his handsome face, but to me, he was utterly disgusting. ¡°Are you a warlock?¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± ¡°Only ck magic can manipte living things. Because controlling life is taboo. Are you with the warlocks who made amotion in the banquet hall today?¡± ¡°That group? I¡¯ll sad if you group me up with such stupid things.¡± The man closed in on me with a dagger that had fallen to the ground. The one I had thrown at him. He was approaching with the de and I was tied up. I feel like I became a sacrifice I saw in a book when I was a kid. This man intends to cut off my limbs, and I am a rebellious prey. I fought back as much as possible but it seemed now there was no escape. ¡°It won¡¯t hurt too much. Because my beautiful thin-skinned doll should be as immacte as possible.¡± My limbs were bound, but I twisted, trying to get out. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± As I struggled to escape, the branches fastened around me squeezed me tightly to suppress me. The force made me lose strength in my legs and my knees folded. As I fell down, my knees swept on the jagged soil floor, wounding me. A branch that covered me crept up and wrapped itself around my neck, intending to choke me. It was the first time I experienced the disgusting feeling of wood touching the back of my head. ¡°D¡ªdon¡¯t do it¡­¡± I groveled, sounding as frightened as I could muster. I know plenty of people like him. They like the more the other person bows their head and bes submissive to them. I¡¯d have to buy as much time as possible. There are ways to use magic, but the downside is that I have to finish him all at once. If I fail, he might cut my throat right away. I need a more certain strategy. ¡°I made a mistake earlier. Let¡¯s just cut my arm.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you choose well when I gave you the chance?¡± A cold de touched my cheek. Each time he touched me, my cheek was scraped by it, resulting in small scratches. The man stroked me like a toy. He was like a viin who longed to see the end of the pitiful prey held in his hand¡ªthat would instantaneously perish if he squeezed his hand too hard. ¡°Please have mercy. I¡¯m sorry about earlier. It was a mistake to attack you. Please forgive me?¡± ¡°No matter how sorry you are, it is in vain. It¡¯s already toote.¡± The man sat down on one knee to make eye contact with me. I had been constantly looking up at him, and now our eyes were at the same level, making it easier to see him. He stroked my hair. It was as if insects were crawling around my head. If my hands were free, I would have ripped my hair out. If I had returned home with stair, would it have been different? Regrets or whatever¡ª it was already toote. With choice,es responsibility. ¡°Instead, sweetheart, I¡¯ll give you a choice.¡± ¡°Choice?¡± ¡°Yes. Head, chest, abdomen. Pick one of the three. I¡¯ll stab you wherever you want.¡± I clenched my hand that was on the dirt floor. I grabbed the soil as if I was digging the ground, and the soil got stuck between his nails. ¡°Just [a bit]¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Just?¡± ¡°You¡¯re properly insane aren¡¯t you?¡± I smiled at him. While buying time I calcted the magic form and the answer in my mind. Crunch¡ª I swiveled my body as fast and as hard as I could. My spell had loosened the branches around me. ¡°¡­..!¡± As I was trying to escape, the man¡¯s hand gripped my neck tightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, beautiful, but you can¡¯t escape.¡± He strangled my neck. With the intent to kill me. I¡¯m running out of breath, but I can¡¯t help butugh. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 43.2 Thank you raw provider: jarry. I smiled as brightly as I could and threw the dirt in his eyes. ¡°Ak!¡± He felt the sting and closed his eyes. The strength of the hand around my neck diminished. The dagger fell from his other hand. I quickly grabbed his dagger. Thurst¡ª And without pause, I pierced and dug into his abdomen with the blade. The sound of the knife goring through his body was muffled. Blood spattered on my face. ¡°It hurts¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The man looked at the knife that had pierced his stomach in a stupor. I took out the knife and stabbed him again. ¡°You¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± The man frowned and looked at me. His beautiful face was contorted with pain. The man grabbed me by my wrist wanting to crush it. To prevent me from stabbing him deeply. He held it so tight so I couldn¡¯t move anymore. By tomorrow morning, my wrists will be bruised black and blue. Just like him, my forehead was wrinkled with pain. As I chewed my lips, I endured the pain and did not let go of the knife. Compared to the alternative bruising will be mild. I felt like my bones were about to break. I squeezed out the last of my mana and let it flow into my body. With the intention of exploding all the organs in his body. ¡°Ahh!¡± His body jumped as if he had been electrocuted. The force that had been holding me as if it was about to break my wrist loosened. Perhaps because the man who cast the spell was injured, the trees stopped moving. He pushed his falling body towards me. This time I had definitely finished him. I was drenched in ecstasy and raised the corners of my lips slightly into a faint smile. You must get out of here quickly! While I looked around frantically, I saw horses tied to the carriage from the corner of my eye. That¡¯s it! I stepped towards the horse and stopped. My feet hurt terribly. Blood flowed. My injuries ruptured and bled. My body was full of wounds. When I go back to the mansion, I will have to seek treatment from Igelto. Even though they were my traumas, I didn¡¯t feel any emotions like others. Only when my injuries complained loudly with pain and fatigue did I then become aware of them. * * * When I returned, the mansion was in a commotion. They looked at me with astonished eyes. One of the attendants rushed to tell Alastair that I had arrived. ¡°Oh, lady, h¡ªhow did you get to this state?¡± Lida looked at the wound on my arm, and Hiccup! she shouted in surpise. She placed her trembling hand on my shoulder. ¡°We need to call the doctor!¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s alright.¡± There¡¯s an elf at home, and there¡¯s no need to call one. They knew that Igelto was a doctor, and a few knew that he was staying in this mansion. ¡°But¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± ¡°Lida, stop. I¡¯m already exhausted, and right now I¡¯m feeling rather unhinged.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just worried about the young lady¡­.¡± She murmured with a depressed tone, but it could not reach my ears. She announced, ¡°Now that the lady is back, the search will be stopped.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Search?¡± ¡°Yes. Since you didn¡¯t arrive after several hours, the Duke started a search operation. I heard from an acquaintance knight that if you didn¡¯t come back soon the Duke was going to close the border and search the entire country¡­.¡± I raised my eyebrows. It sounded insane¡­ no, utterly absurd. This crazy¡­. I couldn¡¯t help but be astonished. A dangerous thing occurred today, but if I had been delayed or arrived home a little later, it would have resulted in a more ludicrous situation than it was now. Seriously, Alastair thinks that a slight blow will kill me. In a way, the fact that he, who overreacts to me every time, did not find me for several hours while conducted a search operation still fell short. This wasn¡¯t it. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to go into my room.¡± I went up to my room, ignoring the voice holding me back, asking if I really wanted to get treatment. When I got to the room, I collapsed on the bed. My messy silver hair was flung and scattered all over the bed. I needed to meet Igelto and receive treatment¡­ but my eyes were closing. I was physically exhausted and my body was depleted. I tried to surrender my dazed self to a mindless slumber. Bang-! The roar of a door smashed open. Helplessly, I got up to see what had happened. ¡°Serina.¡± His eyes and gazes of the servants who saw me a moment ago possessed similar feelings. Astonishment. Worry. And one more emotion that differed from the attendants. Fear. Was he afraid something had happened to me? I lay in bed without answering his call. I am so sleepy. When I wake up, I can reassure him then. I am so drowsy and exhausted now. ¡°Serina.¡± He called out to me again As if he was begging for an answer. I wanted to answer him, but my lips wouldn¡¯t move. It only needed to be opened a little bit, but it was heavy like a weight that could not be move. As my consciousness collapsed, I heard footsteps. One side of the bed sank. He came right next to me and sat on the bed. ¡°Serina, don¡¯t sleep and answer me¡­¡± It was not strange that the voice calling me softly cut off shortly. A voice soaked with a weeping tone could burst with even the most trivial touch. He was always like that. When I got hurt, he suffered as if he had been harmed, and he wanted to take on the pain instead. ¡°Why do you keep calling me¡­..?¡± Just as his voice was similar, my tone was always the same, leveled. The difference is that he was crying and I was falling asleep. ¡°How did you get hurt?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk later.¡± ¡°Talk to me now. No, I¡¯ll call the elf right away, so we¡¯ll talk after your healing is over.¡± ¡± ¡­. ¡° ¡°You can¡¯t sleep until then, okay?¡± He stroked my hair as if he was an older child looking after a younger one and asked for an answer. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤okay. I¡¯m not going to sleep, so go.¡± The bed, which had been bent under his weight, rebounded. Having received my promise, he got up from the bed and hurriedly left the room. When he left, I couldn¡¯t hold up my heavy eyelids and closed my eyes. I am so sleepy. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Soon after, I fell asleep. Chapter 44.1 Thank you raw provider: jarry. The pain impaling his stomach was horrifying. He never wanted to taste it again. A scorching breath came out of his mouth. The man, Pien, grabbed his stomach and crawled across the ground using his arm. It was the first time he had ever been stabbed in his abdomen. ¡®Why the hell did I let my guard down?¡¯ He laughed out loud. He didn¡¯t know why, but it was amusing. ¡®Next time we meet, I¡¯d like to cut off those pretty hands and talk.¡ªNo, it¡¯s better to appreciate pretty things for a long time, so let¡¯s just cut the tendons so that you can¡¯t move.¡¯ ¡°Cough ¡­..! Cough cough!¡± ¡®Of course, if I don¡¯t die and survive this.¡¯ He liked encountering the woman, but disappointingly, he did not achieve his purpose. His purpose was to procure her skin and blood. He lay down on the dirt floor and burst into laughter as he looked at the bright round moon. ¨C Hey, you idiot! Stop it! Stop! The urgent cry of the hot-tempered boy, Charron, echoed in his ears. At first, he thought of experimenting by splitting his skin, but he gave up. Blinded by curiosity, he had momentarily forgotten that the hostage boy was [magically] barren. He ended up not harming him. ¡°Hahaha¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± It had been fun and interesting, but he didn¡¯t get what he needed. The moon was so bright that his eyes burned. The man no longer looked up at the sky and turned his head. A blood-stained leaf entered his vision. This blood was not his own. It was from a direction opposite to the orientation he had crawled while bleeding out. The man raised his hand holding a leaf to the sky to take a closer look as the leaf was illuminated by the round moon. ¡°Should I be satisfied with this¡­?¡± * * * The warm sunlight pierced my skin. I opened my eyes, regretting not closing the curtains before I went to bed. Dark black hair gently tickled my face. Did you crawl into my bed while I was sleeping? Alastair was asleep holding me tight as if I was a jewel. My body ached from sleeping in his arms all night. I slept uncomfortable, but I was relieved that I didn¡¯t wake up in the middle of the night. I moved his arms and pushed him away, and flinched. My injured arm hurts. Only then did I remember what happened last night. I quietly looked down at my arm. Maybe someone treated my arm while I was asleep. There was a white bandage neatly wrapped around my arm. When I get up I have to thank Igelto. I pushed against Alastair¡¯s chest with the other uninjured arm, but he didn¡¯t move. Instead he let out a light growl and hugged me tightly. I felt his weight against my body and felt pressed against his hard body. I lifted my head to appreciate his face. Seeing his sleeping countenance, I didn¡¯t want to wake him up. I reached out and touched his face. When I caressed his long black eyelashes, he trembled. It was oddly amusing. I stroked the high bridge of his nose and gently touched his lips. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ You¡¯re so handsome.¡± I sighed. I see his face all the time, but it¡¯s still so outstanding, even I¡¯m not used to it. It was as if God made a glass sculpture with great effort that became even more striking after it was shattered and illuminated. ¡°I¡¯m glad if you like it, Serina.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Did you wake up?¡± I was surprised, but pretended not to be and tried to be brazen as if I had said nothing just moments before. I tried to withdraw my hand, but Alastair placed his hand over the back of my hand so I could not remove it. I could clearly feel his warm, smooth skin against the palm of my hand. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be weird if I didn¡¯t wake up when you touch me like that?¡± He let out a sigh. ¡°You didn¡¯t keep your promise again. You had promised me you wouldn¡¯t sleep until you were healed.¡± ¡°Sorry. I was so exhausted that I couldn¡¯t help it.¡± I pulled out my hand from his. I twisted my body and signaled to the hand hugging me against him to loosen up. Alastair continued to inquire, not distracted: ¡°Why in the world did you come back like that yesterday?¡± Alastair frowned as he recalled my wounded form and suffering yesterday. His eyes were filled with concern and distress. ¡°I did a search last night, do you know what was found?¡± ¡°What did you find?¡± ¡°The body of the coachman who drove your carriage and the carriage abandoned in the forest. There was blood surrounding it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Do you have anything to say to me?¡± The thing that jumped out at me was Alastair not mentioning the body of ¡®the man.¡¯ It must have not been found in the search operation he mentioned. I had no way of knowing if his body was there or not. ¡°¡­were there any other bodies around the wagon?¡± ¡°A corpse?¡± ¡°There was nothing but the body of the coachman.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Isn¡¯t he dead? The man I killed yesterday. I had stabbed his stomach twice, so I had assumed he was dead. However, my abductor¡¯s body wasn¡¯t found during the investigation. Only the horseman¡¯s body was found. I was sure he had stopped breathing. ¡°Why do you think there should be another corpse besides the coachman? What the hell happened last night?¡± ¡°It is complicated. It¡¯s a long story.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I organized what happened last night in my head. ¡°I fell asleep on the way home in the wagon. When I opened my eyes, the carriage was going up a mountain.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I realized after waking up that someone intentionally put me to sleep with incense.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..So then what happened?¡± The sharp hostility of a bloodthirsty aura drenched his eyes. Chapter 44.2 Thank you raw provider: jarry. The temperature suddenly dropped; it was freezing. Because I started to lightly shiver, he rubbed my back, his face was cold. ¡°There was a man I didn¡¯t know that had replaced the coachman and was driving the carriage up the mountain. The man who attacked Igelto at the slave auction house was the same one who kidnapped me.¡± ¡°Why the hell did¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that either.¡± His fierce eyes distorted terribly. When I paused for a moment, his purple eyes urged me to continue. ¡°The man who had drugged me to sleep gave me a choice: I could either cut off my arm or end up his stuffed doll.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°In the end, I didn¡¯t choose either option, so I ended up like this and came back to the mansion.¡± Alastair gently stroked my cheek, touching my wound. It was the wound from when the man had jokingly cut my cheek with a knife. ¡°It¡¯s been awhile since I told you not to get hurt. ¡°Not long after I told you not to get hurt¡­.¡± His gaze fell on my bandaged arm. ¡°¡­it must have hurt a lot.¡± ¡°It was tolerable.¡± He stared into my eyes for a while. His purple eyes grew clouded and turned into a leaden color. ¡°So what happened to him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I thought I killed him, but I guess not.¡± ¡°Is that so,¡± he acknowledged softly. It was surprising. Judging from his usual personality, I thought he would be irate and furious towards the man. ¡°Go back to sleep.¡± He let me go and got up. He pulled up the blanket lying at my waist and covered me up to my neck. ¡°Suddenly some work came up, so I have to go.¡± Click. He closed the door. He left as soon as we talked. It was a little disappointing, but I didn¡¯t want to bother a busy person. * * * I knew it. As expected, the newspapers reported what had happened at the banquet yesterday. The front page of every newspaper was full of stories of the happenings in the banquet hall. Among them, there were many erroneous details and many exaggerated speculations. However, they all said the same thing, there is a high possibility that it was the work of the warlock group: ¡®Facius¡¯. The public was getting more and more rallied up. The newspaper covered this as a special report, but there was another item I was interested in. It¡¯s at the end of a newspaper, so it looks worthless, but it¡¯s not. There was a minor mention of founding day festivities taking place in various villages. Yesterday, when I rode down from the mountain, I spotted a village. The village was lit up, celebrating the founding festival. Beautiful lanterns floated up to the sky one by one. The lanterns shined brilliantly in the increasingly dark sunset sky. It was a spectacular sight. Even in the midst of my painful journey I had smiled at the sight Discern you in the midst of hard times It reminded me of the past. On that day it had also been Founding Day. Naturally, we had to attend the celebration at the palace¡¯s banquet hall and sneak out when people would be too busy to notice. Alastair and I escaped by teleporting to a village and headed towards it¡¯s lakeside, enthralled by it¡¯s stunning scenery. There he rented a rustic boat. The boat was so shabby, it looked like it was about to fall apart. Alastair skillfully rowed the boat and we headed into the middle of the lake. The boat stopped there. We flew the cheap lanterns we had bought at the store. They rose and bumped into each other. -Alastair, what did you wish for? There was such a superstition that if you make a wish on a lantern at the founding festival, it will come true. Of course, it was a superstition created to increase store sales by selling lanterns, but it was fun to try. Above all, flying the lanterns and seeing them float into the sky was fun. ¨C I made a wish to be with you for a long time. Then Alastair smiled happily. The boy desperately hoped for his wish to come true. ¨C What did you wish for? The calm waves rippled by the gentle breeze, reflected the two of us as we stared at each other. ¨C My wish¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­. Wait, what did I wish back then? It¡¯s been so long I can¡¯t remember. In frustration I threw down the newspaper. Usually founding festivals are held for a week. ¡®Shall I go with Alastair?¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to have fun like we did in the past. It¡¯s been a while. Chapter 45.1 Thank you raw provider: jarry. Mikhail looked at the paperwork in front of him and clinched the quill, as if he was about to break it. It was the same content as last time. No, the contents of the documents have never been changed at all. Damn it ¡®Where the hell did these guys go?¡¯ When he woke up, Charon and Maxion were gone. Leaving a note telling him not to look for them. Something was strange. At first, he thought it was a simple rebellious runaway. Even now, there were no other clues, so his initial inference was the most likely. But¡­ . It was too clean. Why are there no traces¡ª nor evidence? He searched for over a week; there should have been at least one clue. But there were no indications of their plans, he was very uncomfortable. It¡¯s better to simply think of them as free spirited runaways¡­ ¡­ ¡­ . He sighed as he shook his head in frustration. Caw! Caw! Suddenly a strange crow cried and knocked on the window with its beak as if it was telling him to open it. Peck! Peck! It was a test subject he had made. It was deemed an initial failure, but later became unexpectedly useful, so Mikhail ended up not disposing of it. When Mikhail opened the window, the experiment came impatiently, and circled the room in haste. Caw! Caw! The crying was so loud that Mikhail covered his ears with both hands. ¡°Shut up before I throw you away.¡± ¡°No! Mikhail! Handsome idiot! Hate!¡± At first, he wondered where his damn test subject had learned these words. And he soon realized. Those two runaway bastards had probably captured his experiment and taught it strange words. The more he thought about it the more he couldn¡¯t help but think it was those two troublesome punks. ¡°Charon and Maxion. Did you find them?¡± ¡°No! I do not know! I do not know! Caw! Caw!¡± Again, the test subject howled. Then why did you come? Should I just get rid of it right now? Mikhail glared at his test subject with irritated eyes, and his aura grew ferocious. ¡°Master! Instead¡ªthis! Look! Caw!¡± ?Spit! His experiment spit out something from his mouth. Fortunately the contents were clean. The interior of the test object was empty, so the space inside was empty. So sometimes he used this creature as a portable space box. Mikhail picked up what his magic crow spit out. ¡°This¡­¡­.¡± A bloody handkerchief. The handkerchief was familiar. Because it was something Maxion loved. For Maxion¡¯s birthday, Serina had embroidered it herself. It was sloppy work, but Maxion cherished it because it was made by Serina herself. Seeing the handkerchief with the stitches sticking out of it, Mikhail had made fun of Serina, asking if this was all her skill amounted to. ¡°Why is this¡­ ¡­ .¡± There was no way that Maxion would abandon his dearest possession. Unlike the youngest, Charon, who was notorious for being distracted and disorganized, Maxion was neat and managed things thoroughly. Plus¡­.. it was still covered in blood. Is it Maxion¡¯s blood? Or¡­ ¡­ ¡­ . He ran straight to his lab. Numerous instruments were placed on the laboratory desk. Mikhail rummaged through them and found something. Smash! On the way, a beaker fell and broke, but Mikhail didn¡¯t care. I found it! He picked up a crumpled and faded piece of paper. In the past, there was a time when Maxion¡¯s blood was tested. And at that time he had noted his blood information and type. Mikhail looked at the handkerchief in his hand. From now on, I will try to find out if this is Maxion¡¯s blood or not. After that¡­ . * * * What are Charon and Maxion doing right now? Even when I think of other things, my two younger brothers come to mind. The two younger brothers who were wandering around my head were really idiots. I hope you are eating regularly. According to the letter, they did not leave with a penny. So I was more worried. Looking at the lake illuminating my face, I leaned over and dipped my hand into the lake and washed my face. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked, while rowing. The current was swayed by the oars. How many questions do you have? ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± When I had first suggested we go out, he hadn¡¯t answered right away. He feared that a wound on my shoulder would open and jeopardize my life. When I asked again, he finally nodded after hesitating for a long time. ¡°Why did you suddenly ask to go boating, Serina?¡± In the past, I rode a boat with him amidst the flying lanterns, so I hurriedly rented a ferry. At that time, there were a lot of couples vying for boats, so they had quickly sold out. I had suddenly gone up to the owner of the ferries and asked to borrow his own personal boat, which he had thought was ridiculous. When I think about it, it wasn¡¯t all of a sudden. ¡°There¡¯s no particular reason. I suddenly wanted to go on a boat ride.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but feel this might be the last time but those thoughts couldn¡¯t come out of my mouth. Even if his feelings for me were lies, mine were sincere. Chapter 45.2 Thank you raw provider: jarry. So, being with him made me feel happy and uncomfortable at the same time. In the past, I had the illusion that this joy would last forever. ¡°By the way, Alastair, did you find out who attacked me yesterday?¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°Not yet?¡± I crossed my arms on my stomach and held my chin. As I turned my head slightly and smiled, embarrassment flashed across his face. ¡°¡­ How did you know?¡± ¡°I just happened to find out.¡± This morning, when I told him what had happened and caused me arriving late last night, he abruptly left, saying something urgent had come up. After he had left, I had leisurely changed my clothes, left the room and went down to the dining room. I went to his office to ask him to eat with me, but the door hadn¡¯t been close properly, so a cold voice leaked out. ¨C Find it and kill it. A threatening growl, as if an arrow had passed through his throat. It was a familiar voice, but at the same time it was not. Naturally, I listened to it and overheard it unintentionally. ¡°I was surprised when he said coolly to find him and kill him. I¡¯ve never seen you so cold and brutal.¡± ¡°Ah¡ªthat¡­ .¡± ¡°And what else did you say? Order them to bring him alive? So you could torture him yourself.¡± ¡°Ah again¡­ ¡­ .¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Alastair stopped his rowing and covered his face. I could see clearly what expression he was making before he covered it. I¡¯m doomed. That¡¯s what his face looked like. Perhaps he loved me, so he tried to deceive me as much as possible. But I knew him too well for that. It was because I read the novel, but after knowing him for a long time, there was no way I didn¡¯t know. ¡°Alastair, you¡¯re smart at times and stupid at other times.¡± ¡°What do you¡­¡­ .¡± ¡°You think I don¡¯t know everything?¡± ¡°What¡­ .¡± ¡°It was about two years ago¡­ ¡­ . Was it Baron Deren? Do you remember the case in the newspaper where the baron died brutally with all his organs ruptured in a brothel?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You did that.¡± His eyes widened. The sight of his shaking eyes in disbelief made him look pitiful. ¡°¡­..I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you hide your facial expression and say it?¡± It was always enjoyable to tease him. He couldn¡¯t say anything, and seeing him biting his mouth gave me a strange sadistic feeling. ¡°I know more than this, and I can recite everything if you want.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I think this will be enough.¡± He bit his pitiful lip as if I had discovered a secret he didn¡¯t want to be revealed. ¡°Baron Deren, why did you kill him?¡± I always wondered. He was a competent figure in Alastair¡¯s business and helped him in the novel. Alastair had been satisfied with him. At least in the original story. ¡°He touched you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°With a rude, offensive touch, too.¡± He did not hide the deep disgust cast on his face. Two years ago, in the social world, he pretended not to have touched my body. His history with women was very uncomfortable and grim. Rumors spread after he died, that he had raped several maids working in his mansion. Those who heard the rumor were easily convinced. He was famous for molesting and sexual harassing young ladies in society with less authority. When he touched my body, it was obvious that he had lost his mind. I had seriously contemplated cutting off his hand, but before that he had been murdered. By Alastair. I looked at him and then looked at the sky. The lanterns that were blown into the sky sometimes clashed and shone beautifully. Petals fell softly on my face. I blinked at the petals falling one by one. Our boat had settled under a tree. The flowers that bloomed on the trees were blown away by the wind. I raised my hand and picked a flower from a tree. As I lowered my head, Alastair held my gaze. I smiled and leaned closer to him. As I leaned over and approached him on his knees, my stomach churned. I care about him. Alastair stared blankly at me, not even thinking to stop me. I put the flowers on his head. ¡°You¡¯re pretty, Alastair.¡± His face was dyed red perhaps from the light of the lanterns. As the boat gradually leaned to one side, I returned to my place. His gaze was still fixed on my retreating hands and body. I picked up the lantern that I had placed beside him, pretending not to notice and ignoring his gaze. ¡°Now, let¡¯s let it fly.¡± I gave him a balloon. He looked at the lantern and lit it with magic power. When I saw the lantern he had lit up, I let it go. ¡°What did you wish for?¡± My eyes were filled with the lit balloons released into the air. His purple eyes were also dyed red*. ¡°I prayed I would marry you, Serina.¡± I almost choked. ¡°Being your concubine is good, too.¡± I was at a loss for words when I saw him smiling brightly. ¡°Serina¡¯s wish¡ª what did you wish for?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I hoped your medicine would be completed soon.¡± It couldn¡¯t be helped, we had opposite, conflicting wishes. I looked at him and sighed. *[t1v: red in korean/ asian cultures can also be a euphemism for lust and passionate love] Chapter 46.1 Thank you raw provider: jarry. Do not go. Don¡¯t go, sister. One sunny day. One day when the sun was shining strongly. One day, dark clouds covered the sky as it was about to rain. He caught his sister. ¨C I feel like something bad is going to happen. Don¡¯t go out today and stay with me. Please? He desperately grabbed his sister. He had a nightmare. A dream where his sister was crushed by a monster. It wasn¡¯t just a nightmare. His skin was sensitive to even the air. What did his sister say to his earnest words? She was smiling very brightly. Stroking the boy¡¯s head, which only comes to her waist. ¨C You must have had a nightmare, Eton. Eton. It was the boy¡¯s nickname and second name. The wind howled. The silver hair fluttered in front of him, as if it would soon turn to dust. ¨C It¡¯s not just a nightmare! no! You can¡¯t go today! Don¡¯t go¡­ ¡­ stay with me so you¡¯ll be safe. -No. I promised to meet someone today. -Promise? You can cancel your meeting! You can¡¯t go out today? It was coercion. He was desperate enough to try and force her, even though he was usually mature. You should never let her go. Hesitation flashed across her face as she looked at her desperate little brother¡¯s green eyes. But she decided. -Stop it, Eaton. I have an important appointment today. I can¡¯t undo it because of a simple nightmare. ¨C Sister, are you going to visit the prince? She gave no answer. He wished she would deny it, but she did not. She was. It was what he feared the most. -Sister! I¡¯d rather you meet someone else. Just not him. -Eton¡­ . -He doesn¡¯t even like you! He¡¯s just trying to use sister¡­ ¡­ ! -Stop it, Igelto! -Stop? Stop what¡­¡­. He wanted to stop her, even if he had to scream or hurt her. Because she¡¯s his family. Because he loves her. So she got angry. But she had something else that made him even more angry. He found a book in her hand. She hid the book behind her waist, he was astonished that she, too, had noticed his gaze. -Sister¡­ ¡­ ¡­ . That¡­ ¡­ . It¡¯s forbidden in the village. Why do you have that? He could not continue his words. He looked at his sister with shocked eyes and shook his head like a fool. ¨C This too was ordered by the prince¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ? ¨C It¡¯s really¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ? ¨C It¡¯s not like that¡­ ¡­ ¡­ . His older sister was inexperienced in hiding her expressions. Especially when she was in embarrassing situations. -then¡­ ¡­ give it to me. I¡¯ll return it in secret. ¨C I can¡¯t¡­ ¡­ . ¨C You can¡¯t? That¡¯s forbidden! What the hell did you steal it for! ¨C I didn¡¯t steal it! Take a look at it again I¡¯m going to return it¡­ . ¨C Don¡¯t be stupid! Give it here! He ran to her and tried to steal the book she had hidden. Tear her clothes and hold her wrists so that her hands don¡¯t push him away. You must take that book. -Argh! He was so small that he couldn¡¯t best his sister. After roughly pushing him away, she ran without looking back and escaped him. Drop. Water droplets fell from the sky. Tak. Tuk. The raindrops increased in number and hit him harshly. That was the last time he saw her. Igelto woke up to the sound of boiling. It was more than a horrible dream. A nightmare that will follow him for the rest of his life, even if he tries to forget it. Even if he doesn¡¯t want to, he has to keep this memory for the rest of his life. Like he always has. Elves have a long lifespan. To the extent that human life looks futile and meaningless to them. From a human¡¯s perspective, Igelto lived a long time. But among the elves, he was young. He swept his hair back that blocked his view. It had been a while since he cut his hair after coming here, and his hair has grown shaggy. He inspected his grown out bangs and thought he should cut them. He stared at the beaker heated by the alcohol lamp. Ah? He rubbed his eyes, doubting what he had seen. ¡­¡­ the medicine was complete. * * *