“What did you say?”

“Pardon?”

I and Viscount Johannes simultaneously raised our voices and turned to look at Lord Joseph.

Surely he wasn’t saying he wanted to go inside the prison?

“Don’t you have business with that woman, my lady?”

His red eyes glinted in the dim light seeping from the oil lamp.

Without realizing it, I nodded as if entranced. That may be true, but…

“As it happens, I also have business with that woman.”

Ah, so that’s it.

…It wasn’t a joke I could easily brush off. I tugged on his elbow as if to say ‘get a hold of yourself’.

“What are you saying, Lord Joseph? This interior isn’t a place one can easily enter.”

“The lady is correct, Count. The underground prison of Castle Daiern is a complete labyrinth – once you enter, you can never return.”

At that, Lord Joseph gently creased his eyes in a smile.

“As for returning, there’s no need to worry with the red string, is there? Don’t be too concerned. If it seems utterly impossible to find, I’ll come right back.”

I was dumbfounded by his nonchalant response.

Even so, after witnessing that devilish darkness, he still wants to go in?

“You don’t seem to understand, Lord Joseph. This castle’s underground prison isn’t infamous simply for its complex structure.”

“The lady is correct, Count. There are no records of the interior ever being organized in a thousand years. I imagine there will be many things unfit for a noble’s eyes.”

Viscount Johannes helped me try to persuade Lord Joseph. But seeing his calmly composed expression, I could tell.

No matter what we said to persuade him, Lord Joseph intended to go inside.

If not now, he would steal the key and sneak in later.

Hah. At this point, as his ally, I could no longer stop his actions.

I don’t know what he’s thinking, but even if he can’t explain it to me right away, it must be necessary.

“…Alright. If you want to go in that badly, I’ll open the door for you.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

“My lady?”

Viscount Johannes looked surprised when I changed my stance after trying to persuade him.

I lightly waved my hand to make him close his mouth.

“But there are a few problems, Lord Joseph.”

“What are they?”

“First, that string is currently inadequate as a safety measure.”

If there was only one person inside, it wouldn’t be a big problem. But if someone who had already cut the string was also there, it would be a different story.

What if Dorothea discovered the hanging string and secretly cut it?

Lord Joseph would wander the maze unaware that his lifeline had been severed. I couldn’t let that happen.

“Wait a few days. If we search the library, we might find an intact map somewhere.”

He needed to take at least a map with him.

However, hearing those words, Lord Joseph burst into laughter as if he’d heard a very amusing joke.

“My lady, I don’t need a map. You know the reason better than anyone.”

“Pardon?”

What is he talking about? What do I kno…oh. Perfect memory ability.

Lord Joseph was someone who, even unintentionally, had the angles and distances of the directions he walked inputted into his mind.

With each step, the most accurate map in the world would seemingly be drawn before his eyes, so he had no need to bring a map.

Moreover, this man is a magician. Of course, he’s sealed his chronomancy himself.

‘Even without that, he has enough ability to protect himself.’

He’s also skilled in swordsmanship. Hmm…

I stepped away from him for a moment, lost in thought as if measuring him up, then nodded.

“And the second problem is that I don’t want rumors spreading later about locking up my provisional fiancé in an underground labyrinth.”

“I’m not being locked up, I’m choosing to go in.”

“The inner workings aren’t as important as you might think, Lord Joseph. It’s the outward actions that create gossip.”

“…Does that mean you won’t let me go?”

“No, it means public administration is important.”

The red eyes blinked slowly, not understanding my meaning.

I brought over the oil lamp hanging near the stone door.

Then I spoke to Lord Joseph and Viscount Johannes, who still didn’t understand what I was saying.

“I’m coming with you.”

The darkness pressing down on my entire body was suffocating.

It felt as if this gloomy, damp air was coiled around my body like a snake.

Was it just my imagination? The area was filled with a revolting stench that pierced to the frontal lobe, surely causing me to have unnecessary delusions.

“Ugh.”

Nevertheless, I felt nauseous for a moment.

As I stopped walking and bent over, a firm arm wrapped around my shoulders.

“Perhaps it would be better if you turned back now, my lady.”

I hurriedly pulled out my handkerchief in that moment.

Though I covered both my nose and mouth, it seemed insufficient to block the thousand-year-old smell of death piercing my nostrils.

In the end, I persuaded the vehemently opposing Viscount Johannes and entered the maw of the Gargoyle’s Oubliette with Lord Joseph.

Of course, the Viscount strongly objected, even going so far as to grab the hem of my dress, but…

‘What can I do? I’m the employer after all.’

With the red string firmly tied around my waist, I also instructed Viscount Johannes to wait outside the stone door, reassuring him.

If he waited inside, he might overhear unfiltered conversations between Lord Joseph and me.

I told him to wait outside, but to carefully guard the door so no one would discover that Lord Joseph and I had gone inside.

‘But this place is really no joke.’

Honestly, there was a part of me that had taken it lightly.

Whether it was called the Gargoyle’s Oubliette or whatever, I thought the name was just unnecessarily brutal, and strictly speaking, wasn’t it just a physical space called an underground prison?

But it seemed I might have been mistaken.

The psychological pressure was considerable just a few steps into the darkness that had been cast for a thousand years.

It felt like I could hear footsteps from far away for no reason.

Though it shouldn’t be possible, it felt like the wind was brushing against my cheeks, and the thought that there was a smell of death mixed in the air invaded my reason.

‘It feels like I’ve come to a different world.’

The only things I could rely on were the light from the oil lamp Lord Joseph was holding, and his steps as he slowly moved forward with his fingers firmly entwined with mine.

And his voice, erasing the strange sensations created by needless fear.

With my face still deeply furrowed, finding even breathing unpleasant, I shook my head at Lord Joseph’s words.

“They say the sense of smell is the first of the human senses to be numbed. Once you adapt, it should be fine soon.”

To be honest, the smell wasn’t the only problem.

It was like some indescribable sensation was pressing down on my body as if to crush it. But there was no need to mention that…

I heard Lord Joseph sigh above my head.

Perhaps he had noticed that I was being evasive.

‘But that reaction is unpleasant.’

His clear reaction made me feel like I had become some kind of burden.

Yes, if Lord Joseph had come alone, he wouldn’t have needed to stop walking because of me like this.

“It seems Lord Joseph is quite displeased that I came along.”

When I narrowed my eyes and spoke sulkily, Lord Joseph exhaled briefly and said,

“That’s not it, I’m worried, my lady. I didn’t want to bring you to such a rough place.”

“That’s ridiculous. I shouldn’t come to rough places, but it’s fine for you, Lord Joseph? Despite appearances, I’ve even experienced being kidnapped in a slum in my day. The terrain there was so complex, like a maze. Here or there, it’s not much different… Ah, that’s right!”

As I said it, something suddenly occurred to me. I roughly grabbed Lord Joseph’s sleeve.

“I was going to confront you about this anyway. How could you mention that I had experienced such a thing in front of Kardiel, Lord Joseph!”

I forcibly turned his body around and placed my hands on my hips, lifting my chin.

Lord Joseph then readily admitted his mistake.

“I sincerely apologize for that. I was blinded by anger in that moment.”

“What did you say?”

This was another absurd excuse. I let out a short, empty breath in disbelief.

They say there’s no grave without an excuse, but at least make it a believable one.

“But I will correct you, my lady. The slums and this place are different.”

“Of course they’re different. In the slums, every person I encountered could have been a criminal who might attack me, while here, apart from Dorothea, everything we might encounter will be nothing but skeletons.”

Moreover, our goal is to find Dorothea.

Unlike when escaping the slums, we’re in a situation where we should hope to encounter Dorothea.

“…Do you really think so?”