In fact, it was an obvious ploy with clear intentions.

If it had been this bright from the start, I would never have held his hand and moved.

“Lord Joseph, is your headache that severe?”

Instead, I asked a different question. His effort to somehow touch me, using such a cute little trick, was both amusing and endearing.

It was enough to make my heart flutter unnecessarily.

“What headache?”

“You could have just honestly asked to hold my hand.”

At that, Lord Joseph’s gaze, walking beside me, looked down at me.

I smiled back in response to that look, willingly intertwining our fingers.

“Oh my, you misunderstood. It wasn’t because of a headache that I wanted contact with my lady.”

Lord Joseph closed his eyes like a picture and gave a gentle smile.

“It’s an expression of possessiveness.”

What?

Before I could react, my firmly held hand was pulled towards him.

The experience of distance closing as if sliding was familiar.

I knew this sensation. And I could anticipate what would happen next.

I reflexively squeezed my eyes shut and tensed my body in preparation for the impending skinship.

“Anyway, since you said I could hold it, I’m grateful. Then, let’s continue on ahead.”

…?

But what I expected didn’t happen.

Lord Joseph simply held my hand and turned to start finding the way.

‘What is this?’

Suddenly, my mood plummeted like a puppet with its strings cut.

Momentarily stunned, I moved my steps as if being dragged along his lead.

‘When did he act so brazenly without permission, causing trouble.’

At such a perfect moment, he just holds my hand?

As my excited feelings subsided, disappointment left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I thought he would at least wrap an arm around my waist…

“My lady?”

“…What now?”

A sulky reply came out without me realizing. Lord Joseph glanced at me, seemingly perplexed.

“Why are you so angry?”

“…You’re mistaken. I’m not angry.”

“Saying that while avoiding my eyes isn’t very convincing.”

…Ah, really nitpicking every little thing.

I looked up at him irritably, glaring aggressively.

“There! Are you satisfied now?”

“Ahaha. Yes, I am.”

His expression, laughing with audible breaths, seemed truly pleased.

It wasn’t a dazzling smile meant to enchant or pretend, but rather an honest laugh that seemed almost innocent.

Strange. Seeing that face, my heart started to tingle beyond my control.

Frowning at the pain, I deliberately puffed out my cheeks in a pout.

It’s ridiculous, really. What’s so good about acting so forcefully.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and let’s go.”

I started walking, stomping my feet needlessly. This time, it was me dragging Lord Joseph along.

Fortunately, this path was a single road, and the light source floating above illuminated the surroundings almost like a chandelier.

Thanks to that, unlike before, I was confident I wouldn’t be startled by anything even if I went ahead.

Well, unless Dorothea suddenly jumped out from a corner wielding a weapon…

“By the way, this magic seems less impressive than I thought.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, those light sources are more convenient than oil lamps, but they’re not so indispensable that we couldn’t do without them.”

I continued grumbling.

“When I heard ‘magic’, I imagined more miraculous abilities. Like some mysterious light guiding us to instantly find where Dorothea is…”

“Hmm.”

“Or if not that, then instantly restraining Dorothea wherever she is in the underground prison and bringing her before us?”

But in the end, we’re just walking aimlessly.

Through the shadows of this abyss-like underground of unknown scale due to the lost map.

“I thought you just had unique ideas, my lady, but you have quite the imagination too.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“No, I’m genuinely impressed.”

Then Lord Joseph suddenly stopped walking.

My steps, advancing with our fingers intertwined, were halted as well.

What’s going on? I looked back to see Lord Joseph giving a playful eye-smile.

“You’d probably prefer the latter option.”

He slowly raised his other hand that wasn’t connected to me.

Then, a pure white and mysterious light began to gather in his hand, slowly forming some shape.

“But I’d like to go with this one.”

It was a shape familiar enough for me to recognize immediately.

A needle lying horizontally in the air, spinning round and round.

“It looks like a compass needle.”

“It’s a familiar form to me as well.”

Ah, that’s right, he was a sailor before inheriting Chronomancy.

I nodded in understanding, and by then the compass needle formed of light was pointing in a certain direction and had stopped.

Instinctively, I could guess that was where Dorothea was.

“This way. Shall we go?”

But before that…

My eyes narrowed.

“…Lord Joseph. Care to explain yourself?”

“It’s because I’m an opportunist.”

Huh, that’s not an explanation but a last will.

I was tempted to kick him in the shin. In the end, I just bit my lip.

Ha, Lord Joseph should be grateful.

That I’m someone who would never use violence no matter what.

“By the way, my lady. …This is the last confirmation, but are you really sure you don’t want to turn back?”

“What are you saying?”

That was the moment Lord Joseph’s demeanor changed.

“I mean it would be better if you didn’t meet Dorothea.”

Tension rushed in as if my hair was standing on end at his lowered voice.

A deep shadow seemed to fall over his red eyes gazing at me.

I…

“I said I’m fine.”

I answered with a slight curl of my lips and a shrug of my shoulders.

Really, sometimes Lord Joseph, like Kardiel, seems like a worrywart. What does he take me for?

“But ‘fine’ doesn’t…”

Just as I was about to argue, Lord Joseph tilted his head slowly.

“…mean ‘good’, does it?”

“…”

“It means you can endure it.”

That one statement left me speechless.

It felt like my inner thoughts had been completely exposed, leaving me naked.

I…

“…”

Instead of answering, I took a step. In the direction the white needle was pointing.

I will be ‘fine’.

I ‘have to’ be fine.

“Big brother Kar. Why have you been looking at me like that?”

“…”

Ha, Kardiel swallowed his nagging words.

He knew well that the more he dealt with his sister who wouldn’t listen to reason, the more he’d lose.

But still. He didn’t expect Lieselotte to immediately tattle about what had happened as soon as she arrived.

Couldn’t she at least keep quiet for three or four days out of loyalty?

To be honest, at first the group had planned to completely cover up their visit to the black market.

‘It wouldn’t do any good for stepmother to find out.’

She would have just worried.

But in the end, a reason arose that made that impossible.

It wasn’t just because Mistress Dorothea knew Lieselotte.

‘That woman’s face, no matter how I think about it, resembles Lord Joseph.’

It was impossible for another person to possess such overwhelmingly beautiful features that felt unreal unless they were blood relatives.

However, Kardiel didn’t show the recklessness of opening his mouth carelessly. But he also couldn’t just ignore the nagging feeling of his intuition.

Perhaps Joseph was hiding his true identity.

He was already bothered that he couldn’t find where Alperon land was no matter how he searched.

‘If that’s really the case, I can’t trust Lord Joseph anymore.’

He had to separate him from Lieselotte. Though he had been acknowledged as a potential fiancé, fortunately the engagement ceremony hadn’t been held yet.

“Hoo.”

Even if not for that reason, detaining Mistress Dorothea and bringing her to Daiern was a very good thing.

When he heard that woman had dared to kidnap Lieselotte, he felt his blood boiling.

‘Even after confirming all the facts, I won’t let her die easily.’

In the mind of the fifteen-year-old boy, a plan more cruel than anyone could imagine was being drawn up.