Diana remembered Raoul’s final appearance last spring. At that time, he was like a beast that had lost its aggression.

There was not even a nail’s worth of wildness to be found, to the point where Diana had to worry.

But now, an unapproachable pressure could be felt from Raoul.

It was as if a beast that had been bitten countless times had regained its forgotten wildness and was trying to reign as king.

Diana moistened her lips and stepped back.

It was not a situation where she could be happy to reunite with an old friend after a long time.

Unable to endure the increasing distance, Raoul strode up to the bedside. For a moment, Diana felt suffocated like a fish caught in a net.

‘Why is he doing this?’

Under her downcast gaze, the footprints left by Raoul could be seen. Blood… It was blood worn after taking someone’s life.

“D-don’t come…”

As the tightly blocked voice cut through the silence, Raoul flinched in surprise and stopped.

Diana repeated only the words “don’t come” and trembled while gripping her arms.

Raoul, as if cursed, could not move a single step with his feet frozen.

Even seeing that, Diana could not feel relieved. Afraid that he might have a cold expression like in the past, she stared intently at his stopped feet as if to kill them.

As the trembling persisted, Dilaia brought a soft fragrance sachet close to Diana’s face.

“For now, please calm down. It was my mistake to think that the reunion of the hero and the guide would be smooth. It has been several months since he turned into a rebel, so it’s understandable to be surprised. The trust built with love is the most fragile, but I was briefly mistaken.”

Diana slowly raised her gaze while inhaling the aroma that permeated her lungs.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Raoul had the same face as before.

The perfectly placed features gave a more mature impression compared to spring, but the honestly curved eyebrows were no different from his childhood.

Toward Raoul, who was pale to the point of being blue, Diana carefully opened her lips.

“Raoul…?”

“Yes, it’s me… Can I come closer?”

The voice, tinged with perplexity, trembled.

Despite showing an appropriate reaction to the traitor, Diana felt like a sinner.

The pitiful face, like a rain-soaked puppy, was adorable and did not match his imposing body.

As Diana lowered her arms, Raoul ran up to her in one breath and checked her condition.

The hand floating in the air circled around her hair, unable to grasp her shoulders, and wandered repeatedly.

Raoul, who lowered his head like a turtle, looked at Dilaia as if suppressing anger, raising blood vessels on his chin.

“What were you thinking, bringing Diana here?”

“I received an oracle this morning. I thought it would be good for you two to meet since there is something you need to cooperate on.”

“Ayla is coming up this way. If she tries to harm Diana, I’m sorry, but I’ll have no choice but to behead her. Is that what you want?”

“How could that be? She is also one of the heroes chosen by the goddess. Why would I want such discord?”

As Dilaia pushed the awkwardly protruding brick deep inside, dust rose and a hidden space was revealed inside the wall.

It was a narrow but secretive place to hide for a moment, though as small as a closet.

“Please hide here for a bit. It’s a room where my father’s mistress was trapped, and my mother had a secret space made in case she threatened her.”

The tone was indifferent as if talking about someone else’s family matters.

Diana could not readily agree and hesitated.

The dark and narrow space, like a standing coffin, was structured to be cut off without a single light the moment the door was closed.

As Diana hesitated to enter, Raoul gestured to Sebastian and said,

“You.”

“Hm? Me?”

“Yes, you. You’ll have to pretend to be me for a bit.”

Dilaia understood the meaning and nodded.

“Please do so. You two will have more to talk about.”

Sebastian obeyed Dilaia’s words without a second thought.

With a pop, the handsome man became two.

As Sebastian made a silly expression that didn’t match his stunning looks, Raoul grabbed his throbbing forehead and clicked his tongue.

“Don’t say a word and quietly stand by in the corner.”

“Got it!”

“I told you not to answer.”

The approaching footsteps from below could now be heard really close.

Diana entered first, and Raoul followed, standing facing Diana with his back against the wall.

Surprised by the close distance where their noses could touch, Diana placed her hand on his chest with the intention of pushing him away.

However, Dilaia’s action of closing the door was faster.

“If you push the brick like before, the door will open. Come out when you hear the sound of going down.”

Thud!

Diana was startled by the sensation as solid as a rock and the body temperature as hot as lava, trying to pull her hand back.

But the space was too narrow to move an inch.

The more she tried to run away in a flurry, the more her touching hand only rubbed against his chest endlessly.

“Diana… stay still…”

As a soft and low baritone voice that made the spine tingle echoed, Diana’s heels jumped up in tension.

Suppressed breaths were mixed between the whispered voices. Diana could do nothing but frantically crumple the tunic.

Even after a considerable time passed, Ayla’s voice was not heard. As the uncomfortable silence continued, Diana couldn’t stand it and fidgeted.

Raoul bent his head uncomfortably and whispered in her ear.

“Looks like the report is getting long. Just bear with it a little…”

As the sultry words stimulated the cochlea, goosebumps rose on the earlobes.

A chilling current went back and forth along the spine, making her frown involuntarily.

Diana irritably pulled the tunic string.

As the neckline narrowed, making it impossible for Raoul to breathe, he lowered his hand that was leaning against the wall and grabbed her shoulder with his thumb, as if drawing circles.

“Suffocating.”

Diana stuck out her lips and loosened the string.

Counting the bumpy embroidery threads that touched her hand like counting sheep, somehow that texture was not unfamiliar.

The fabric, discolored beyond recognition from being soaked in blood, had long lost its original color, but the vine-shaped embroidery that continued along the neckline was the same as before.

Diana fiddled with the protruding thread and buried her face on his chest.

‘Why are you still wearing the clothes I gave you… It’s annoying…’

Seeing Raoul sticking traces of the past and acting affectionate like before made her furious.

She wanted to tear apart her own heart that melted with a single puppy-like gaze.

Diana bit her lips until they bled and let out a rough breath.

The startled Raoul lowered his hand and embraced her back.

Diana was angry at that action and wanted to bite his chest as hard as iron.

She wanted to scold him not to shake her firm resolve while acting kind like before.

To Diana, Raoul looked like a kind death right now. A snare pulling her into the abyss of the original story.

A heavy scent seeped out through the tunic that opened as if to seduce Diana. The smell of blood weakened, and his unique scent of flesh thickened.

“Lean on me. I’ll let you out soon.”

It was the moment when their bodies, tightly interlocked without gaps, became even more intimate, and Raoul held his slightly uncomfortable breath.

Creak, an eerie sound of metal rang out, and the closed door at the top floor opened.

“I’m sorry. I’m a bit late.”

Following the voice as soft as a harp melody, the sound of footsteps trudging along followed.

As Diana stopped breathing from tension, Raoul also sharpened his five senses sharply.

The stiffly hardened arm muscles embraced Diana even more suffocatingly.

The sound of the cloth crumpling came as Ayla sat on the bed.

“Still no location of the sacred object?”

“That’s right.”

Ayla, who sighed deeply, spoke sharply in an angry voice.

“We need to find the Goddess’s sword as soon as possible. The emperor has submitted an agenda related to slave emancipation to the State Council to turn the lost public sentiment. As the pagans are rampant to the point of threatening the imperial throne, it seems he intends to abolish the slave system and implement an ethnic integration policy. I think he’s trying to at least increase the number of heads to pay taxes, but it’s a nonsensical idea. What we want is the overthrow of the current imperial authority. An apology and compensation for the families who died unjustly, and we want the emperor’s head.”

Dilaia slowly nodded and replied in an indifferent tone.

“I sympathize. However, the Goddess has not said anything yet.”

“…I can’t believe it at all. I don’t know if I can trust you.”

“Lord Eledore still has my hair. What’s the problem?”

“Your actions are suspicious, so I have no idea what you’re thinking. I heard that you’re having a prayer meeting with the daughter of the Arnel family today as well? What are you thinking? It’s impossible for my people to keep the emperor’s closest confidant by their side.”

“That person is not the emperor’s confidant. Duke Carlyle is only referred to as the emperor’s guardian. The lady does not have any political stance or views, and the prayer meetings are just a long-standing relief activity, so don’t worry about it.”

“Is that so? But what should I do? It bothers me. That woman who keeps getting involved with my people bothers me a lot. Isn’t that woman, who sucks the blood of slaves and lives in luxury, also a sinner we must punish?”

Dilaia slightly frowned without answering.

It was because it was evident that Diana, trapped inside the wall, would struggle with self-loathing upon hearing this fact.