Diana woke up early to the chirping of sparrows.

‘Is it morning already?’

The sensation of the sheet touching her feet was smooth. It was the bedroom. When did she return? Just as she was about to pull back the blanket and shake the bell pull, like any other time,

“Huh…?”

The morning air felt cooler than usual.

What’s this? As she lowered her gaze at the unfamiliar chill, a snowy mountain-like scenery unfolded.

“Gasp! Since when was it like this?”

A scream burst out from Diana’s mouth. She had no clothes on.

To be precise, she was wearing something, but it was slipping off, so it was as good as not wearing anything.

Diana hurriedly pulled the blanket up over her exposed white legs and tidied her clothes under the blanket.

Her mind was in chaos.

‘Right, last night I was with Raoul. I remember immersing my body in the lake… but after that, my memory is spotty. How did I return?’

It was a complete blackout, as if someone had cut out a film. Diana grabbed her throbbing head and poked only her face out from under the blanket.

What on earth happened?

〈Stop it now. That’s enough.〉

This was Raoul’s voice.

〈Raoul…〉

This was her own voice.

In some of the memories flashing by like lightning, a distinct cleavage and a clear neck shadow wavered back and forth.

Thick veins protruding over snow-white skin, it was obviously Raoul.

‘Did I jump him?’

There was a nasty nasal sound mixed in with the pleading voice. It was clearly Diana’s voice, but it was too unfamiliar.

Diana moved her arms and legs with an uneasy heart. Seeing that she could move without difficulty, it didn’t seem like she had done anything too crazy.

Thank goodness. If she had spent a passionate night, she would have been bedridden by now…? No, it means nothing happened…

Still anxious, she dashed into the bathroom.

Untying her robe and reflecting her body in the large full-length mirror, she saw a white and thin body as usual. There seemed to be no bruises or blood clots.

‘I guess nothing happened.’

The only other difference was the cheek hit by the child and the bitten shoulder? It was slightly bluish, but this could also be covered with makeup.

As Diana was touching the swollen wound,

“Oh…”

She felt an unfamiliar foreign sensation in her hand. Come to think of it, the hand she injured yesterday was no longer in pain.

‘It’s a handkerchief.’

The handkerchief tied as a substitute for a bandage was Raoul’s.

Forget-me-not embroidery.

Perhaps Ayla came and went while she lost her memory.

No matter how much she tried to revive her memory by rolling her temples round and round, it only made her head throb, and she couldn’t gain anything.

Diana fiddled with the handkerchief, then shook her head, disliking the wicked suspicion and anxiety.

‘Forget it. I decided not to think like this.’

Suspicion and uncertainty that popped out habitually… this was also a sickness if it was a sickness.

‘I’ve already twisted the original story. Lycans serve only one companion, so what are you worried about?’

Diana reassured herself and grabbed the gown hanging in the bathroom. She had just finished changing her clothes and walked to the center of the room.

At that moment, a welcome knocking sound was heard. Angela? As Diana was about to open the door herself,

Come to think of it…

How to explain the bite mark on the shoulder?

She didn’t want to worry Angela any further.

Was there an excuse to use?

Then, Lu, who had a bad sleeping habit, came to mind. The child often mumbled in his sleep and sometimes bit into blankets or pillows.

He seemed to be devouring wild boar meat in his dreams.

If she said Lu bit her, would she believe it…?

As Diana was about to use her only child as a shield, throwing away her conscience,

“Young lady!”

“Whoa…! You startled me…!”

“Why aren’t you answering?”

Bang! The door opened and Angela barged in without warning.

“Gasp… gasp…”

“What’s the matter?”

“You’re alright, right? Nothing happened last night, right?”

“Of course. Why are you like this?”

“Thank goodness…”

Diana sat the excited Angela by the bed and stroked her trembling body.

Angela, who was looking around warily and busy, suddenly bowed her head and began to sob.

Crying…? Are you crying now?

Diana jumped up on the bed, stuck her bottom close to Angela’s side, and hugged her shoulder.

Angela crying was by no means an ordinary thing.

Is it because of the escaped slave? That kid didn’t do anything wrong, though?

Diana, with her own foot numb, asked with an anxious heart.

“What’s wrong? Don’t just cry, try to talk.”

“La-last night, a slave escaped…”

“…Okay, and?”

“The Vaihar captain who chased after him died. With his head cut off.”

The Vaihar captain? I’m sorry to say this, but he was a person with amazing survivability, like a cockroach.

In terms of dereliction of duty, he should have died under Father’s hand a hundred times already, but he was a stubborn veteran who survived like a weed.

But suddenly he died?

Why did Raoul’s face come to mind for a moment? The timing of his departure from the castle and the timing of Vaihar captain’s death coincided perfectly.

It was too exquisite to be a coincidence.

Was it Raoul after all?

It wasn’t intentional, but thanks to that, he avoided an inevitable fight. If he had faced him in the forest, a dogfight would have broken out.

He was a villain who deserved to die anyway, so she didn’t particularly feel sympathy. She was just curious as to why Angela was trembling.

“I guess he was attacked by a beast.”

“That’s not it… It was the work of the rebels. Vincent was trying to catch a rebel woman and got injured, and his ear was cut off very neatly. The body of the Vaihar captain was also said to have been attacked by a beast, but it was precisely only the neck that was taken.”

“Vincent was hurt?”

Angela sighed deeply, wiping her face.

“He’s undergoing suture surgery right now. His left ear was cut off… Now he has to hear with one ear. The priest also said that he can’t restore body parts as complex as the ear. He almost lost his neck, but he just laughs mindlessly… Ah… I’m going crazy. What if the rebels target you too, young lady?”

In the end, it was worry about Diana again. Why are you thinking about me in this situation?

“Angela…”

“I can’t sleep because I’m anxious. I think I’ll have to sleep with you in your room starting today. I’ll keep watch… Those bastards wouldn’t have any business with a mere knight. They must have failed trying to infiltrate the castle.”

“Let’s go see Vincent right away first. There will be a way to treat his ear. It might be possible if it’s a high-ranking priest.”

Diana pulled the bell pull.

“Did you call for me?”

“Leave a simple indoor dress that I can wear and go out. I’ll get dressed on my own…”

Diana calmed Angela down and changed clothes roughly in the bathroom.

It was the first time in over a decade that she didn’t borrow someone else’s hand. She tied the ribbon clumsily and came out to see Angela staring blankly into the air.

“Pull yourself together, Angela. At times like this, you need to stay strong.”

Diana wrapped her arm around Angela’s arm and headed to the infirmary in a hurry. Murmuring conversation could be heard from inside the door. Who’s there?

“Let’s go in quickly.”

Angela was reluctant.

“I… I don’t want to go in.”

“Why?”

“Just because.”

“Then should I go alone?”

As the two were bickering,

The door opened from inside the infirmary.

“Young lady? What brings you here?”

Vincent, who walked out with a staggering gait, looked at Angela with an awkward expression.

Next to him, a woman who looked like a priest was glancing at Vincent with an excited expression.

What’s the situation?

“Th-then I’ll be on my way. See you tomorrow.”

“Thank you. Then take care.”

“Yes…”

The unfamiliar priest hurriedly packed her doctor’s bag and disappeared.

It was right then that Angela, who had been insisting until just now, stuck her head into the infirmary.

“Young lady, this way… Lady Angela?”

“You said you were in pain. You hit the jackpot, really.”

Vincent blinked his surprised eyes and laughed awkwardly.

“I thought you wouldn’t come. You left so angrily…”

“I brought her. She was crying so much…”

Angela guided Diana with stomping steps.

The hand pulling out the chair was affectionate, but the eyes were nothing short of a beast.

Angela, you’ll eat Vincent at this rate.

She grumbled for no reason even though that wasn’t how she really felt inside.

Diana bowed her upper body and examined Vincent’s condition closely.

“How’s your hearing?”

“I can hear well. Even though this ear is damaged, this ear is fine.”

He finally lost hearing in one ear.

Still, with this level of injury, he’ll get a hefty compensation.

He must be quite old now, and now he’s injured.

Perhaps now was the time. The turning point for the two of them to start a second life.