At the same time, Raoul was holding the iron bars with both hands, facing the shouting girl.

The golden eyes rippled with a watery gleam at the appearance of a welcome savior.

“Ah, what a relief. You don’t know how worried I was that no one would come… Who are you? Did you come to save me?”

Raoul frowned at the bewildering words.

He had only followed the scent of blood he picked up earlier, not rushed here to save anyone.

He had no way of knowing if she was a slave brought to the duke’s castle or a first-class prisoner in the guise of a young girl.

“Who are you?”

At his sharp tone, Ayla replied softly in a voice more subdued than before.

“…I’m Ayla. I’m not a dangerous person, so there’s no need to be so wary. I can’t see your face well. Won’t you come closer?”

A porcelain doll-like white hand gestured airily outside the iron bars.

Raoul hesitated for a moment, then seeing the wound on her knee, revealed his face in the light.

As the boy’s face was revealed, Ayla’s eyes widened as if witnessing unexpected beauty.

She observed his eyes, nose, and mouth as if examining a mysterious creature seen for the first time.

Whatever her behavior, Raoul had only one purpose.

‘If she’s a slave, I should help.’

“Take this.”

“…Oh my… This is fairy grass, isn’t it?”

“…You know about it?”

“This is a very precious medicine. Thank you… It’s already grateful that you came for me, but to even bring medicine like this.”

She looked at Raoul with moist eyes, then gently rolled up her tunic.

“…This is the worst injury I’ve ever had…”

“How did you get hurt?”

“I jumped out of the carriage trying to escape.”

Raoul nodded.

Ayla tried to apply the medicine to the open wound with her eyes tightly shut, but her hand kept circling in the air, unable to aim properly.

As Raoul’s face hardened with frustration, he noticed the fine cold sweat trickling down from her forehead under his gaze.

“Ha… Why aren’t you applying it quickly?”

“I’m sorry… I’m trying to apply it myself… but it’s hard to look at. If it’s alright, could you help me?”

Raoul took the medicine, regretting getting involved in this troublesome situation.

It was a very annoying and avoidable situation, but at this rate, it seemed he wouldn’t be able to return even if he stayed all night.

As he pulled on the thin ankle, a white leg emerged from the iron bars.

As he treated the long, straight cut below the knee and put the leg back inside the bars, the girl’s face inexplicably turned red.

‘Why is she like that.’

Frowning as he packed up the medicine, Raoul suddenly remembered Diana’s red ears as she handed him the medicine.

Diana, like someone trying to keep her initial words, never forced anything he didn’t want on him.

Yet, it was noticeable that she carefully prepared things he really needed, like medicine, clothes, or meals, behind his back.

‘I had no idea it was such precious medicine.’

As he recalled her shy face always saying it was nothing as she handed it over, a small smile appeared on Raoul’s lips.

Ayla quietly observed that face, then said with a shy smile:

“Your smile is really pretty.”

“What?”

“I said your smile is pretty.”

“What are you saying?”

Despite Raoul’s curt reply, Ayla covered her mouth and chuckled as if finding his reaction cute.

“Come to think of it, I don’t even know your name?”

“There’s nothing to know.”

Ayla put her hand on the iron bars with a sulky expression.

“But you’re going to be my savior, it doesn’t make sense not to know your name.”

“Savior? Surely not because of this medicine?”

Raoul’s face suddenly crumpled. He remembered when he first met Diana, how she had prepared medicine for the pitiful slaves.

‘To call someone a savior just for this. Then how many people’s savior would Diana be?’

Seeing his suddenly distorted expression, Ayla continued with a seemingly bewildered look.

“I’m grateful for the treatment of course, but more than anything, I wanted to thank you for coming to save me…”

“…You think I came to save you?”

Question marks appeared simultaneously above both their heads.

Raoul, with his arms crossed, replied coldly to Ayla, who had been saying bewildering things since earlier.

“What are you talking about? Why would I?”

Thump.

Shocked, Ayla pressed close to the bars and moved her startled lips.

“But you clearly responded to my magic signal… Didn’t you come running with the intention of saving me?”

“I just followed the scent of blood, that’s all.”

Suddenly, silence descended, and at the same time, Ayla’s eyes began to moisten.

“Hic… huu… ugh… That was my only hope… What’s going to happen to me then?”

As Raoul stepped back, startled by her sudden tears, Ayla pulled on the sleeve of his tunic, not wanting to let him go.

“To act so kindly when you’re not even going to save me… That’s too cruel…!”

“I never said I came to save you in the first place. You misunderstood on your own.”

“I’m sure I asked for someone to bring a person to save me. Maybe the magic’s effect disappeared because you came so quickly…”

“I just came to check if any dangerous person had entered the castle.”

She wiped her tears with a sorrowful face.

As he tried to pull his caught sleeve free, this time Ayla grabbed his hand and clung to it.

He tried to pull away hesitantly, but it was already too late.

She held Raoul’s hand so tightly it hurt, as if it were a lifeline, and wouldn’t let go.

“I’m sorryyyy… But I can’t let you go… Huuu… If you leave too, I’ll really never be able to return home.”

“Hah…”

Raoul sighed, putting his hand to his forehead.

Even if he wanted to coldly shake her off, her situation was similar to Raoul’s past. It was truly a difficult situation.

Ayla, who had been crying for a while, finally seemed to tire herself out and collapsed to the floor.

Even then, she didn’t let go of Raoul’s hand.

She held his hand with both of hers as if in prayer, as though a single ray of light might escape.

“Just let go of my hand for now…!”

“No… If I let go, you’ll leave.”

Raoul wanted to shake her off right away, but the more he tried, the more strongly Ayla pulled on his hand.

After some time, when the two ended up sitting holding hands, Ayla broke the silence and began to tell her story.

“My family doesn’t know how to give up. They’re probably still looking for me.”

She explained that she was an elf who lived in the southern forest, and while living a harmonious life, she suddenly fell victim to slave hunters.

“Huuu… I need to return to my family. Please help me.”

How exactly was he supposed to help?

Raoul looked down at the helpless girl and reluctantly nodded.

“Alright, so let go of this.”

He was bothered by the hand she had been holding since earlier.

‘Diana has never forcibly held my hand like this.’

“Sniff… Really?”

“…Yes. I don’t know how, but I’ll help as much as I can. So stop crying already.”

“…Thank you. I knew you coming here wasn’t just a coincidence.”

Even after that, she poured out stories without being asked.

She chattered on endlessly about how peaceful her homeland was, why elves were good and beautiful beings, and how evil and deceitful humans were.

The peaceful and beautiful life in her homeland resembled Raoul’s past, but somehow what came to mind was Diana, who had been feeling down lately.

‘I haven’t been able to visit her since then.’

Every time he passed by the training ground, he would open and close his mouth slightly, then give up and walk past with a dejected look. The image of her back lingered in his mind.

“I want to see that festival again… And I believe I can.”

“…I see.”

“Hey, what are you thinking about? If my story is boring, you can tell me yours. I want to know a lot about you too.”

“…My story isn’t very interesting. You were saying the wild strawberries from the fairy forest are delicious. I was listening.”

“That’s right. Especially the wild strawberry juice during the festival is really exquisite. If we escape from here, I’ll take you there. How about it?”

Ayla stared intently at his face, her cheeks puffed up as if just the thought made her happy.

However, Raoul shook his head as if he had never considered it, refusing.

“Thanks, but I have no intention of escaping.”

Ayla tilted her head and asked.

“Why not? I can sense the aura of a curse on you. Aren’t you a slave captured by this castle too?”

“That’s right. But there’s someone I’m concerned about. I need to be by her side right now.”

She hid her seemingly bewildered expression and asked again.

“…Could it be that friend… is human?”

“Yes.”

“Is it a girl?”

“Yes.”

Ayla’s eyes widened in shock.

“…Don’t tell me you like her?”

“…Like her? Me, her?”

Raoul hesitated at the unexpected question.

‘Do I like Diana…?’

It was a subject he had never seriously considered before.

As he pondered, Ayla smiled brightly with a naive face, as if relieved.

“What, seeing you hesitate, I guess you don’t like her? That’s a relief. I was worried you might have a special relationship or something.”

“Why would that worry you?”

“You know too, right? Humans are the most evil race on earth. To lose your freedom because of just one human, that would be too sad…”

Ayla held his hand tightly, with a smile that seemed to melt.

Her angelic appearance descending from heaven was a sight anyone would admire, but Raoul was lost in thought.

Diana couldn’t listen anymore and turned away.

She tiptoed carefully to avoid making any noise, feeling pathetic and sorrowful about her situation for the first time.

Imagining his beautiful face scrunched up at the absurd question, she felt as if her heart was being torn to shreds.

Ayla was the complete opposite of Diana, from her lovable laughter to her pitiful crying that made one want to hug her immediately, and her fresh attitude that approached without a moment’s hesitation.

‘That’s how it was in the original story. If there were a goddess of love, she would surely be like Ayla…’

Not only were her actions so cute, but she even had an angelic appearance.

She was so perfect that one couldn’t even call her a match for an extra.

‘What expectations did I have? It’s too embarrassing.’

Diana had no choice but to reaffirm her own position once again today.

‘My goal isn’t to find love, but to help others find it. And I decided to find happiness through money, not love…!’

Where had her past self gone, the one who vowed to only dream achievable dreams? She resented her past self for becoming so arrogant, indulging in a fleeting dream.

As she came outside, the sky was conveniently pouring cool rain.

She walked slowly through the heavily falling rain.

Her hair became damp with rainwater, and her shoes kept coming off in the deepening mud.
Diana took off her shoes, holding them in her hand, and walked barefoot on the soggy ground, thinking.
‘Ah, the tree will be slippery. How will I climb up to my room?’
It was an intensely practical concern.
The dress was heavy, and the tree was slippery.
She tried to climb the tree but ended up sitting down and crying loudly.
The reason she cried was not because her heart ached, but simply because the thorn stuck in her hand was so painful.
It had to be that, please.