There are times when one is unusually lucky. And on such days, people tend to let their guard down.

Who said it before?

That the moment a goose sold to a farm is about to be eaten is when it’s happiest and most off guard.

That the greatest danger strikes at the moment you believe it couldn’t possibly happen.

“Reniel.”

My situation was just like that now.

According to the Duke’s rules, one could not pass through the third floor at dawn. So today too, I was planning to go to my night duty room on the fifth floor before it became a time I couldn’t pass through.

However, for some reason, I encountered Felix on that path.

The scene before my eyes was extremely chilling. The darkest dawn just before sunrise was so dark that candles were not enough to see ahead.

It was pitch black, as if one misstep would send you tumbling down the stairs.

It was so dark and hazy ahead that not even moonlight could be felt.

In that darkness, the blood-red eyes of a predator were directed at me.

“Master?”

Pretending not to have seen him draw his sword, I ran towards Felix.

In truth, it was only because I felt he would throw the sword and kill me if I ran away. Then he slowly lowered his sword.

His black hair, completely blending into the night, soon came into view.

Though it was too dark to distinguish colors, his eyes felt extremely vivid, like seeing a crouching tiger in the darkness.

“I’m sorry, Reniel.”

The problem was that something was clasped in my master’s hand.

Looking closely at that hand upon hearing a clanking sound, I saw a blood-stained iron chain gripped tightly.

“I really liked you.”

And beneath my master, Duke Felix Le Pelique, was a man covered in blood, crouching down.

The hand not holding the chain was hidden behind his back. As if ready to cut me down if I came any closer.

A chill struck my entire body. I could feel goosebumps rising, as if cold water had dripped down the back of my neck.

“Master! Are you hurt?”

Unable to die like this, I spoke while pretending not to understand the situation.

“Is this a wretched person who hurt you, Master…?”

My voice was trembling, but I maintained a solemn expression and looked him straight in the eye. Before a beast, the moment you avert your gaze is when your throat gets torn out.

“How dare he, to our Master.”

At that, Felix’s expression changed subtly.

“Sh-should I take care of him?”

My voice came out like a goat’s bleat as I tensed my whole body to keep from shaking. Finding that amusing, Felix smiled strangely and said:

“You? This monster?”

“I may be weak, but I can do anything for Master!”

Saying that, I moved closer.

With each step I took, the candle in my hand flickered, scattering my shadow here and there. This made Felix’s expression seem to alternate between smiling and angry.

The flickering of the candle felt similar to the pounding of my heart.

Soon, as I stood before Felix with a clicking of heels, the orange candlelight illuminated Felix and the person bound by the iron chain in his hand more clearly, head bowed.

At that moment, the man raised his face and glared at me with flashing eyes.

Golden eyes like those of a bird of prey, not melting into the firelight, were directed at me very clearly. Along with silver hair too pale to blend into the night, like moonlight.

Cuts and bloodstains all over his body.

The thick smell of blood nearly made me retch.

“Well then, here.”

As I drew near, Felix handed me something.

“Ah….”

What he handed me was the long sword he had been holding. Something very moist and black was stickily attached to the sword, as if it had been used recently.

“Prove your loyalty.”

“H-how should I do that?”

“Stab this.”

I glanced at Felix’s blood-red eyes while trying my best not to show fear.

His eyes held only the gleam of a child excited by this situation and expectant of me.

“If you can’t do it, I’ll kill you, Reniel.”

Since he didn’t say where to stab, I immediately raised the sword and slashed near the man’s shoulder, controlling it to just graze him.

However, his body was so firm that though the sword clearly grazed him, it felt as if it had passed over wood, with no sensation at all.

“It was a joke, but that’s impressive. However, this one can’t be killed so easily.”

Felix, finding my action amusing, smiled ecstatically and reached out his hand.

I could feel my heart pounding. I carefully handed the sword back to him with a forced calm expression. He then sheathed the longsword, smiling.

That smile was so terrifying that I almost forgot to breathe.

“Reniel, I didn’t know you were this loyal.”

“You flatter me.”

“I thought I’d just gotten another worthless dog.”

As I smiled as if moved by his words, he laughed ecstatically once more and said:

“Take this to the basement.”

“Should I put it in the secret room in the very back?”

“Yes.”

Saying that, he handed me the iron chain as if bored.

“Oh, and if that thing escapes, your neck will fly too, you know.”

He then patted my shoulder and gestured with his chin towards the stairs leading to the basement, smiling brightly.

“Good luck.”

“Yes, Master!”

As he completely disappeared from view, the strength left my legs.

“Haa….”

My head felt dizzy, as if there was no strength left in my body.

“No wonder… I thought I’d been too lucky lately.”

My chest was still pounding like someone who had just stopped running. But just the fact that Felix was gone from my sight was quite reassuring.

Clank.

But soon the weight of the iron chain in my hand reminded me again of who I was holding the leash of.

The book I had been transported into was definitely “Not Even in Dreams”. If so, the reason Felix had captured Crown Prince Thanasis would be as I knew.

It was because the Empress, Thanasis’s mother, had killed Felix’s mother, disguising it as an accident.

In short, revenge.

And it was a story without dreams or hope, where he ends up falling in love with the target he captured for revenge.

But what was most terrible to me now was…

“P-please cooperate?”

The golden eyes of Thanasis glaring at me as if to devour me as I said that.

He had silver hair too brilliant to match this darkness. Perhaps because of the combination of his raptor-like golden eyes and silver hair, he looked like a sacred statue.

I involuntarily gasped at the sight of blood splattered all over his body and what seemed to be severe wounds.

“Mmph…”

A muzzle was fitted over his mouth.

It was a muzzle similar to those put on dogs to prevent biting, with a long strap seated between his lips and a snout-like shape.

I pulled on him with force, worried about what I would do if he resisted.

“Please cooperate!”

However, perhaps because he thought his opponent was now easy, he tried not to move.

“Ugh, mmph…!”

Since Thanasis was trying not to move, I had no choice.

I pulled the iron chain around his neck with all my might, and he acted like a pet dog that didn’t want to go for a walk. I had to use even more strength.

“Urk…!”

As the blood flowing from his stomach darkened, his strength gave out completely.

“Oh my.”

Thanasis fainted right then and there.

“…Oh my.”

I hesitated on what to do with the unconscious Thanasis, then finally carried him on my back with a groan.

Just because my outward appearance changed to male didn’t mean that I, who was originally weak, became strong. So I had to use all my strength to carry Thanasis down to the basement.

After leaving Thanasis in the basement with much difficulty.

I immediately headed to Felix’s bedroom.

****

“What is it?”

“You were hurt, Master. I put that in the secret room, and secured all the restraints.”

The reason I could dream of becoming the head servant of the Duke’s household was that while I rarely saw Felix directly, I often witnessed things like this.

“Are you saying you’re going to treat me?”

“Yes.”

“How impertinent.”

Felix said that as he turned to look at me. Yet his expression was bored, as if telling me to try if I dared.

In truth, the reason I came to Felix was to confirm.

If I ran away now, I’d surely be caught. The Le Pelique ducal house was the largest underground power in the Apentina Empire.

As most dark lords do, the hidden work of the Le Pelique duchy was running casinos, controlling information, laundering money, and training assassins.

While I knew this from what I had seen and heard, it was my first time directly participating.

Catching runaways was also one of the main jobs of the Le Pelique duchy.

So for now, the priority was to hear what I could from Felix’s mouth and assess the situation.

“Hup…”

I involuntarily gasped at the sudden exposure of Felix’s chest.

He carelessly unbuttoned his shirt as if tearing it open, then took off his top and threw it on the floor.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to treat me?”

His body, which I hadn’t noticed under the flames, was extremely threatening when seen under the chandelier.

“I-I will!”

Forcing out a trembling voice in response, I immediately had to look around for a water basin and towels nearby.

As if Felix had already been treating himself, there was a bloodstained wet towel near the bed.

As I was about to head there, a mirror reflecting his back caught my eye.

He was hiding a dagger behind his back. As if ready to pull it out and stab me at any moment.

“You know, Reniel. Don’t you think killing you here would be more reasonable for keeping secrets?”