Reniel completely froze the moment she heard those words.

She thought even if she had made a mistake, it would be something minor like pulling his hair in her sleep – though honestly, there were times she wanted to pluck him bald – not something so serious.

But sexual harassment!

How dare she, a mere assistant chamberlain.

She couldn’t believe she had committed such a shameless act against someone who could take her life at any moment.

The Felix she saw before her eyes didn’t seem like someone who would tell such a lie.

To him, she was just a servant kept out of necessity. He wasn’t the type to be interested enough in a servant to play such a prank with lies.

He just called her casually to help him sleep comfortably.

Besides, didn’t he end up with Thanasis in the original story? Strictly speaking, they died together.

So why would he lie to her?

She looked at Felix again to gauge the atmosphere.

It was around 4 o’clock, with the sun slowly setting.

Perhaps because of that, the sunlight entering through the window clung to him quite persistently.

The persistent sunlight entering through the slightly parted curtains in the dark room seemed to reach only him.

She could also see the sunlight that had touched the crystals on the chandelier reflecting in multiple directions onto his hair.

For a moment, she realized it was quite unusual to see him like this when the sun was still up.

His fine hair was neatly combed over.

It looked so soft that she almost reached out to touch it, like the habit she had at night.

Seeing his curved eyes with a strangely amused expression, her fear gradually subsided.

His bright red eyes were as vivid as if they held blood, but they didn’t look so frightening.

That was really strange.

“…But you’ve seen all of my body, Master.”

She blurted out without thinking, and when his eyes widened, she hastily tried to explain, racking her brain for words.

“I, I did do something I should take responsibility for… But you were the one who… who did it first… So please, just this once, sp-spare my life…”

Realizing she had made a mistake in an already unfavorable situation, she whimpered.

Felix looked at her with an amused smile.

“When did I see it? I’ve never seen your entire body.”

He seemed to be enjoying himself as he said this.

From her perspective, it was almost as if he had sat her on his thigh to easily break her neck.

Moreover, seeing the feast prepared, she thought it might be her last supper.

Come to think of it, even in this harsh world, they gave death row inmates their desired last meal, just like in the world she had lived in before.

Because she liked veal steak so much, could this be the last supper prepared for her?

Thinking this way, tears welled up in her eyes.

She didn’t want to die yet. Escape with Thanasis was just around the corner.

If she had known this would happen, she should have saved up moderately and splurged a bit.

She should have lived as a woman.

Reniel looked at Felix imploringly, sniffling with such regrets.

“Did I perhaps see your entire body while half-asleep?”

“…Yes.”

In fact, it wasn’t true. He had only seen her upper body.

“I see.”

He wore a strangely aggrieved expression.

As if he felt cheated and regretful that his sleeping self had seen what his conscious self hadn’t.

She thought people who were completely drunk must always harbor such resentment.

“Th-then… let’s just… forget about it…”

“I don’t want to.”

“Then… then, am I going to die!”

As Reniel trembled and said this, Felix thought he should stop teasing her. She looked like she might really cry.

Strangely, seeing her about to cry seemed to intensify his desires, so it was becoming dangerous to continue.

“I’ll forgive you.”

“Thank you!”

She quickly answered before he could take back his words.

Seeing her innocent eyes wide open, he let out a sigh.

She seemed to have no idea what she was sitting on.

“But.”

He tapped his cheek with his hand.

Reniel was usually incredibly perceptive.

Except in situations like this.

“You want me to do this?”

She tapped her own cheek just as he had done.

“…”

Felix couldn’t help but laugh at her action.

It seemed she hadn’t understood his intention at all, despite her usual quick wit.

“Was that your first kiss with me yesterday?”

It was a lie. He had never kissed her. She just didn’t know it.

“Yes… I think so.”

At her confessing voice, he felt his heart softening somewhat. But conversely, Reniel was becoming more afraid.

In the original story she had read, the kisses between Felix and Thanasis were both their first.

Felix greatly disliked people, and he kept his distance from women because of those who had entered his bedchamber to attempt on his life.

In the original story, he kissed Thanasis when giving her the drug. And that was his very first kiss.

She turned pale again and asked with a trembling voice.

“Don’t tell me you… you too…”

He smirked at her words. Then he looked at her again and tapped his cheek.

She couldn’t understand why he kept tapping his cheek with his index finger.

Then she remembered that according to the original story, he was supposed to be homosexual.

“Oh my goodness.”

Thinking that what he was asking might be something along those lines, she looked at him in shock.

“Master, I…”

But looking into his eyes, her heart sank again.

For a moment, she wondered if this was workplace harassment. But if she had kissed him first, wasn’t it a miracle that she was even alive?

Thinking this way, she slowly approached his cheek.

Felix was listening to the loud, pounding sound of her heartbeat.

Soon, as she was about to kiss his cheek, she grabbed onto him and leaned her body against him.

“I, I can’t do it.”

“Why not?”

“I’m too nervous…”

He didn’t rush her and waited for Reniel. She was clearly afraid of the situation, but her heart was also fluttering.

Perhaps she had developed sympathy because of constantly sleeping together recently.

Thinking this way, she gathered her courage and lightly touched his cheek before pulling away.

Smack

Only then did he speak, as if disappointed.

“Finish eating. I’ll forgive you.”

“…Yes.”

And so Reniel had to eat the most delicious veal steak in the world while gripped by fear.

****

When Reniel returned to her room after finishing her duties, there was a gift waiting.

“What’s this?”

Looking at the card attached to the gift box, she confirmed it was indeed for her.

She then untied the ribbon wrapping the gift. A small jewelry box emerged.

When she opened the jewelry box, there was a creaking sound and the contents inside became visible.

“Unbelievable…”

She realized that inside was the golden brooch worn only by head chamberlains throughout history.

Moreover, it was newly made each time a new head chamberlain was appointed.

She was a bit unsure if this was really hers, seeing the unusual gem set in the brooch.

The retired head chamberlain’s brooch she had seen, as well as the one belonging to Mariben the current head chamberlain in the basement, were heavy brooches made entirely of gold.

But the one she received was a bit different. Because of the golden frame and the unknown gem set in the center.

“Is this… a ruby?”

It was a red diamond, of which only two existed in the whole world.

If sold, it would be valuable enough to demolish and rebuild the imperial palace.

She was thrilled just to have received the brooch.

Even if she were to run away.

“I should pack it carefully.”

Thinking this, she clutched the brooch in her hand.

Pushing the fear and trembling she had felt today to the back of her mind, she had to prepare to go to Thanasis again.

****

At that time, Thanasis was researching how to control magical power.

When Reniel comes, she removes all his shackles.

However, when she’s not around, he can’t go far due to the restraint on his neck, the handcuffs binding his wrists like a prisoner, and the heavy shackles on his legs.

Fortunately, the magical power control device the emperor had given him was still attached to his ear.

Having that helped stabilize his magical power somewhat.

So he tried to mix the sense of stability he felt when Reniel was around with the anger he felt when she disappeared.

That way, he would be able to use magic to get out of here.

He was frowning, trying to recall the path leading underground that he had seen while being dragged here.

This place had so many traps that one couldn’t leave without permission.

In Reniel’s case, she knew which places to step on and which to avoid, but for most people, it was a dangerous place where they could die instantly by falling into traps while rushing with urgency.

“I wish she’d come soon.”

His body was telling him it was time for Reniel to arrive.

And yet.

He worried about what if something dangerous happened on her way, or if she accidentally fell into a trap and died?

His chest felt very tight with worry for her.

It was at that moment.

“…Ah.”

He realized how to control his magical power.

As he tried to use his ability while worrying about Reniel, his magic began to move exactly as he willed.

Whoosh!

Seeing the flames flickering nearby, he realized.

“I need to leave tonight.”

He smiled brightly as he used his perfectly controlled magical power.