In the direction Kate turned her head, there was a woman talking to two men.

“Where is it?”

“Over there. Inside there.”

“Let’s go.”

As the men hurriedly disappeared in the direction the woman pointed, she watched them with an anxious expression.

Then she clenched her fist tightly and turned around, while Kate also pretended not to notice and started walking back to the banquet hall.

‘What should I do?’

She didn’t really want to get involved in such a sinister affair.

Moreover, it was actually something a woman shouldn’t do alone – entering that secluded part of the imperial garden during a banquet.

But as far as Kate knew, Alicia rarely attended banquets, so she thought she might not know about such unwritten rules.

“Are you alright?”

Kate recalled the hand Alicia had extended in front of the monster that appeared at the opera house.

That hand seemed like a lifeline at that time.

And because of that hand, she really did save her life.

“Ah, really. This is so unlike me.”

Kate grabbed the hem of her dress and ran into the banquet hall.

No matter how strong Alicia was, she couldn’t face two men alone, so she had to bring someone.

As quickly as possible before something happened.

[This is the timeline separator]

As soon as she entered the banquet hall again, she looked around hurriedly, spotted Eric, and ran towards him holding up the hem of her dress with both hands.

Some ladies looked at Kate in shock at her behavior so unlike her usual self, calling it unladylike, but she had no time to care.

“Count Russell!”

“?”

Eric, who had just managed to escape from the emperor and was giving some instructions to Allen, turned his head at the sound of Kate calling him.

He was trying to remember where he had seen this familiar-looking young lady when Kate spoke urgently.

“Come with me to the garden right now.”

“Pardon?”

Eric frowned at this absurd statement.

“Wow, how forward.”

Allen, standing beside him, exclaimed admiringly as he looked back and forth between Eric and Kate with an intrigued expression.

It was the first time he had seen a woman approach Eric so boldly since his engagement to Alicia.

Seeing their expressions, Kate hastily corrected her words.

“I’m not suggesting anything improper. Young lady Lancaster is in danger.”

“What’s this all of a sudden?”

“Hurry. It’s urgent. Before something happens to her.”

“!”

“I saw two men chasing her in the imperial garden.”

“Let’s go.”

Eric and Allen, seeing Kate’s urgent expression, ran towards the imperial garden without asking anything further.

Kate followed them with quick steps.

[This is the timeline separator]

Eric’s heart raced as he searched for Alicia in the maze-like imperial garden.

When he had entered with Alicia earlier, he thought it was beautifully made with a romantic atmosphere, but now in this situation, he couldn’t help but curse at how dangerously it was designed.

‘Where could she be?’

How much time had passed until Kate came to call him?

What if something really happened to her while he was delayed?

Suddenly feeling his head cool down, Eric unknowingly ran his hand through his hair, his eyes flashing with murderous intent.

He felt like he could really kill whoever it was if he caught them.

Just then, he heard a dull thud of something falling from the opposite direction.

Eric quickly turned the corner of the green wall towards the sound, and saw an unfamiliar man reaching out towards Alicia from behind her.

“You, bastard-!”

Eric grabbed the man by the scruff of his neck and slammed him to the ground.

“Aagh.”

Alicia slowly turned around at the loud noise.

A blue butterfly that had been fluttering in her hand immediately flew away and disappeared.

Alicia briefly looked expressionlessly at Eric standing with his foot on the back of the man he had slammed down, then quickly smiled.

“Alicia. Are you alright?”

“P-please spare me.”

“…Huh?”

Eric looked down at the man under his foot, begging for his life in fear.

“Please spare my life.”

“What?”

Eric looked at the man with a dumbfounded expression, then raised his head to Alicia.

As their eyes met, Alicia briefly looked down at her hand, confirming that the butterfly was gone, then slowly turned her head back to Eric.

“Alicia?”

Eric called out to Alicia again, feeling a strange sensation.

Hearing him call her name, Alicia met Eric’s eyes and smiled languidly.

It felt different from usual, so Eric unconsciously tensed up with an inexplicable sense of tension.

But Alicia slowly lowered her gaze to the man Eric was stepping on.

“That man seems to have fainted.”

“Huh?”

Only then did Eric look down at the man he was stepping on.

He was clearly unconscious, lying limp on the ground.

“Ah. I didn’t mean to.”

Eric laughed awkwardly as he removed his foot from the man’s back and stood up straight.

Alicia quietly approached Eric.

“For my sake?”

“What are you saying? You were in danger just now.”

Alicia tilted her head slightly to the side and smiled at Eric’s words.

In fact, she hadn’t thought it would be dangerous at all when she entered here.

“Dangerous?”

“I told you earlier not to enter secluded places carelessly, so why did you come here alone?”

“I just wanted to talk.”

“Of course that’s what you thought. Did you honestly think they would say they were going to attack you? Anyway, you’re quite a handful.”

Despite Eric’s nagging, Alicia just stared at his face and smiled.

This situation seemed both intriguing and amusing to her.

“What is it, Alicia? Why are you smiling like that?”

“Hmm?”

“Did you drink?”

“Champagne?”

“Ha. I told you not to drink when I’m not around-”

Eric flinched in surprise and stepped back as Alicia suddenly stepped closer.

“-Did you forget?”

He had intended to firmly tell her not to do dangerous things.

But the strange aura Alicia was now emitting, which was indescribable, made Eric hesitate.

Whether it was words or actions.

Seeing Eric falter, Alicia let out a small laugh and took another step closer.

Eric stepped back once more, and soon his back touched the green wall.

He glanced behind him and slightly frowned.

“Alicia. What are you doing right now?”

“I thought you would know.”

Alicia suddenly grabbed Eric’s cravat and pulled.

“Whoa.”

Caught off guard and pulled in, Eric found Alicia’s face right in front of him.

It was the opposite situation from earlier.

As soon as their eyes met, Alicia’s eyes curved gently.

“Do you really not know? Or are you pretending not to?”

“What?”

As Alicia pulled harder on the cravat she was holding, Eric panicked and covered her mouth with his hand.

“……”

Alicia’s eyes blinked widely, seemingly surprised.

Then, seeing the equally flustered Eric, her large eyes crinkled prettily as if amused.

Lick.

A warm, soft, moist sensation touched the hollow of Eric’s palm.

“Ugh.”

Startled, Eric quickly removed his hand from Alicia’s mouth.

Smiling mischievously, Alicia slowly licked her red lips.

“Alicia, are you really going to do this? Why are you acting so unlike yourself?”

Feeling something was off, Eric pulled his cravat out of Alicia’s grasp.

At his stern and severe gaze, Alicia’s lips curved slightly, and her body swayed.

“Alicia?”

Eric caught her as she fell, alarmed, and quickly checked her condition.

Hearing her even, steady breathing, Eric relaxed and lifted Alicia into his arms.

He was relieved to see Alicia’s face looking peaceful as she leaned against him, but Eric himself was far from calm.

“What on earth happened?”

It was Alicia, but she was completely unlike Alicia.

That expression, that smile, that tone of voice – it was all unfamiliar.

He sighed and started walking.

After taking a few steps, there was a commotion around the corner where the green wall turned.

“Oh, senior.”

“Allen?”

“Gasp, is the young lady hurt?”

“No, she’s fine. But you.”

Eric glanced at the two men Allen was dragging along.

“What’s that?”

“Huh? They’re perverts. Tried to attack the young lady.”

“What are you talking about? It’s not them.”

“Eh? Really? Then are these different perverts?”

Allen tilted his head in confusion.

He had beaten them up because he heard them whispering suspiciously about looking for some woman in the maze.

“Ah, well, I guess it doesn’t matter. Perverts are perverts.”

Eric clicked his tongue as he looked over the limp men and asked.

“Did you hit them?”

“It was self-defense. They attacked first.”

“They seem unconscious. You should have gone easy. If they sue for excessive force, you’ll be writing another incident report.”

Eric clicked his tongue at Allen, who somehow looked excited, and gave instructions.

“While you’re dragging them away, there’s another one collapsed over there, so take him too.”

“Did you hit him?”

“It was self-defense.”

“You didn’t knock him out, did you?”

“He might be unconscious? He wasn’t moving.”

“Geez. What if he sues for excessive force? At this rate, you’ll be writing incident reports right alongside me, senior.”

Allen grumbled, then grinned.

“Well, it wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Is that something to be proud of? Anyway, I’m counting on you for the cleanup, Allen. I need to take Alicia away.”

“Ah, yes. Don’t worry about this and go quickly.”

“Thanks. Good work.”

Eric hurried away.

As soon as he exited the green wall maze, Eric encountered Kate, who was standing anxiously.

She had been wondering what to do after hearing screams and loud noises from inside, but seeing Eric come out carrying Alicia, Kate let out a sigh of relief.

“You found her, Count.”

“Thanks to you. Thank you.”

“Is she alright?”

Kate asked worriedly, looking at Alicia with closed eyes in Eric’s arms.

“Yes. She’s fine. She’s just asleep now. But I need to go quickly.”

“Ah, yes. Please hurry.”

“So then-”

“I’m Kate O’Brien.”

“Miss O’Brien. Would you be willing to cooperate if a witness is needed?”

“Of course. Anytime.”

“Thank you. Well then.”

Eric left one last greeting and hurried away.

Kate, left alone, watched the two walk away before finally letting out a hollow laugh.

She felt pathetic for still having lingering feelings for a man who couldn’t even remember her name properly.

“Oh. You were still here?”

Kate was startled by Allen’s voice behind her and quickly turned around.

Allen casually threw down the men he had been dragging on the ground.

Seeing the men collapsed and sprawled out, Kate spoke with relief.

“That’s good. It seems you caught them in time.”

“Ah, these are different perverts. I just happened to catch them while wandering around in there.”

“What? But they’re the men I saw?”

“Huh?”