[Well, not all of them. There were a few who could protect themselves. But most couldn’t.]

‘I can’t believe everyone almost died.’

Thinking back, Dayban had recklessly attacked Mikael without discrimination.

Mikael, being generally calm, wasn’t as agitated as Dayban, but he was noticeably heated.

‘It seemed like neither of them could hear people trying to stop them.’

Everyone was uneasy seeing me close to the fighting twins.

The reason they couldn’t easily come to get me was that the twins were recklessly using their magical power. Any wrong move could endanger both their lives and mine.

At one point, a large tree almost fell on the people. Had it not been for the protective shield, they would have been crushed.

‘That was Mikael’s doing.’

I knew from the magic emanating from Mikael’s hand. When I screamed, Mikael quickly assessed the situation and erected the shield.

The thought that their lives could have been in jeopardy was terrifying.

“So, what does that have to do with me fainting?”

[Because your energy rapidly drained due to altering the fates of those who should have died, you fool.]

I clenched my lips and thought.

The first time I felt dizzy was when Lord Rephe was released from the underground prison and returned home.

The second time was after the children escaped from the auction house.

The third time was today, after the twins’ fight had ended.

Just as the silver snake said, I intervened in all three events, and no one died unnecessarily, unlike in the original story.

There had been brief mentions in the original story of the families of people who had died due to the twins.

‘You killed them! You thought of us as less than ants passing by!’

As seen earlier, the twins, especially Dayban, would attack recklessly when agitated, regardless of who was around.

The only people the twins seemed to care about were the Duke and Clemens. But even then, they wouldn’t listen when overly excited.

However, the Duke and Clemens could protect themselves. The Duke could use aura, and Clemens had magical tools to defend himself.

The other servants in the mansion were not so fortunate. Many had become casualties whenever the twins fought.
However, unlike the original story, there were no sacrifices in the current Duke’s residence. At least not yet to the point where anyone could curse the family as villains.

Every time changes occurred, I thought about what I had experienced. First, feeling dizzy, then spilling coffee, and lastly, fainting today.

The commonality in those three instances was that people who were supposed to die in the original story survived. All due to my intervention.

[This is precisely why I offered you a contract, feeble creature.]

The silver serpent slithered closer. Its face came right up to mine, and I couldn’t avoid its gaze.

[Everything has a set time, you see. It can neither be altered nor reversed. For pathetic creatures who cannot transcend time, the end is absolute, isn’t it?]

“……”

[But you changed it, a lowly creature like you who tripped over my tail. All things that alter a predetermined fate must pay a price. It’s only natural that your body starts to malfunction as you’ve paid that price.]

I was at a loss for words. The divine beast continued to speak.

[Even if what you changed was not intentional, you can’t escape the price. What will happen if you continue? Will spilling coffee or momentarily fainting be the end of it?]

The silver serpent shook its head disapprovingly.

[Hardly, you’ll pay a price beyond your imagination. Your life will be cut much shorter.]

“……”

[But, if you form a contract with me, it will be different! I don’t care about the suffering of my contractors!]

I couldn’t say anything. The realization that the price would come directly to me was something I had never imagined before.

[You do know what I mean by ‘the end,’ right?]

The silver serpent asked boastfully. A word immediately came to my mind.

“Death.”

[Yes, good that you understand!]

The silver serpent, which had grown so large it nearly touched the ceiling, returned to its original size instantly.

[Now, let me ask again. Creature, do you wish to form a contract with me or not?]

The earlier weighty voice disappeared, replaced by a melodious one. Seeing the silver serpent’s smirking expression, it seemed it believed I had only one choice.

The divine beast was correct. After listening to all its explanations, I too had made up my mind.

However, there was something I needed to confirm before I answered, unrelated to it.

“What do you, a divine beast, gain from forming a contract with me?”

[Huh?]

‘Come to think of it, in the original story, the divine beast had approached Eliza first to form a contract.’

“Why are you so keen on forming contracts with humans?”

[Well, think about it, I am a divine beast, aren’t I? It’s my duty to take care of all creatures.]

The silver serpent shook its head as if it were slightly bored or tired.

[And you’re pitiful. I’m bestowing my mercy upon you especially.]

“Lies.”

I spoke clearly.

“I think I have a clue why you’re so obsessed with contracts with humans.”