“Rodrick, are you hurt?”

The large man seemed to have drooping tails and ears.

A beast pretending to be a puppy. You sinful man. I almost felt my heart flutter for a moment.

If he were introduced to high society, there would be countless young ladies fainting with nosebleeds.

“Let go of this. I need to wash up and sleep quickly.”

Furrowing his brow as if displeased by something, he gripped her wrist even tighter. Stop using so much strength. It feels like the blood won’t circulate.

“Let’s go together.”

“Alright. No one else should come, but please keep watch.”

Not sure why he suddenly developed separation anxiety, Diana said while shaking her captured wrist.

As she expected, after walking a short distance, they saw water flowing along the valley.

The water volume seemed sufficient for washing without issue.

“I’ll wash first.”

Leaving Rodrick standing at a distance, she took off the robe she hadn’t been able to remove for days and his shirt.

Whew, I feel alive.

Even though her sweat-soaked clothes felt unpleasant, she couldn’t complain among the knights wearing heavy armor.

She removed her nightgown dress and underwear and stepped into the cold water.

She bit her lips tightly at the chill that made her shiver from toes to crown.

Ugh, it’s cold. Let’s wash quickly and get out.

Diana waded through the icy water until it reached her waist.

She wet her long, wavy hair while keeping watch of her surroundings.

She even plucked some herbs with cleansing effects to make bubbles. Without soap, she had to use something like this.

Fortunately, there were some common herbs. She thought there would only be strange plants in a place teeming with monsters.

Though their size was quite extraordinary.

Everything in this forest seemed large. The trees were big, the monsters were big. Even the valley they discovered was wide and deep, making her think that if a monster appeared in the water, it could drag someone down without a sound.

At least the water was clear and the moon shone faintly, so there was no worry of misstepping.

“Huh?”

She stopped washing herself and focused her sleepy gaze on one spot.

Something was floating downstream.

A corpse? She had only been wary of monsters. She hadn’t thought there would be people in a place like this.

The thing floating face down was clearly a person.

“Ro-Rodrick!”

At her call, Rodrick rushed through the bushes but stopped abruptly.

He seemed uncharacteristically flustered. Why is he like that?

His straight pink eyes and her wavering blue eyes met in midair.

Following his gaze, she looked down and yelped in surprise.

“Wh-what are you looking at!”

The female form, clearly visible under the moonlight, was dazzlingly beautiful.

Though she turned around, the image of her remained etched in his retina.

Rodrick exhaled a deep sigh and ran his large hand over his face.

“What did you call me for…”

“There! There’s a man over there!”

A man? At the word “man,” the expression disappeared from his face. In an instant, the temperature around him plummeted.

Focused on Diana’s appearance, he hadn’t noticed another presence in the water.

He strode into the water.

Before the floating man could drift closer to Diana, Rodrick grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled him out.

“Puhah! Keck. Cough. Cough.”

Surprisingly, the man was alive. Breathing roughly, the man regained his composure while shedding tears and mucus.

“Huha- Th-thank you, whoever you…”

The man spitting out water locked eyes with Diana.

“A fairy…?”

“…Felice Schwartz?”

Why are you here? It was the appearance of the sub-male lead they had been searching for.

At the familiar name, Rodrick quickly turned Felice around.

“Uwak. Br-brother?!”

“Felice Schwartz.”

It was a viciousness that seemed drawn from the depths of hell. Felice broke out in a cold sweat at the murderous intent that seemed about to stab him.

“Why are you here?”

The veins on the back of the hand gripping his collar bulged.

Why was the runaway floating in the valley stream?

Rodrick clenched his molars, feeling like curses were about to spill out.

“Brother, did you come to save me?”

“Answer.”

“There are deep circumstances… Huck.”

He whined excessively when Rodrick put more strength into the hand gripping his collar.

“No, I left home for your sake, brother. I didn’t come out to cause trouble. Do you have to be this angry? No, no. I’m sorry!”

Seeing Rodrick’s face hardening more and more, Felice earnestly said while rubbing his water-swollen hands together.

“I-I was wrong… Brother. I’m scared.”

Diana watched the brothers’ squabble from afar with blurry eyes.

“…”

I understand that brotherly love is overflowing. I understand, but I’m very cold, you know?

“Excuse me, gentlemen?”

As if to prove they were brothers, both men’s gazes fixed on her simultaneously.

Was it male instinct? Their gazes slowly traveled down her curved figure along her wet hair.

“Stop looking!”

Flinch. The two men shook violently.

“You men, really! I can feel it even though I’m turned around, you know?”

“Brother, the fairy is talking? Mmph.”

Before more nonsense could come out, Rodrick grabbed his brother’s face with his black-gloved hand.

“Hurry and get out. So I can put on clothes!”

Diana bit her quivering lips from the cold while covering her ample bosom with an X.

She heard the splashing of water as they trudged out behind her.

“I’m sorry.”

Diana blinked her pink eyes wide at the apology from behind. Rodrick is even apologizing.

Left alone in the water, only a serene silence remained.

Diana put on her grimy clothes again and returned to where the group was.

She would have to ask Noel if he had a spell to clean clothes. It’s even more unpleasant when the clothes are dirty even after washing.

“Huhueng. I missed you all! I thought I was going to die!”

“Kuhahaha. You’re still as disgusting as ever, young master.”

“Young master, why on earth did you enter the demon realm when you’re such a weakling? Huh? You were determined to torment us, weren’t you! Huh?!”

“Hey hey, the young master is really about to cry.”

Can the atmosphere change this much just because one more person joined?

The men gathered around the campfire were chattering noisily.

It seemed their mood was at its best, thinking they could return home now that the mission was over.

The central figure of the mission was making a pitiful face and acting childish with the knights.

Was he this type of character? I thought he was a sub-male lead who was serious and taciturn in everything. Somehow his image has been completely shattered.

Rodrick wasn’t joining the group, but was leaning against a distant tree, looking askance at his brother.

“Aren’t you glad?”

“It’s a headache.”

Though he said that, his expression seemed much lighter. She smiled, finding that sight pleasing.

“You care for him a lot.”

“He’s the next head of the family. I have to care for him.”

Thud- It seemed like there was a sound from his clenched fist. Is this what brothers are like?

“Are we going to the north now?”

“We have to.”

“Can I go to the north too?”

“Sure.”

She thought Rodrick would definitely refuse. To readily agree like that.

It really seems like something is off with Rodrick. This is when I should strike while the iron is hot.

“Um, Rodrick.”

This is the chance to propose.

“Sister-in-law!”

Diana, who had been called out by the sub-male lead, closed her mouth and turned her head.

Felice was waving his hand broadly with a bright smile. Diana, who had been called over abruptly, sat down next to Felice.

His sharp nose bridge and jawline boasted sub-male lead-worthy beauty.

While Rodrick had black hair with a blue tinge, his brother Felice had a clear sky blue color.

His face, shadowed by the campfire, seemed so deep one could be pulled in.

If Rodrick was a man exuding masculinity, Felice had an affable face boasting puppy-like charm.

Come to think of it, Felice was in the position of a decadent younger man. Though it’s impossible to match that image with him now.

“Noel, why are you out here?”

“Haha, I guess it got too noisy inside.”

He had insane friendliness. Somehow, Noel, who had been sleeping separately, was now lying on Felice’s lap.

Noel, elder sister is disappointed in you. To readily lie on a stranger’s lap like that.

“Sister-in-law. Sister-in-law.”

His blue eyes, brighter than Rodrick’s, sparkled.

“Um, young master.”

“Yes! Sister-in-law!”

“Since when did I become the young master’s sister-in-law?”

The sub-male lead and she were clearly the same age. Why does he look so young? It makes me want to pat his head.

If Rodrick was like a sleek black panther, Felice was like a tail-wagging puppy. How could brothers be so different?

Felice tilted his head with drooping eye corners.

“Aren’t you? You were sticking close to my brother.”

There are circumstances for that, child. I’m pretending to be your brother’s lover. It was too frank to say that with so many eyes watching.

Sigh, let’s go along with it for now. To stay with Rodrick anyway, she needed to propose to him and become the sub-male lead’s sister-in-law.

“Yes! That’s right. You figured it out well.”

“Right? Wow, so he’s been avoiding women like monsters all this time to welcome such a beautiful person as his wife. I thought sister-in-law was a fairy at first.”

To think this talkative and cheerful young man would change 180 degrees and become desolate.

The death of his family must have been a huge shock. Especially since his life changed due to his brother’s death.

She intends to prevent that fate. I’ll live, and I’ll make sure your brother lives too. So don’t fall to the dark side.

“My, our young master, your words are as pretty as your face.”

Rodrick’s face crumpled as he approached to stop Felice’s mouth.

“Our young master?”

Rodrick, who was about to add something, quietly watched them and sat down next to Diana.

Suddenly sandwiched between the brothers, Diana smiled more brightly to hide her true feelings.

The knights unknowingly admired that sight.

“Hehe. Right, sister-in-law?”

“Of course, young master. Please put in a good word for me when you meet your father later.”

“Oh. Um. I’m too scared to do that, though?”

The knights sent looks of awe at Diana, who was calmly conversing with the two brothers.

One shouldn’t be fooled by that face. No matter how much Felice smiled brightly, his roots were Schwartz.

Felice Schwartz.

In the North, he was known as a mad dog who never let go once he bit, with a seemingly good-natured face.