“Robert.”

“Yes. Did you call for me?”

The white-haired elderly man in a well-tailored tailcoat bowed to Felice with his white-gloved hands on his chest.

“Report the list of rat bastards. And make sure everyone keeps their mouths shut about the lady, especially your grandson.”

The butler’s grandson was the first servant to discover that Diana was the Beatus heiress.

He almost caused trouble by running his mouth again. The old man swallowed a sigh inwardly. That brat must have given in to his curiosity and asked again.

“Do not worry. I will ensure everyone keeps their mouths shut.”

“Maids, servants. Weed them out without discrimination. My brother is quiet now, but who knows when he’ll draw his sword if his mood sours.”

Is he worried about his brother again? But the old man’s prediction was proven completely wrong.

“If blood is spilled, the lady might not like it, right?”

The gentle smile on that cold face was chilling.

Felice, who always maintained a smiling face, now selectively chose to smile and increasingly had days where his expression became blank like his brother’s.

“Ah, and call for the jeweler and tailor. My brother doesn’t have the mind to care about these things. Prepare everything perfectly so the lady won’t be inconvenienced whenever she wakes up.”

“Understood.”

Watching the future head of the family walk away, the old man suppressed his fatigue and took off his glasses to clean them.

What on earth happened between the brothers? They had both changed.

From the moment Rodrick stepped out of the carriage, everyone at Schwartz Castle couldn’t help but be shocked.

Setting aside the identity of the woman he was holding preciously in his arms, the fact that Rodrick Schwartz returned with a woman was astonishing.

Who knows where he left his subordinates, but Rodrick had the best guest room prepared and then secluded himself with the woman.

Rodrick dismissed the maids and servants and personally nursed the woman. Rumors spread in an instant.

To think that the man who was practically addicted to slaughter was now clinging to a woman.

His actions were even more unbelievable.

Even those who saw it couldn’t believe it, and those who only heard the rumors couldn’t contain their curiosity and kept peeking at the guest room.

‘It was about time for a change of staff anyway.’

The old man, who had cleaned his glasses until they squeaked, put them back on and walked away with a grim face to attend to his duties.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Why isn’t she waking up?”

At his voice, tinged with impatience, Noel retorted petulantly.

“She will wake up.”

Noel was lying on one side of the massive bed where Diana lay, tightly holding her hand.

“Her recovery is slow. She absorbed too much of the curse, so she needs time to stabilize.”

“You said you could see magic too.”

The red eyes that had been fixed on Diana’s face turned to Rodrick.

Rodrick’s gaze was also fixed on Diana.

I don’t want to tell you. The small lips pouted.

Although Diana had to absorb his curse because there was no other choice to begin with, Noel didn’t like it.

Somehow, he felt that if Diana stayed with this man, she would get hurt more. He had that premonition.

“Even medicine becomes poison if you take too much.”

Feeling inexplicably irritated, Noel changed the subject.

“To begin with, curses based on magic are lumps of magic. Ordinary people shouldn’t retain more than a certain amount of magic. That’s why you’re going mad with frenzy, mister.”

“……”

He was looking at Diana with eyes that made it impossible to guess what he was thinking.

Noel puffed up his cheeks and turned his head away with a huff.

I won’t tell you that elder sister is wandering in her dreams. Or that she’ll be back soon.

The sulking child was soon unceremoniously carried out by Felice, who said not to disturb the two.

Resistance was futile.

[This is the timeline separator]

When she opened her eyes, what she feared most was always the pain.

Considering the pain she experienced just before dying, she couldn’t help but struggle, shuddering at the thought.

Everything around her crumbled and was engulfed in darkness, and she only thought that it was time to wake up now.

Please, let it not be painful this time either. She closed her eyes in her dreamlike state with that hope.

When she woke up, instead of pain, what washed over her was a scent so alluring, soft, and refreshing.

As the familiar scent touched her nose, pink eyes were revealed beneath fluttering eyelids.

It was morning.

The room, lit by sunlight, was enveloped in a gentle darkness due to the tightly closed curtains.

Huh? What’s this?

Blocked by a thick wall, Diana frowned. Her hand, which had been feeling something firm, was caught by an even larger hand.

“Is touching me the first thing you do when you wake up?”

As her blurry vision cleared, Diana blinked slowly.

Seeing the sharp jawline and sculptured features, her foggy mind sharpened.

“Rodrick?”

“Yes. Did you think it was another man?”

She didn’t have the presence of mind to respond to his joke that wasn’t even funny. She let out a gasp between her slightly parted lips.

What? What is this breathtaking sight that greets me upon waking?

Her entire field of vision was filled with flesh-colored scenery. A large, sturdy body. A magnificently trained muscular body filled her sight overwhelmingly.

“Are you done looking?”

An intensely powerful gaze pierced her face. Hmm, did I stare too much?

She awkwardly averted her eyes and nodded. Then she became aware of her current situation.

On the bed, a half-naked man and she, wearing only a nightgown so thin it was nearly transparent, were practically in each other’s arms, lying close together.

“Did we sleep together?”

“Just sleep? We did more than that.”

“What do you mean—ugh.”

Diana, who tried to sit up, inwardly screamed at the pain that ached throughout her body.

“Careful.”

Rodrick lifted her up with practiced movements and propped her back with high pillows.

Diana didn’t feel anything strange about his naturalness.

“Why am I in so much pain?”

I don’t like being in pain. Rodrick’s expression hardened at her mumbled words.

Come to think of it, his face looked somewhat haggard.

What? Is it the after-effects of the curse? I should have absorbed it all.

She reached out and placed her hand on his gaunt cheek.

“Were you in pain too?”

“……”

His eyes darkened with some unreadable thought. After remaining silent, he answered a different question.

“You slept for over ten full days. That’s why your body is stiff.”

Ten days. That vague number felt unreal.

“What?!”

What is he saying? I’m sure I just woke up right after fainting with a nosebleed.

As she tried to pull her hand away in surprise, Rodrick quickly grabbed it.

“Rodrick?”

It’s warm. The faintly heard voice seemed to be one of relief.

As always, Diana didn’t think much of it and turned her eyes from Rodrick to survey the room.

The soft bed and the luxurious interior of the room were unfamiliar and new.

“Where are we?”

“The North. Schwartz Castle.”

Wow, when did we get here? It’s nice to have traveled comfortably while sleeping, but judging by how fresh my body feels, they must have even bathed me. The clothes are new too.

After roughly grasping the situation, Diana asked her biggest question.

“But why are we both naked? And in the same bed?”

Rodrick, who had been fiddling with her fingers, answered without blinking an eye.

“Aren’t we that kind of relationship?”

His low voice lingered thickly in her ear. Her body hair stood on end.

Her pink eyes rolled to the side, unable to meet his blue ones.

“What kind of relationship were we?”

“You should know well, shouldn’t you?”

Her eyes rolled around searching for an answer before she finally managed to speak.

“Well, we are in a life-and-death relationship, I suppose.”

Why has his attitude changed so much? Still, is it good that his behavior is gentler?

Ah! Is this the timing? The proposal timing.

If she was going to stay here anyway, she needed a reason.

“Um, Rodrick.”

“Diana.”

“……”

Diana’s breath caught briefly at hearing her name from Rodrick’s lips.

“…Did you just call my name?”

Her pink eyes widened. She looked like a rabbit surprised by an unexpected carrot.

He chuckled. What’s the big deal about calling a name?

“You said you could only live by being in contact with me, right?”

His smile, which curled lazily in the strangely relaxed atmosphere, was downright violent.

Entranced by Rodrick’s face, Diana could only answer half a beat late.

“Y-yes?”

“And you can remove my curse.”

“Yes.”

“Then we’ll have to stay together constantly.”

Diana’s face brightened as she listened quietly to Rodrick’s conclusion.

Finally, you understand what I’m saying! You live, and I live. Let’s live well together, us extras who were supposed to die in the original story.

“That’s right, Rodrick! So, about us—”

“Shall we get engaged?”

Diana’s face, which had been filled with emotion, froze.

Um… my proposal was stolen.

“We can think about marriage after the engagement. If your mind hasn’t changed after your illness is cured, that is.”

“W-why are you like this? Who are you?”

“What?”

“You’re not the Rodrick I knew? The Rodrick I knew was a man of integrity who said ‘No’ as easily as eating bread! Who are you?! Who possessed my cure?”

She wanted to grab his collar and shake him, but there was nothing to grab on his bare skin.

“Ha, Princess.”

Ah! In an instant, Rodrick moved his body over Diana’s. His face was above hers, trapped between his muscular arms.

“Is it your preference to be treated roughly?”

“Ye… No?”

He lowered his head and gently bumped his forehead against hers.

“No fever.”

Come to think of it, her body that had been screaming in pain was no longer hurting. As expected of my cure.

“I guess I’m not in pain anymore because I was close to you.”

She smiled prettily.

“……”

He was silent for a long time. Unable to bear the awkwardness, she spoke up again.

“You haven’t contacted my family, have you?”

“Before contacting them, I found out that you’re supposed to be at the mansion in the capital.”

Ah, Rodrick’s words confirmed her suspicion. Seeing that she was still registered as being in the capital, it was clear that her kidnapping and imprisonment were all done by people from her family.

The magician who threw Rodrick into the water also had the red eyes characteristic of the Beatus family.

She couldn’t go back right away, and it seemed she would have to observe the situation here for a while longer.

“Your younger brother is still listed as missing.”

“Can we stay here longer?”

Rodrick, who had been quietly looking down at her, raised her hand with his ungloved hand.

Lifting her hand, he planted a deep kiss on her palm and said,

“Where would you go without me?”

He tilted his head slightly and smiled.

That seductive smile nearly made her lose her soul.