Just being in contact with Rodrick made her feel so good that she couldn’t suppress the corners of her mouth rising on their own.

No, that’s not it. Well, there’s no need to look at me with eyes that say, “What, is there such a crazy woman?”

“Excuse me. Your Grace.”

“…”

Ignoring Diana, Rodrick turned around and began searching for an exit while surveying the surroundings.

“Your Grace. How did you get in here? Did you perhaps follow the crow to find this place?”

“…”

Rodrick consistently ignored her and focused only on his task. Diana quietly watched him and shrugged. She slowly approached him.

She still didn’t know much about him.

The older brother of the secondary male lead. Cursed with madness. Dies by self-destruction on the battlefield.

With that level of information, she couldn’t properly understand this man. She needed to approach carefully.

If she accidentally offended him, it might become impossible to approach him. But if she’s in a hurry right now, she might just pounce on him.

Her eyes, now accustomed to the darkness, spotted stairs.

“Hey, there are stairs…!”

Before Diana could finish her exclamation, Rodrick, who had spotted the stairs first, strode past her with long steps.

“Your Grace, let’s go together!”

Always be cautious with deals. Before negotiating about the curse, should she try to get closer to him? She tried to strike up a conversation, but there was no response.

She was worried about the missing Noel, but she had faith that the child who could use magic would be in a safe place.

Given that their positions had switched with Rodrick’s, it was likely that Noel was outside the castle.

Surely he wouldn’t have fallen into a place with monsters like this? It was really terrifying when the child rushed at the werewolf.

“Wait. Princess.”

“Yes?”

Lost in thought as she walked, Diana bumped her nose into Rodrick’s broad back as he suddenly stopped.

“Ah.”

Before he could say anything, another magic circle activated under their feet. Ah, please. Let’s stop this. The traps here are really endless.

‘♬~♩~♪’

The sound of a music box was heard.

The magic circle transported them to a familiar space. It was the west corridor where she had been walking with Noel.

Rodrick was visible in the misty space. Diana swallowed a sigh.

Is it starting again? There’s no need to find the cursed doll anymore. Now we just need to escape.

We need to escape the castle before we can try anything. She was pondering how to entice this man.

Chak- Something damp and cool grabbed her hand.

Diana’s face turned pale in an instant. This isn’t… No, it can’t be.

“Um, excuse me. Your Grace. No, Young Master? Commander?”

One of Rodrick’s eyebrows rose obliquely at Diana’s fluctuating forms of address.

“Is there something next to me by any chance?”

Rodrick, who had been looking indifferently at her as tears welled up in her eyes, answered briefly.

“Yes. When did this little one appear?”

“Pardon?”

She looked down at the pale child holding her hand with a creaking neck.

[Mom?]

“Kyaak!”

Unknowingly letting out a scream, she quickly clung to Rodrick. He frowned as if displeased.

“Let go of this. Princess.”

“No, just a moment! It’s not like you’re going to wear out!”

[Mom? Aren’t you mom?]

The little child who had been staring up blankly started to whimper, then immediately narrowed his eyes fiercely as if angry. The expanded black pupils were horrifying in themselves.

The eerie feeling of being pricked all over by needles was unsettling.

As the child became angry, magic circles formed here and there.

The magic circles that activated all around spread out threateningly, as if reflecting the child’s mood. It was a situation where they didn’t know where they would be taken or what kind of monster might pop out.

“Oh, I am your mom!”

[Really?]

As the child tilted his head, one of the magic circles disappeared.

“Oh my, mom was just so surprised that she was late to answer. I’m sorry.”

Diana grabbed Rodrick’s arm while sweating profusely. The child stared at that arm for a while, then looked up at Rodrick.

[Is this dad?]

“Oh. Yes. This is dad. Haha. My husband is so handsome.”

She gave an awkward smile to his cold gaze that seemed to say, “What are you doing?”

This man. He’s cursing with his eyes right now. Diana swallowed dryly and whispered quietly.

“Please play along. It seems like that child is activating the magic circles.”

As she said, when the child’s mood settled, the magic circles spread out all around disappeared.

[Dad doesn’t get along well with mom?]

“No? We get along so well. Don’t we, honey?”

She clung tightly to his solid arm. Indeed, this man was definitely her cure. She could feel her strength returning the more she stayed close to him.

As she leaned on him, subtly satisfying her personal desires, she saw his hand moving towards his sword.

“Ah, wait!”

Before she could stop him, Rodrick’s sword slashed across the child’s neck. She was at a loss for words at his precise diagonal movement.

She had heard he was obsessed with slaughter, but to be so merciless even to a child.

However, the child didn’t disappear and was hanging from his sword, smiling as if playing on a horizontal bar.

Her face turned pale at the sight of the child, who looked as if he was playing on playground equipment.

She never knew a child’s giggling laughter could be so chilling.

Tsk. Rodrick clicked his tongue and lowered his sword.

“You should let go too.”

No, I’m too scared to let go.

“Your Grace, just a moment. Please act like a real couple for a bit. Okay?”

Diana desperately clung to him. If he were an ordinary man, he might have agreed to this much, but he was different.

“You’ll do it, right? Honey?”

She winked, asking him to play along, but his expressionless face hardened even more.

“Are you crazy?”

“I’m perfectly sane?”

“Or about to go crazy.”

Rodrick pressed Diana’s forehead with one finger.

“Let go.”

This man. His behavior is becoming increasingly rude. It was certainly not how one should act towards a noble lady. Of course, her behavior was rude to begin with.

Huh, alright. Push me away. I’ll just approach again. His refreshing aura made all his actions forgivable.

[Mom, dad really gets along well with you, doesn’t he?]

“Huh?”

[Do you want to get out of here?]

The child who had been giggling approached with a completely blank expression. Had he given up pretending to be human?

The floating child brought his face close.

[Shall we play hide-and-seek?]

Suddenly?

[You know what? If you find us, we’ll let you out.]

“Really?”

Her eyes lit up at the mention of getting out.

[Yes! We don’t lie.]

It didn’t matter whether it was really a ghost or not. It could be the clue to the exit she and Noel had been searching for so many times.

I can get out of this godforsaken place!

[Then we’ll hide! One~ Two~]

The child’s voice faded away as it disappeared into the mist. After counting to ten and no longer hearing the child’s voice, Diana grabbed his sleeve.

“Let’s go.”

She compromised with the sleeve since he seemed to dislike being touched. Just being near him made her feel good.

“What are you trying to do?”

“We have to play hide-and-seek, right?”

“Why?”

“Because we need to get out?”

They advanced through the misty corridor, engaging in pointless question and answer. He wasn’t friendly, but he wasn’t bad as a conversation partner.

At least it was better than walking alone through this silent corridor.

Despite the short visibility, Rodrick strode forward as if he could see clearly ahead.

The traps were still there, but even when magic activated, no teleportation circles or monsters appeared.

Weapons like arrows or maces did rain down, but Rodrick deflected them all as if they were trivial.

As she pushed through the mist, she had to admit. He was the best shield and cure.

‘It’s not something to say about a person, but this man is really useful.’

Now I need to appeal my usefulness to this man too.

She followed Rodrick with small steps, rolling her pink eyes.

Thanks to Rodrick, her strength returned and her narrowed vision widened. Enough to sense the child’s magic that had disappeared into the mist.

It’s scary when ghosts don’t actually exist. If they have magic like this, there’s no need to be afraid anymore.

Find the child quickly and escape this castle somehow. And then return home! Diana clenched her fist, steeling her resolve.

As a bonus, she plans to seduce this man. Though cliché, should she go for the typical contract marriage?

It is the orthodox way to have plenty of skinship, but…

Well, let’s think from his perspective.

What if a strange man suddenly clings and begs for help? Hmm, creepy.

“…”

It would really be unpleasant.

Haha. I was wrong. After some self-reflection, Diana glanced at Rodrick.

No emotion could be read from his sculptured face.

Still, if we exchange words slowly, wouldn’t he grant permission?

How should I break this man’s icy wall? Rodrick walked straight ahead without even glancing at Diana. Conversations didn’t last long either.

Becoming close is the priority, but neither he nor she had time.

The life of an extra with a time limit was like a candle in the wind. In a life that could be extinguished at any moment, is there time to measure this and that? Now that such an excellent cure has appeared, she felt impatient. Should I just pounce on him?

“Be careful.”

As she was walking through the mist, focusing only on what was ahead, suddenly the ground beneath her feet gave way.

She looked down at the ground below, held up by Rodrick’s arm. She had nearly tumbled down the stairs.

“Th-thank you.”

Rodrick looked down at her indifferently, then descended the stairs with her dangling from his side.

“No! Wait a moment. Your Grace! Put me down.”

Rodrick ignored her words and continued descending the stairs level by level.

“Princess, since you’ve caught my eye, I’ll guide you to the edge of the Black Forest.”

Diana’s struggling movements stopped. She looked up at Rodrick as if surprised.

Though her sparkling pink eyes, expecting something, were bothersome, he spoke calmly.

“So stay still. It would be troublesome if you get hurt and the Beatus family demands compensation.”

“Um. Excuse me. Your Grace? Young Master?”

He slightly furrowed his brow at the inconsistent forms of address.

“You can call me Rodrick.”

“Um, then please call me Diana too.”

“That’s up to me. Princess.”

Tch. Diana pouted and looked into the hazy mist, obediently offering her waist.

“You know, Rodrick. Since we’ve met like this, it’s fate. Can’t we go to the capital together?”

“I have something to do in the Black Forest. I won’t leave until I complete my mission. One of my subordinates will guide you. If you want, I’ll order them to escort you to the capital.”

No, what’s the point of going with his subordinate? I’m likely to die before even reaching home. How can I stay with this man?

“What’s that mission?”

“It’s a family secret, so I can’t tell you.”

“Ah, I see.”

Such an iron wall of a man. Having descended the stairs and put her down, Rodrick shifted his gaze to the hand axe hanging at her waist.

“Do you need this?”

“Can I borrow it for a moment?”

When did we arrive at the entrance hall? She looked up at the huge door behind him. It’s useless to strike that down.

Clang-!

As she expected, the hand axe he held bounced off due to the barrier. Rodrick seemed to measure something, then swung around the entrance hall that wasn’t even visible through the mist.

“Rodrick, where are you going?”

Without a word, he disappeared and came back with an enormous axe as big as his body. Where on earth did he get such a weapon from? He easily lifted the massive axe.

“Step back. Princess.”

“What?”

“Dodge on your own.”

With that brief warning, Rodrick swung the axe at the entrance door with all his might.

Thud!

“No, it’s useless because of the barrier!”

Thud!

“I’ve tried it! I’ve already tried it, I tell you!”

Thud!

“Rodrick!”

Let’s just find the child first, this man! What’s going on with this hide-and-seek?

As she tried to stop him, worried he might get hurt, the thumping noise gradually changed to something different.

Whoosh-

A strong wind blew as he swung the axe, clearing the mist, and

Crash!

What she thought was the door crumbled down, revealing the outside clearly.

“Huh?”

“Commander?”

Who would be the most surprised here?

Would it be the knights who were about to bite into meat in front of a bonfire at the boundary between inside and outside? Or would it be Diana, whose mouth was gaping open in shock?