The game of hide-and-seek was over.

[I’ll let you out!]

She moved forward, passing through the child blocking her way.

[I’m not lying! I’ll let you out!]

Diana stopped at the child’s words, which sounded almost desperate.

The child grinned at her reaction. Of course. They knew she’d be tempted by the promise of being let out. People were inherently selfish creatures. However, Diana’s next words were unexpected.

“You. You messed with my man, didn’t you?”

It wasn’t clear since when Rodrick had become “her man,” but the child’s expression turned sheepish.

“Now that my body has recovered. Not only can I see magic, but I can feel it very well too.”

Her body had become especially sensitive to Rodrick’s magic, which she had absorbed once before.

For the past few hours, his magic had been unstable and erratic.

[Th-that’s because that mister who wasn’t surprised is bad!]

“Are you done playing house?”

The child puffed up their cheeks in apparent annoyance and turned their head away sharply.

Not cute at all. Maybe if it was our Noel, but…

“Bring Rodrick here right now.”

[Hmph, I don’t know anyone by that name~]

“Naughty children need to be disciplined to come to their senses.”

[Don’t be ridiculous. There are no adults who can discipline me!]

“This is why parental roles are important.”

[There aren’t any! None! Where are you going anyway?]

She ignored the child and started walking again.

When she first searched this castle, there was a ghost chasing her with melting skin and disheveled hair.

At first, she ran away in fear as it frantically chased her, but thinking about it now, that ghost was looking for something.

As she approached the places where ghosts appeared, her thoughts turned into certainty.

The magic emanating from the children’s belongings was faintly connected to a certain point.

The ghost that couldn’t cross over from a certain point. More precisely, it couldn’t cross over to the west corridor where the children were. She didn’t know who or why, but that was the case.

Diana stepped on the magic circle that was blatantly rising in the eerie corridor.

With a woman’s scream and the sound of bones cracking, a grotesquely distorted woman appeared.

Diana swallowed hard. That’s not a ghost. It’s not a ghost. Whew, she closed her eyes tightly and opened them again, trying to calm herself.

A chill ran down her spine as bloodshot eyes rolled wildly, staring down at her.

Diana quickly held out the children’s belongings before the woman could harm her.

“I’ve brought the children!”

The woman’s movements came to an abrupt halt. Even her wailing screams could no longer be heard.

In the suffocating silence, Diana carefully placed the items she had been holding onto the magic circle.

May they be together and able to leave this place. Children need adults to guide them.

The children following Diana seemed to recognize the woman. Despite her grotesque appearance, they leapt into her arms.

[[[Waaah! We were so scared!]]]

As the children burst into tears, the woman’s appearance changed to her beautiful living form. The woman in a maid’s uniform embraced the children with both arms.

The chilling space was no longer cold. Diana spoke as she watched the moment of reunion.

“Why aren’t you going? Are you afraid of being scolded?”

[Wh-what did I…]

“So you do know what you did wrong?”

She probably wasn’t the first person to enter the castle. Each time, the child might have played tricks using the escape route as bait. The child was about to burst out in anger, annoyed.

[Eek!]

The woman in the maid’s uniform reached out her hand to the child. As if beckoning them to come.

The child, who had been hesitating, took one step, then another, before flying into the woman’s arms.

They were unmistakably a child throwing a tantrum. Although they had been scary when raging like an evil spirit.

As she was watching the scene fondly, her eyes met the woman’s.

[Thank you for finding the children.]

The woman stood up, bowing deeply while pressing her hand firmly on the head of the most mischievous child.

“What happens now?”

Diana’s question was implicit. It encompassed both what would happen to them now and whether she could escape from here.

The woman’s expression was not good. Diana felt a wave of unease as the woman furrowed her brow.

[Unfortunately, we are not the masters of this castle.]

Ah, that’s right. One could only leave this castle with the master’s permission. The barrier was too strong.

[But we can open the way!]

The child said, clutching tightly to the woman’s skirt. But their expression immediately hardened.

[Oh. That mister is in danger.]

“What?”

[Th-the master has appeared.]

The master of this castle has appeared? Diana’s face contorted. The one who created such a bizarre space would certainly not be friendly to them.

“Where?”

[I’ve been stripped of my power. But I can open the way for you. Run straight ahead. I’ll open the door at the end of the corridor.]

Diana started running with all her might, ignoring the child’s words.

[That mister is trapped in a dream right now, unconscious.]

Hearing that Rodrick was in an unconscious state made her even more anxious.

Despite the child’s claim of losing power, all the magic circles had stopped functioning and cleared the way for her.

[We can leave after fulfilling the conditions set by the master.]

The child’s voice followed Diana as she ran.

[I’m sorry. I got upset because no one ever came to find us before.]

As she reached the end of the corridor, a black door came into view. She grasped the gold-decorated handle.

[Thank you. Please be careful.]

Goodbye. With those final words, the voice dissipated like scattering mist. Diana didn’t hesitate to fling open the door.

And she was shocked.

“Rodrick!”

The man with the large build was suspended in mid-air, his neck gripped by someone wearing a deep hood.

Diana wanted to approach but couldn’t move any further.

Beyond the doorframe was a cliff. Below, the water’s surface shimmered blue, filled to the brim.

It was vast enough to be mistaken for a lake. Rodrick was being held by the hooded figure above the water surface of unknown depth.

The master of the castle, they said. A grand magician perhaps? Floating in the air seemed natural for them.

What should I do? As her pink eyes darted around looking for a way to save him, that’s when it happened. Her eyes met the magician’s.

‘Ah.’

Diana knew those eyes. The eyes of the deeply hooded person glowed red.

When those glowing red eyes saw her, they curved slightly.

And then they simply released Rodrick in mid-air.

“No!”

There was no time to think.

Taking a running start to jump as far as possible, she reached out towards the falling Rodrick.

Too short. The distance was far too great. Even though there was water below, the speed of the fall combined with his weight would bury him deep.

She took a deep breath just before hitting the water surface.

Haap− Splash!

Her whole body ached from the impact, but there was no time to worry about that.

The clear water allowed her to see Rodrick sinking endlessly downward.

Diana swam down, cutting through the water. She had to pull him up before he sank further.

She had already used up her energy reserves, but she gritted her teeth and grabbed Rodrick’s body.

Hreup− Running out of breath, she accidentally exhaled. The air bubble rose like a balloon.

Just a little more. Just a bit more. She grabbed Rodrick’s neck and swam upwards.

Splash− Dragging the heavy body, Diana broke through the water’s surface.

“Haa! Haa.”

Gasping for air, Diana held Rodrick’s body tightly and looked up warily. But the magician had already disappeared.

Diana moved her legs busily to keep from sinking. She needed something to hold onto.

They couldn’t stay floating in the water like this forever. She pushed through the water towards the wall, but Rodrick remained unconscious.

“Rodrick. Rodrick! Wake up, please!”

What on earth had happened? This man with a chest full of muscle was laying unconscious like a princess from a fairy tale.

Haah, I want to just pass out too.

Fatigue was setting in, but Diana held onto Rodrick with her slender arms and grasped the wall with one hand.

Her strength was fading. She stared at Rodrick’s sculpture-like face for a moment and swallowed. Right. This is an emergency situation.

In the current state, light skinship was far from enough to absorb the curse.

The person to be mindful of was unconscious anyway.

“Don’t blame me. This is my first kiss.”

Hoping it would be the first for both of them, she pressed her moist lips against his.

As she absorbed the curse by pressing her lips deeply, her energy recovered at an astonishing rate.

As vitality returned to her body, she quickly looked around for an escape route. Let’s get out of here first.

There was no excitement about the first kiss. No mood, the other party was unconscious, and it was a matter of survival.

Her pink eyes, wet from the water, scanned up, sideways, and down, finally finding an exit glowing on the underwater wall.

Phew, since they couldn’t go up, they had to go down again.

Diana looked at Rodrick, hoping he would endure well underwater. It’s not time for either you or me to die yet.

After another brief kiss, she grabbed Rodrick and dove deep into the water, heading towards the exit.

The glowing exit was connected to a vast lake outside the castle. She held onto Rodrick with all her might and broke through the surface of the lake.

[This is the timeline separator]

In the repeating illusion, he couldn’t move his body. He could only follow as his past self moved.

‘Kyaaah!’

A woman’s scream brought him to his senses. His hands, smaller than they are now, were completely stained red.

It seemed he had grabbed the dagger the woman was swinging.

As if finally coming to her senses, the woman screamed and wailed. Saying she was sorry. That it wasn’t her right mind. Begging him to save her.

The sound he had desperately not wanted to hear pierced his ears.

The woman, not seeming to notice the small child curled up and limp behind her, clung to him.

Haah. The scattered pieces of the past bared their teeth and gnawed at his nerves.

Rodrick frowned, tightly closing the only eyelids he could move.

He needed to wake up, but there was no damn way to break this illusion.

That’s when someone called out to him.

‘Rodrick!’

Who?

‘Wake up!’

His body responded to the desperate and pleading voice.

‘I said wake up. Please!’

Strangely, his immobile hand moved at the tender voice mixed with tears.

As the sensation of pressure on his chest came alive, his floating consciousness sharpened.

Tak− A slender wrist was caught in his thick fingers.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the face of a woman with proud, upturned eyes.

Water dripped down her fair face like tears, as if she had been drenched. No, was she really crying?

“I thought you were dead! You awful man! How long were you wandering in your dreams? Hic.”

Despite her reproachful words, Rodrick stared at her blankly. Under the pure moonlight, her figure shimmered dazzlingly as the moisture reflected off her.

“Do you know how hard it was for me to escape! Hic. If you died, it would all be for nothing! I need you!”

As he narrowed his eyes at that radiance, he suddenly pulled her close.

It was just an impulsive action. Perhaps he longed for warmth. Even he couldn’t understand this behavior. He couldn’t attach a reason to it.