A chill ran through one side of her chest at Rodrick’s attitude of building walls.

“The curse. Don’t you want to get rid of it? You don’t want to die, right?”

“Not particularly. I don’t mind dying.”

Ha, look at this man. Diana’s lips twitched with a tremor.

“You might not care, but I do!”

Hot emotions welled up at his insensitive face showing no sympathy.

I thought at least you were in the same position as me. We’re both extras with a limited time to live.

“I don’t want to die. Never again so painfully…”

I don’t want to die. Not again. Diana frowned and swallowed the rest of her words.

At some point, she had assumed he would naturally cooperate. Despite their different circumstances and thoughts. She had been mistaken by his actions of accepting her.

She might have unknowingly placed her trust in Rodrick.

In desperation, she grabbed his collar. When did her heart become so weak? Had her heart become as poor as her physical strength?

She felt like crying. Not wanting to show her expression to him, she bowed her head deeply.

“…”

“…”

The delicate hand gripping his collar was trembling slightly.

Is she crying again? Rodrick casually expected, but shortly after, she raised her head abruptly and was not crying.

With eyes more lively than ever, she was appealing to him.

There was no negative emotion like resignation in her.

“I’m sorry, but I need you.”

“Aren’t you past the age for tantrums, Princess?”

“Rodrick Schwartz. This isn’t a request, it’s a proposal.”

“That proposal isn’t attractive to me, though.”

“I’ll make a proposal that’s attractive to you too.”

Her skin was particularly white, making her pink eyes seem to bleed into the redness around them.

Despite Diana’s appearance that stimulated protective instincts, he felt no particular emotion.

He just impulsively stroked her hair that shimmered with a faint dark purple. This was the same man who hated touching anything.

Under the black gloves, her hair scattered softly. The wavy hair on the blanket looked like the northern night sky.

“So, you want to live.”

“Yes, I want to live.”

He recalled a woman who clung to him as a child, desperately struggling to live. It was ugly and unpleasant.

However, the woman before him shone while yearning for life. Rather, she was full of vitality due to her attachment to life.

Is this woman different?

It seemed he was becoming strange just by having Diana nearby. It was becoming quite different from his usual sensitive state.

His mind was calm, but unfamiliar sensations invaded, making him uncomfortable. He slightly furrowed his brow at the feeling of being out of control in another sense.

“Even if you glare at me like that, I can’t back down. I’ll stay with you no matter what. I won’t leave.”

“Whatever the proposal is. For now. I understand that the Princess needs to absorb the curse.”

At his words, Diana brightened up and opened her eyes wide. Has he finally understood? However, her spirits dampened at his next words.

“But, Princess, you’re nothing but a hindrance to my work.”

Right. He had said he was on a confidential mission. From what she could see, it was an elite few.

For a mission prioritizing mobility, a child and a woman would be nothing but baggage.

Diana quickly made her judgment and swallowed dryly. She needed to choose her words carefully.

She had to emphasize her usefulness and somehow stay with Rodrick.

For now, there was no option of leaving this man’s side.

The one in need must yield, what else can be done?

“Can you tell me what the confidential mission is?”

“Do you not know the meaning of confidential? Princess.”

Who are you taking for a fool? He speaks so annoyingly. Diana glanced at Rodrick with displeasure.

“That mister is looking for his younger brother!”

Diana and Rodrick’s gazes simultaneously turned to Noel.

“Younger brother?”

“Kid, where did you hear that story?”

Despite Rodrick’s serious question, Noel remained bright. He had an expression that said it didn’t matter as long as it helped Diana.

“I heard it when I was eating with the misters!”

“Haa.”

With an expression that seemed to have a lot to say, he rubbed his face. His suppressed aura was severely fierce. Hmm, I pray for the knights’ souls.

Anyway, a younger brother?

“Is Felice Schwartz in a state of disappearance?”

“…”

Felice Schwartz is a character who succeeds the Duke’s position and confronts the Crown Prince at the original story’s point.

So shouldn’t he be quietly staying in the North now?

It was strange that they had come to this forest called the Black Forest, home of magical beasts.

Inhuman Demon Realm. This was a habitat where so many magical beasts appeared that humans couldn’t set foot in it.

There’s no way the Northern Knights would have come here just for subjugation.

“Is the Young Master here?”

“I have nothing to say. Princess.”

It was clearly the young master’s running away from home, but it wasn’t something to reveal to people from other families.

But this woman, her eyes became even brighter.

“I’ll help! In return, let us go with you.”

“No.”

Despite his firm words, Diana persisted.

“Rodrick. This proposal will be attractive to you too. I told you I can see magical power, right? I should be able to find the Young Master with magic too.”

It was something she had just learned, but people each have their own unique magical power.

The amount is very small, but not so small that it can’t be distinguished at all.

She can confirm it with her eyes, so it would be more useful than the trained knights’ sense of energy.

“The reason you haven’t found the Young Master yet, isn’t it because it was impossible to locate him?”

Diana was right. Inside the Black Forest, the signal from the earring his brother wore was cut off.

However, wandering through the Black Forest wasn’t much of a problem for them.

The only issue was his brother’s survival. Even if he was weak, as a Schwartz, he should be able to hold out for some time.

“Do I need to say it twice? Princess, you’re nothing but baggage.”

“I’ll take care of my share. Just allow me to touch your body. Noel is young, but he’s a magician. He’s a valuable talent, right?”

“Yes! I’m not baggage!”

Noel raised one hand as he spoke. Rodrick looked at Noel and then at Diana with a dazed feeling.

“Wasn’t there something impure mixed in just now?”

“Ah, you mean touching your body?”

“Princess, do you not know shame?”

The noble young lady showed no sign of embarrassment. Rather, she was even confident.

“In a matter of life and death, there’s no room for such things. So, do you allow it? Both being with you and touching your body.”

“…”

“I’m not trying to show off, but don’t forget you owe me your life.”

“…Right, I owe a debt.”

As the handsome face came close, Diana, tensing up, swallowed hard.

Unknowingly, she let go of the collar she had been holding, pressed by his aura.

Konk. Their foreheads collided. What is this? Before she could think, Rodrick spat out one word.

“No fever.”

“Um. I’m not sick.”

Surely he doesn’t think I’ve been talking nonsense because I was sick all this time?

“Right, it’s not nonsense.”

Heup. She swallowed her breath. This man, can he read others’ thoughts?

“It’s all written on your face, so don’t think unnecessary things.”

Haha, right? Diana laughed awkwardly out of embarrassment.

“I want to know how far you’re planning to go if I allow it.”

“You mean skinship?”

“Yes.”

Would he get angry if I said I’ve already tried kissing even without permission? No, since nothing soft was exchanged, was it not a kiss?

Feeling guilty, Diana rolled her pink eyes to the side, avoiding his gaze.

As if displeased by this, a hand in a black glove grasped the tip of her chin.

“Why.”

His breath touched between their lips, which had become perilously close.

“You were so confident until now.”

The man exuding a predator’s aura from his entire body was sensual enough to take one’s breath away.

It felt like she might be devoured at any moment.

“Ahem. Captain, what are you doing?”

The man with a bushy beard stood awkwardly, his pupils shaking.

He was neatly covering Noel’s eyes with his large hand, having entered at some point.

“What.”

“Well. Please restrain yourself in front of the child. Even if it’s a time of youthful vigor… Ahem.”

Rodrick raised one eyebrow at the man’s words, which he couldn’t finish.

Their posture was quite unwholesome, making such words not strange at all.

Rodrick, holding the woman fully in his arms on his lap and sending her a heated gaze, looked like he might commit the act at any moment.

Rodrick looked at him with his characteristic indifferent expression, as if asking what the problem was.

“Well. I was just saying to be careful because there’s a child, and it might not be good for their emotional development.”

“Get to the point.”

The meaning was clear: shut up and say what you originally intended to say, as this isn’t the answer I want.

“The rain has stopped, and you must be hungry. Shouldn’t you have a meal?”

“Bring it here.”

“No!”

Diana, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, shouted. They shouldn’t receive special treatment in a place like this.

Having finished thinking that she needed to become friendly with the knights to accompany them, Diana pushed Rodrick’s face with her slender hand and answered.

“We’ll go out. Thank you, Sir.”

“Ah, yes.”

The man, who answered reluctantly, left after checking the situation. He didn’t forget to take Noel with him.

Ung-cha. Diana, rising from Rodrick’s lap, bent and stretched her stiff legs.

Her legs were sore from being held for so long. Still, it was fortunate that her body had recovered. With this level of stamina, she wouldn’t be a burden.

“Are you going out in that attire?”

Under the blanket, she was wearing a thin nightgown. Even when she woke up in the castle, she had been in a nightgown dress.

The one fortunate thing was that there were boots suitable for her to wear for activity. As long as her feet don’t get hurt, it’s fine.

Diana shrugged her shoulders and answered.

“I can wrap myself in the blanket.”

Rodrick, who had been resting his chin on his arm propped on his knee, let out a deep sigh.

He stood up, put his heavy outer garment on her, and even wrapped a robe around her.

When he covered her legs with a blanket in front of the bonfire surrounded by the knights, it was natural for his subordinates to be shocked.

“They say people die when they do things they’ve never done before.”

“Hey, if you don’t want to die now, shut it. Look at the captain’s eyes.”

“You shut up. The captain’s eyes were always dirty.”

Listening to the knights’ trivial conversation from the side, the new recruit seemed to lose his soul.

These people really seem crazy. Is that something to say in front of the captain?

The young man with a youthful face glanced at Diana sitting next to Rodrick while sipping his share of soup.

The young man, who had only lived in a northern village, had never seen someone so beautifully formed.

Even the woman rumored to be the most beautiful in the village wasn’t as beautiful as this lady. Is there something different about nobles from the capital?

“Daren, the Princess and the Young Master will come with us until we find Felice.”

Before Daren could respond, Diana’s reaction came first.

“Thank you, Rodrick. Thank you so much!”

Wow. The young man’s mouth gaped at her bright smile that seemed to have the whole world.