The ground beneath creaked. A pitch-black darkness hung heavily.

This was instinct. Something was approaching.

Charlotte was not the only one who felt that presence.

“Your Majesty! Please step back. I will escort you from now on!”

Catarina and the guards drew their swords. That sound started from the embassy palace.

“Something is coming. Lower your body, Your Majesty!”

Heavy raindrops poured down. The dark red hair absorbed the rainwater and sank heavily.

Charlotte fixed her gaze in the darkness.

Far away, the darkness writhed.

Noises buried under the sound of rain gradually became clearer. What gathered in swarms was a horde of demonic beasts.

“They are insect-type demonic beasts!”

Between the darkness, ground spiders crawled out.

The sound grew louder from the north, and white spider webs were laid on the path where the one-eyed ground spiders had passed.

As the spider webs dissolved in the rain, white poison gas rose like a heat haze.

“Your Majesty. Please take cover. Someone escort Her Majesty into the palace!”

[This is the timeline separator]

Tap tap.

Outside, the rain was getting increasingly rough.

“Tsk.”

Benjamin put down his quill pen.

“Are you having trouble focusing on work?”

Benjamin took out a cigar from the side table. As he languidly closed his eyes, his senses gradually blurred.

It would be difficult to concentrate like this.

Benjamin waved his arm saying that’s enough and closed the documents.

“Shall we finish up here for today?”

“Has evening passed?”

“Yes. I’ll have them prepare some light food.”

“Never mind. What about the Empress?”

“She’s not here at the moment. I heard she’s outside… Oh my, I’ll send someone for her.”

Benjamin narrowed his eyes. Perhaps due to the sound of rain, other noises were muffled.

“…Your Majesty.”

“I felt it too.”

Soon, his face twisted like an evil spirit.

“What fool is running amok in my palace again.”

Because of the rain, he noticed late. His eyes narrowed sharply.

“I should go see the faces of those bastards.”

“The north is where the embassy is located.”

Black magic energy rose. They dared to crawl into a place they should not enter.

Benjamin leaned on the windowsill. His gaze fixed on one spot.

“Where are those bugs…”

Benjamin leapt out right away.

A swarm of insect demonic beasts surrounded Charlotte and her party.

“Even if they’re low-grade, they’re demonic beasts. Be careful not to touch their spider webs.”

Charlotte collapsed weakly. She merely scratched at the innocent ground.

“Spiders?”

“They’re hybrids of spiders and caterpillars.”

Charlotte vacantly stared down at the ground spider demonic beasts.

“All insect types are low-grade demonic beasts. The rain is deadly poison to them too, so their venom should be neutralized.”

“Why from the northern palace…”

“We’ll check once this is resolved.”

Charlotte furrowed her brow.

‘Whine’

The wolf pup bit Charlotte’s finger.

“Did you bite me?”

As Charlotte stroked its white fur, the wolf licked her fingertip with its small muzzle.

“Baby, I know you’re scared, but I’m even more fragile than you.”

Fluid dripped down.

Charlotte took out a silver knife from her sleeve and unsheathed it.

It had been a decorative item tied to the handle with embroidery. It was about the size of a finger joint.

“Ah…”

A spider with fine hairs all over wriggled its legs.

Scratch. Scratch.

Something was scratching from underground.

“Charlotte. Come back.”

Someone whispered at her head.

“Oh my. Can’t you move?”

“You…”

“Why do these wicked things keep crawling up to the surface? Those chased underground after the ancient pact was made covet life.”

They disappeared from view.

Benjamin, who had taken off his outer coat, draped it over Charlotte.

“Cover yourself, Charlotte.”

As Charlotte pulled down the coat covering her eyes, Benjamin overlapped his hand.

“You’re soaked from the rain.”

“Ah…”

“I didn’t expect to see you in this state again.”

Charlotte looked up at him from where she sat slumped on the ground.

Her vision was blurry from the rain.

Charlotte collapsed as if crumbling.

[This is the timeline separator]

Underground.

The edge. Where everyone sleeps.

The beginning and end of the border zone, the beginning and end of the ancient pact.

From there, bone joints approached with a clacking sound.

Following them, the gaze shifted, and bone mouths snapped shut.

‘Who is it.’

‘Who.’

‘Who is it?’

‘Who came.’

‘Down here?’

The view was blocked.

Someone hid Charlotte.

She felt a touch pulling her out as if something was severed.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Bugs. Bugs. Aack! I hate spiders the most. They’re disgusting. Horrible. There’s fuzz on their legs. I’ll burn all that fuzz. Aack!”

Tatante looked down at his attendant with disdain.

“Aack! Caterpillars… Aack!”

“Can’t you be quiet for a moment?”

The attendant who had been stomping on demonic beast corpses cried out in disgust.

“Aack! This is a desert ground spider! What did those southern continent bastards bring!”

“I heard there shouldn’t be any disturbances with this embassy, but aren’t you the one making noise? You’re from the forest clan but hate bugs so much, tsk tsk, I don’t know what use you are. It’s a disgrace to the clan.”

“Aaaack!”

“Do you use that much sword energy just to kill one low-grade demonic beast?”

Tatante blew off the ground spider’s head and grabbed his attendant by the nape. He’d destroy half the embassy quarters just to kill one spider.

“Bugs are annoying, but.”

Just as Tatante was about to step in, the imperial knights swept through the interior. The knight commander burned the demonic beasts with sword energy and approached.

“There was a disturbance inside the palace. Are you unharmed?”

“We’re fine.”

“There was some conflict within the embassy. His Majesty the Emperor also said he would pay more attention to internal security from now on.”

Afterwards, the knights left saying they would prepare other quarters besides the damaged ones, and the embassy quarters became quiet.

“It’s strangely quiet in the palace despite such an incident.”

Tatante looked out beyond the northern palace with his hands behind his back.

“The ground is all overturned, yet it’s quiet?”

“That’s not it. Not that kind of quiet, but a different kind of quiet.”

.

.

Benjamin narrowed his eyes.

“Whose doing was it?”

The intelligence officer reported.

“It was one of the embassy attendants.”

It was an attendant from the southern continent.

The southern continent had been embroiled in internal strife for years. Although that strife had ended, opposing forces sought to cause unrest.

“So that’s why they were southern continent demonic beasts.”

“The embassy has apologized, saying they’re sorry.”

“Has it been confirmed?”

“Yes. It seems to be a conflict between factions. As evidence, the demonic beasts started from the southern continent quarters.”

Benjamin pressed his fingertips to his brow.

“Has it been confirmed what was used to summon the demonic beasts?”

“Low-grade venom was used. It’s identical to the low-grade items seen in the night market.”

Benjamin crushed the low-grade item recovered by the palace knights in his hand.

“Someone keeps scratching at it.”

“What should we tell the embassy?”

“Forget it. Later. Just keep it quiet for now.”

Someone is dragging up things that shouldn’t crawl to the surface.

“These things carefully scratch around the taboos, begging to be killed?”

“Your Majesty, the venom with your bare hands…”

“This is truly low-grade. Low-grade venom would only sting the skin a bit, and at most summon bug and insect types like that.”

I can read what’s in their minds.

“It would be good to stir up unnecessary rumors before the New Year’s festival.”

“The venom purified itself. They were all low-grade demonic beasts, and thanks to the rain neutralizing it, all the venom was washed away.”

“Keep this matter buried appropriately. Instruct the palace knights to pay more attention to internal security.”

Just the fact that demonic beasts appeared in the imperial palace is enough to cause rumors.

There’s no benefit in creating unnecessary rumors before an event like the New Year’s festival.

“Her Majesty the Empress…”

“Be quiet.”

The intelligence officers withdrew one by one.

After that.

Charlotte still hadn’t regained consciousness.

– Click.

The bedroom door opened.

A faint scent of herbs wafted from inside the bedroom.

“You’re having trouble waking up.”

Sleeping Charlotte lay in bed. Only faint breathing could be heard.

Her peacefully sleeping face was pale.

She originally had a pale complexion with little blood color.

“She seems to have caught a cold. Getting rained on and then greatly shocked caused this. A few days of good rest and she’ll be fine.”

As if she really had caught a cold, she had a slight fever.

Charlotte breathed evenly. Her heartbeat was also stable, and her expression was peaceful.

Benjamin wiped Charlotte’s hands with a wet cloth.

“Charlotte.”

Benjamin raised his body that had been leaning on the bedside table.

“Why do you keep sleeping.”

“…”

“You’ve slept enough.”

Benjamin interlaced his fingers with Charlotte’s hand. Warmth gathered in his grasp.

“You, come down from there.”

The wolf pup came out from under the blanket.

With a shake, the white ball of fur shook its body, then lay down curled up on one side of the bed.

“As a spirit beast, it’s conscious of its master. I didn’t know it had finished imprinting.”

“…”

“You can’t go under the blanket.”

Spirit beast imprinting is usually done by feeding the master’s blood.

Even as a pup, it’s a spirit beast.

Charlotte, what have you taken in?

‘Whine.’

The wolf curled its body into a ball and hid its head in its front paws.

[This is the timeline separator]

My body feels heavy.

“Ah…”

The blurry vision gradually brightened. Charlotte turned her body to lie on her side.

Something was wriggling under the blanket.

She closed her eyes again.

It kept wriggling underneath.

Charlotte stretched out her slender arm.

“Why are you there again.”

Something poked its head out from under the blanket.

Its white fur was fluffy.

The wolf pup shook its head with a soft rustle.

It fiddled with its fur with its short legs, then went down under the bed.

The tiny body disappeared outside the canopy.

“Ugh…”

Charlotte lay on her side and closed her eyes.

“You should stop sleeping now.”

“Just a little more.”

“No. You’ve slept enough.”

Someone pulled back the canopy.

“Are you awake?”

“…It’s bright.”

“Fever?”

“Mm. I’m fine.”

Charlotte touched her forehead and mumbled.

“It’s lukewarm. Did I have a fever?”

“Just a slight one.”

“I’m okay now.”

“Saying you’re okay is a habit of yours.”

Her dark red hair flowed down in cascades.

“Your maternal grandfather will visit from Windsor Street this afternoon.”

“Did you tell grandfather?”

“It’s right to inform him if you’re unconscious for days.”

“I woke up too late then.”

Charlotte lowered her head, ruffling her hair.

“Why is this child…”

“It’s imprinted on you. The reason its eyes are dark red is related.”

“What should I do?”

“Keep it by your side. It whines and cries if separated from you even a little.”

An imprinted spirit beast cannot be separated from its master.

“If this child coming to you is fate, there must be a reason for this fate too.”

It meant this child was now Charlotte’s responsibility. It’s just like a baby, whimpering and burrowing into her arms.

“What about the demonic beasts from that day?”

“It’s been taken care of.”

“The New Year’s festival?”

“It will proceed as planned.”

“The embassy?”

“All is quiet.”

Charlotte wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She was still tired.

At that point, his voice lowered.

“Are you done with questions?”

“Ah, yes.”

Benjamin narrowed his eyes.

“You’re indifferent to yourself. Your own well-being is always an afterthought, Charlotte.”