I was forcibly driven out of a sweet dream.

‘Postponed the execution for me?’

I looked at Johan with a tense face.

‘…Why is he telling me this?’

“Our parents’ execution?”

“Yes. Yesterday was the execution day for Duke and Duchess Libertan. You probably didn’t know because they tried to hide it as much as possible.”

In the original work, Duke and Duchess Libertan died very noisily.

They were burned at the stake while the entire empire threw stones. Johan, the dark wizard, did not let Duke and Duchess Libertan die as they were.

‘He revived them in a state where they could not die by dark magic.’

It was possible because he had cursed them while torturing them in the palace.

That way, after all the truth was revealed, I found Duke and Duchess Libertan, who could not die, and was shocked.

‘But I haven’t heard anything now.’

I only heard the news of the execution, but I did not know the specific execution date or the news that the execution was postponed.

‘Johan must have strictly controlled the information.’

“…Why are you telling me?”

“That’s what I’m wondering.”

Johan wore a perplexed smile, as if he himself was curious.

“Want to guess?”

Honestly, I don’t know anything.

“…Perhaps because you thought I would be upset?”

It was a response that I myself could not accept. Naturally, Johan pressed his lips to the edge of his neck, frowning.

“I think so, maybe.”

“What else could it be?”

I pushed Johan away with the most innocent face possible.

“Our parents, you said they had a reason to die. So the execution is inevitable.”

“That’s what I said.”

“But suddenly it’s postponed because of me, I don’t understand anything.”

Then Johan took my hand pushing him away and kissed each finger.

“It seems their sins haven’t been fully revealed yet.”

Johan’s red eyes sparkled.

Somehow it felt like it was about me.

“What kind of sin is it?”

“I can’t say right now, as it’s not certain.”

Johan came a little closer to me with a light smile in his eyes.

“But I’ll give you a hint.”

The chair cushion was pushed to the wall. My feet were still soaked in the tub.

“It’s about you.”

There’s no way to retreat from Johan.

My mind was utterly confused.

“Me…?”

It was even more strange to think that.

‘Will what they did to me be included in that sin?’

Abuse is certainly a sin.

But I’m not sure if the sin Johan is trying to reveal is about my wounds.

My abuse, such a sin, wasn’t something so troublesome for him to reveal.

A part for a massive revenge.

‘So he wanted to take revenge on me.’

To stay with Johan for a long time, he had to control me well. Otherwise, he would have to return without even being able to harbor hope.

“Honestly, I don’t know. In fact, I didn’t even know that my parents committed treason before I met Johan.”

“….”

“Even if I asked about the House of Libertan, I didn’t know well.”

Now, I know because I know the original work, but originally I shouldn’t have known anything.

‘Probably because of this, Johan hates me.’

Then Johan’s eyes became a little colder.

“You didn’t teach anything about the House of Libertan?”

“As far as I know, there were many scary things. I asked, but…”

I added, without my will, the part that I did not want to know to the image of me that Johan knows.

But Johan showed an unexpected reaction.

“How can you not teach anything?”

“Instead, they taught me a lot of other things. I can do lady’s manners or ancient languages well.”

I defended, fearing that Johan might have a serious misunderstanding.

The colder Johan’s eyes became.

“But that makes you not a child of the family, but a sch… no.”

Johan composed his expression and smiled kindly.

“Don’t worry. It’s okay if you don’t know anything.”

“I’m sorry I can’t help.”

“Don’t be sorry. You can fill it with things about the House of Blanchett instead of the House of Libertan.”

“What things?”

“The history of the family, tradition?”

Johan stroked my head.

“Just don’t run away because it’s boring.”

“I won’t. I’m such a diligent student.”

“I know well.”

Johan’s red eyes gently scanned me.

“How hard you are trying.”
Strangely, looking at Johann’s face was difficult. I hurried to get up from my seat.

The problem was that one foot was still stuck in the tub.

My slippery foot lost its balance and faltered.

Even the tub with the nearby flowers was knocked over. It was water that the nobles usually accompanied with incense.

The water inside splashed out, and everything around was soaked in an instant. Petals fluttered, and a few spilled.

Not only me, but Johann’s whole body was soaked as well.

“What should we do, Johann!”

His clothes were soaked, revealing the contours of his body.

It was because he hugged me protectively as soon as the water splashed.

It seemed like an instinctual action.

‘As if to protect from a threat.’

It’s a bit funny to call this a threat.

But Johann seemed to consider even the splashing water a danger to me.

With my body trapped in Johann’s arms, his face was too close. His neat appearance, wet with water, looked more decadent.