A bloodstained handkerchief.

“It’s nothing. It’s just one of the evidence I collected when I was dispatched as a spy last time, I was about to dispose of it now.”

‘When did you collect it, what evidence?’

“You don’t need to know about this, brother.”

Erich strangely felt that the owner of that handkerchief was Estelle. So it was more confusing.

“What on earth are you hiding?”

He happened to discover Estelle and Betty suspiciously conspiring something. Frankly, he was certain that he had caught a suspicious scene.

“What are you plotting in this Blanchett Duke’s residence?”

So he confronted Estelle as if interrogating a culprit and tried to forcefully enter the room.

‘I will reveal this woman’s true identity.’

Even though Betty tried to stop him, he didn’t listen. The action of Estelle trying to block the door convinced him even more. But what he witnessed was completely different from what he had anticipated.

“Why is there blood…..”

There was blood on her hand which seemed to be gripping something to hide it. It looked like fresh blood. Automatically, he remembered the handkerchief Betty had been holding.

He remembered the story about Estelle’s illness which he had heard and dismissed as a false rumor.

‘Did you hear that the lady has a terminal illness? Even though the lady lived in Libertan, she is not her biological daughter but an adopted child. I feel sorry for the lady.’

‘Seeing it for myself, she was really kind and nice. Strictly speaking, I can’t say that the lady has sinned. She won’t live long anyway…..’

Could that rumor have been, true?

All the attitudes that had been cold towards death were explained. Through the slightly opened door gap, he saw blood spilled on the floor.

Beyond that, the bed may have been soaked with even more blood.

‘She had been enduring the pain.’

Estelle could have sought sympathy by claiming to be terminally ill, but instead, she endured the pain and accepted Libertan’s sin with a calm smile.

‘Why on earth…..’

She was not the villainess Erich had imagined.

“I really didn’t think you were that sick…..”

He roughly pushed Betty, who was mumbling as if making excuses.

“Are you satisfied now? Have you dug up what the lady wanted to hide so desperately?”

Erich collapsed weakly on the floor. His glasses rolled on the floor, and his hair scattered. But Erich, without even thinking to pick up his glasses, just stared blankly at Estelle.

“I, I…..”

“Lord Blonu. Have you resolved what you were curious about?”

Estelle, who smiled awkwardly, hid her hand and slowly closed the door.

“I apologize for showing you such a horrible sight all of a sudden. Now, I’ll take a rest. Betty, I’ll leave it to you.”

Click. He heard the sound of the door locking.

Johann woke up with a start. But unlike usual, his body felt strangely refreshed.

‘Has the rampage ended.’

The use of black magic this time was outside of Johann’s calculations. He hadn’t expected to be attacked while decorating the magical dance hall to please Estelle. And he hadn’t expected to eliminate all enemies to protect her.

‘But what about Estelle?’

Estelle, who insisted on staying by his side stubbornly, despite her rabbitlike innocent and lovely face. She seemed to have been ready to rush over as soon as he was kicked out.

“Madam?”

Estelle was asleep right next to him, her head bowed. In her hand was a wet towel, as if she had been nursing him all night.

‘She’s alive.’

While that fact was very reassuring, it was also very strange.

The moment he felt the precursor of a rampage, Johann had tried to move quickly to a controllable place. He would have moved no matter what anyone said. No matter who the other party was.

‘But it doesn’t necessarily mean that I die from that side effect. If the Duke allows, I want to stay by the Duke’s side.’

But Estelle’s voice delayed his action.

“I’m sorry for showing you such a horrible sight all of a sudden. I’ll rest now. Betty, I leave it to you.”

Click. The sound of the door locking was heard.

And so everything changed. Johan could not move to the hideout as usual to alleviate the side effects, and the mansion should have been ruined because of his power.

‘But…’

From the room to the mansion. Everything was strangely fine.

‘What on earth happened?’

Then, Estelle woke up slowly, rubbing her eyes. Her pink platinum hair, creamy as cream, swayed and emitted a fragrance. A fragrance that stimulated him.

“Duke?”

Estelle, her eyes as round as a rabbit, looked at him ecstatically. Deep navy pupils gazing at Johan as if only he existed in the whole world.

Every time Johan saw Estelle’s pupils, he thought.

Estelle always looked at his red pupils as if they were curious, but truly, those mysterious navy pupils were more beautiful than any jewel.

No gem could possibly capture that strange light.

Estelle tilted her head, her long eyelashes fluttering faintly. When he saw her shy or vulnerable, Johan always felt a strong urge to shatter her with his own hands.

Even her broken state seemed beautiful.

The brilliant morning sun came through the window. Estelle was bathed in sunlight.

She smiled as dazzling as the clear sunlight.

“I’m glad you’re awake. How do you feel?”

Johan had never thought of the sun as shining. In his life, the sun was just the sun.

But looking at her in a sunfilled room, he felt something was different.

She was smiling in between, shining so brightly, redefining what shining was.

Suddenly, he looked at the wrist she presented defenselessly.

‘That mark…’

The red mark left on the wrist, the palm and fingers that looked hurt, even the wound on the neck.

‘Why did I think nothing happened.’

Why didn’t it come to mind right away? There was no way to stop the side effects of black magic, its rampage, without any damage.

If there seemed to be no damage, it meant that someone had endured it.

‘No matter what happens, I’ll withstand it.’

Of course, this alone couldn’t explain why the rampage was subdued. He needed to figure out how Estelle managed the side effects….

“I think I’ve changed.”

Johan couldn’t take his eyes off Estelle with a fascinated face.

“You are….”

He swallowed his dry saliva and distorted his languid eyes painfully.

“Why do you look so bright?”

It was clear that his heart was broken beyond endurance.

Because of that woman who was stupidly foolish.

It seems the side effects of black magic are dangerous.

“I think I’ve changed.”

He spoke incomprehensible words with a vacant look, his usual cold and cruel look disappeared.

“You are… why do you look so bright?”

Feeling awkward, I scratched my cheek and looked toward the window.

‘Hasn’t his sanity returned yet?’

It felt like the fever wouldn’t go down for a long time. I should let some fresh air in now that Johan was up.

“I’ll open the window for a moment.”

I got up from my seat and opened the window. Cool air rushed in.

I couldn’t even open the window properly in case someone came in.

Then I felt a strange gaze from outside the window.

I lowered my head. And there below, a man was looking at me with a tender gaze.

A goodlooking man with standard greedy looks, short silver hair, and blue eyes.

If Johan reminds of a drowsy black leopard, this man gives the impression of a noble knight.

The wind tousled the man’s short silver hair. The man kept staring at me expressionlessly.

‘That man…’

I realized as soon as I saw him.

‘Leandro Felcis.’

The main male character of the original, Leandro, had arrived to save me from the Blancet Duke’s house.

“Lady. I’ve come to save you.”