“Please use me as a handmaiden.”

At Dietrich’s words, one of the imperial palace maids responded as if she had been waiting.

“Yes, there is no one better suited to serve Duke Calypso. I once served Her Majesty the Empress, so I could be of great help.”

The imperial palace maids’ eyes sparkled brightly.

Dietrich swept his cold gaze over the maids.

Every single one of the palace maids before him came from proud noble families.

Empress Erpia, who had been killed by Arthur, seemed to have disliked the fact that she herself was a bastard of the Gredrick Dukedom, so she filled her lower-ranked maids with scions from high noble families.

There was no one like Espia among the palace maids.

Erpia, who suppressed noble families with the prestige of the Gredrick Dukedom to compensate for her own lack of self-worth, had ended up like this.

Dietrich found it laughable.

Someone who once served Erpia now sought to switch allegiance to him?

Keeping people who might betray at any moment as handmaidens was foolish.

No matter what the palace maids said, Dietrich had never intended from the beginning to accept them as his personal maids.

“I don’t need a handmaiden.”

At Dietrich’s words, one palace maid cried out in a desperate voice.

“M-Might your beloved not need companionship? If so, we could keep her company. We know many entertaining stories, after all.”

Dietrich shook his head.

Elise, the handmaiden assigned to Celia, had always troubled Dietrich.

Though blind, Elise possessed sharp senses. She had been appointed as Dietrich’s handmaiden under Ileon’s command, and Dietrich had allowed it, knowing full well.

Because he had considered her no threat to himself.

But now that he had given his heart to Celia, he realized how utterly worthless he had been.

Dietrich had no intention of repeating the same mistake.

“No need.”

At Dietrich’s firm reply, the maids’ expressions instantly darkened.

Without even glancing at them, Dietrich rose from his seat.

“One companion is enough for my beloved—and that is me.”

After dismissing the imperial palace maids, Dietrich immediately went straight to Sir Anderson.

“Send knights to investigate the maids who just left. They may not be able to leave the palace, but they could still plot something here.”

“Yes, sir.”

Sir Anderson bowed deeply.

“Have you found Ileon’s whereabouts?”

At Dietrich’s question, Sir Anderson lowered his gaze and replied.

“His whereabouts remain unclear. We’ve searched every likely place nearby, but not even a single strand of hair has been found.”

“…It seems impossible to catch him within just one day of his escape. Still, he couldn’t have gone far.”

“Marquis Portman might know something. After all, he’s the one who set the prison ablaze and ensured Ileon’s escape.”

Dietrich knew that even if Balt knew something, he wouldn’t give the answer Dietrich wanted.

The fact that Balt had already been swayed into helping Ileon escape proved that.

Regardless of their strained relationship, both came from one of the Three Dukedoms, so their bond was undoubtedly strong.

As Celia had suggested, they might have already sensed the existence of supernatural abilities.

The longer this conflict dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would become.

Sir Anderson cautiously spoke up.

“Also, public unrest is escalating. Signs of rebellion are appearing in various places. People are actively inciting others, calling the lady a witch.”

“…Damn it, with that wretched witch nonsense again.”

Dietrich cursed. He was utterly fed up with the people of Abelon.

These vile humans who wanted to pin every crime on Celia, devouring her completely without leaving a shred.

Some even claimed he was being controlled by black magic because he had taken Celia as his lover—such insane people existed.

“Where were they when they revered her as sacred, praising her as an angel? Now they turn.”

Dietrich wore a thoroughly disgusted expression.

“The instigators include members of the Viscount Brillion’s family.”

“Who exactly?”

“Viscount Brillion, Hariel Brillion, Vincent Brillion, and Gabriel Brillion. Four in total.”

After treating Celia like a slave at a public marriage auction to profit from her, now they were leading the charge in calling her a witch.

Anderson continued, cautiously observing Dietrich’s darkening expression.

“Particularly Gabriel claims the lady possesses strange abilities.”

“…Abilities?”

“Yes. She claims the lady can use mind control, rendering others unconscious.”

Dietrich concluded that if the Brillion family knew this, Ileon surely did as well.

He could not allow those desperate to kill Celia to remain alive.

Dietrich immediately issued an order to Anderson.

“Convey this to all knights: anyone from the Brillion family or Ileon himself—kill them on sight.”

Celia regained consciousness late that night, after losing it earlier.

Celia barely managed to lift her heavy eyelids. She had expected to feel excruciating pain upon waking, remembering the dull impact she felt when she and Dietrich had joined bodies.

But contrary to her expectations, her body felt as light and renewed as if reborn.

Celia sat up on the bed.

Popo, who had been dozing off by the window, noticed Celia was awake and flapped its wings energetically, flying onto her left shoulder.

“Popo.”

When Celia called, Popo chirped and shook its beak up and down.

“You must stay calm.”

Celia placed Popo on the nightstand beside the bed and stepped out into the corridor alone.

The moment she stepped into the corridor, Dietrich came into view.

Dressed in black armor, Dietrich leaned slightly against the wall, his eyes closed.

The deep shadows beneath his long eyelids clearly revealed he hadn’t slept properly in a while.

Yet, under the moonlight, his face was dazzlingly beautiful.

Celia silently gazed at Dietrich, asleep on his feet.

“…Instead of sleeping together in bed, you choose to rest like this. How uncomfortable.”

Celia murmured softly as she caressed Dietrich’s cheek.

At the touch, Dietrich opened his eyes.

His crimson eyes, hidden beneath his lashes, appeared—gazing at Celia with overflowing affection.

Celia cupped both hands around Dietrich’s cheeks.

Because Dietrich was tall, Celia had to tilt her head up to fully see his face.

“Aren’t you tired? Don’t sleep standing in the hallway. Come inside and sleep with me.”

Dietrich let out a low chuckle in response.

“I simply can’t bring myself to leave you alone and sleep peacefully.”

Dietrich pulled Celia into his arms.

Celia shivered at the cold sensation of the armor against her bare skin.

In response, Dietrich released her and gently caressed her cheek, just as she had done to him.

“Tomorrow, I’ll have to leave the palace early in the morning.”

Celia asked, her voice thick with concern.

“…Is something wrong?”

Even as she asked, Celia thought her own question was rather odd.

Truthfully, something was always wrong.

Ever since she entered the palace, misfortunes had never ceased.

The old emperor lusted after her; she killed the emperor; the emperor’s son lusted after her; the empress tried to kill her.

Then Ileon took the throne, and Arthur desired her.

Now Ileon had escaped prison, and she was being branded a witch.

“No, nothing serious.”

Celia immediately realized Dietrich was lying.

“Don’t lie to me.”

“…Why do you think I’m lying?”

“You think I don’t know when you’re trying to reassure me? Tell me what happened while I was asleep.”

Under Celia’s insistence, Dietrich slowly closed and reopened his eyes before answering.

“…We found Ileon’s whereabouts.”

Yet, for someone who had just discovered the location, Dietrich’s expression was profoundly dark.

“Where is he?”

Celia asked again.

Then, when Dietrich’s answer finally came, Celia’s eyes widened greatly.