You are my betrothed. Decided by your parents without your consent.

Celiya’s eyes widened at Dietrich’s whispered words.

Celiya grasped Dietrich’s sleeve as he tried to move away. And desperately denied his words.

“That’s impossible!”

“…”

“You’re saying you’re my betrothed? I never once heard about a fiancé until just before my kingdom fell.”

As if he had only intended to say it once, Dietrich silently looked down at Celiya.

The look in his eyes as he gazed at her was closer to empathy than pity.

It was as if he was whispering that you and I are the same.

“Are you trying to shake me?”

“What difference would it make if I tried to shake you in this situation?”

That was true as well.

No matter how she thought about it, there was no reason for him to lie in this situation.

However, the very fact that Dietrich was actually her fiancé came as a huge shock to Celiya.

The difference was just that.

Dietrich knew a lot about Celiya, while Celiya didn’t know much about him.

I don’t know, but you do.

In this situation, who is really the master?

As if he understood her confusion completely, Dietrich spoke to Celiya in a gentle tone.

“Don’t worry. Just because you were once my betrothed, it won’t change our relationship.”

“…”

“You are the master and I am your dog. That’s enough.”

Dietrich met Celiya’s eyes.

Celiya glared at Dietrich with cold eyes.

Soon, an icy voice flowed from her lips.

“Is there such a thing as a dog that kisses its master?”

Celiya decided not to show her previous self anymore.

Now that Dietrich knew her identity, hiding herself would only make her look foolish.

Dietrich, who had already returned to his dry expression, looked Celiya up and down carefully as he spoke.

“It was you who kissed me when I was just standing still. Celiya.”

“And it was you who wouldn’t let go even when I tried to pull away. Dietrich.”

Dietrich’s brow furrowed in an instant.

Indeed, his displeased face was more familiar than his smiling one.

Celiya’s mood improved a little.

“Explain about the three dukes. Give me a valid reason why they’re my real ‘enemies’.”

Dietrich stared at Celiya blankly.

“Unlike me who was a doll of the viscount family, you were in the imperial palace, so you must know a lot. You.”

At Celiya’s words, Dietrich’s face turned angry.

That face seemed to ask what do you know about my pain.

“I’m really glad I’m not engaged to you.”

“Look who’s talking. Just get to the point quickly.”

Dietrich made a face indicating he didn’t like Celiya, but he obediently got to the point.

“Do you know that Abelon worships snakes as gods?”

“No.”

“In Abelon’s grand temple, they offer people as sacrifices to snakes every year under the name of ritual.”

Dietrich lowered his voice and continued.

“They offer living or dead people as sacrifices to the snake in exchange for hearing prophecies.”

“Prophecies?”

“Yes. Literally prophecies. I don’t know if it’s a god or a demon. But Ileon seems to be very devoted to those prophecies. Judging by how he grows his hair long and wears only white clothes every day.”

Celiya wondered what the connection was between the prophecies and the fall of her kingdom.

As if sensing Celiya’s thoughts, Dietrich added.

“Ten years ago, Ileon heard some ‘prophecy’. And then, he conspired with the other two dukes to order the emperor to wage war, completely destroying your kingdom and my country which were far away.”

“…What kind of prophecy did he hear?”

“I don’t know that far. Even this much was hard to find out.”

It was an eye without a shred of falsehood. Celiya didn’t fully trust Dietrich, but she could believe what he was saying now.

She couldn’t know what change of heart had led him to reveal the information he had been hiding, but this was certainly not a bad thing for Celiya.

Of course, she was greatly shocked by the fact that her fiancé, whom she didn’t even know existed, was Dietrich standing before her, but it was also true that it didn’t really sink in since there had been no signs at all.

In the end, Celiya had gained a lot but lost nothing.

As she discovered her real enemy, the tension that had been weighing down Celiya’s body seemed to dissipate in an instant.

It’s really comfortable to have someone you can rely on.

“…Thank you for telling me.”

Celiya said with a bright smile as she expressed her gratitude.

Dietrich’s eyebrows furrowed, seemingly displeased by her sudden change in attitude.

“Pick one. Either be cold or warm.”

“This is who I am.”

Dietrich let out a small laugh at Celiya’s confident attitude.

“Really, what an unpredictable master.”

“You don’t really think of me as your master, yet you call me that only at times like this.”

“If I called you master every day, I might really start to think of you as my master.”

Celiya was taken aback by the sudden remark.

She quickly changed the subject.

“But that snake-like Ileon framed us as the culprits, right? We’re about to be attacked before we can even strike.”

“It’s okay. I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”

To you?

Celiya didn’t like his words that seemed to treat her like baggage.

“You can use me, can’t you? Use my ability.”

“…”

Dietrich said nothing.

Instead, he looked down at Celiya with an indescribable gaze.

“Hm? Use me.”

“Using your ability damages your body, doesn’t it?”

Celiya’s face clouded with bewilderment at the unexpected words.

“Celiya, there are no dogs in the world that use their master as a shield.”

“…”

“Get some sleep. You must be tired.”

Celiya was grateful that he was trying to take on everything alone, but on the other hand, she was displeased.

Why was he trying to take the difficult path when there was an easy one?

It’s not like Celiya would die right away if she used her ability. Even when she used it briefly earlier, she only felt a bit nauseous, not coughing up blood like before.

‘I can use it if necessary.’

Thinking this, Celiya suggested to Dietrich.

“Why don’t you sleep too?”

“I hardly need sleep.”

Celiya wondered if Dietrich was really the same person.

She herself had barely slept due to the Brillion family men who broke into her room every day when she stayed at the viscount’s house, but Dietrich seemed to sleep even less than she did back then.

No wonder his eyes always looked dark underneath, it was because he wasn’t sleeping.

Celiya asked Dietrich again.

“I’m going to sleep now, so you should at least rest your eyes too. Aren’t you tired?”

“I’m used to it, so it’s fine.”

“It’s frustrating just watching you.”

“…”

As Dietrich seemed to be considering it, Celiya firmly insisted.

“If you don’t sleep, I won’t sleep either.”

Dietrich sighed helplessly and accepted Celiya’s request.

“Alright.”

After answering, Dietrich lightly lifted Celiya into his arms.

Celiya’s eyes widened in surprise at suddenly being held by him.

“What are you doing now?”

“I’m taking you to the bed. There’s no bed in this room.”

“I can go by myself.”

Celiya struggled to escape from his arms, but Dietrich silently carried her while looking for a room with a bed.

Celiya soon gave up resisting and relaxed in his firm embrace, which felt cozy.

Dietrich frowned the entire time he carried Celiya, bothered by her feather-light weight.

After laying Celiya down on the spacious bed, Dietrich pulled the white blanket up to her neck.

Then, instead of the bed, Dietrich himself lay down on the hard floor and closed his eyes.

Celiya looked down at him, wondering why he was sleeping there.

Feeling her gaze, Dietrich opened one eye and said to Celiya.

“I’m sleeping here in case someone breaks into the mansion. I know you don’t like sleeping in the same room, but bear with it for one day.”

“No, that’s not it…”

This mansion belonged to Dietrich, so why was he sleeping on the hard floor?

Celiya wasn’t such a shameless person.

She shook her head as she looked at the hard, cold floor.

“The floor is cold. The bed is big enough, we can sleep together.”

At Celiya’s words, Dietrich opened both eyes wide.

On the other hand, Celiya’s eyes were infinitely clear. Those innocent and clear eyes seemed like those of a young child looking at the world with pure roundness.

Dietrich was uncomfortable sleeping with Celiya.

That was because they had kissed, after all.

He was pretending to be nonchalant in front of Celiya, but Dietrich vividly remembered the sensation of that moment.

The hot breath and her hazy face looking at him, her lips glistening with his saliva.

Not one thing was unstimulating.

It felt strange that he liked her being so familiar with him.

At this rate, if Celiya told him to lie down later, he might end up panting and lying face down on the floor.

‘How did it end up like this?’

Even thinking about the reason, no answer came.

Only the thought that it had gone terribly wrong from the start.

He had intended to quietly dispose of her if she found out about his ability, but seeing her hold his hand and provide emotional stability instead, the answer was clear.

He was already a dog, and Celiya was the master.

It was fortunate, if anything, that only the master herself didn’t know this fact.

Dietrich barely held back the curse that was about to burst from his throat.

He must be crazy.

Not only did he spill his identity so easily, but he was unnecessarily attaching meaning to every action and word.

All of this was because he had gotten too close to that woman.

Dietrich closed his eyes and turned his back to Celiya.

Then there was a rustling sound from the bed, and Celiya shook his body and said.

“I really can’t let you sleep there, it looks too cold. Let’s sleep together on the bed.”

Was it his body that was shaking? Or was it his heart?

Dietrich could no longer tell.