Bang!

A loud explosion was heard.

Celiya closed her eyes and opened them again at the ringing in her ears that felt like it was tearing them apart.

The scene that followed was Dietrich blocking Arthur’s attack head-on with his sword.

The black mist emanating from Arthur’s hand tried to strangle Dietrich’s neck.

However, when Dietrich attempted to cut Arthur in half with his sword one step ahead, Arthur stopped his attack and retreated far back.

Thanks to this, Arthur’s hood that had been covering his face fell back with the recoil, fully revealing his bare face.

A pale skin that seemed to have never seen sunlight and sharp golden eyes appeared.

“……Duke Cervantes.”

Dietrich, recognizing him, furrowed his brows.

“So it was you who assassinated the royal family.”

Instead of denying Dietrich’s words, Arthur grinned.

“So you really are a Swordmaster.”

Arthur’s golden eyes expanded and contracted repeatedly like a snake’s.

“Duke Calypso, Your Grace!”

Anderson drew his sword to support Dietrich.

Arthur glanced at him with annoyed eyes.

“……I really hate men.”

Arthur muttered quietly, turning his head to stare at Celiya.

His long silver hair that reached his waist fluttered and scattered in the gentle breeze.

Arthur’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he looked at Celiya.

Arthur felt a strong urge to preserve Celiya forever in a sealed room.

He wanted to tie her delicate wrists and make her sing only for him.

Arthur’s eyes were sticky like a swamp as he gazed at Celiya.

Feeling his persistent gaze, Celiya also looked at Arthur.

Just from their eyes meeting, Arthur’s body trembled.

“Arthur Cervantes, you will stand trial for three days on charges of assassinating the royal family. At this time, the imperial palace ministers and the other two dukes may also attend the trial, and the trial will be based on fairness.”

As if he couldn’t hear Dietrich’s words, Arthur’s gaze remained fixed on Celiya the whole time.

As if even blinking was a waste, he stared at Celiya with bloodshot eyes.

Celiya turned her gaze away from Arthur. Only then did Arthur roll his eyeballs back to look at Dietrich.

“You’re going to try me? By what right?”

“By the authority of the Imperial Knight Commander.”

“Hey.”

Arthur stretched his neck towards Dietrich.

Arthur’s gaze swept over Dietrich’s black hair, red eyes, and high nose bridge in turn.

After observing Dietrich for a while, Arthur grinned and said.

“You’re not from Abelon, are you?”

“……”

“Just what is your identity? How are you the Imperial Knight Commander of Abelon when you’re not even from Abelon?”

Dietrich looked at Arthur with emotionless eyes and answered.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Are you just spewing nonsense because you don’t want to stand trial?”

“No human can judge me. Even if it were a god, they couldn’t judge me.”

“Anderson, take Duke Cervantes away. Send him to the courthouse.”

Anderson nodded.

As soon as Anderson grabbed his wrist, Arthur’s body melted like liquid.

“What the hell is this……”

Anderson made a strange sound, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Dietrich rubbed his forehead and said.

“We’ve been completely fooled.”

“Fooled, sir?”

Anderson looked at his lord with a puzzled face.

To this, Dietrich glared at the liquid residue and said.

“The Duke was never here in the first place. This is the Duke’s avatar.”

“Avatar?”

To Anderson’s question, Dietrich muttered lowly.

“Yes. He sent his avatar to check my capabilities.”

Arthur, who had been fiddling with his black earrings, frowned.

“……You’re smarter than I expected.”

As he stopped touching the earrings, the vivid scene unfolding before his eyes disappeared without a trace.

At the same time, Balt was sitting in front of him with a terrifying expression.

“Hey, what are you doing sneaking into my palace? Get out quickly.”

Balt gestured towards the door with an annoyed face.

“Let’s help each other out as the Three Dukes. Balt, you’re kind unlike Ileon, aren’t you?”

As Arthur smiled brightly while cupping his hands, Balt made a disgusted face.

“Get out. F**k. You and that bastard are the same to me. After being cooped up in a secret room for years without coming out.”

“What do you know! How can a muscle head like you understand my passion for pursuing beauty?”

Arthur yelled angrily. Balt picked his ear and showed his middle finger.

“Leave while I’m asking nicely. Before I slice up your face right now.”

“I just got some good information. Want me to tell you one?”

Balt frowned at Arthur’s words.

“You’ll die if it’s useless talk.”

“You know Dietrich, right? That guy.”

Arthur lowered his voice considerably as he continued speaking.

“He’s not from Abelon.”

“……What?”

Balt raised one eyebrow.

“I’m such a genius that I can read people’s unique wavelengths and scents. But that guy’s wavelength was very strange. Black and dark. Come to think of it, my Celiya was like that too.”

“?”

Balt didn’t know why Arthur was attaching ‘my’ to Celiya, but since Arthur was originally not in his right mind, he decided to just pretend he didn’t hear it.

“……Tell me more details.”

“Then, in return, let me stay here.”

“F**k, do as you please.”

Arthur, having achieved his desired goal, grinned.

Celiya looked at Dietrich.

Dietrich had been silent the entire way back to the mansion.

Although his expressionless face remained the same, Celiya, who had been with Dietrich almost the entire time, immediately noticed that his mood was not in a good state.

Seeing him lost in thought, even forgetting to act as lovers, Dietrich seemed to be recalling what had just happened.

As they entered the mansion’s corridor, Celiya wrapped her hands around Dietrich’s.

Dietrich, who had been lost in thought, finally turned to look at Celiya.

“……Does worrying give you answers?”

Celiya said as she overlapped her hand on his.

“I’m sorry. I was only thinking about myself.”

“We’re in the same boat. You don’t have to worry alone.”

Celiya smiled at Dietrich.

The corners of Celiya’s eyes curved slightly, and a faint smile spread across her face.

Dietrich silently stared at Celiya’s smiling face.

He stroked Celiya’s hair with his other hand that wasn’t connected to her.

The soft silver hair wrapped around his hand and then scattered.

Dietrich felt anxious at the sensation of having snow-white snowflakes in his hand and then disappearing.

Dietrich didn’t know why he felt so anxious, or where this anxiety originated from.

Dietrich felt the need to clearly consider what Celiya meant to him.

A cooperative relationship.

He thought it was nothing more and nothing less than that.

But why did he feel his insides twist when Arthur’s avatar looked at Celiya with eyes tangled with possessiveness?

Even to himself, he thought it was too much to feel for a collaborator.

Even if she was his former fiancée, Celiya was just someone to be used for him.

Why on earth.

“Dietrich? What’s wrong?”

Dietrich belatedly came to his senses at Celiya’s voice.

Instead of revealing his inner thoughts, he changed the subject.

“We need to bring Duke Arthur Cervantes to trial.”

“Do you have to do that too? Can’t you leave it to someone else?”

“There’s no one else who can do it but me. And……”

Dietrich trailed off.

“The Three Dukes will coordinate their stories in advance. Even if we bring him to trial, there’s a high chance he’ll be released.”

“Then why bother with a trial?”

“Because that’s the only time the Three Dukes will be gathered in one place.”

Celiya nodded slightly as if she understood.

“I’ll somehow bring him to trial, so at that time, use your ability. Can you do it?”

“I’ll try.”

At Celiya’s answer, Dietrich turned his body and said.

“And from today on, we’ll sleep separately.”

“……”

“We’re not real lovers, so sleeping in the same room must be uncomfortable for you too.”

Contrary to Dietrich’s words, Celiya wasn’t uncomfortable sleeping with him.

Rather, it was comfortable. Whether it was because he had the ability to heal, she didn’t know, but she would sleep soundly.

However, since Dietrich seemed uncomfortable sleeping with her, Celiya didn’t hold him back either.

“Okay.”

“……If there’s anything to talk about, I’ll come to your room or something.”

With those final words, Dietrich went up the stairs to the upper floor.

Left alone in the corridor, Celiya knew that Dietrich was drawing a line with her.

‘After being together all this time, are you feeling distant now?’

Celiya laughed self-deprecatingly.

From the beginning, Dietrich saved her life to use her.

If it was a mistake, it was believing for a moment that he had tried to protect her without any compensation.

Without realizing it, she had become completely dependent on Dietrich.

Dietrich feeding her food by hand, looking at her with gentle eyes unlike when he looked at others.

Healing her without any hesitation by holding her wounds in his mouth whenever she got hurt.

−……Are you okay?

The careful voice asking if she was alright.

She thought it was all sincere.

‘I almost misunderstood.’

Celiya laughed silently.

While knowing better than anyone that she could only trust herself.

Because Dietrich didn’t desire her unlike other men, she had unknowingly been hoping for a lot.

She thought that because they had the same goal, he would be the same as her.

But that couldn’t be.