“Are you alright?”

Klaus was the first to speak.

Hearing those words, it seemed like he was worried about me.

The successor of the Winster Marquis family

§Wary State§

Favorability: -470

My gaze fell on the frighteningly low favorability that had dropped since receiving my confession attack last time.

As it happened, only Klaus and I were in this space. It was the perfect situation for the favorability to fall.

They said that if it falls below -500, he would feel hatred accompanied by violence.

If that huge Klaus shows violence towards me in this cramped space?

It would be big trouble.

Outside might be one thing, but there was no way I could defeat him in the proper way here where I couldn’t use items or skills and had a lower level.

‘I’ll escape soon anyway. Let’s try not to go against his temper as much as possible.’

With that thought, I slightly turned my head. Klaus’s favorability drops when he sees my face.

“Uh, yeah. I’m fine. Are you okay?”

Not looking at his face seemed to have an effect, as the guy who disliked me even when I just breathed didn’t lower the favorability even when having a conversation.

“I am alright. More importantly, this is serious. To be trapped in a space like this…”

“It’s okay. Anselot knows how to release the restraints.”

Then he muttered in a disgruntled voice.

“…You trust that person.”

“Yeah, well.”

A brief silence passed.

I tried not to initiate conversation as much as possible.

Then he spoke to me again first.

“Why me of all people?”

“Huh?”

“Why did you ask me of all people to become your knight?”

Surprised that he would bring up that day’s story, I lifted my head.

Klaus had a subtly stiff expression.

“Aren’t there many others besides me? For example… Prince Anselot whom you trust.”

Klaus said that while meeting my eyes.

‘Because you’re the quest target.’

But I couldn’t say that.

“If it’s you.”

Thinking of the Klaus in , I made up the most plausible words.

“I thought that if it’s you, who is a more upright and excellent knight than anyone, you would become a reliable shield.”

“I see.”

Unlike my praise-filled words I blurted out without even wetting my lips, Klaus’s answer was embarrassingly short.

Thanks to that, silence flowed again.

Plop.

A drop of black liquid fell from above my head.

[SYSTEM] The corrosion process of this space begins.

‘Corrosion process?’

I blinked a few times while staring blankly at the black liquid that fell on my shoe tip.

“Huh?”

Sizzle-

A hole formed as the spot where the liquid fell burnt away.

Startled, I raised my head and looked around.

Plop. Plop. Plop.

Black liquid began to fall sporadically here and there.

“This is…”

“It’s the corrosion process.”

Klaus immediately pulled me by the shoulders and raised his shield above our heads to block the falling liquid.

“Corrosion process?”

“It’s a phenomenon where this space detects intruders and tries to eliminate them by releasing corrosive liquid. I heard about it during my studies in Seongguk.”

Klaus elaborated while silently looking at the falling corrosive liquid.

“Do not worry as long as you do not get hit by the corrosive liquid.”

The amount of falling liquid gradually increased.

‘Is it really okay?’

With an uneasy heart, I turned to look at him and my eyes suddenly widened.

“Sir Klaus!”

Klaus’s shield was a bit too small to protect both of us, and as a result, Klaus’s opposite shoulder was taking the brunt of the black corrosive liquid.

“Your shoulder…!”

“It’s, fine.”

He answered while suppressing a groan.

However, contrary to his words that it was fine, a painful-looking burn mark was spreading on his shoulder.

“It’s not fine!”

I stomped my feet and hugged him tightly.

Then I felt Klaus flinch in surprise and try to pull away.

[SYSTEM] ‘s favorability has decreased by -10. (Favorability: -480)

As our bodies touched, the favorability steadily dropped.

It must be terribly unpleasant, being attached to me like this.

But I didn’t let go of Klaus’s body and exclaimed.

“Don’t pull away!”

Flinch.

His body flinched once more.

[SYSTEM] ‘s favorability has decreased by -10. (Favorability: -490)

At this rate, his favorability would fall below -500, but it couldn’t be helped.

If we weren’t sticking close together like this, it would be difficult to avoid the falling corrosive liquid.

[SYSTEM] ‘s favorability has decreased by -10. (Favorability: -500)

[SYSTEM] ‘s favorability is below -500. feels hatred accompanied by violence towards you.

The notification window I had been trying to avoid all along popped up.

Klaus, who was awkwardly held by me, grabbed my arms.

I felt a stinging sensation from his strong grip.

This was probably the most suppressed ‘violence’ that upright Klaus could express.

But instead of getting scared, I asked him accusingly.

“Why did you do that!”

“……”

“Why were you taking the corrosive liquid by yourself!”

With his ascetic nature and mysophobia towards the opposite sex, when this rigid knight realized the shield’s size couldn’t protect both of us, he must have thought of two options.

Expose me to the corrosive liquid, or expose himself to the corrosive liquid.

And he chose the latter.

Even though he doesn’t like me.

The righteous and upright image of him that I saw in the original overlapped, and I somehow felt choked up.

“…Reliable.”

He slowly parted his lips after keeping his mouth shut the whole time.

“Didn’t you say I seemed like I would become a reliable shield?”

“That’s no reason for you to sacrifice yourself for me!”

“You are the imperial princess of Azester.”

“Who cares about being a princess or status in the face of life!”

At those words, Klaus showed a slightly perplexed expression.

“And when I asked you to become my knight, it wasn’t to receive your protection.”

“……”

Klaus’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.

“I didn’t want to hide behind and be protected, I wanted to stand side by side with you and walk the same path.”

“…I was mistaken. Your Highness wanted to become the lord, not a lady to be protected.”

The moment he muttered that.

[SYSTEM] ‘s wary state is released.

‘Huh? Suddenly in this situation?’

I widened my eyes and looked straight up at his face.

[SYSTEM] ‘s favorability has increased by +10. (Favorability: -490)

[SYSTEM] ‘s favorability has increased by +10. (Favorability: -480)

[SYSTEM] ‘s favorability has increased by +10. (Favorability: -470)

The compulsive favorability, resembling its owner, slightly rose.

It was then.

Crack, crackle-

The sound of metal cracking was heard.

“Oh no.”

Klaus bit his lower lip and hardened his expression.

Soon, Klaus’s shield couldn’t withstand the corrosive liquid and shattered.

Clang!

At the same time, Klaus enveloped me with his entire body.

“It’s dangerous, Your Highness!”

“Sir Klaus! It’s dangerous!”

I urgently tried to push him away, but Klaus strongly endured while holding me as if to protect my body.

“No! If you do this, the corrosive liquid will…”

I pounded on his body while sobbing, but that solid body didn’t budge an inch.

“I’m, fine, ugh…”

The man who seemed like he wouldn’t even blink an eye if stabbed with a spear couldn’t finish his words and suppressed a groan.

“You’re not, you’re not fine. It hurts.”

“……”

In the end, I burst into tears.

The smell of burning flesh from the pouring corrosive liquid filled the air, but Klaus never let go of my body.

It was that moment.

Suddenly, the flow of the air surrounding us gently changed.

‘This feeling…’

It was a familiar feeling.

It was the exact same feeling as the air from that day not long ago. In other words, the day I awakened in place of Hezen.

The gently flowing air seemed to seep into Klaus’s body that was holding me, and then a golden light flashed from his body.

“Klaus…!”

[SYSTEM] begins awakening!

The injuries on Klaus’s body disappeared in an instant, and the golden light emanating from his body became a huge halo and floated up into the air with a buzz.

The golden halo turned into a golden shield, blocking the falling corrosive liquid.

The successor of the Winster Marquis family

The blue spear above his head smoothly changed and became a golden spear like mine.

Shield of Light

Klaus Winster had awakened!

‘In the original, he awakened much later…!’

Surprised by his unexpected awakening, I held my breath.

It wasn’t just me who was surprised, Klaus also slowly looked up at the air while separating his body that never left mine.

“How did the sacred barrier…”

Sacred barrier. The sacred golden shield created by the holy power of Klaus, one of the five heroes who appear in the original , the Shield of Light.

Klaus blankly stared at the golden shield protecting us in the air.

“Sir Klaus, are you okay?”

“Yes, all the injuries have disappeared. More importantly, Your Highness…”

It was when Klaus was answering in a dazed voice.

Crash!

With a loud shattering sound, cracks began to form on the black background surrounding me and Klaus.

Soon, the black background crumbled and the surroundings brightened.

[SYSTEM] This space has been destroyed.

“Ha…”

At the cold breath, I quickly turned my head.

There stood Anselot, holding the fragments of the broken restraints.

Anselot stood rooted to the spot and stared at me.

Squeak!

– Luibel eonni! I was so worried!

Piya pounced on me and burst into chirping sobs.

“It’s okay, I’m safe, Piya.”

At those words, Piya cried even more miserably.

I patted Piya’s head feathers a few times to comfort her and turned to Anselot.

He was still standing in the same spot, gritting his teeth and staring at me.

“Thank you, Anselot.”

When I said that with a bright smile, he came closer to me with stiff steps.

Frowning, he looked at my clothes that were torn and ragged from avoiding the corrosive liquid, then took off the white overcoat he was wearing and wrapped it around me.

Then he grabbed my shoulders with both hands and deeply bowed his head.

“Anselot?”

“You really… Ha…”

A cold laugh ticklishly settled in my ears.

Much later, Anselot muttered in a whisper-like small voice.

“I was worried, you know.”

It’s a strange thing. How can a dry voice without a hint of crying sound so damp?