Just when I thought I was going to be dragged away helplessly and die trapped in the temple, Edan appeared.

I don’t know what he did or how.

Suddenly, something burst from Hillstain’s shoulder, and the hand that was holding me became loose.

As soon as I heard the familiar voice, I quickly pulled away from Hillstain and took a step towards Edan.

But.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Hillstain grabbed my hand again.

The unpleasant, sticky sensation of blood transmitted directly through my skin to my entire body.

‘It hurts!’

If Edan had been just a little later, Hillstain’s nails might have already pierced my wrist.

From earlier, Hillstain had been treating me ruthlessly, without any consideration.

But this time, he was gripping me again with enough force to feel like my wrist might break. As a man who didn’t care about my circumstances, he might have thought breaking a wrist was no big deal.

Tears that had stopped welled up again. It really hurts too much!

Unable to move either way due to the strong force, I stood in the middle when Edan’s cold, calm voice was heard.

“Let go.”

Followed by Hillstain’s mocking reply.

“If I were to let go easily with just a word, I wouldn’t have grabbed her again.”

At those words, Edan raised his hand to undo the button on his uniform sleeve and rolled it up once.

“Did you think it was a mistake?”

Hillstain twisted one corner of his mouth upwards in an incredulous smile.

“What do you mean? I don’t understand.”

“Your shoulder, if you thought it was a mistake, you’re wrong.”

Edan’s voice grew heavier as he unbuttoned and rolled up the cuff of his other sleeve.

A low, ice-cold pressure began to fill the library.

“A mistake? How could the prince make such a thing?”

Hillstain pulled me towards him again.

“Last time you asked for an arm. Unfortunately, I refused then, but today I can offer at least one shoulder.”

Slowly, but with very strong force.

“Ugh……”

“Because I’ve found something I want to take.”

I tried to resist, but there was no way I could, so I was roughly pulled towards Hillstain.

But suddenly, at some point, the force holding my wrist disappeared with a snap.

‘What, what…?’

I was confused, but it was an opportunity.

Without hesitation, I quickly pulled my captured hand free and ran towards Edan.

And just then, Ruben appeared from the portal.

“This way.”

Ruben gestured for me to come to his side as soon as he saw me.

I passed by Edan and headed towards Ruben, who turned his body to hide me behind his back, just like he did in the North.

Hillstain’s chilling face was obscured by the broad, firm back. I felt like I could finally breathe.

I felt relieved that Hillstain wouldn’t be able to grab me again as long as I was here, but I couldn’t help but instinctively cringe in fear. Then Edan’s voice, now slightly relaxed, was heard.

“It seems you’ve misunderstood something, Sir.”

But strangely, Hillstain’s reply wasn’t heard.

“I said I’d tell you about what you’re curious about, not that I’d hand it over.”

“Kuh… cough!”

Suddenly, Hillstain’s groan was heard.

Thud. As Edan’s heavy footsteps approached Hillstain, I peeked out to look at the two of them.

And I couldn’t help but widen my eyes.

Good heavens.

Hillstain was struggling in mid-air, his neck strangled by a thick cord emitting a blue light.

The black hand was extended from Edan’s shadow.

Edan approached Hillstain with his usual unhurried steps and looked up at him.

“You dare to enter my space so recklessly.”

“…Kuk, cough…!”

“As you please.”

With each word Edan uttered, Hillstain’s groans grew louder as if the shadow’s grip on his neck tightened.

“You shouldn’t try to steal other people’s things, Sir Hillstain.”

At that moment, an unknown shadow rose from Hillstain’s body, which was writhing in agony from not being able to breathe.

But it was only for a very brief moment.

As another force extended from Edan bound Hillstain’s body, his light immediately faded away.

Hillstain was by no means a weak man.

A man who, at the young age of 22, had risen to the position of Knight Commander solely through his strength and ability.

While other male leads focused on fighting monsters using their abilities, Hillstain handled most of the troubles and conflicts arising in the imperial court.

Abilities are not only used in fighting monsters. They are also used in protecting the imperial family, and in the original work, Hillstain was described as the ability user who dealt with an assassin targeting the empress.

It was when Empress Henzela had briefly gone out to the summer villa in the West. At that time, the empire was having trouble with a neighboring kingdom over the distribution of ore. The reason for this trouble was because of the empress’s family, who had decided to raise the winning bid price despite already receiving sufficient payment for the ore. The kingdom that had a conflict of opinion sent an envoy, saying they wanted to meet the empress directly to negotiate the price.

However, when things didn’t go as planned, they positioned a hundred hidden soldiers around the western villa and made what was not quite a threat.

Since it wasn’t near the imperial palace, they thought they would somehow get the empress’s signature and quietly withdraw. However, the empress, accompanied by Hillstain, turned away without changing her expression, and that day, a hundred corpses were piled up at the empress’s western villa. It was written that it took less than 30 minutes to deal with them.

I knew Edan was strong, but Hillstain was no pushover either.

‘But to be so helplessly overpowered like this……’

This was beyond shock; it was pure terror.

Bang! Hillstain, who had been suffering, fell to the ground.

More precisely, rather than falling, he was mercilessly slammed into the floor by the force.

“Cough…! Kuhurk…!”

In a situation where an ordinary person might have died, Hillstain didn’t lose consciousness.

He just coughed while lying on the ground.

Edan grabbed his hair and forcibly lifted his body halfway. He did it as easily as picking up a rag doll, without even furrowing his brow.

‘No. Just how strong is he?’

As I was watching them with furrowed brows, Ruben turned his body to block my view.

“It might be better not to watch from now on.”

And then, shrrk-

Along with Edan’s footsteps, the sound of Hillstain’s body being dragged across the floor was heard.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Edan dragged Hillstain all the way to the portal, and soon disappeared into it together.

The commotion disappeared and the surroundings became quiet.

It felt like I had been to heaven and hell in an instant. I looked down at my hands, which were trembling uncontrollably despite my will. Bright red blood that wasn’t mine was thickly, heavily smeared on my palms and wrists.

A chill ran through my whole body along with a creepy thrill.

That terrible moment when I was cornered, caught by Hillstain, came back to me, and fear welled up.

I really would have been dragged to the temple if it had been just a little longer.

There was no one to protect me. I couldn’t protect myself in that situation.

I thought no one knew I was here because Edan didn’t know of my existence, so no one would be looking for me.

I thought I just needed to make sure Edan didn’t go crazy.

I had been hoping for the contracted time to pass steadily, but this place wasn’t safe either…

No. There was never a safe place for me anywhere in the empire to begin with.

“Are you alright?”

As I was repeatedly clenching and unclenching my fist to calm my trembling hands, Ruben brought a few napkins from the desk and placed them in my hand.

“…Thank you.”

I slowly wiped off the blood on my hands.

As the blood was gradually wiped away and my white skin was revealed, I noticed that my wrist, where Hillstain had grabbed me, was bruised blue.

It was so absurd that I could hardly feel the pain because I was still so full of fear.

To be honest, I was wondering if this was really my hand.

That’s how confused I was right now. Ruben, who was watching me, brought a few more napkins and held them out.

“Thank y…”

And then, tap tap, he pointed near his own cheek with his finger.

“…?”

I was in such a state of confusion that I couldn’t quickly process what he meant.

Did he want me to wipe it? As I tilted my head, Ruben said,

“It’s on your face too.”

“Ah…”

When I wiped my cheek with the new napkin, a small amount of blood came off.

It seemed to be blood that had splattered when Hillstain’s shoulder was torn.

“Are you alright?”

“…No.”

I shook my head at Ruben’s kind inquiry. And then I asked.

“Sir Ruben.”

“Yes. Please speak.”

“Where did the master go? Did he go to the North?”

“Should I answer that? It might be easier on your mind not to be curious.”

“…”

I see. Then I shouldn’t ask any more.

I’m really not okay right now. There were more than one or two other issues I needed to sort out besides Hillstain’s whereabouts.

Why Ivy was looking for me. Whether other male leads besides Hillstain were looking for me too.

Whether Edan received Ivy’s blessing at today’s ball.

And if he felt her power because of that.

Just now, Edan seemed not to know why Hillstain was trying to take me away, but if he had already been even slightly captivated by Ivy’s blessing…

If that were the case… it would only be a matter of time before I was dragged to the temple.

“Um… can I go rest first?”

I clenched my fist to hide my trembling hand again and smiled at Ruben.

I wanted to look normal, as usual. Not knowing that this would look even stranger in this situation.

Ruben nodded and asked worriedly.

“Is there anything you need me to bring you?”

“No, I’m fine. I’ll just be alone for a while.”

Trudge, trudge. Relieved that my legs hadn’t given out, I left the library.

And as I was about to close the curtains in my room after walking down the corridor, I couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Hillstain, you pervert, what have you done leaving the door open…”