I slowly raised my head to look at Edan.

Golden hair flowed under the hood of the large black robe he wore.

I felt a strangely reassuring sense of relief. But the moment I lowered my gaze, I couldn’t help but tremble all over again.

My right hand, which I had hoped was an illusion, had withered into a mummy up to the wrist.

My heart sank.

“My, my hand……”

As I trembled, not knowing what to do, Edan casually grasped my hand with his large one.

“It’s nothing.”

Edan must be truly mad. This was no time for jokes. I was genuinely filled with fear from the shock. Nothing? My hand that had shriveled like an old person’s, twisted and deformed into a monster?

Edan was holding my hand that even I found too creepy to touch.

I tried to pull my hand away. Of course, it didn’t work, and Edan gripped my hand tightly.

I gasped for breath from the shock. As I looked at him with eyes brimming with tears, Edan slowly closed and opened his eyes, speaking gently.

“Look at me, Lati. It’s alright.”

It was an infinitely kind word. As if trying to calm me down, unable to speak any further, Edan stroked my mummified hand over and over. Thanks to that, I finally calmed down and my rough breathing returned to normal.

Confirming that I had regained focus, Edan raised his head to look ahead.

His sharp gaze, suddenly changed and unwavering, turned towards Ivy.

“Ugh……”

Ivy’s body, which had been lying motionless as if she had briefly lost consciousness, twitched.

“Did… did you hit her?”

“I merely removed the hand that was gripping your arm. She flew back on her own.”

Well, there’s no way she could be this unscathed if Edan had thrown her.

Edan calmly watched until she regained consciousness and got up, and Ivy quickly came to her senses.

Rising with her delicate body barely covered by a cardigan, revealing bare skin, Ivy looked like a victim to anyone who saw her.

Gone was the appearance she had shown me just moments ago, and she now looked at us with the pure and pitiful gaze everyone knew her for.

Seeming surprised at the sight of Edan strongly embracing and protecting me, Ivy suddenly began to scream.

“Kyaaaaaah!”

I can say with certainty that it was the sharpest and most irritating scream I had ever heard in my life.

Bang-!

Hillstain, who had been outside, roughly opened the door and entered.

“Holy Maiden, what’s wrong…!”

Hillstain’s face hardened when he discovered us. Maxium, who was entering behind him, covered his mouth.

Edan’s gaze, which had briefly turned to Hillstain, brushed past Maxium and returned to Ivy.

After confirming that Hillstain had entered, Ivy slowly extended her hand towards Edan.

Unlike my hand, hers was still white, plump, and smooth.

I hurriedly hid my right hand with my left.

“My friend, please give her to me.”

The corners of Ivy’s mouth turned up brightly as she spoke. Having calmly regained her composure, her demonic appearance had completely vanished.

She looked exactly like the Ivy I knew, the beautiful Holy Maiden whom the male leads adored.

When Edan remained silent, Ivy spoke again.

“I asked His Highness as well. It’s not too late, please, give her to me.”

With a captivating gaze, tone, and gestures, Ivy’s appearance was so beautiful that it seemed she could control anyone if she truly desired.

Having absorbed my power, she was shining even more than when I had first entered this room and saw her.

I twitched my fingertips, worried that Edan might actually hand me over.

“Asking for a person as if retrieving an object.”

Edan muttered as if talking to himself, then answered with a cold gaze.

“Well. You’ve seen an unnecessary scene.”

“…Your Grace.”

“And did I promise to grant your request? I don’t remember.”

At Edan’s appearance, lightly sneering as if it wasn’t worth considering, Ivy briefly bit her lip. Then she suddenly changed her expression and whimpered towards Hillstain.

“Sir Hillstain! Help me! Quickly! My friend has been captured. Help me. Please.”

Huh. Unbelievable. I’ve been captured? Anyone can see that Edan came to save me!

Ivy was spouting incomprehensible words and actions.

After stealing my power and trying to kill me, who is she asking to help whom?

The more strange things she said, the more tightly I clung to Edan.

Seeing Ivy clinging to him with tears in her eyes, Hillstain immediately drew his sword.

With a sharp sound, the well-sharpened blade was drawn from its sheath, pointing towards Edan.

“Your Highness, please send Lady Latieana this way.”

Unlike before, Hillstain was very confident. He raised his eyebrows arrogantly, as if he had no memory of being utterly defeated by Edan last time. Edan briefly glanced at the sword he was holding.

“Have I been too lenient with you?”

Edan’s low voice flowed calmly, and Hillstain lightly laughed and retorted.

“This isn’t the time for you to be acting leisurely as usual. This isn’t your castle. You know very well what kind of place the temple is, don’t you?”

He was right. No matter who Edan was, this was the temple.

A place Edan shouldn’t approach. Just entering the temple was already breaking the law, and if it became known that he fought with the temple’s knights, it would be a big problem. Moreover, in the worst case, if someone died during the fight, it would be different from a regular knight dying.

The imperial family might use this opportunity to brand Edan as a traitor. That’s why Hillstain was acting so arrogantly, knowing he had the upper hand.

“Or do you intend to face me and all the holy knights in the temple?”

Hillstain taunted the silent Edan.

I looked up at Edan.

I thought he might show even a little sign of trouble, but Edan remained calm as ever.

“Well, I wonder.”

Hillstain’s brow furrowed at his unwavering attitude.

“This is no joke. No matter who you are, Your Grace, with one order from me, all the holy knights in the temple will come rushing here now. Fighting against the temple will be considered an attack on the imperial family.”

“So, you want me to leave Latieana and go back?”

“Yes. Isn’t that the best option?”

Edan’s response was quick.

“That’s your best option.”

“What?”

“Shall I tell you what my best option is?”

What on earth was Edan thinking, coming all the way here? To save me? Did he know this would happen?

As my mind was racing with complicated thoughts, Edan, who seemed to be bending down for a moment, picked me up in a princess carry.

‘Wait a minute.’

My heart started racing madly. I looked up at Edan.

So…

In the original story, Edan was captivated by Ivy’s healing power.

And now, Edan…

“I have no problem killing those who try to take what’s mine.”

A chilling aura emanated from Edan’s face as he smiled grimly. It was an eerily cold sensation.

This was no joke. It wasn’t a light remark. He was serious.

Looking back, it means that all those words and actions Edan had directed at me in the castle until now were not a game.

The reason for his obsession with me, all of it.

But this can’t happen.

I hurriedly looked at Hillstain. That man is also quite out of his mind, if a fight breaks out right now…!

‘Huh… what?’

Hillstain, who I thought would attack immediately given his advantageous position, was oddly motionless.

“Sir Hillstain! What are you doing? Quickly bring my friend here!”

Ivy’s urgent voice was heard.

But Hillstain, for whatever reason, didn’t react to Ivy’s voice.

“Touch her and you die… Even in a situation where you might become a traitor to the temple and the imperial family…?”

As if something was strange, Hillstain muttered to himself, recalling the conversation, and stared intently at Edan.

Hillstain’s gaze, which had been carefully observing Edan holding me, slowly moved towards me.

“Just what is that woman to you, that you would go this far?”

“All you need to know is that you’ll die if you touch her.”

“Ha……”

At that moment, Hillstain’s gaze towards me completely changed.

Until just now, he had looked at me as prey to be delivered to Ivy, but now curiosity was flickering in his eyes.

Hillstain’s gaze thoroughly examined me, as if exploring the reason for Edan’s obsession with me.

With a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, Hillstain whispered to Edan.

“The Holy Maiden Ivy is right before you. You know, since you’ve even hidden a spy. If you hand over this woman, Latieana, to the Holy Maiden, you know what qualifications you’ll gain. You can receive the Holy Maiden’s blessing with healing power incomparable to the potion you secretly took away. Yet you choose to protect this woman instead of the Holy Maiden?”

Edan sneered as if he had no intention of explaining.

“You’re quite greedy for what belongs to others.”

Hillstain’s brow furrowed again as he opened his mouth, determined to get an answer.

“What is it? What is this woman that you would go this far?”