Dante headed towards the window, and I hurriedly followed him, casting my gaze outside.

At one corner of the vast desert and the massive earthen walls blocking the city, smoke could be seen rising. Though details were obscured by the billowing smoke, even at a glance, a considerable portion of the wall had collapsed miserably.

“……They even touched the portal.”

“What?”

I looked up at Dante with wide eyes, and he turned his gaze from the wall to look down at me.

“After bringing you, I sealed all portal entrances into the city, fearing the Grand Duke would pursue.”

“……To that extent?”

“The Grand Duke is someone who must go to such lengths.”

It was a reason I could understand immediately.

“It was a hasty measure, but I didn’t expect them to break through so quickly.”

Looking back at the desert at Dante’s words, I could faintly see distorted fragments of light behind the collapsed wall. Judging by the location, it was the portal through which I had been abducted.

“Now I think I know why.”

I felt Dante watching me as he murmured softly, but I just stared worriedly at the wall.

“Edan……”

This isn’t just breaking through, it’s total destruction.

With the damaged portal and the shattered wall, how are we supposed to clean this up?

It all happened because of me.

So why did they have to abduct me in the first place! Well, I suppose it was an unavoidable choice given the situation then.

Dante did it for Noah’s sake, after all.

I could only sigh at the situation.

But unlike me, Dante had a very calm expression. He should be sighing more deeply than I am.

No matter how little I know, I understand the role such tall and massive city walls play in the desert. It’s obvious they serve an important role in protecting against not only magical beasts but also bands of thieves and other invaders, since it’s a wealthy city where expensive jewels are produced.

And those walls have collapsed. The damage was too great for just forcibly taking me from Edan.

Recalling our conversation at our first meal, Dante had anticipated how Edan would react after abducting me.

He seemed prepared to face Edan in any way necessary to heal Noah.

Is that why he looks so resigned? I looked up at him with complicated feelings.

“You don’t have to look at me like that. I’m the cause.”

Dante turned his head again to stare at the wall, admitting his fault all too easily.

“I will apologize sincerely.”

I was quite surprised by those words.

As if everything was fine now that Noah had received healing, regardless of how it happened.

Dumbfounded by his extreme brotherly love, I gaped like a fool before quickly turning my head to stare at the wall again.

Bang-! There was a flash of light, and once again the wall crumbled with a rumble.

This time, the sound reached even here, and the vibration could be felt. It was a more powerful destruction than before.

I could see people startled by the noise coming out onto the streets, and Dante’s subordinates evacuating people and blocking access.

The area near the wall was again filled with sand dust and hazy smoke.

Squinting my eyes to focus my vision, vague shapes began to emerge through the dispersing smoke. As I narrowed my eyes trying to grasp the situation more quickly, they soon widened in surprise.

Beyond the wall where the thick smoke was settling, figures in black robes were standing. Even without trying hard to see, those familiar silhouettes were Edan’s subordinates from the North.

The long swords at their waists reflected the sunlight, gleaming brightly.

They seemed ready to engage in battle at a moment’s notice.

“I must go.”

I felt like something terrible would happen if I didn’t stop him. Just then, Dante seemed to have the same thought as he turned around.

“Um, I’ll go with you!”

“Very well. If you don’t come along, he might destroy the entire wall.”

Dante, who had left the room, headed up the stairs instead of down.

No matter how maze-like the castle’s paths were, I could tell this wasn’t leading to the lower part of the castle.

“Um, is this the right way?”

“Yes. We’re going straight to where the Grand Duke is.”

Straight there? How are we going? Hoping he didn’t mean to jump from the top floor, I followed him, glancing back repeatedly.

And when we reached the room on the very top floor, Dante held out his hand to me.

The action came so naturally that I almost unconsciously reached out.

I stopped abruptly, flinching.

I wanted to avoid touching skin carelessly because the unpleasant feeling from last night’s contact with Noah hadn’t disappeared yet.

At my reaction, Dante momentarily twitched one eye corner and said,

“You don’t have to be so wary. I won’t do anything.”

I know.

That he won’t do anything.

For now, I was the benefactor who saved Noah, and he was quite rational.

Even last night when he showed his healing power, this man was different from Hillstain. Despite the clearly tempting healing, he didn’t lose his reason for Noah’s sake, and today he didn’t try to touch me carelessly or feel the healing power again.

Though we didn’t finish our conversation in the room, Dante seemed willing to agree to my wish not to go to the temple.

If Edan hadn’t come, the conversation would have concluded favorably for me. It would have been a very good deal for both of us.

But no matter what the intention, I don’t want to hold hands. Honestly, I’m scared and afraid too.

There had always been a deep-seated fear of possibly dying as a mummy. That feeling wasn’t something that would easily disappear. Even though I knew I truly had the Saint’s healing power, and that I wouldn’t die as a mummy even if I directly touched skin with the male leads for healing, there was still a lingering fear of what if.

Plus the unpleasantness of forced pleasure. I want to avoid any potentially uncomfortable situations as much as possible.

I understood Dante’s circumstances that forced him to abduct me, and Noah’s pain had been healed.

Although I didn’t have any ill feelings towards Dante because everything was quite understandable, I refused his outstretched hand again.

“I’m sorry, but my hand……”

“I have no intention of forcing anything on someone who doesn’t want it. I’m just worried you might fall while moving through the portal.”

“Still…… I’m sorry.”

Dante lightly exhaled and nodded, saying he understood. Then he turned his hand inward and held out his arm as if to escort me.

“Is this okay? As long as it’s not your hand?”

No. Even if it’s not my hand, skin contact is the same thing.

But maybe it’s better than the hand.

I carefully placed my fingertips on his arm.

Dante let out a small laugh, but this is the best I can do.

This is a cane. A well-tanned brown cane. As I hypnotized myself, a large door decorated with intricate patterns opened. Inside was a huge empty space big enough for voices to echo.

“Open the portal.”

At Dante’s single command, the room endlessly glowed with blue light.

“Oh my.”

Dozens of portals simultaneously appeared in the empty space that had been devoid of anything.

After a moment of amazed exclamation, Dante familiarly chose one of them and headed towards it.

“Be careful.”

My fingertips gripping Dante’s arm tightened slightly.

The place changed in an instant, and I lost my balance at the sudden feeling of my feet sinking into the sandy ground.

As I staggered, Dante firmly tensed his arm as if he had expected this.

Thanks to that, I was able to regain my balance without falling.

“Thank you. I didn’t expect this……”

As I raised my head with a small smile, I froze in place.

There was one more thing I hadn’t expected. That we had moved right in front of Edan.

As I looked up, among dozens of knights in black robes, only one person caught my eye.

Though his face was darkly obscured by the shadow of a large hood and cloth covering up to his nose bridge, there was no mistaking those burning red eyes.

I inhaled sharply in surprise.

The dry desert air, unlike the well-maintained humidity inside the castle, rushed in.

It felt suffocating.

As the subordinates in black robes moved slightly to the sides to create a gap, Edan strode out between them.

“……”

Why is it so scary when he just stares silently with no expression?

Edan slowly closed and opened his languidly lowered eyes.

His sharply sensitive gaze landed on my hand touching Dante’s arm.

When I averted my gaze in embarrassment, my eyes met with Ruben’s, who was standing right next to me. Ruben frowned deeply. He moved his eyes quickly as if to signal me to look at Edan, telling me to come to my senses.

I know. I know too.

I know how jealous that madman is. I know he’s obsessed with me.

I understand it looks strange that I’m like this after being abducted and pursued.

But it’s human instinct to want to grab onto something when you’re about to fall, right? That’s why I held on.

I hurriedly let go of Dante’s arm and stepped back.

I almost fell again because of that.

“Are you alright?”

This time, perhaps thinking it was an urgent situation, Dante reached out towards me.

I quickly waved my hands.

“Yes! I’m fine! Don’t touch me!”

With that urgent voice, I plopped down onto the sand.

“Ugh……”

My bottom felt hot thanks to the sun-warmed sand, but it’s better than Edan’s angry glare.