The maid was confused, unsure if this was a favor or a new ordeal. Nevertheless, she trembled while trying to obey the command.

So, Ibi pretended to help the maid and followed her to the room.

“Thank you for helping. Who are you?”

When they arrived at the room, the maid, who had barely regained her senses, asked Ibi.

“I am Ibi Ariateya.”

“Do you have a surname?”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s a fake surname I made to become a saint.”

“What’s that…”

Ibi smiled vaguely at the maid who asked unnecessary questions.

Of course, due to the mask, the maid couldn’t see Ibi’s smile. Instead, she could hear Ibi’s low singing voice and immediately fell asleep as if she had collapsed.

“To be ordered to work after such an incident, heartless guys.”

Tutting, Ibi gently laid the maid down on the bed.

“Rest well; I’ll take care of the work for you.”
Ibi said so and took out the maid’s clothes from the wardrobe. Then, he took off the wig and tied his hair tightly, mimicking the maid.

He also took off the maid’s mask and hid it carefully in the room.

“If I do this, she won’t be able to leave for a while after waking up.”

Having completed the preparations, Ibi glanced at the sleeping maid with a mischievous expression.

“Well, I feel a little sorry, so let’s put a gold coin in.”

Ibi slyly placed gold coins into the maid’s pocket, adding a touch of mischief to even his conscience.

“But still, it’s better to make them rest rather than exploiting them under the pretext of helping. Don’t you think?”

Having successfully rationalized his actions, Ibi left the maid’s room with the mark. Then, he headed towards the Black Lord’s room.

Showing the mark received from the pageboy, the guards obediently let Ibi in. However, he couldn’t enter the room where Cassel was until called from the adjacent valet waiting room.

Inside were various luxuries for guests, such as pastries, drinks, a chessboard, and decorative knives.

‘Is this some form of protective measure?’

Ibi looked around the waiting room left alone and couldn’t help but chuckle.

‘Cassel Montra is making a mockery of himself. If you’re trash, you should act like trash.’

Truly ridiculous, but Ibi gladly intercepted this favor.

The most important thing now is to stay safe until DS and Ubeya arrive. Also, there’s no safer place than right next to Cassel Montra as long as his identity isn’t revealed.

‘Oh, this teacup is pretty.’

Ibi, who was examining the display shelf, found a teacup and gleamed with his eyes.

‘I should bring it to DS.’

A teacup is a teacup; he couldn’t forget that.

The saint candidate smiled mischievously and unabashedly stole someone else’s property.

At that moment, the window rattled. Startled, Ibi looked beside him, finding heavy raindrops pounding against the window. The once dark sky now seemed to be thoroughly pouring rain.

Though precious rain had started falling, Ibi couldn’t relax.

‘If rain touches the salt, it will dissolve.’

Manyanya’s salt is still salt. When it touches water, it naturally dissolves, and once it dissolves, it can’t prevent the curse.

So, Ibi worried for a moment as he looked at the pouring rain.

‘I hope DS is okay.’

Ibi stood by the window, looking out at the ruins outside the castle.

The carriage that had left long ago was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the view was filled with ruins submerged in ash.

Heavy raindrops impartially painted the world.

The corpses of humans brutally murdered, the wreckage of the demolished carriage, and the scattered gold coins everywhere—all soaked mercilessly in the rain.

And the snake responsible for this tragedy was also drenched in the pouring rain, whether it be the splendid wig it wore or the dress clinging to its body, or the white mask.

“Thank you for coming all the way here.”

Once a maid and once Ibi’s understudy, the snake, while taking off the mask, whispered.
The snake’s face was still gentle and beautiful. Even the voice revealed at last was soft, making it difficult to distinguish the gender.

“I actually thought you’d come earlier, but I’ve been waiting for so long.”

The snake, now without a mask, tilted its chin toward the sky. Feeling the rain on its bare face, it complained.

“I really waited for a long time. I barely restrained myself from wanting to kill everyone. I even thought about cleaning up and waiting, but well, I wanted to show you.”

It was a voice mixed with childishness, like a child throwing a tantrum.

“Hey, are you listening to me?”

The snake, who was whispering happily, lowered its head and asked. Its gaze was directed at a man.

A man lying in a pool of blood, DS.

He was covered in wounds as if struck by something sharp. His mask was also torn into pieces, lying far away.

So, despite the pouring rain, his body didn’t seem to wash away the crimson stains.

The snake, after looking at the battered man, lightly laughed.

“Oh, you can’t hear me now.”

The snake raised its head and sat down in front of the man who had become a mess. It looked innocent, like a child picking up pebbles by the stream.

“I expected a hunting dog made by that woman, but it’s not that impressive.”

The snake lightly complained, poking DS’s shoulder with its fingertip.

DS spewed blood, and the snake recoiled. Then, it muttered with a pout.

“Oh, poor thing. Living in pain.”

Like a child who found a fallen bird, the snake approached cautiously again.

“Sorry, I’ll make you comfortable, so take a break.”

The snake reached out its hand to DS with a pitiful face. Then, it whispered for the last time.

“Whether it’s heaven or hell there, I don’t know, but anyway, where you originally belong is there.”

Another roar echoed over the silent ruins.

Amidst the pouring rain, the snake, soaked in blood, rose to its feet.

“Hmm…”

The snake, having flipped its blood-stained body, briefly looked down. Then, it took off the uncomfortable wig and clothes.

“We’ve killed enough, so shall we go back now?”

As the snake undressed, a body between a youth and a boy was revealed. It had a fair and slender body. The wet, tangled curls matched the innocent white color of his good-looking face.

The snake, exposing its dazzling skin to the rain, spoke joyfully.

“Ibi must be waiting.”

Joy was mixed in the snake’s innocent eyes.

At that moment, the snake’s mind was filled with the image of a lovely girl.