As Dias expressed his confusion at the sudden doubt, Ibi moved the pen again.

“Although she’s a maid, her hands are too soft.”

Ibi recalled the sensation of the maid’s lips meeting her hand. The maid’s hands that gently enveloped Ibi’s hand were flawless, without a trace of moisture or injury.

“Unlike yesterday, she’s calm today.”

Yesterday, she was excessively nervous, causing unnecessary suspicion. Today, she is calm, as if deliberately showing a different side.

“And she’s eavesdropping on our conversations in the room.”

At the mention of eavesdropping, Dias asked for evidence with a questioning look. So, Ibi quickly scribbled on the paper.

“There are no creases in her skirt.”

When Ibi entered the room, the maid was sitting at the dressing table. Although she seemed to have been sitting there for a long time, the maid’s easily wrinkled skirt was neat. There were no traces of lying down or sitting.
“I overheard noises from the door and, hearing my footsteps, the snake took off its blindfold. So, she is definitely not an innocent maid. Nor is she a pawn of Lord Brick. Thanks to this maid, Lord Brick was in serious trouble. So, the remaining plausible possibility is one thing. She might be the snake.”

The snake’s form of hiding in the arena is still unknown. She could be confined as a property of the arena or freely wandering incognito. If she has a free body, there is also a sufficient possibility that she will make contact first. However, wandering around in the disguise of a maid would be an excessive hobby.

As if acknowledging Ibi’s claim, Dias slowly nodded his head.

“We should keep a close eye until Uvia arrives. Don’t get too close.”

Uvia is the only one who can recognize the snake.

Saying so, Ibi handed a small package to Dias.

“Always carry this, just in case.”

What Ibi handed to Dias was the purification salt brought from above.

Originally, Ibi pretended not to know, planning to put her to sleep around the time Uvia moved. The fact that Viscount Brick issued an expulsion order greatly disrupted her plans. Ibi, who had many things to resolve in the arena, couldn’t afford to be driven away like this. So, she sent the maid suspected of being the snake to Dias and Uvia on her behalf. With the purification salt, she thought Dias could subdue the Night Tribe. However, the unexpected thing was the pouring rain.

Even so, Ibi had another precautionary measure just in case.

Before parting, Ibi deliberately discussed with the maid where she would hide the note. Then, later, she secretly whispered it to Dias. Come to the left room of the location written on the note.

So, if someone came to the location written on the note, and moreover, if they waited for more than an hour rather than briefly passing by, it was definitely the snake.

‘What happened to Dias?’

The prediction was correct, but Ibi was more anxious than happy. For some reason, she was uneasy because Dias, who couldn’t be seen, was causing anxiety.

But now was not the time to worry about others.

‘Why won’t the snake collapse!’

Anyone else would have fallen asleep a long time ago from the amount of blood that was purified. But somehow, the snake, without collapsing, was enduring tenaciously.

‘If I continue here, I might die.’

Ibi continued to sing and thought busily.

The curse doesn’t break just because the snake dies. Rather, if he dies, the clue to breaking the curse disappears. No, leaving that aside, Ibi didn’t want to kill people.

It was when Ibi was in conflict over whether to raise her voice or not.

‘Smell of blood?’

Somewhere, a metallic smell wafted.

Ibi followed the smell, her eyes widening. Blood was flowing from above the warehouse door.
Sprinkling purification salt all over the door to prevent the curse, Ibi realized it in horror, and her pale hand pierced through the door and reached outside.

Crash! Wood splinters scattered in all directions, and through the gaps, a hand that emerged grabbed Ibi’s throat in an instant.

“Ugh…!”

In a split second, Ibi, whose throat was seized, could no longer sing. Not to mention singing, she couldn’t even breathe.

While Ibi struggled to break free, the door, possibly melted by the pouring blood from above, shattered into pieces.

Along with it, the one who grabbed Ibi’s throat finally revealed their appearance.

“Is this really necessary? You’ve died at least twice coming out like this.”

Speaking with an innocent voice, he had the same face as the maid Ibi remembered.

His pupils were still as innocent as those of a deer. However, he no longer looked pitiful. He, who deliberately inflicted wounds on himself to dissolve the salt, was cheerfully turning the blood upside down.

“How did you know my name? When did you notice? You knew and still passed it on to someone else? Huh? Why aren’t you answering?”

Snake answered Ibi with a sneer, then realized his mistake and laughed.

“Oh, I guess your voice doesn’t come out.”

With the throat being squeezed like this, there’s no way her voice would come out.

However, even though the snake knew that fact, he didn’t release his grip. No matter how much Ibi scratched his back, it was the same.

“I saw you fighting in the arena. Ahaha, I even imagined you using purification power like that.”

If the snake let go, he already knew what Ibi would do.

“Amazing, but don’t do reckless things. Even if you slightly tighten the neck like this, you’re helpless.”

So, while still affectionately strangling her, he used his other hand to remove Ibi’s mask.

The mask fell, revealing Ibi’s suffering face. The snake looked at Ibi’s face, laughed heartily, and finally let go.

Freed from the grip, Ibi coughed forcefully and breathed heavily. In the meantime, she found an opportunity to escape, but somehow, Ibi was trapped between the snake’s two arms and the wall.

“Sorry, did it hurt?”

“I thought I was going to die, you damn bird…”

Ibi replied angrily with clenched teeth. Then the snake burst into laughter again.

“What if the saint says such things?”

At the snake’s gentle response, Ibi shivered.

Covered in blood, she could still tell. His hair was clean white.

“Who the hell are you…?”

“I am Ente.”

In response to Ibi’s groaning question, the snake, Ente, answered.

Ente laughed brightly, adding, “I came to kill you.”