The fall continued endlessly.

At this rate, I’ll really fall into the middle of hell, Laila thought. The falling speed kept increasing, making her feel like her body and consciousness were separating, and at some point she lost consciousness.

And when she opened her eyes again, she blankly stared at Eustar’s face looking down at her with a worried expression, as if it were a dream.

“Laila. My goodness, thank goodness. I was worried what to do if you didn’t regain consciousness. Don’t move and stay lying down…!”

Eustar’s body, which had been gently stroking Laila’s forehead with a worried voice and touch, stiffened.

Eustar, whose hand awkwardly froze in midair, looked at Laila with bewildered eyes as she hugged his neck with all her might.

“Laila?”

There was no answer from Laila. When Eustar called, the arms hugging him only tightened more.

Eustar looked at her pitifully as she trembled like a young animal shivering from the cold. And he hugged Laila back and patted her back as if soothing a child.

Eustar’s ears turned slightly red as he kissed Laila’s forehead, which was hot as if with a fever. He looked at Laila’s face with gentle eyes and asked.

“Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Laila, who had been just blinking as if still unconscious, nodded.

“I’m fine. What about you? I was worried about you.”

Eustar smiled.

“I’m fine too. I’m perfectly alright.”

After hearing his answer, Laila finally had the composure to look around. At first, she thought they had returned to the royal palace of Sierou.

Like when she collapsed at the Haliwell mansion last time. But she soon realized it wasn’t, and her gaze became more persistent and careful.

“Where are we?”

“I don’t know either. But it’s definitely someone’s bedroom.”

After saying that, Eustar also slowly looked around the interior along with Laila. He had already examined it once, but this time he was more cautious.

Though it was dark with little light coming in, it wasn’t difficult to make out the structure and shapes of the furniture. The fireplace far from the bed looked ice cold, and the paintings hung here and there were all gloomy.

Laila recalled a painting she had encountered in one of the many corridors.

She could tell that the young woman in the portrait, holding a withered flower with an expression full of despair and unhappiness, was the owner of this room. And…

“Giselle used this room.”

Eustar looked at her.

“Giselle? Who’s that?”

“The owner of this house… the owner of Undil Heights. She’s that person’s niece. She came here to recuperate.”

“Did that person appear before you, Laila?”

After a brief pause, Laila said:

“No. I summoned her.”

Eustar slightly furrowed his brow at her answer but refrained from commenting on the dangers of necromancy.

In the past, powerful mediums attempted necromancy to obtain necessary information, and they didn’t question the process. And Laila was currently the strongest medium in Sierou.

“What did you find out from that Giselle person?”

Laila then recalled the note Giselle had left behind—fortunately she still had it—and its contents.

“…She said she was ill on and off. Then one day she saw something terrible. Her cousin… the son of the owner of this place, massacring everyone in the house. She lost her life then too, and is bound here.”

“Then that man’s words were true.”

Laila looked at Eustar with a surprised face.

“That man?”

The moment she uttered those words, Laila’s face turned pale. And the question she should have had the moment she opened her eyes belatedly came to mind.

“Eustar, how… how did you come here? You didn’t find me, did you?”

A troubled smile appeared on Eustar’s face.

“Eustar.”

“Your guess is right, Laila. Your… father sent me here.”

Eustar, who ended his words in an ambiguous tone, added playfully as if trying to lighten the suddenly awkward atmosphere.

“Rather than sent, it’s closer to just dropping me here, I suppose.”

Despite Eustar’s attempt, Laila suddenly stood up and stepped back as if she had seen something terrifying. A musty smell rose from the dusty carpet.

“You met him, Eustar?”

“You mean Badin? Yes, I met him.”

Laila’s eyes widened as if Eustar had uttered a terrible curse. She couldn’t believe that name, Badin, was mentioned from his mouth. She didn’t want to believe it either.

At that moment, Eustar pulled his body slightly towards Laila.

“Laila.”

Even though he just called her name, she shook her head and stepped back a little more. Eustar spoke again.

“Was that what you were hiding all this time?”

Laila shook her head vigorously, covering her ears with both hands as if she didn’t want to hear. Her black hair, which had grown long enough to almost touch her shoulders, danced violently.

“You don’t understand, Eustar.”

Eustar replied.

“You’re right, I don’t understand. Of course I can’t understand.”

Laila looked up at him. Confusion, resignation, and faint heartache alternately appeared in her reddish eyes with a glint.

Then Eustar continued.

“Isn’t it natural that I don’t understand? Laila, you didn’t tell me anything.”

Laila fumbled with her lips in embarrassment, then firmly closed them.

“It’s not that kind of problem, Eustar.”

Even as she said that, she could feel herself slightly relieved by Eustar’s words.

“It’s not something that can be said so simply. When I said you don’t understand… it’s true. You won’t be able to understand.”

Eustar, who had been watching her, softened his eyebrows and smiled gently.

“I don’t think there could be a bigger problem than having a demon for a father. In my opinion.”

Laila immediately said.

“There is. Surprisingly.”

“Then since it’s come to this, why don’t you tell me everything and feel better?”

At Eustar’s words, Laila snorted with a hysterical and unstable sound.

“I’m a witch, Eustar. As you know, I don’t go to confessionals.”

“It’s not a confessional. More like consulting your husband about your worries? You can consult about the troublesome father you’ve been hiding all this time—though I think you probably didn’t even know of his existence. You looked very anxious while hiding it from me.”

Yes. Someone whispered in Laila’s ear. He’s right. Tell him everything. It might actually be a relief to confess everything and wait for judgment.

You don’t love him anyway. You don’t care about him.

Because your heart is not human.

Laila, who had been hesitating, bit the inside of her lip hard.

“Eustar… isn’t my real husband. We’re just pretending, we’re not a real couple.”

Eustar, who had been blinking quietly as if lost in thought, asked in a slightly lowered voice.

“If you had a real husband, do you think you would have told him?”

Laila knew their conversation was flowing in a very strange direction, but she didn’t know how to correct it. Instead, she concluded that it would be wise to end this conversation, the topic related to Badin, as quickly as possible.

“I would have, probably.”

The moment she said those words, Laila felt a pain as if a large needle was pricking the center of her chest. The formless needle seemed to slowly pass through her body, then return and burrow into her blood vessels, causing a tingling pain.

He’s hurt. Laila thought. No, she could tell. The thought that he was hurt made her unbearably upset. She wanted to say no, that it was a lie, that she would never have a husband.

Except for you.

If she hadn’t exercised patience, she might have done so. She might have pulled Eustar’s dejected head to her chest, embraced him, and kissed him.

And she might have blurted out that if there was anyone she wanted to be with, it would only be Eustar Hyanmorik, you.

But Laila didn’t. Just as her foot was about to lift, her heart sank.

What if he finds it awkward?

If he realizes where her concern for him stems from.

It only took a few seconds for Laila to finish all those thoughts and make up her mind. But it felt like an eternity to her, and Eustar faintly sensed Laila’s conflict.

Just as she had discovered the numerous terrible deaths associated with this house just by touching the railing or entering the hallway, he could do the same.

Perhaps the house itself made one’s senses and nerves more sensitive to the other person. To have desires.

“Will you come here, Laila?”

After a moment of conflict, Laila slowly approached him. She didn’t want to refuse that too, and she didn’t have the energy to do so either.

“Closer.”

Laila took another step or two. When she reached a distance where he could easily touch her if he stretched out his hand, Eustar stared at her face for a moment and then hugged her waist and pulled her in.

“Ah!”

A short exclamation burst from Laila’s lips in surprise. Laila, who had ended up sitting on his lap, parted her lips as if to ask what was going on.

A pair of fresh leaf-like light green eyes slowly scanned Laila’s face from top to bottom. It was a persistent gaze.

And it was a gaze filled with longing. Laila imagined and felt Eustar’s lips and tongue touching her forehead, eyelids, bridge of nose, cheeks, and lips.

When she finally imagined him placing his lips on her collarbone, she suddenly felt a strange sensation as if the inside of her thighs were tightening.

Eustar, who had been slowly moving his gaze, caressed Laila’s waist and sides. At some point, his hand that had burrowed inside her jacket was touching her skin hidden under her shirt.

Eustar said.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t pry for now. But Laila, don’t push me away too much and make me jealous. I… don’t want to become a harmful man to you.”

Laila, who took a short and irregular breath, said haltingly.

“Do I make you that way?”

“Sometimes. But that’s not to say it’s your fault. If there’s any fault, it would be mine.”

Tell me. Laila screamed inwardly. Tell me what you’re doing wrong to me.

“You’re not harmful, Eustar. You can’t be that kind of person… Not just to me, but to anyone.”