《Can You Please Keep the Original Setting?》


 Chapter 0

    Prologue


    The unattainable ideal was as sweet as it was peculiar,


    and the reality felt on the skin was more bitter than anything else.


    I waited for the day when I would say my name to one being.


    I conform to my destiny, and I am kneeling before you like this.


    So please, take a good look at me.


    Only me.


    Mikael stretched out his hand. The sunshine was divided into beams by the intricate pattern on the window. He stared with emotionless eyes at the red blood from his wound and the mixing purple liquid.


    His whole body was clammy. The pain in the abdomen left by the evil spirit in the labyrinth was extremely severe. If he was an ordinary man, he would have gone crazy and died a long time ago. Or he would have gotten sick and lost his mind before that.


    He took out a clean handkerchief from the inside pocket of the uniform that the imperial family and the temple had forced him to wear and wiped his face roughly.


    Would it be better to wash up? But it was a little¡­


    In an instant, his sensitive senses caught on to a presence. Mikael raised his chin slightly. A few seconds later, at the end of the corridor, a man with a big physique and broad shoulders appeared.


    ¡°Mikael!¡±


    The voice calling his name was quite desperate. Worry was evident on the face of the man who was getting closer.


    ¡°¡­ Young Master.¡±


    After a small pause that felt somewhat cold, Mikael smiled reluctantly.


    Why did it have to be right now? It was annoying.


    ¡°I¡¯m seeing you here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you for a while. Are you hurt a lot?¡±


    Hendrik leaned down and examined him diligently. He shook his head briefly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, fine! I can see that you¡¯re quite hurt. Why didn¡¯t you get treated?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough to interfere with my life. There¡¯s something more urgent than treatment right now.¡±


    Mikael stepped back as if he were rejecting the other person¡¯s concerns. As he did so, Hendrik urgently added,


    ¡°You¡¯re going to my father, aren¡¯t you? Then, let¡¯s go together.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Thank you for always worrying about me. I¡¯ll see you during dinner later.¡±


    The gentle refusal was too determined. He left the son of the archmage there alone and went straight to his destination.


    Except for one person, all the actions of the people in this place caused discomfort. However, he did not intend to complain about this design. How could he dare to say anything?


    Mikael stopped in front of a room at the highest point of the castle. It was always a strange location.


    Others didn¡¯t have much of a reason to come here, but its dignity was great. It showed off its sparkle as if telling him not to take his eyes off it even for just a moment.


    He had to bend his neck to the point it started hurting.


    Well, it was probably the most appropriate location. Thinking so, he fumbled around the wound in his stomach as if it was nothing.


    The sound of blood drops falling from the open flesh one after the other was particularly somber and muddy. The dark red blood on the floor was chilly and had a fishy smell.


    There was no crack in his expression, but there was an obvious peculiarity in his clear eyes as he looked at the door.


    Soon, his bloody hand knocked on the door.


    ¡°Mikael?!¡±


    The woman who opened the door turned pale instantly. A see-through indoor dress. Disheveled hair and a loosened knot at the waist. It was evident that she had been inside all day.


    Even if she had found the right place, it seemed that nothing could be done about that weak shell.


    ¡°What happened to you?!¡±


    It¡¯s funny how thrilled he was by that startled voice. Mikael smiled brightly. The eyes that contained him were a perfect heaven.


    ¡°Celina.¡±


    It was a long wait. This amount of compensation was a given. If this world was created based on one person¡¯s fabrication, he, the protagonist, had to be treated as he deserved.


    So, he wanted her to love him even more.


    ¡°I¡¯m hurt.¡±


    He grabbed her thin wrist and whimpered like a child. Unfortunately, there was no way to provoke any specific feelings in the woman unless it was like this. The protagonist was too strong.


    ¡°Of course you¡¯re hurt, look at your state! I told you clearly not to come when you¡¯re hurt. That¡¯s why I even wrote some instructions!¡±


    ¡°Can you give me a hug? I¡¯m very tired.¡±


    He muttered affectionately and caressed her cheeks. Blood stained her clear, peach-colored skin.


    It looked pretty good. It was thrilling to leave his mark, no matter in what way.


    ¡°¡­¡±


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    She hesitated with a tearful face, but she never refused. She slowly reached out her arms and gladly hugged his filthy body.


    He lowered his head as if he had been waiting. The lips he touched hesitated for a moment, but quickly opened a gap.


    Just like they did on the day of the princess¡¯ Coming of Age ceremony, behind a huge statue.


    Even if there was a mix of hesitation in her behavior, there was always one option. It was like that from the beginning. Confirming that truth once again, the corners of Mikael¡¯s mouth rose silently.


    Aah. His God was such a difficult yet easy human being.

 Chapter 1.1

    A great writer once said that every creature in the world is like a writing or a text. Then, in this world, those words might be especially true.


    This was a world that I created through writing, and that the developers materialized through code. And I was definitely trying to access it to test this game. I also remember exactly in which scene it ended.


    The Labyrinth of Lamentation. Mikael, the main character, came to this place because he was entrusted by the temple to find the cursed sacred object.


    It was a chapter that boasted a degree of difficulty that made me feel an upsetting rush. After testing it, I sent feedback that it would be better to lower the difficulty level of this chapter to prevent the players from digressing.


    That was definitely where I ended the game. A place where you can gain great favor from the target.


    Not all the details had been implemented yet, but the route was already set. Because the person I cherished the most after Mikael was the next emperor, Cain.


    However. What the hell was going on?


    [Welcome, Writer. You are welcome to access.]


    Beyond the chat window with a text, a man was kneeling. The touch of his lips on the back of my hand felt terribly clear. The sky-blue eyes curved tenderly and gently.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve actually seen you like this, Celina.¡±


    It was the sweetest voice in the world.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting a long time to meet you.¡±


    It was a voice that should never sound like this. I felt my breathing become weak, regardless of my intentions. What? Did he just call me Celina?


    ¡°I am Mikael.¡±


    This was absurd. I could only look down at the man who was telling me his name.


    ***


    ¡®Nice to meet you. I am Celina Dell. Whether you call me Celina or Dell, it doesn¡¯t matter. But just know one thing. I am the one who will help you with love from now on. I look forward to working together.¡¯


    Those were the first words that a woman from a high place would say to the player.


    The words of a woman with rosy cheeks, entrancing, glowing blue-purple eyes, and an abundant and coveted lilac hair that curled like an illusion over her elegant body. A woman so beautiful that could make one go out of their mind.


    ¡®The one who will wear the bloody laurel wreath, what is your name?¡¯


    If you entered the name of your choice after this bizarre question, the game would start in full swing according to her guidance. While also explaining things like the UI, stats, and skills.


    Wasn¡¯t this common in dating simulation games? An NPC who gives all kinds of information to the player. A nice and cool helper who is the object of great affection by the players. The character entrusted with that role was none other than Celina.


    ¡®[Player Name], your choices will change the fate of the Empire. Which man¡¯s hand will you hold? I¡¯m curious.¡¯


    Sometimes it was also possible to have a relationship with this kind of NPC, but that was not possible in this game based on my novel. The reason was simple. Because I set it up so that the men would fall in love with each other.


    However, she was so wise that she was the greatest and most important female character in my worldview. Not only did she appear a lot, but she also had quite a lot of contact with the main character, Mikael. A relationship good enough to enjoy tea together sometimes.


    So, without further ado, I designated Celina as my helper. Of course, I cherished her as a character as much as I did Mikael.


    She helped the ¡®player¡¯ become Mikael, who is a ¡®top¡¯, showed the status window while secretly giving a glimpse of the events for the targets¡¯ specific routes, the ¡®bottoms¡¯, and was also in charge of closing and saving the game.


    It meant that there was only one being who knew the real ¡®inner side¡¯ of this world. It could also be referred to as an ¡®overseer¡¯.


    The beginning of the game was simple.


    The scene where ¡®Mikael¡¯, an archmage¡¯s apprentice who just came out to society after graduating with excellent grades and breaking the record of the most historic academy in the great empire of ¡®Arcadia¡¯, holds the hand of ¡®Celina¡¯, the archmage¡¯s daughter, and gives a polite greeting.


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    This was the prologue stage in which the player entered their name. Of course, the player was entirely free to choose a different name instead of ¡®Mikael¡¯.


    The protagonist had numerous fights. The story ended with victory and true love, but behind it, trials abounded.


    I loved the people inside my worldview, but I hated them as much. It was a work that was created for fun, but ended with grief.


    The sloppy writing that was its foundation was risky. Writing without knowing my capabilities, the panels urged me every second to give them something to prey on, eating away all my mental and physical strength.


    I hated it. But I loved it that much. So no matter what, I had to see it to the end.

 Chapter 1.2

    I hated it. But I loved it that much. So no matter what, I had to see it to the end.


    I did my best with bloodshot eyes, and the result was worth more than the effort I put in. Even though it was poor writing with obvious clich¨¦s, it worked out with luck and timing. To the extent that it was adapted and made into a game.


    However, luck that was hard to handle was the same as misfortune. There was nothing more I could do at the steep summit, which had no stairs or slopes.


    I could not go up, but I could not go down safely either. My life as a writer ended in that high place.


    Withering in the shadow of accidental luck, I had to face a blank screen with no letters every day. The cursor that blinked meaninglessly slowly paralyzed me.


    So, after this damn game was released, I was going to leave this field.


    However, what the hell was going on right now?


    [Writer. Hurry up and greet the protagonist, Mikael.]


    ¡®Writer¡¯ was my name inside the game. I couldn¡¯t believe I was looking at a chat window like this, in this place. It was a situation of unknown cause.


    ¡°Could you tell me your name, which I have seen only in writing, with your noble mouth?¡±


    And the man who was talking to me right now was definitely the one I was playing as, the main character. The wizard who experienced ¡®game over¡¯ several times in the labyrinth filled with evil spirits.


    YOU DIED.


    How many times have I seen the infamous ¡®Miss Yoo Da-hee¡¯ because of my poor skills?


    (T/N: The phrase ¡®You Died¡¯ that appears when playing games sounds similar to the name Yoo Da-hee in Korean, so people started calling it like that instead and it became a meme among players.)


    ¡°Celina?¡±


    He raised his voice questioningly. The silver hair with gray undertones scattered smoothly over the man¡¯s forehead and earlobes. The pupils of the delicate eyes were radiant.


    But what caught my attention the most was the strange and dreamy atmosphere he exuded, which could not be expressed in words.


    He was a man I created with all my heart and soul, so that he wouldn¡¯t be lacking anything. He was heterogeneously distinct and realistic. I was enraptured for a moment by his unexpected outer appearance.


    So this was the feeling he gave when he was alive and breathing.


    ¡°Hurry up and let me hear your voice.¡±


    Mikael smiled gently and brought his lips to the back of Celina¡¯s hand, the body I was in right now.


    At the same time, my vision blurred. Feeling dizzy, I closed my eyes tightly. The blood in my entire body cooled down and my heart plummeted.


    I felt the world crushing like an abstract painting and my body leaning helplessly.


    ¡°Celina!¡±


    There was an urgent voice beyond my fading consciousness.


    ***


    So. I guess I fainted in my dream. The funny thing was that when I opened my eyes, it was still a dream. And a lucid dream, on top of that!


    Well, things like this can happen, right?


    This was Celina¡¯s room. A pleasant scent hovered at the tip of my nose, like when hanging the laundry to dry in the sun. The blanket was incredibly soft. It was so cozy that I wanted to take a deep nap.


    Seeing me fainting wasn¡¯t a strange situation. Because this woman had a weak body. It was an important character in its own way, but I didn¡¯t want to neglect it just because it wasn¡¯t a man, so I remember planning it as carefully as possible.


    But even so, I didn¡¯t expect to collapse so feebly right on the spot Mikael was looking at.


    I began to observe what I could see in front of me. The carvings on the high, soaring ceiling were geometric and beautiful, without leaving any empty spaces.


    The face of the angel, half shaded by the sun, was dynamic. His neat ivory lips seemed to be open at any moment to speak of the profound paradox and understanding of the world.


    Lying on the bed, I grabbed a handful of my long hair and pushed it in front of me, staring at it quietly. It was very unrealistic to see hair with violet-like colors reflected in the sunlight.


    The last thing that caught my attention was the ring on my index finger. A brilliant yellow diamond glittered.


    Wow. I must have been stressed out a lot in my real life because of the game, that I was even having this kind of dream.


    However, though it was definitely a lucid dream, the surroundings didn¡¯t change at my will. Strangely. Was it also different in theory and practice? If I just stayed like this, my eyes would open by themselves, right?


    ¡°Get up.¡±


    A blunt voice cut off my thoughts. As I turned my head, I could see a man sitting on a chair beside the bed, with an upright back.


    Elijah Dell?


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    ¡°Mikael was very surprised. He blamed himself for your fall.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Wow, even this person appeared. I never thought I¡¯d see his face in this place. I stood up in a daze.


    ¡°A child who has no abilities; if I take good care of you for the rest of my life, at least you shouldn¡¯t have an accident. What is this indecent behavior towards a noble person? I see you can¡¯t even raise your face because you¡¯re ashamed.¡±


    His eyes and tone of voice as he spoke to me were as cold as the middle of winter.

 Chapter 2.1

    The man with the same hair color as Celina and vivid golden eyes looked young, but a heavy and profound atmosphere that did not match his appearance was wrapped around his body like armor. His heavy tone of voice further spurred his hostile feeling.


    ¡°Having a sick body is not something to brag about, it¡¯s not a medal, or something to use as an excuse. You should be ashamed.¡±


    The passage of time meant nothing to a renowned wizard. This man¡¯s seasons were an everlasting spring in which small and delicate life pulsed and revived.


    As if to prove that, you could not find a single wrinkle on his smooth skin. The eyes, nose, and mouth, situated in perfect balance with each other, were clear as if they would never crumble. There was liveliness everywhere, and every moment was overflowing with strength.


    It was due to the magical power that surged like an inexhaustible supply, and the skill based on it. It was precisely because of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone embedded in both of his eyes.


    Youth and riches that never dry out in the strong sunshine that is called time.


    ¡°So. Why did you open my eyes like this? Pff.¡±


    I murmured in a low voice.


    ¡°Celina Dell¨D!!¡±


    Oh, shut up. Why are you screaming all of a sudden? The cold scolding that penetrated my heart like a winter wind made my face crumple by itself.


    His eyes were full of disgust and contempt for me. Vividly feeling the hatred, I felt upset. There was a surge of ridicule.


    I¡¯ve been working hard on my writing and my game. Why did I have to dream about something like this? No, of course, it was nice to see Mikael in real life! I spewed a complaint in my mind that I didn¡¯t know whom it was directed at.


    ¡°What the hell are you thinking, to say such a vulgar thing that you don¡¯t even mean!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    How does he know if I mean it or not? I lowered my gaze again without answering. I thought that I didn¡¯t know either.


    But immediately, Elijah grabbed my face with a rough movement. The beautiful face close to me was glaring terribly at me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rude. I¡¯m doing my duty somehow with this bothersome designation and title of nobility. So you should also act appropriately. How many times have I told you?¡±


    After saying that, Elijah released Celina¡¯s face roughly as if he were throwing away something dirty. He even showed the brutality of wiping the palm of his hand with a handkerchief.


    It was a character I created, but he was a real son of a bitch. What was more upsetting is that this painful feeling was clear.


    [Writer, please kick Elijah out using the fact that you have to apologize to Mikael as an excuse.]


    While I was staring at him, touching my tingling cheeks, the chat window appeared in front of my eyes.


    It was a very familiar situation.


    Because in the game, Celina gives hints to the player like that, or has a private conversation.


    Receiving Celina¡¯s hints from Celina¡¯s point of view. Wow. This dream was really dynamic. I had no idea this kind of thing existed in my subconscious.


    ¡°What about Mikael?¡±


    First of all, in order to overcome this situation, I had to find Mikael as the chat window told me to. Since things became like this already, I wanted to see the protagonist¡¯s pretty face to my heart¡¯s content.


    ¡°He¡¯s outside.¡±


    ¡°Please call him. I¡¯ll apologize to him in private.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    After shooting a displeased gaze at me, he stood up and blocked my view. Then, he reached for the door.


    ¡°I think I heard a scream, Master. Are you all right?¡±


    Soon, the door opened, and I could hear Mikael¡¯s sweet voice.


    ¡°I was worried that my daughter would not take care of her body, so I scolded her a little. Did you wait for a long time?¡±


    Elijah said as he touched my cheeks lightly, removing his hand immediately after. I snorted quietly. It was clear that he quickly erased the red hand marks he left on my skin.


    ¡°Not at all. As a father, it¡¯s natural for you to worry.¡±


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    Celina, who had a weak body, was the only child he conceived through sexual intercourse. This meant that of the six children who were distributed throughout the castle, only she came out of the womb of a woman. Her hair color, which was the same as Elijah¡¯s, was proof of that.


    Celina, who was unplanned, was a burden to Elijah. Not only the cold-hearted wizards, but also those in higher ranks, frequently made children with ¡®magic¡¯ and ¡®alchemy¡¯.


    That¡¯s what made it possible for them to give birth among the same sex in my sloppy worldview.


    In a way, it was natural for the religious community of the empire to oppose them. How devilish it must have looked, to create life and defy nature when they themselves are just mere creatures?


    Wizards who were like a poisoned Grail. At the same time, the imperial family needed a wizard under their feet to strengthen the foundations of their rule, and the worshippers held sacred objects on their heads and praised God.

 Chapter 2.2

    The sacrifices of the people, which surged as a side effect of that. The public sentiment, wailing towards the sky covered in blood.


    Elijah Dell was a terrifying and magnificent figure who put an end to that long era of loss and turbulence.


    However, the surface that is pressed by force may seem calm on the outside, but on the inside, it swells like boiling magma. You never know when or where it¡¯s going to burst.


    That was why they wanted Mikael, who not only Elijah but also the imperial family said was the key to the new path. Because the power would be pushed around depending on where he was. And the ending would change accordingly.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what happened. I already knew you had a weak body, but it¡¯s my fault that I couldn¡¯t be more considerate. I apologize.¡±


    With Mikael¡¯s voice, the sound of his feet slowly grew closer. However, it didn¡¯t seem like there was just one person coming this way. I listened quietly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move around your room for a while and focus on your recovery. I¡¯ll have a healer stay in a nearby room. Don¡¯t attend today¡¯s banquet and rest well.¡±


    Having said that, Elijah kissed my cheek lightly and suddenly left the room.


    Ah, annoying. Look at that pretentious guy. I rubbed my cheek and grunted quietly, but only then did I notice another man other than Mikael.


    ¡°Ian?¡±


    I called his name in a moment of confusion.


    ¡°Yes, Young Lady.¡±


    Then, a man hardhearted like a stone bent his knee and met my eyes. His gaze on me was too upright. Behind the silver-framed glasses, his dark eyes were extremely calm and revealed his wisdom.


    One of the main targets in the novel was Ian. He had the typical appearance that comes to your mind when you think of a skillful ¡®butler¡¯.


    Dark hair and eye color. A tall, lean, good at handling things, cool and handsome guy with an intellectual feel. Someone as ascetic as Archmage Elijah, a hidden target character.


    Ian was just an attendant who did miscellaneous work next to Celina, who was a noble lady who had decent abilities but had nothing to do. Until he left Celina¡¯s side due to some kind of incident.


    ?¡±No, it¡¯s nothing. You can get up.¡±


    ¡°I was very surprised to hear that you had collapsed. How are you feeling?¡±


    Ian¡¯s eyes were looking all over Celina¡¯s body. I nodded my head.


    Although Celina did not possess magical power, she was the child who was most cherished by outside wizards, so she was treated with honor and hospitability by anyone but her family.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. But I want to talk to Mikael.¡±


    [Good. That¡¯s exactly it. You did very well!]


    I just did what I wanted, but I heard a sudden compliment.


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll prepare things right away.¡±


    Ian began to move busily. I stared blankly at what the butler was doing for a while, then carefully turned my eyes to the protagonist.


    Mikael immediately showed a bright smile. It seemed that he had been looking at me since before.


    I smiled at him as if I had been possessed by something. The corners of my mouth were out of control and rose on their own, like an idiot. Ah, the protagonist¡¯s face is the best.


    In fact, at the time of writing, my feelings for the protagonist often crossed between love and hatred. I wondered how I could go back and forth between extremes to that extent.


    The feelings of both extremes were perfectly proportional. I suffered as much as I cared about him.


    But now it felt like the negative emotions had definitely disappeared. I didn¡¯t know if it was because the inner waves had passed, or because we were facing each other like this.


    [Wouldn¡¯t it be better to ask Ian to leave?]


    I glanced sideways at the chat window that was fading in the air. I was already hoping for it.


    ¡°When you finish, please leave us for a while.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Ian replied. As I was doing this, I felt like I was in a virtual reality that was impossible to distinguish from reality. I couldn¡¯t believe I was experiencing the essence of future technology like this.


    If this kind of perfect virtual reality comes out, assuming that consciousness is really me and not a body that is a shell, will it be possible to easily conclude which side is the real reality?


    ¡°Young Lady.¡±


    Ian¡¯s neat voice pulled me out of my philosophical thoughts.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all set. I will take my leave now.¡±


    At some point, an assortment of shiny snacks occupied the table by the window, which had been empty until just now. The rising scent of tea was fragrant.


    ¡°Thank you. We¡¯ll enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°Sorry? What are you saying suddenly? You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡±


    He tilted his head as if in doubt. I replied awkwardly.


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    ¡°Ah¡­ I see. Alright.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Please feel free to call me if you need anything.¡±


    Ian gave a polite bow and left. I scratched my head once, as if I was still confused.


    Did I just make a mistake? Wow. I didn¡¯t know why, but I felt chills down my spine for a moment.


    There was nothing easy here either. Even if it was my designed worldview, there is no way that I created the noble lady¡¯s tone and behavior with such detail.

 Chapter 3.1

    [Don¡¯t worry about it. You can do a good job. I will help you.]


    ¡®It¡¯s too late already. There¡¯s no use saying you will help me after the situation has already happened.¡¯


    [I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be quicker next time!]


    The man¡¯s hand stopped right in front of me, breaking through Celina¡¯s chat window that kept appearing suddenly. I opened my eyes wide. He spoke with a bright face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the table, Celina.¡±


    I closed my mouth tightly, which almost said thank you again, and received Mikael¡¯s support. After he pulled out a chair and sat me down, he also sat down. Strangely enough, he sat right next to me, not across from me.


    No. Wait. I think this is too close. I have to ask him to go back a little¡­


    ¡°Celina.¡±


    Mikael called Celina¡¯s name while I was hesitating for a moment at the unexpected distance.


    Hearing it from a kind voice, the name of this woman was indeed pretty and sweet. It¡¯s a little fortunate that this man is the starting point of this interesting yet uninteresting curious dream.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Perhaps that¡¯s why, strangely enough, the desire to widen the distance quickly disappeared.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re feeling better. I was worried. It¡¯s all because of me that you collapsed like that.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s not because of you. You know. It¡¯s because I¡¯m weak.¡±


    [You can thank Mikael as much as you want. Just be comfortable.]


    This time, the chat window appeared in a timely manner.


    ¡°Thank you. For your concern.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to meet you quickly. I¡¯ve spent my life thinking about what kind of person you are. Because of you, I¡¯ve endured it until now without dying. I can withstand everything from now on.¡±


    ¡°H-huh?¡±


    I suddenly became confused. Can anyone tell me what he¡¯s talking about? I could hear it clearly, but I couldn¡¯t understand it at all.


    ¡°It should have been like this before. This is how it¡¯s right.¡±


    Letting out a sigh, Mikael leaned closer and faced me. It was a distance short enough to see not only the detailed texture of his hair, which curved smoothly, but also each of his dense eyelashes.


    ¡°There were rarely any chances. For me. I lived with the hope that if I waited patiently, I could meet you one day.¡±


    The perfectly shaped lips moved restlessly and continued to say something.


    ¡°But you must have never thought about meeting me like this. Honestly, that¡¯s natural. Though I¡¯m very angry that there is a time about you that I don¡¯t know of.¡±


    ¡°What have you been saying¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, though.¡±


    He glanced down with a sad expression, and then raised his eyes at me. Celina¡¯s face narrowed at the deer-like glance.


    I couldn¡¯t push him away because he used the handsome man trick.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, there are plenty of chances. I¡¯ll make everything right from now on. Just stay by my side. Will you trust me?¡±


    Mikael¡¯s words flowed into one ear and escaped from the other. All that remained in my head was, ¡®Will you trust me?¡¯


    ¡°Huh? Yeah. Of course, I trust you.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even think of pulling myself back and stared at him blankly.


    ¡°Celina.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Can I hold your hand?¡±


    ¡°What? My hand?¡±


    The word ¡®hand¡¯ suddenly brought me down to ¡®reality¡¯. Only then did I urgently back off.


    However, because of the rug on the floor, the chair could not move back as I intended, and the rear legs were tightly stuck. Because of that, the front legs rose from the floor.


    ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Mikael hurriedly grabbed the chair.


    ¡°¡­ Why are you suddenly asking for my hand?¡±


    I looked at him in confusion.


    My protagonist fluttered a lot, but he wasn¡¯t the type of character to make others flutter.


    Rather, he was a person with a coldness that could freeze someone beneath a kind and gentle surface. The extreme gaps, and the wounds that were skillfully hidden in between, set fire to other people¡¯s feelings and burned them.


    First and foremost. Mikael wasn¡¯t this close to Celina. Then, there was only one possibility.


    I secretly had this kind of feeling towards the protagonist. That¡¯s why I was dreaming of being in the woman¡¯s, Celina¡¯s, point of view, and why she was pestering me.


    I never thought my subconscious was this perverted. Let¡¯s reflect on this.


    [What are you doing? It¡¯s fine.]


    What¡¯s fine? Nothing is fine! Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by a sense of shame.


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    ¡°You know.¡±


    Mikael calmly opened his mouth and looked at Celina¡¯s hand. The earrings he was wearing shook uniformly.


    ¡°You did a lot of things with these hands. Didn¡¯t you?¡±


    I blinked quietly. Unlike my mind, which was chaos itself.


    Right? I mean, I did make something. For example, I made you. I ripped my hair off all night because my writing wasn¡¯t working out. I stuffed a lot of late-night snacks in my mouth.

 Chapter 3.2

    ¡°It must have been hard just to socialize with the nobles, but you also wrote me a letter from time to time. I know very well it wasn¡¯t just because of the Master¡¯s orders. I could feel it.¡±


    ¡°A letter?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I was able to continue my life thanks to you. Until today, when I met you like this.¡±


    Huh? I forcefully closed my mouth, which had opened due to how dumbfounded I was. A letter. A letter! That¡¯s really weird!


    ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to hold it properly for once. As you know, I was abandoned by my parents¡­¡±


    Mikael¡¯s expression was very sorrowful. Having become difficult to outright refuse, I thought over and over again about how to reject it using a euphemism.


    ¡°Oh. So. Mikael, you know. I mean. Don¡¯t get me wrong. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like you at all¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible, is it? I¡¯m really sorry. I won¡¯t ask you something like this again.¡±


    He got up from his seat, drooping his shoulders. Seeing that weakened my mind instantly. Ah, whatever!


    ¡°No! It¡¯s fine!¡±


    I grabbed his hand urgently.


    [Well done!]


    Amid that, I heard another compliment, and it made me fake laughter. Well, what can I do? Honestly, how could I say no? It¡¯s not like I will perish just from him holding my hand.


    In fact, it was a request that had no choice in the first place. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that I wrote it with my teeth clenched to see him smile at the end.


    ¡°You can hold it. If you want to hold this hand, feel free to do so.¡±


    ¡°Ah. I¡¯m really happy.¡±


    Mikael smiled so beautifully that my heart was numb for a moment. He moved his hand and, as if savoring very slowly, dug between my fingers. I forgot to breathe for a while because of that strange sensation.


    His index finger gently rubbed my thumb several times. I felt a thump looking at the hands being held together, which you couldn¡¯t figure out who they belonged to.


    It was no big deal, but for some reason, my cheeks were hot. I felt like I wanted to bring in some kind of fan from somewhere. I didn¡¯t mean for it to be held like this. But the funny thing was, I didn¡¯t hate it.


    Alright. Let¡¯s just satisfy this selfishness that I don¡¯t know where it came from. If I fulfill it here, I won¡¯t have this perverted dream again.


    However, I secretly avoided Mikael¡¯s eyes. I gave him my hand somehow, but it was impossible to make eye contact with him in this situation. Either of the two was too much to handle.


    ***


    On the night of Mikael¡¯s arrival, a grand banquet would be held. As it was a banquet held by Elijah himself, the most prominent figures of the empire would gather.


    There, Mikael would meet the main target characters; the other children of Elijah, the next emperor Cain, and Grand Duke Samuel.


    And at the end of the banquet, Celina would secretly call Mikael to give him a view of the world and character information.


    But right now. Celina, the overseer who had to gracefully enjoy the banquet and keep an eye on Mikael, was sitting in her room without even being able to attend it.


    Yeah, that was exactly me.


    [Do you want to attend the party?]


    ¡®Of course, I do. I¡¯m bored to death. If you¡¯re going to leave me bored like this, you should end it now.¡¯


    At least, I was glad that dinner was delicious. I was surprised that the taste was vivid. The funny thing was that I ate as much as a bird, but I was full. Anyway, that¡¯s how Celina is.


    [Elijah Dell is not a generous person. I know it¡¯s boring, but please bear with it for today. You will have plenty of chances to meet Cain Heihel in the future.]


    Gosh, what was the point if I didn¡¯t meet him now? This is a temporary space.


    I sighed and lay on my back. Because of the fluffiness of the bed, my body jolted up and down a few times.


    ¡°Ah, I want to go out. It¡¯s suffocating.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t. You haven¡¯t fully recovered yet.¡±


    Ian responded decisively to my thoughtless murmur. That¡¯s cheap. Just as I was about to pout, a chat window appeared.


    [You can¡¯t make that expression. Same for your tone of voice.]


    ¡®It¡¯s my dream. Why can¡¯t I do what I want?¡¯


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    [You were hurt earlier because of Elijah Dell. Do you want to go through that again?]


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    I loosened my expression and shook off the white letters floating clearly in the air.


    Right? If I look weird and get executed, it¡¯s a big deal. I don¡¯t want to wake up while feeling the pain of dying.


    And that jerk Elijah. I never thought he would fuck Celina over like this. He¡¯s glad that I was sick just in time, isn¡¯t he?

 Chapter 4.1

    The child who is like a thorn in his eyes collapsed just in time, so he took this opportunity to hide her completely and show off the rest of his children.


    And then, in the banquet hall, he would chatter away and say how upset he was that his beloved daughter was in poor physical condition.


    In this room, I couldn¡¯t feel a single bit of the exciting atmosphere the banquet hall would evoke. It was as serene as if it had been disconnected from everything. As expected, it was a little disappointing.


    I wanted to meet the Crown Prince. He was my target character when testing the game. Cain.


    I moved sluggishly and lay horizontally on the bed. Then, lying on my side, I began to observe the room that could be seen in a magazine or movie.


    Glittering chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling, a vanity table decorated with gold leaf and all kinds of jewels, a splendid wallpaper that had no comparison, and paintings that boasted their presence even though the curtain called night was set.


    ¡°Ian.¡±


    Suddenly, I called the man. Beyond the arched passage in the wall, Ian, who sat by a window decorated with plants and read a book, turned his head.


    ¡°Yes. Is something wrong?¡±


    His face, as he looked at me, was emotionless and calm. But I knew very well. How that emotion broke in front of Mikael.


    ¡°Can you tell me something interesting? I¡¯m frustrated.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ Is it because Mikael is here?¡±


    The voice containing the question was low. I asked back, confused.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The atmosphere has clearly changed.¡±


    [See? That¡¯s why I told you before.]


    ¡®Hey! You didn¡¯t show up until after I made a mistake!¡¯


    I shouted inwardly, but there was no response back.


    ¡°How did it change?¡±


    ¡°This may sound very rude, but you seem a little more human than before.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t find the right words to answer back.


    ¡®Ah, hm. Was Celina not a human? Was she a monster¡­?¡¯


    [How could that be?]


    Behind the ridiculous translucent chat window, Ian closed the book.


    ¡°When I first saw the Young Lady, who grew up in confinement, I thought you were just a well-made doll. You didn¡¯t laugh, and you didn¡¯t get angry. It felt like you were going to die at any moment.¡±


    He rose slowly from his seat and opened the window wide. The curtains shook along the night air that flowed in. The glass ornaments hanging by the window made a clattering sound.


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep it open for long. It will be a big problem if you get a cold.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    I silently watched the night sky that contained the Milky Way as it seemed to pour into the room. It was beautiful enough to want to be able to watch it like this at any time. The moon was casually hiding its face, but I didn¡¯t feel any emptiness at all.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t understand. This may seem impertinent to say as a servant, but the Lord is a person who doesn¡¯t know affection. That¡¯s why you may have seemed emotionless, too.¡±


    He meticulously examined a luminous plant that emitted a subtle glow. Then, suddenly, he summoned a watering can.


    ¡°It is certainly like that.¡±


    I roughly agreed with his words.


    ¡°It was after you heard from the Lord about Mikael that I thought the Young Lady was becoming a bit more human.


    ¡°About Mikael?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Do you remember? Only then, for the first time, did you fight with your other brothers and sisters. You were also very annoyed. Every servant in the castle was delighted to know that.¡±


    ¡°Did I do that?¡±


    ¡°And only then did the Lord properly introduce the Young Lady to the nobles. While saying that you were a daughter that he had been hiding because he cherished you so much.¡±


    Ian watered the plant and continued to speak in a monotonous tone of voice.


    ¡°And today. You¡¯ve become even more like a human after you first met Mikael. I was very surprised to see you smiling beautifully earlier. Apparently, your emotional expressions are increasing. I am very happy.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


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    No. Really. What is he talking about? Question marks poured inside my head like a sudden rain. But I had to stop there.


    When it came to temporarily built fantasies and fabrications, there was no reason and no need to know in detail. If I dug deeper into it, I would be the only one getting tired. I tried my best to stop my interest.


    ***


    I bathed in a pool or something, which was claimed to be a bathtub, in the early morning breeze. It was a place so big that someone could drown, and no one would know. After that, I was sitting in front of a mirror and dressing up.


    That¡¯s right. Again, I opened my eyes here. I didn¡¯t know what to do or how to do it, so I just left myself to the maids.

 Chapter 4.2

    That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a life I never experienced, so I don¡¯t know. Sometimes you have awfully long dreams. In that case, let¡¯s do this.


    Meet the Crown Prince first, and then get out of here. Don¡¯t you usually open your eyes to the real world when you receive a shock in a dream? If I end up waking up before meeting Cain, then there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. I quickly summarized my thoughts.


    The maid was busy braiding my lilac hair to the side and putting real flowers on it. I fiddled with the waist ornament and gazed at Celina¡¯s reflection in the mirror.


    You¡¯re really pretty.


    The woman in the light sky-blue dress was thin, but she was never weak. I liked her unique straightforward and upright attitude.


    I admired the arrogant and relaxed eyes, unique to those who possessed a lot of things hidden behind a weak appearance. Her soft voice was also very treasured.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Stop.¡±


    As I told them to stop, the maids politely stepped back. I barely managed to save Celina¡¯s hair, which was almost impossible to distinguish whether it was human hair or a flower garden in the backyard.


    Well, I think it¡¯s a little excessive, but I can¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Ian, let¡¯s go.¡±


    To the place where those irritating things are swarming. I held back those last words.


    Elijah valued having meals with his family. Even if you weren¡¯t in the castle because of work or if you were sick, it was never allowed to eat separately. In addition, Mikael would be there for the first time today.


    I was very curious whether the same situation would happen here as in the game. I got up from my seat, fiddling with the ends of my perfectly tied hair.


    There was no specific reason for it, but the movement magic in the castle was usually done in the corridor. It felt like it had become an unwritten rule? I grabbed the luxurious doorknob tightly and opened the door.


    Then, I faced a wizard standing right in front of me. Elijah Dell, who loosely tied the straight hair that came down to his shoulders and wore a gilded robe.


    The mood sank sharply. But my dissatisfaction melted away like snow as soon as I found Mikael standing next to Elijah.


    ¡°Hi, Mikael. Good morning.¡±


    I greeted him nicely. Yeah, what does it matter whether Elijah is in front of me or not? Only I exist, not anyone else.


    ¡°Hello, Celina. Did you sleep well last night? How are you feeling? I was worried all night.¡±


    Mikael was wearing a fluttering black shirt and gray trousers with a slight tinge of blue. The long earring hanging from his left earlobe suited him well, no matter when. Generally, he could be easily concealed because he was someone with a pale skin tone, but as expected, color had nothing to do with this man.


    ¡°Hm. Not bad?¡±


    I replied ambiguously. Sleeping in a dream wasn¡¯t actually sleeping, but let¡¯s just say I slept roughly.


    ¡°Come to think of it, how were you yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday?¡±


    ¡°You must have met a lot of new people. Didn¡¯t you have any fun?¡±


    ¡°Ah. Rather than having fun¡­¡±


    Ahem. Elijah suddenly cleared his throat, perhaps because he was sensing that the conversation was about to get lengthy. I looked at him reflexively.


    Hey, who the hell are you to cut off the main character!


    [You should call him ¡®father¡¯. Never use his name.]


    A chat window appeared and quickly advised me.


    ¡°Father. What brings you here early in the morning when you¡¯re very busy?¡±


    ¡°Mikael kept pestering me that he wanted to see you.¡±


    Elijah didn¡¯t seem to mind my sarcasm at all. I turned my head back towards Mikael.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. I begged. I also tried to give Master an excuse to check on Celina¡¯s condition. It¡¯s a little weird for me to visit alone.¡±


    However, I was rather bewildered because he scattered a bright smile without a single hint of awkwardness and embarrassment.


    This is impossible. I must be crazy. I guess I still didn¡¯t satisfy my desires. Was it not enough to hold hands yesterday?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Elijah hurriedly checked the time on his pocket watch. So everyone, including me, followed him.


    I adjusted my pace to my company and discreetly looked around everywhere. I felt like my mouth was going to open wide because of the magnificence.


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    As the original author, I was heavily involved in the creation of the game, so I knew everything inside the castle, but it was the first time I was seeing it in person.


    In my setting, this castle, which Elijah built himself, was so high and eerie that once its shadow was cast, it created the illusion that night had come temporarily to the lake area.


    I didn¡¯t know how much of this place had been implemented in the game, but not even I looked around this castle when I tested it.


    I had no reason to come to this area when playing as Mikael, because I was busy deciding the route and proceeding with the story, and inside the dream, I had no chance to come out of my room since yesterday. So I got a little confused.


    Was I this imaginative? This is too specific and perfect. I¡¯m not such a creative person.

 Chapter 5.1

    ¡°You only met each other for the first time yesterday, but you seem to be very close.¡±


    Elijah stopped his steps in a spot where he could get a clear view of the wide courtyard. In the center of the open space, which felt like a square, stood a large, green tree. The people walking around busily wearing neat clothes looked as small as Lego pieces.


    ¡°Of course. I have no other choice, Master.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Celina is also my savior, just like you.¡±


    At the same time as Mikael¡¯s reply, we arrived right in front of the dining room. I flinched, amazed at the momentary change of scenery.


    In the game, it was possible to choose a place to move to by selecting the crystal balls located throughout the castle. When you reached a certain level, you could move freely without any cumbersome process. However, I was not so happy because I was moved without intending to.


    The knight guarding the front of the dining room opened the door, and I stepped into the spot where the protagonist¡¯s first option was triggered.


    It¡¯s not that important since it¡¯s the initial stage, but¡­ What choice would you make?


    The moment I looked at Mikael inadvertently, to my surprise, he stared back at me. A pretty smile appeared on his lips as if he had been waiting.


    Why do you keep smiling like that? Making people embarrassed.


    ¡°Why are you so late? Everyone else is already here.¡±


    Fortunately, the moment of embarrassment was brief. Because one of the kids loitering around the door was talking to Celina.


    Huh? This situation didn¡¯t happen. What should I do? I looked down silently.


    ¡°What are you looking at? Won¡¯t you move your eyes?!¡±


    The handsome boy with blonde hair glared at me with his big, sharp eyes. Ahem. What should I do about this child? I¡¯m a bit at a loss. Maybe it¡¯s better to just ignore him.


    [Turn into Celina and scold him gracefully. Honestly, he¡¯s annoying.]


    ¡®What does it even mean to scold someone gracefully? Is it fancy yet simple? Something like that?¡¯


    It was such a ridiculous quest.


    [It¡¯s not hard. You just have to be sarcastic. People can¡¯t treat you recklessly because of Elijah Dell.]


    Celina reacted as if it was nothing. If it were like the original me, I would have hit the back of that spoiled brat¡¯s head right away, since this is a dream anyway. But Celina wasn¡¯t that kind of impulsive person.


    Besides, she regularly went to the palace to talk to the emperor¡¯s daughter, so her eloquence was quite remarkable.


    I didn¡¯t know if someone with terrible skills like me could mimic her, but I needed to do something first.


    ¡°You. How old were you again?¡±


    Yuri Dell. Elijah¡¯s fifth child. A cheap, opportunist child who follows Mikael, a character with a fighting spirit who is talented, handsome, and has great skills, and naturally ignores Celina, who has no magic abilities and is weak.


    ¡°Why are you asking me that?!¡±


    The boy was on edge like a sensitive cat.


    ¡°Just because. Actually, your answer doesn¡¯t matter. It looks like you need at least five more years before you can talk to me.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t meet my eye level, you¡¯re too short.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to do, but I was as sarcastic as I could be.


    ¡°You need to raise that level a little more. It¡¯s too annoying to deal with.¡±


    ¡°Hey¨D!¡±


    Yuri squeaked like a chicken doll being stepped on. With a long sigh, I covered both ears for a moment.


    ¡°We¡¯re in front of Father right now. Mikael is also here today. You¡¯re going to rupture my eardrums, so shut up. Who do you think will listen to you when you scream like that?¡±


    I reproached him coldly and walked past him. An uncomfortable silence wrapped around the dining room.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Young Master.¡±


    I heard Mikael¡¯s soft voice behind me. I was sure. From the way he was speaking, the main character was still a little angry.


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    Instead of sitting in a chair, I glanced to the side and saw Yuri Dell being held by Mikael. The boy was making the impression that his arm was hurting quite a lot.


    Seeing his stance as if to run away immediately, it seemed like he was trying to do something while I took my eyes off him. Soon, Mikael whispered something to the boy.


    I sat down with a short scoff. Sitting directly opposite me was Hendrik, the eldest child. I felt a chill on my back when his abyss-like eyes reached me, but faced him as casually as I could.


    In fact, it was he who had a really bad personality. The setting itself wasn¡¯t that of a good-hearted character. Hendrik Dell was a terrifying character who completely corrected his scummy personality with ¡®the power of love¡¯ towards Mikael.


    Which meant that if you moved in an unsatisfactory way, you would join hands with the main villain and ride the express train towards the sad ending where everyone dies.

 Chapter 5.2

    ¡°Yuri Dell. Hurry up and sit down. You have to be respectful to your sister, by all means. How unsightly.¡±


    It was not long before Elijah¡¯s sighing could be heard. Honestly, rather than Yuri, the wizard who had been watching us for a long time and only now had said something lousy was more hateful.


    ¡°Celina.¡±


    There was an indescribable heavy pressure in Hendrik¡¯s voice that rumbled low like a wave above the water¡¯s surface. Why, why is he calling me? I was stunned by Hendrik¡¯s sudden call.


    ¡°What?¡±


    I had to do my best not to look surprised. Frankly, seeing him in person like this, he was really scary. His distinctive harsh atmosphere completely butchers his handsome face.


    Hendrik, with bright blonde hair and red eyes, stared between me and Yuri alternately once, and then spat out an unfriendly and refined remark.


    ¡°I think I need to cover my sister¡¯s mouth. That¡¯s not exemplary. You should be ashamed.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying it is alright for a younger brother to speak rudely to his older sister?¡±


    But something scary is something scary. That¡¯s it. My feelings here could not have resulted from Celina. Get over your brothers and sisters¡¯ pestering, Celina, as you always do. Be strong, Celina.


    ¡°What¡¯s so contradictory? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    I added one more word that provoked him. This is a fixed scene anyway, so I¡¯m going to put up a fight.


    ¡°You.¡±


    Hendrik put down the cup he was holding roughly and started breathing faster. I looked through the table without even glancing at him.


    Elijah was of course seated in the upper seat. Then, at some point, Mikael had taken a seat diagonally next to him. Next to him was Hendrik. And opposite him was me.


    ¡°Brother! You can¡¯t. Don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    Sitting on my left, Evan, the second child, read the unusual atmosphere and hurriedly stopped Hendrik. And then looked at me as if to persuade me.


    ¡°Celina. You should also refrain from provoking people like that. You¡¯re not a kid, why do you keep doing that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t do that do you, do I? Who was the one who was trying to pick a fight first?¡±


    As I replied unenthusiastically, a woman across the table snorted.


    ¡°Well, did you know? This is why I don¡¯t like talking to you, Sister.¡±


    ¡°Elizabeth Dell. Haven¡¯t you ever thought that I was provoking you on purpose because I didn¡¯t want to talk to you? Stupidly, you only look at things from one perspective and miss the entire picture.¡±


    On Hendrik¡¯s left, the person who was arguing with me was Elizabeth, the fourth child. Next to her was Yuri, who was glaring at me intensely. Henrietta, the youngest, was sitting to my right.


    I took an unexpected look at the real appearance of my family members.


    Celina was the third oldest of six siblings. And as a child born through an official genetic combination, she inherited some of her father¡¯s characteristics.


    But that wasn¡¯t the case with the rest of the children, who had come to this world through magic. If it weren¡¯t for the name ¡®Dell¡¯, you wouldn¡¯t know that they were Elijah¡¯s children. Even considering that their hair and eye color was like that, they didn¡¯t bear the slightest resemblance to him.


    Their feelings towards Celina were diverse and complex. Evan, the second child, and Henrietta, the youngest, were very favorable to her, but the others were mostly accompanied by negative feelings.


    As expected, Elijah Dell¡¯s family education was a complete mess.


    ¡°Ah, this is really annoying.¡±


    Elizabeth, who looked like the school¡¯s prettiest queen bee who bullies the typical female protagonist in teen movies, glared at me with her pretty face.


    ¡°And I was going to stay a little quiet because of Mikael. Do you have to be like that from early morning? Please, look at your own situation. If I were you, I would have lived like I didn¡¯t exist in this world.¡±


    ¡°My situation, my situation¡­¡±


    I chewed over Elizabeth¡¯s words. I was getting irritated.


    ¡°What¡¯s my situation?¡±


    ¡°What is your intention in asking, when you know everything?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like that I act so confident when I don¡¯t know how to do anything, do you?¡±


    Celina Dell, the daughter of an archmage who doesn¡¯t have any magic abilities.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You know it very well.¡±


    She twisted her lips and laughed at me.


    ¡°Then, you should put a curse on me.¡±


    ¡°A curse? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Tell me to foam at my mouth and die. You¡¯re not like the inferior me, so you have that much capability, right?¡±


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    I hardened my face and snapped coldly.


    ¡°Are you crazy?!¡±


    Elizabeth shouted, her eyes glaring with hatred.


    ¡°Dear heavens! Don¡¯t say scary things like that!¡±


    Evan, who was sitting next to me, was greatly frightened. At the same time, a sharp burst was heard. I hurriedly turned my head.

 Chapter 6.1

    ¡°Stop it. I will not tolerate any further commotion.¡±


    Elijah¡¯s expression seemed too peaceful for him to have thrown an expensive bowl.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say those vulgar things ever again. Celina, Elizabeth. It¡¯s a warning for both of you. What is this indecent behavior, so early in the morning?¡±


    He was savoring wine from a turquoise bottle, gracefully holding the glass, from very early in the morning. Only the servant who cleaned up the tableware that had scattered into pieces on the floor was proving that the sound she had just heard was not false.


    ¡°I apologize. Father. I overreacted. I¡¯ll be careful in the future.¡±


    Elizabeth withdrew immediately. But I didn¡¯t apologize until the end. I didn¡¯t want to say anything that was not in my heart. Fortunately, Elijah didn¡¯t seem to want to ask such a thing from me.


    ¡°You, really! Don¡¯t say that again! I thought my heart was going to drop for a moment.¡±


    Evan grabbed my shoulder and scolded me.


    ¡°Is that so? You know I¡¯m joking.¡±


    I responded casually and looked across the table. Mikael looked a little shocked. I felt a little sorry for some reason.


    Evan turned his head to follow my gaze, which had stopped exactly in one place, and immediately buried his face in his hands. His shoulders trembled, following a deep sigh.


    ¡°Mikael. I¡¯m sorry you¡¯re seeing this kind of thing on your first time here. We are a bit like this. I¡¯m embarrassed to say it myself, but we¡¯re not on very good terms.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alone, so I don¡¯t know very well, but¡­ I heard that family members usually fight like this. Don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    Mikael replied with a slight stiffness. I covered my mouth and smiled lightly. Because those words were one of the choices in the game.


    [a. It seems that my expectation of Master¡¯s children was too high. Honestly, I¡¯m a little disappointed.]


    [b. I¡¯m alone, so I don¡¯t know very well, but¡­ I heard that family members usually fight like this. Don¡¯t mind me.]


    [c. No. It was very fun. In that sense, could you fight one more time?]


    That¡¯s right. It wasn¡¯t a very important choice. I began to eat a salad with colorful ingredients. Both vegetables and fruits were fresh, and the sauce tasted very good.


    ¡°Exactly. Come to think of it, you collapsed again. I¡¯m really sorry I couldn¡¯t go see you. I was going to bring this up first, but I was surprised by those words from earlier and forgot.¡±


    Evan, who always sat next to Celina during meals, spoke again.


    ¡°I was really distracted by the banquet yesterday.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I understand. Celi¡ª no. That¡¯s not it.¡±


    I swallowed the salad and the slip of the tongue.


    [Writer! Get yourself together! You have to call yourself properly!]


    The chat window scolded me immediately. I mean, I¡¯m not doing this on purpose! What can I do? I wasn¡¯t Celina in the first place!


    ¡°Hm? What did you say?¡±


    Evan opened his eyes wide. I quickly corrected myself.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the first time this has happened to me, so how can my brother come every time?¡±


    Evan Dell was the standard of an upright man. He was a really trustworthy person because I made him into a good character.


    What I wrote was an adult novel full of bloodshed and R-rated scenes, and because the worldview wasn¡¯t bright as it was a game that was also made for adults, I had to have this kind of character.


    ¡°Still. I kept worrying because I couldn¡¯t go. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. In return, make sure to come next time. You¡¯re the only one here who sincerely takes care of me. I like you.¡±


    I smiled a little. I was cringing from seeing the conversation I had written coming out of my mouth like this.


    ¡°Celina¡­!¡±


    The eyes of the kind Evan twinkled as if his heart was moved, and he suddenly began to put food on my plate. If that wasn¡¯t enough, he spread marmalade jam on the bread very enthusiastically and even brought it close to my mouth and waited.


    ¡°My little sister, eat a lot and be strong. Okay?¡±


    I¡¯m sorry, but eating a lot won¡¯t make Celina stronger. She can¡¯t even eat a lot because she has a small appetite. I reluctantly took a bite of the bread Evan was giving me.


    ¡°The imperial family called us. We are to visit them next week.¡±


    Elijah brought up the main topic of the day. Ooh, it keeps progressing like the story. I chewed the bread in silence. I didn¡¯t want to eat, but I didn¡¯t have anything to do other than this.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t we going there anyway because of the Princess¡¯ coming-of-age ceremony? I don¡¯t know about our sister who gets called to that place periodically, but why are they even inviting us again?¡±


    Elizabeth, who had been looking at Mikael, turned her gaze completely towards Elijah.


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    ¡°They asked us to come and see the opera.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s an opera. Even so, only people who wear masks live there.¡±


    Hendrik said sarcastically. It was not strange that these wizards were so wary of the imperial family.


    ¡°Come to think of it, the Princess¡¯ coming-of-age ceremony is in May, isn¡¯t it, Master?¡±


    Mikael asked. Elijah nodded lightly.

 Chapter 6.2

    ¡°Celina, what do you think? Why did they call us?¡±


    Mikael asked me the following question. Celina was a wise character, so it was inevitable. I pretended to think about it.


    ¡°¡­ Well. Judging from the timing, I think they¡¯re going to suggest marriage.¡±


    ¡°What? What marriage? Between whom?¡±


    Elizabeth frowned.


    ¡°Brother Evan and Ingrit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking, too.¡±


    Elijah said. In terms of personality, he was close to a hermit and a scholar. He had no greed for power.


    The title of Count he obtained recently was also forcibly given by the emperor, to keep an eye on him. It also was to satisfy his own research needs that he made his children. Though Celina was an unexpected mistake.


    In any case, it was natural for the emperor to keep an eye on him. Seeing that he doesn¡¯t even show his face properly, built a magnificent castle in the middle of a cold and large lake in the remote north, and stays there quietly without a trace, he¡¯s wondering whether he has a secret plan for a rebellion.


    ¡°Then, whenever it is, the temple will react as well. Either support it or oppose it.¡±


    Evan said carefully.


    ¡°Yes. They will surely support it.¡±


    Elijah, who didn¡¯t even touch the food and was only sipping the wine, suddenly looked at me.


    However, his vivid golden eyes returned to their original place in an instant, as if he had never looked at me in the first place. It was so natural that I wondered if it was my mistake.


    ¡°The emperor is still a sly and sharp man. He¡¯s always aiming at our necks. If the person in question can¡¯t bite, he¡¯ll have his children do it.¡±


    Elijah said harshly but resolutely.


    ¡°Mikael, you met those people at the banquet. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Mikael tapped his chin as if recalling that time.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to think yet. However, I hope I will reach the same opinion as Master. There must be a good reason for thinking that way.¡±


    He replied. Oh. I clapped my hands inwardly when I heard his answer. Congratulations on earning a favorable impression.


    Although Elijah kept Mikael by his side according to the setting, he didn¡¯t fully trust and rely on him. However, you could say that once he opened his heart, his trust would go on forever. He wasn¡¯t the most difficult hidden target character for nothing.


    Now that the choice had passed, I wasn¡¯t curious about anything. I took my eyes off the sculptural master and disciple who were whispering to each other.


    Outside the window, a blizzard that did not match the current season swirled. The whistling sound that hit your ears through the window was uproarious. This castle did not distinguish between seasons.


    Everything in this vicinity was determined at the hand of Elijah. Even if it was like this right now, the scorching heat and the rainy season could start later in the night.


    ¡°Hey, hey. Why don¡¯t we drink tea in our sister¡¯s garden? Now that Mikael is a member of our family, I don¡¯t think it would be bad for him to take a look around.¡±


    Elizabeth said around the end of the meal. As if she was provoking me.


    I, who was meaninglessly chewing a tomato, glanced at her, not knowing what to do. Ha! I heard her scoffing straight away as if she was pissed off.


    ¡°Celina. Are you all right?¡±


    Elijah asked, conventionally.


    [Please tell them absolutely not.]


    ¡°Yes. Come whenever you want. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    I ignored the chat window and nodded.


    [Writer!!!]


    The series of exclamation marks at the end of the text were pretty obvious. I was convinced again. That the existence that floated the text in my dream was the ¡®real Celina¡¯.


    [Really! That¡¯s too much! I care a lot about that garden!]


    The chat window now openly referred to itself as ¡®me¡¯. Celina, who was too weak to go outside often, hid and cared for her own private space, the garden; but I wasn¡¯t like that.


    If they want to go, then go.


    [Are you really going to be like this? I¡¯m sad.]


    For reference, ¡®Celina¡¯s Aerial Garden¡¯ is the place Mikael often visited to activate quests or check the status of his targets. It¡¯s stunningly beautiful.


    ¡°Then. If you have finished eating, you can get up.¡±


    Elijah, who didn¡¯t touch any food except wine until the end, rose slowly from his seat. With him taking the lead, everyone left the dining room in a line.


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    Elizabeth, who was friendly to everyone but Celina, began to chatter beside Hendrik. Elijah had Mikael by his side.


    I walked slowly at the very end, like an awkward loner. While walking, Yuri tried to have a staring contest with me.


    Then, the moment I uttered a curse inwardly for the fifth time for him to fall down while looking back like that,


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    The boy really fell to the ground.

 Chapter 7.1

    He tripped on a carpet in the hallway and sprawled out on the floor in a very funny way. So much that it put his neatly dressed clothes to shame.


    Thanks to that, I let out an embarrassing snort, like a pig oinking. Hiding the burst of laughter that was about to come out wasn¡¯t an easy task.


    Just as the heaviest thing in the world are eyelids, the thing you are the most unable to hold in is laughter.


    [Serves him right.]


    I didn¡¯t seem to be the only one having fun.


    [To think I just dared to grumble at you. I sincerely apologize. I¡¯m in a very good mood right now.]


    ¡°Hey! You! Why are you laughing!¡±


    Yuri pointed his finger at me, his face red.


    ¡°Laughing? No way. I was just startled for being suddenly dizzy. You know that too, Yuri. Your sister is a little weak¡­¡±


    There, I put my finger on my temple, pretending to be feeble, and responded pitifully like that. Cough, cough; I covered my mouth and coughed forcedly.


    Yuri opened his mouth wide. Elizabeth looked like she had seen a ghost. Next to her, Hendrik looked like he was going to kill one of us right now.


    What can I do when you guys look at me like that?


    ¡°Ah, Brother. Help me a little. I feel dizzy all of a sudden.¡±


    I said a bit more, as if I was being ostentatious, and leaned my head against Evan¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Are you alright? Do you want to go to your room?¡±


    Evan supported me with a smiling face. And then, I heard Mikael¡¯s clear laugh. It was a clear sound that permeated deep into the heart of the listener and made you feel refreshed.


    Everyone¡¯s gaze was drawn to him at the same time.


    ¡°Ah, damn it. I apologize.¡±


    He rubbed his index finger against his smiling mouth with a smile, and winked slightly at me. As if telling me I did a good job.


    Elijah looked alternately between me, Mikael, and the panting Yuri, letting out a short sigh with a tired expression. It was the appearance of a troubled parent whose child had gotten into trouble.


    ¡°I want to go to my room now, Father.¡±


    I said quickly, taking the chance. I didn¡¯t even want to be with anyone in the first place, except Mikael.


    Elijah nodded as if he couldn¡¯t help it. He certainly would not want more disturbances because of Celina.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll ask Ian for the rest of the work. Ian, you can go to the garden in my place.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Ian bowed his head, but his eye level suddenly rose. I unconsciously grabbed something that was within reach.


    ¡°Here. Let¡¯s go now, then.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    That ¡®something¡¯ was Evan¡¯s neck. I opened my eyes wide and looked at him. What is this cheesy princess posture?


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were dizzy? Then I¡¯ll take you to your room.¡±


    Evan, who responded slyly, picked me up, said goodbye to Elijah, and immediately moved to the front of Celina¡¯s room. Unfortunately, Celina, who could not use magic, could not comfortably walk around alone in the castle.


    ¡°You can put me down now.¡±


    I looked up at the door, boasting its enormous size, and spoke.


    ¡°Okay. But why does it seem like you¡¯re getting lighter? That¡¯s a problem.¡±


    However, Evan only answered and opened the door, entering the room as we were.


    ¡°What happened just now was really funny. You, you seem to have changed since Mikael came? I¡¯m sure you were like that once when you were a child.¡±


    ¡°I told you to put me down?¡±


    ¡°I told you okay?¡±


    He walked, not minding my struggle. As Evan passed by the fireplace, the craftwork adorning it began to move as if it had gained life.


    If his intention was to stop my rebellion, he succeeded perfectly. I was naturally distracted. With my chin raised slightly, I observed the flying glass butterflies twinkling in Celina¡¯s room.


    He put me down softly on the bed and sat right next to me. A glass butterfly that was circling around us scattered a cluster of light over Evan¡¯s reddish hair.


    ¡°Do you hate being together that much?¡±


    He asked warmly.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I reached out and grabbed the cluster of light. On the palm of my hand, the light that remained like the glittery powder used in art class slowly disappeared after a few seconds.


    ¡°Well, you know what? Not everyone hates you that much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot, Evan.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


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    He let out a small sigh.


    ¡°You know. It¡¯s because they¡¯re jealous. You¡¯re the only one Father really loves.¡±


    ¡°Are you also not taking me seriously?¡±


    I faced Evan. I created all of you from scratch. From birth to every scar on your body. I know your personalities, your inner feelings, your secrets, and your weaknesses the best. What nonsense are you talking about?


    ¡°Of course, it isn¡¯t all jealousy. That¡¯s included, too.¡±

 Chapter 7.2

    The man with neat eyes gave a subtle eye smile and put the baby hairs, which were caused by braiding my hair to one side of my head, behind my ear. I shook my head lightly.


    ¡°Even if they don¡¯t hate me unconditionally, all their actions are expressed in that way. Then, for me, it just seems that they hate me.¡±


    ¡°Celina.¡±


    He called my name as if soothing me.


    ¡°So don¡¯t think about speaking on their behalf unnecessarily. If your goal is to make me resent you, you can continue.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Sorry.¡±


    Evan patted my head with an awkward expression.


    ¡°Actually. Maybe it¡¯s because Mikael is here, but I wanted to mediate things a little. Everyone is old enough for that. But it seems I only hurt your feelings for no reason.¡±


    ¡°If you know, don¡¯t do that anymore.¡±


    I shot back, in a coy manner.


    ¡°Alright. But you know, it seems like your complexion has improved a little?¡±


    He put his attractive face close to me and began to look around everywhere.


    ¡°No. Now that I¡¯m seeing it up close, it didn¡¯t improve just a little, it improved a lot. Was it actually a blessing that you collapsed? How did this happen overnight? Is this also because of Mikael?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me. I feel pressured.¡±


    ¡°But you can never get married! I¡¯m not ready to send you to one person yet!¡±


    [Don¡¯t give too big of a reaction. You can just push him back.]


    Just before I openly expressed my disgust, Celina warned me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say weird things.¡±


    As she said, I pushed Evan¡¯s shoulders back. He obediently distanced himself.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who has to tell me. Are you going to marry Ingrit? Do you like her?¡±


    ¡°Oops. The tables have turned.¡±


    Evan smirked. A man with a strong sense of chivalry. Ingrit and this man later become a pair that gets along really well.


    They were the only inexperienced and pretty couple in this cold-blooded worldview, so I let go of my heavy heart and wrote a supplementary story in a fun way.


    ¡°Well¡­ I can¡¯t say anything right now. As you also know, we have so much to think about. Emotions are the last thing to consider.¡±


    He replied calmly.


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s right. I fully understand. Now, can you get out of here quickly?¡±


    I swung my hand.


    ¡°Hm? So suddenly? Aren¡¯t you staying with me until dinner?¡±


    He asked me, bewildered.


    ¡°I never said that.¡±


    ¡°My beloved little sister is so cold; this brother is very worried.¡±


    ¡°What worries? I don¡¯t believe you. Hurry up and go.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s too much. Then, I¡¯ll call Ian. Rest well.¡±


    Evan glared at me and left the room. I counted exactly 30 seconds after he left, walked to the door in big strides, and opened it. Of course, there was no one outside.


    [What are you doing?]


    ¡°An expedition to satisfy my curiosity? It¡¯s unfair if I leave without even looking around.¡±


    I replied directly to her for the first time, snooping down the corridor lined with red carpets.


    It was a space filled with decorations, but for some reason, it had a lonely feeling. It was beautiful on the outside, but it seemed empty inside.


    [It will be better if you don¡¯t go out. Ian will be back in a little while because of Evan Dell¡¯s message.]


    ¡°Why?¡±


    [Because I can¡¯t move in the castle without being accompanied by someone. In fact, I¡¯ve never acted on my own before.]


    ¡°Why?¡±


    I meaninglessly nudged a statue of a lion made of gold with the tips of my toes.


    [This is the order that Elijah Dell gave me from the moment I came to this castle.]


    ¡°You¡¯ve been following that ridiculous order until now?¡±


    [Yes. Of course.]


    ¡°But I¡¯m not you. This is my dream.¡±


    I murmured as if talking to myself. I didn¡¯t know whether she was just observing or if she had given up, but the chat window didn¡¯t appear anymore. So, without hesitation, I brought my hand to a nearby crystal ball.


    A subtle light rose around the contact area. However, as in the game, the possible movement options didn¡¯t come up.


    Ahem, in that case¡­ Anywhere?


    As soon as I uttered that word inwardly, there was a horrible burst of light and the decorations changed. Oh! I was delighted. It was a lion just a moment ago, but it was now a snake with three heads.


    The carpet I was stepping on was deep green. But it seemed I came to the wrong place. The cold clinging to my shoulders was strong. My body trembled.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem to be in the middle of the castle.¡±


    Well, who cares? The places where the crystal balls are installed in the castle are areas you can move to, so it won¡¯t be a big deal.


    I looked around the luxurious golden corridor, humming, and then found an iron knight standing quietly with a helmet on its face. I quickly approached it.


    Then, standing on my tiptoes as much as I could, I took the fur cloak the decoration was wearing and put it over my shoulders.


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    Clank.


    The chilly sound I suddenly heard while I was tightly tying the leather strap stopped my wrists. I raised my head stiffly.


    Inside the helmet with the lid open, the iron knight¡¯s eyes shone brightly.


    ¡°¡­ This is crazy.¡±


    I stepped back very calmly and undid the knot on the cloak. My heart started beating fast.

 Chapter 8.1

    Damn it. If I had known this, I would have just gone quietly to the aerial garden.


    Clank. As the sound was heard again, the iron knight took a step forward. I was immediately stunned.


    [This is bad. Because you touched that thing, Elijah Dell has noticed. You will be caught soon.]


    The text appeared in a very explicit red color. I hurriedly took off the shoes I was wearing. I also threw the cloak. I pulled my dress up to my knees and squeezed it tightly.


    Now all the preparations were done.


    ¡°Is that a problem to you, right now?!¡±


    I yelled and started running to save myself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about Elijah, I¡¯m going to get chopped by that lump of iron right now!¡±


    Unfortunately, the rattling sound from behind became louder and louder, and the gap became narrower and narrower. The stomping sound coming from my feet as if in defiance was lowly beyond description.


    As I was running away like that, it was clear that the eyes of the people in the picture frames were turning towards me. I got goosebumps on my back.


    Since when was the genre horror?!


    ¡°Sorry for stealing your cloak! I apologize! I was just cold!¡±


    Celina¡¯s voice echoed in the hallway. In the distance, I saw two options. A corridor, and a staircase.


    The time for thinking was short. I chose the latter, as it seemed difficult for an iron knight with inflexible joints to go down.


    ¡°But I gave it back! Why are you still chasing me?!¡±


    I hurried across the stair like Cinderella, with her transformation undone, running away from the Prince. I was out of breath, but I couldn¡¯t stop here.


    Then, I glanced back. Surprisingly, the iron knight was coming down the stairs very skillfully. I was horrified. The sword in its hand couldn¡¯t be scarier than it was.


    ¡°Hey! Give me some help!¡±


    I shouted pitifully, but Celina seemed unwilling to help. She didn¡¯t even show a single sign of being angry.


    Why is no one passing by here! Half-tearfully, I ran for life and death down the far-stretched corridor.


    Come on, whether it¡¯s a crystal ball or Elijah or Ian, anything is fine, so please show up. Or even a place to hide.


    The superhuman stamina that came out at the urgent situation was slowly decreasing. My running slowed down a bit, as if I had weights hung around my feet.


    I looked back, wondering if it was over now, but I felt dizzy, and my eyes blurred. It seemed like I was going to lose consciousness again.


    At that moment, when I was staggering greatly due to the dizziness, something suddenly hit me from behind.


    ¡°You¡¯re fine now.¡±


    I was surprised for a moment until Mikael whispered in my ear. In an instant, I was overwhelmed by a warm and soothing wave.


    He wrapped his left arm around my waist and extended his right hand in front of me. His fingers were long and pretty, so the movement of casting magic was dynamic and elegant.


    Within a few seconds, the iron knight crumbled down like a sandcastle on the spot, as if it had lost its power. A small part that had disassembled rolled over and stopped at our feet.


    My body had also lost its strength. Because the tension was relieved in a heartbeat.


    ¡°How is your dizziness?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m fine now. Thank you.¡±


    I let out a sigh of relief. I was still a little dizzy, but it was tolerable.


    ¡°How in the world did you get here?¡±


    Keeping that posture, he buried his head on my shoulder. His hot breath heated the back of my neck.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I came to pick you up. As you can see, it¡¯s a bit dangerous here.¡±


    The arm that was wrapped around my body felt a little stronger. Dear God, I was starting to lose my mind in a different way than before. My heart, which had been calm for a while, started pounding again without me realizing it.


    ¡°I¡¯m regretting it. I was bored, so I asked the crystal ball to take me anywhere, and it turned out like this.¡±


    But I didn¡¯t want to easily succumb to my inner desires, so I answered in as casual a tone as possible.


    ¡°You should have called me. I would have stayed with you for as long as I could.¡±


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    ¡°Wait, wait a minute!¡±


    But that rebellion didn¡¯t last long. I couldn¡¯t stand the strange sensation of someone else¡¯s lips accidentally touching the back of my neck anymore, so I slapped Mikael¡¯s arm and forced him to release me.


    ¡°Thank you so much for saving me. But you shouldn¡¯t hug someone like this without permission. Do you understand?¡±


    Mikael moved his eyes as if he was taken aback by my seriousness, and then blurted out, ¡®Oh¡­¡¯ Then, he lined up a series of apologies that made the recipient feel burdened.


    ¡°No. That¡¯s not the problem.¡±

 Chapter 8.2

    I quickly shook my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m nervous, me. My heart is going to explode. It¡¯s going to shorten my life expectancy. Don¡¯t you know what you look like? Do you not look in the mirror?¡±


    ¡°¡­ What?¡±


    He replied after a long time, in a confused voice. I just glared at him sideways. Mikael, who had been staring at me for a while, suddenly burst into a fit of laughter as his expression seemed relieved.


    ¡°Ah, really. I never thought you were¡­¡±


    ¡°You understand, right? Then, I hope you do it moderately from now on.¡±


    I spoke bluntly. But come to think of it, I felt like I was losing my dignity in front of him.


    [Mikael doesn¡¯t care at all. Just do as you please. This is the first time he¡¯s actually seen you, so he doesn¡¯t know anything about your personality.]


    Celina, who had been keeping quiet, reacted. She pretended not to know a while ago, and now she was showing up. I was speechless, really.


    ¡°But why is it so cold here?¡±


    I sniffled. I couldn¡¯t feel it when I was running to death while escaping the lump of scrap metal and when Mikael was holding me, but here, too, the cold was thick. The whole place seemed to be like this.


    ¡°The temperature here is a little low because of the management of Master¡¯s research items. I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t think about it. You shouldn¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    Mikael hurriedly took off the warm-brown coat he was wearing and put it on me. He closed it meticulously, not forgetting the buttons. Being like this, I felt like an immature child that couldn¡¯t be controlled.


    This man was good, but the situation itself wasn¡¯t pleasant at all. As if to culminate my helplessness, a fresh flower was tangled and dangling from the ends of my hair.


    I sighed and pulled the blue flower out of my completely ruined hair. I pulled so hard that my scalp tingled.


    ¡°Do you want to pull your hair out?¡±


    Mikael immediately reacted.


    ¡°Shall I help you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Then excuse me for a moment.¡±


    He gently rummaged through my purple hair and began to pluck the flowers one by one. Strangely, his touch made me feel drowsy. I was leaving it to Mikael for a while, but a text appeared in front of my eyes.


    [That¡¯s why I told you it was best not to leave.]


    I didn¡¯t know this was going to happen.


    ¡°I¡¯m done. But where did you leave your shoes?¡±


    Beyond the increasingly dimming chat window, Mikael leaned down to meet me at eye level.


    ¡°Well¡­ Up there.¡±


    ¡°Because you were running away?¡±


    Mikael asked with a smiling face. I quickly became embarrassed.


    ¡°There was no time to think.¡±


    ¡°You know. Celina. That¡¯s not used for killing. It¡¯s just for catching.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    My eyes widened.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way Master would put such a scary thing in this castle, above all places.¡±


    ¡°Why are you saying that now!¡±


    ¡°Ah. About that. As you know, there was no time to talk, right?¡±


    He answered slyly. I burst into laughter at the sense of futility that rushed in.


    ¡®Hey, you. Did you know that too?¡¯


    [I never said you were going to die. I just said you were going to get caught.]


    Wow. I can¡¯t believe these two.


    ¡°But it certainly looks a bit threatening, doesn¡¯t it? It¡¯s not impossible to misunderstand.¡±


    Mikael reached again for the broken piece of iron. The knight was instantly reassembled. Even if it didn¡¯t kill me, I stealthily held on to his shirt sleeve because the impact from earlier was still there.


    He stared alternately between me and the sleeve I was holding on to, then smiled gently.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°I know. I know. But to be honest, I¡¯m still scared.¡±


    I muttered like an excuse.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll send it back quickly.¡±


    Mikael swung his index finger in the air, and the iron knight turned around and walked away, making a clanking noise.


    The magic I set up wasn¡¯t very cool and flashy. There were endless ways to be derived and changed, but the basic framework was very simple.


    Control and defy the laws of nature as one wishes.


    It was the same when wizards fought among themselves. And in the game, it was named ¡®skill¡¯, with properties such as water, fire, etc.


    It had to be like that to fight monsters and have fun growing up as a player.


    ¡°By the way, Mikael. Why are there no doors here?¡±


    After the iron knight disappeared completely from view, I grudgingly stared at the smooth walls. Had there been just one open door, I would have been able to hide.


    ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯re subtly hidden.¡±


    ¡°Can you see everything?¡±


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    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He replied, showing a slight embarrassment. I pouted. Tsk, it was an unfair space to Celina in the first place. Why would a damn crystal ball send someone to this place?


    ¡°Then we should go find your lost shoes now.¡±


    As if to prove what he had said, Mikael made a door appear directly on the wall. Then he held out his hand to me.


    Wow. Magic is the best! I took a light step, holding his hand.

 Chapter 9.1

    Amid the chrysanthemums with unscattered petals, a moderate amount of oil and honey hovered on the surface of the flower rice cake. I ate one of those delicious rice cakes and drank the refreshing ginger tea straight away. When I chewed on the pine nuts and jujube inside, I felt my stress being slightly relieved.


    ¡®Don¡¯t even think about stepping into the hallway for the time being.¡¯


    After only one act, that bum Elijah locked his daughter in her room with the coldest look on his face.


    Of course, I was the one who set up this kind of relationship between Celina and Elijah! But still! Wasn¡¯t this too much?


    The funny thing was that yesterday, Elijah tried to hit me. Really. He raised his hand as soon as he saw me, only to lower it after finding Mikael behind me.


    That bastard.


    Of course, there was a limit to Mikael¡¯s ability to protect me. Elijah and Mikael were in a master-and-disciple relationship anyway, in which one was clearly superior to the other.


    Moreover, Elijah¡¯s words in this castle were absolute, and no one could disobey them.


    ¡°Should I get you more tea?¡±


    Ian asked. I nodded. I heard that this man was wandering all over the castle yesterday, looking for me. Why Mikael was the one who found me first, I have no idea.


    Celina stopped me from trying to apologize to Ian. What did she say? She said that I had to be thorough in managing my expression and tone of voice towards anyone except Mikael.


    Even a brief noble life was extremely difficult. I took another sip of the tea and re-read the letter from the high priest that arrived this morning.


    Elijah was extremely reluctant to open his castle. It was only under strict inspection that something like this could come in from the outside.


    Although the castle was located in Algor, the worst polar region covered in ice all year round, the sense of seasons was surprisingly rich as far as his magic touched it.


    The castle was usually hidden from view, so the residents could only guess that the rumored archmage resided in this area.


    However, unlike Elijah, Celina regularly met with the nobles. And what the high priest, who held the highest position in the religious world, wanted to convey to her was simple.


    Aside from the clich¨¦d greetings, it said that Celina had to proceed with the ceremony as a priestess during the princess¡¯ coming-of-age celebration, so he was asking her to begin the preparations.


    In other words, he was asking me to come to the temple to practice. But I had no reason to practice because I was going to get out of here anytime soon.


    I was only going to endure it until the day I went to the imperial palace. If I didn¡¯t wake up until then, of course.


    ¡°It seems your appetite has improved a little.¡±


    Ian said, standing next to me.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    I replied unenthusiastically.


    ¡°When you finish your refreshments, you have to choose a dress.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I know.¡±


    I looked out the window, continuing to chew the food that was in my mouth. Outside, a few red leaves were fluttering. The weather was impossible to understand. I felt that if I stayed here, the passage of time was bound to get dull.


    ¡°Still, Young Lady. About yesterday.¡±


    He continued to speak as if to make me feel better. I stared at his dark-blue eyes.


    ¡°It was really good of you to go out alone. I think self-assertion is a good thing. No matter what happened, you¡¯re moving in the right direction.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think so?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ian answered in a low voice.


    ¡°¡­ I see. I hope that¡¯s really the case.¡±


    The situation was turning a bit strange. Anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter what happens here.


    While staring blankly at the window, I met eyes with a bird that was sitting quietly. Its black feathers and eyes were shiny. Then, for some reason, I felt a sense of alienation.


    ¡°A raven?¡±


    Ian turned his gaze to me at my words. The raven, the most intelligent of the common birds, quickly flapped its wings and disappeared into the blue sky as soon as the two of us looked at it.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since a bird from the garden came to this high place.¡±


    He muttered. The nature of this area, the seasons as well as the wind, can all be influenced by Elijah.


    This meant that I had no way of knowing if it really came here by chance or if Elijah was controlling it.


    ¡°I¡¯m done eating, so take it away.¡±


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    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Immediately after I put down the fork, Ian called the maids to clean up the tableware. Then, he moved back and forth busily by himself, and in an instant, he brought me dozens of dresses of different lengths and fabrics. There was also sparkling jewelry on one side.


    ¡°Miss Elizabeth chose this type of dress. Of course, you don¡¯t have to be matching just because you are sisters. In any case, the color that His Majesty designated this time is red.¡±


    He said politely, pointing to one of the dresses that was fluttering with lace. I couldn¡¯t help but be stunned because I usually wore comfortable clothes. I hated this kind of annoying and cumbersome thing.


    ***

 Chapter 9.2

    Living life while being held tightly by others¡¯ intentions was truly boring. It was even worse because there was nothing else interesting until I went to the imperial palace. All I could do here was eat, read, sleep, and look at the scenery outside.


    Still, at least I had a way to breathe. As soon as I opened the door in a hurry, all kinds of colors and scents flooded in and collided.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    Mikael was holding a bouquet of flowers. Yesterday he gave me some mysterious-looking herbs, and today he gave me flowers. I accepted what he was giving me very naturally.


    ¡°Ah. This guy also came to hang out with us.¡±


    As he raised one side of his shoulders, a white bird appeared, following his wide shoulder line. The small long-tailed tit looked at me with its black bean-like eyes and tilted its head.


    I smiled broadly and put my finger in front of it. The bird climbed on the back of my hand with a cute hop.


    Mikael had been diligently bringing me things from the outside for the past few days. Thanks to him, things could be a little less boring.


    ¡°Ian. I stopped by the kitchen today. You don¡¯t have to make preparations in separate.¡±


    Mikael said, looking behind me.


    ¡°I understand. Then I¡¯ll just put the flowers in the vase and go back.¡±


    ¡°Here, take them.¡±


    I handed the bouquet to Ian, sat down with Mikael, and started a conversation. The little bird began to pick up the crumbs on the table.


    ¡°Is there anything I should pay special attention to when I go to the imperial palace? I heard that Celina went there often.¡±


    ¡°She often went to see the Princess. But I don¡¯t think there is anything in particular you should pay attention to. You are good at everything by nature.¡±


    Rather, I¡¯m the one who should be careful. I¡¯ll try my best to act like Celina, but I don¡¯t know if the people there won¡¯t get on my nerves.


    ¡°You¡¯re overpraising me. I¡¯m embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what do you mean I¡¯m overpraising you? It¡¯s just an objective fact.¡±


    I poked the cake made from poppy seeds with a fork. There weren¡¯t many common elements between the two of us, so we didn¡¯t have much to talk about, but this man was the most comfortable person in this castle.


    While exchanging a normal conversation, Mikael¡¯s mood suddenly stiffened. He closed his mouth and watched the door sharply.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I asked, puzzled.


    ¡°It¡¯s truly unfortunate, but I think I¡¯ll have to go today. I¡¯ll be back tomorrow.¡±


    He smiled at me as if his expression hadn¡¯t hardened just moments ago. Still, maybe because I got slightly adjusted to that face from seeing it up close all these days, my heart was keeping a better heartbeat than I thought.


    ¡°Did something suddenly happen?¡±


    ¡°No, but it seems it will if I stay longer. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°What are you sorry about? Just go. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s sorry for making someone busy come here all the time. Thank you for coming today, too.¡±


    I carefully placed the long-tailed tit on Mikael¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I come here because I want to. Though of course, I would also come running if you called me.¡±


    He looked at me with a smile on his face. Just as I was about to pat the bird on the head and let the guests go, the door suddenly opened and Elizabeth, dressed in a colorful dress, appeared.


    ¡°Sister!¡±


    ¡°Elizabeth Dell. Where did you leave your courtesy to knock on the door?¡±


    I asked with an irritated tone of voice.


    ¡°Father told me to come and see if you were properly stuck in your room. But Mikael was here? I¡¯m surprised.¡±


    Her face became strangely bright.


    ¡°Hello, Young Lady.¡±


    Mikael greeted her kindly. I sat down quietly and started looking at both of them. The combination of their faces also looked pretty good. As expected, the protagonist suits anyone, no matter who you put next to him.


    ¡°What are you doing here? Why were you two alone? Where did Ian go?¡±


    ¡°Ian is waiting nearby. And I was just about to leave.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Suddenly? Since the situation turned out like this, have a conversation with me too.¡±


    Elizabeth hurriedly grabbed him as he was about to step out of the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Something urgent has happened.¡±


    Mikael gently shook off her hand as if it were water flowing. Right, right. He had that kind of personality from the beginning, but his character was destroyed because of my terrible desire.


    I sighed silently and waved my fork.


    ¡°Have a safe trip, Mikael.¡±


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    ¡°Make sure to eat well, Celina. I¡¯ll see you again then.¡±


    After he left with a warm goodbye, Ian appeared a few seconds later. Elizabeth stood at the door with a sullen face, then suddenly stared at me.


    ¡°What are you looking at? If you have finished checking, go quickly.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll go even if you don¡¯t tell me to!¡±


    The uninvited guest shouted angrily and left. What the fuck was wrong with her?

 Chapter 10.1

    ¡°Celina! I missed you so much!¡±


    A pretty woman with ebony hair and a flowing red dress, like a well-made doll, ran to me and bumped her forehead right against my neck.


    I tried hard to swallow the grunt that was coming from my throat and awkwardly hugged the short woman for a moment. Judging from the strong floral scent that poked my nose, the Princess must have even taken a bath with perfume just before coming here.


    ¡°How are you feeling these days?¡±


    With a worried face, Ingrit put her hands together and brought them gently to her lips. From her blinking eyes, an aristocratic feeling fluttered like petals during spring.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you for your concern, Princess.¡±


    Quickly clearing my throat, I grabbed my skirt for a moment and let go. Honestly, I was very worried about coming to this place. I had to be careful not to get caught.


    It turned out like this in the end. I couldn¡¯t wake up and ended up coming here.


    [I will also help you today.]


    The chat window popped up for a moment and disappeared. Yeah, you can do that. Let¡¯s just see Cain¡¯s face and get out of here.


    I decided my escape route would be by the bathhouse. I was going to jump into the water. I made the final decision.


    ¡°Hey, come on. What do you mean, princess. Feel free to call me Ingrit as usual! Ah! Speaking of which¡­¡±


    She slowly looked at the people around her, her dark olive-colored eyes glowing with excitement.


    ¡°Welcome. Everyone in the imperial palace was waiting for the honorable guests.¡±


    Ingrit was the only princess of the imperial family. The imperial family was overflowing with sons, and their daughter was precious. It was the result of no magic being involved.


    Aside from this birth, the princess was good-hearted to the very depths of her bones, smart, and compassionate.


    So, the current emperor loved her very much. He even said that it was unfortunate that she was not the first to inherit the throne.


    The imperial family did not like wizards who had the potential to pose a threat to power. And the wizards also didn¡¯t like the imperial family for keeping them in check.  However, even if it¡¯s difficult, the world can¡¯t be ostracized just because they don¡¯t like each other.


    They were willing to hold hands for each other¡¯s well-being. And one of the puppets they used to maintain this ridiculous pretense was Celina, who could not use magic.


    And the next one would be Mikael. A man who would be friendly with many people without being closed off like Elijah. But, of course, he was a strong person who would take that place in the future.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Princess. Have you been well?¡±


    Following Elijah¡¯s gentle greeting, the others greeted her in turn.


    ¡°Long time no see, Archmage. I¡¯m also glad to meet your rumored disciple.¡±


    Ingrit made eye contact with each and every one of the guests.


    ¡°Father will come to the reception room. Let us go. I will personally guide you today.¡±


    The princess lifted her skirt gracefully, greeted me, and took the lead, holding my hand tightly. I was half dragged by her, who was very enthusiastic, and matched her pace.


    ¡°Celina, did you get the letter from the High Priest?¡±


    Ingrit stood beside me and began to whisper.


    ¡°Yes. I got it.¡±


    ¡°When do you plan to go to the temple?¡±


    ¡°I will adjust to the Princess¡¯ schedule. Please let me know after you speak with His Eminence.¡±


    ¡°Thank you! I¡¯m very reassured. I won¡¯t make a mistake if you are next to me, right?¡±


    This time, she wrapped her arms around me. The Princess, who was raised while being loved, looked like a female protagonist in a manhwa about pure love. She was overly bright and cheerful. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t like it, but for some reason, it felt like my energy was being sucked out of me.


    ¡°I will try my best so that I don¡¯t trouble the Princess.¡±


    Throughout the splendid halls of the imperial palace, paintings and insignia commemorating the achievements of the imperial family were hung like Christmas tree decorations. The high sun during noon shone over the carpet.


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    Unlike in Elijah¡¯s castle, the season outside was a perfect spring. It was the real season of this world. The cherry blossom trees that decorated the wide path leading to the imperial palace were like a moving pink sea.


    Floating in the air, it was the place where I and the developer worked the most in terms of design, in addition to Elijah¡¯s castle. And in addition to these two places, one more can be counted. The underground city.


    It was the right flow to have an incident related to that place today, but I didn¡¯t know what would happen.


    ¡°How can I comfortably address the disciple of the Archmage?¡±


    Ingrit crossed her arms at me, turned around, and slowly began to step back. Just from looking at these actions, I could see how freely she had grown up.

 Chapter 10.2

    ¡°Just call me Mikael, Princess. I don¡¯t exactly have a last name. And please address me informally.¡±


    Mikael¡¯s voice from behind was as sweet and warm as ever.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t have a last name?¡±


    Ingrit quickly gasped, as if she had heard something incomprehensible.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell His Majesty right away! I heard you are going to do something big in the future. This goes against that!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the case. I¡¯m not that noble of a person, so I¡¯m comfortable with this now. I will only accept your unlimited grace. And as I said, please address me informally.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    She hesitated for a moment, then spoke again.


    ¡°Still, it would be more comfortable to have something like a last name in the future. Your first name is a precious thing that is only allowed to those who are close to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really fine. Thank you very much for your attention, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Alright. If you really say so¡­ I understand.¡±


    Ingrit answered sullenly, then turned around again and looked up at me.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°Is it really alright? Personally, it¡¯s uncomfortable.¡±


    My ears tickled as she stuck close to me and whispered softly.


    ¡°Mikael is just Mikael. It¡¯s fine. Of course, a name is important, but I think the thoughts of the person concerned are the most important.¡±


    I said Celina¡¯s lines from the novel.


    Mikael has no surname until just before the end. He continues to be called ¡®Mikael¡¯ but, when he reaches the ending after his hardships, his surname is determined by which man he connects with.


    It doesn¡¯t matter if the ending with the target character is happy or sad.


    In one case, however, there is an exception. The most devastating endings he can get are the ones that give him the name ¡®Dell¡¯, the Archmage and Hendrik¡¯s endings.


    ¡°I understand. If Celina thinks so too. But if Mikael says he wants one, you can tell me anytime, alright? I have that much power too.¡±


    She said triumphantly.


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±


    I answered as casually as I could, turning to the hallway leading to the left.


    While I looked around with a sideways glance, we arrived at our destination. The door was so big that I had to bend my head backwards to capture it at least at a glance.


    The knights who were waiting on either side bowed down and opened the door of the reception room.


    In an extravagant space intertwined with all sorts of plants and ornaments, there stood a man, majestically, whom I had greatly desired to see.


    His dark, sleek eyes turned straight towards me. The color was the same as that of Ingrit¡¯s, but the texture was distinctly different.


    The man¡¯s black hair had a faint shine in the bright sunlight. His beautifully tanned skin was smooth. His body lines in the uniform were bold, and the angles were clear.


    The sword¡¯s handle, which was hanging from his waist in an oblique line, contained dozens of jewels. From a distance, it looked like he was wearing a luxury accessory, not a weapon.


    As expected, he¡¯s much cooler in person!


    I shut my mouth tightly because a joyful scream was about to erupt at any moment. If Mikael was described as a glamorous and docile handsome man, Cain was an example of a well-tamed beastly man.


    ¡°Welcome.¡±


    Cain made a short salute and walked slowly towards me. He was in a position to lead all the knights of this country. It was due to the setting that he was too talented, and it was a waste for him to take on the prince¡¯s duties alone.


    In the dating sim game, Cain occupies the center spot with the largest size in the group shot of target characters, and he is also the one placed at the front on the detailed introduction page.


    He was also a character I cherished as a writer. People are really cunning. When I saw him in person, I thought it was really nice to still be inside the dream. I stared at Cain as he turned to Mikael.


    ¡°We meet again, Your Highness.¡±


    Mikael greeted him first. Cain replied with an expressionless face.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not so bad to see you again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor.¡±


    I listened carefully as the two of them shared a short conversation. The overall atmosphere wasn¡¯t bad for now, although it could be due to the place we were in.


    They had obviously talked a lot during the banquet the other day.


    In fact, I was very supportive of both of them.


    Because of my biased selflessness, the route that could give the most perfect happy ending for Mikael was exactly Cain¡¯s. He had enough capacity to reach the perfect ending because of his position as the next emperor.


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    ¡°Celina.¡±


    The next person he turned to was Celina. As he got closer, I tried to look as natural as possible while facing him. Though being conscious of the word in itself, acting ¡®natural¡¯ was already out of the question.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t come here lately, so I was afraid you were upset with me. Even at the banquet held at the Archmage¡¯s castle, I didn¡¯t get a chance to see you. I heard you were not feeling well at the time.¡±


    Speaking in a low voice, Cain grabbed my hand and held it up, kissing my wrist briefly. Not the back of the hand that is normally kissed, but the wrist. Because of the intense gaze that I faced, my knees were getting numb.

 Chapter 11.1

    I knew we would be able to greet each other comfortably, as we had no choice but to become acquainted because of Ingrit. But I didn¡¯t expect it to be like this.


    Wait. If I were to nitpick, wasn¡¯t this also probably due to my desire? I couldn¡¯t believe I was this much of a pervert. What the hell was in my subconscious?


    In any case, what was I supposed to answer?


    [Please tell him, ¡®No way. How could I be upset?¡¯]


    A welcome help popped up.


    ¡°No way. How could I be upset?¡±


    I straightened my back as if I were defending myself.


    ¡°But you weren¡¯t looking so good when you left the palace before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because Brother keeps bothering Celina! I told you to stop! I kept stopping you! And how can someone openly say that they are upset with none other than the crown prince? Brother sometimes doesn¡¯t take into account the most important things.¡±


    Ingrit glanced at Cain as she criticized him.


    ¡°What? Then you were upset. I can¡¯t believe you said it wasn¡¯t like that, even back then¡­ That¡¯s a downright lie.¡±


    Cain tilted his head to one side, and a sharp glow appeared in his eyes. The excitement and anticipation of having a one-on-one conversation with a favorite character were overshadowed by the curiosity that accompanied the strange anxiety.


    ¡°Celina. I clearly told you there¡¯s no need to care about such personal matters with me. I¡¯m the one who will get upset if you¡¯re like this.¡±


    [I¡¯m sure I said I shouldn¡¯t, Your Highness.]


    I read the words that appeared.


    ¡°So. Are you feeling better now?¡±


    He changed the topic, as if he didn¡¯t believe me.


    ¡°I am fine now, Your Highness.¡±


    It was a complex feast of informalities and honorifics that I couldn¡¯t figure out. I lowered my gaze. My hand was still being held.


    As she lived while being confined, Celina¡¯s body was very thin and weak. In contrast, the veiny hands of the man showed signs of holding a sword for a long time.


    Besides, his calloused skin was very rough, so it almost felt like it was scratching the back of my hand even though he was holding on to it very slightly.


    ¡°Please refrain from pushing my daughter too hard, Your Highness.¡±


    Elijah, who was only wriggling his fingers because he couldn¡¯t openly brush it off in the presence of the crown prince, suddenly interrupted.


    ¡°Archmage, really. You misunderstood greatly. I didn¡¯t mean to do that, so please don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    Cain took a step back with a pleasant look on his face. At last, freedom came to Celina¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Your Highness, really. You misunderstood greatly. I never felt any anger at all.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Oh, my God. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? What do you mean, sorry? You don¡¯t have to. It makes me embarrassed.¡±


    Elijah returned the sarcasm in a natural way. I looked at Elijah and Cain as if I were watching the ball go back and forth in a game of soccer or table tennis.


    Wow, these guys are already like this. How can they be like this as soon as they met?


    ¡°Not at all. I have learned that a wise and sagacious man is responsible for what he says and does to the end. And I think that¡¯s evident in these trivial conversations. But I guess the Archmage doesn¡¯t think so.¡±


    Cain clearly pronounced the words ¡®wise and sagacious man¡¯.


    ¡°Your Highness. If you are conscious of those things and mention them out loud, doesn¡¯t it seem like an act? It has to be natural to have any value.¡±


    ¡°In that case, are you telling me that I¡¯m not natural?¡±


    The two people¡¯s eyes met sharply.


    ¡°Well, well! Should we sit down quickly?!¡±


    Fortunately, Ingrit stepped forward to mediate their conversation, which was becoming more and more intense. She smiled at the guests and poked Cain in the back.


    ¡°Brother, can you please take care of the ladies?¡±


    She performed a near-perfect ventriloquism.


    ¡°Then, the three ladies, please come this way.¡±


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    Cain faked a smile and rubbed his back once, guiding me, Elizabeth, and Henrietta separately. He pulled the chair for each of us and went to his seat.


    Soon after, the emperor, Alluster Heihel, appeared, wearing a red cloak embroidered with gold thread. A firm, strong face like an old tree looked at us and smiled faintly. Everyone who was sitting got up.


    ¡°Welcome to the guests. Please, take a seat.¡±


    The emperor opened his arms and sat at the top of the table. Elijah was looking displeased since a moment ago. He looked like he wanted to leave this place right away.


    Today, those who were gathered were wearing at least one piece of red on their bodies. Thanks to the mages residing in the imperial palace, the temperature inside it was warm throughout the year. So, there was no need to dress in thick clothes.

 Chapter 11.2

    I wore a pearl necklace with a red rose pendant and matching ruby earrings. Mikael didn¡¯t need to add anything special because the earrings he always wore were red.


    But Elijah and Celina¡¯s siblings were showing their extravagance. All kinds of accessories and gold were hanging greedily from their bodies, like apples.


    ¡°Long time no see, Archmage. I am grateful you accepted such a cumbersome invitation.¡±


    ¡°I am the one who is grateful. How have you been, Your Majesty? I apologize for not seeing you often.¡±


    Alluster and Elijah greeted each other.


    ¡°I have been well, thanks to you. How is the weather in Algor castle right now?¡±


    ¡°I have made the dead leaves fall since yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Whenever I hear about it, it¡¯s a very mysterious place. It is unfortunate that I cannot leave this place. I really wanted to visit it sometime.¡±


    ¡°If you visit us anytime, we will take care of you.¡±


    Although Elijah¡¯s status was that of a count, the emperor could never reign over him. Emperor, Archmage, High Priest. It was right that these three coexisted equally at the top of the empire.


    Power requires proper distribution and control. Although a big fight happens in the end.


    ¡°Then, all honorable guests, please enjoy this place.¡±


    After the emperor¡¯s words, the uncomfortable tea time began in earnest. Elizabeth sneaked up on Ingrit, and Cain began a serious conversation with Hendrik.


    I sipped my citrus tea peacefully as I listened to everyone. I wanted to remain unnoticed as much as possible.


    ¡°Sir Mikael. How have you been? I heard you were magnificent leading up to your graduation. I am very glad my expectations weren¡¯t wrong.¡±


    Alluster spoke to Mikael.


    ¡°Thanks to Your Majesty and Master looking over me, I was able to get to this place.¡±


    Mikael answered with a polite smile. ¡°Haha¡±, the emperor laughed graciously. But I could tell his wrinkled eyes weren¡¯t smiling at all.


    ¡°When my vassals first rescued you from that house, you were overly unstable due to the rampage of mana, but it¡¯s so nice to see you become such a handsome young man.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to Master¡¯s teachings, I can control my power. I am so grateful to Your Majesty for giving me this opportunity. You¡¯re a savior to me.¡±


    Mikael replied with a beautiful smile. His words were a choice in the game.


    The friendship points were divided depending on who he thanked, but if he thanked both the emperor and the archmage, the friendship points remained unchanged on both sides.


    I know it is the secret to success in life, but I wanted him to give a clear answer.


    ¡°By the way, your daughter gets surprisingly more beautiful every time I see her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a waste to show our Celina around.¡±


    Elijah answered gracefully.


    ¡°Cough.¡±


    I tried to be as quiet as possible, but at the same time that Celina¡¯s name was mentioned, everyone¡¯s eyes suddenly focused on me, and I choked on the tea.


    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±


    As I was trying hard not to open my mouth while coughing inwardly, the maid who was standing nearby gave me a handkerchief. I quickly patted my mouth and wiped it.


    ¡°I apologize. I was rude.¡±


    I forgot that in conventional situations like this, it was not only necessary to keep each other in check, but also to relay cheesy and empty praise.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t mind it.¡±


    The emperor laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a waste to show her around like that. Perhaps, is that why you won¡¯t let her get married?¡±


    ¡°How is that possible? I¡¯m just waiting for my children, including Celina, to find someone they really love.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a wonderful father.¡±


    The smiling emperor turned his attention to Evan this time. It was obvious to everyone what kind of conversation was about to come out.


    As expected, the emperor spoke in a subtle voice shortly afterwards.


    ¡°It just so happens that Ingrit is about to become an adult, so why don¡¯t we arrange a marriage with the Archmage¡¯s second son?¡±


    Elijah didn¡¯t refuse or consent. He only answered like a snake escaping through a complicated forest. Of course, there was room for ambiguity in the background, which would always be an opportunity to persuade him again.


    ¡°Celina, Celina.¡±


    Ingrit, who had been keeping silent during the conversation about her marriage as if it wasn¡¯t about her, suddenly poked me in the arm.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere together later.¡±


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    She whispered with a glowing face. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret. Just trust me and follow me.¡±


    ¡°What? Okay. I understand.¡±


    I nodded nonchalantly. Of course, the development of Celina in this event had never been designed. Everything in this world was centered on Mikael, so all I had to do was let the secondary things flow on their own.

 Chapter 12.1

    Naturally, the tea ceremony was over quickly. We were going to have a long and complicated dinner after the performance anyway. The emperor said to rest comfortably and left with Elijah.


    Ingrit led me away as if she had been waiting. I wanted to say a few words to Cain, but I couldn¡¯t be picky because I was being dragged away by a princess who made me wonder what she was being fed, as she was stronger than I thought.


    The place we arrived at was the reception room. Everywhere was fluttering with pink and lace, because someone was not a typical princess. It was colorful and pretty, but not entirely my cup of tea.


    ¡°What kind of person is Sir Evan?¡±


    Ingrit hung her thin fingers on the handle of the glass teacup. In it, a flower with an intricate blend of blue and green was richly floating above the tea.


    The tea she brought was made with an expensive flower called Terra, and it was bitter enough to make me frown. Normally, sugar and fruit juice were mixed, the hardened candy was put inside one¡¯s mouth, and the tea would be drunk little by little, so it was usually served at tea parties that lasted for a while.


    ¡°B-brother?¡±


    Almost letting out an ¡®oppa¡¯ out of habit, I hesitated for a moment and then used a polite expression.


    ¡°Yes. I want to hear how he is from a family member. I may become his future spouse, so I need to do proper research, right?¡±


    She frowned cutely. Evan and Ingrit get to know each other step by step and end up feeling true love, leading to their marriage. They were the most peaceful and loving couple in this world.


    The characters, even the protagonist, Mikael, had dark thoughts, but Ingrit and Evan weren¡¯t like that.


    So, it was a lot of fun to write their supplementary story. I rolled the candy, sweet like their narrative, in my mouth, and organized the answers into one.


    ¡°He¡¯s nice.¡±


    ¡°¡­ What? Is that all?¡±


    Ingrit blinked, confused.


    ¡°Honestly, isn¡¯t that the most important thing?¡±


    ¡°Hm, why?¡±


    ¡°Both of you, you have it all. Wealth, honor, and appearance. There¡¯s nothing missing. Only one condition remains to be met. Character.¡±


    ¡°Certainly. Now that you mention it, that¡¯s true.¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°He¡¯s a good person. Enough to be trusted with the Princess¡¯ future.


    The moment I gave a soft smile, the princess¡¯ eyes suddenly grew wide.


    ¡°Celina!¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful! I was startled.¡±


    Ingrit got up from her seat with a rattle, grabbed my cheeks, and held my face close to hers. I could see in detail the very faintly scattered freckles on her raised nose.


    ¡°Please, always smile sincerely like that!¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯ll do that.¡±


    I replied dumbfounded.


    ¡°Did something good happen? Now that I think of it, you look a little different today.¡±


    Ingrit smiled brightly as she widened the distance between us.


    ¡°No. Not necessarily¡­ Can I ask you how I usually look?¡±


    I asked cautiously.


    ¡°You just feel alive today. Although you are extremely beautiful, you always looked exhausted.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Is it perhaps because Mikael is here? I heard that you two have had a special relationship for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That seems to be the case.¡±


    What special relationship. It would be difficult if this conversation went on for long, so I was roughly evasive.


    ¡°As expected! The Archmage must be very pleased. He¡¯s the one who cares the most about your well-being.¡±


    Ingrit clapped her hands.


    [Please tell her, ¡®He¡¯s someone who hardly expresses his feelings¡¯.]


    The chat window that had been quiet for a while appeared.


    ¡°But he¡¯s someone who hardly expresses his feelings.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s certainly not a warm person, even to me. But there¡¯s no one in this country who doesn¡¯t know about the Archmage¡¯s love for his daughter.¡±


    [Please change the topic. Ask her about the place she wanted to go to earlier.]


    ¡°By the way, Ingrit. Didn¡¯t you say we had to go somewhere?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I must be out of my mind. What time is it?¡±


    She checked the time with the maid who was standing nearby. It was the one who handed me the handkerchief when I coughed earlier.


    ¡°We can leave in about an hour.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I understand.¡±


    I put another piece of candy in my mouth.


    ***


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    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re going too fast!¡±


    And an hour later, I was crossing the corridor of the outer palace where the opera was to be held at high speed, with Ingrit holding me by the hand. There were all kinds of flowers in the palace.


    There must be a wizard who resided here, received precious treatment, and managed everything, including the imperial garden. The wizards were the subject of special care because there were not many of them.


    Being a wizard didn¡¯t mean that they were all on Elijah¡¯s side, and not all of them could handle nature as freely as Elijah and Mikael.


    Those two¡ª no. The three of them, along with one more person Mikael would meet later if the flow worked well, were extremely rare.

 Chapter 12.2

    Just because they weren¡¯t wizards, it didn¡¯t mean that magic power didn¡¯t exist in people¡¯s bodies, but most of the people who knew how to energize weapons became knights. Cain belonged to that type.


    ¡°But you only brought one escort. Are you sure it¡¯s okay? There are not many people here.¡±


    I was out of breath. I glanced back at the knight escorting the princess. It wasn¡¯t yet time for the incident to happen, but still, she was the princess. And I also left Ian back there.


    ¡°Of course. Our castle is absolutely safe. And the Archmage built a protective shield for us! He also repairs it every year.¡±


    ¡°But, Ingrit. Wait, wait a moment. I can¡¯t breathe¡­¡±


    I took my palm to my chest to catch my breath. I felt a slight dizziness and my vision faded for a moment. Immediately, my legs gave in.


    ¡°Are you alright?!¡±


    The knight behind us hastily supported me.


    ¡°Oh my! What should I do? I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Ingrit, who was one step ahead of me, examined my complexion in surprise. Then, she started half crying.


    ¡°Shall we sit down for a moment?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, just walk slowly.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sorry. I was careless. I still have a long way to go. I couldn¡¯t be more stupid.¡±


    Her shoulders drooped and she started blaming herself. After saying three times that I was fine and telling her to stop, Ingrit stopped talking to herself.


    Fortunately, she didn¡¯t walk fast after that. But she glanced at my face the whole time as we chatted.


    ¡°Well! Here it is!¡±


    The place where Ingrit stopped was in front of a small side door.


    ¡°There¡¯s someone I want to introduce you to, Celina!¡±


    She grabbed the doorknob with a very excited face. I entered the open door. The smell of perfume filled the room with mirrors and cosmetics, so it seemed like a dressing room.


    Inside, a young woman was sitting with her back turned to us. The strange thing was that she was looking at the wall, not at the mirror.


    ¡°She is the female protagonist of today¡¯s performance. She wanted to get acquainted with you first, Celina. Diana? I¡¯m here. What are you doing?¡±


    Ingrit asked in a soft voice as she approached her. The actress¡¯ profile view was obscured by her coveted orange hair, so she could not be seen.


    As she slowly got up from where she was sitting, a sudden tingling sensation spread all over my neck. Dark energy fluttered before my eyes.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    The moment I questioned, a husky voice rang in my ear.


    ¡­ Why did you come here?


    I realized the situation a few seconds later. I belatedly realized that this lump of black light that wrapped around my neck in an instant was a restraint that Elijah had refined with powerful magic.


    It was messed up. How could this suddenly be so unimaginably twisted? The original story was about someone disguised as a knight kidnapping her.


    The confusion increased and a swear automatically welled up, but no words came out because of the restraint.


    ¡°Princess, if you do anything nonsense, this woman will die right here.¡±


    The villain¡¯s subordinate dared to grab Celina by the hair and shoved the escort against the wall, knocking him out. My face crumpled in pain. Tears welled up.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Ingrit¡¯s lips trembled with tension as she was surprised and unable to say anything. Her green eyes were constantly scanning her surroundings. Unfortunately, in my setting, Elijah and the villain Zeno could not detect each other¡¯s magic, so there was no one to help us at this moment.


    Even if the knights could infuse their swords with special energy and attack, it was, of course, impossible to go against a wizard who borrowed the power of the main villain. At the very least, it was only possible for someone like Cain.


    I could clearly see that she was anxious. However, right now, my reason for being anxious was different from Ingrit¡¯s.


    How could they kidnap Celina and not the princess, who was standing there so terrified?!


    After the opera is over and the princess is captured, Cain and Mikael come together and do all kinds of things. And they also meet one of the main target characters; the villain Zeno, who has his own circumstances.


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    [Oh no. Something¡¯s wrong. Keep your chin up.]


    Even the chat window was making me angry. The man undid his transformation and murmured sneakily next to my ear. I got goosebumps and wanted to cover my ears, but my hands were also not free because of the restraints. Suddenly, I felt like crying.


    ¡°Well, shall we see how quickly the Great Archmage will come to rescue his beloved daughter? Then, make sure to let him know, Princess.¡±


    The man behind me said so, casting movement magic.


    Hey, you lunatic! It¡¯s not me, it¡¯s her¨D!! I shouted as I was helplessly captured. Though, of course, none of it could come out of my mouth.

 Chapter 13.1

    My head and back tingled in the scorching sun. I couldn¡¯t see outside because there was something like a coarse blanket wrapped around my body, but it seemed that the kidnapper was walking energetically while carrying me.


    I relaxed my body as much as possible and breathed in very carefully.


    Every breath smelled of death. The end of all life is, after all, the immobility of one¡¯s breath, but this place right now could not even carry that meaning.


    Because it was a place where living things could not take root from the beginning.


    Every time the shoes with a hard sole set foot on the ground, there was a dry sound. The man¡¯s rough breath, gasping due to using his strength, clearly told me the current situation.


    This kidnapper was definitely not acting like this right now because of Celina, who, to add a little bit of exaggeration, was light as a bird¡¯s feather.


    The name of this place, which could not exist but existed because it was abandoned by God, was Forsa.


    As it was the evilest place in the empire, the sun only shone for a few months, and, on the contrary, the awful darkness that not a single ray of moonlight could penetrate was in place for a long time, stubbornly.


    Although it was not located in a high zone, the oxygen level was below average. Naturally, no wind containing fresh air reached this place.


    According to my setting, it looked like a desert on the outside; but in reality, no life could live in it, unlike the desert. It was a place where you wouldn¡¯t die if you stayed there for a short moment, but you should never stop there.


    Those who could not settle down on the abundant ground where water flowed and birds chirped, gathered one by one in this place called Forsa.


    After the repetition of many deaths and suffering over time, what was formed below this place were the ¡®Catacombs¡¯, a cluster of abandoned things.


    And the protector and leader of that place was Zeno. Exactly, the main villain of the story. It¡¯s not that he killed people in Elijah¡¯s group or kidnapped them to get something in specific.


    Although he did aim for the moment the imperial palace was open to outsiders and became a little lax, he had done this annoying thing to inform them that there was a being who could interfere with the powerful magic of the Archmage.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    The man spoke in a hoarse voice.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°The restraints don¡¯t matter now, so you can talk. Answer me.¡±


    I did not answer the call of the wicked kidnapper. Hmmm, I think his name was Jean?


    ¡°I know you¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Shall I leave you here? If an outsider is left alone in this place, they will die.¡±


    No matter what this guy said, I had no intention of opening my mouth until the end.


    ¡°Hey, miss?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright. So that¡¯s how it is.¡±


    As Jean spoke in a sarcastic tone, my body fell downwards. Surprised, I gasped and grabbed the kidnapper.


    Because of that, the blanket slipped down a little, and I could see a little of the desolate landscape through the gap. The smell of sand was strong.


    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t want to roll on the floor because you¡¯re precious? Then you should have answered when I called.¡±


    He snickered and gave strength to his arms again. He looked a little gentle, unlike in the castle before.


    ¡°The thing about people is, their weight changes when they come to their senses. No matter how much you try to relax your body, you can¡¯t hide it.¡±


    ¡°Imagine¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t even speak properly. I lowered my head and began to cough. My throat stung as if someone had poured glass and sand down it.


    ¡°Hey. We have only been walking here for a few minutes. You¡¯re even being carried. But you¡¯re coughing? You¡¯re really rude.¡±


    He sneered in a ridiculous voice. After coughing for some time, I was able to open my mouth again.


    ¡°Imagine you were in my position. Would you want to talk to your kidnapper?¡±


    ¡°No? Of course, I wouldn¡¯t. But I¡¯m not in your position.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you react? You¡¯re not asking me to send you back to the Archmage, or who I am, or why I brought you here. It¡¯s no fun because you¡¯re so quiet.¡±


    ¡°No matter what I say, it won¡¯t make a difference.¡±


    I replied impertinently. It was a twisted situation anyway, I couldn¡¯t help it. Since Ingrit was returned safely without a single wound, the same was likely to be true of Celina.


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    Perhaps, contrary to what happened with Ingrit, it would be better for me to not be safe. Now that I saw Cain, I had to wake up from my dream. I just hoped that it didn¡¯t hurt as much as possible.


    ¡°Miss, do you know where you are?¡±


    ¡°Forsa.¡±


    ¡°So you know? Have you ever been here?¡±


    He was out of breath.

 Chapter 13.2

    ¡°It¡¯s just common sense.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s surprising. You know about this place.¡±


    ¡°There are things called books in this world.¡±


    ¡°That little collection of letters, they¡¯re of no use at all.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have water, right? Then don¡¯t talk to me. My throat is hurting too much right now. It¡¯s hard to breathe.¡±


    I responded nervously. I was just as breathless as this guy. Breathing was not easy.


    ¡°Huh? This little¡­¡±


    Jean let out a chuckle as if he were speechless. Cough, cough. I kept coughing. There was a taste of blood in my mouth. It seemed the climate here was really bad.¡±


    ¡°How unusual.¡±


    After saying that, the man shut his mouth. I blinked slowly. Was it because my body was shaking? I was strangely sleepy. The blanket prickled my right cheek.


    But that disturbing sensation was slowly blurred by a blunt sense of falling asleep.


    ***


    ¡°Why¡­, this¡­¡±


    ¡°Then¡­, ¡­ will¡­, this.¡±


    There were a lot of unclear words beyond the dim curtain of consciousness. Surprisingly, there was a fragrant smell in the air. But the breath I exhaled felt hot. At least the fabric I was touching was soft, but my feet were burning as if they had been skinned.


    In any case, it seemed like I arrived in one piece. But did I really fall asleep? Was that also inside my dream? Wow, my circumstances are quite good for someone who was kidnapped.


    No, that¡¯s not it! When can I wake up from my dream?


    The footsteps of a stranger were getting closer. When the footsteps stopped next to my head, I opened my eyes wide. A young man with disheveled hair was reaching out his hand towards me.


    I clearly remembered the man¡¯s name, which had escaped my mind as it had been a long time since I finished writing. Charles.


    Our eyes met, and he flinched. I frowned at the sudden stabbing headache.


    ¡°No, wait! Don¡¯t get me wrong! Don¡¯t be mad! It¡¯s not like that!¡±


    Charles stepped back, startled. He was the only one misunderstanding. Coughing, I raised my body. I pressed on my temples once more, and covered my throbbing eyes.


    I was dizzy. It seemed that this weak body was getting sick again. And I was only up there for a moment.


    ¡°Jean. What did you do to this woman? Why is she like this?¡±


    As soon as Charles threw his question, I could hear Jean snorting.


    ¡°The Leader asked me to bring something nice, so how could I have done anything? She¡¯s just incredibly weak.¡±


    ¡°Even so, how can it be this bad?¡±


    I pressed my eyes as I listened to their conversation.


    ¡°Hey. Just look at me for a second. Let¡¯s look at the rumored face.¡±


    A clear, sweet voice, without any impurity, came out. I turned my head straight towards it.


    A woman with short red hair leaned against a gray pillar, with a long, thin cigarette between her teeth.


    Her concave eyes and protruding cheekbones stood out. That slightly tall woman was Zeno¡¯s closest confidant, who was the leader of this underground city.


    Red Tail approached me in big strides.


    ¡°Oh, she really looks like this. It¡¯s even more amazing when she opens her eyes.¡±


    Then, speaking in a way that I couldn¡¯t figure out whether it was a compliment or an insult, she sat down at the end of the bed, and began touching Celina¡¯s body with a stubby hand that was missing two fingers. She gently touched my hair, and then grabbed my long and elegant neck over the restraints.


    ¡°But Jean. What¡¯s wrong with this woman¡¯s cheeks? Did you throw her on the floor while coming here?¡±


    ¡°Did no one hear me? I think she got scratched by that.¡±


    Jean, who was warming up in the distance, pointed to the blanket spread over the chair.


    ¡°By that? You want me to believe that?¡±


    Red Tail frowned.


    ¡°Excuse me. Can you give me some water?¡±


    Whether they believed it or not, I looked around and spoke confidently. It was clear that this was the castle where Zeno lived. Otherwise, they couldn¡¯t have put me in such a spacious and luxurious room.


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Red Tail seemed taken aback by the courageous demand.


    ¡°Give me some water. My throat is too dry.¡±


    The walls and floor of this room were made of colorless stone. Because of this, it felt very dark and cold, even though it was actually bright and warm. Well, considering the nature of the area, it was natural.


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    But the furniture wasn¡¯t that bad. Surprisingly, most of it was glossy timber. Several small flowers bloomed in the flowerpot by the window.


    What kind of effort and hard work would it take to have things with such vitality in this desolate place?


    Inside the display cabinet in the distance, there was a half-finished bottle of wine. The label was in a murky turquoise color, a color that for some reason felt dizzying.


    [It¡¯s the same as what Elijah Dell used to drink.]


    I flinched in surprise at the sudden appearance of the chat window. Ah, that scared me. Why does she only come out at times like this?

 Chapter 14.1

    ¡°You. Do you know how scarce water is here?¡±


    Red Tail asked.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Having finished looking around, I looked at my body calmly. The hair tie and necklace I was wearing had fled somewhere.


    Did they steal it because they saw how much it was worth? But my ring was still on my finger. Even in this place, the yellow diamonds were emitting a brilliant light.


    ¡°If you know, aren¡¯t you being too shameless?¡±


    ¡°You even put me on this nice bed; aren¡¯t I valuable enough to get some water?¡±


    I tried to raise my chin and stared at her. With a bitter expression, Red Tail scratched her chin and pondered, then reluctantly poured water into a cup and brought it. As I drank the water without hesitation, she was disgusted.


    ¡°Do you even know what that is to just drink it? What if it¡¯s poisoned? How can you be so stupid?¡±


    ¡°Red. Why are you having a private conversation? Putting aside the Leader¡¯s orders not to hurt her¡­¡±


    A robust man, who left the nice sofa across from me and crouched on the floor, stepped in. An untrimmed beard covered his face.


    Wearing a prosthetic leg on his left leg, he was doing the bizarre behavior of cutting a small pile of firewood with a knife and throwing it one by one into the fireplace.


    ¡°It¡¯s disgusting. I might vomit.¡±


    I swallowed a bitter laugh at what a man named Dan said. They were an abnormally hostile group to the empire, so this reaction was natural.


    ¡°Anyway, take that bitch away. He said to bring her up immediately.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Red Tail tossed the cup I had been drinking out of the window and headed for the door.


    ¡°You better follow me. The way is a bit complicated.¡±


    Then she moved her hand up and down as if she were calling for a pet. I grabbed my buzzing head and pulled myself up. Ah, I really have no strength¡­


    Just as I put my feet under the bed, my eye level suddenly dropped. My legs gave in, and a groan escaped. A moderate amount of pain spread to the lower half of my body, which hit the floor heavily.


    The shoes I hit with my feet rolled to the side.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that bitch a complete burden?¡±


    ¡°Why did the Leader ask to bring someone like her here? It¡¯s not worth it to take her up there.¡±


    ¡°As expected, the original plan would have been better. She¡¯s useless.¡±


    A trio of men near the fireplace exchanged a disdainful conversation.


    I swept my hair back while I was sitting on the floor. As I kept hearing those kinds of words since earlier, my anger was building up. But there was nothing I could say.


    ¡°Is the noble lady feeling unnecessarily well, or is she holding it in because she¡¯s afraid to die by our hands?¡±


    Red Tail approached me, dragging my shoes. Her gaze towards me wasn¡¯t kind-hearted at all.


    ¡°Whatever it is, I don¡¯t like you. Don¡¯t you see us all as being inferior to you? Isn¡¯t it a little annoying to hear something like that from people like us?


    [Please answer as I tell you to.]


    Exhausted, I began to move my mouth mechanically along with Celina¡¯s words for now.


    ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s all true.¡±


    Those words were strangely uncomfortable. It made me feel like I, the writer, was being reproached. The next words I had to read appeared immediately.


    ¡°I was a burden there too, so it won¡¯t be any different here. I¡¯m used to hearing that every day.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Red Tail narrowed her eyes.


    [Ask Red Tail to help you. She will definitely listen to you now.]


    I opened my mouth again.


    ¡°In any case, it seems I can¡¯t get up on my own. Can you help me?¡±


    ¡°Tsk.¡±


    With a sour expression, Red Tail pulled me up in a rather rough manner. Of course, I staggered at the force, but I was able to avoid falling over again by holding onto her right shoulder.


    ¡°What an annoying bitch.¡±


    She roughly shook off the hand that touched her.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I put on my shoes, looked into the woman¡¯s eyes, and thanked her clearly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to help you anymore, so don¡¯t fall again and follow me.¡±


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    Red Tail spat out grumpily and turned around. The restraints were bothering me, but I couldn¡¯t do anything to release them, so I had no choice but to follow her like a newborn chick.


    ¡°I wish she will come back as a dead body.¡±


    Dan said, just before the door behind me closed. I kept my mouth shut and walked uncomfortably. I didn¡¯t want to lose my mind again.


    The hallways were bright and prosperous with decorations everywhere, but a gloomy energy flowed like a candle dripping. Even if I lit up dozens of perfumed candles and floated a sphere of light with magic, it would be impossible to hide the distinctive smell of the underground.


    Red Tail and mine footsteps echoed irregularly in the space. I felt more and more pain in my feet, which were being crushed by the stiletto heels that were just beautiful but had no concern about the health of the person wearing them.

 Chapter 14.2

    ¡°Do you have any questions? You¡¯re the first pretty person I¡¯m seeing in a while, so I¡¯ll tell you a thing or two.¡±


    The woman said as she led the way. It seemed that what she had said earlier about me looking like this was probably a compliment.


    I stared at the nape of her neck and the edge of her shoulder, which had an unsightly scar that looked shriveled as if it had been caused by fire. It would be useless to question this ridiculous situation, but to be honest, I was curious.


    ¡°Why did you bring me here? The Princess was there too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a little clever. That¡¯s right.  The original plan was to bring the Princess, not you.¡±


    As Red Tail reached out and pulled on one of the empty candlesticks, the wall split open, and a staircase leading up appeared. The dust that had been settled for a long time rose in the air. I closed my nose and mouth to avoid sneezing.


    ¡°But the Leader said you were worth more than the Princess. I¡¯m still not sure, though. Hey, come on, stay near me. It will be a hassle if this closes.¡±


    Hearing that, I quickly returned to her side. She then kicked the ground hard with her clunky boots.


    Then, a part of one wall went all the way up, and a small stone gate appeared. The corridor they had just walked through disappeared as if it had never existed before.


    Being in a place as strange and serene as the deep sea made me nervous. Mikael, the main character, went around the Catacombs with ease, but I was just a supporting role.


    ¡°It¡¯s funny to talk about this with your hostage, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    She covered her mouth and giggled, and I shook my head unenthusiastically.


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°What? Are you all this boring?¡±


    Sighing, Red Tail groped the wall and opened a hidden door. Like that, we climbed two more secret stairs before arriving in a narrow corridor with nothing.


    At first glance, Red Tail seemed to have crossed a physically hidden path, but in reality, Zeno¡¯s magic was involved in everything. It wouldn¡¯t even be open without permission in the first place.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you got a chance to see our Leader in person. Face him with great honor. Most people only know of his existence.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not Elijah Dell.¡±


    ¡°Where do you think you are to mention that disgusting name?¡±


    Under the dim lights, her eyes shone menacingly.


    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly know the ugly side of the man you call your father. You are a young lady who grew up without knowing the world.¡±


    ¡°I told you earlier. I was called a burden there, too.¡±


    ¡°Contrary to what is said, he treats his daughter like a burden¡­ That¡¯s ugly in its own way.¡±


    Giggling, Red Tail suddenly started tidying up her shirt and pants.


    ¡°Hey. Fix your clothes before going in¡­¡±


    Then, as she looked at me from head to toe, she let out a fake laugh as if she had lost her spirit.


    ¡°It seems like your clothes don¡¯t need to be fixed. Only your hair.¡±


    Using my fingers, I combed my long hair without much hesitation. It was tangled worse than I thought, because of the friction of the blanket I was covered with earlier.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. This is the place where our Leader is.¡±


    I raised my head silently at her words. A stone door could be seen stuck to the ceiling and hidden in a perfect camouflage.


    ¡°What? How did you know the entrance was up there?¡±


    Red Tail opened her mouth wide.


    ¡°I just thought it was up there for some reason.¡±


    How did I know? Well, I¡¯m the one who set it all up.


    ¡°I heard that you absolutely cannot use magic. And you don¡¯t even look like a knight.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t use it. I have no power whatsoever.¡±


    ¡°Then why the hell is that scummy man taking you around with him when he¡¯s treating you like a burden?¡±


    She frowned slightly. I shrugged indifferently.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I wonder why.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Red Tail stared at me with strange eyes, and I was unable to grasp her intentions for a moment. Then she muttered, ¡°You¡¯re really boring,¡± and pushed down a wooden ladder after pressing a stone on the wall.


    As she went up one step, she pulled the doorknob while hanging from the ladder, and opened the small, round door on the ceiling. Then, she reached out her hand.


    ¡°Grab it.¡±


    I hesitated for a moment and held out my left hand. Red Tail laughed.


    ¡°One hand? What are you trying to pull off with that weak body? If you want to separate your arm from your shoulder, I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    I held onto her tightly with both hands. Without any effort, Red Tail grabbed me as if she were throwing me, and gently sat me in the doorway on the floor.


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    ¡°Get up quickly. Don¡¯t forget to be polite to our Leader. He really is a great man.¡±


    Her red eyes were clear as she hung from the ladder and looked up at me. I got up very slowly from the ground. I really wasn¡¯t feeling well.


    As I stood there, pressing my temples, I could hear Red Tail coming up and closing the door on the floor.


    ¡°Over there.¡±


    She pointed to a door in the distance. It was already half-open as if saying to come in quickly.

 Chapter 15.1

    As I stepped inside, his right eye, which had a faded color and was cloudy like a glass covered in dust, looked at me. I also did not avoid it and openly observed the gorgeous appearance of the other person.


    The line that went from his eyebrows to his nose, and to his lips, was clear, showing his elegant figure. Vivid platinum hair that did not suit this place.


    I never thought I¡¯d see this guy here from Celina¡¯s point of view.


    ¡®The leader of the underground city, the Catacombs. What is the story hidden in his left eye, covered with an eye patch?¡¯ This was Zeno¡¯s introduction.


    Honestly, this was a bit cringy. The ¡®story¡¯ was obvious enough to anyone who knew the typical clich¨¦ of creative work, but sadly, this setting was my limit.


    His eye, Elijah pulled it out. To be precise, that cheap bastard ran away with all the Philosopher¡¯s stones that were supposed to be divided in half. And now he¡¯s living in that castle, boasting his wealth.


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    After a long silence, he spoke first. It was a calm, dreamy voice with a stem of sunshine, like under the sea. It was close to a sweet voice, but it wasn¡¯t exactly kind-hearted.


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    I returned casually.


    ¡°You really look alike.¡±


    ¡°In any case, I am his daughter.¡±


    ¡°In any case, you say¡­ That¡¯s the funniest thing I¡¯ve heard recently.¡±


    A faint smile flashed across his perfectly shaped lips.


    ¡°Your subordinate behind me says I¡¯m not funny.¡±


    ¡°What? Red, did you say that?¡±


    He threw his gaze behind me and asked quite happily.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.  She¡¯s extremely boring. She didn¡¯t really react to anything, so I wondered if she was some kind of doll.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m having fun.¡±


    ¡°Gosh. You just said that for the first time.¡±


    She responded as if it was ridiculous.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.  I just said that for the first time, but the Archmage¡¯s daughter is very, very funny.¡±


    His eye turned to me for a moment, then looked behind me again.


    ¡°Anyway, good job. You can wait downstairs.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Call me if you need me.¡±


    I could hear Red Tail¡¯s clothes rustling a couple of times in a regular motion. She was probably giving him a salute. After that, she left the room very quietly.


    ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t need to save face and endure your pain while you¡¯re here.¡±


    Zeno said generously.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Those uncomfortable shoes. You can take them off.¡±


    He glanced at my feet.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.  in that case.¡±


    He had a good sense. I took off my shoes without hesitation and held them in one hand. Unfortunately, Celina¡¯s feet were covered in blood. The wounds weren¡¯t severe, but it seemed that my feet got to this state due to the constant friction.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t seem to be too scared. Why is that?¡±


    Behind Zeno¡¯s back, who spoke a bit surprised, the scenery of the underground city unfolded.


    No matter how decorated it was, the place where the sunlight could not reach was dreary. The grief of the marginalized was also buried in the lingering atmosphere.


    ¡°What should I be scared of?¡±


    ¡°Well. You have been kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°Ah. That.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that? Is that all?¡±


    Perhaps there was something funny about my insincere answer, as he let out a small chuckle.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared of dying?¡±


    ¡°You brought me here to kill me?¡±


    ¡°What if I did?¡±


    He tilted his chin to one side.


    ¡°Dying is not that scary.¡±


    This place isn¡¯t real anyway.


    ¡°That¡¯s an unexpected answer. You really are funny.¡±


    Taking his back off the wall, he approached me in a carefree step. As Zeno got closer, I had to lift my chin. It was uncomfortable, but I couldn¡¯t help it. It was my fault for making the male characters so tall.


    ¡°But wait. I¡¯m fine with dying, but I don¡¯t want to be in pain.¡±


    I added urgently.


    ¡°Ah. An excessive contradiction.¡±


    Zeno said, grabbing my neck effortlessly. I could feel the touch of well-worn leather gloves.


    I frowned. Why are the people here so antsy to grab my neck? The woman before was like that, and this man now was like that too.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to kill me, can you not make me feel pain as much as possible?¡±


    Zeno smelled surprisingly good. I didn¡¯t know how to express it, but it was a clean and refreshing scent that didn¡¯t suit this roughly put-together place at all. For some reason, I remembered the sea.


    People like Celina took a bath every day and meticulously applied fragrant things from head to toe, so it was natural to have a good scent, but I didn¡¯t expect this man to also be like that.


    ¡°I never said I would kill you.¡±


    He muttered indifferently.


    ¡°Excuse me. You clearly said you were going to kill me just a moment ago.¡±


    ¡°I never said so. You assumed it to a great extent.¡±


    ¡°Are you joking right now?¡±


    He smiled quietly as I got angry, then made eye contact with me as I bent my body. I could barely feel the focus in my eyes as they moved around this desolate place.


    ¡°You know, you have a fever. It must be a cold.¡±


    A little more strength was added to the fingers around my neck.


    ¡°Can you feel that while you¡¯re wearing gloves?¡±


    I asked bitterly.


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    ¡°That¡¯s right.  Did my members do that to your cheeks?¡±


    Zeno¡¯s gaze turned slightly downwards.


    ¡°No. It happened somehow.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡±


    I felt like my face was being completely dissected by his sharp persistence. His eyes lingered on my hair, eyebrows, nose, lips, and cheeks.

 Chapter 15.2

    After listening to his quiet breathing for a long time while standing still, a rustling sound that sounded like a chain being released spread.


    As soon as he stepped back as if he had finished what he had to do, I reflexively touched my neck. The restraints were gone.


    ¡°It hurts.¡±


    However, a transparent discharge covered my fingertips.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you suffered a burn.¡±


    In Zeno¡¯s hand, the dark restraints melted away like snow. So, this guy brought Celina here, whom he shouldn¡¯t have brought, and even hurt her? I looked at him dissatisfied.


    ¡°Did you do this on purpose?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t do anything bothersome. It¡¯s faster to kill. I wonder how you have not died yet with such a weak body. You must have been brought up with utmost care.¡±


    He turned around, teasing me with a pleasant voice. I retorted at his back.


    ¡°So, did you find what you were looking for?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Zeno, who had walked away, stared at me.


    ¡°I thought you were searching for Elijah Dell in me.¡±


    I provoked him openly. He blinked slowly. He gave no particular reaction, but it was easy to tell that his mood was different from before.


    In an instant, a blue flame burned in front of me. Celina¡¯s untied hair fluttered in the twisted stream of air.


    The clear fire resembling Mikael¡¯s eyes soon gained the form of a four-legged beast, similar to a wolf, rushing at me with its mouth open.


    Wait! I don¡¯t want to be in pain!


    I faltered for a moment, but soon stood upright. Whatever, the situation turned out like this so let¡¯s just wake up now.


    ¡°You. What the hell are you?¡±


    But with Zeno¡¯s voice, the flame stopped right in front of my eyes, slowly fading away. There was a cool chill nearby.


    ¡°Are you really not afraid to die?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.  But I hope it won¡¯t hurt as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°How the hell did your father raise you?¡±


    He stared at me with an uncomfortable expression.


    ¡°He raised me with such ¡®utmost care¡¯ that I was burned in the neck with just those restraints. But you already know that, so why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Oh no.¡±


    Zeno shook his head and clicked his tongue, and then walked to the front of his desk, kicking his chair roughly.


    The comfortable chair with a cushioned seat slowly moved around the floor as if it had a trajectory of its own, then went behind me and roughly hit my legs. As a result, I was half-forced to sit on it.


    I rubbed the tingling back of my knees and stared at him with full irritation.


    ¡°That¡¯s really cheap. Why don¡¯t you tell me your complaints?¡±


    ¡°How did you know earlier?¡±


    Zeno asked, pulling his gloves tightly.


    ¡°Know what?¡±


    ¡°About Elijah Dell.¡±


    ¡°You said we looked alike as soon as you saw me. Who in the world wouldn¡¯t notice that?¡±


    I brought my hand very carefully to my tingling neck. And I immediately regretted it because of the rushing pain that made my face crumple on its own.


    ¡°It¡¯s better not to touch it. Scars caused by magic disappear more easily.¡±


    He began to look for something in front of a drawer that looked like a medicine cabinet. His profile figure, slightly tilting downwards, was flawless. He was a man with a very peculiar feeling.


    ¡°Do you have any questions?¡±


    He asked.


    ¡°Your subordinate asked me earlier if I had any questions.¡±


    ¡°Did my subordinate do that?¡±


    Zeno certainly asked back mechanically, but his distinctive voice made him feel somewhere affectionate.


    I stared at the villain moving in perfect reality. That¡¯s right. He was indeed more popular than Cain and Mikael.


    ¡°So, anyway. Are you willing to answer me?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m just saying.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m speechless. You¡¯ve really been annoying me since earlier.¡±


    I grunted and leaned on the back of the chair. As I tilted my head back and relaxed a bit more, only then did I find a little comfort.


    Ingrit was able to return safe and sound from this place because their intentions were not to harm or kill her in the first place.


    There had been peace for such a long time that the guards of the imperial palace became a little lax, and the absurd incident occurred when outsiders entered the palace for the opera.


    Throwing stones on a calm lake will create multiple layers of waves on the surface. What they wanted was that kind of simple stimulus.


    But it was clear what I was trying to convey. In other words, it was a declaration of war. It can be considered the beginning of a war, which took place at the climax of my novel.


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    In the original work, Mikael uses Cain¡¯s blood to track down Ingrit, and the remote cave on the outskirts of the Catacombs. And so, it was the first time he faced Zeno, who was standing there in the so-called dungeon.


    ¡®Disciple of the Archmage. Do you trust your master?¡¯


    That¡¯s what he said to Mikael.


    ¡°Hey. Excuse me.¡±


    I spoke to him.

 Chapter 16.1

    Zeno turned to me.


    ¡°Why are you calling me?¡±


    ¡°Maybe Elijah Dell won¡¯t come. Don¡¯t expect it.¡±


    Though he might have expected it, no matter how much I thought about it, Elijah was not the kind of man to step into a trap openly dug by his nemesis. If someone were to come, wouldn¡¯t it be Mikael? It didn¡¯t seem like Cain would come because it didn¡¯t concern his sister.


    ¡°You. You always talk about your father like he¡¯s a stranger. Are you two not really close?¡±


    He turned around again. There was a rattling sound of glass in the drawer Zeno was rummaging through. The wood in the fireplace crackled.


    Yeah, I made him, but a stranger is a stranger. I guess the distance between us was obvious.


    I blinked blankly at the pattern the burning wood was making on the ceiling. Looking back on the process from the imperial palace to this place, it felt like at least a week had passed. For a dream, time was passing by especially slowly.


    I was sick of it.


    ¡°Hey, excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Why are you calling me again?¡±


    This time, his voice was heard a little closer. In a moment, Zeno came into view.


    ¡°What, when did you come here? You¡¯re really fast.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t read the emotion in his eyes as he lowered his body towards me.


    What if, by any chance, this unfortunate man falls in love with Mikael. Even in that lonely desert, an elegant flower will bloom.


    And this is a man who will devote his life to that one flower.


    ¡°Does this make you feel any better? How does it feel?¡±


    ¡°This? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all wood. Here.¡±


    I reached out and pointed to the ceiling. Although it was something I set up, and even though this dream was based on my unconsciousness, I still wanted to ask the person concerned at least once.


    Zeno looked alternately between me and the ceiling, and slowly opened his lips.


    ¡°Hey. You. Do you trust your father?¡±


    Ah, this is driving me crazy. The question that should have gone to Mikael came to me. I smirked, sneering at him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust him at all. But before that, can you please answer me?¡±


    ¡°Why? Why don¡¯t you trust your father?¡±


    He raised one eyebrow as if my response was surprising.


    ¡°Well, Elijah Dell¡­¡±


    ¡°Boss!¡±


    Just then, Red Tail suddenly opened the door. The voice that interrupted me was urgent. I forced myself to get up and looked back.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for interrupting you while you are having an important conversation, but I think something happened with Jack. He completely trashed the treatment room and went nuts. Suzy got hurt because of that bastard. Go and knock him out.¡±


    Her face contorted to the fullest.


    ¡°Okay, got it. There¡¯s no helping it.¡±


    Zeno let out a short sigh.


    ¡°Daughter of the Archmage. I think you will have to wait here for a while. Can we continue our conversation later?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.  Excuse me then.¡±


    As he was about to leave, he said, ¡°Ah.¡± and paused for a moment.


    ¡°Red, I¡¯ll leave this to you.¡±


    Then he threw something at Red Tail.


    ¡°Why this all of a sudden?¡±


    She asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Will you apply some to the neck of the daughter of the Archmage? She¡¯s hurt.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, the restraints?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The restraints.¡±


    He looked down at me and answered stiffly. At some point, Red Tail, who was standing next to me, started staring at me with disgusted and pitiful eyes.


    ¡°Can both of you stop looking at me like that? I¡¯m not like this because I want to. What can I do, when I was born like this? It wasn¡¯t my intention!¡±


    I said grudgingly. Somehow, I felt very pathetic. Them being like this made me feel like I had committed some serious crime.


    ¡°She¡¯s really all over the place. She¡¯s not worth being held hostage. It¡¯s a nuisance. Anyway, I get it, Boss. Hurry up and go.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    Zeno left the room immediately after saying that. I watched quietly as she pulled another chair and sat beside me.


    ¡°In any case, guys don¡¯t know how to stay still, do they? Whenever there¡¯s trouble, it¡¯s always men.¡±


    ¡°Phew,¡± she opened her mouth as she slowly loosened the bandage around the stick.


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    ¡°That¡¯s a narrow-minded generalization.¡±


    ¡°Gosh, you¡¯re not funny at all. Why does the Leader find you funny? And why is he giving you this expensive medication?¡±


    ¡°For an expensive medication, he put it randomly inside a drawer.¡±


    ¡°Miss. Are you going to keep annoying people?¡±


    Red Tail, looking dumbfounded, scooped up a bit of the purple ointment in the container with the clean stick, and applied it around my neck. She was not applying it; it was more like she was plastering it on my neck. Even her hand gesture was harsh.

 Chapter 16.2

    ¡°You know, Miss. I trust our Leader. Even if the whole world says it¡¯s so, if our Leader says it isn¡¯t, then it¡¯s absolutely not.¡±


    She calmly put the ointment and stick on the floor when she had done her job.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good subordinate.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.  I hope our Leader thinks so too.¡±


    Then she took a strangely twisted knife out of her pocket and started spinning it calmly between her fingers.


    I think it was close to being a talent. The movements became more pronounced, perhaps due to the ominous and dreary aura that fluttered during the day.


    ¡°But, you know what? I can¡¯t trust the Leader this time. It shouldn¡¯t be you. You¡¯re not worth it. What if his whereabouts are discovered for nothing?¡±


    She suddenly changed her stance and the knife, which she had been spinning cheerfully in her hand, stood upright.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s good that you really can¡¯t use magic. And you¡¯re also weak, so it will be easier.¡±


    And then, the blade rushed straight to my side and she hit my head. Even though it happened in an instant, I saw it vividly like it was happening in slow motion. She twisted her hand wide and pulled out the knife.


    I reflexively grabbed the area with my hands, rolling up my shoulders. Because it was so sudden, I didn¡¯t feel any pain.


    ¡°¡­ You. Right now¡­¡±


    Celina¡¯s voice trembled.


    ¡°I was thinking of torturing you, but I¡¯ll finish it once and for all, considering the affection we shared in such a short time. Honestly, I feel sorry for you.¡±


    Red Tail¡¯s mouth spread in a smile.


    ¡°Above all, if you say you are in pain with that incredibly pretty face, I will be heartbroken as well.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t enough that she was a crazy kidnapper, but now she was also a crazy stabbing bitch. What bad luck.


    I closed my eyes tightly when I saw the knife rushing to my neck.


    I wondered if I was finally getting out of here, but strangely enough, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. After a frightening silence, I opened my eyes carefully.


    The woman who had just clearly stabbed me with a knife was now lying near one of the windows, bleeding from her nose. It looked like someone had thrown her.


    I don¡¯t know why, but her face was pale. Her legs twitched occasionally as if she was having a seizure, but seeing that there was black foam in her mouth, she seemed to have passed out.


    What was that?  What happened?


    I pressed the stab wound with my hands as my breathing became shallower and more spaced out. This was the least I could do in the present situation.


    I could feel thousands of sharp ice cubes churning and crushing deep inside my body. It was a terrible pain.


    ¡°Ah. This sucks.¡±


    I bent down and groaned, trying to ease the pain, and then fell from the chair. The impact of my body hitting the hard floor made me gasp unconsciously.


    A burning sensation spread from the depths of my stomach, as if it were on fire. The crow by the window cawed loudly.


    Wow, it hurt so badly. I blinked, my eyes half out of focus. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t see the world clearly.


    The margin of the dark red blood that gushed out of my body and pooled on the floor was unclear and blurry, as if it had been roughly erased with an eraser. Celina¡¯s limp, white arms and fingers were pathetically thin.


    ¡­ I suddenly felt very sleepy.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    As I was about to close my eyes, Zeno¡¯s subtle voice pulled me into consciousness. Of course, that question did not ease the pain. Rather, it just annoyed me.


    Is this damn bastard trying to piss me off right now? Is he kidding me?


    ¡°Will¡­ I¡­ be fine?¡±


    I barely answered, weeping. Zeno uttered a barely audible curse before getting on his knees and wrapping his arms around my torso to lift me up.


    Even the process of adding a simple movement to the affected side was extremely painful. I groaned and bit my lips tightly.


    ¡°What¡­ are¡­ you¡­ doing¡­ right now?¡±


    Breathing heavily in his arms, I argued a beat too late.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Zeno immediately shoved something hard and cold into my mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s both a painkiller and a styptic, so drink it quickly.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I was exhausted and had no energy to rebel anyway. I drank all the liquid inside, matching the angle at which he tipped the bottle. It tasted a little bitter.


    ¡°Idiot. There¡¯s a reason why you shouldn¡¯t touch her.¡±


    He held me in his arms. My eye level suddenly went up.


    ¡°Daughter of the Archmage. You¡¯ll be fine if you get treatment quickly. Do you understand?¡±


    This is crazy. How many times have I been in this weak position? Where is the real princess that should be held in his arms right now, and why am I here?


    ¡°So please don¡¯t die.¡±


    Zeno¡¯s voice sounded hazy like a dream. Sleep rushed in.


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    ¡°¡­ Hey. Didn¡¯t I clearly say I didn¡¯t want to be in pain¡­¡±


    I tried to overcome my increasingly heavy eyelids by any means, but it was impossible. I had no choice but to conform to the current situation and close my eyes.


    However, it was very unfair to leave the dream in this way, so I succeeded in squeezing the last of my strength through the gaps of consciousness and gripping his collar.


    This is all because of you. Die.


    I was going to say that at the last moment, but I don¡¯t know how it turned out.

 Chapter 17.1

    A sweet moisture clung to my cheeks and a dazzling scent penetrated my lungs. I stood up and looked around. Under the high ceiling, a space packed with well-maintained flowers spread out before my eyes.


    There was only one place I knew of that looked like this.


    So. In conclusion, this was still a dream.


    Damn it. I started moving forward while grumbling and swinging my arms. My destination was set naturally. I was just going to fall into the pond here, wherever it was.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    Celina, who I encountered as I was walking between the trees and the flowers, was sitting quietly on an iron bench in a green dress. The white neck beneath her updo hairstyle was elegant.


    ¡°I can finally meet you in person like this.¡±


    Steam flowed from the teacup she held in her hand. This aerial garden was filled with flowers of all colors, but it was she who stood out above all else.


    The varied colors were nothing compared to her appearance. It was truly unusual. When I looked into the mirror after becoming her, I don¡¯t think I felt that way.


    ¡°You. What are you?¡±


    I asked bluntly, leaning on one leg. I couldn¡¯t even be nice.


    This was my dream, but I felt strangely fooled by her. I knew it was all based on my unconscious, but I felt really bad.


    ¡°You are impudent. But first of all, could you sit next to me, please?¡±


    She smiled calmly. Alright, let¡¯s hear what she has to say. I walked nervously and sat beside her.


    ¡°I really wanted to meet you.¡±


    Celina put down her teacup and grabbed my right hand without notice.


    ¡°I¡¯m very nervous. I¡¯m sure Mikael felt the same as me?¡±


    What¡¯s wrong with her? There was something disturbing about her, but I didn¡¯t shake her off.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sure he must have been so full of joy that I couldn¡¯t even compare to him.¡±


    I mean, how am I right now when she¡¯s in front of me? I lowered my head and examined myself. Surprisingly, I still looked like Celina.


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re twins.¡±


    ¡°Haha. You have some very funny things to say. How dare I say we are twins, that¡¯s undeserved of me.¡±


    She gave a surprisingly graceful laugh.


    ¡°How was it?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Staying here.¡±


    ¡°Nothing special.¡±


    She tilted her head at my unenthusiastic response.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it nice to see the characters in person?¡±


    ¡°Not that much.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°I had a lot of trouble when I was writing them. You guys just acted as you pleased.¡±


    I muttered.


    ¡°But it was actually a little bit nice¡­¡±


    ¡°We acted as we pleased? I apologize. Not everyone did it on purpose.¡±


    Celina frowned slightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It all comes from my lack of competence. It was too popular for my ability.¡±


    No, hold on. Why am I answering her so obediently now? I pushed her hand away and jumped out of my seat.


    ¡°Writer?¡±


    Celina looked up at me with a mysterious glance.


    ¡°I have to go.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The pond is this way, right? Anyway, it was nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°It is not yet time.¡±


    She grabbed my wrist without me realizing it.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, but you can¡¯t leave now.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­  You decided that it was a dream, so I couldn¡¯t tell you right away. It was a little easier for me to let you be mistaken for now¡­¡±


    Celina opened her mouth with a cautious expression.


    ¡°Tell me so I can understand.¡±


    My body stiffened. I suddenly felt dizzy.


    ¡°I apologize. This is not a dream.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Really, Writer. Why would you be here even now if that wasn¡¯t the case?¡±


    She said, as if to make me understand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡±


    My back felt chilly for a moment. Wow, a scary dream like this really does exist. I need to get out of here. I started running towards the pond, leaving her behind.


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    There was a pavilion on one side of a large pond that was made with a large tree in the middle. I remembered clearly where it was located in the garden.


    But even though I ran there, the place I arrived at was in front of the iron bench Celina was sitting on. I headed that way a few more times, thinking I was simply mistaken, but nothing changed.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Wherever I went, I ended up in front of her.


    A drop of water escaped from a tree hanging over my head, falling on the nape of my neck. No, it was not water, but the sweat that came from my nervousness.

 Chapter 17.2

    ¡°You, what the hell are you doing?¡±


    I had goosebumps from head to toe. A primal fear spread from the moment I opened my mouth and began to encroach on me.


    ¡°I told you. You can¡¯t leave yet. The protagonist needs you.¡±


    ¡°The protagonist? Are you talking about Mikael?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Celina nodded.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly talking about him?¡±


    ¡°Please be with Mikael. Please help him. Keep an eye on a wizard¡¯s great journey. So that everything can find its right place.¡±


    My body did not move at will. It was difficult to process the unrealistic words that were entering my head like a storm.


    So, what she meant¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s a mission you gave me, but I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s impossible. So, I¡¯m asking you.¡±


    She drank her tea leisurely.


    ¡°No.¡±


    I muttered vainly.


    ¡°Complete your mission, and if you really want to then, only then, I will really send you off. Sadly.¡±


    Celina expressed her reluctance.


    ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±


    My body began to tremble as if it were buried in the snow.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible right now. I¡¯m really sorry. Don¡¯t forget. You were the one who gave me access in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Are you in your right mind?!¡±


    I jumped towards her and squeezed the woman¡¯s neck. I was confused and scared. The teacup, which had fallen from her hand, shattered with a sharp sound.


    Suddenly, our eyes met. My hands loosened.


    I wanted to squeeze her throat, but I couldn¡¯t apply any more strength. She was just a character I made, a fake human in a fake world, and yet, I hesitated like this.


    ¡°It¡¯s your job to help Mikael. I created you for that.¡±


    I was now close to tears. I couldn¡¯t figure out what the hell was happening. I was scared.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. There was no other way for me.¡±


    Celina touched her neck, which had turned red because of me, with her fingertips. She looked sad and seemed to be asking how on earth did she deserve that.


    ¡°Why was there no other way?¡±


    Isn¡¯t it said that people will laugh when they face a situation that is too ridiculous? A chuckle mixed with weeping leaked from my mouth.


    ¡°Mikael doesn¡¯t listen to me. At this rate, a happy ending is impossible. The only thing left is destruction.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? He followed you everywhere, calling you ¡®Celina, Celina¡¯.¡±


    I said sharply.


    ¡°Ah. That¡­¡±


    She hesitated.


    ¡°There was an exchange, so he just followed me on the surface. I can¡¯t change his mind.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°But you are different. You created everything. You can move Mikael.¡±


    I moved my lips a few times to spit out a curse at that woman who was spouting nonsense. But it was impossible to rationally combine words that were used under social agreements and say them out loud.


    ¡°This is inside your consciousness. Your body is lying in bed right now.¡±


    Celina said something I hadn¡¯t even asked.


    ¡°Lying in bed?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You were badly injured in the Catacombs.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not me.¡±


    ¡°Right now, it is the Writer¡¯s body.¡±


    There was a clear light in her blue-purple eyes.


    ¡°What an honor it is to have you inside such a miserable body. I finally feel like I¡¯ve found the meaning of my life. I have no regrets even if I die right now.¡±


    She smiled brightly.


    ¡°But I want to finish everything after completing my task.¡±


    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re not crazy, are you?¡±


    At that moment, I felt frightened by her.


    ¡°This is not a dream.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. I¡¯m going to die as soon as I wake up in bed.¡±


    I spat out unpleasantly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stop you, but I don¡¯t really recommend it. You¡¯ll see me again anyway.¡±


    Celina smiled beautifully.


    ¡°Writer, don¡¯t you want everyone to be happy?¡±


    However, her eyes were somewhat cold.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re the characters you made one by one.¡±


    The woman who knew nothing openly provoked me. Don¡¯t I want everyone to be happy? Is she out of her mind?¡± My hands trembled with anger.


    ¡°How in the world could you do that? Why are you betraying us?¡±


    ¡°I want¡ª!¡±


    At that moment, I was furious and shouted harshly.


    ¡°Because I wanted all of you to be happy, I went through a lot of hardships to write it! You don¡¯t know anything!¡±


    Eventually, tears of fear and anger flowed from my eyes. I rubbed my cheeks roughly.


    ¡°¡­ I apologize. I spoke rashly. I¡¯ll be careful in the future.¡±


    Celina looked at me with her big eyes.


    ¡°Maybe it will be better to talk properly after you calm down.¡±


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    Then, a huge wave of memories engulfed me.


    It was overly one-sided and violent. I began to drift aimlessly. There was no room for rebellion. The world became distorted and turned upside down.


    As I drifted farther and farther away, she held her skirt and bowed deeply. Suddenly, I wanted to smash her head to the ground. But I knew very well that I couldn¡¯t.


    Because I loved her.


    They would never understand the feelings I had when I created them while inside that abyss.

 Chapter 18.1

    In a garden where a stream was flowing, Elijah was sitting next to a little girl under a tree, and a beautiful pink flame was sprouting from the palm of his hand.


    ¡®I don¡¯t love you. And I don¡¯t intend to love you in the future, so don¡¯t expect affection.¡¯


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    The girl who was looking blankly at the fire raised her head. Her plump lips were closed as a clam.


    ¡®You are nothing but a burden. You¡¯re just an embarrassment now.¡¯


    Both the person who uttered the harsh words, and the person who heard them, showed no emotion.


    ¡®Don¡¯t do anything to disgrace me. At least behave according to your status. Then, I will also do the least for you as my own flesh and blood.¡¯


    The young Celina nodded.


    ¡®Then I will tell you what you have to do. The emperor has a boy whose mana is rampant.¡¯


    Elijah continued his message.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to take care of him. Remember the name Mikael. When the time comes, stay close to him. He¡¯s going to be useful to me in the future.¡¯


    The child fainted as soon as she heard that. One name became a key, flinging open the door to a locked place and pouring an unbearable truth far above the threshold.


    Shattering a person¡¯s world was really simple and easy.


    ***


    My eyes flashed open. The dream I had just now was glimmering in front of my eyes like a mirage. I blinked quickly to clear the afterimage.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    I frowned automatically. My head was throbbing like it was the day after a lot of drinking. This was Elijah¡¯s room. It was clear from just looking at the cloth that hung over his bed.


    This was a place that would only be opened if the hidden route of targeting the archmage was successful. But that didn¡¯t matter now.


    Something had changed. Me.


    To be exact, I was trapped in this dream.


    An unfamiliar memory that I had never heard of remained in my head. All my senses were focusing on it.


    Celina was clearly the culprit.


    That woman¡¯s world began when she met a man named ¡®Mikael¡¯. The woman was waiting for me. And that is how I became like this. That was the story behind this situation.


    Obviously, her words weren¡¯t worth believing. But strangely, I kept getting anxious. What she seemed to be saying was that this unrealistic situation wasn¡¯t a dream but was all true.


    I nervously opened the red curtains and got out of bed. It was dawn. With minimal illumination, the interior was dark overall.


    I touched the area I was stabbed in. There was a heavy dull pain, but I didn¡¯t feel the same pain as before. It seemed to be almost cured. Someone had changed my clothes into pajamas.


    The rug on the floor was fuzzy and soft. Elijah¡¯s room, which had a huge sphere-shaped map of the empire right in the center, was decorated with a lot of gold. Like the office, this place was also full of expensive ornaments.


    Someone was curled up on the sofa in the corner. I couldn¡¯t tell exactly who it was because half the room had curtains hanging, but there was only one person who had the right to be by Celina¡¯s side at this time and place.


    I grabbed a blanket nearby and approached the man quietly.


    The thin moonlight that squeezed through the curtains stretched across Ian¡¯s cheeks to the floor. He was sleeping deeply with disheveled hair. The glasses he always wore were on the floor.


    I picked up his glasses and stared at his bare face for a moment. It was the first time I was seeing him so relaxed like this.


    I¡¯m sure he went through a lot between me being attacked and meeting that woman. I was very curious about the details, but I felt sorry about waking him up now.


    I carefully covered Ian¡¯s body with a blanket.


    I thought I would wake him up later and tell him to go to his room and take a bath. Then, after letting the maids go¡­


    ¡°Your heart stopped for a moment.¡±


    My thoughts were dispersed by the sudden voice. I turned towards the entrance. Elijah was approaching me in a big stride.


    [Don¡¯t forget to address Elijah Dell properly.]


    Celina was really brazen, even for a short moment. Why was she talking as if nothing had happened after doing that to me?


    ¡°¡­ Thank you for rescuing me, Father.¡±


    I spoke firmly. There was no favorable response to the current situation.


    ¡°You speak very easily.¡±


    The golden eyes I faced were extremely cold.


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    ¡°Young Lady!¡±


    I heard Ian jumping up in surprise.


    ¡°Have you woken up? How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡±


    I replied. Elijah¡¯s gaze never fell away from me. Strangely enough, I didn¡¯t want to lose to this man, so I looked him in the eye until the end.

 Chapter 18.2

    ¡°Ian. It seems like you were sleeping even though the one you serve is sick.¡±


    However, in this sudden situation, I had no way of winning. At the same time as I heard a bang, I could hear things falling.


    What was that?  Surprised, I turned to the left and was shocked. Ian was pinned under a huge cabinet. It happened in a flash.


    I tried to rush to him, but Elijah grabbed my arm rather roughly. A decent amount of pain spread from the area that had been captured.


    ¡°What are you doing right now?!¡±


    ¡°If he became relaxed, I should give him a proper warning.¡±


    He retorted calmly.


    ¡°This is beyond the limits of being reasonable.¡±


    I responded nervously. Anxiousness, irritability, helplessness. All of this rushed to me at once. Everything got tangled up. Even I couldn¡¯t define what I was feeling right now.


    What does everyone want me to do?


    What?


    What do you want from me?


    ¡°It is not your business to interfere.¡±


    ¡°Will you let him go if I tell you to hurt me instead?¡±


    Whether it was a dream or whatever, I didn¡¯t feel good because Ian, a character I made, was like that.


    ¡°Celina Dell. You¡¯ve become unnecessarily more emotional. Is it also because of Mikael?¡±


    I kept my mouth shut. Everyone kept talking about Mikael in this way. Based on the memory that woman forced on me, it was a well-founded remark.


    But who was inside this body right now wasn¡¯t the original Celina. It was me.


    ¡°People are bound to change.¡±


    I responded too late.


    ¡°Your servant has not done his duty.¡±


    ¡°My servant is not an inanimate object that doesn¡¯t sleep.¡±


    ¡°If necessary, he should be willing to become one. An inanimate object.¡±


    ¡°Please let me go.¡±


    When I spoke clearly, Elijah let out a visible ridicule.


    ¡°What if I let you go? What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do, right?¡±


    The thorny truth was embedded uncomfortably in my mind.


    ¡°All you have to do is talk appropriately on behalf of me. Know your place, and do not cross the line.¡±


    Elijah walked while holding my arm tightly. Ah! He started to drag me. His attitude while dealing with a sick person was the absolute worst.


    ¡°Stay here until I come back. I¡¯ll call Mikael.¡±


    He pushed me hard onto the bed. Just as I was about to do something, the curtains were closed harshly in front of me. I grabbed the curtains and groaned, but they didn¡¯t move as if they were glued together with strong glue.


    ¡°Ian. Get up right now and follow me.¡±


    ¡°Father!¡±


    I immediately called Elijah. A momentary silence swept through the room.


    ¡°Please. Don¡¯t be too harsh.¡±


    There was no reply. The two went out, and the door was shut.


    I let out a long sigh and sat down heavily on the bed. There was nothing I could do for Ian right now, so I had to check my condition.


    I loosened the knot in my white pajamas and pulled them down to my hips. I couldn¡¯t see it very well, so I grabbed a light that looked like a jellyfish that was on the side table and brought it near my stomach.


    Curiously, it was fine on the surface. There was no wound. But the inside continued to throb. Indeed, magic was not well-rounded. It could not return someone who had been severely injured to their original state as if nothing had happened.


    I was pressing my skin when my view cleared up with the sound of the cloth moving. It was Mikael.


    Ah, right. Didn¡¯t he say he was coming?


    His posture hardened. He was equally surprised. He looked flustered, which was uncharacteristic of him.


    ¡°I, huh, I apologize. Master told me to come here as soon as possible¡­¡±


    After a moment of silence, he gave an awkward apology and excuse, and hurriedly pulled the curtains. I looked down at Celina¡¯s body.


    A thin, sleeveless garment made with lace. It showed off quite a lot. Dresses often show off the shoulders and chest anyway. And this wasn¡¯t even my body.


    However, he was clearly a man. I couldn¡¯t help but be surprised if he did something like this suddenly without even knocking. In any case, he saw what I was wearing underneath my pajamas. While I was feeling embarrassed for some reason, I remembered one important fact.


    Mikael likes men.


    Yeah. So, it was strange for me alone to care about such a thing. When I finished my judgement, I stared at the place where he supposedly stood.


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    ¡°Mikael?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m here.¡±


    Mikael answered affectionately.


    ¡°Could you take a look at where I got hurt? I¡¯m not sure when I look at it, but it keeps hurting.¡±


    As soon as I finished speaking, he only stuck out his face between the cloths. He looked so cute that a very short laugh escaped my mouth.

 Chapter 19.1

    ¡°Would you like to come out? It¡¯s a little dark.¡±


    His brilliant jewel-like eyes examined the affected area once. It was an extremely innocent gaze.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Then, excuse me for a moment.¡±


    Smiling, Mikael wrapped a blanket around my exposed shoulders. With the most mixed feelings, I adjusted the blanket that I used to cover Ian earlier.


    Was he going to be okay? I was a little worried. I wondered why I was worried about someone else in this situation, but I couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Is it difficult to walk?¡±


    Mikael asked as he saw me standing blankly for a moment. I shook my head.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Shall I help you if you¡¯re uncomfortable?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Alright.¡±


    He stepped back neatly and opened the curtains. Holding the dress tightly with one hand so that it would flow down all the way, I moved to the place where he politely beckoned.


    The lamp I was holding disappeared from my hand at some point. Soon, it began to flutter gracefully over our heads, with a movement that seemed like a real jellyfish floating in the ocean.


    Mikael placed me in an armchair by the window and got down on his knees. Then, after slightly pulling up my clothes, he gently swept the affected area with his palm.


    I felt like my hair was standing at the unusual contact.


    ¡°Does it hurt a lot? Can you describe exactly how it feels?¡±


    He asked seriously. Beneath his eyes, the moonlight created an elaborate shadow, like a bristle.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a lot, but it¡¯s still throbbing deep inside.¡±


    ¡°First of all, you didn¡¯t just simply get hurt. Most curses have aftereffects.¡±


    ¡°So, this is also an aftereffect?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    A hazy light emanated from his fingertips, as if enveloped in fog.


    ¡°It¡¯s healing very well right now, so you just need to rest well.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I see. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you this now, but it was a strong curse.¡±


    Mikael frowned.


    ¡°I see.  A strong curse.¡±


    I muttered. No wonder it hurt so much. Someday I¡¯ll see that damn woman again, and I¡¯ll tear out all her red hair. I¡¯m going to make her bald. I vowed firmly.


    ¡°Master would never let you stay like that. To put it bluntly, your eyes were turned inside out, so he even went to the temple.¡±


    ¡°The temple? No way. Did the High Priest cure me himself?¡±


    I frowned.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. Celina is no ordinary person.¡±


    ¡°No. Even so, that person¡­¡±


    I blurred my words. I never thought the High Priest would suddenly appear out of nowhere.


    ¡°Master said we should sneak a high-ranking priest out and lock him up here.¡±


    He smiled and looked up at me. Wow. What was that? I can¡¯t believe he is joking in this situation. It was ridiculous, so I let out a fake laugh.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie.¡±


    ¡°Oops. I got caught.¡±


    Mikael responded slyly, shrugging his shoulders.


    ¡°To be honest, it didn¡¯t make sense even to me. I¡¯ll try something a little more plausible next time.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to promise the next lie.¡±


    ¡°Do you not like lies?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Though I do think white lies are inevitable. Who likes lies in the first place?¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    He lowered his head slightly and gave a thoughtful look. His hair, shining under the moonlight, was extremely beautiful. Certainly, nighttime suited him better than daytime. Without realizing it, I reached my hand towards him.


    While I was blankly enjoying the soft touch on my fingertips, I belatedly realized my actions.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    I hastily removed my hand. What kind of dirty behavior was this?


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t go.¡±


    Mikael grabbed my hand tightly as I walked away. And without giving me time to react, he buried his lips in it. I felt dizzy for a moment.


    ¡°You have no idea how startled I was.¡±


    I felt his clean, sweet voice on the concave palm of my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t die and that you¡¯re in front of me right now. Please don¡¯t deny it. Please accept it now.¡±


    The place where his lips touched felt hot and ticklish. I felt somewhat numb.


    ¡°Your only reality. And me, too.¡±


    ¡°What do you¡­¡±


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    The protagonist couldn¡¯t have known, but he seemed to know something.


    ¡°I heard it from Master. Celina Dell is like a denier of reality.¡±


    He held his lips over my palm, raising only his blue eyes. I flinched without realizing it as his eyes overlapped for a moment with the cold glare I had seen from Celina.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you dressed first. If you catch a cold in this state, it will be a problem.¡±


    Mikael carefully grabbed hold of the pajamas that were near my hips. Following his touch, the thin piece of fabric climbed up very slowly.

 Chapter 19.2

    Mikael had his own reasons for treating Celina this way. My memory was half-empty, so it didn¡¯t feel like everything was in perfect sync, but I was able to understand it roughly.


    Everything Mikael said to me when we first met here was true. In his memory, he and Celina had been exchanging letters consistently since they were young.


    Even if they had never actually met, the letters were quite affectionate. She treated Mikael more warmly than Elijah had ordered her.


    Because she knew the reality of this world.


    It was for the same reason that it felt like Celina was denying reality.


    ¡°You woke up after one week.¡±


    ¡°What? One week?¡±


    My voice rose on its own at the unexpected amount of time.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It took longer than I thought.¡±


    Ugh. I thought deeply. So I was unconscious for that long.


    Just considering the date, the protagonist was not here at this time. It was the time when he started investigating the epidemic that was suddenly spreading throughout the port city of Tyros. It was the type of service that made wizards gain the trust of the nobles and the people.


    With that said, the reason why he was here right now¡­


    ¡°Wait a moment. Are you here right now because of me?¡±


    ¡°I apologize. It¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    Mikael said abruptly. I noticed that his fingers, holding my pajamas, were trembling.


    ¡°Why are you apologizing again¡­?¡±


    For a moment, I felt the urge to hold his hand. But I couldn¡¯t do that.


    ¡°I should have cared more.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? It was just an accident.¡±


    ¡°No. I could have stopped it.¡±


    Mikael finished tying it cleanly and took two steps back. His face was filled with gloom and guilt.


    ¡°Then, in that case, it would be my fault for following Ingrit.¡±


    ¡°I think the blame lies entirely with the person who protects you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already in the past. I am alive and well.¡±


    ¡°You say that because you don¡¯t know how you looked then.¡±


    He shook his head and smiled bitterly in self-scorn.


    ¡°When Master brought you here, you didn¡¯t look like a person, but a clot of blood. I¡¯ve never seen so much blood in my life. Even despite how unfortunate I was before I met Master.¡±


    ¡°Mikael.¡±


    I called out his name soothingly. The eyes that were on the ground turned to me. Suddenly, I didn¡¯t feel good. The only thing left for the protagonist was to see blood.


    It was no one else but me who cast a thick cloud of misery in his childhood solely for the excitement that was to be derived from the gap between extreme happiness and unhappiness. And if that wasn¡¯t enough, I pushed him into pain as great as my love for him just before the ending.


    The final sentence, ¡°The prince and the princess lived happily ever after,¡± was out of touch with reality, but it was necessary in works of fiction. And in order to emphasize it, the suffering of the protagonist was necessary.


    Happiness that is easily attained is neither interesting nor meaningful.


    ¡°¡­ You must have suffered a lot. Thank you for worrying. But I¡¯m really fine. I want to stop talking about depressing things.¡±


    Even though it was cowardly, I chose to evade it. The current situation was so dumbfounding that I couldn¡¯t afford to care about other people¡¯s feelings.


    ¡°Yes. I will do whatever you want.¡±


    Mikael answered. Look, Celina. What do you mean, he doesn¡¯t listen to you? He¡¯s so obedient.


    ¡°Ah, right. Come to think of it, that woman got hurt too.¡±


    ¡°That woman?¡±


    ¡°The woman who stabbed me. She was sprawled out on the floor, foaming from her mouth.¡±


    Red Tail was completely knocked out. What happened to her? Did she die?


    ¡°Ah. The person who stabbed you was a woman? Then, what about the people who took you?¡±


    ¡°The people who took me didn¡¯t seem to want to kill me. That woman acted as she pleased.¡±


    ¡°What does she look like?¡±


    ¡°Her hair and eyes are red. Ah, she has short hair.¡±


    It was not difficult to describe her because her characteristics were so clear.


    ¡°Yes, yes. What else?¡±


    He asked back, leisurely.


    ¡°Her cheekbones are a bit protruding, and she doesn¡¯t have two fingers. She also has a burn scar. I think you¡¯ll know as soon as you see her.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You remembered clearly.¡±


    Mikael nodded.


    ¡°I will kill her myself.¡±


    Then, he whispered in a low and kind tone, as if he were speaking to his dear lover. His intention was explicit in his clear eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you her neck.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I didn¡¯t mean for you to kill her¡­¡±


    I lengthened my words, taken aback.


    ¡°Maybe the fact that she collapsed was because of Master¡¯s magic stone.¡±


    He retorted casually.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for that, you¡­¡±


    However, his expression as he spoke didn¡¯t look good.


    ¡°Did I have something like that with me?¡±


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    ¡°The ring you wore.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I hurriedly checked my right hand. The frame of the ring remained in place, but the yellow gemstone had disappeared.


    I was at a loss. I didn¡¯t know why. What the hell was wrong with that archmage? He was a total tsundere.


    I created him, but I didn¡¯t know him at all.

 Chapter 20.1

    I still couldn¡¯t get out.


    On one side of the room was a pile of unopened gifts and letters of regards. Some were sent by nobles who maintained a close relationship with Celina, but more than half were sent by the imperial family as an apology.


    Seeing the splendid emperor¡¯s seal made me feel strange. Celina wasn¡¯t originally a character who boasted this much importance.


    I¡¯ve read Ingrit¡¯s letters, which were mostly saying sorry, but it seemed that Elijah and the emperor had some sort of meeting about measures for future emergencies. The very narcissistic Grand Duke Samuel must have also been there.


    Elijah had not appeared since he left the room in that manner at dawn. I heard he disappeared as soon as he heard from Ingrit that Celina had been kidnapped.


    The place where he reappeared with his daughter covered in blood was a temple. Mikael heard Elijah¡¯s message and was already waiting there.


    Except for himself, no one knows who the archmage encountered in between. Well, it must have been Zeno.


    This morning, Ian came back to Elijah¡¯s room to pick me up. Mikael was still with me at the time.


    Ian was limping slightly. It was obvious that he was trying not to show it, but he couldn¡¯t hide it completely.


    I leaned against the bed in Celina¡¯s room and put down the spoon instead of eating the porridge. There was no way I would be hungry.


    ¡°Young Lady?¡±


    Ian reacted immediately.


    ¡°That¡¯s violence.¡±


    I mumbled to myself. He noticed my gaze and shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Lord Elijah always does the right thing. It¡¯s the same this time.¡±


    ¡°There is no one in the world who can only do right things. Even if that were the case, he shouldn¡¯t punish you like that.¡±


    ¡°No. I couldn¡¯t protect the Young Lady. Rather, it was merciful that he left it at this.¡±


    Beyond the glasses, the deep-blue eyes were calm as usual.


    ¡°Was it a place where you could have expected that to happen? Didn¡¯t Ingrit take me there too because she was sure it was safe?¡±


    I said nervously. It was ridiculous. When the princess dragged me away, everyone let me go and thought nothing of it.


    ¡°And if you put it that way, isn¡¯t it my father¡¯s fault in the first place? He was in that castle with me.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s definitely different. It was my duty to protect the Young Lady.¡±


    He was stubborn.


    ¡°I¡¯m really fine. So, I hope you won¡¯t worry anymore about what is right.¡±


    ¡°¡­ That. Is it getting better?¡±


    Maybe it was because of the lukewarm reaction of the other person, but I suddenly lost my strength.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be fine soon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Alright then.¡±


    I picked up the spoon again and silently scooped the porridge. That¡¯s right. What¡¯s the point of wasting my emotions on this illusion? Let¡¯s hurry up and eat this, take medicine, and get out of here.


    ***


    The bathroom was filled with a breathtaking floral scent. The bathtub, which made more sense to be called a swimming pool, was filled with bubbles of many colors. The maids¡¯ gestures were as nimble as ever, without superfluousness.


    ¡°I want to be alone for a moment. I¡¯ll call you later.¡±


    It was the first thing I said when I thought it was almost over. Fortunately, in my memory, Celina enjoyed taking a relaxing bath alone.


    The maids, who had been busy exchanging glances among themselves for a moment, left a uniquely shaped bell nearby, then politely bowed and withdrew from the bathroom.


    I sat on the smooth stone floor and dipped my toes in the water. I stood up after staring blankly for a while at my petite feet without any calluses.


    The large pillars here and there were all filled with elaborate sculptures, the same as the ceiling of Celina¡¯s room. I could hear the sound of water flowing continuously from a small lion fountain right near me.


    It¡¯s a place that was roughly described in a majestic way in the novel, and it was very well implemented here. So, no matter what, it was far from my imagination.


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    The center of the giant bathtub, which could be reached through several steps that were around it, was deep enough to drown a person. It is said that you can die just by putting your nose in shallow water, so won¡¯t it be easier if there¡¯s plenty of water?


    (T/N: , lit. to die with your nose in the dishwater, is a saying used to express how easy it is to die.)


    [I definitely told you I don¡¯t recommend it.]


    It was a chat window I hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. Ever since we met, Celina had barely spoken to me.


    ¡°I hate this. I¡¯m definitely leaving.¡±


    As expected, there was no answer. When I was ready, I took a deep breath and walked slowly. The only reason I could do this was that I knew clearly that this place was not reality.