A thick, deep blue magical energy flowed down from above my head.

And then—BANG!

The troupe leader's body flew through the air.

Something black that had erupted from me pushed people away like a collision.

"Duck your head!"

At the same time, Serena burst through the door.

I dropped to the floor immediately, and she swiftly took down the men with the dagger I'd given her.

"Serena..."

Seeing the female lead make such a cool entrance, I felt like I could cry.

"Stay still."

Serena cut the ropes binding my hands and effortlessly lifted me to my feet with one arm.

We were just about to leave the warehouse when—

"Ugh...!"

Serena twisted and collapsed.

"Serena!"

"Kuh... Run!"

"If I was going to run alone, I wouldn't have come here in the first place!"

I grabbed Serena's arm and pulled her up, supporting her as I pressed her against me—when a chilling laugh came from behind.

"Haha! Serena, don't you know yet what happens when you don't kill in one go?"

"Aaaargh!"

The troupe leader pressed a ring on his finger, and Serena screamed.

I could see the men Serena had stabbed in the warehouse approaching, gritting their teeth.

"Ugh!"

We'd barely escaped, only to be caught again and thrown back down.

Serena seemed to be barely holding on with sheer willpower. She was collapsed on the floor, unable to rise, only gasping for breath.

"As expected, discipline requires a firm hand."

As the troupe leader raised his whip, I quickly stepped in front of Serena.

"What do you want?"

"How pathetic."

The troupe leader looked back and forth between me and Serena, as if assessing something.

"Managing the two of you will be a hassle. I'll spare you—so step aside."

I stared at the thick, dark-colored whip.

'That's going to hurt a lot.'

How many lashes would it take to die? My mind would probably break before I died.

Anyway, what a life.

"Fuck you, you piece of shit."

I ground out the words without averting my gaze.

At that, the troupe leader's eyes flickered with rage, his composure snapping.

"I wonder how long that pathetic pride of yours will last."

The troupe leader's hand rose high above his head. The long whip danced in the air.

I pulled Serena into my arms.

Thwack—!

"Guh!"

My breath caught in my throat.

Every time the trembling air touched my nose, the sharp wounds that had torn through my tender skin blazed hotly.

Even one lash had my mind reeling, and in my arms, Serena gasped and squirmed.

"Hngh, move...!"

I struggled to hold myself up without crushing her and lifted my head. The troupe leader looked down at me like I was an amusing toy.

"Hoh, you're holding up quite well."

He raised his hand again. But his violence ended there.

"Tatiana!"

"Ferian...?"

Ferian appeared from somewhere and ran to embrace me.

Behind him, I could see the troupe leader, who moments ago had been so imposing, staggering with blood spilling from his mouth.

Splash—

Blood sprayed in all directions, tracing the arc of a sword.

"Kies..."

Kies had come.

He stared straight at the collapsing troupe leader, his anger still unsatisfied.

And beside Kies, the man who had grabbed me went flying.

I followed the culprit with my gaze and saw Berto kicking another man away.

It had all happened in an instant.

"How did this—no, never mind. Stay still for now. I need to examine your wounds."

As Ferian inspected my back with a grave expression, my mouth fell open involuntarily.

"Why..."

Why had they come to save me? Why had they come now? I didn't know which question to ask first, so I just clutched Ferian's clothes tightly.

Tears blurred my vision.

Ferian, who had paused at the sight of my face, carefully patted my back, taking care not to touch the wounds.

"...It's okay. Everything's fine now. You don't have to be afraid."

His voice, which I knew was fake, was so warm that I burst into tears.

"Stay lying down for a moment."

Ferian, who had disinfected and applied medicine to the whip wounds, tidied up his tools.

"The painkiller isn't doing a thing..."

I was lying on my stomach receiving treatment, but I couldn't bear the pain, so I bit down on the pillow in my arms. A few tears even leaked out.

"You're feeling less pain than you would have because of the medicine."

Ferian dragged his chair over to where my face was and sat down.

"Now then, shall we have a talk?"

He smiled. Very gently and beautifully.

"W-what talk?"

"Playing dumb won't help."

"Ow, it hurts. I mean, humanely speaking, you should let me rest today. It hurts so much I feel like I'm dying."

"Tatiana."

Ferian began with a serious expression.

"Us..."

But he didn't finish his sentence.

The atmosphere was heavy with implication, and I wanted to just let it slide, so I averted my eyes.

Then I saw Ferian scrape his chair back and stand up, so I hurriedly continued.

"I'm, sorry for causing trouble. I'll be more careful next time."

No answer came.

"I'm going to wrap the bandages now, so sit up."

'Wasn't he about to leave?'

For some reason, I felt relieved and adjusted my position as he said.

His tone was the same as before. Or maybe not—it seemed oddly colder.

'Still, I did save the person I'm going to fall in love with.'

I couldn't say that, though. Sigh.

"Put the pillow down and raise your arm."

"Oh, okay."

Ferian sat behind me and began wrapping bandages around my body, starting from my side.

'This is a little embarrassing.'

The ticklish feeling made the tips of my ears burn.

"The new shirt is in the wardrobe, right?"

"Yeah."

As I continued to sit facing away, Ferian took out the shirt and handed it to me.

"Looks like it arrived just in time."

At Ferian's words, a knock came from outside. Without waiting for a response, he opened the door immediately.

"Tatiana is..."

He met eyes with Kies, who was standing at the door.

"Treatment is done."

The unspoken follow-up was clearly, "So go ahead and grill her."

Ferian left, and Kies entered.

"Do you know that woman?"

Kies stood at a moderate distance and asked. He was probably referring to Serena.

"No. I just saw her by chance and tried to help, then got caught."

"Why didn't you come to us first?"

"Sorry, I didn't expect things to blow up like this."

"I asked why you didn't tell us."

Kies's voice simmered with barely restrained anger. Had he gotten into trouble for attacking people instead of going to the guards?

"I'll go to the guards and testify right now. It was probably self-defense..."

"I'll ask again. Do you know that woman?"

At the sudden return to the same question, I looked up and stared at Kies. And then I realized.

'I thought he'd been worried again this time.'

He wasn't. He was interrogating me right now. His eyes were packed with the same suspicion and wariness as the very first day.

"No. I don't know her."

"You just happened to go to the troupe's warehouse, and the deepest part of it at that? You didn't deliberately go in looking for her?"

"No, I told you. How could I, an imperial citizen, know someone trapped in a troupe beyond the darkness?"

"If you can cross the Black Sea and the darkness without dying, it's possible."

I couldn't believe he still thought I knew a way to survive the Black Sea.

"If I go into the darkness myself and die, will you believe me then?"

"Then why!"

Kies exploded with fury.

"Why did you recklessly go in alone? Tell me. Did you think I wouldn't believe you? Is that why you keep lying?"

"...Uh."

A sharp glare shot at my short reply.

But what answer could I give? The protagonists always had a predetermined answer in their minds, even as they claimed to want to know my true intentions.

"Still, you should have come back and told us first!"

"Then would I have gotten anything other than being grilled about my ulterior motives?"

"......"

He seemed at a loss for words, his lips moving soundlessly.

"Still, I'm sorry for causing trouble. I'll be careful from now on."

Something else must have bothered him, because Kies audibly ground his teeth.

"That's it? You got whipped to that state trying to save a woman you claim not to know, and all you have to say is you'll be careful next time?"

"Then what more do you want me to say? Should I tell you not to save me next time something similar happens?"

"Tatiana Fry."

Before I even realized how poorly I'd phrased it, he closed the distance in a single stride.

A guttural, beast-like resonance formed my name.

"If it looks like you're going to get hurt like today, just pretend you didn't see it. I won't bother holding you back."

Don't feel wronged. The more I made that vow, the greater the loneliness that washed over me—far greater than when I'd been locked in the basement.

I turned my back to him.

'It's okay. I knew all along.'

It wasn't just Ferian who suspected I'd made a contract with a demon.

Kies had been worried about tarnishing the Empire's name.

"Tatiana."

"Please leave now."

"......"

I couldn't see his face, but I could tell he was hesitating.

After a long moment, I heard the door click shut.

I lay face down on the bed, the candle still lit. I just wanted to sleep, but the pain only sharpened my senses.

Then, creak— a wooden sound, and a cold draft slipped in.

"You're not asleep yet, are you? Can we talk?"

A gender-neutral voice whispered in my ear.

"Serena?"

As I sat up, she drew close in an instant. And a cold blade pressed deep into my throat.