This man. His behavior was becoming increasingly rude. Certainly not the way to treat a lady of nobility. Of course, her own actions were not exactly polite either.
Fine, push me away. I'll just have to approach you. Every action was forgivable, given the refreshing aura he exuded.
[Mommy, Daddy really get along well?]
"Huh?"
[Do you want to leave here?]
The child, who was giggling a moment ago, wiped his expression clean and approached, giving up pretending to be human.
Floating in the air, the child leaned in close.
[Shall we play hide and seek?]
Suddenly?
[If you find us, I'll let you out.]
"Really?"
Her eyes lit up at the prospect of escaping.
[Yeah! We don't lie.]
Whether the child was a ghost or not didn't matter. This might be the clue to the escape route they had been searching for.
Finally, a way out of this dreadful place!
[Then I'll hide! One~ Two~]
The child's voice faded into the fog. Once the count reached ten and the voice was no longer audible, Diana grabbed his sleeve.
"Let's go."
She chose his sleeve, thinking he didn't like being touched. Being by his side was enough to lift her spirits.
"What are you planning?"
"We're playing hide and seek."
"Why?"
"To get out, of course."
Exchanging this pointless banter, they walked through the foggy corridor. He wasn't friendly, but not a bad conversation partner.
Certainly better than walking through this eerie corridor alone.
Despite the limited visibility, Roderick moved confidently forward, as if he could see clearly.
The traps were still there, but no more magical circles or monsters appeared.
Arrows and maces rained down, but Roderick nonchalantly knocked them all aside.
She had to admit, he was the ultimate shield and her cure.
'Not something you'd say to a person, but this man is really useful.'
Now, she needed to make herself useful to him.
Following him with quick steps, her pink eyes rolled thoughtfully.
Thanks to Roderick, her energy had returned, and her vision broadened enough to sense the child's magic even through the fog.
It's only scary when ghosts don't have tangible magic. Now there was no need to be afraid.
She would find the child quickly and escape the castle at all costs, then return home! Diana clenched her fist, determined.
Thinking of a way to lure this man. It might be cliché, but a contract marriage seems typical. To have unlimited physical contact, that's the standard… But let's think about it from the opposite perspective. What if a stranger clings to you, begging to be saved? Creepy, right?
"…"
It would be really unpleasant.
Ha, my bad. After some self-reflection, Diana glanced at Roderick. His sculpted face betrayed no emotion.
But with a bit of conversation, perhaps he would agree.
How to break through his icy demeanor? Roderick kept walking forward, paying no attention to her. Even their conversation was brief.
Building a close relationship was essential, but both of them were short on time.
Extras with a time-limited life are like candles in the wind, with no time to weigh options. Now that such a perfect cure has appeared, impatience sets in. Should I just pounce on him?
"Be careful."
Walking through the fog, the ground suddenly gave way beneath her.
Hanging onto Roderick's arm, she looked down at the ground. She almost fell down the stairs.
"Th-thank you."
Roderick looked down at her indifferently and continued down the stairs with her dangling at his side.
"Wait! Sir, put me down."
Ignoring her request, Roderick kept descending the stairs.
"I'll guide you out of the Black Forest since you've caught my eye."
Diana's movements ceased, surprised. She looked up at him.
His expression was still, but he said firmly, "Stay still. I don't want the Beatus family demanding compensation if you get hurt."
"Um, Sir? Lord?"
He frowned slightly at her inconsistent titles.
"Call me Roderick."
"Then, please call me Diana."
"That's up to me. Lady."
Pouting, Diana quietly offered her waist and looked into the foggy abyss.
"Say, Roderick. Since we met like this, can we go to the capital together?"
"I have duties in the Black Forest. Until they're complete, I won't leave. My men can escort you to the capital if you wish."
But what's the point of going with his men? She could die before even reaching home. How to stay with this man?
"What's your mission?"
"It's confidential to my family."
"Oh, okay."
Such a tough nut to crack. Once they reached the bottom, Roderick set her down and looked at the hatchet on her waist.
"Do you need this?"
"Just borrowing it for a moment."
Following him, she looked up at the huge door. Hitting it would be futile.
Bang!
As expected, the hatchet bounced off the barrier. Roderick seemed to measure something, then vanished only to return with a massive axe as big as him. Where did he get such a weapon? He lifted it with ease.
"Step back, Lady."
"Huh?"
"Move or get hit."
With a short warning, Roderick struck the entrance door powerfully.
Boom!
"It's useless because of the barrier!"
Boom!
"I tried it already!"
Boom!
"Roderick!"
While trying to stop him, worried he might get hurt, the sound of his strikes began to change.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind blew away the fog as he swung the axe,
Crash!
The wall, which they thought was a door, crumbled down, revealing the outside.
"Huh?"
"Captain?"
I wonder who's the most confused here.