The announcer finally regained his composure, bringing the event to a close. However, the shock and confusion were still evident on the faces of the people heading back to their accommodations. Lucy was no exception. A festival partner for the beauty contest winner? She had never heard of such a thing. If she had known, she would have done everything in her power to stop it. But her lack of awareness led her to hand Lin over without a fight. It was only after the fact that Lucy realized why Lin had asked her if she was really okay with it. She had thought he was just concerned about her, but now she was drowning in self-loathing.

"My Lady, with all due respect, choosing me as your festival partner is not a wise decision," Lin said calmly.

"Oh, I figured you might be surprised," Ibis replied, her tone playful.

"Selecting an outsider like me, a mere worker, as the partner of the island's most influential family could leave a bad impression on the other nobles and residents."

"See? He’s not just any ordinary worker, is he? He’s quite thoughtful," Ibis remarked, poking her maid Galnal in the side, as if to boast about her judgment. But Galnal, who was clearly unhappy, couldn't hold back her anger.

"Sister! You may have done as you pleased, but how will you explain this to Mother and Father? And what about Gendry?"

Sister? Lin was taken aback.

"What? Galnal, would you prefer I be sold off in a marriage of convenience like a woman with no ambitions?"

"It’s not that, but…!"

"And I certainly won’t tolerate that man running our family just because he’s my husband."

"He’s the son of the captain of the guards! His family commands the island’s military power!"

"But they’re not nobles, are they?"

"They’re as good as nobles on this island."

"And power? Gendry isn’t a strong man; he just commands soldiers."

Ibis covered her mouth with a fan, letting out an intentional laugh.

"Little sister, if I ever have to marry a man like that, I’ll either behead him and hang his head on the drawing room wall, or cut off his limbs and display them at the entrance of the estate."

"Sister!"

"You’ll probably end up in an arranged marriage under the name of the Protect family too. Unlike me, you’re more obedient, so you’ll likely go along with it. But remember this: whether it’s military strength, power, authority, or honor, never allow anyone to challenge you just because they think they can."

It became clear that Galnal was not just a maid but another daughter of the Protect family. There was nothing in Mr. Lee’s past-life memories about such a detail. In that playthrough, the Demon Lord had been a mature, brooding woman in black, so the specific dynamics of the Protect family had never been revealed. The limits of only having completed the DLC once.

Despite her lively demeanor, Ibis was a true aristocrat. Her disdain for Gendry and emphasis on her family’s power showed that all of her previous behavior had been carefully calculated to manipulate those around her.

"Am I right?" Ibis asked, smiling sweetly at Lin and Lucy, though there was an unsettling pressure behind her question. Lucy had noticed that Ibis had deliberately glanced at her when she mentioned beheading or dismembering Gendry. This woman was definitely hiding something.

"…You’re right. But I hope you understand that commoners like us just wish to live peacefully, without any incidents or accidents," Lin responded carefully.

"Hmph, we nobles feel the same way. But sometimes, for peace, a little bloodshed is necessary," Ibis replied, her smile widening.

Lin remained silent. Arguing further would only make him seem impertinent. Whether Ibis was the Demon Lord or not, she was still the daughter of the most powerful family on the island. Offending her now could lead to trouble for the rest of the festival.

"You really do know how to take a hint," Ibis said, clearly pleased as she extended her hand.

"Don’t refuse this time."

There was no way out. Lucy tugged lightly at his sleeve, but Lin sighed inaudibly, knelt down, and lifted the mask slightly. As his lips neared her hand, Lucy clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. But just as he was about to kiss Ibis's hand, someone interrupted.

"My Lady!"

"Oh, Gendry?"

"This is not what we agreed upon!"

Ibis’s face twisted in displeasure as she withdrew her hand. Lin quickly stood up, relieved. The captain’s son pointed accusingly at Lin, practically spitting in anger.

"Lower your voice. Don’t make a scene," Ibis reprimanded.

"I could understand if it were another man, but an outsider, a mere worker from a foreign land?!"

"Well, this man caught my eye the most."

"Even more than me?"

"Several times more than you."

"You…!"

Before Gendry could lash out, Galnal stepped in.

"Gendry, that’s enough."

"Galnal…"

Lin saw it then—the way Gendry’s gaze softened when he looked at Galnal. Was this a love triangle? It seemed the spoiled noble wanted both sisters. But Galnal remained composed as she addressed the situation.

"What kind of disgraceful behavior is this in front of these commoners?"

Typical nobles, not caring a whit about the peasants they were insulting.

"Galnal is right. Let’s discuss this in private. Just the two of us," Ibis said, quickly gesturing to her sister.

"I’ve chosen them as my partners, so take them to the estate and prepare rooms for them."

"My Lady!"

"They’re my guests. It’s only proper for the family to show hospitality, isn’t it?"

"…Yes, I understand."

Barely restraining her anger, Galnal motioned for Lin and Lucy to follow.

"This way, please."

Her attitude was rude to the last. Lin now fully understood why Lucy often talked about wanting to tear apart the nobles during their journey to defeat the Demon King.

Once the others had left, Gendry straightened up, a look of irritation on his face.

"Is this really the right thing to do? I’ve followed your orders, but I still don’t understand why we’re dragging these foreign workers into this."

Gone was the spoiled brat from earlier, replaced by a serious young man. Ibis scoffed at the heir to the guard captaincy.

"And what can you do about it?"

"You…!"

"This island is mine. Ever since you Zramun people locked me away, the Protect family has served me, and your guards are my playthings."

Lin’s assumptions had been completely wrong. The Demon Sword Abyss was none other than Ibis Protect herself.

"I’ve been slumbering beside Guerrero for centuries. Why start this now?" Gendry asked.

"Because the time has come."

"And what exactly do you mean by ‘the time has come’?"

"You wouldn’t understand even if I told you. So don’t worry about it."

The Demon Sword traced a finger along Gendry’s neck, and where her touch grazed his skin, a shallow cut appeared, a droplet of blood forming.

"Just do as you’re told, and I’ll leave quietly. Then your precious Galnal will be safe."

"You’d better keep your promise."

"I will, now get going. The cleanup after the contest is drawing too much attention."

"…"

With clear reluctance, Gendry left the room. Though she had dismissed him as a commoner, the Demon Sword privately regarded him as a rather decent human.

"Hah!"

But she couldn’t help but laugh. A promise, indeed.

"Do you humans even realize how many promises you’ve broken?"

The Demon Sword’s gaze drifted off into the distance.

"Isn’t that right?"

There, hidden in the shadows, was the black-haired girl from earlier, glaring back at her. Realizing she had been spotted, the girl sneered and vanished.

Dinner was an awkward affair. Lin and Lucy joined the Protect family for a meal, though it was evident that neither the head of the household nor his wife was pleased by their presence. Ibis, on the other hand, was perfectly at ease, even as she bombarded Lin with questions, exhausting him with her persistent inquiries. By the time the ordeal was over, Lin and Lucy, who were posing as siblings, were given a shared room. Despite the tension, the feeling of being clean after washing off the day’s sweat was undeniable.

"Lucy?"

Returning to their room, Lin found Lucy sitting on the bed, her head buried between her knees. He immediately knew she was upset about her mistakes earlier that day. Lin sat on the edge of the bed beside her.

"It’s been quite a day, hasn’t it?"

"…"

Although the earlier incident was the result of Lucy’s stubbornness, the beauty contest fiasco had been nothing short of bad luck. While Lin had hoped Lucy would cling to him like she had earlier, after reflecting on their journey to the Protect estate, he realized that even if Lucy had delayed things further, it wouldn’t have changed the outcome. Even with Lin’s quick thinking, being chosen as Ibis’s festival partner had been inevitable. It was clear that the situation was not Lucy’s fault.

"Lucy, do you hate looking at me?"

She shook her head, a small, silent denial. Lin moved in front of her, closer.

"It was just terrible luck. It wasn’t your fault at all."

"…"

Lucy was already tormented by her past mistakes. That pain had only been exacerbated by what had happened at Valtrekroa, with Ravin and Adora, making even Lin, who was usually oblivious, notice how cautious she had become. Normally, Lucy would hesitate to overstep, but Lin decided to take a different approach in comforting her this time.

Gently, he stroked her brown hair, causing her to flinch.

"I’m sorry I snapped at you earlier."

He apologized once more, but Lucy only shook her head again.

"Don’t you want to talk to me?"

Another shake of the head.

"Or does it bother you when I touch you?"

She shook her head more emphatically this time.

"Lucy, we’re partners. We live so closely together, it’s only natural that sometimes we’ll get annoyed or upset with each other."

"…"

"But we’re partners, so we talk things out, and we make up afterward, right?"

"…"

"We’re the best partners, aren’t we?"

Lin slowly unwrapped Lucy’s arms from around her knees, lifting her chin so he could see her face. She was trying desperately not to cry.

"I ruined everything."

"No, you didn’t."

Lin firmly denied it.

"Being the best partners and having everything go smoothly aren’t the same thing."

"But…"

"Even if we went back to that moment, I don’t think I could’ve changed anything. What about you?"

"If I had just stalled for time, maybe you could have…"

"Lucy."

Lin smiled.

"Do you remember the first time we encountered a demon?"

She nodded. She remembered. They had nearly been wiped out by its overwhelming power. Though they had evacuated the villagers, the town itself had been completely destroyed by black magic.

"We barely managed to defeat it. I didn’t do much, though."

That last remark stung Lucy, a pain she was still not used to.

"And even if we went back to that time, it would still be really hard to win without sacrifices, wouldn’t it?"

"…Yeah."

"But after that, we trained hard, got special items, and became strong enough that the next demons we faced, though difficult, were much easier to defeat."

"Yeah."

"It’s the same here. There was nothing we could do this time. But let’s not let it happen again."

Lin rested his forehead against Lucy’s.

"As the best partners, let’s think together about how to handle things going forward. And if we have to, we’ll shake things up."

"No, that would put you in danger…"

"It’s okay. You’ll protect me, right?"

His smile, so close, helped calm her down.

"I’ll definitely protect you. No matter what happens, I’ll save you."

"I trust you."

"Hehe…"

She laughed through her tears, her nose turning red as she tried to keep from crying.

"Can I listen to your heartbeat?"

"Of course, you can."

He pulled her into a hug as she pressed her ear against his chest, finding comfort in the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

"My only ally, my best partner, my Lin."

The words she repeated like a mantra didn’t sound so bad today.

"Lin, what will you do if something like the contest happens again?"

"Oh, discussing it already? Well, it seems we were a bit out of sync today."

"Yeah…"

Seeing her start to deflate again, Lin quickly continued.

"So, how about we practice until we can understand each other with just a glance?"

"Really? Let’s do it! Let’s start right now. I’ll go first."

"Alright."

Lucy immediately sat up and faced Lin, but her gaze was so pitiful. Her eyes were still red from crying earlier.

I like you.

The words lingered on her lips, unsaid.

I’m always sorry.

She bit down on her trembling lip, holding back.

I want you to love me.

Lin clapped his hands together.

"Ah! You want to listen to my heartbeat again, right? Did I get it?"

"…Yeah, you got it."

If Lin said so, then it must be true. Lucy was gradually getting used to making all her decisions based on Lin, prioritizing him above all else. Her body, her heart—they all belonged to him. She was simply grateful. Her life was now entirely devoted to him. And so, the two of them spent the night talking, looking into each other’s eyes, and planning how to handle future challenges.

The next day,

"Alright! Chun-sik and Suni, our mission today is to find Guerrero Protect’s tomb!"

Whatever plans and preparations the two had made the night before were now completely irrelevant in the face of Ibis’s demands.