I was so shocked that I acted like I was speechless. I wrapped my arms around my ribcage and lowered my eyes.

Can I get away from that man?

Of course, my shoulder pain was severe, and my physical strength was not like usual. The probability of failure was overwhelmingly high, but if I ran away by force, I might reach my goal. I sat down on the chair as an expression of my intention not to rebel.

“I get it.”

“So innocent?”

The man raised his eyebrows. I purposely showed a sign of resentment and bit my lip.

“You don’t have a choice anyway. If you want to live even a little longer, you have no choice but to obey me.”

It wouldn’t be enough to make me so careless, so I pretended to think of others rather than myself.

“Are you going to guarantee Monica’s safety?”

The man stared intently at me. As if he didn’t know yet, he tilted his head.

“Sister-in-law, you have other questions besides that, right? I will tell you just one thing.”

I noticed his intentions, but I pretended and put on a sad expression.

“Monica….”

The man cut off my words.

“Our sister-in-law is a little ignorant. I mean, don’t ask trivial questions.”

Then I asked the question the man wanted to hear.

“Why did you come all the way here?”

“I came to see Eleonora’s master. But I wonder if he died because he hid too well.”

I blinked my eyes wide open.

“What do you want?”

“I said I would only answer one question. Still, I can give you a special answer because you are my beloved Sister-in-law. I’ll ask him to make ambrosia. Since he was loved by the gods, he might even be able to make the immortal fruits that the gods eat.”

I didn’t know what the nonsense was, but it seemed that his experiments using the beasts kept failing, so he changed route.

Even though Aedis’ brother had already lived for over 500 years, his longing for eternal life could not be quenched.

Anyway, that was none of my business. The important thing was that, according to the man’s guess, Eleonora’s teacher was already dead. And I had that master’s blood.

If that man discovered this, I didn’t think he would have a good reaction. He would be very upset to realize that he had wasted his time looking for the dead.

Ummm, maybe he will take me to the desert and use me as material for a new experiment.

The man didn’t know my inner thoughts at all so smiled peacefully.

“Such a waste. If I had known that we would meet so comfortably, I would have checked every detail of Gilbert’s memories, even if it was too much.”

“…….”

“He didn’t try to show memories about sister-in-law too well.”

“I’m not interested.”

Whether Gilbert was there or not, I had no intention of getting his help.

“You really hate him, huh?”

Not feeling the need to answer him, I remained silent, then I heard the door open from outside. When I saw the woman striding in, I was delighted.

“Shaula!”

I quickly checked Shaula from her head to her toes. Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any injuries. She naturally intervened between me and the man. Then she blocked the man’s gaze that was focused on me.

“El left this one hanging in a conspicuous place.”

The man laughed.

“I guess he’ll have to endure without dying until I find out about his master. As promised, I didn’t harm sister-in-law. What should I have you do from now on?”

It seemed that Eleonora was still alive. Things weren’t too bad. I patted Shaula with relief.

“Shaula…….”

You are my escort. Thinking about my safety, I gave up my pride.

“…… Your Grace, I don’t know what kind of response I should have if you make an impressed face in a situation like this?”

Pushing away the shocked Shaula, the man had a sad look.

“Sister-in-law, are you going to pretend you don’t know me? Do we even have to do what we have to do?”

He made eye contact with me for a few seconds. And with a satisfied face, he left.

…… Did he just brainwash me? What changed?

“Sister-in-law, don’t you feel strange?”

I was stunned, holding Shaula with one hand. Shaula forcibly resisted the desire to attack the man and also looked bewildered at my reaction.

Hah, maybe it didn’t work because I drank the blood of the beast? That, that’s good, but…….

When that guy realizes that I haven’t been brainwashed, I’ll be in a lot of trouble. I held my breath because there was no way to escape safely from that man right now.

He encouraged me as I broke into a cold sweat in a different way.

“The name is brainwashing, but I can only give one order to sister-in-law, so don’t worry. That woman was fine except for stabbing sister-in-law, wasn’t she?”

“…….”

“By the way, what are you going to do?”

Why was he pretending to be worried? He was going to tell me to attack Aedis.

Just like he told Monica to stab me. I glanced at Shaula to signify it was okay. But Shaula was already convinced that I was completely brainwashed, and she lamented.

“I’m screwed. I should just leave Your Grace and run.”

This son of a …….

Even though I felt betrayed by Shaula, I inevitably gave strength to her eyes. I made threats that didn’t even sound like a threat, hoping that the man would be more vigilant.

“When Aedis comes, I won’t leave you alone. Besides, I’m the heir to a great noble. Do you think you will get through this safely?”

It was a way of speaking that felt ignorant to threaten a man outside the realm of human beings.

“I know. My younger brother has been held captive for too long.”

At the phrase ‘too long,’ I frowned and looked at Shaula again.

“Your Grace, you slept for five days.”

If so, Aedis was also absent for over a week. He was likely crossing a continent, so I thought he might take a while……. That man was also puzzled, so it didn’t seem normal.

“How great it would be if the search for Eleonora’s master went smoothly like this.”

The man grunted and stretched out. I grabbed Shaula like a wall and stood up.

“If there’s nothing you want to order me right now, I’ll just go back. Can you give orders from afar anyway?”

“I’m still bored, so can’t you stay by my side?”

Don’t be silly. I beckoned to Shaula, cursing with my face.

“Let’s go.”

“Are you alright, Your Grace?”

“I don’t think he intends to use his one-time chance to stab you.”

When I spoke to Shaula, who couldn’t understand my signals, the man responded with a retort.

“Yeah, that’s right~”

Shaula followed me out with a questioning face.

The pure white snow stretched out like an open sea.

How can we get back to the castle from here?

“Your Grace.”

It was a very serious voice.

I silenced Shaula’s question in case the man was eavesdropping on us with the same excellent hearing as Aedis.

“How is the atmosphere in the castle? The Lord?”

Shaula hadn’t recognized my signals yet managed to play the escort role, and so swallowed her words and answered my question.

“Is this the time for Your Grace to worry about others? Your shoulder still smells of blood.”

“By the way, this dress.”

“Ah, Sarah took care of it. I didn’t know how to put it on because I was running out of time.”

“Did you change me? So what about the clothes I wore before?”

“I threw them in together with your things?”

I rummaged through my sleeves. There was no small bottle containing the blood of the beast. It looked like Shaula, who was not attentive in the slightest, had tossed it along with the clothes.

“I should have brought a bag? Sarah puts this and that in it.”

This and that…… ?

I stopped walking.

Sarah was my favorite maid, and she was also the child I shared my secrets with. As she packed my bag, she must have thought about what items might be helpful to me.

As Aedis knew what I could do with the blood of the beast, I wasn’t surprised that the luggage would contain a jewelry box rather than a bottle or two.

But, if I said I came back to pick up my things, would the man be willing to let me go then?

What if he was interested in what’s inside?

I had no choice but to admit it. He was letting me off.

It was because I naturally called Aedis’ taboo name, but he didn’t ask questions. He may have been careless, but he clearly showed signs of passing it over.

“Your Grace? What’s the matter?”

Despite her fear of me stabbing her with a poisoned knife, Shaula approached without hesitation.

“Did you say I slept for five days?”

“…… So?”

Eleonora said that I had to be treated by him for at least ten days. Besides, he was still alive.

Well, even though he seemed to be on the verge of death.

I thought while looking back at the achromatic house behind me.

There were two options.

Will I return to Cyclamen Castle like this and wait forever for Aedis?

Or will I do something to get that extraordinarily crazy bastard killed.

Rescuing Eleonora and receiving treatment. Of course I will get the ring back.

“Shaula, bow your head.”

“Are you going to stab my head?”

Shaula had her head bowed with a blatantly suspicious look. I said as I stroked her frizzy hair.

“I was famous for being a crazy woman in the capital city, right? But I think you’re more crazy, so you’re hurting my self-esteem a bit.”

“Your Grace is really competitive at the strangest times.”

“I want to go back.”

Then Shaula lifted her head in a snap.

“Your Grace, are you crazy?”

I smiled at Shaula.

“Hoho. I’ll screw that bastard.”

“In what way?”

“There is a way.”

Shaula’s eyes narrowed.

“How can you smile like a villain when you can’t even walk properly?”