“......Really?”

Is that how it’s going to be?

I chewed and swallowed another bite of steak.

“Alright. Then see you tonight.”

“.......”

Ignoring the silence, I also ate quietly. The rest of the meal was very quiet.

“I’m done eating, Reid.”

“Yeah. Want to get up first?”

He barely touched his food but now tells me I can leave the table first. There was something suspicious about this—not simply good manners.

“Okay. I’ll go.”

I planned to interrogate him all at once later.

With a neat posture, I stood up from the chair and walked toward the dining room exit.

In a tense atmosphere like rehearsing for a couple in a cold war, I brushed past him and dropped just one line.

“Make sure to see me tonight.”

“.......”

Without waiting for him to say anything, I left without even looking back.

I went upstairs to the couple’s bedroom and took extra care preparing for the evening than usual. Then I sat at the dressing table, waiting for him.

I stayed still, watching the minute hand of the grandfather clock pass the top several times.

But Reid didn’t come until past midnight that day.

✠

Reid’s body was only able to perform normal activity in the deep early morning. The large grandfather clock tolled three deep, low chimes.

It was 3 a.m. when he showed signs of movement by lifting his head. It looked as if a petrification curse had been lifted.

We were still in the dining room. Just as when she had finished dinner and disappeared, Reid was left there with cold food.

‘This isn’t good.’

I really felt his body functions shutting down rapidly. I had a premonition it could become dangerous soon.

He counted the days in his head. It had only been 13 days since entering the dungeon.

Compared to the original Guest who managed to stay relatively fine for over a month, the deterioration was alarmingly fast.

His reckless attempt to stay longer than the 15 days she mentioned only seemed to have backfired.

At this rate, it looked like he wouldn’t even reach 15 days. He let out a bitter laugh.

‘Getting punished, huh.’

His expression immediately paled. There was no time for a mocking laugh. He had seriously broken the promise to definitely see her tonight.

Frowning in distress, he got up from the chair.

Heavy footsteps left the dining room and continued down the hallway. His steps were slow but steady.

Following him, the shadows pooled on the floor moved cautiously, as if watching over their master.

The closer he got to the center of the second-floor corridor, the quieter he became. His footsteps were quieter than an assassin’s until he reached his destination.

He stopped in front of a lavish door and checked the other side with his aura master’s sixth sense. His Ayleth Rodeline seemed to be sleeping soundly.

Naturally, guilt rose in his chest.

How long had she been waiting?

Had she fallen asleep without realizing it?

Would she hate even to see his face when she woke tomorrow?

What if she stopped being kind to him?

Thinking the next day was scary for no reason, Reid grabbed the door handle. The door opened silently, as if by his will.

He planned to quietly look at her face and leave without waking her. Looking back, if she had still been awake, he might not have dared to turn the handle so easily.

Reid bitterly mocked his own cowardice.

Moonlight poured diagonally through the uncovered window. The whole bedroom seemed softly bathed in silver light.

Reid could see Ayleth lying on the bed covered with pristine white sheets.

Luckily for Reid, she apparently hadn’t waited for him until the end. If she had fallen asleep at the table or dressing table, he would have struggled to bear his guilt.

Ayleth was breathing softly, lying neatly. Her pale forehead and sharp nose, seen through slightly tousled bangs, were even more beautiful than the illustrations in the fairy tale he’d seen today.

His gaze touched her slightly parted lips. The small gap was strangely seductive.

He had the urge to press his thumb gently on her lower lip but held back.

He intended to just look, truly only look, and then leave.

But Ayleth provoked him.

She stirred slightly and turned to face away from ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) him. Burying her face in the pillow, showing only her back—it felt like rejection.

For some reason, Reid couldn’t bear it.

Drawn like a trance, he rose from the stool and approached the bed. Putting one hand down carefully to avoid startling her, he sat on the edge, looking down at her.

Seeing her face again calmed him a bit. But an unplanned impulse arose.

Her bare shoulder was exposed. Surely, covering her with a blanket wouldn’t hurt. Using kindness as an excuse, he tried to satisfy his desire to touch her.

Then Reid’s eyes widened. His wrist was suddenly grabbed.

“.......”

“.......”

Before he knew it, she was staring at him clearly with her verdant green eyes. There was no trace of sleepiness in them.

Her emerald gaze slowly reddened from the contact. It was always a thrilling sight. His heart thundered noisily inside his ribs.

Fortunately, with much experience, he was able to keep his voice calm.

“Awake?”

“No.”

“.......”

“I’ve been awake the whole time.”

She meant she hadn’t fallen asleep once, so there was nothing to wake from.

In other words, she had sensed his presence outside the door all along.

Only then did Reid realize he had walked right into a very sweet trap.

She tightened her grip on his wrist and turned toward him.

“Why do you avoid me?”

“......If you felt that way, I apologize.”

For him, that was the least pathetic answer possible.

Of course, she wore an unsatisfied expression. Would it have been better if he had argued instead? Her pursed lips and tense eyes in silence only made Reid more nervous.

Yet at the same time, even an angry face seemed frightening but beautiful enough to flash through his mind.

Her serious voice broke Reid’s thoughts.

“Reid.”

“Yeah.”

“If you’re hiding something from me, tell me now.”

“.......”

It was a terrifying moment that stirred the human dilemma.

Reid tried to calmly assess the situation.

‘How much does she know?’

Just as she appreciated his keen intuition, he had long given up on deceiving her.

As expected, in Ayleth’s clear eyes, even when reddened, was a certainty.

A flimsy denial wouldn’t work. There was only one method usable in this situation.

“I’m sorry, Ai.”

“.......”

“I don’t plan to confess.”

“Yeah, I thought so.”

As if expecting his right to remain silent, Ayleth took action. She tugged sharply on his wrist.

The body of the aura master, trained like a fine sword, was useless.