“How long are you planning to sleep!”

Hector buried his face in Charlie’s nape like a child throwing a sleep tantrum.

“Just five more minutes.”

* * *

“Ugh. That person, really.”

Charlie, who had left the bedroom claiming to meet Emma, was crossing the hallway. In truth, she had no business with Emma. Even if she did, seeing her in the morning and evening was enough.

However, if she didn’t make such excuses, she couldn’t escape Hector’s embrace at all.

“……”

Is this some kind of punishment?

Her steps, which had been drawn into the labyrinth, came to a sudden halt.

[Miss Emma is tidying up the dressing room.]

This was what Tanner said to Charlie, who was heading to the servants’ annex to meet Emma. It was an excuse to leave the bedroom, but she needed to meet her to prove her absence.

She was also curious about her own dressing room for the first time in her life.

[Miss Charlie’s dressing room is at the end of the hallway on the 4th floor.]

Thus, Charlie was on the 4th-floor hallway.

No, to be precise, it was just the 4th floor.

“……”

The 4th floor, which she was visiting for the first time, had a narrower hallway compared to other floors. And it was filled with countless rooms.

It felt as if the rooms were connected to each other.

Thinking she reached the end room of the hallway, she entered, only to find another door and another hallway beginning. There was even a fork in the middle.

[Shall I accompany you? There are many rooms on the 4th floor, and a Zero might get lost.]

She should have just asked him to come along. Her pride got in the way, which was the problem.

“Damn it.”

Certainly, she was definitely lost.

“Emma!”

Emma– Em– Ma…….

Charlie’s shout echoed and disappeared to the other side of the unknown world.

“……”

Getting lost in her own home. There were no phones here, so she couldn’t even call for help.

Of course, she could just open a window and shout. With so many servants in the mansion, someone would hear and come, wouldn’t they?

Besides, she had a Hector-exclusive tracker around her neck.

But neither situation was what Charlie wanted.

Hector, who had held her saying, [Is it already time to die just because you stumbled a bit?]

But if he found out she got lost in her own home…….

“Damn it.”

* * *

Even if the mountain is high, it is still below the sky. If you walk and walk again, you’ll eventually reach the end.

But the hallway showed no end, and the unfamiliar scene declared, ‘This is your first time here.’

How many doors had she opened, and how many hallways had she passed?

Her short legs, which had been trotting for a while, suddenly stopped.

“Hector?”

Charlie was drawn to a large portrait as if something was pulling her.

“……No.”

The man with black hair and red eyes resembled Hector but was a different person.

He had a gentler impression than Hector and looked older.

And it couldn’t possibly be Hector holding hands with the woman depicted together in the portrait.

“Are they his parents?”

Charlie gazed quietly at the portrait.

With a slight smile, the man’s eyes softened gently.

The woman with dark green hair looked benevolent and dignified at a glance. Their clasped hands were tenderly interlocked.

Charlie’s gaze stopped at the woman’s red necklace, then moved to her own necklace around her neck.

Though the frame encasing the gem was different, it was undoubtedly a mana stone.

The Hunt family traditionally gives their mana stone to their partner.

This was something mentioned in the original story.

Charlie slowly looked around the room. Only then did she notice the portraits filling the room.

Each one depicted people with black hair and red eyes, framed alongside their partners.

All were young and radiant.

Charlie’s gaze returned to the portrait before her.

“Why…….”

Were they smiling?

What was so happy about it?

Seeing them embrace each other with smiles, an unknown rage welled up deep within her chest.

If the knot is successful, the Hunt family dies.

Even the dominant partner, who became extremely dominant, doesn’t last a year and dies.

Therefore, the portraits filling the room were no different from memorial photos.

“……”

Charlie fled the room as if running away.

Knowing the future, she couldn’t possibly stay there.

Hector would disappear without even leaving a portrait behind.

* * *

On one side of the hallway, a black shadow loomed over Charlie, who was crouching.

“Charlie.”

Charlie lifted her head at the familiar voice.

“Did you get lost?”

Hector extended a hand to Charlie with a playful smile.

Why did it have to be Hector who found her at this moment?

Charlie buried her face between her raised knees.

“……?”

Was getting lost really that sad?

Hector, at a loss due to the pheromone-laden sadness he felt, examined Charlie.

“It’s okay.”

She knew it was meant to comfort her for getting lost.

But Hector’s gentle voice reminded her of the original story’s ending, where he serenely met his death.

“It’s okay.”

As the pheromones grew stronger, Hector sat across from her and patted Charlie’s head.

“Leon also used to get lost often……”

“Hic.”

“Charlie!”

Startled by the sound of a sniffle, Hector cupped Charlie’s face.

At that moment, Hector felt as if his heart had stopped.

“Why…….”

Charlie embraced Hector, large tears dropping down her face.

Once the sorrow burst forth, it poured out uncontrollably, as if a floodgate had been opened.

“Hng–”

It felt as if Hector, right before her eyes, would disappear at any moment.

His annoying smile, his gentle touch. It all seemed like a dream that would fade away.

“I, I…….”

I will try to stop it.

Even though I am Zero with no power, I will try to stop your death.

Even if I can’t perform a miracle, I won’t let you face death alone.

Charlie repeated inwardly as she pulled Hector closer.

“……”

The words Charlie swallowed didn’t reach Hector.

But the turbulent emotions were conveyed, and Hector quietly accepted Charlie’s touch.

Then he gently embraced her slender body.

The stinging sensation that spread over his now-wet shoulder weighed heavily on his heart.

EIGHT.

The familiar sound of a pen nib echoed in the office.

Scratch- Scratch-

Hector and Charlie’s daily life returned to how it used to be. This was due to Hector’s body, which didn’t respond to the suppressant.

The proper dosage of the suppressant was one pill a day. However, Hector consumed up to three pills a day.

Naturally, the side effects were severe.

The dazed state was a symptom that had manifested long ago.

Tanner didn’t need to ask why he was taking them.

To reduce the medication, he needed to leave the bedroom and refresh his consciousness.

Scratch- Scra…….

Hector reached for the desk to support his staggering body.

“Your Grace!”

Tanner, who was assisting with the administration, quickly supported Hector. Startled, Charlie also moved toward Hector.

“Your Grace, are you all right?”

Though Tanner called out, it only sounded like buzzing to Hector.

It felt as if the world was spinning.

Hector’s vision darkened after he took a last look at Charlie.

* * *

After Hector collapsed, the work was temporarily suspended.

Charlie returned to the Grand Duchess’s bedroom and even received a forced vacation.

Although it was called a vacation, in reality, it was isolation from Hector.

It was a measure to stop the suppressant intake, but Charlie, unaware of the inside story, grew more anxious.

Understandably so, as Charlie had stayed by Hector’s side for purification. During that time, Hector had slept well, his chest pain decreased, and his complexion improved.

But suddenly collapsing left Charlie confused.

“Charlie.”

Emma, who was brushing Charlie’s hair, gently shook her shoulder.

Only then did Charlie turn to Emma.

“Huh?”

“Are you okay?”

Charlie awkwardly smiled at Emma’s worried gaze and replied.

“Sorry, I was lost in thought. What did you say?”

Without showing any displeasure, Emma repeated her words in the same tone as before.

“Would you like to go with me to the Eve of the Blessing Period, which is coming up soon?”

“Eve?”

The Eve was a ceremony held at the temple before the Blessing Period to offer prayers.

The festival wasn’t large, but Emma suggested it, hoping it might help the listless Charlie.

“I’m not sure either, since it’s my first time experiencing the Eve in the capital, but they say there’ll be fireworks and stalls.”

Charlie hesitated to answer immediately.

She felt uncomfortable going to a festival alone while Hector was ill.

“……I’ll think about it.”

It happened when she was wandering the garden aimlessly.

“Miss Charlie.”

Tanner approached upon finding Charlie.

“Is His Grace feeling better?”

As soon as she saw him, Charlie asked about Hector’s health, bringing a faint smile to Tanner’s face.

Hector’s condition had improved significantly after stopping the suppressant.