Delia clasped her trembling hands together and stood inside Kaiel’s bedroom. The dagger, secured near her waist, poked her side, reminding her of its presence.

Her heart pounded in her chest from the tension.

Thinking about it now, poisoning his tea and bringing it to him wasn’t that difficult of a task.

It was just that she had messed that up and wasted a precious opportunity.

As Delia held her breath, she could hear Kaiel’s low, steady breathing in the silent air. It was frustrating to see him sleeping soundly after almost being poisoned by her a few hours ago.

‘No, wait. If he had been awake, I would have run away before I even tried…… It’s a good thing he’s asleep.’

Delia tiptoed carefully towards the bed.

She had visited him like this in the middle of the night before, but the pressure she felt now was on a whole different level.

She had already failed once, and she couldn’t fail again. The thought was the only thing keeping her body moving.

Should she climb up slowly, or in one go?

After confirming that Kaiel was fast asleep, she drew the dagger from its sheath with her sweaty hands. 

‘I should have had some alcohol.’

She regretted coming here sober, but there was no turning back now. 

It was time to finish this. Kill Kaiel, and when she opened her eyes, everything would disappear. All that was left was to return to her original life.

Kaiel’s closed eyelids, usually sharp and cold, were now curved softly. 

‘Don’t, don’t look……’

There was no point in looking at his handsome face now.

Closing her eyes tightly, Delia climbed onto the bed in one swift motion. Onto the bed, past his legs, up to his waist. 

She could feel Kaiel’s firm body beneath her. Afraid that he might wake up, Delia didn’t hesitate and tightened her grip on the dagger. 

‘This is the end.’

The sharp blade went straight towards his neck with precision.

Puk.

The unpleasant sensation of the dagger sinking deep into flesh traveled through her hands. At the same time, she felt her body, perched on top of him, tremble briefly.

‘Ah……’

A chilling sensation, starting from her fingertips, spread throughout her body. Her stomach churned. She felt like she was going to throw up.

‘Send me back, send me back quickly……! I, I don’t want to be here, System. Please, I beg you. Quickly……’

Delia couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes. She just wished that the system would take her away from this moment as soon as possible.

But no matter how long she waited, the notification sound remained silent. 

Just as she was wondering how long she had to wait, 

a deep, chilly voice suddenly rang out from in front of her.

“Too slow. Too light and weak.”

Delia felt like her breath had stopped. 

She was afraid to open her eyes, but they flew open against her will.

Perhaps because they had adapted to the darkness while closed, the scene before her was clearly captured in her sight.

Clear, blue-gray eyes shone coldly in the darkness, staring at her motionlessly. 

And the dagger, which she thought had pierced his neck, was lodged in his shoulder, slightly off to the side. 

Delia froze.

Stabbing was stabbing, missing was missing, but what was this nonsense of it getting stuck in the wrong place?

“Kaiel, your, your shoulder……”

Her mouth moved on its own.

“I-I’m, I’m sorry…… I’m sorry……”

But how sorry should she be?

For failing to kill him? For aiming for his neck but stabbing his shoulder instead? For even attempting to kill him in the first place?

It was difficult even to utter the words “I’m sorry.”

Moreover, no sound came out. 

Mission or not, she wanted to throw away the dreadful dagger, bring bandages, and treat his shoulder. Just as Delia was about to jump out of her spot,

Kaiel’s hand tightly gripped her wrists, which were still clutching the dagger.

“If you’re going to stab me properly, you should have aimed here.”

The blade, pulled out of his shoulder, moved to aim at his neck. 

“Again.”

Unlike his strangely calm voice, the sight of red liquid flowing down his collarbone made Delia feel like she was going crazy.

She quickly closed her eyes, unable to bear the sight, and a low voice followed.

“Open your eyes. You’ll make mistakes if you stab with your eyes closed.”

It was another failure.

‘Again?’ How could she possibly do it again, with him watching her, eyes wide open, right in front of her?

She tried to move her hand to remove the dagger still positioned next to his neck, but it wouldn’t budge against Kaiel’s strength.

Delia swallowed a sob that rose to her throat and spoke in a choked voice.

“Let go.”

“No.”

“Your shoulder, at least……”

“No.”

Soon, his large hand gently pressed down on her back. Delia, who had been straddling him, collapsed helplessly onto his broad chest. 

As if to avoid getting blood on her, Kaiel, who had shielded his body with the uninjured side, completely embraced her.

“Is this all for today’s attempt? Then stay here and sleep.”

“…… I want to go. Let me go.”

“That’s an order.”

At his firm words, Delia finally stopped resisting and let her body go limp. She could hear his heart beating steadily from his chest, close to her ear. 

In the meantime, the system notification rang out. 

Ding.

[Failed to eliminate the villain ‘Kaiel Ceder’.]

[If a retry is not detected within 24 hours of failure, a penalty will be imposed immediately.]

[23:59]

‘…… I messed up, I really messed up.’

She never thought this would be the outcome. She thought she would succeed this time.

One of the few methods she had was wasted like this. 

Suddenly, a low voice spoke from above her head.

“Whose scent is this?”

Delia abruptly lifted her head.

What was he talking about, scent, in this situation?

Then, she felt his hand brush her hair and cup the back of her head.

And then, all of a sudden, she felt a ticklish breath on her neck, and Delia’s body flinched.

“……!”

Kaiel had buried his nose in her neck.

Delia struggled with all her might, but Kaiel wouldn’t budge, his head buried in her neck.

“Kaiel……!”

“Unpleasant.”

She felt his warm breath on her neck.

“Your scent is gone. Here.”

As if to prove his point, the system awarded her 2 plausibility points.

It was a truly absurd situation.

‘I just tried to kill you! Isn’t that unpleasant?!’

Delia fidgeted at the sensation on her neck. Goosebumps erupted all over her, driving her crazy.

She thrashed around so much that Kaiel spoke in a voice as if he was holding something back.

“Don’t move. You’ll fall.”

‘I’m moving because I want to fall……!’

When Delia wouldn’t stay still, Kaiel finally lifted his head from her neck. The air felt even colder after the warmth disappeared.

Just when she thought it was over…

“Ouch!”

This time, Delia flailed her trapped hands at the pain in her earlobe. It was no use, though.

“Why, why are you biting my ear……!”

“Punishment.”

Punishment? What punishment? 

Punishment for trying to kill him?

Delia relaxed her body. Although it was a ridiculously light punishment considering what she had done, she had no choice but to accept it if it was his punishment.

However, it wasn’t long before Delia screamed internally. The feeling in her ear was unfamiliar.

‘T-This isn’t just a simple bite!’

Delia’s face flushed instantly, and she quickly turned her head away. Only then did the sensation in her ear disappear.

The spot where his lips had touched felt hot as if it were on fire.

‘Kaiel, doing this kind of thing……?’

Delia, her face flushed but her body cold, could only roll her eyes until they met his gaze, fixed intently on her.

And then, a faint smile spread across his usually cold lips. 

His hand touched her back.

“Delia.”

His hand stroked her back a couple of times, as if to soothe her. 

Along with a low whisper that landed on her ear.

“Sleep well, Delia.”

He held her tightly, suffocatingly close, yet he was rough and endlessly warm. 

* * *

The chirping of birds, high and low, began to fill the air.

As the room was painted blue and the light began to dawn, Delia opened her heavy eyes and sat up. The only difference from usual was that she woke up not in her soft bed, but on top of Kaiel’s firm body.

She had tried to escape Kaiel’s embrace several times while he was asleep, but strangely, every time she tried to get up, he would hold her tighter and wouldn’t let go. 

She even checked several times to see if he was really asleep.

In the end, Delia, who had stayed up all night, had only now gotten a chance to escape as his grip loosened. 

Delia tumbled out of bed and ran straight back to her room without looking back.

A few hours later, as the sun rose fully, two stories circulated among the maids of the annex.

One was about the bandages and medicine that had been placed in front of the Grand Duke’s bedroom, and the other was that Delia had locked herself in her room and disappeared. 

* * *