Calix gritted his teeth in rising anger and glared at the shadow.

“What did you just say? Say it again.”

At his words, the shadow’s hair stood on end.

“Followed Aaron Crimson. Undead Lich King appeared. Coachman fled, maid disappeared.”

He couldn’t think of anything.

“You, what were you doing until then? You brat!”

Calix grabbed the shadow’s collar without thinking.

His hands were trembling.

Tehran Forest was famous for being peaceful.

But suddenly, the appearance of an undead Lich King?

“M-Master only told me to watch Aaron Crimson.”

“Is your head just for decoration? If Rose was in danger, you should have saved her first!”

The shadow is a minion composed of beastmen.

Beastmen are dumber than humans but smarter than animals, though physically superior to humans.

As such, they aren’t treated as humans but are often used as slaves or guards.

‘I should have sent a person instead, I made a mistake.’

Calix let go of the shadow’s collar he was holding and tried to suppress his anger.

It was his fault. He should have assigned a guard, he had been careless.

“The maid is safe. However…”

The shadow rolled its characteristic cat eyes anxiously as it continued.

“I think that guy noticed my existence.”

“Damn it.”

Calix threw the water glass beside him.

His heart ached with a strange fear.

‘What if Rose finds out I attached a shadow?’

‘It’s okay. I didn’t attach it to her anyway, but to that Aaron Crimson guy…’

He imagined Rose’s face, shocked after learning he had attached someone.

If she thinks he didn’t trust her and attached a shadow…

She would surely be disappointed.

‘Would my excuse work?’

No, even if it wasn’t to monitor her, the result is the same.

After all, he did attach a shadow to someone she trusted.

He felt like he was going crazy with anxiety.

“By the way, that human Aaron Crimson is strange, just as Master said.”

Calix suddenly turned his gaze at the shadow’s words. For some reason, the cheetah beastman was scared, its hair standing on end.

“He didn’t smell like a human.”

“What?”

It opened its mouth, seemingly terrified and trembling.

“The maid is in danger.”

That’s when it happened.

“Y-Your Highness, it’s me, Rose! May I come in?”

A tearful voice. Calix quickly gestured for the shadow to disappear, and it vanished instantly.

Calix grasped the door handle with trembling hands.

‘Has she found out?’

What kind of face would Rose have when he opens this door?

And why is he so scared and anxious about the feelings of a mere maid?

Calix unconsciously swallowed hard.

It was difficult.

He had resolved to stop caring about Rose Estanya.

He thought such emotions would disappear soon, but it seemed impossible no matter how he thought about it.

Calix reluctantly opened the door handle.

Through the crack of the door, he saw Rose Estanya with an anxious expression.

“Y-Your Highness. Something terrible, something terrible has happened.”

“Something terrible?”

“I think I need to quit being a maid right now.”

Rose’s expression was resolute despite her confusion.

But at her nonsensical statement, it felt like his heart stopped.

He must have heard wrong.

What is she saying she’ll quit? Why? Could it be because she found out he had attached someone?

“What do you mean?”

Calix asked as calmly as possible.

Then Rose suddenly bit her lip and choked as if holding back tears.

And she tightly grasped the hem of his clothes.

“You see, Your Highness. It’s…”

Tears welled up in her blue eyes.

It was strange.

It wasn’t an expression of resentment towards him.

Something must have happened.

Calix, pushing back his anxiously pounding heart, very carefully wrapped his arm around Rose’s shoulder and asked soothingly.

“What is it?”

“What should I do, what should I do? You won’t believe me.”

Rose looked straight at him and started trembling.

It was just like that time.

Like that day when she looked at him with a deathly pale face from under the blanket, blood dripping from her hands.

“Tell me.”

Plop. A tear fell from Rose’s eye.

Should he wipe it away?

“Your Highness, actually…”

Calix carefully moved his twitching hand towards Rose’s cheek.

“I, actually…”

And slowly cupped her cheek.

“I’m a ghost!”

Calix gave up trying to think at that moment.

***

I don’t even know what state of mind I was in when I ran here.

The female lead had disappeared, and I needed to inform Calix about the seriousness of this situation.

“Rose, what day is it today?”

“Your Highness, I’m telling you I’m a ghost from another world! This body is a vessel prepared by Morisias!”

But Calix just stared at me blankly with a dumbfounded expression he’d probably never worn before, his hand cupping my cheek.

“…Your Highness, please tell me you won’t kill me.”

I said, trembling as I tightly grasped Calix’s clothes.

No matter how much Calix seemed to trust me, I couldn’t be certain he wouldn’t kill me if it involved Morisias.

After all, in this world, Morisias was nothing short of Satan.

“What nonsense are you talking about? Why would I kill you?”

Calix said in a suppressed voice.

It was fortunate, at least. His stating so firmly that he wouldn’t kill me sent a tsunami of emotion through me.

“…Your Highness.”

Putting aside the touching moment, what I could do now was to trust Calix.

If Morisias is resurrected, Calix is the one who will suffer.

They are trying to use Calix.

To change Calix’s fate so that he helps with Morisias’s resurrection.

“I think Morisias summoned me, Your Highness.”

“…I don’t understand what you’ve been saying at all.”

I fully understood that Calix couldn’t comprehend my words.

So I took out the diary from my bag.

“…What’s this?”

In typical clichés, a possessed person’s identity should never be revealed to the protagonist.

But I had to tell him.

If they have any sense, Morisias won’t kill me.

Because I’m a soul summoned for their resurrection.

But what about Calix?

What if they attack Calix through that cursed elven experiment or whatever, on the pretext of threatening me?

“It’s said to be Morisias’s sacred object, Your Highness.”

As I held out the diary, Calix frowned and took it.

Then he calmly examined the cover.

“Morisias’s sacred object?”

I nodded and firmly grasped Calix’s hands.

Why was I crying over this? For Calix’s sake, I had to tell him everything and then leave.

If the temple side found out that I was related to Morisias, they surely wouldn’t leave Calix alone.

With the female lead gone, there was nothing I could predict about the future, so I had no other choice.

“Your Highness, it may be hard to believe, but I’ve already become involved with Morisias. So I need to quit being a maid, and-“

“Who decided that?”

Calix shook off my hands.

I looked up at him with wide eyes. Then he wrapped one hand around mine again and smiled.

“I quite like you working for me.”

He pulled me closer.

As he grabbed my chin, the distance between us narrowed even more.

“So where are you going? What are you quitting?”

It was frustrating. He clearly wasn’t grasping the current situation.

“Your Highness, this isn’t that kind of problem! I’m involved with Morisias.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“Your Highness! How can you say it’s not related! As long as I’m associated with you, the other princes and the temple will be desperate to tear you apart!”

My tears dried up at Calix’s ridiculous attitude.

Regardless, he just frowned at my pleas.

Is my outlandish story not getting through to him at all?

“Your Highness! Please think rationally. I beg you, you’ll be in danger.”

At my words, he stood still for a while, seeming to contemplate something, before finally opening his mouth to utter one sentence.

“I’ll protect you. So stay by my side.”

For a moment, it felt like my heart plummeted to the ground.

‘What on earth does that mean right now…?’

Why did those words make my insides churn?

It was the first time I’d heard such words since opening my eyes in this world.

He’d protect me. And it was Calix Posman saying this. It was enough to make ghosts weep.

But I quickly regained my senses.

“Your Highness, I think you’re misunderstanding something. It’s my duty to protect you.”

“Protecting you is my desire.”

Calix’s hand that was holding my chin gently spread out to cup my cheek again.

This is driving me crazy.

The female protagonist has disappeared too, everything’s gone to hell, hasn’t it?

Why was my heart starting to pound over this?

I pushed against Calix’s chest and took a step back.

“Your Highness, this is truly a serious matter. You know this too, don’t you? In these times, for the Crown Prince’s maid to be associated with Morisias? Do you think the temple will sit idle?”

At that, Calix also took another step towards me.

“Let’s say, as you claim, that you are associated with Morisias. What do you think will happen if the temple finds out?”

I pressed my lips tightly at his words.

I had nothing to say.

The temple finds out about my relationship with Morisias?

There was no need for lengthy consideration.

‘They’ll kill me.’

It felt like my mind was going blank.

“But if I continue to stay with Your Highness, you too will…”

“If you’re confident you can survive on your own without my help, then try running away.”

Calix said, looking me straight in the eyes.

He was right.

If I only thought about my own survival now, staying by his side was the most correct choice.

“Of course, I’m not actually telling you to run away.”