Alexander stood still, watching Claire enter the Maynard estate.

Others called out to him from behind, but Alexander didn’t budge.

He was worried that something might happen to her on her way back to the estate.

Even after Claire safely entered the estate, he stood there for a long time as if he was rooted to the spot.

He recalled what had happened just a while ago. It was when they were suddenly ambushed.

Even as he hid Claire in the corner of the warehouse and slaughtered Caleb’s subordinates, he couldn’t help but be concerned about the silent corner where Claire was hidden.

When he finally dealt with everyone and checked behind the boxes, he was quite shocked.

Claire was pale-faced, covering her mouth with both hands.

Her trembling fingertips clearly showed the fear she had experienced.

And it wasn’t just that. Her eyes, as she looked at him, were filled with fear.

Having never encountered such a typical reaction from an ordinary person before, Alexander was deeply affected by Claire’s fear.

It was then that Alexander realized.

It was time for him to leave.

If he stayed in the warehouse any longer, it might have a negative impact on Claire.

Moreover, with the information that she had been with him now exposed, Claire’s safety would inevitably be at risk.

Alexander didn’t want that.

To prevent that, he decided he needed to leave this place.

So, Alexander carried Claire and left the warehouse, heading towards the Maynard estate.

Perhaps it was divine intervention that his subordinates happened to find this village.

After a respectful bow, Alexander imprinted the sight of Claire’s retreating figure into his mind. He stood there for a long time until she was out of sight before finally turning around.

“Kruger.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

At Alexander’s call, Kruger stepped forward and responded.

“You said Caleb was captured alive?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“But judging by today’s ambush, it seems a few are still left. Lead me to where Caleb is.”

Alexander quickly made up his mind and gave instructions to Kruger.

“Yes, this way, please.”

Kruger quietly started walking ahead. Alexander followed behind with a stern face, his lips tightly sealed.

The fact that the warehouse was attacked meant that his location had already been exposed to Caleb’s group. And since Claire had been visiting the warehouse daily, information about her would have also reached them.

Before leaving this place, Alexander had to find and deal with the remaining people from Caleb’s group. For her sake.

***

The long, dreary monsoon season had finally ended.

The sky was a clear blue, as if the dark clouds had never been there.

I stood for a moment, lost in thought, gazing at the sky.

Three days had passed since the day we were ambushed by unidentified assassins at the warehouse where I was with Alex.

I hadn’t gone near the warehouse since that day.

It was easy to say I would visit the place where the sword fight occurred, but it was not easy to face the horrific memories of that time.

The sickening smell of blood mixed with the fresh scent of rain and the terrible screams of the people.

Even though I hadn’t directly witnessed it, the intermittent sounds and the unpleasant smell that pierced my nose left a deep sense of aversion in me.

Moreover, Alex had told me not to go to the warehouse, so there was no reason for me to go there.

But something strange had happened.

Despite the sword fight at the warehouse, there was no news in the village.

Not only that, but no reports had been made to the lord’s castle, which managed the territory.

During the monsoon season, people didn’t go out, so there would have been no reason to visit the warehouse, but now that the monsoon was over, it was different. I expected at least one person to have stopped by the warehouse… But strangely, there was no news.

Surely there would be bodies and blood there, so what was going on?

I couldn’t believe people would just ignore such things if they saw them.

A murder case happened during the monsoon season, so there’s no way that could be ignored.

Did Alex clean up everything that happened there?

It was possible since he met his subordinates before we parted ways.

Alex held power second only to the emperor in this empire.

There would be plenty of people willing to clean up after him with just a word.

Alex’s subordinates were also loyal to him, so they probably cleaned up the bodies without anyone knowing.

So, did Alex handle the aftermath?

Well, he’s a villain, what couldn’t he do?

I shivered lightly.

Until now, I had vaguely thought of Alex as just a villain in a novel.

To elaborate, Alex was a character who felt completely unreal to me.

But I had overlooked something.

The world I saw as a novel was now my world.

The Alex in front of me didn’t seem like someone who would commit evil deeds.

Rather, he was handsome, well-built, and didn’t seem to have a particularly bad personality.

So I vaguely thought he wouldn’t be such an extreme villain as I knew him.

But that was all my misconception.

He was someone who could kill others if necessary.

If everything proceeded according to the original story, I wouldn’t have survived either.

Alexander Berzel was a cruel person who annihilated the Maynard family.

A villain who would cut down anything to get his hands on Miss Veronica.

That was Alexander Berzel.

I shouldn’t be deceived by his handsome appearance and smile.

I recalled Alex’s face, smiling faintly at me, and shook my head to erase the thought.

It was rather fortunate.

Since Alex seemed to have completely left the Maynard estate, I wouldn’t have to worry about Miss and Alex meeting for a while.

“Claire.”

A voice called my name, breaking my thoughts.

I flinched, startled by the sudden presence. Trying to relax my stiff shoulders, I turned towards the voice.

There stood Miss Veronica.

Miss Veronica looked at me with a slightly worried expression.

“Are you okay?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

I asked back, eyes wide, at Miss Veronica’s sudden question.

Miss Veronica walked over to me with light steps.

“You haven’t seemed well these past few days.”

It seemed my moodiness had been noticeable.

In truth, the sword fight incident with Alex weighed heavily on my mind.

Even now, when I closed my eyes, the scene of the murder in the warehouse seemed to replay in my head.

“It’s just… now that the rain has stopped, I feel a bit restless.”

Too many things had happened too quickly during the rainy days.

All of them were too much for me to handle alone. The sudden flood of past life memories, the existence of Alex, and the tragedy that happened without anyone knowing… It was already enough to make my head spin.

But still… it was for the best, right?

At least I had prevented Miss and Alex from meeting, so our situation wouldn’t proceed like the original story, at least for now.

But what should I do later?

There was no guarantee that Miss would never meet Alex in her lifetime.

No, rather, Miss and Alex were destined to meet.

Both were nobles of this country, so they would inevitably cross paths.

When that time comes, there will be nothing I can do.

…….

It would be easy to save my own life.

If I left Miss’s side, I could avoid the tragedy that would happen later.

But what about everyone I know?

I had lived my whole life as a maid in this house.

My mother was Miss’s nanny, and I had grown up with Miss since birth.

Miss was like a sister to me, and the people in the estate were like my family.

Could I run away alone, knowing they would die?

…No, I couldn’t do that.

So, for now, I should stay here.

Besides, I’m Alex’s savior. Maybe there’s another way?

If not, should I consider taking Miss and running away?

“Miss.”

“Yes?”

When I suddenly called her, Miss Veronica turned to me with a gentle smile.

“Do you think I can do it?”

“Do what?”

It was a sudden question, but I couldn’t tell the truth.

The truth that this world was a book, that Miss was the protagonist, and that everyone in the estate would be massacred by the villain, Alexander Berzel…

How many people would believe that?

I’d probably just be considered crazy.

“Just, some things.”

In the end, I avoided the question with a forced smile.

“Is it something complicated?”

“A bit.”

“I see…”

Miss Veronica looked at me with a worried face but slowly smiled.

Her smile, fitting for the protagonist of this world, was comforting just to see.

“I don’t know what it is, but I believe you can do anything, Claire.”

Miss Veronica lightly patted my back.

Her touch was so kind and gentle that, for a moment, I felt ashamed of my cowardly thoughts of running away.

“Miss.”

“Yes?”

“Can I hug you?”

“Of course. Come here.”

Miss Veronica opened her arms wide to make it easy for me to hug her.

I hugged her tightly.

Then I whispered a small promise.

“I’ll do my best as much as I can.”