Barmas strode directly into the bedroom, leaving behind the servants anxiously lingering outside.

Upon opening the door, he immediately saw Romei conspicuously asleep and Rajie standing helplessly beside her, unsure what to do.

Barmas approached the sleeping Romei. Noticing his presence belatedly, Rajie took a step back and bowed his head.

“Lord Barmas…”

His voice was laden with profound fear.

This was understandable since, although surveillance of Romei had somewhat relaxed, sleeping outside designated hours remained strictly forbidden.

Barmas had explicitly ordered that she must be awakened if found sleeping, but now she wouldn’t wake no matter how much Rajie tried. The responsibility clearly fell on Rajie.

The familiar was terrified, vividly imagining a future where Barmas, already irritated from what happened in the office, would rage at him and eventually drag him to the t*rture chamber.

However, contrary to expectations, Barmas asked in an exceptionally calm voice.

“How long has she been asleep?”

Though somewhat perplexed by this reaction, Rajie answered dutifully.

“I cannot say exactly, but I believe she fell asleep shortly after finishing her bath following her walk.”

“…”

“A servant testified that there were signs of movement inside when they first arrived at the bedroom.”

“I see.”

Barmas responded briefly and quietly observed Romei lying on the bed.

Her sleeping face looked remarkably peaceful, completely different from when she was speaking with him in the office.

She showed no signs of fatigue or exhaustion; instead, her lips bore a subtle smile suggesting complete satisfaction.

Her appearance was so beautiful that Barmas grew anxious.

He feared she might never wake again. It seemed that leaving his side was the only path to happiness for her.

But Barmas didn’t want her to leave his side, so…

After silently watching Romei for a long while, he finally spoke.

“What did Romei do from the time she left the office until she fell asleep? Did she say anything unusual?”

Rajie recounted everything, starting with their walk around the castle exterior and including her questions about what happens to familiars who fall out of his favor.

He added that afterward, she continued walking, then came inside, finished bathing, and headed to her bedroom.

At that moment, Barmas understood why Romei had asked such questions.

She wanted to be discarded by falling out of his favor. She wanted to die that way. She was rebelling against him by doing what he despised most.

“I sensed it then, but she truly has a remarkable mind.”

Barmas let out a complex, hollow laugh—whether from disbelief or amazement at her clever strategy was unclear.

In his mind, he pictured the bold Romei who had proposed a bet when he told her to bring payment in exchange for clothes.

Rajie tensed at Barmas’s sudden laughter, glancing nervously at his face. He couldn’t understand the reason for this unexpected amusement.

Unable to ask directly why he was laughing, Rajie simply watched cautiously until Barmas spoke.

“Isn’t it amusing? She’s acting so meticulously, even asking leading questions to be discarded by me.”

“…”

“And the best action she could think of to make me hate her is merely sleeping. How ridiculous.”

“…”

“If only she had tried to kill me instead… Her charging at me with hatred, wanting to kill me, would have been better… better than this.”

“What exactly do you mean…?”

Rajie, who had been quietly listening to what seemed like Barmas talking to himself, cautiously asked. He couldn’t understand what Barmas had been saying.

Seemingly brought back to reality by Rajie’s question, Barmas erased his smile and said:

“Romei is deliberately doing this to be discarded by me. That’s probably why she asked you what happens to familiars who fall out of favor.”

“Ah…”

Rajie, who had genuinely believed she was concerned about the familiars’ welfare, belatedly realized he had been deceived.

However, more shocking than being deceived was the fact that she wanted to be discarded by Barmas.

Everyone feared Barmas but no one wanted to be discarded or fall from his favor. Partly from fear of the t*rture chamber, but mostly because no one wished for death.

Moreover, Barmas cherished Romei more than anyone else. Although she had suffered somewhat today, she could have easily been forgiven by apologizing and promising never to ask such strange questions again.

‘Yet she chooses death…’

Rajie recalled when he once woke Romei from a nap. He had told her then that Barmas cherished her and worried about her dying, but she had flatly denied it.

She didn’t believe anything he said, considering it all outlandish lies meant to avoid real conversation.

‘I don’t understand why she refuses to believe in Lord Barmas. Even now, he rushed here upon hearing you wouldn’t wake, showing how much he cares for you…’

Thinking this, Rajie glanced alternately between the sleeping Romei’s face and Barmas who was watching her.

In stark contrast to Romei’s seemingly infinitely happy expression, Barmas’s face was clouded with dismay, looking like someone who had been served a bitter medicine.

Breaking the deep silence that had settled in the room, Rajie carefully asked:

“What shall we do, Lord Barmas?”

“We must wait and care for her until she wakes. She won’t eat properly when she wakes, so we’ll need to supplement her nutrition separately.”

“…”

“I cannot discard her. I cannot… Even if being with me torments her, I cannot let her die…”

Barmas, who had been muttering incomprehensibly while looking at Romei, soon asked:

“Did she say anything else?”

“Ah, specifically what do you mean…?”

“The cloak. Did she look for her cloak? She left it in the office.”

Barmas asked casually, with a small, pitiful selfishness—hoping that he wasn’t the reason she wanted to die so desperately.

However, Rajie’s answer betrayed his expectations.

“I asked if she needed her cloak or a bath, but she said she needed neither.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes, I’m certain. She remained n*ked throughout the entire walk.”

“…”

Barmas fell silent. An emotion he had never experienced before surged through him. Recalling Romei’s expression and tone when looking at him, a pain like his solar plexus shattering into pieces overwhelmed him.

Barmas didn’t know what name to give this emotion, but it was certainly close to regret.

* * *

Romei continued to sleep in bed, refusing to wake just as she had when Rajie tried to rouse her.

Her health was checked for precaution, and any signs of drug use were investigated, but Romei was perfectly healthy—except for sleeping excessively.

The situation was no different from two months ago, but what had changed was Barmas’s attitude.

Unlike before when he would rage and fume about why Romei wouldn’t wake up, he was now extremely calm.

He didn’t get angry, didn’t irritably pressure the servants, didn’t badger them daily about why she wouldn’t wake up, and didn’t question the medicines or ingredients they brought.

Barmas was uncharacteristically composed—so composed that it became frightening. He had never been like this before.

At first, the servants were relieved that his violent outbursts had disappeared, but as time passed, they grew more fearful. Anyone would be scared when someone behaves completely out of character for an entire week.

But he paid no attention to whether his familiars were afraid or not and simply did what he needed to do.

That was caring for Romei.

Barmas, who had been lying on the same bed as Romei to catch a brief rest, woke up startled the moment he realized he had fallen asleep. He hurriedly checked Romei’s condition.

He was anxious that she might have opened her eyes while he slept, or shown abnormal symptoms.

Fortunately, all Barmas saw was her peaceful face, unchanged from countless yesterdays.

“Haah…”

Barmas exhaled a sigh of relief. With his hand, he combed and arranged her hair.

Thanks to the servants bathing her once daily, Romei always maintained a clean state.

Perhaps because of this, her face had a smooth shine. Her consistently peaceful expression made her look even happier, and whenever he saw this, Barmas felt indescribable emotions.

“Is my absence really so pleasing to you?”

He grumbled while gently tapping her cheek with his index finger.

Her eyelashes, neatly resting below her eyes, didn’t move at all. They merely cast a faint shadow on her cheeks.

If there was anything Barmas had realized only after Romei truly expressed her torment, it was that while he had indeed tormented her, he never wanted to see her suffering in this way.

“Though to you, it probably all felt like the actions of a scoundrel anyway.”

Barmas laughed self-deprecatingly. Looking back, there had been several crucial moments when he could have brought Romei back.

But each time, he had refused to answer, avoided conversation, and intimidated her.

And now, he was methodically receiving his karmic retribution.