Lynen’s gaze toward Calliphe standing alone was cold and indifferent. It wasn’t strange that Calliphe was alone. Rather, it was natural.

‘She always kept her thorns raised.’

Like a poisonous rose, she didn’t allow others to approach.

She especially sharpened her edges when flirting with Lynen.

It was natural that Lynen would frown and avoid her presence just from spotting her.

It was when he was about to turn his gaze away from Calliphe without much interest.

People huddled with their families flinched upon seeing Calliphe. In response, she moved away with an expressionless face.

She went further into a corner and once again stared blankly into space.

‘…How uncharacteristically pathetic.’

But there was no need to care. She probably wouldn’t want that either.

At that moment, he heard the conversation between Raul and the doctor.

“Oh my, there’s blood on my lord’s clothes!”

“Sir Raul. That’s the magical beast’s blood.”

“How would you know, being an imperial?”

“If you look closely, it’s purple. His Excellency isn’t someone who would be wounded by mere magical beasts. Please stop worrying so much.”

“That’s not right. Because no one worries, I have to worry enough for everyone! Actually, my lord must like it too! Isn’t that right, my lord?”

“……”

Lynen, who had struck Raul’s mouth with the back of his hand, spoke to the doctor.

“Take care of Lady Offensa.”

“Pardon? Lady… Offensa?”

The doctor was puzzled but immediately obeyed the order.

House Ortega’s doctors and servants quickly surrounded Calliphe. Calliphe’s eyes narrowed.

“What are you doing blocking my way?”

“We have received orders from Duke Ortega to examine your injuries. Excuse us, Lady Offensa.”

“What…?!”

They politely greeted Calliphe, then began attending to her all at once.

Calliphe, suddenly seated in a plush chair, exclaimed in surprise.

“W-what is this? I don’t need this, get rid of it.”

“Even with that ankle?”

It was Lynen’s question.

He had approached without notice and was looking down disapprovingly at Calliphe’s swollen ankle.

Calliphe looked at him strangely.

“So you’re taking care of me because of that?”

“…Not at all. I’m just repaying a debt.”

“Debt?”

Calliphe, understanding Lynen’s meaning, lowered her voice.

“You plan to settle with just this much? I need to receive something more definite.”

“Perfect. I have something I want to ask too. But there are too many eyes right now, so let’s talk separately later.”

“Fine.”

Lynen waited until the doctor finished treating Calliphe’s ankle before speaking.

“It’s chaotic here, so it would be better to move somewhere else.”

“Ah, about that……”

Calliphe had wanted to leave earlier too, but there was a reason she hadn’t.

‘This sudden quest is strange.’

[Sudden Quest Complete!]

[Helped ‘Silver-haired Man’ resolve the magical beast rampage at the banquet.]

[Calculating reward……]

The reward hadn’t been given since earlier when it said it was calculating. That’s why she couldn’t leave her spot in case additional events occurred.

That’s when it happened.

“Make way please! Critical patient!”

The healers shouted urgently as they carried someone on a stretcher.

“They’ve been poisoned by a magical beast! Please make way so we can pass!”

Of all things, magical beast poison. This person had quite the bad luck.

Calliphe approached to examine the patient without interfering with the healers.

Quite some time had passed since they were poisoned, as the patient’s neck and chest area looked grotesque.

It seemed like they could stop breathing at any moment.

Calliphe slowly moved her gaze up from the patient’s affected areas.

The patient was someone Calliphe knew.

“…Dietrich?”

* * *

The healers laid Dietrich down on a lounge sofa as an emergency measure.

They tried everything they could to treat the patient’s injuries but there was no significant improvement.

“This is no good, our potions won’t cut it! Unless it’s a highest-grade potion……”

“Who would bring something like that to a banquet?”

Dietrich painfully opened his eyes at the noisy sounds. His vision was blurry and breathing was difficult. Still, he could barely grasp the situation.

At least that his life was hanging by a thread.

But he didn’t think he would really die. He still had something to believe in.

‘It would be troublesome for Young Marquis Caiman if I die now.’

Since they had made a deal to get rid of Calliphe Offensa, he would surely send a high-level mage. A healing mage specialized in healing magic, that is.

So he tried to tell them to go meet the healers the young Marquis would send.

“Sss—”

No voice came out.

‘D*mn. Has the poison damaged my throat?’

Only a wheezing sound came out and it was extremely painful.

‘At this rate, I’ll die before the healer arrives!’

That’s when the butler came running.

“Oh my, Baron!”

The old butler with bandages around his head must have come running as soon as he regained consciousness, as he asked breathlessly.

“Baron, are you alright? Why are you all just standing around!”

“Well, there’s nothing we can do…”

“Then you should go out and bring a priest! There might be one among the banquet guests or their companions!”

“Ah, alright, geez.”

The healers temporarily left Dietrich with the butler and went out of the lounge.

“Baron, please hold on a little longer. Someone will come to heal you soon.”

“……”

Dietrich was a bit surprised. Among his many servants, only this old butler had come to see him.

Is it because their source of money would be cut off if I die?

Well, it worked out anyway.

Dietrich made eye signals to the old butler. The old butler who had served him closely understood his intention without difficulty.

“Ah, your throat is damaged so you can’t speak. Writing, you want to write something?”

The butler hurriedly brought paper and pen.

Dietrich gathered his strength to grip the pen. He needed to quickly write to find the healing mage sent by the young Marquis.

However.

‘The, the letters……’

Once again, like before, they were blurry and wavering.

He tried writing while gritting his teeth, but seeing the butler’s lack of reaction, it seemed he hadn’t succeeded.

‘D*mn it. Of all times!’

“Baron? Baron!”

“Cough, cough, cough!”

“Oh no, stay with us!”

His condition rapidly deteriorated just from trying to move the pen.

Thud. He didn’t even notice the pen rolling from his hand.

‘Am I going to die here?’

He didn’t come out to the Black Hand just to end up like this.

‘D*mn… I was supposed to become a proper noble and put that old hag in her place……’

He wanted to decisively prove wrong those words about how someone born in muddy water must live in muddy water.

As Dietrich’s vision gradually blurred, a particularly clear footstep was heard.

Click.

“Serves you right.”

Golden hair that stood out distinctly appeared in Dietrich’s hazy vision.

The face that soon came close was Calliphe Offensa.

Calliphe raised her red lips in a smirk and tapped Dietrich’s head with her fan.

“This is what happens when you don’t live properly.”

“Cough! You, de… vil…! Cough!”

“W-what are you doing! Hitting a critically ill patient…!”

The old butler was startled and tried to stop her, but shrank back at Calliphe’s flashing eyes.

Dietrich gritted his teeth, feeling like he could cry.

Mocking and hitting an injured person on the verge of death, Calliphe Offensa was undoubtedly more of a villainess than he had imagined.

“If I’m a devil, then you’re someone who owes their life to a devil, right?”

Calliphe took out some kind of bottle.

She roughly hit the bottle’s neck with the side of her hand and opened the cork.

“Mmph!”

She grabbed Dietrich’s chin to open his mouth and poured in the contents.

“Cough, cough!”

“Oh no, Baron!”

A surprised Dietrich gulped down the flowing contents.

As soon as Calliphe let go, he burst out shouting.

“What are you doing, you crazy woman!”

“Gasp, Baron?!”

“What is it, old man!”

“You can speak normally! Are you feeling better?”

“…Huh?”

Dietrich flinched and only then realized the state of his body.

“W-what is this?”

Strength returned to his hands that could barely hold a pen and the pain subsided. The festering skin was slowly regenerating too.

Relieved at the clear effect, Calliphe showed a satisfied smile.

“D-don’t tell me you…?”

That smile was clearly visible to Dietrich as he snapped his head up.

It was Calliphe’s characteristic evil and eerie smile!

Dietrich’s wariness shot up instantly as he sputtered.

“Of course. What’s your ulterior motive for saving me! You really shouldn’t live like this!”

“…?”

One of Calliphe’s eyebrows shot up.