A suffocating silence passed. Ricdorian was the first to speak out in the tight air.

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

He soon returned with a cold face and spoke his intentions lowly.

“I won’t tie you up. I won’t lock you up. I won’t do anything I hate the most.”

Seeing that, it must have been. Since childhood, being trapped in chains and prison cells is everything in his world, isn’t it?

It was an understandable reason.

Is he making a difference in one bad thing? It was strange.

“…Hey, isn’t that already a bad thing when you said kidnapping?”

I don’t know what’s different.

“…..”

He looked back at me once and turned around. Without answering my question.

“Don’t go anywhere.”

I’m sure he means don’t run away… The order sounded like a pleading request.

“I have no intention of neglecting you, so it would be better to erase the thought of escaping in advance.”

Returning to the Grand Duke’s stiff tone, he even turned his head. But for some reason, the tone was a little awkward.

“Why?”

Why are you doing this? He said he hates me, and now he sees me with love-hate eyes.

“Why do I have to answer?”

But there was no answer. If it’s clear what I’ve heard, he left without answering.

I was not hurt by the cold reply. Rather, it was understandable.

I glanced at the door where he disappeared and then slowly stared at the floor.

-Human…..

The white cat, which suddenly appeared, rubbed its body anxiously at my feet.

-Are you okay, Nyang Nyang?

I laughed bitterly. After signing the contract, Pudding’s feelings have vaguely crossed over to my head.

I knew Pudding was worried.

-Human, human, what should we do now? Hmm?

I smiled and patted Pudding’s head playfully.

“My name. You never called me once. Huh?”

After signing the contract with me, Pudding, who shared all the daily life with me, knew and felt a lot. Even though that category is still at the limit of its young personality, it sounds like its thinking quite deeply.

So, Pudding’s concern is not just because of Ricdorian’s ferocious appearance.

“… it’s okay.”

I slowly raised my hand.

On my wrist, there were two bracelets.

It was a gift from Jair a long time ago.

Somehow, I had no use for all of my magic, but I brought it here.

Neither Chaser nor Marshmel knew. Because I didn’t use it in front of them.

It was also my insurance that no one knew because I don’t know when I was going to be kidnapped.

Of course, I was safe thanks to Chaser, his guardian deities, and his capable subordinates who appeared before using this.

“Ha…..”

I give the bracelet a long look. After loosening the bracelet and holding it in my hand, the next thing I went to was the bare bottom of my wrist.

I exhaled shallowly, calming Pudding that was rubbing its body from below.

When I pressed my wrist behind the sigh, blood rushed out. Then slowly… A single pattern was drawn on the wrist.

It was a black rose.

I pressed down on the black rose. At the same time, a soft and ecstatic voice as if waiting was heard.

– Hello, Iana.

A low, dangerous voice, as if to hide his anger.

– Where are you now?

***

I didn’t say anything.

Just as Ricdorian had not answered me a moment ago, only silence pressed the air heavily.

It wasn’t because I was under pressure again. It wasn’t because the years had passed so smoothly that I was scared by such things.

This tattoo may even convey the sound of breathing, but Chaser would also feel a quiet silence through the tattoo.

This was my first time communicating with this tattoo. It was also a strange feeling.

This was the ‘insurance’ that Chaser gave me.

So that one day I will be able to use it when I am away from him. Since I had never been kidnapped, I had nothing to use it for….

He wouldn’t have thought of such a situation either.

– Iana?

Chaser’s voice continued softly.

-… can you hear me?

It was quiet, but I could feel the impatience creeping in.

-Can you…..answer? If not.

After a brief pause, he spoke again.

-Answer, you don’t want to?

From the side, Pudding raised its hair. It looked like it was going to go downhill at any moment.

But when I quickly brought my index finger to my lips, it felt my will, and it struggled to suppress the sound.

I stroked Pudding as if it did well, then stroked the tattoo. Black light was covered by the palm of my hand.

Soon, I pressed my wrists so tightly that they hurt.

1, 2, 3….

After a few seconds, I raised my hand.

Suddenly the light was off.

“Ha…. “

I checked the restored wrist again and let out the breath I had been holding back.

“Oh my.”

The sound of a grumbling rang out.

Sitting on the sofa wasn’t enough, so I stretched out like I did in Domulit’s mansion.

Wherever I sleep, I should be comfortable like in my own home. Even if this is a new thing, my posture was so natural. In any dangerous situation, it is a law to get a good night’s sleep.

‘That’s how you use your head.’

As if Pudding had been waiting, it climbed onto my thigh and sat down on my body.

-Human….

Pudding lying on my thigh caught me with a worried expression. The white ears wiggled.

-Are you okay, Nyang?

I smirked as I stretched out.

“Will it be okay?”

I dared to cut off the communication with the great villain. He will need time to decide whether this is intentional or not.

It’s kind of a grace period.

A time. No, I bought my time by trickery, but it won’t last long.

I’ll probably have to choose.

“Should I stay here or go back?”

I closed my eyes. The little guardian deity in the shape of a cat cried for a long time as if comforting me.

In my head, I heard a voice asking, “Human, what do you want to do?”

“What should I do about it?”

I closed my eyes and stroked the soft fur.

“Kidnapping or confinement?”

An older brother who will soon find and pursue me, and a cold Ricdorian who harbors love and hate for me.

What are the options? I smirked. Then I opened my eyes.

Strictly speaking, Chaser didn’t kidnap me but I was confined, and Ricdorian didn’t confine me, but kidnapped me.

… The male characters in this novel are fantastic.

I stopped laughing out loud.

I had a strange feeling. The more I think that the place where I lay my back on is not Domulit, the more I feel like I have to go back to Domulit.

It felt like someone was begging me to go back in my head.

It was really weird.

I don’t feel that way, but I can’t believe I feel that way…

However, the body that stretched prevailed over the thought.

“Oh, I’m sleepy.”

For comfort, my dress did not tighten. Thanks to that, it became a great nightgown for this moment.

Actually, I knew it myself. It wasn’t that I didn’t have any means I could use while Ricdorian grabbed me and moved me.

Chaser and Marshmel prepared me for danger, and as a result, even if I was left alone, they made a hole for me to get out of.

Like that tattoo on my wrist.

If I had borrowed Pudding’s power at the very least, I would have steered away that hand that held me without any struggle.

“I.”

And where I want to stay…

“I want to be here.”

Pudding flinched at my decision.

But I closed my eyes without saying any more.

“..I wish he just fed me well.”

He won’t starve me because he was angry, right?

Then should I grab Pudding and eat it?

-I, I can hear you, human!

Such a terrible word!

Pudding, who did not understand the nonsense, jumps up and down, the fur that bristles along has a serious atmosphere.

The voluntary first day of confinement passed like this.

***

Next day.

With a click, the door opened and Ricdorian came in quietly, startled when he saw me lying on the sofa.

Somehow, he had forgotten his cold face and his eyes were startled.

Ricdorian looked at me slowly and then blinked. He could not erase the surprise.

“… you’re really good at adapting.”

Even so, I was pulling and dragging something like a blanket from somewhere to cover me.

It was a really comfortable position. I grinned.

“My specialty is adaptability.”

I adapt to everything. As I said, it didn’t seem like something to be proud of.

What’s good is good.

“But what is that?”

Ricdorian was holding something in his hand. It was my turn to be surprised this time as I saw the various trays and plates laid down.

I stared at him as he returned to his original cool face. Then I had my doubts.

“Eat it.”

Eat this?

It was truly a luxurious spread. I was accustomed to all the luxuries in Domulit, but these are surprisingly numerous and diverse.

…. Wasn’t I a prisoner here?

Of course, I’m not really a prisoner. It was not something that anyone would go out of their way to give when they’re angry.

“…Does the Grand Duke deliver things directly here?”

At that, Ricdorian frowned slightly.

He was just sitting right across from me, who was saying something. As if telling me to eat the food.

Ummm, sitting like that means watching me eat….

“Is it poisonous?”

“What?”

“I’m kidding.”

It was a very familiar conversation to me, so it was a question that came to mind without realizing. Ricdorian had a strange expression on his face.

“From yesterday, you…”

However, he murmured so much that he did not continue to the end.

Well, the thing that people are trying to say when they feel cramped the most….

I don’t know how to cut it off like this. I was curious but didn’t ask.

What can I say to the Grand Duke who raised his word and said, “Don’t do useless things with your whole body right now?”

I just smiled and said.

“Thanks.”

It was just that I was hungry. I couldn’t eat anything at the banquet because I was nervous.

Do you know, I was very nervous about meeting you.

“Actually, I thought you’d starve me.”

He was so cruel, and he took me here with a completely different face than before.

I was a bit worried as I was following along. Meals should be eaten well.

“…you are still easygoing.”

“Really.”

I lay down on the sofa, raising my head and resting my face on my arms.

My pink hair was flowing smoothly. The hair that was meticulously maintained for the banquet was mine, but I was amazed at its luster.

“You haven’t changed at all.”

“Did you want me to change?”

“…..”

Why? The more we talked, the more I felt like I was back in a prison cell.

In front of me is a large adult, no more a 16-year-old boy.

Is that why?

“Are you mad at me?”

Without realizing it, like that day in the cage, I asked gently, affectionately.

“Not at all.”

Ricdorian responded firmly.

After a moment of silence, Ricdorian whispered coldly. Then he slowly closed his eyes.

“I didn’t forget that you broke your promise.”

The shards embedded like ice fragments left scars on both sides of me. Because his face never looked comfortable when he said that. The now-heavy voice had a great impact on my heart.

“The fact that you shook off my hand.”

As he said that, he didn’t take his eyes off me, with a face I didn’t even want to see.

There were so many things on his face that it was difficult to fathom.

“I will never forget it.”

He spat it out.

“Because I’ve been waiting.”

Why?

“But whether angry or not.”

Gradually, his voice felt more like embarrassed rather than a cold feeling at first.

“…from the beginning, I had no intention of starving you.”