The maid melted back into the shadows.

And tucked in the gloom of the corridor’s corner—another maid. Squatting in the dark, silently working on something.

Faint light pulsed beside her. Intricate, archaic runes flickered in and out of existence like bubbles on a rippling lake.

“...Didn’t think you’d know that girl’s favorite dessert,” said Number Six, crouched low to the ground.

“Is she your target too?”

“No. She’s not.”

Number Eight leaned against the wall, eyes closed in quiet rest.

“But she’s Number Nine’s target. And Number Nine used to be my partner, so I know a bit of her intel.”

“Number Nine... if I remember right, that mission failed...”

“Yeah. That girl killed her—despite being two full cultivation realms below.”

“...”

Number Six fell silent again, resuming her intense work.

Seconds stretched long. Number Eight finally opened her eyes, clearly impatient.

“How much longer? We’re on the clock.”

“Almost done.”

Six was drenched in sweat, her face pale, but her hands never stopped decoding the shimmering glyphs.

“This thing was set up by the ‘Lion King’ Lorne Campbell. It’s a massive enchantment covering the entire estate. Breaking open a hole in it without alerting him... isn’t exactly easy.”

“Speed it up,” Eight said, eyes fixed on the tightly closed door ahead.

“If Muen Campbell or Princess Celicia walks out that door, this mission’s over.”

“I know. But we still have time, I think.”

Then Six’s expression twisted—subtle, but unmistakable.

“Those two... are in the room doing that.”

———

Muen stared at the door like a devout believer awaiting a miracle.

But no miracle came.

Ariel—the one and only heroine who could save him—still hadn’t shown up.

Meanwhile, Celicia’s moans were growing louder and more frequent.

Any second now, she was going to wake up.

“...I’m so screwed.”

Muen buried his face in his hands and cried.

No miracle today.

With no protagonist bursting onto the scene, his plan to reenact his disgrace would dissolve like foam, and Muen’s fate... would crash headlong into the death route he’d worked so hard to avoid.

He might not even have to wait for some mysterious hidden threat to make a move.

Celicia would kill him the second she woke up.

“...Wait. Come to think of it, if she’s been moaning this much... why hasn’t she actually woken up?”

With a sliver of calm returning, Muen’s overclocked brain picked up on a detail he’d missed.

Everyone knows: when someone wakes from unnatural sleep—be it drugs or alcohol—they usually groan once or twice.

That’s why he thought Celicia was about to wake.

But this many moans? Over and over?

Unless... she was having a sex dream?

Celicia? Having that kind of dream?

No. Impossible.

Which means the reason for her state had to be something else.

And also—

“So hot...”

Muen glanced at the fireplace.

Sure, it was still burning—but thanks to Celicia’s earlier frost explosion, the room’s temperature had actually dipped quite a bit.

He himself, shirtless as he was, felt kind of cold.

Celicia wasn’t wearing much more than he was. Why would she feel hot?

Moaning. Heat.

No way—

Gulp.

Muen swallowed hard. A ridiculous theory was starting to form in his mind.

Desperate to prove himself wrong, he began inching closer to Celicia—very carefully.

He had instinctively kept his distance earlier, worried she’d wake up and slap him into the afterlife. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

But now, he crept near. And there she was—reclining on the sofa, finally within full view.

“No way...”

His heart skipped a beat the moment he saw her.

“Mmm... so hot...”

Celicia’s eyes were still shut. Still unconscious.

But her pale lashes trembled. Her entire body shimmered with a suspicious flush. Her long, elegant legs twisted against each other, and her hands unconsciously tugged at her already dangerously revealing gown—making it even more disheveled.

“No. No, no, no. There’s no way. It’s got to be the sedative’s side effects. Yeah, just side effects!”

“A cold shower! That’s all it takes in novels! Cool her off and she’ll be fine!”

“Hang in there, Celicia—I’m taking you to the bath!”

Flustered beyond all hope, Muen lunged forward, trying to scoop her up in a princess carry and run for the nearest bathroom.

But he didn’t get the chance.

A slender, white hand suddenly clamped around his wrist.

Celicia, somehow awake, was staring straight at him.

Her eyes first flashed with fury—then dulled into dazed, confused bewilderment, like a rabbit that had gotten lost.

“Um, Your Highness... listen, I can explain,” Muen babbled, legs trembling.

“You kinda got drunk... on tea... and I was just gonna take you to the bathroom to help you sober up.”

“Now that you’re awake, I’ll be going now. I’ll get out of your hair, I swear.”

He tried to escape.

Because he’d finally realized.

The truth behind Celicia’s flushed skin, moaning, twisting limbs...

It was an aphrodisiac.

That “little bonus” the shady shopkeeper had tossed in for free—it was an actual f***ing aphrodisiac.

So that’s what he meant by “miraculous effect,” you bastard?!

Knockout drug plus love drug. Real slick, scammer.

RNM! REFUND!!

No. He had to get out of here. Now.

If anything “magically wonderful” actually happened between him and Celicia right now, he was beyond doomed.

At best? Death by dismemberment.

At worst? Death by dismemberment after public humiliation and a holy cleansing trial.

But—

Running wasn’t an option.

Because Celicia’s hand gripped his wrist tight.

That small, delicate-looking hand felt like it was forged from cold steel. Muen couldn’t budge.

It was a pure gap in physical strength.

He was reminded, once again, that Celicia Leopold was a woman far, far stronger than him.

Escape?

Ha. Not happening.

“Uh, Your Highness, please stay calm! You’ve got incredible willpower—just hang in there and you’ll get through this!”

He could only pray now. Pray she’d resist the drug.

Her gaze flickered between clarity and haze.

But Muen could already tell—even when she was lucid, the anger in her eyes had begun to morph into... something else.

Something hotter.

“Come on, Your Highness. You’ve got this. You won’t lose to some cheap drug—you can—”

WHAM!

His motivational pep talk was cut off by a sudden crash.

The world flipped upside down.

When Muen finally came to his senses, he realized they’d °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° switched places.

He was now lying flat on the sofa.

And Celicia, with her slender waist and graceful posture, was on top of him.