"But what happens after I kill you?"

I let out a slow breath before answering.

"Of course, all of my ties to this timeline will be erased—including everything that went wrong."

"And in exchange..."

"I’ll rewind to the point where I failed before."

His eyebrows lifted.

"Wait... you mean—"

"Yep. Of course. By binding a contract with me."

"You’ll be dragged along with me—and witness everything firsthand."

Technically speaking, only Selene truly understands what this ability actually is.

Well, Selene and Azalea too—but not in detail.

Arthur himself is a monster, so I could probably use him as a piece as well.

"...It seems I’ll still owe you a great deal."

Heh. Of course you will, you idiot.

That was my intention all along.

Even compared to Selene, whose abilities are overwhelmingly powerful, she still loses when it comes to negotiation.

"I don’t need much, you snake."

His eye twitched. His smile barely concealed the anger underneath.

"Kiss me—then kill me. That’s all."

What a smooth operator you are, Kairi.

You know what? I should’ve said "Marry."

Kiss. Marry. Kill. Literally.

I chuckled, attempting to amuse myself.

He didn’t move.

For a moment, the silence returned—thicker than before, as if the room itself were holding its breath.

"Kairi," he said at last, quietly,

"you realize you’re asking me to cross a line I can’t breach, right?"

I tilted my head.

"Nope," I replied.

"I just want to let you know that we will cross it, Together."

His jaw tightened. Not anger—rather, the sign of acknowledgment.

The faint hum in the air shifted. I felt it immediately.

Good. He was taking it seriously now.

"You’ll disappear," he said. "From this time. From this sequence."

"Yes."

"And there’s no guarantee you’ll come back the way you are."

"Correct."

"And if something goes wrong—"

"Then it won’t be your problem anymore."

That would definitely do the trick.

He laughed once under his breath—a short, hollow sound.

"My goodness, you’re so unbelievable."

I followed the rythm of his laugh, letting out this stressful moment.

"Well, I get that a lot."

He then stepped closer.

Slowly, surely—not threatening, measured, careful.

The kind of distance one closes before making a decision that stains the hands forever.

"Alright, that’s it. Repeat your demands. Speak out loud," he said.

"And yes, all of conditions. No more lies and trickery between us."

I met his gaze.

"Contractual binding between monster and human...

You, as the slave. Me, as your owner."

I raised one finger.

"By doing this you will erase all criminal records tied to me and Selene."

Another.

"You will also nullify your engagement with Azalea. Officially."

A third.

"And when the contract activates, kill me."

His breath caught—just slightly.

"Immediately," I continued, unfazed,

"after my existence in this timeline has been eliminated.

You’ll be pulled along as a witness. No interference unless the contract allows it."

"And Agatha?" he asked.

I smiled.

"I suppose that’s the most intriguing part you’ll want to see for yourself."

The hum intensified.

So he’d decided.

Hence then, Arthur Shakespeare—the Archon of Serpents, monster of restraint, trickery, and regrets—was going to damn himself properly this time.

He extended his hand.

"Last chance to back out."

I didn’t take it.

Instead, I stepped closer. Close enough that he stiffened—just a little.

"You’re trembling," I observed.

"That’s rich, coming from you."

I reached up, fingers brushing his collar, steadying him rather than myself.

"Relax," I whispered. "You won’t lose anything you weren’t already prepared to."

Our foreheads nearly touched.

"Now," I said softly, "seal it..."

"My prince charming."

The sigils flared. Was he flustered by that remark?

How silly.

Immediately, cold rushed up to my spine.

Ah.

There it is. My time has come.

I closed my eyes, smiling.

He leaned in first.

There was no hurry. No hesitation.

Arthur kissed me.

It was brief—almost chaste—yet my heart fluttered in a way I hadn’t anticipated. Annoyingly so. Like a reflex I’d forgotten to disable.

How troublesome.

Somewhere beneath the calculations and negotiations, I realized something unpleasant.

I might actually fall in love with this shady man.

What a joke.

Of course, it didn’t change anything.

A contract is a contract.

And I am nothing if not professional.

My hands clenched at my sides, steadying myself. The warmth lingered just long enough to be irritating.

"Arthur," I said quietly, breaking the moment myself. "Before you do it..."

He raised an eyebrow—amused, but attentive.

"If this were another timeline," I continued, my voice oddly calm, "and if I were older. Far more experienced than I am now..."

I exhaled.

"I think I might’ve fallen for you."

There. Said it.

No drama. No tears. Just a statement.

He stared at me for a moment. Then smiled.

A genuine one. Soft. Almost fond.

"You really are silly," he said.

I let out a small, tired laugh.

"Yeah. I know," I replied. "I know I’m silly."

Then, quieter—

"But please... at least let me spare my time for a bit before leaving this timeline."

He didn’t answer.

Instead, he reached into his coat.

The metallic click echoed far louder than it should have.

When he pulled it out, my mind short-circuited.

A revolver.

A f*cking revolver.

What the f*ck? A f*cking revolver in a fantasy world?

I stared at it, dumbfounded. My composure cracked, just for a second.

Arthur noticed.

His gaze sharpened.

"Isn’t this what you really want?" he said, sharp and precise.

"A certain and absolute death?"

I swallowed.

"Relax," he said, his voice already steady again.

"This isn’t something you’re supposed to recognize."

A pause—deliberate.

"A secret weapon," he continued, calm enough to be infuriating. "Created by the Ains Ein Doan Kingdom. Magic and craftsmanship pushed so far it borders on insanity."

Another beat.

"It has no name. No classification."

He looked at us then, expression unreadable.

"And almost no one knows it exists."

I see. That makes sense...

This conversation was getting to the point where it has become awkward.

So much so that I didn’t know how to reply other than an immediate silence.