Chapter 5.2

So if a man like him realized he was alone in this mansion with me, and that I was the only other person alive…

Cold sweat trickled down my spine. I glanced around the room, searching for anything that could serve as a weapon.

Why did I have to go and smack his head with a spoon and then lecture him about his manners?

Was I out of my mind?

“Why aren’t you answering?”

“…”

“Ah, because I wasn’t being polite? Then let me ask again, properly this time.”

“Th-th-th-there is.”

“There’s someone else in the house?”

“Y-yes.”

“That’s impossible. It’s been silent this whole time.”

I’m toast. My first day inside this doomed romance fantasy novel, and I’m already about to die.

I forced my chin up so he wouldn’t see how badly I was shaking.

“Wh-why do you care? What does it matter if there’s someone else here or not?”

“It matters. Of course it matters.”

Killian smiled. In any other situation, I would’ve considered his smile mesmerizing, but all I could see was the dagger lying beside him.

Could I grab that blade faster than a man who probably makes a hobby out of slitting throats without anyone noticing?

Yeah. No. Not happening.

“What exactly are you so wary of?”

“M-me?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I wish he’d drop that fake polite act already. It didn’t feel respectful at all. If anything, it felt like he was mocking me.

“Do you think I’m going to harm you? Because there’s no one else here… ma’am?”

“C-can you guarantee you won’t? H-how am I supposed to know y-you’re not planning to kill me and take this house for yourself?”

“I hadn’t considered it until now…”

Killian arched a brow, sharp and elegant as if drawn with a brush. Then, as if only just noticing the dagger beside him, he let out a quiet “Ah.”

“You’ve been eyeing this. Here. Take it.”

“Pardon me? W-why?”

Maybe it was because he caught me off guard by how perceptive he was, but my formal speech slipped out before I could stop it.

“I have no intention of harming you.”

He slid the dagger across the marble floor toward me.

I didn’t fully understand him, but I needed something to defend myself, so I snatched it up without protest.

“After all, if I tried to lay a hand on you in this house, I’d just be the one putting myself in danger.”

“What do you mean…?”

“The magic sigil on the back of your neck.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve already seen it.”

He tapped the back of his own neck. So that’s where the sigil is hidden. I hadn’t seen any kind of mark while washing up, and I’d been wondering where exactly it was on my body.

“I’m no expert in magic, but even I can recognize a formula that complex. And what just happened outside confirms it. As long as we remain within these walls, no one can touch you.”

As he said this, Killian suddenly hunched his broad shoulders, trying to make himself small on purpose. Then he let his eyes droop like a puppy abandoned in the rain.

“Which brings me to a small request.”

“N-no.”

“You won’t even hear me out?”

“I already have a pretty good idea of what it is.”

Before seeing those blood-red eyes, I hadn’t known who he was. That’s why I let him inside and treated his wounds.

I was even prepared to coexist with thieves if it came to that. But a king of the underworld? That changed everything.

And I still wasn’t entirely convinced that some magic sigil was truly enough to protect me.

Given all that, how could I possibly let someone like him stay with me?

“Perhaps you’re in need of a butler?”

“…I’m not.”

I frowned, wondering what kind of nonsense he was spouting now. Killian pouted slightly, using my reaction to decide what to say next.

“A cook, then?”

“Hmm.”

“I’m fairly skilled in the kitchen.”

What’s his angle? Was my bread porridge really that awful?

I glanced mournfully at the spilled bowl.

“Think about it. Living alone in a place this vast would grow lonely, wouldn’t it? If you were to hire me, then each night…”

E-each night you’ll do what?! What exactly are you trying to imply?!

I couldn’t even begin to guess Killian’s intentions. Yet, despite myself, a part of me wavered.

If I kick him out now, will I ever see another living person again?

And even if I try, will he leave without putting up a fight?

Killian was offering to make himself useful to me. To serve me, even. Whether he’d truly keep such a promise was another matter entirely. But still, if—

No! What am I thinking?!

I mustn’t give into temptation. How could I possibly live alone in this mansion with a man that dangerous?