[Renée’s POV]

Reden turned around. My flesh and blood looked at me with an ignorant face. I couldn’t say anything to him. In the end, I hid what I wanted to say and asked for something else.

“Reden, hey. Give me your watch and go.”

“Watch?”

“Yes.”

He didn’t ask why and immediately took the watch off his wrist and gave it to me. And again, he left with the words to stay still.

It was windy. My nerves were elsewhere to the point where I couldn’t tell if it was cool or hot.

In the flow of time that would soon be midnight.

I quietly squeezed the watch in my hand.

I felt the slightest movement of the second hand in my palm. It went on and thumped in my ears.

Don’t be too scared. it’s the path you’ve chosen.

I exhaled a thin breath and looked down at Reden’s watch. I saw that there were only a few minutes left until midnight.

The reason I’m so sensitive at midnight is because of one thing.

After all, I didn’t follow a single mission today.

Clearly, my heart, which had been light until a little while ago, became infinitely heavy.

Damn mission, manipulating and wielding my mood at will.

‘So, what’s the penalty after all?’

I don’t care if I’m sick for a week. I’m willing to accept it.

But if it’s seppuku like last time……. If it’s a penalty worse than disembowelment… …

My fingertips became cold, my stomach naturally became tense, and my body trembled. It seemed that the sharp pain and the senses that had been separated were revived.

‘I should’ve just kept Reden. If it’s a penalty that gives me a fatal wound, I wouldn’t even be able to control my body.’

I wanted to bring Reden even now, but it was already too late.

“What can I do? I just hope I don’t die…….”

I whispered in a resigned voice.

Tick tock tick tock, I watched the second hand flow without waiting for me, but in the end, I couldn’t find the courage to face it, so I put my hand on my forehead with the watch and closed my eyes tightly.

And I prayed.

Please, please, give me a penalty I can handle.

It was a truly miserable whisper.

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As I wondered why I had come to this point, I heard a voice overshadowing the sound of the second hand that thumped in my ears when my doubts surged like water rushing in.

“What are you doing, here.”

Startled, I lifted my hand from my forehead and opened my eyes. The one who came into my field of vision was Diwen, who bent down to my eye level.

He was an unexpected person. I didn’t know why he was here, so I looked at him blankly, and he murmured.

“Anyway, I finally found it.”

Found it, who?

It was the moment I was about to ask if you were looking for me.

That time when the wind stopped blowing gently and I felt as if all the sounds around me had been swallowed up.

Tick tock, the sound of the second hand, which felt different somewhere, penetrated my ears, and at the same time, a familiar alarm rang.

Tiling, Tiling.

A monotonous and concise alarm. I know what that means.

Sure enough, a red window appeared in front of my eyes.

Thanks to this, Diwen’s face was covered, so I couldn’t see him.

<table>Mission failed!</tbody></table>

<table>‘Not killing Diwen Fergus until midnight.’</tbody></table>

<table>A penalty will be given for the failure of the mission.</tbody></table>

<table>– Penalty: Fever-</tbody></table>

<table>-Time: A week (6 days 23 hours 59 minutes)-</tbody></table>

<table>-Mission does not occur while receiving penalty-</tbody></table>

Tl/N: OMG PHEW

Besides, I couldn’t ask him if he was looking for me.

After the failure window, the penalty window appeared, fever ran through my body.

If I had just been possessed, I would have cursed at the penalty, but today was different.

I cheered at the relief that shuddered along my skin.

‘I’m glad it’s a simple fever!’

The only problem is that the ground seems to be shaking right now.

Even though I was clearly standing still, the ground wriggled like waves and my head spun.

It hurt like someone was poking my temples with a blunt stick, and my whole body started to throb as if I had been beaten.

I’m screwed. I think I’m going to faint right now.

With that thought in mind, the watch in my hand fell down.

The floor rushed at me. In the midst of my dizziness, I reflexively closed my eyes, but something hard wrapped around my shoulder and stopped.

Before I could figure out what it was, I could feel the firmness that touched my face and the scent that brushed the tip of my nose. And suddenly I realized.

I guess Diwen caught me.

When I thought so, the strength that had been in my body was gone. Somehow I’m relieved.

What a new thing. I was wary of him only in the morning, but now I can’t help but let go of my guard and believe him.

The eyes spun around like a whirlpool over closed eyelids.

Diwen must be bewildered too. All of a sudden, a normal kid did something similar to fainting.

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But why did he find me?

Beyond the flickering mind and bouncing thoughts, another question slowly hovered.

‘Come to think of it, why did the penalty alarm ring twice?’

That was my last thought.

***

[Diwen’s POV]

Diwen, with a poor sense of direction, stepped forward confidently, but soon realized.

I’m lost again.

“Damn it. What’s the matter? Why does this damn road always seem different?”

Sweeping his messy hair back, Diwen looked around. I felt like I had to ask someone where the infirmary was.

However, the royal palace at late hours was significantly less crowded than during the daytime.

Eventually, Diwen had no choice but to grumble and grope his way on his own.

The place he soon reached was not the infirmary, but outside the palace.

It was always like this. If I want to go inside, I’ll see an exit, and if I try to find an exit, I’ll go round and round inside.

‘I don’t know if you’re going to wait until the Marquis comes or just go back. Did you wake up in the first place?’

The growing pain in his leg interrupted Diwen’s thoughts.

He sighed deeply and suddenly recalled the conversation he had with Horaisha.

‘Are you hurt anywhere?’

‘I don’t have any, so look at Renée first. It looks like she dislocated her shoulder.’

‘Wow, as expected you’re like a slayer who always returns unharmed.’

Horaisha, who spoke in a tone that was unknown whether she was mocking or genuinely admiring, stopped paying attention to him.

That was a relief. I was in trouble one way or another if it was found out that I had injured my leg.

To tell the truth, It seemed like blaming the girl who injured my own leg would make her out to be a bad person, however, it was too much of a crack in my pride to say that I was hurt while dealing with a half-dragon.

‘Though It’s even more pathetic to hide the fact that I’m injured, caring about my position.’

I muttered sharply for no reason, but stopped for a moment to look at the sky because I didn’t know where the wind was coming from.

‘It’s almost midnight.’

Soon, the fact that it was midnight came to mind, but Diwen shook his head saying that it was not a problem now, and concentrated on looking at the night sky.

And made a face. Under the black night sky, for some reason, I felt like I was left alone in this world.

Diwen looked away from the sentimental thought that did not suit him.

‘Honestly, this doesn’t make any sense. There’s no one around here but me…’

I don’t think so.

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But someone caught his sight.

Not far away, I saw a woman wearing a familiar coat.

The tangled and extremely puffy hair was red even in the dark. Like the sun.

This was what I was looking for so much. I was looking for so long because I wanted to make sure she was in good condition.

But when I found her, I couldn’t take my steps easily. I thought of the complexities of today’s events and looked at her stupidly.

Her hair, which always confused me with whether it was pink or red, swayed. Only then did I realize that the wind was still blowing, so I narrowed my eyes.

‘What are you doing?’

His question was valid, as she had a fisted hand on her forehead.  With her eyes closed too.

That thing, that figure, seemed to be praying earnestly for some reason, and I moved so quickly that I couldn’t believe I couldn’t move my feet until just now.

On the other hand, she didn’t even budge as if she didn’t notice me approaching.

“What are you doing, here.”

Diwen bent down and asked, wondering if she was deliberately feigning ignorance because she stayed still when he approached her.

Fortunately, she wasn’t ignoring him, and as if she really didn’t notice him approaching, she opened her eyes in surprise.

Diwen smiled involuntarily as he could clearly see her eyes wondering why he was here.

He immediately rebuked himself for smiling and made a serious face.

“Anyway, I finally found it.”

Diwen was uncharacteristically trying to pour out gibberish., saying, ‘Do you know how far I’ve been looking for you, how are you feeling?’ and ‘Why are you wearing that coat.’

Tiling, Tiling, that was until two red windows popped up.

“……Ha?”

Diwen frowned involuntarily. And I stared blankly at the two windows.

No, to be more precise, I stared through the window in front of her.

<table>Mission failed!</tbody></table>

A unique font that stands out. The window with the writing on it was not his own window. Yeah, it wasn’t.

‘That means…’

Suddenly, he remembered that Marquis Blair had changed his stance.

‘As expected, this woman… … This woman is the same as me.…’

The moment I muttered blankly at the small realization, she was about to fall like a doll with a broken string.

If Diwen hadn’t grabbed her reflexively in a dazed mind, she would have fallen to the floor.

Yes, just like when the House collapsed today.

When I recalled that time, my arms trembled again.

For a moment, a headache came rushing in and I made a sound of pain, and Diwen looked through her failure window again, trying to somehow hold on to the fading mind.

<table>Mission failed!</tbody></table>

<table>‘Not killing Diwen Fergus until midnight.’</tbody></table>

It was the same no matter how many times I read it. It was clearly written that she failed because she did not kill himself.

The fact made his heart beat fast.

Why?

As it turned out, because she had to kill himself today?

Someone in the same situation as you, given a mission to kill yourself?

Because it’s my first time seeing a mission to kill myself?

No, it wasn’t at all. It’s just…

“Why didn’t you kill me?”

Words in an incomprehensible tone flowed from between the lips that moved freely.

The other party was silent.

Diwen grabbed her arm and raised her up, ignoring the heat he was used to but could paradoxically never get used to.

She was wheezing and grimacing, and anyone could see that she was suffering from a high fever.

“Renée, answer me! Why didn’t you kill me? You had a chance to kill me today!”

When the floor collapsed.

I was bluffing at the time, but I actually knew it.

If I had fallen then, I wouldn’t have been able to get out with my body intact. Even if I did, well, I might be dead.

But she caught on. This woman who received the mission to kill Diwen Fergus, no one else.

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“Why…?”

Again, a hollow voice escaped his lips. His hand which held her by the arm tightened, then quickly released.

“What do I become if you do this? What, do I become….”

He paused as he spoke and raised his eyes. His gaze, reddened by fever, reached another red window.

The red window had the same writing as her window. What’s different is… …

[BOX]

<table>Mission failed!</tbody></table>

<table>‘Not killing Renee Blair until midnight.’</tbody></table>

<table>A penalty will be given for the failure of the mission.</tbody></table>

<table>-Penalty: Fever-</tbody></table>

<table>-Time: A week (6 days 23 hours 59 minutes)-</tbody></table>

<table>-Mission does not occur while receiving penalty-</tbody></table>

Her name was written on it, not his.

TL/N: OKOK GUYS WE CAN ALL LET OUT THE BREATH WE’VE BEEN HOLDING NOW. RENÉE DIDN’T GET ANY SERIOUS INJURY!  (ngl it would be interesting to see how Diwen would react if she did get a serious penalty. Don’t whack me hahahahah) AND GAHHHHHH OMMG DIWEN FINALLY KNOWS!!!! OMG EXCITING CHAPTER???? AHHH!! More Diwen POVs coming up!