“Haa…”
The paladin swept a hand down his face, as though trying to smooth away his own frustration.
Sensing that faint shift in his expression, Ivyn seized the moment and cried even harder.
“Hic… huuu… sob… hic—uuuhhhwaaaang!”
And then, something strange stirred inside her heart.
At first, she had to force the tears; it had been nothing more than an act. But the moment she started crying, it was as if a scorching ember had lodged itself in her throat and chest.
‘What… is this? Some kind of shared experience?’
It felt like complete immersion.
The emotions that the “original” Ivyn once possessed in this scene now bled directly into her.
Fear.
Sadness.
Loneliness.
She lost track of how much time slipped by like that.
Creak- Theodore was rising to his feet.
A heartbeat later came the harsh clatter of chains.
‘He’s… untying me?’
Clack-
Her wrist suddenly felt light, and Ivyn pitched forward, collapsing with a thud.
“Ugh!”
The man nimbly stretched out his arms and supported her frail body.
“The floor is cold.”
Ivyn clutched his thick forearm with both hands, steadying herself. She tried to rise, following his words, but—
‘Oh?’
Her balance wobbled wildly, and then, thud! A heavy impact rang out. She’d slammed her head straight into the knight’s gauntlet.
“Ugh!”
Grimacing in pain, Ivyn pressed her hand against her forehead, eyes shut.
The sting wasn’t the worst part.
It was the sheer embarrassment.
‘Whose head sounds like a rock cracking?’
An awkward silence stretched between them.
And then, her body was lifted clean off the ground.
“—!”
Through the thin fabric of her clothes, she could feel the chill of steel.
Armor.
Which meant…
Hesitantly, Ivyn tilted her head upward to look.
In her pale blue eyes, the sharp, well-defined features of the man came into view.
“…”
The paladin glanced down at her with his pitch-black eyes, expression unreadable.
Without a word, he strode toward the table, still carrying her in his arms.
“Wait here for a moment,” he said, settling her on a chair.
A short while later, he returned from outside—this time with a steaming mug in one hand and a folded blanket draped over the other.
Ivyn blinked up at him, silently asking what all this was supposed to mean. Theodore gave the faintest nod.
“Drink.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Ivyn hesitated for a breath, thrown off by his sudden change in behavior.
Theodore stood there, his gaze fixed on her as if he were studying her reaction.
‘…Is this really okay to drink?’
After a moment of indecision, she accepted the mug, sneaking a glance at him before raising it to her lips and taking a small sip.
Her eyes flew wide open.
‘What the… Th-this is delicious!’
She stared down at the mug, wondering if she had ever drunk milk this good. Then, unable to resist, she raised it again.
Gulp~ gulp~ She kept drinking until she could see the empty bottom of the mug.
The way she downed the drink was almost like a freshly poured, ice-cold beer.
Clack- Ivyn set the mug down, a faint trace of white foam still clinging to her lips.
A small, satisfied smile tugged at her mouth… but the moment she felt Theodore’s eyes on her, she quickly pressed her lips together and lowered her gaze.
Just a moment ago, she’d been bawling her eyes out, wailing like a child. Now, here she was, smiling like an idiot over a single cup of milk.
‘I must look completely pathetic right now…’
If she thought so, what worse things must he have thought?
“How is it?”
Theodore’s voice cut in, smooth yet probing, as if he’d been studying her every reaction.
“What?”
“Your condition. How does your body feel now?”
“Hmm… Well, after drinking something warm, I feel a lot better.”
“…Better, you say.”
His black eyes narrowed at her answer.
Instinctively, Ivyn swallowed hard.
‘Did I say the wrong thing?
‘Was he… expecting a taste evaluation or something?’
“Uh… it felt really soothing, actually.”
“…”
“A-and it was delicious.”
“…”
Beads of cold sweat began to gather on Ivyn’s forehead under the weight of the man’s silence.
“…How was the taste?”
“It was quite savory.”
At her answer, Theodore’s expression shifted, pensive, before he spoke words that sent her mind reeling.
“So, you weren’t lying after all.”
“…Pardon?”
“The milk you just drank.”
“…?”
“It was infused with divine power.”
Ivyn’s heart plummeted like a stone.
It felt as though she’d stepped straight into a trap, accepting someone else’s “kindness” only to find a dagger hidden behind it.
Still, she bit her tongue. In her current circumstances, protesting would get her nowhere.
‘It’s unfair… but in Theodore’s position, it’s a matter of course.’
Unlike ordinary beasts, warlocks and monsters who draw power from the forces of darkness cannot withstand any form of holy water. Their skin would blister and rot on contact, and if swallowed, the throat would burn black. By slipping divine power into the milk, Theodore had been testing her.
“Judging by your reaction, it seems you truly haven’t had direct contact with any darkness.”
When Ivyn remained silent, Theodore’s gaze sharpened, studying her features as though searching for even the faintest trace of deception.
“Then does this mean you’ll let me go now?”
After what felt like an eternity, Ivyn finally voiced the question hanging in the air.
“That, I cannot do. Even if you’ve no direct ties to the devil, the fact that you are a member of House Kinzell remains.”
Bang! Bang! A frantic pounding rattled the interrogation room door.
“Sir Theodore! Sir Theodore!”
“Enter.”
Clank- The heavy iron door swung open, and a paladin stumbled inside. He was panting hard, as though he’d run the entire way without pause, his words tumbling out between ragged breaths.
“Air raid alarm, sir!”
“…Air raid?”
“The frontline post has fallen!”
The moment the report landed, Theodore’s eyes sharpened to a blade’s edge.
“Concentrate every available unit from the third interrogation room here. I’ll return shortly. Do not take your eyes off the prisoner. Guard her well.”
“Yes, sir!”
“On your feet.”
Just as the cold bite of shackles clamped around Ivyn’s wrists once more—
Throom!!! A thunderous explosion tore through the building, shaking the walls and floor as though the earth itself had convulsed.
