* * *
Carlyle’s words sank heavily into his ears.
The emotion that rose in that moment was vivid, unshakable fear.
Anasil—a monstrous being so grotesque it was said no human should dare to wield it.
He distinctly remembered the part of the novel that described it: even the protagonist couldn’t handle it carelessly.
Yet what had just come out of Carlyle’s mouth made it clear—what he knew wasn’t the whole truth.
Eren’s eyes trembled slightly, beyond his control.
“What… do you mean…?”
There was no answer.
Carlyle simply extended his hand, as if telling him, ‘If you’re curious, come and find out yourself.’
The vow he made to never get involved with any of the original love interests felt meaningless now—Eren had no choice but to take Carlyle’s hand.
He had to know.
What he didn’t know.
What they were hiding.
As Eren reached toward Carlyle, Ashard suddenly grabbed his wrist.
A firm gaze pleaded with him not to go.
A desperate look asking him to stay by his side.
But even so, Eren had to pull away from his grasp.
Carlyle’s dark, blood-red eyes lingered on Ashard for a beat, then swept past Melody, the Empress, and Elyrion in turn.
It felt like a warning: ‘If you don’t take my hand now, something terrible will happen.’
In the end, Eren had no choice but to give in.
Carlyle’s arm naturally wrapped around Eren’s waist.
His large hand tightened, as if rejoicing that what was his had finally returned.
And yet, beneath that joy was a firm, chilling determination—he would never let go again.
The music that had sounded so harmonious and soft until just moments ago now felt ominous, like a storm closing in.
Eren’s face drained of color.
He had stepped somewhere he never should have entered.
The thought refused to leave his mind.
“If you’re as clever as I think you are, you must’ve realized what happened at the hunting competition with Duke Fridit wasn’t just a coincidence. Anasil wouldn’t have moved because of some mere human.”
“…”
“You’re half right, and half wrong.”
His voice was so cold, so devoid of warmth, that Eren’s hand began to tremble.
The dead-serious glint in his eyes left no room to doubt him.
It wasn’t a coincidence—that part was true.
But something was wrong about the rest…
“I’m the one who sent that creature to Duke Fridit.”
“W-What… how…?”
Nowhere, in any part of the story or this world, had it ever said anyone could control monsters.
Even mages who wielded great magic couldn’t do that.
“Originally, I planned to kill him. But…”
Carlyle didn’t need to say who he was looking at.
He was definitely staring at Ashard.
“He’s surprisingly hard to kill. Thanks to that, things got pretty annoying.”
Carlyle’s voice, calm and indifferent even as he talked about trying to kill someone, made him seem all the more terrifying.
The hand gripping Eren’s waist felt like a trap—like sinking into a swamp with no way out.
“Why…”
He wanted to ask ‘Why the hell are you doing this?’, but no words came out.
Maybe he caught on, because Carlyle spoke with a cool expression:
“That’s what I want to ask you. Why did you run away, Eren Nefendis?”
His gaze was dark and endless—like the black sea on a moonless night. It was a stare that locked him in place, like a snare that refused to release its prey.
Every time Eren tried to back away in fear, Carlyle followed like a shadow, always one step behind.
“Things would’ve been fine if you’d just behaved.”
This wasn’t simple affection.
Carlyle seemed to truly believe that killing someone to reclaim what was his was completely justified.
“Ha… that crazy son of a bitch.”
Eren couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.
He thought he’d broken free of a predestined fate—but it had all been like building a sandcastle in a desert.
Despair colored his face.
Every moment he had struggled to escape the original plot came rushing back.
He felt trapped in a never-ending nightmare.
Each step forward only dragged him two steps back, as if some invisible force was mocking his resistance.
‘So what—you’re saying I should’ve just stayed still? Screw that.’
He didn’t come this far just to hand himself over to those twisted bastards.
If he had to surrender, he’d rather die.
Eren gripped the artifact infused with Melody’s magic.
Just as he was about to use it, Carlyle spoke again:
“All of this… you brought it upon yourself.”
CRASH—!!
As soon as he finished speaking, a sharp, piercing sound erupted all around them.
Noblewomen screamed as a massive foot slammed down on the shattered window ledge.
Through the broken glass, glowing amber eyes met those of a noble lady—who screamed as if she’d faint.
“KYAAAAAHHH!!”
A black, hulking body.
Pointed ears.
Teeth sharp as daggers.
Wings like a dragon’s.
If it weren’t moving, one could mistake it for a statue.
“I-It’s a Gargoyle!”
A gargoyle—a monster said to be a living embodiment of demons.
It scanned the nobles like it was selecting prey.
Gargoyles, usually tasked with guarding underground treasures, were rarely seen.
Their weaknesses were hardly known—just like Anasil.
Most nobles at the banquet had never seen one in real life.
Panic instantly swept through the hall.
“You didn’t…!?”
Carlyle looked down at Eren with an expression completely devoid of humor.
The moment Eren met those thick, blood-colored eyes, he knew for sure:
Anasil. The gargoyle.
All of them were under Carlyle’s control.
Eren clutched the artifact in urgency.
If Carlyle was the one controlling the monsters, all he had to do was stop him.
Just as the artifact began to pulse with magical energy—
“Eren, behind you!!”
Ashard’s voice rang out behind him.
By the time Eren turned, it was already too late.
He instinctively shut his eyes.
But instead of pain—he felt warmth.
He slowly opened his eyes to see Ashard, sword drawn, shielding him with his body.
Relief came a beat too late.
“Are you alright? Are you hurt—?”
Ashard’s worried gaze suddenly stopped.
Following it, Eren lowered his head… and finally noticed the blood trickling from the back of his own hand.
The artifact was gone.
‘They weren’t after me. They were after the artifact.’
Before he shut his eyes, he had seen it clearly—the monster’s gaze had been fixed not on him, but the artifact.
With Ashard’s help, Eren stood and surveyed the scene.
At first, he had thought Carlyle summoned the monsters to massacre everyone.
But contrary to expectations…
The ones fighting the gargoyle at the front were Julius—and Carlyle himself.
‘…Ha. I’ve been played.’
* * *
