I knew it.

As I suspected.

I did think it was suspicious.

The man loosened his stiff body, bending his neck from side to side, and straightened his back.

“Isn’t this magic quite fun?”

Magic? Is this magic?

I twisted, trying to wiggle my body free, but I couldn’t.

I’ve never witnessed such magic before.

I frowned as I looked at the tree that bound me, suddenly an answer came to mind:

Black magic.

“I even pretended to be dead to prove my devotion to my beloved Seri, but why did you react like that?”

He may have swayed others with his handsome face, but to me, he was utterly disgusting.

“Are you a warlock?”

“Well….”

“Only black magic can manipulate living things. Because controlling life is taboo. Are you with the warlocks who made a commotion in the banquet hall today?”

“That group? I’ll sad if you group me up with such stupid things.”

The man closed in on me with a dagger that had fallen to the ground.

The one I had thrown at him.

He was approaching with the blade and I was tied up.

I feel like I became a sacrifice I saw in a book when I was a kid.

This man intends to cut off my limbs, and I am a rebellious prey.

I fought back as much as possible but it seemed now there was no escape.

“It won’t hurt too much. Because my beautiful thin-skinned doll should be as immaculate as possible.”

My limbs were bound, but I twisted, trying to get out.

“Ugh…”

As I struggled to escape, the branches fastened around me squeezed me tightly to suppress me.

The force made me lose strength in my legs and my knees folded. As I fell down, my knees swept on the jagged soil floor, wounding me.

A branch that covered me crept up and wrapped itself around my neck, intending to choke me.

It was the first time I experienced the disgusting feeling of wood touching the back of my head.

“D—don’t do it…”

I groveled, sounding as frightened as I could muster.

I know plenty of people like him.

They like the more the other person bows their head and becomes submissive to them.

I’d have to buy as much time as possible.

There are ways to use magic, but the downside is that I have to finish him all at once.

If I fail, he might cut my throat right away.

I need a more certain strategy.

“I made a mistake earlier. Let’s just cut my arm.”

“Why didn’t you choose well when I gave you the chance?”

A cold blade touched my cheek. Each time he touched me, my cheek was scraped by it, resulting in small scratches.

The man stroked me like a toy.

He was like a villain who longed to see the end of the pitiful prey held in his hand—that would instantaneously perish if he squeezed his hand too hard.

“Please have mercy. I’m sorry about earlier. It was a mistake to attack you. Please forgive me?”

“No matter how sorry you are, it is in vain. It’s already too late.”

The man sat down on one knee to make eye contact with me.

I had been constantly looking up at him, and now our eyes were at the same level, making it easier to see him.

He stroked my hair.

It was as if insects were crawling around my head.

If my hands were free, I would have ripped my hair out.

If I had returned home with Alastair, would it have been different?

Regrets or whatever— it was already too late.

With choice, comes responsibility.

“Instead, sweetheart, I’ll give you a choice.”

“Choice?”

“Yes. Head, chest, abdomen.

Pick one of the three. I’ll stab you wherever you want.”

I clenched my hand that was on the dirt floor.

I grabbed the soil as if I was digging the ground, and the soil got stuck between his nails.

“Just [a bit]······.”

“Just?”

“You’re properly insane aren’t you?”

I smiled at him. While buying time I calculated the magic formula and the answer in my mind.

Crunch—

I swiveled my body as fast and as hard as I could.

My spell had loosened the branches around me.

“…..!”

As I was trying to escape, the man’s hand gripped my neck tightly.

“I’m sorry, beautiful, but you can’t escape.”

He strangled my neck. With the intent to kill me.

I’m running out of breath, but I can’t help but laugh.