“Really, no one’s here.”

The mansion felt unusually cold with my mother and the Duke away. It seemed I had grown accustomed to living with them. After having my first meal in a long time as a gruel, I slowly walked around the mansion.

I was tense, half-expecting Erhan might be around, but since he disappeared that day, there had been no news, suggesting he had left the mansion.

‘The servants don’t seem to be doing anything special.’

The servants just carried out their tasks like programmed machines. Especially after Zachary was assigned to me, they showed even less initiative towards me. Watching them mechanically work, I glanced at Zachary, who was closely attached to my side, and bit my lip.

“Let’s go quickly.”

I wasn’t particularly interested in what the servants were doing. They would only do their assigned tasks, and I had responsibilities that I couldn’t afford to waste time on.

‘Finally.’

For a few days, I could move freely, which meant an opportunity to talk with Zachary. I hurried back to my room.

As soon as I returned to my room, I wrapped myself in blankets. Despite the days growing warmer, I felt particularly sensitive to the cold and couldn’t leave my cocoon of blankets. Zachary, as usual, stood motionless, watching me even as I rolled myself up completely.

“Zachary.”

I called his name, but Zachary showed no reaction.

“Can you sit here?”

But he was always ready to follow my commands. As soon as I finished speaking, Zachary came and sat beside me. Even in his seated position, his dignified appearance shone through, reminding me that a protagonist is still a protagonist, even under a spell. Forgetting the situation momentarily, I smiled softly and slowly took his left hand.

His hands were large for someone so young. Zachary was probably about my age, but his hands and feet were unusually large, perhaps due to genetics. I entertained the thought that his body would also grow larger in time as I placed his hand on my palm.

“I’m sorry for speaking to you so late.”

I pressed his palm gently, conveying my apology.

“I was afraid someone might catch us. That’s why I couldn’t talk to you sooner.”

Honestly, if it weren’t for Erhan’s interference, I would have behaved like this much earlier. But seeing Erhan’s displeasure at my defense of Zachary made it clear that I must not let my mother and the Duke find out. Erhan might have just caused a scene, but my mother and the Duke wouldn’t stop there. So, I had ignored Zachary, knowing the day we’d be alone was close. Like today.

‘But he’s not reacting at all.’

I had thought Zachary felt the same way. He hadn’t expressed his thoughts to me either. I assumed he was also cautious because of the Duke, who might encounter us in the corridor, and my mother, who could enter my room without permission.

“Zachary, can you say anything to me? A greeting like before, or any other word…”

Eventually, I toyed with his hand and hesitantly looked up at him, starting to speak while watching his reaction.

“I want to talk with you.”

Even after saying that, Zachary maintained his silence. Unable to contain my anxiety, I was the one who made a move. I gently grasped and lightly shook his hand, but even as time passed, there was no special reaction, just his hand limply swaying like a doll’s.

‘Why isn’t he reacting?’

I waited silently for a while, but still, there was not even a slight response. If only he had spasmed his hand like before, I could have recognized the Zachary inside…

“Just a moment.”

Unable to bear it any longer, I slid out from under the blankets and stood up. Although I got up decisively, my movements were cautious.

I climbed cautiously onto Zachary’s lap to align our line of sight. Even then, Zachary held my waist as if to prevent me from slipping. The touch on my waist was strangely ticklish, but I just grimaced slightly and reached out my hand.

“Can I see your face?”

My goal was to remove the paper he wore over his face. Of course, after asking, I realized my mistake. Zachary, under the spell, couldn’t respond to me. It was essentially a forced action.

“I’m sorry, but I think it’s better to talk while looking at your face.”

I wanted to face his eyes, what the Duke often referred to as the windows to the soul, hoping it would calm the inexplicable anxiety rising within me.

Carefully, so as not to startle him, I lifted the paper. Throughout this, Zachary didn’t blink, just kept his gaze fixed on me.

“Zachary.”

I called his name.

“……”

Still, there was no response.

Hoping that a direct eye contact might help, I carefully cradled his face and leaned in closer. In contrast to my warm body from being under the blankets, his skin where it touched mine was eerily cool.

But there was no need to force him to look at me. From the moment I removed the paper, and even now as I aligned our eyes, Zachary was gazing solely at me. His eyes, dark like a tranquil night sky with a hint of blue, sparkled.

However, his gaze was peculiar. It seemed like he was looking at me and yet not seeing me at all. His eyes, shining like glass beads, also resembled the lifeless eyes of a dead fish. This eerie resemblance made me shiver, wondering if Zachary was already dead, and I was alone in this.

‘…He looks like a dead person.’

Unwittingly, I stumbled back and collapsed onto the spot. Immediately, Zachary slightly rose and slid his hands under my armpits, as if to lift me up.

As he gently raised me, I blushed and bowed my head, embarrassed. It was a mistake. Even if he was unconscious, I shouldn’t have shown such a frightened response.

“I’m sorry, I got scared… oh.”

In my hurried apology, I noticed Zachary’s hands trembling slightly. It was so subtle that it would have been unnoticeable unless our hands were clasped. But to me, even that minute vibration felt significant.

I quickly sat up and firmly grasped his hand.

“Zachary.”

It’s Zachary. This is undoubtedly a response from him.

“Can you hear my voice? You can hear me, right?”

As if in response to my question, Zachary’s hand trembled faintly.

‘I need to find out.’

But it was difficult. Unlike the first time he greeted me, the precision was lacking. His movements were so vague that I couldn’t understand what he was trying to say…

“It’s okay, take your time. I’ll try to understand somehow…”

I’ll find a way to understand. But the words I wanted to add became blurred, and eventually, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.

How can this be? I couldn’t discern anything beyond the fact that he was trying to express something. It wasn’t just a simple greeting; he was attempting to convey something specific.

‘I don’t understand.’

It was despairing. I had no clue what Zachary was trying to tell me.

After all, I had almost never encountered someone resisting a spell like this. The magic of the Serpentine family is like a tight web. Once trapped, it’s impossible to escape, and it was natural for the other servants to change.

‘But this is Zachary Thaddeus.’

The person before me was the strongest protagonist in the world. He was a man of exceptional magical power. Holding onto the hope that he was trying to communicate with me, I kept my gaze fixed on his hand. Gradually, what first seemed like aimless movements began to take on a more refined form.

‘Just a little more.’

I narrowed my eyes, focusing intensely. It felt like if I just observed a bit more closely, I could make out the outlines of letters. Believing I was about to understand his message, I concentrated deeply. Then, suddenly…

Drip. Something dropped.

What was that sound? There were only Zachary and me in the room. There was no reason for such a sound, like water dropping, out of nowhere. Instinctively, I slowly lifted my gaze following the sound. And as I properly looked at Zachary, I was struck speechless, my eyes wide open.

My ears rang, and my mind went blank. What I was seeing didn’t seem real. Blood was trickling down from Zachary’s tightly closed lips.