Chapter 146.

The area around the banquet hall where the Emperor’s congratulatory speech was being held was silent. I called the attendant who was waiting outside the banquet ground and borrowed the carriage. Leaning my head against the window, I watched the gorgeous streets of the capital. The carriage stopped. But the place of arrival was not in front of the residence’s gate, but the gate in the distance.

“You can’t go back in, public lady.”

The coachman opened the small window and carefully shouted. Snapping his eyes from the opposite window, he saw that the gatekeepers were firmly guarding the gate. For although there was a pattern of the palace, one could not just move in an outside carriage in a residence that did not have an owner.

“Have the gate guards call my carriage, okay? Forget about it. Hard work.”

After handing out a few bunches of spare gold coins to the horseman, I opened the door of the carriage.

“Gong Maiden?”

Seeing the outsiders who approached the residence without any notice, the soldiers who had taken a guarded stance against them stepped down from the carriage, and my eyes went wide at the sight.

“Why this moment.” For the time being, for the unexpected characters, I will also call the carriage immediately after skillfully calling the butler.

“There’s nothing to make a fuss about. Open the door.”

“But…”

“I’ll walk properly.” The distance from the gate to the residence was so great that it could even be moved in a carriage. My order forced the gatekeepers to open the gate.

Kaj- The huge iron gate slowly opened its mouth.

“Miss, I’ll escort you to the front door of the house.”

A young soldier plucked up the courage to strike up a conversation. I realized later that the user’s attitude was different from before, becoming very cautious and sincere. There was something wrong in my heart.

“No, don’t come with me.”

Shaking my head I made sure the door was open enough to get in and moved.

As soon as I was far away from the lighted gate, the repaired road was immediately colored red with darkness. From the Duke’s house, it didn’t seem to take long to return from the banquet grounds, and before I knew it, it was already full night.

The night air was cold. I slowly moved my feet. Really want to go for a walk.

In order to organize my cluttered thoughts and reformulate a plan on how to act in the future…there were no thoughts as I moved my body. It was like walking in a dream world, a sort of haze.

How long was the walk? Perhaps because of the slow pace but still diligent activity, a familiar residence was seen in the distance.

‘Hurry back to the room and lie down.’

The only thing I can think of now is “Get cleaned up and go to sleep”. The pace quickened. It was when I passed through the spacious garden and reached the door in one breath.

La-la-la-la, a beautiful voice came from somewhere.

I stopped abruptly and looked around. Then came another bawling, as if it were here. Confused, I took a step after the voice. The left corner of the building had just then finished turning.

Pio- Through the open window the flagpole of dark blue nativity was faintly visible. I approached that way.

The bird in the aviary flapped its wings happily at the sight of me getting closer.

It was Derrick’s office.

“So it’s you.”

In the darkness, the bird emits a brilliant glow of colorful light from its jewels.

I slowly lowered my upper body, framed by the window frame. My face came closer, and the bird shimmied from the sun. Then pecked the green valley and the iron fence with their beaks, then poked their heads over. It was like a sign to please write.

I subconsciously took my finger and hesitated. What’s the point of trying to touch it for no reason and getting bitten?

But the bird seemed to rush me and stabbed my head with its beak. There was something unattractive about the gorgeous pink tresses peeking out from the middle of the grate. I eventually gave a small smile and gently stroked the bird’s head with my index finger.

Perhaps in a good mood, the bird made a different sound than it had earlier. The “wings” twitched again.

“… Not answering?”

I didn’t have any thoughts before, and I said it without realizing it.

It was a pure cream-colored bird. Although it was a “precious body” that was more gorgeous than anyone else, in reality, it was like a birdcage, unable to do anything. Occasionally, it would happily accept life because of the concern of people passing by.

“I’m actually depressed. Breathless in every moment.”

It’s exactly like my life in this damn game. I thought it would be over once I escaped from here, so everything is very ……”

As if answering my words, the bird rolled straight. I smiled slightly at that look. Then raising my hands and burying them deep in my face, an empty smile appeared at the corners of my mouth. When I was left alone on the balcony after the Crown Prince left just now, I couldn’t help but laugh at myself.

More than anyone else it was the theme of the game, expecting something and being disappointed I felt silly and chilled.

I hid my face with my hands so that no one could see it, and then slowly put it out. Although I lied to myself every time, saying “it’s just a game” and “it’ll be over if I run away, so don’t worry about it”, in reality, I never did anything at all.

I felt scared and wronged in every moment. I thought there was no worse hell than when I was living in the corner of that house…but here I couldn’t do whatever I wanted. Starting from food, clothing, and shelter, even a simple sentence must be intensely agonized over.

Because this place is a game, it’s notorious. I’m already well aware of it.

“But why…”

But why did the realization dawn just a few days before the escape? For the first time since birth, why did it happen that the heroine who appears to be the standard model in the virtual marketplace of getting good feelings would be the hero in the game?

I’m a person with feelings too, I can’t just let this go so easily. Wearing a fake mask, desperately calculating and forcing myself to strain more and more.

“Ha……”

The illusion of feeling that the voice that once mocked me was gradually being treated as a moan laced with cries came to life. Suddenly feeling very tired and exhausted.

Björn-maybe I’m feeling strange, with both hands smeared all over my face but not saying anything, the bird knocked twice.

“Master.”

Suddenly a familiar voice called me. I slowly raised my face buried in my hands.

“Ikris.”

It wasn’t a hallucination. In the darkness, crimson goodness shone in the darkness. Not long after, was staring at me blankly.

He seemed startled by the unexpected encounter, and those gray eyes widened slightly. Seeing me with my head raised, he twisted a bit and walked towards me.

Gazing at him, who was walking towards me at a certain speed, I wanted to touch his hand. There was no moisture on it. It was already a blessing. At the same time, Ikris suddenly stopped in front of me

“… Master just came back now?”

I wasn’t in the mood to smile at all, but I still smiled with a deadpan grin on my lips. Ikris gazed at me with an inexplicable gaze, then slowly nodded.

‘It’s too late,’ though I didn’t know the time, but still, I was looking at the horse. In fact to no one could see whether the look took । At that time I felt like I had no idea what I was doing.

Ikris spoke slowly.

“Here… are you conferring?”

“That’s all.”

I shrugged my shoulders in reply as if nothing had happened. I was watching a bird.

My eyes shifted to a nearby birdcage. The eyes of the pink light that had temporarily lingered in the cage returned to me.

Except… “Are you going to the party?”

He gave me a surprised look at my outfit. I nodded at the very late realization that I was putting makeup on my party dress.

“Ah, well. I have a banquet at the palace today,”

The banquet concerning the Crown Prince was unmoved. No matter who it is, if they hear the story of the main criminal who annihilated their homeland, they will be in a bad mood ……

But before long, his memoirs nullified this care.

“The Crown Prince’s birthday party?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Teacher was involved.”

“Yes?”

With a shock in my heart, I blinked. Then isn’t there no class today?

The moment the doubt swept through my mind, Ikris suddenly asked.

“But… why did the master come back alone?”

I felt some discomfort in my heart. It was also instantly visible in the eyes of others. I came alone.

Of course, it was impossible for me not to know. The mansion wouldn’t be so quiet if the true lord had returned, but there was no need to speak such boring words to Ikris.

I just kept quiet and smiled ambiguously. But that moment. Ikris’s eyes were hidden.

“Why …………”

“……?”

“Why are you doing this?”

His face was as boring as usual. So I’m going to say I couldn’t hear if that was the case for a moment.

“Did those guys break the master’s heart again?”

“What…?”

“Those nobles who are empty shells or otherwise.”

Then his words made sense to me at once. Ikris took a step toward me. His somber figure brought out the bright moonlight on his face. He always wore that expression whenever he was played by these guys.

His face, once again, twisted miserably. Villains only end in death.