Chapter 191.

Hurrying to change into the clothes Emily had given me, I checked again for things to take with me and left the room.

It was surprisingly quiet inside and outside the mansion because of Ibn’s brainwashing or because lunchtime hadn’t ended yet.

Wearing the magic bracelet Derrick had given me and passing through the dog hole quickly and easily, I grabbed the carriage straight away.

“To Top Street, guest.”

I wondered if anyone was in pursuit, pressed against the window to watch anxiously, and the coachman informed him of his arrival. I paid for my labor and darted into the alley. Every time I came by instantaneous movement, it was the first time I came directly by carriage like this, and I was in a strange mood.

Soon after walking through the cul-de-sac, an old door painted with a familiar rabbit pattern appeared. Fearing someone was chasing me, I scrambled up the stairs and knocked on the door.

Knock, knock – but knock hard and the door shows no sign of opening. Aren’t you here? Do I have to wait for you to come?

Looking around the empty alley, distressed, I grabbed the doorknob at once. Because, if it was locked, the intention was to go straight to the Marquis of Belldandy. However, the door handle that was grasped and turned was too easy to open.

“What ……” I immediately and impatiently opened the door. Meeting head on with the rabbit mask that had just come out of the door through the hole in the wall.” Ah, you …… ho!”

Probably surprised that he used the wrong magic, “Guh-guh” the wall started to close. The guy was half-hanging on the wall, looking strangely, panicked and struggling.

Maybe he was in too much of a hurry to look that way, and it wasn’t so funny. But who would see it, I closed the door and quickly approached him, whispering.” Give me a little money.”

“…… What?”

“I’ve come to get a portion of the money I’ve deposited.”

“What …… Wait a minute, dammit.” Winter mumbled in a low voice. After a moment, the door opened again and he finally got out of the strange state of being pinned to the wall.

“What the hell …… are you talking about coming out of nowhere, lady.”

Looking at his dusty clothes, he sighed.

Quickly get the money, full of plans in the making, I bit my lower lip and said.

“You just have to give me the money.”

“Please sit down first. Can’t you just sit down and talk?”

“No, my time ……”

“Hands.” Winter interrupted, pointing to my hand holding the worn bag.

“Aren’t …… you shaking like last time?”

The face was white and trembling pitifully, the hand weak, the fingertips visible. …… Too excited. Upon realizing it, the back of his neck was covered in cold, wet sweat. The anger subsided and then filled with fear once again.

“…… I’m going to lock the door. Please sit.”

Listening to Winter, who urged to sit again, I took a hobbling step to the couch and sat down. Across from me, hands waved twice.

Teng Teng- From somewhere, there was the sound of a lock being locked, and even the teapot and teacups flew over. Not surprised because it’s something that happens every time. The tea that was boiling with a gurgle was poured into the teacup in front of me.

“Now you can talk.”

With everything cleaned up, Winter calmed me down with a kind voice. Suddenly, the weakness of wanting to pour everything into him surged to the surface. But I managed to push it down and spoke slowly.

“It’s no big deal. It’s just, something that needs to be bought ……”

“Are you running away from the Duke?”

Straight to the point, rendering him speechless. I try not to tell him about running away.

Knowing nothing, you who gave me the secret funds! Fearing the return of the Duke’s own daughter, he used the money to disappear unnoticed!

After listening to the heart of what I only thought was a light relationship, I thought that maybe he would sabotage my escape plan.

I know it’s overly paranoid, but I’ve been through this once Ikris. How unexpectedly the back of my head hit me.

How horrible and suffocating it was to be in a state where everything was twisted, unable to do anything but wait for death.

“…… Where do you want to go? I’ll help you.”

But, Winter said in a surprisingly normal way. I looked at him with surprised eyes, and in turn slowly regained my senses.” Are …… the fragments well preserved?”

Running away was also running away, but pursuing it, there was a lot to say to him. In lieu of an answer, suddenly answered my question, briefly.” I’ve put it in a safe place.”

“It may have been sudden, thank you for your help. I would like to return it to you as well.”

“Is that about the shard ……?”

Ibn’s brainwashing was much more powerful than expected. I thought it would be better to give this to Winter outside the villa, but it seemed like it was already clear who he really was, so I changed my mind.

“Hmm… That piece, give it back to me. I’ll take it.”

“No way.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s not something you should have. That’s too dangerous.”

“But ……”

“Did you bring it from there then?”

I, who wanted to retort but couldn’t, reluctantly nodded by the voice that then pursued the question.

“You haven’t said what you brought until now. What a dangerous time for that artifact…!”

Unable to bear to finish, holding back his anger, Winter’s eyes became stern.

“I also had no idea at all that it was that scary …… “It’s just a compensation given by the system, for some reason I feel like I’ve gotten into trouble and become a scolded child. Lowering my head solemnly and looking at Winter’s eyes, I immediately spoke carefully.

“Do you, perhaps …… you know what a real mirror is?”

“The real mirror? How do you …… know that one.” Like how do you know that one, Winter’s pupils widened. Just in case, give it a good try. He seemed familiar with it, I asked continuously.

“What the hell is that? Where is it?”

“That’s not …… what to say here.”

Winter, who looked at me with an embarrassed expression, shook his head. Suddenly, he got up from his seat.

“Would you please come with me for a moment?”

“Just give me the money and the pieces and tell me where it is. There isn’t much time …….”

“I’ve got the money and the shard in there.”

There were no more words. I stared at him blankly and immediately and slowly stood up after him. After thinking about it, it seemed more reassuring to enter the secret space from anywhere than sitting in the office.

First, approaching the wall just behind Winter. Suddenly it opened up before his eyes.

< System > Hiden week happens! Invited to the wizard’s secret space.

Want to go in and take a look? (Compensation: something unknown) [Accept/Decline].

“This crazy game ah ……”

In the end, am I following the movement of the game? The system window that suddenly came to mind reassured me, but the mood became indescribable. After my favorability rating plummeted in the past, I probably won’t get involved in space anymore, but now I’m at the point where I’m accepting the “invitation”.

I looked at the purple favorability bar with a blank stare and couldn’t see any numbers, but I made a choice right away.

Gulp, gulp. When I pressed [Accept], the wall opened.

“…… The real mirrors are relics made from the souls of the sorcerers during the war with the ancient Rilla in order to seal them.”

Lapsing into silence, walking down the spacious passageway, suddenly, it opened. This is the explanation of the “real mirror”. For some reason, the feeling of listening to his words like a game tutorial.

“Rila, who absorbed the lives of many others, gradually lost her essence and became a half-dead monster. At that point, it can no longer be called a human.”

“Having lost their essence, if they remain unchanged, they will lose their sanity and storm off to self-destruction. At that point, the Rilla will seek out hosts to maintain their form.”

“…… Hosts?”

Suddenly asking rhetorically, Winter nodded.

“Aye. However, hardening the ill-fitting shell and turning it over creates imperfections that can never be considered human.”

“Doesn’t …… it shine in water or a mirror?”

Winter accidentally stopped dead in his tracks and looked back at me with surprised eyes.

“…… How did you know that?”

Having just experienced that horrible scene. Swallowing hard the words that welled up my neck, I moved my feet silently. I showed no sign of answering, and he spoke quietly after a moment.

“…… As the war continues, the number of humans sacrificed as Rilla hosts grows exponentially. The unseen ancient wizards gave their lives as a last resort, sealing Rilla with the tools they crafted.”

We finally reached the end of the corridor, the expanse.

“It is to capture Rilla according to her essence without form.”

“…….”

“…… That’s the real mirror.”

As before, the museum-like secret space. In the center stood a huge mirror that almost touched the ceiling .