Not long after, the horse carriage stopped at the busy city square.

Avvion stepped down first, then extended his hand with full style toward Ophilia.

"Please, My Lady. Today, I want you to forget all your problems at the palace,"

said Avvion. His voice was loud enough to be heard by the common people, making everyone whisper about how romantic their Crown Prince was.

Ophilia received that hand. In other people’s eyes, they looked like the perfect couple. But in the eyes of Olivia who had just stepped down from the horse carriage...

I’m done for...

Olivia swallowed. On Avvion’s wrist, that black thread was no longer trembling roughly, but it coiled softly on Ophilia’s arm as if a kind of snare.

Its colour was very thick, a sign of obsession and a very strong desire to possess but not on the basis of pure love. There was still an element of using.

"Olivia, walk a little faster,"

whispered Celine, startling Olivia. All three of them were already in front of Olivia.

Olivia snapped back. She glanced toward Javien who was walking beside her. Javien looked very pale under the sunlight. Cold sweat started dampening his forehead, and he kept adjusting the position of his sword, a sign he was holding back immense back pain.

"Is it really true he was punished by the Duke last night?.."

Olivia whispered.

Javien couldn’t see that black thread, but a General’s instinct made him feel uneasy. His eyes sharply watched Avvion’s hand that wasn’t releasing Ophilia’s hand.

"General... if you’re not strong enough, we can stop for a moment at that shop," whispered Olivia, her eyes looking anxiously toward the bloodstain that was starting to seep through Javien’s uniform cloth.

Javien looked at Olivia.

"I’m okay. Don’t worry about me. Worry about your Lady... that Prince isn’t taking her for a walk. He’s taking her into a cage."

Olivia was stunned. Even though Javien couldn’t see that black thread, he could still feel Avvion’s predator aura.

"My Lady! Look at this flower, isn’t it beautiful? Just like you,"

Avvion’s cheerful voice was heard from the front. He picked a red rose and tucked it behind Ophilia’s ear.

Ophilia smiled sweetly, but her eyes still looked slightly uncertain.

"Thank you, Your Highness. You... you are very kind today bringing us here."

Avvion smiled sarcastically inside his heart.

Yes, keep feeling that way, Ophilia. Until you don’t realise you are just a pawn for me!!

Olivia only watched every one of Avvion’s behaviours from a distance. But something bothered her more.

Javien was walking with stiff steps. Every time he took a step, his breath sounded heavy.

Olivia who was walking behind him could only watch Javien’s back that looked upright but was actually holding back immense pain.

"General..."

whispered Olivia quietly, when they fell slightly behind Avvion and Ophilia.

"Are you okay?"

Javien didn’t turn.

"Just keep walking, Olivia. Don’t look at me."

"But you’re bleeding!"

Olivia noticed a small red patch starting to appear behind Javien’s white uniform cloth. Duke Herold’s punishment last night was clearly no small thing.

Javien stopped stepping for a moment. He turned slightly, his purple eyes looking very dim.

"I already said last night... I will do whatever it takes so I don’t die in your life again. Even if I have to stand on broken legs, I will still be here."

Olivia was stunned. In front, she could see Avvion laughing cheerfully while showing flowers to Ophilia. Their world looked so beautiful and perfect.

But here, behind their shadows, Olivia and Javien were struggling with their own wounds.

"My Lady! Look over there! That viral dessert shop is there!"

Celine suddenly cut through the tense atmosphere with her cheerful voice. She deliberately pulled Ophilia’s arm slightly away from Avvion, as if wanting to give Ophilia room to breathe.

Celine had actually noticed Ophilia’s face looked confused. As a best friend, she knew Ophilia felt overwhelmed by Avvion’s sudden treatment.

"Olivia, come quickly! We have to try the macarons there!"

Celine waved toward Olivia, but her eyes managed to give a signal:

"Help me manage this atmosphere!"

Olivia wanted to step forward, but she felt her clothes being pulled.

Javien.

That man almost collapsed. His body leaned toward Olivia, his head resting on that girl’s shoulder for a moment. His breath was hot and smelled of bitter medicine.

"Olivia... I feel... my vision is starting to blur,"

Javien whispered hoarsely. Duke Herold’s punishment last night seemed to involve poison or infection...

Did Duke use that liquid again.... to worsen something inside Javien’s body??!!

Olivia panicked. In front, she could see Avvion’s black thread starting to tremble slowly.

"Celine! Bring Lady Ophilia into that shop first!" Olivia called out half anxiously.

Olivia then held Javien’s waist, trying to support that man who was much bigger than her toward the small alley further to the side of the shop.

"Hold on, Javien! Don’t faint here. If the Prince sees you weak, he will cause trouble!"

In that dark alley, Olivia had to lean Javien against the wall. She opened the buttons of Javien’s uniform slightly to see the wound on his back.

Her eyes went wide. Not just whip marks, but all his veins were starting to turn black as if something had been put inside his body.

"Your back...."

Olivia touched the wound on Javien’s back. Behind the white cloth now soaked with fresh blood, black veins began spreading like the roots of a poisonous tree.

This isn’t just whip marks... Duke Herold has used that black liquid again to poison somewhere in Javien’s body.

Suddenly, she saw a flash image of Javien who died on the battlefield, now being forced to live to become Olivia’s ’shield’.

Javien gripped Olivia’s hand that was touching his back.

"Don’t... don’t look, Olivia. I look... terrible right now."

Said Javien while trembling gripping his left hand. The thread on Javien’s hand was glitching slowly when it came into contact with her hand.

"No, it’s okay..." Olivia whispered quietly while covering it back. Javien who was still looking at her seemed as if he wanted to close his eyes.

"Javien, please... don’t close your eyes,"

whispered Olivia, her voice already starting to crack. She tried to wipe the sweat on Javien’s forehead with her apron.

Javien slowly opened his eyes.

Even though his vision was blurry, he still tried to focus his eyes on Olivia’s face. His scarred and trembling hand rose to touch Olivia’s cheek, leaving a slight mark of dirt.

"Why... are you crying for a character like me, Olivia?"

Javien’s voice was very faint, almost drowned out by the noisy market outside.

"In the novel you read... I was supposed to have died already, wasn’t I?"

Olivia startled. She didn’t know Javien was aware of what she had been hiding all this time.

How does he know about that?

Olivia blinked looking at those words. But the red thread on Javien’s wrist suddenly glowed unstably.

That thread seemed to be binding Olivia’s pulse, making Olivia’s breath catch at the same time as Javien’s.

"I don’t know how you know about that.... but you are no longer a character in a book to me! You are the Javien who is right in front of me now!"

Olivia replied with determination.

Suddenly... 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

TAP. TAP. TAP.

The sound of elegant boot footsteps was heard from the entrance of the alley. The sunlight coming through the gap between buildings was blocked by one tall figure.

"Oh... so this is where my mice have been hiding?"

That was Avvion’s voice. On his wrist, that black thread was dancing wildly, as if sniffing the smell of blood and Javien’s weakness.

Avvion walked in calmly, his hand still holding a clean white glove, very contrasting with Javien’s blood soaked state.

"Your Highness..."

Olivia immediately stood in front of Javien, trying to protect him even though her body was much smaller.

Avvion stopped, his head tilted slightly. He looked at Olivia with a gaze that was hard to read, there was anger, but there was also a very deep curiosity.

"Step aside, Olivia. This General is already broken. Duke Herold doesn’t need things that are already shattered. Let me dispose of him for you,"

said Avvion while his hand started moving toward his sword hilt.

"NO!"

Olivia screamed.

At that moment, the thread on Olivia’s hand suddenly reacted. Its colour changed to a blazing bright red, colliding with Avvion’s black thread in the air!

"Don’t come near..."

Javien’s voice sounded very weak, but his trembling hand still tried to reach his sword hilt. He tried to stand, leaning his weight on the moss covered wall, blocking Avvion from continuing to approach Olivia.

Avvion laughed quietly, a laugh that was very dry and sarcastic.

"Look at yourself, General. Can barely stand without trembling, and you still want to play hero?"

Avvion stepped one more step. The black thread on his hand started coiling in the air, as if searching for prey.

Olivia could feel the coldness of that black thread getting closer. She was determined. She put her hand forward, covering Javien’s chest.

"Your Highness, enough! General Javien is carrying out his duty for Lady Ophilia. If something happens to him here, what will you say to My Lady later?"

Olivia tried to invoke Ophilia’s name, hoping Avvion’s hold on Ophilia would make him stop.

Avvion stopped stepping. He stared at Olivia’s face very deeply. His black thread suddenly stopped moving wildly.

"You are very brave, Olivia. Brave enough to challenge me for a ’dog’ that is already dying,"

whispered Avvion. He brought his face close to Olivia’s face, so close that Olivia could see the reflection of the red thread in her own eyes.

"But do you know? This courage of yours... is what makes me want to keep you in a golden cage, far from the outside world."

Suddenly, a soft but firm voice broke that tension.

"Your Highness? Olivia? What are all of you doing in this dark alley?"

Ophilia.

She was standing at the end of the alley together with Celine. Ophilia’s eyes went wide seeing Javien’s blood soaked state and Avvion’s position that was very close to Olivia.

Celine who was beside Ophilia immediately covered her mouth. She could see the marks of punishment on Javien’s back shirt that had already torn.

"Javien!"

Ophilia ran toward them, forgetting protocol as a Lady. She held Javien’s arm that was burning hot.

"Why did you become like this? Why did nobody tell me the General was injured?!"

Ophilia looked at Avvion with a gaze full of disappointment and anger.

"Your Highness... you brought us to the city to have fun, or to secretly torture my guard?"

Avvion immediately changed his expression. His black thread disappeared in an instant, replaced by a face that looked "worried" and "guilty."

His Oscar performance has started again!

"My Lady, I was just about to help. I saw them going in here and..."

"Enough," cut Ophilia. She looked at Olivia.

"Olivia, Celine... find a horse carriage now. We’re going back to the Aethelgard estate. I don’t care what punishment Father gives later, General Javien needs to be treated right now!"

Ophilia turned, no longer looking at Avvion’s frozen face. The fate written in this book may have already been set, but today, Ophilia was the one holding the reins.

In that narrow alley, Avvion’s black thread started shrinking, while the red thread between Olivia and Javien pulsed with a new promise.

But... behind Avvion’s fake smile, Olivia knew... that Prince would not release his prey so easily.