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Chapter 05
This was Daisy Hall.
And today, the place had once again erupted into chaos.
All because of the fresh, juicy drama surrounding Prina.
“This isn’t ghosting. This is dementia-level breakup behavior.”
“So let me get this straight. Your ex disappeared on you for over a week, made you wait all that time, then finally showed up at the meeting place pretending not to know you—and on top of that accused you of acting like a drunken mess?”
“That’s insane.”
“This might be the craziest relationship story I’ve ever heard.”
Prina’s coworkers fumed on her behalf.
And honestly, who could blame them? The story truly was bizarre.
“Guys, I’m okay now.”
“We’re not okay!”
“R-really?”
Prina felt grateful that her coworkers were angry for her sake.
Though as thankful as she was, something else was far more urgent.
‘A twenty percent rent increase…’
She considered selling medicinal herbs on the side again like before, but even that path had long been blocked.
The landlord’s son, whose confession Prina had rejected, held a grudge against her and reported her for illegally selling herbs without a license.
‘That psycho.’
The landlord’s family controlled the entire neighborhood with money, so even the guards weren’t on Prina’s side.
‘Sigh. So where am I supposed to get money now?’
She couldn’t work as a herb seller anymore, so she needed to find another job…
“You damned idiots!”
At that moment, the head chef stormed in with a dishcloth slung over his shoulder.
Face bright red, he glared at the men standing at the entrance to Daisy Hall.
‘Those are officials from the Imperial Transportation Department, aren’t they?’
“You can’t even transport food ingredients properly? Your entire job is delivery! Then you should deliver them on time!”
“I told you we’re sorry! There was nothing we could do!”
All food supplies for the palace were handled by the Transportation Department.
Did something happen during transport?
“Where are we supposed to find food for those damned parasites to stuff themselves with now?!”
At the dangerous atmosphere, the knights blinked nervously.
Having survived on the chef’s cooking all this time, they were unusually obedient around him.
“How were we supposed to know those idiots would get lost in the Black Forest?!”
Daisy Hall fell silent.
The Transportation Department went into the Black Forest?
The Black Forest was infamous for terrifying rumors—that evil spirits lived there, that the land itself was cursed.
‘In the original story, it becomes a restricted zone… so I guess that hasn’t happened yet.’
But Prina herself could safely enter that place.
‘Right. This is it.’
…She had just thought of a way to earn money.
“Then why did they even go into such a dangerous place?!”
“We had no choice! The roads were completely blocked because of the upcoming victory parade, so we took a shortcut! Do you think those men wanted to go in there? We were desperate because failing the delivery would cause serious problems!”
“…”
“We requested a search party from the Imperial Palace, but they said they were too busy preparing for the celebration and told us to discuss it after the event ends!”
The official’s voice trembled.
Even the head chef finally fell silent.
“Um…”
Then a small voice spoke up.
“…I-I have a way.”
“You do?”
The palace official frowned.
“Listen, miss. I appreciate your concern, but this isn’t something a young girl should involve herself in. Just go back to washing dishes—”
“The workers are probably near the entrance to the canyon.”
“What?”
The chef and the commoner official, who had been arguing moments ago, both turned toward Prina.
“They disappeared early this morning, right?”
“Did I mention that? How would you even know—”
“The reason the workers vanished is because demonic energy rose from the ground. It usually appears at dawn.”
Daisy Hall instantly went silent.
Both the official and the chef were now completely focused on Prina.
“D-demonic energy?! Something that dangerous rises there? That’s ridiculous! I’ve never heard anything like that!”
Of course not.
The investigation hadn’t happened yet.
“But it’s true. I heard rumors they’re going to close the area off because of the demonic energy.”
“…There were rumors like that?”
According to the original story, a closure order would indeed be issued very soon.
“The workers most likely fainted because of the demonic energy. But if they don’t take medicinal herbs before sunset, the poison will spread through their entire bodies.”
“Is that true?”
The imperial official’s face turned deathly pale.
He stomped anxiously in place, terrified about what might have happened to his workers.
“It’s okay. There are medicinal herbs in the Black Forest. If we find them and feed them to the workers, they’ll survive.”
“…There are medicinal herbs in that cursed place? And how would you know that?”
“Um… my mother was a herb gatherer. I learned various things from her when I was young.”
The Transportation official’s eyes changed instantly.
“You know about herbs? Please! Then come with me into the Black Forest—!”
“No! Absolutely not! Prina, that place is dangerous!”
The head chef immediately thundered.
Snorting angrily, he shoved Prina protectively behind him.
“But Chef… if I don’t go, those people will die before sunset…”
“What could a tiny girl like you even do there?!”
“Well, that’s because you’re two meters tall…”
The chef’s face twisted fiercely.
Still, he was conflicted.
At this rate, the poor workers would truly die in the Black Forest.
Eventually, the chef let out a huge sigh.
“Damn it all. If you’re the type who’d go even if I stopped you, then there’s no point arguing.”
Without even listening to the rest of what Prina had to say, the chef turned around.
Toward the knights, who had been quietly eating while watching the situation unfold.
“You lot! Time to earn your meals!”
The chef roared.
“All of you go with Prina! Anyone who refuses gets no more food from me!”
The knights, already nervously eating in silence, blinked blankly.
From their perspective, this disaster had appeared out of nowhere.
The Black Forest.
The name clearly wasn’t an exaggeration.
Beyond the entrance, everything inside was pitch black.
Branches swayed violently in the wind like whipping lashes.
The knights who had followed Prina turned pale the moment they reached the forest entrance.
‘…If I bring these people any farther, I’ll only end up with more patients to rescue.’
“I’ll go in alone from here. And um… I’ll keep it secret from the chef.”
“R-really?”
So they really didn’t want to enter.
The official asked anxiously,
“…You truly plan to go alone?”
“It’s fine at this hour. More importantly, you have to pay the transportation fee like we agreed.”
“O-of course! Please just return safely, miss!”
Leaving the official’s worries behind, Prina stepped into the forest.
‘Whew. At least this solves my urgent money problem.’
How terrible.
Thinking “thank goodness” over a matter of life and death.
She felt guilty, but Prina herself was on the verge of being thrown out onto the streets. She had no choice.
‘Now then.’
After confirming nobody was nearby, Prina purified the demonic energy swirling around her.
In truth, she was a purifier with divine power.
That was why she had volunteered to enter the Black Forest without fear of dying.
It was a secret nobody knew except her younger siblings.
Prina wandered through the forest searching for the missing workers.
Since they entered at dawn, wagon tracks would definitely remain somewhere.
“Gaaah!”
At that moment, a horrifying scream echoed from deep within the forest.
‘W-what was that?’
Prina blinked in shock.
Ever since the terrifying rumors spread, ordinary people never entered the Black Forest.
‘Could it be the Transportation workers?’
But something felt strange.
When people were consumed by demonic energy, their throats tightened—it was difficult for them to scream so sharply like that.
Prina hurried toward the sound.
If she hesitated because of suspicion, the workers might die.
“G-ghk…!”
The closer she got, the more the screams sounded like someone clawing at their own throat.
‘…Are they suffocating?’
Prina broke into a run.
Before they stop breathing completely…!
“S-save…”
When she finally arrived, the sight before her was completely unexpected.
The victim wasn’t screaming because their airway was blocked.
A blade had pierced their chest, making it impossible to breathe at all.
The screaming man trembled violently as he looked at Prina.
Then the trembling in his eyes stopped.
Prina blankly turned her head.
Her gaze met the killer’s.
Very red eyes.
And beneath them, a beauty mark like the final touch of a masterpiece.
‘H-Hugo…?’
Prina’s mind went blank, as though someone had struck her from behind.
‘Am I hallucinating right now?’
Because what Hugo did to her earlier had been so absurd?
Or because she regretted not returning the ring?
Otherwise…
There was no way the Hugo before her would leisurely pull his sword from the man’s chest while locking eyes with her so intensely.
Then he even smiled.
“We meet again.”
The hallucination speaks.
Cold sweat streamed down Prina’s back.
Please let this be a hallucination…
“But why do we keep meeting in places like this?”
His gentle voice pierced her ears.
‘Why is Hugo killing people here?!’
