WAV 33

chapter 33

Even from a considerable distance, those jet-black eyes fixed on me with uncanny precision.

Suddenly, he raised one brow and slowly tilted his head.

I froze in shock.

“…No way, he didn’t recognize me, did he?”

I instinctively denied it, yet I couldn’t look away.

The moment I did, I felt certain he’d sprint over and grab me by the neck.

In the novel, there had been no personal interactions between Édit and Serge.

After all, as the “Duke of the North,” he rarely traveled to the capital.

Sure, we might have crossed paths once or twice at a banquet, but nothing familiar enough for him to recognize me at a glance…

“But he’s already suspicious of me for allegedly kidnapping the purifier!”

Now, I couldn’t be sure of anything.

Trying to rely on the story was pointless; everything had long since gone completely off track.

Just then.

“Master, what shall we do with this one?”

A knight approached the Duke.

Snap!

The black gaze that had pinned me in place as if I couldn’t even breathe vanished as if it had never existed.

“He’s a follower of the Sephirot faith. Take him to the dungeons.”

“Yes, sir!”

The knights dragged away the middle-aged man who had been sprawled on the floor.

Thankfully, it didn’t seem like they had killed him.

“Sephirot faith…?”

“So, does this mean His Highness the Crown Prince has been in contact with heretics?!”

“My goodness, no matter how awakened you are…”

The nobles whispered among themselves, apparently more shocked than when Serge had confronted the Crown Prince.

I strained to listen, keeping my eyes carefully on Serge.

Luckily, he didn’t look back at me again.

“…It must be a mistake.”

Perhaps he had actually seen Vincent, not me.

I glanced at Vincent, standing quietly beside me, and decided to believe that.

Unlike the Crown Prince, who acted like a madman, the Duke managed the situation with remarkable composure.

In an instant, the monster’s corpse was cleared, and the banquet hall was restored.

“My apologies for the interruption. As you know, His Highness is still recovering, so don’t mind the household matters—enjoy yourselves.”

Serge wiped his hands on a towel brought by a servant and spoke with calm authority.

With those words, the music resumed.

The banquet continued as if nothing had happened.

“Wow… that was an intense power play.”

Whistling, Vincent glanced at me.

“See? I told you the Crown Prince isn’t easy. Looks like the Duke really put him in his place this time.”

His teasing tone finally eased the tension in my shoulders.

I realized I had been holding my breath, unconsciously watching Male Lead 4 the entire time.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart, and spoke.

“…What’s the Sephirot faith?”

Vincent’s expression shifted to surprise.

“It’s a cult led by a lunatic who claims to be the god who created the world.”

“A cult…?”

“You don’t need to know the details.”

Hmm. I’ll have to look into it in detail as soon as I can.

Resolving to do that, I turned to leave.

The moment I took a step, someone grabbed my shoulder as if waiting for me.

“Where are you going?”

Vincent frowned.

I responded with mild exasperation.

“I’m done using them now.”

“Not yet. Leelin hasn’t shown up.”

“Judging by the fact she hasn’t come, she’s not attending.”

“But just in case, I’ll stay close.”

I frowned at his flimsy reasoning.

As I tried to brush past him, he gripped my shoulder tighter.

“Hey.”

“Ouch.”

Thwack!

I shook off his hand and snapped sharply.

“Enough. Are you following me to the bathroom too?”

“…You could’ve said that first…”

Flustered, Vincent withdrew his hand from midair.

I glared at him irritably before turning on my heel.

“…Ugh, such a nuisance. Honestly, more trouble than it’s worth.”

No point regretting it now; I had to get out on my own.

I asked a passing servant for the location of the restroom and quickly left the banquet hall.

The corridor was empty.

Everyone was probably busy gossiping about the Duke tossing a monster’s corpse at the Crown Prince—a spectacle that must have left quite an impression.

It worked in my favor.

Click, clack, click, clack.

I hurried along the hallway, reviewing recent events in my mind.

“So… while the gate was being suppressed, the Female Lead vanished from the palace. When I asked the Crown Prince where she went, I walked straight into a trap.”

I summarized Male Lead 4’s convoluted explanation in a single line.

Yet lingering questions floated in my mind.

“What is a Gate Wave? And here… monsters even have names. Their forms are precise.”

The monsters in the modern world I came from had no discernible shape—just grotesque masses of filth or corpses, indescribably twisted.

Sometimes they had no eyes, nose, or mouth, or even dozens of them.

Every Gate spawned different forms, making it impossible to name them.

So, in the modern world, they were categorized by attack type—like “fire-element monster” or “poison-element monster.”

Of course, in How to Save a Forsaken World, monsters did have names.

“But that was just a novel. The author gave them names for clarity; nothing more.”

If I had known it would come to this, I would’ve read more carefully.

With a sigh, I finally left the corridor and reached the adjacent building.

It was the guest quarters.

Since Leelin had not yet become the emperor’s adopted daughter, she should be staying here.

As Eston had said, a few guards were stationed outside.

I had to sneak in, so I quietly approached the rear of the building.

Fortunately, no one was guarding the back door.

I opened it and slipped inside, walking casually as if I were a resident noble.

The banquet kept the interior quiet.

I passed the occasional servant cleaning, who only bowed as I walked by, raising no suspicion.

“Third floor, first room on the left.”

I repeated the destination in my mind as I hurried up the stairs.

Eston’s guidance from his previous palace experience proved invaluable.

I was searching for the Female Lead who hadn’t appeared at the banquet.

“Where could she be hiding? If she’s not in the palace, I need at least a clue.”

After locking eyes with Male Lead 4, whose frenzy level had reached 95%, staying still was impossible.

I could accept that reality deviated from the novel—Édit shouldn’t have come back to life in the first place.

“But the Female Lead should be acting like the Female Lead!”

Why disappear without warning and let others take the blame?

If you’re leaving, at least take all the crazy guys with you!

“Huff… huff…”

Finally reaching the third floor, I stood before the first room and caught my breath.

Honestly, I was nervous.

I had expected to encounter her eventually, but not that I would have to come looking for her myself.

Bracing myself, I knocked lightly.

Knock, knock.

“Leelin, are you in there? It’s me.”

“….”

“Leelin?”

I knocked again, but there was no answer.

“Could she really not be in the palace either?”

Biting my lip in thought, I gently tried the doorknob.

If it was locked, I would just leave.

Coming this far had already been reckless enough.

“Maybe it would’ve been more efficient to hire a detective agency…”

But the thought didn’t finish before the door swung open with a light click.

“…Damn.”

I had no choice but to enter.

Tears pricked my eyes as I stepped inside.

“…Leelin, are you in here?”

The room was dark.

Moonlight filtered through the window, but my eyes hadn’t adjusted yet. I couldn’t move around confidently.

I reached for the nightstand beside the door.

Usually, a candle would be placed there for convenience.

As expected, I found the candlestick.

Lighting it, I peered into the hallway before stepping fully inside.

I closed the door, leaving a small gap—ready to hide or escape if anyone came.

Turning with the lit candle, I froze.

“…What?”

The guest room was luxurious, as expected.

But that wasn’t what shocked me.

Leelin’s bedroom was a complete mess.

The bed sheets were tangled.

The balcony’s glass door was shattered to pieces.

Whiiiish…

A cold night wind slipped through.

“…Kidnapped?”

The scene left no doubt.

One month into my possession, and the Female Lead had been kidnapped.