DBOFS 71

Chapter 71

The owner of the thin, mocking voice was…

“…The second prince of the Layer family.”

It was Dimiard.

‘Damn it.’

To run into him like this.

I clicked my tongue in my mind.

Well, it was unavoidable. I was heading to the Eastern Mansion, and Princess Irene and her family were staying there as well.

“They say you went to see that mercenary king bastard.”

Still, being scolded like this was annoying…

“They say you’re Harris Godwin’s companion guide, yet you behave in such a vulgar manner. Really—”

Woof woof! Bark bark—!

I muted Dimiard’s rude remarks internally as I thought.

‘Why on earth is he like this?’

The second prince of the Layer family, Dimiard, was a boy so beautiful he seemed like an angel into whom God had personally breathed life.

His dazzling silver-gray hair looked as though it had been directly drawn from pure silver thread, and his eyes were a deep, wine-colored violet.

His facial features, as if sculpted with painstaking care by the finest artisan, were set on his small face.

And his lips, as if holding a red rose petal…

“If you even get one inch too close to that esper, thorns will sprout in your mouth—”

…He continued spouting nonsense without stopping. I muted my ears again after briefly opening them.

‘Does he really dislike me that much?’

At this point, it was becoming genuinely puzzling.

‘No matter how much he dislikes me, isn’t it extreme to come barking at me like a mad dog the moment we see each other?’

They say hating and tormenting someone is a form of attention, but I definitely wouldn’t pay this much attention to someone I hated. I’d just ignore them.

‘Could it be that he’s being so persistently mean to me because…’

Because seeing me reminds him of something? My thoughts grew tangled again.

‘Princess Irene came into Godwin, bringing up the succession, unlike the original <Sicheon Gui> plot, because of Dimiard.’

After the epidemic, Princess Irene and her husband quickly stabilized the Layer family.

But rapid growth always comes with consequences, and in the case of the Layer family, the likelihood is that the weak point was security.

‘Otherwise, why would the sudden attack happen and Princess Irene be assassinated?’

Layer was always a hub of trade, a place where all sorts of people came and went.

‘In other words, even if infiltrators like criminals, assassins, or mercenaries entered, it wouldn’t be easy to catch them.’

The Layer family is one of the empire’s three great noble houses.

For such a place to be helplessly struck meant that the attack was not impulsive or sudden—it was the result of someone’s meticulous plan and sabotage.

Then, who could be so obsessively targeting the Layer family? And what exactly is that person after?

‘…I don’t know!’

My information and intelligence were limited, so I couldn’t figure that out.

‘But Princess Irene would know.’

Then I could trace it back from her.

The reason Princess Irene came to Godwin, her purpose at the banquet, the way she looked at Harris and me…

‘…Princess Irene’s goal is not Godwin’s succession.’

That much I could be certain of.

Yet she brought the children along, meaning she evacuated them to Godwin under the pretext of succession.

Layer couldn’t protect them.

‘Seeing it that way, her actions make sense.’

Her goal was likely to be seen as someone with succession rights externally, not actually to claim them.

If she truly wanted the succession, she would have confronted Harris head-on and, if she wanted to hold out, at least pretended to conceal her intentions.

But Princess Irene, as if her only goal was to be publicly perceived that way, resolved the matter before even speaking with Harris.

Moreover, after the chaotic first-day banquet, she let her retainers and branches escape.

If she wanted to display her power for succession, she could have invited the ladies to tea after the banquet.

‘She even let go of that opportunity.’

The next day, Lenore even introduced himself as “the young marquis of Layer.”

Although I deliberately prompted him to say it, if he had truly aimed for Godwin’s succession, he wouldn’t consciously have used the Layer name.

At the very least, the servants would have warned him not to.

‘It all happened so suddenly.’

Princess Irene’s flight from Layer to Godwin, her pretext of succession—everything.

And the child she rushed to protect…

‘It’s not Lenore.’

In <Sicheon Gui>, Lenore smoothly became the Marquis of Layer.

If he were truly the target, the attacks would have continued even if Princess Irene and Dimiard died.

‘The target is Dimiard—that’s the only way it makes sense.’

Princess Irene’s reason to fight for her life, Dimiard’s eventual suicide after his mother’s death, and the lack of further turmoil in Layer afterward—all point to this.

‘…What is Dimiard’s true identity?’

Why is this beautiful boy so obsessively targeted? Even by a mad enemy that forced one of the empire’s founding noble families—the Layer family—to flee using an excuse?

‘This feels familiar.’

I knew someone else who was obsessively pursued like this and died miserably while fleeing…

“…Hey!”

I unconsciously fiddled with the stone hanging around my neck (Adrian) and flinched.

“Are you listening?”

Startled by Dimiard’s sharp shout, I quickly replied.

“Ah, no.”

“What? How dare a lowly guide—”

“…?!”

Suddenly on high alert, I hastily moved Dimiard behind me.

“Y-you… what are you doing—”

Ignoring Dimiard, I scanned ahead, and my heightened senses immediately detected it.

“…?!”

What is that thing?!

[Squueeeek!]

It was a stuffed doll exuding strange and ominous magical energy.

At first glance, it looked like a creepy doll, but it held huge scissors and knives, sharpening the blades with a click-clack sound that sent chills down my spine.

‘…A monster? Here?!’

I blinked, refusing to accept reality. No, this must be the wrong place.

Even worse, its button eyes fixed directly on us…

[Squeeek!]

And it attacked—!

“Ugh!”

I screamed while grabbing Dimiard’s frozen shoulders, dodging the incoming blade.

‘Small in size, but insanely fast!’

The razor-sharp blade tore through the curtains and even ripped the carpet.

‘Insane!’

One wrong move and I’d be shredded! I met Dimiard’s gaze.

Perhaps realizing the severity, he shouted desperately.

“Let go! Let go, you beast!”

“…Are you seriously like this even now?!”

Dimiard even struggled as if annoyed that I was holding him while dodging.

‘No matter how much I dislike you, there’s a time and place!’

Do you think I want to protect you like this? Where’s that brat’s nanny!

‘At least Lenore…?’

I dodged the doll monster’s attack while frantically looking around the Eastern Mansion’s corridor.

But…

“…?”

None of the Layer servants or guards who had chased us were in sight.

‘Why?!’

The mansion was normally quiet, but since Harris and I stayed here, it was never this empty.

Even after Princess Irene and the Layer siblings stayed, it had become slightly bustling.

Yet now, in the middle of the corridor, under attack, with objects breaking and noises erupting, no one appeared.

As if someone set up a scenario where Dimiard had to face this monster alone…

‘…No way, an enemy targeting Dimiard?!’

Realizing the situation, I screamed.

“Why do I have to get involved in this too!”

“Who asked for help?! Get lost, get lost!”

As Dimiard and I yelled, the doll monster flew right in front of us.

[Squeeek!]

“Ah!”

As if it would slice me with its scissors any moment, I grabbed whatever I could and swung.

Whack—!

I struck the terrifying doll with a huge candlestick, but…

[Squeeeek!]

Before my attack could land, the doll sliced through the metal candlestick with its sharp blade and dodged backward.

‘But I anticipated that!’

I didn’t miss the doll monster’s retreat and switched from defense to offense.

“Hyaah!”

Come what may, I’ll take this thing down first!

I hurled candlesticks, vases, and whatever I could grab at the doll as it backed up.

Clang—Bang! Crack!

Hearing valuable and rare items shatter, I briefly apologized internally.

‘Sorry, former Duke. But I have to survive too!’

Address your grievances to your daughter!

“Die! Die! Die—!!”

[Squueek…!]

My fierce counterattack gradually cornered the doll.

But.

“What… what are you doing? It’s dangerous!”

A pale Dimiard scolded me.

‘Is he really insane!’

To his eyes, I was pretty but fragile-looking. Even now, fighting at the edge, it probably just looked like reckless bravado.

“You need to run now, stop this madness immediately—”

“Shut up!”

But Dimiard didn’t realize I had experience fighting even man-eating dungeon monsters.

I was only startled by the sudden appearance of the doll; that didn’t mean I couldn’t defeat it.

“Haven’t you heard that the best defense is offense? Shut up and stand behind me!”

“….”

Dimiard flinched, overwhelmed by my intensity, barely noticing my informal tone.

But that brief moment became deadly. The doll immediately swung its blade at Dimiard as soon as I turned briefly.

[Squeeeek—!]

“…!”

The approaching murderous intent and gleaming blade froze Dimiard.

Just as the knife was about to pierce his small, delicate face…

“No!”

I drew my gun like lightning and fired two rounds.

Bang—Bang!

One bullet shattered the doll’s head, the other severed the arm holding the knife.

“Squeeek—!”

The monster’s scream echoed through the corridor.

But Dimiard’s gaze was not on the creature that nearly killed him—it was fixed on me, teeth gritted, holding the gun.

“….”

His entire face flushed red, as if he’d fallen in love.