IBTBD 20

Chapter 20

Just a moment ago, I could still sense the presence of the knights standing guard outside the door.

Now, nothing.

That could only mean one thing.

The tremors shaking the door must be from them.

By the time I finished the thought—

Clatter, clatter.

The doorknob spun busily, as if someone were grasping and shaking it.

Why in the world does this ducal castle get intruders every time things quiet down?!

‘König, wake up.’

I quickly grabbed his cheek and shook it.

This was nothing like the kitchen maid from last week, who’d harbored malice toward the Kreuz family.

‘He took down the knights in an instant.’

That alone proved the intruder had immense strength—and an unshakable determination toward his goal.

It was certain he would breach the last line of defense and force his way in here.

And his target was surely—

König Kreuz.

To be precise, the life of König, who was sleeping deeply without a care in the world.

“Chit, chit!”

Stupid lizard, this isn’t the time!

I even bit his ear with a sharp chomp, but König showed no signs of waking.

The only response was the occasional twitch of his long lashes.

One thing I’d learned after several nights of sharing a bed:

Once my lullaby began, König would only wake up the next morning.

And with the most refreshed face at that!

‘Ughhh…!’

What should I do? What do I do?!

While I panicked, the door rattled even louder.

‘If only the knights who heard the commotion would rush here right now…’

But unfortunately, that seemed unlikely.

They had probably ended up the same way as the guards who’d been stationed outside this bedroom.

Thankfully, the door itself didn’t budge.

That was only because I’d made sure to lock up tight before going to bed.

‘Only Gerard has the key…’

The doors of this castle were built sturdy, designed to withstand enemy intrusion.

They could hold out for a while longer.

Ideally, they’d last until dawn—but realistically, that seemed improbable.

‘I need to prepare something.’

But as I was now, there was nothing I could do.

Nothing but clutch König’s hair with trembling hands.

And then—

Thud!

Another loud crash echoed through the room.

This time, the force was greater—the door shook violently with a sharp crack.

A narrow gap appeared, just wide enough for fingers to slip through.

‘At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before it breaks…!’

Cowering behind König’s shoulder, I caught sight of something gleaming through the gap.

Eyes.

Deep, unreadable eyes, cold and blue like a frozen lake.

‘Erjin Astrahan…’

The man who had haunted my mind constantly.

But something felt wrong.

Rather than the thrill of being right, an odd sense of déjà vu washed over me.

Through the crack, Erjin’s empty gaze bore down on me.

‘Is he really looking at me?’

His blue eyes seemed fixed my way, yet he didn’t appear to recognize my presence.

It was as if his movements were purely instinctive.

When I held my breath, he resumed his attack shortly after.

Like a machine, repeating only the commands fed into him, stripped of all reason.

‘Strange.’

Assassins usually came silently and left just as silently.

If they failed, they fled. If they succeeded, they fled.

Self-preservation always came first.

But Erjin in front of me—something about him wasn’t normal.

He acted as though it didn’t matter what happened afterward.

‘As if he’s being controlled by someone…’

That was why, despite my cowardice, I crept from the bed toward the door.

Climbing silently, I drew closer and closer to his face.

And then I heard it—a low murmur.

“C–crush… the Kreuz…”

The moment his unfocused eyes met mine—

‘He’s under enchantment.’

I was certain.

Erjin Astrahan had fallen under a powerful spell of mental enthrallment.

Not just once, but repeatedly, over a long period.

* * *

I’d suffered under that ability too many times not to know it.

“Enthrallment”—the most common psychic gift among the Eymond family.

From simple charms that swayed emotions, to deep hypnosis that seized control of one’s will—its forms varied endlessly.

And of all the Eymonds, no one wielded it like Rania.

My half-sister, born of my father and his mistress.

She’d delighted in tormenting me with that power.

Even now, the memory of her tenacity lingered.

‘At the age of seven, she enthralled servants to sneak Father’s belongings into my room.’

Defenseless, with no ability of my own, I could only suffer the consequences.

No one would believe the “half-wit” of a marquis’ house.

I had to endure the punishments alone.

‘But Rania is already…’

The memory stabbed sharply, and I bit my lower lip.

In truth, not just her—all the Eymonds had perished in the inferno.

My father, and even distant relatives.

The flames had raged for three whole days in the marquis’ estate.

Rania could not have escaped.

Even as I recalled the past, Erjin kept muttering the same word:

“Kreuz… Kreuz…”

I couldn’t make out all of it, but it was clear his words were laced with hatred for the Kreuz family.

Who, and for what reason, could have planted such a consuming obsession?

‘For now—’

I had to deal with this deranged tiger.

Boom, crash!

The door shook violently again, but I steadied my thoughts.

‘There are only three ways to break enthrallment.’

The victim realizes the gap between illusion and reality and awakens.

A third party intervenes and forcibly dispels it.

Or…

‘The enthralled completes their mission.’

But a small squirrel like me could do none of those.

My gaze lingered on the window.

‘Should I… run?’

That way, I could avoid the immediate danger.

But afterward?

With König gone, the North would fall into the Emperor’s grasp.

Even the safe haven of Bear Mountain would be lost.

“Chuu…”

Without realizing it, my steps toward the window halted.

I was left with only one choice.

König Kreuz—the shield that kept me hidden from the Empire.

And right now, I was the only one who could protect him.

‘I have to protect my dragon shield.’

Yes, that’s right.

I pulled the blanket over me and stood firmly in front of König.

Just then—

BANG!

With an explosive gust, the latch burst free.

The door, losing its support, swung open wide—welcoming the intruder.

‘Huh…?’

A strange force slammed into me, stinging every nerve as if invading my very body.

Like lightning striking over and over, sparks skittered through me.

My insides churned, my vision spun.

I knew this dizziness—I’d felt it before.

Heat rising, heart pounding furiously—

An auspicious sign.

Blink.

And again—blink.

When I opened my eyes slowly, my perspective had shifted higher.

Snow-white hair tumbled over my hands pressed against the bed.

A blanket draped over me like a robe.

“I… I became human…?”

But there was no time to marvel.

The deranged tiger was already right in front of me.

I had to act.

At least until dawn, until König woke.

No—until Gerard rushed in, having sensed the commotion.

“Hey, you—y-you crazy tiger…!”

With an awkward, clumsy body, I staggered to my feet.

Too long spent as an animal had left me unaccustomed to even simple movements.

Clutching the bedframe with effort—

Whoosh!

I hurled myself at Erjin.

“König Kreuz is mine!”