13. Contradiction

Princess Bella gazed at the soundly sleeping Haeil.

All she had to do was reach out her arm.

Stab his neck with the dagger in her hand, and it would be over.

But her hand simply wouldn't move.

'Why am I hesitating?'

Isn't this the moment she had wanted so badly?

Bella still remembered. What Haeil had done.

Killing the maid who was like family to her, the one who had been with her since childhood.

And then what?

"It's all for you, Princess."

That smile back then, the smile Haeil wore, she could never forget.

She came to her senses as if doused with cold water. Right, she had to take revenge. Revenge for that time.

Bella raised the knife. She put strength into her arm to stab his neck right then and there.
At that moment, she saw Haeil's body. His clothes, soaked in blood and a mess. Even those were so torn they were closer to rags than clothing.

Seeing that, Bella's eyes wavered.

She definitely had to kill him. She had to take revenge. Haeil Cartis was evil. He was the one who harmed the person most precious to her. But...

"Why on earth...."

She recalled what happened at the Imperial Palace. She had tried to kill Haeil. She knew that him surviving ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was a mere whim, and even that was just a temporary reprieve.
Yet, Haeil had killed the maid who had snuck in to kill her.

At first, she hated him, thinking Haeil was just trying to give her trauma again, trying to hurt her. But later, the Captain of the Royal Guard's words and the investigation results were different.

'The Demon God Cult...?'

The traces found on the maid, and the testimony of the Captain of the Royal Guard.
Everything revealed Haeil's innocence. No, rather, it pointed to him trying to protect her.

Why on earth?

I'm trying to kill you,
but why are you doing that?

Even though I locked you in the Black Prison to kill you, you saved me again this time.

Why? Why on earth?

I want to ask him right now. What am I to you?

"Ugh...."

Her head hurt. Again. Nameless memories were flowing in again.

In them, she was joyful. Happy. She possessed Haeil Cartis, who had become entirely hers. She was smiling brightly because it was so enjoyable.

It was so happy, and the 'me' in the memory looked so joyful, that her strength left her without her realizing it.

The strength left the hand holding the dagger.

Bella sheathed the dagger and put it back in her clothes.

Right, this is just using him.

She couldn't escape this place alone.

She was using him for that.

That was all.

"Ugh...."

The next day, I couldn't get up.

My body was boiling, and intense pain wrapped around my entire body.
Bella looked at me without a word. Then she turned and left.

'Yeah, of course.'

Bella hates Haeil Cartis. I didn't know why, but Princess Bella had always hated Haeil Cartis. It was a bit too sticky a kind of hatred to just be hating on a good-for-nothing noble.

It was that kind of unreasonable hatred. Princess Bella's hatred.

So, it was natural for her to abandon me now. Anyone would abandon their enemy if they were sick, right? It might even be merciful that she left without finishing me off.

"Cough...."

I felt terrible. My head was dizzy, and my vision was blurry. My body was shivering. If only there was something to cover up with....

Then I saw the fire.

The fire burning with a magic stone as fuel, just like yesterday.

'It's still ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠burning?'

The size of the magic stone I saw yesterday was small. It was probably because she had taken it from an accessory she was wearing or somewhere else. But it made no sense for it to be burning from yesterday evening until now.

Even if it were burning, the magic stone should have shrunk. But the magic stone in front of my eyes now was the same size as the one I saw in the evening.

'Did she light it before leaving?'

I didn't know if it was a final farewell gift or if she just lit it and forgot, but I needed that warmth right now. I moved my body closer to the fire. It was at a precarious distance where the flames were just about to touch me, but I didn't care. I was too cold right now. The chill was spreading from inside my body.

The fire was in front of me, but it felt like the warmth wasn't reaching my body. The cold inside my body was driving away the warmth. It was cold, so cold. My vision was blurring. My eyes were closing.

'Ah, I don't think I should close my eyes....'

Aren't there many sayings in movies about how you die if you fall asleep?
This was exactly that situation. Back then, I wondered why they would try to close their eyes, if they wanted to die, but now that I was in that situation, I understood.

It wasn't something I could stop with willpower. I closed my eyes.

How much time had passed?

Crackle... crackle....

The sound of something burning.

I opened my eyes at the sound.

'I'm not dead...?'

I looked around. I saw something covering my body.
When I checked, it was Princess Bella's cloak.

"Huh?"

A stupid sound escaped my lips.
Bella's cloak?

That Princess Bella?

I checked the cloak covering my body once more. No matter how much I looked, it was definitely the outer garment Princess Bella always wore.

'She gave this to me? Why?'

Doesn't Princess Bella hate me? Now that I looked, the size of the bonfire had grown. I didn't know where she got it, but it seemed she had found some firewood.

I didn't know how long I had slept, but to cover me with her clothes and keep the fire going all that time.

If it were the Bella I knew, this was an action she would never do for Haeil Cartis.

I sat up a bit ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and looked around. Then I saw Bella dozing off in a corner.

Bella looked a mess, as if she'd been rolling around somewhere. Her body was covered in dirt, and her clothes were torn in places, as if she had been rolling around.

'She walked around looking like that?'

My mind was confused.

Why? Why on earth would she do this for me?

Around the time my mind became confused, Bella opened her eyes. Bella opened her eyes and looked at me. Then, seeing me awake, she opened her eyes wide for a moment before composing her expression.

"You're up."

Bella spoke to me with a cold face, but I definitely saw it. That expression of Bella's, though momentary, was clearly one of relief and worry.

The confusion in my mind grew even larger. What on earth was going on?
I didn't know. For now, I just had to get out of this situation.

Bella stood up and looked down at me as she spoke.

"I thought you'd died overnight, but you're up and about."

I looked at Bella at those words. Her complexion was somewhat haggard.

'Did she not sleep...?'

I didn't know. I didn't have the luxury of thinking about that right now anyway.
I checked my body. It still hurt. My whole body was aching and screaming. But I could move.

I forced myself to get up. Then I said.

"Let's move. We can't just stay here like this."

At that, Bella seemed to look at me with somewhat dissatisfied eyes, but she soon followed me without a word.

We left the cave and looked at the massive cavern. An incredibly wide space.
However, I felt a sense of déjà vu in this space.

'I've definitely seen this somewhere....'

It didn't come to mind clearly. For now, I walked and looked around. The inside of the cave wasn't as damp or dark as I thought. I looked to see where the light was coming from and found that the moss embedded in the rocks was glowing.

'Luminescent moss...?'

I looked closer and it was. It was the kind that mainly inhabited dark places in the game. Moss that continuously emitted a faint light.

Seeing this, the sense of déjà vu became even stronger.

I looked around. The constant sense of déjà vu, the massive cave, the luminescent moss, and....

I turned around and looked at Princess Bella. Beautiful appearance, red eyes, and red hair.

Features often called the symbol of the Imperial Family.

I kept walking. The luminescent moss around us became more and more frequent. As I walked, I arrived at a space surrounded by luminescent moss, as if enveloped in a soft light.

I stared straight ahead in that space. A wall that looked like a mix of red and gold.

A strange wall that looked as if someone had intentionally placed it there.

"Why is the Imperial crest here...?"

At that, I looked at Bella. Bella's gaze was looking above me. I also looked up accordingly, and only then did I see it properly.

The crest symbolizing the Imperial Family was drawn on the ceiling.

Seeing that, I grasped the identity of the déjà vu I had been feeling until now.

'A Hidden Dungeon!'

In the game, Hidden Dungeons were hidden here and there on the map. Powerful ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠equipment, skills, elixirs, or special items were hidden there.

The luminescent moss around us began to shine. At the same time, light erupted from the Imperial crest on the ceiling.

"Ha...."

I let out a groan without realizing it. A special item? Powerful equipment? Good. Very good. Even in this beggar-like world, it would be nice to get stronger with things like that.

'But they don't just give it to you for free.'

It's a Hidden Dungeon. It was a system for veteran players who, unable to see the game ending, would scour the map to see if there was anything to scrape up.

And the difficulty of such places was, of course, insanely hard. It was to the point where normal users would call it a game restart button rather than a Hidden Dungeon if they happened to find one.

'Still, if I do it right....'

If luck followed, I could clear it quite easily. Anyway, I was a veteran player of this game, and even if it had turned into reality, if the bosses and monsters that appeared were the same, I could somehow manage.

However, my body wasn't in good shape. I doubted I could even move properly.

'Is there some way....'

I tried to think if there was some way, but I couldn't.
The light began to grow stronger. Then, a blinding light engulfed us.

"Hmm...."

I opened my eyes, which I had closed because of the light. The place where I opened my eyes was a room so clean it was hard to believe it was the cave from earlier. A luxurious room with marble everywhere.

"Umm...."

Bella seemed to have come to her senses too, as she looked around and made eye contact with me.

"Haeil Cartis... do you know where this is...?"

Princess Bella didn't look like she was expecting an answer while asking that question. It seemed she just asked reflexively because she had suddenly come to an unfamiliar space.

But I knew this place.

'Imperial Secret Laboratory.'

There were many Hidden Dungeons, but generally, places with 'secret' in the name were more about gimmicks or puzzles than combat ability.

'Of course, if you get it wrong, you die regardless of your stats.'

I still had a vivid memory of my max-level character being crushed to death by a rock falling from above because I got one puzzle wrong.

'Still, it's much better than combat.'

Look at my state right now; I didn't have a single proper weapon. Dealing with the monsters of a Hidden Dungeon in this state?

I'd be lucky if I didn't die as soon as I started.

I got up from my seat.

I didn't answer the Princess's question and walked briskly toward the door. When I touched the handle on the door, a voice with some noise rang out in the room.

[The first trial begins...]

The voice of an old man that was somewhat draining.

'As expected.'

This familiar voice, it was indeed the Imperial Secret Laboratory.

At the same time, something began to appear on the door.

Complex formulas and various symbols and letters.

And the letters clearly written at the very bottom.

[Please enter the password]

I stared at them blankly.

'Hmm, I don't know it.'

Of course, there was a cheat sheet for this too. Since I had time to spare, if I kept entering the memorized correct answers, it would open.

But did I really have to do that?

I turned around. Princess Bella was standing there. When I looked at her, she made eye contact as if asking why I was looking.

'It's not called the Imperial Secret Laboratory for nothing.'

It's the Imperial Secret Laboratory. Right, that Empire.

The Empire where the Imperial Family is at the very top.

Everything in the Empire belongs to the Imperial Family. And there is nowhere a member of the Imperial Family cannot enter.

I grinned at Bella.

"...?"

Bella seemed flustered by that sudden smile, but it didn't matter.

Because a human free pass was right in front of me.