Dozens of video orbs were installed on the walls of the hideout’s surveillance room, divided into two categories.

The ones on the left were connected to surveillance devices showing an overview of Hildes Street.

These were to check if new targets appeared on the street.

The video orbs on the right showed the interior of the hideout.

They were for monitoring at a glance the inside of the rooms where each target was kidnapped and the corridors of the hideout.

‘But… why is this like this?’

Faced with this situation for the first time, I could only blink my eyes.

Unlike the video orbs on the left, several on the right seemed to be malfunctioning, with their screens turned black.

‘Fortunately, the room where Dietrich is in is fine, but I can’t see Melphis’s room or the corridor at all.’

I immediately understood why the usually calm Ren said it was a serious matter.

At this rate, we couldn’t prepare for intruders, let alone observe the actions of the handsome men we had confined.

I clutched my head at the troublesome situation from various angles.

First, I looked around as much as I could, but there was no way I could fix the magical device by touching it, being technologically challenged and not knowing much about magic.

‘If I had known this would happen, I should have studied magic a little.’

There was no one to ask for help either.

Of all times, the magical engineer who helped build the hideout had gone into exile abroad.

‘But it’s not like I can bring someone else in.’

It would be a big problem if someone found out that I was a serial kidnapper of handsome men.

“Sigh… I have to fix it somehow by myself.”

I even tried hitting the magical device, hoping for a miracle. But no miracle occurred.

“You were fine earlier. Why are you suddenly like this? Get a grip.”

I tried to persuade the malfunctioning video orb, but of course, an inanimate object wouldn’t understand my words.

“Ugh, how am I going to solve this?”

I glared at the video orb and fell into deep contemplation.

[This is the timeline separator]

After Vivian left, the air inside instantly became chilly.

After confirming that she had gone far enough, Ren firmly closed the door.

As if he wouldn’t tolerate even a bit of noise leaking out.

Ren’s face was reflected on the silver surface of the metal doorknob.

A sharp energy leaked from his eyes, which were usually gently folded.

Melphis looked at him with interest.

Melphis’s lips curved up crookedly at Ren’s attitude, revealing his true colors as soon as Vivian disappeared.

“Aren’t you being too obvious with your tricks?”

“……”

“The device just happened to break down when the mood was good… It’s clearly intentional no matter how I look at it.”

Melphis teased Ren with a snicker, but he exuded a chilly aura without showing any signs of excitement.

“It seems you’re the one using tricks.”

Ren, who had approached in an instant, growled lowly like a beast.

“I heard that no information related to you could be found anywhere in the Empire. Where did you roll in from?”

His green eyes emitted a fierce killing intent.

After Melphis’s first abduction, the Gerald Information Guild tried to dig up his background on Ren’s orders.

However, they obtained nothing from the investigation.

There were no traces or records of a person named ‘Melphis’ anywhere.

For an ordinary person, there should be at least some trace, but Melphis’s past was completely blank.

As if he had suddenly dropped into the world one day.

His disguise ability, his past, everything was suspicious.

It was Ren’s principle to eliminate all potentially dangerous elements, but there was one problem.

Vivian already knew of his existence.

If he killed Melphis arbitrarily, she might discover his actions someday.

But he couldn’t just leave him alone as he approached Vivian either.

“Wow, looks like you’ve been passionately digging into my background. Now I see, you were interested in me, not Vivian? Too bad, you’re not my type. What a shame.”

“If you have no intention of answering, there’s no need to listen either.”

Ren grabbed Melphis by the collar without hesitation.

Melphis grinned and pointed to a corner of the ceiling.

“Are you sure about this? What if your precious master sees this situation?”

“Unfortunately, the connection to the surveillance device has been accidentally cut off, so there’s no need to worry. Is that all you have to say?”

Melphis, still held by the collar, clicked his tongue.

So that’s what the malfunctioning device meant. What a meticulous bastard. He muttered inwardly.

At this rate, Vivian would never notice what was happening here.

“You’ve done quite a cute thing. Does Vivian know? That you’re such a sneaky bastard.”

Finally, cracks appeared on Ren’s face, which had been maintaining composure until now.

“Don’t you dare utter Lady Vivian’s name with that lowly mouth of yours.”

His hand gripping the collar naturally tightened.

Ren dragged Melphis out into the corridor and threw him out the back door of the hideout.

Due to the rough action, Melphis sat down on the ground.

Ren looked down at him with a chilling gaze and coldly warned.

“Get lost. Next time, I’ll kill you.”

Bang!

The back door of the hideout closed violently with a loud noise.

“Ow, really. Such a bad temper.”

Melphis dusted off his hands, looking at the tightly closed door.

As he stood up, the back door of the hideout blended with the surroundings and disappeared without a trace.

Melphis, who had been watching through dark blue eyes, snapped his thumb and index finger together.

At that moment, Melphis’s appearance began to change as if by magic.

The deep color of his eyes gradually lightened, turning sky blue.

The sharply upturned corners of his eyes slowly lowered, softening his expression.

His silvery hair gradually took on a reddish tinge, then turned cotton candy pink.

Some parts turned sky blue.

At the same time, his short hair instantly grew longer, reaching the back of his neck.

Having completely changed his appearance in an instant, he hummed as he leisurely left the alley.

“Next time, should I appear as a gorgeous handsome man with red hair and gold eyes? Or maybe blue hair and red eyes would be better?”

He chuckled, speaking to himself in a tone so light it seemed he might fly away at any moment.

A strange gleam settled in his eyes.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Ah, I’m really going crazy.”

Vivian, who had been bustling about trying to fix the video orbs, slumped over the desk, drained of energy.

She had tried every method she could think of, but the video orbs still only showed black screens.

Tears were about to well up in Vivian’s eyes at the hopeless situation.

“I just wanted to catch male leads, why are there so many things to worry about?”

She sighed deeply and lamented.

Living as a serial kidnapper of handsome men was really not an easy task.

It was exhausting enough just having so much to do, but with weird guys like Dietrich and Melphis getting involved, there really was no time to rest.

‘And now even that video orb has gone haywire.’

Even though she shared the work with Ren, it was reaching its limit now.

Both physically and mentally.

Vivian felt her eyes gradually closing.

‘Not now…’

She tried to hold onto the string of consciousness, but already the hard desk felt like a soft cushion.

It felt like she would fall asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.

‘Pull yourself together. Get a grip.’

She racked her brain, trying not to fall asleep with her eyes wide open.

‘If there is a God, I wish He would personally send down a male lead, even if just out of pity for my miserable state.’

The door of the monitoring room came into view as she barely managed to keep her eyes open.

‘How nice it would be if Callys came to me on his own… Yes, through that door.’

But now she knows that things in life don’t always go as one wishes.

Despite her desire to stay awake, Vivian ultimately couldn’t overcome the sleep that was overtaking her.

And at that moment, the door that had been motionless quietly opened.

Contrary to her wish, it wasn’t Callys who entered, but Ren.

From the beginning, the only people who could freely come and go in the hideout were Vivian and Ren.

He silently approached Vivian, who was sleeping face down.

The desk was cluttered with various types of tools. It seemed Vivian had taken them out to try and fix things.

Ren lowered his body and stared blankly at the sleeping Vivian’s face.

His gaze, starting from her round forehead, traced down her long-lashed eyes, and finally rested on her light pink lips.

“Lady Vivian, are you going to keep sleeping there?”

Contrary to his words, he whispered softly as if he had no intention of waking her at all.

“…You only show this defenseless side to me, right?”

His shadow, created by the ceiling light, climbed up the desk.

It moved more like another living being rather than a shadow.

The pitch-black shadow split into two and each began its work.

One tidied up the scattered tools, while the other busily moved around the broken video orb.

After a brief moment, the video orb turned on and began working normally again.

Ren seemed unimpressed even though the malfunction had been fixed.

In a way, it was natural. After all, he had intentionally broken the video orb in the first place.

Finally, the shadows that had finished their respective tasks merged back into one.

The shadow retrieved a blanket hanging on the chair and returned to Ren.

He naturally received the blanket, showing no sign of surprise at the shadow’s unnatural movement.

The light purple blanket made of soft yarn was something he had once knitted himself for Vivian.

He wrapped the sleeping Vivian in the blanket, then gently lifted her up.

Holding her in his arms, a sweet fragrance stimulated his nose.

That scent, reminiscent of both fruit and flowers, always made his heart race.

Thus, Ren headed to his room while preciously holding Vivian.

The shadow, which should have followed behind Ren, instead went ahead to open the door.

Entering the room, he carefully laid Vivian on his bed, making sure not to wake her.

After covering her up to her shoulders with the blanket, Vivian burrowed deep into the bed.

Ren stared at her as if entranced.

No matter how many times he saw Vivian sleeping in his bed, he could never get used to it.

His cheeks slightly flushed, he unconsciously fiddled with her fingertips that were peeking out from under the blanket.

Then, startled by what he had done without realizing, he quickly pulled his hand away.

His cheeks, now bright red, felt hot enough to hurt.

The thought of daring to touch her made excitement and guilt play tug-of-war in his mind.

However, suddenly remembering his conversation with Melphis, his confused emotions quickly subsided.

“…Lady Vivian.”

“……”

There was no response from her, sleeping soundly. Ren felt rather relieved and continued speaking.

“If you were to learn of these dirty feelings I harbor, would you still allow me by your side?”

“……”

“…Or would you cast me aside?”

The unanswered question echoed back to him.

Ren turned off the lights for Vivian as he left with a complex expression.

He walked down the dark corridor, lost in deep thought.

It seemed he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep easily tonight.