“….?”

That list came into my hands through Vielle, handing it to me inside the curtains.

I blinked my eyes.

“….”

Upon examination, it was clear data that included names, affiliations, and even what they were currently doing. I blinked my eyes. My thoughts became dizzy for a moment.

Did the list already exist? Did Diello have the same idea as me?

No…

I recalled his bright blue eyes.

During emotional outburst*, he might have made a list to wipe them all away in anger.
[ T/N: I just realized I translated this using rampage during the early chapters with Redias. However, I used emotional outburst/outburst more, so from now on, they will be written as emotional outbursts. ]

“….”

As I thought about Diello holding a sword stained with the blood of an attendant, my eyes narrowed. Those eyes were definitely shining with a blue light.

It made sense that during such an occasion, one would come closer to their true nature and lose their reason. But why did he create a list of traitors and even include the method of execution, and yet still keep them alive and well?

“Are the ones on the list still alive?”

I asked to confirm, and Rick replied with a bright smile.

“Yes.”

That settled it. There was no way he had pulled out the list during the outburst and then just left it aside.

“Did Diello ask you to find them in advance?”

It was necessary to determine whether the information was found through the unilateral decision of the intelligence department or if Diello had already found it. There was a definite need for clarity.

Especially…

[ Recent: Unusual movements detected. Regularly goes out at 2 a.m. ]

Seeing clues like this attached with dates only two days ago or even more recent, it was clear that they had been ordered to investigate recently.

Rick remained silent for a moment in response to my question and then spoke.

“That information had been known since they entered the mansion.”

That made sense. The intelligence department wasn’t a bunch of fools; they knew it was a spy’s den, and yet they did nothing.

But still, something was off. It felt like my thoughts were getting tangled.

Something was strange.

…Especially Diello.

Lately, it seemed like the Diello I knew and the one facing the current situation were different.

“…I should consult with Diello about this.”

I wanted to see what he had in mind and, more importantly, if he was still feeling the aftermath of the outburst.

He certainly seemed normal in the pool.

* * *

That night.

“Diello.”

Diello’s face was slightly flushed, perhaps from working in the hot office before coming here.

He had washed and even applied perfume, and a sweet, refreshing scent wafted through the air, but the heat couldn’t be hidden. And apparently, Argenta’s unique healing method(?) was working, for he seemed much more energized.

“Krua.”

Approaching with a playful smile, he looked up at the curtain in the middle of the bedroom. It was the curtain that I had briefly lowered earlier because of Rick.

“Did someone come inside?”

He must have noticed the change, even though it was always tied. His powers of observation couldn’t be underestimated.

“Rick and Nira stopped by for a moment.”

Diello paused at my words. I briefly saw his eyes narrow.

“…Right in front of the bed?”

It was definitely a sensitive issue for him. It was as if an outsider had entered the newlyweds’ room… but then again… How many times has that happened? And now, why was he asking about it all of a sudden?

I recalled the image of Vielle and the maids pulling down the curtains when they came.

…Could it be?

“Is Argenta different from Alors?”

I looked down at the low platform where the bed was placed. In Alors, it was a boundary that divided the private area of the bedroom from the relatively free area of the bedroom, where even if you crossed that boundary, it wouldn’t be a huge problem.

Diello narrowed his eyes for a moment, not denying my words, and instead said.

“From now on, unless it’s something urgent, please don’t bring anyone else into the bedroom.”

His voice didn’t have a hint of coercion. Instead, it sounded like a plea, as if he was clinging to me.

A desperate plea.

“Well, it’s not good for rumors, after all.”

Even if they are the people from the fourth floor of Argenta, we shouldn’t completely believe them. Diello once said I was too soft, and at this moment, I also thought so.

“No.”

However, Diello responded abruptly. His eyes seemed slightly darker, perhaps due to the lighting.

“It concerns me.”

‘…Concerns him?’

I blinked.

After a brief moment of silence, a smile appeared on Diello’s face.

“You see, it would be troublesome if something bad were to happen.”

If she let people into personal spaces like bedrooms, it might give an opportunity for another attack like last time. For some reason, Diello, who spoke so nervously, spoke at length without pausing for breath.

“…I understand.”

Outwardly, he was my husband. There would be a problem if I let another man enter without objection.

“I’ll be careful.”

“You don’t need to be careful.”

With that, Diello sat down on the edge of the bed next to me.

“The one who entered without thinking, even if there was an order, is at fault.”

At that moment, the room seemed to have become colder for a moment, but it may have been a misconception. When I looked at him, he smiled mischievously.

“But I heard you looked into the spies, Krua.”

It seemed to be a report from the intelligence department.

I nodded.

“Yes. What are your thoughts on the spies?”

Although he already compiled a list… I held back from saying that. When our eyes met, his calm, lake-like eyes sparkled.

Srrk.

Diello gently lifted the canopy of the bed and raised his eyebrows.

“We can’t just leave them be.”

I looked at him and asked.

“Originally, the intelligence department had information about the spies, right?”

“Yes.”

Diello replied lightly.

Of course, he had all the up-to-date information. Those were obviously things that had been investigated recently, and the only person who could give such an order was only me and him.

“Diello requested that information recently.”

When I said that, he turned to look at me. For a brief moment, a blue light flickered in his eyes. He still hadn’t completely escaped from the outburst.

“Yes, it was all thanks to your teachings.”

My teachings…?

I blinked, and Diello spoke in a gentle voice.

“You taught me to be ruthless to the enemy.”

At his words, I suddenly remembered how many times I’d seen his eyes look like this. When I saved Nira, and when I interrogated the traitors… he watched over me with shining eyes.

“Thanks to your teachings, I was able to naturally handle it.”

As he said that and smiled, his eyes still had a flickering blue light. Eyes shining with power… a typical symptom of emotional outbursts.

Was this Diello’s true nature?

And he moved according to his true nature, following my teachings? Above all, what I taught was how to handle enemies, not how to twist their necks without them even realizing it. He seemed far too skilled to say that he did this because I taught him.

Moreover…

‘….’

When he gathered the attendants in the room, his sword was clearly stained with blood. It must have meant he had cut down a traitor.

At that moment, he would be closer to his true nature due to the outburst, though… it still felt strange. I stared into his calm eyes. If he could kill even his trusted servants, whom he controlled so firmly without hesitation, why did he leave them as they were now?

How could he continue to treat them with such affection while always considering killing them? Was that the true nature of Diello Argenta? Did it make sense?

I was confused about where the acting ended, and sincerity began.

“…It’s not possible to be wrong?”

I asked, just to confirm, and Diello nodded lightly.

His eyes still sparkled with a blue light.

“Just in case, I told them to double-check because there might be a problem with the information.”

Diello said leisurely.

“As expected, there are always those who waver when faced with a real example.”

I widened my eyes slightly at his words.

Was that example perhaps the act of killing his attendants? Was that even a result of thorough, rational judgment, or was it the true nature that emerged during the outburst?

I was a little confused.

“It was as you taught me, Krua.”

Diello uttered with a smirk.

I wondered if I was being too harsh on someone who was too gentle, but apparently not. Was that a good thing? It was good news for survival, however…

When I raised my eyebrows, feeling a strange sensation, Diello kissed my forehead. His gentle touch brought me back to my senses. I saw those beautiful eyes in front of me.

“I can see that you’re too worried.”

He whispered, sitting next to me again.

“Why are you looking for them?”

“Ah.”

Diello tilted his head as if asking why I was looking for them.

“…Now it seems like it’s time to deal with them. There’s also an excuse, and soon Alors might be targeting us.”

If it were before, I would have stopped at a reasonable level to enhance the image of ‘weak Diello.’ However, now the situation has changed. The enemy had attacked us fatally. If we stayed still, they would continue to attack us.

“Krua, the barely better villainess, was furious and ordered the spies to be rooted out.”

I said, showing him something.

It was the script I had prepared before he arrived.

“If you give such an order, people won’t think it’s strange.”

Diello replied in his calm voice.

“Even if I give such an order, they won’t think it’s strange.”

I blinked at his words.

“In your name… You want to give the order?”

Diello lightly smiled.

Before I knew it, he had come close and kissed the back of my hand. He kissed every joint of my hand with warmth. It felt like I was melting into the warmth.

“Ah.”

I gasped when I unconsciously let out a breath.

His soft laughter reached my hand.

“I will deal with them.”

At his words, my eyes widened. Diello, who was embracing my shoulders, also kissed the tip of my nose.

“Don’t worry too much and sleep.”

His kiss was so sweet and natural that I fell into a trance.

Truly, it felt like being loved.

I could believe it even if all of this were not real.

—