Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

She was about to wrap her arms around my body.

And I—

He silently opened his eyes.

Every time I see those deep red eyes, I feel a pang of heartache.

I recalled something the "goddess" had said to me a long time ago.

As the "goddess" said, both his red eyes and his pure soul, which knew nothing of filth, were like a beautiful gem.

That's what deeply attracted the "goddess" and me.

That's what made the "goddess" and me lose our minds.

As if drawn by a force, I closed the last remaining distance between us.

As I pressed my body against his chest, trembling slightly, I also brought my lips to his.

The handbag, now useless, fell to the ground at my feet.

I slowly raised my hand.

Why did the "goddess" meet you first?

If I had met you first.

If only I had known in advance that this would be the future.

Perhaps then things can be changed.

That single thought tormented me. Faced with this overwhelming emotion, I desperately tried to dissuade and restrain myself. Ah… but I had to admit, I was deeply drawn to the person before me. It was as if I were resonating with the "goddess" who was devoted to him. Like a "mirror of the goddess." Therefore… because of this, I could no longer suppress this impulse. I knew this thought was a taboo that shouldn't exist in the world, and I knew it was a betrayal of the "goddess" who saved me, but I truly didn't know how else to stop this feeling. Yes, I—

I won't forgive him! ... He won't let him off the hook. ... No, he won't forgive him. I can't forgive him! ... He won't let him off the hook. ... No, he won't forgive him. I can't forgive him! ... He won't let him off easily!

The goddess was defiled because she met you!

You've ruined this goddess, she's on the verge of falling from grace!

I know it perfectly well! I'm the only one who noticed it! I'm the only one who noticed it deep within my heart, a depth that even the goddess herself hasn't yet recognized!

That's why I hate you so much, I really hate you to the core!!

It's because of you—no, it's because of you that the noble queen has changed!

Why did the goddess meet you before you did?

If I had met you first!

If only I had known in advance that this would be the future!

I'll kill you before the goddess even meets you!

No matter how much I regret it, it's useless; no matter how angry I am, I can't calm down; no matter how much I hate it, it's impossible to undo the damage. I understand all these principles; I know them all; I am fully aware of them.

So, so, so to speak—

I've decided to betray the goddess.

In that "negotiation," I concealed my true intentions, deciding from the very beginning to break the "agreement" and violate the "taboo."

I will use my "love" for the goddess to trample on her "...".

This is my wish.

This is my long-cherished wish.

This is my loyalty.

This is the bouquet of red flowers I offered to the man before me.

Now no relatives or family members will come to cause trouble!

The symbol of the "serious crime" I am about to commit is standing right in front of me!

Even if the illusion that I have feelings for you turns into a sharp sword and tries to stop me, I will not change my mind!

Even if it means being scolded by the goddess!

Even if it leaves a mark of sin!

Even if he is severely tortured and eventually driven away from the goddess!

I also want to help the goddess end her nightmare!

A goddess doesn't need a "hero" to bewitch her—she doesn't need a "partner" to steal her heart!!

She closed the little distance between us that remained.

The small handbag in her hand fell to the ground with a thud.

She was about to wrap her arms around my body.

And I—grasping her slender arm—said:

"If that's the case, then who exactly are you?"

This question brought forth a profound silence.

A silence, loud enough to cause tinnitus, hung between us.

The pair of pale gray eyes, so close to my eyes, opened wide.

Time seemed to stand still for her, and she was unable to move her hand any further.

The dagger she held in her right hand failed to pierce my back.

The frozen time immediately broke down, and her arms began to exert force.

It was no use. I held her arms tightly from the inside with both hands, and that gleaming dagger couldn't possibly pierce my heart from behind.

Since we are currently in a sealed-off abandoned factory, it means that no one will find us.

In other words, the injured will not be able to receive treatment or seek help from others.

This ruin is the "coffin" she prepared for me.

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

What I'm trying to say is that you are not Miss Seele.

Facing her, whose lips and voice were trembling, I said firmly.

This time, I used both hands to apply force, and she couldn't help but frown, causing the dagger to fall from her hand.

The sound of the knife hitting the ground rang out.

After I let go, she pressed her hands, which were aching from being gripped so tightly, and stepped away from me.

The handbag that fell to the ground—the one containing the murder weapon—was stepped on by her flat shoes, kicking up a little dust.

"...Mr. Bell, why would you say that? I am who I am! Besides, weren't you protecting me all day?!"

"Yes, I'm protecting you. To be honest, I don't understand what happened and I'm completely confused... Even though I know you're not Miss Seele, I don't want to watch anyone die."

As she struggled to maintain her smile, but couldn't help taking a deep breath, I revealed the "answer."

"Actually... I haven't called you 'Miss Seele' all day today."

That's right.

I noticed it from the very beginning.

As I searched everywhere for Miss Seele who had left, I happened to run into her.

The moment I saw those eyes and that face and gasped, a sense of unease welled up inside me.

She was not a former employee at the Abundance Bar.

She wasn't the one who usually prepared lunch for me.

It's not the smile that Miss Seele always shows when she sees me.

The reason is that the moment she saw me, she inadvertently revealed a "killing intent" in her heart for a fleeting instant.

The key to turning "doubt" into "certainty" lay in her insistence on not letting go of her handbag even when she was in danger. To be precise, it was my enhanced hearing after the upgrade that allowed me to hear the distinctive metallic sound of a blade coming from the bag that was always with her—the sound of the murder weapon colliding with a metal object.

Due to the urgency of the situation, Miss Liu and the others who came to help probably didn't even realize it.

No, even if the situation weren't that urgent, they probably wouldn't have noticed.

After all, this person's appearance, voice, and mannerisms are almost identical to Miss Seele's.

Therefore—I don't want to hear Miss Seele make that kind of sound, nor do I want to see Miss Seele with that kind of expression.

Even though the two have the same voice and appearance, "she" is ultimately not Miss Seele.

"You wanted to kill me from the very beginning."

She probably already knew I was tracking Mr. Hegney.

So they decided to take a gamble.

She deliberately provoked the level one adventurers, drawing everyone to my side, then incited me to help her escape and shake off all pursuers. Ultimately, she came to these ruins so she could be alone with me.

"...!"

My nonchalant rebuke left her visibly shaken.

The dagger lying on the ground was enough to prove her murderous intent.

The murder weapon was also key evidence that she was not Miss Seele—but that was not the case.

"Of course, Miss Seele might really hate me to the point of wanting to kill me. Although it would be very sad if that were the case; after all, no one can truly see through another's mind—but you are different. You are not Miss Seele."

"Why...why are you so sure I'm not Seele!?"

In order to expose her true identity hidden behind the mask, I presented her with the "evidence".

"Hair accessories".

"what?"

"The 'hair accessory' I'm giving you today... the one you're wearing on your head right now, doesn't actually belong to Miss Seele."

The pale gray hair ornament on her light gray hair began to tremble slightly as she wore it.

She was speechless because of my accusations.

"But it's mine."

Pairs of jewelry.

Actually, when I left the hotel, only my pair of ornaments remained on the table.

The real Miss Seele took her other half of the jewelry and left me, therefore—

"To confirm whether you are the real Miss Seele, I handed over my matching ornaments. The real Miss Seele should possess her own matching ornaments, and since you didn't have such an item... you believed my words and accepted it."

"...!!"

"You were fooled by a lie you shouldn't have fallen for."

She raised her hand tremblingly and removed the hair ornament from her head.

The word "Knight" is written in common language on the back of the ornament.

"Then I'll keep the half with the fairy pattern! Mr. Bell, you can take the other half with the knight pattern!"

Miss Seele chose an accessory with a "fairy" pattern.

The fact that the person in front of me accepted the jewelry that belonged to me is undeniable "evidence".

"You probably know everything about Miss Seele, but it's clear you don't know everything. Because you never doubted that the hair ornament was actually mine."

It's likely that the two can "share" memories or perspectives.

Although this speculation is absurd, it is not impossible if it relies on "magic" or magical items.

If this ability has a "limitation" that "the shared object can only be one person".

So she probably missed the information about the hair accessories because of this "restriction".

"So, you are not Miss Seele."

I reiterated this firmly once more, bringing this matter to a close.

She opened her eyes wide, then lowered her head as if her neck had dislocated.