## Chapter 57 – Charlotte. Another Walk # 1
Hilda returned to the castle and parted ways with Number 25 after a brief greeting. Her steps, which had been so light when she went out, were now heavy as if shackled. With a dark expression, Hilda returned to her detached residence, went straight to her room, and immediately pulled the blanket over her head.
The maid who shared the room with Hilda greeted her when she came in, but Hilda didn’t hear her words.
Burying her face deeply in the pillow, Hilda let out a long sigh filled with regret, her face tearful.
She exhaled, feeling a slight dizziness. Countless words came to mind about what she should say when she met Number 25 next time.
However, no matter what she thought, all the thoughts were just pathetic excuses.
Right now, half of Hilda was made up of deep-rooted regret.
Daisy, Hilda’s best friend who occupied the upper bunk of the bunk bed, couldn’t stand it any longer and roughly pulled down Hilda’s blanket before attempting to talk to her.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Hilda, still with her face buried in the pillow, only rolled her eyes to check Daisy’s face. She was the only maid in the castle with an oriental appearance.
She was a good girl who approached people with a friendly impression, but she wasn’t the type to keep her mouth shut. Hilda definitely wanted to tell someone about what happened today and get advice. But not to this girl in front of her.
It was obvious that the rumor would spread to all the maids in the castle in less than a day.
Hilda pulled the blanket that Daisy had half-removed back over her head and said in a tone that seemed to say, “Go away.”
“Leave.”
She didn’t really want to answer. Hilda, who usually smiled and started conversations first, didn’t say anything, so only rampant speculation swirled in Daisy’s head.
Her privately owned clothes, which were dressed up unlike usual, her excited appearance when she went out, and her depressed expression when she returned a few hours later. All the clues pointed to only one result.
Daisy smiled playfully and pulled down Hilda’s blanket again.
“Why? Did you get dumped by that slave?”
70% was correct, but fundamentally wrong. If she had been dumped as Daisy said, it would have been better. Hilda could bear the pain of heartbreak alone and end the healing with the saying that time heals all wounds.
But the fact that she hurt Number 25’s heart with a brief slip of the tongue was separate from that.
Seeing Hilda’s dejected face, who always showed a bright appearance, could also affect the mood of Daisy, who shared the same room. Before the atmosphere became more gloomy, she had to take action somehow.
Daisy offered a suggestion for Hilda, who was immersed in sadness.
“Why don’t you call him here and have a party?”
“Party?”
“Yeah. Isn’t it just about feeding a man some delicious food and giving him some gifts?”
It could be called crazy, but even crazy words that were unlikely to come true came to Hilda as a rescue. Hilda got up from her seat and talked to Daisy while sitting on the bed.
“But will the Demon Lord or the head maid allow it?”
“Do we really need to get permission? We can just call him secretly.”
“Call him secretly?”
“Then what other way is there? Don’t you know the saying, ‘A brave man wins a beauty’?”
Hilda was lost in thought for a moment. After all, with her head, who had never been in a relationship, she would never be able to find a way to comfort the opposite sex, Number 25, in her entire life. Now she had no choice but to follow Daisy’s words.
Hilda’s expression was brighter than before, and Daisy could guess that Hilda had accepted her suggestion. Daisy smiled like a child who had found an interesting toy and immediately made a plan.
“Then shall we do it this weekend?”
“Weekend? Isn’t it too fast?”
“You have to do these things right away when you think of them.”
She decided to follow Daisy’s words, so she had no intention of refuting her opinion.
One thing Hilda overlooked was that Daisy, who seemed skilled in love affairs at first glance, was also a virgin like Hilda, who had never been in a relationship.
In other words, what she desperately grabbed was a rotten rope that could be cut off at any moment.
●
He had a nightmare.
Everyone whose faces he remembered, the people who died in the monster’s cage, grabbed Number 25’s ankles and led him into a sticky swamp where the bottom was not visible.
The voice resounded directly in his head, not through his eardrums.
Why are you the only one happy? It’s your time to die too. There’s no escape from this hell.
In reality, his family didn’t say such things to Number 25. Rather, they were good people who wished blessings for the future of those who were sold as slaves. The sounds that lingered in Number 25’s head were entirely hallucinations tinged with a sense of alienation from reality created by Number 25’s guilt.
Number 25 also wanted to escape from that hell with his family if possible.
The chillingly cold hands gradually came over his body. The hands of the dead, which started at his ankles, slowly but surely came up and began to bind Number 25’s body.
The hands that completely covered Number 25’s body led Number 25 deep into the swamp. He wanted to scream, but the scream was blocked in his throat and disappeared vaguely beyond his throat without becoming words.
Before his consciousness became faint due to the sticky swamp that had already covered Number 25’s face and was gradually filling his mouth, Number 25 discovered a white hand extended to him and desperately grabbed it.
At the same time, the terrible nightmare that had been tormenting Number 25 ended.
The first thing Number 25 saw when he woke up from the scream was Charlotte, who was looking down at him with a worried expression.
Could this be a dream too? Number 25 carefully called Charlotte’s name, wondering if she would disappear if he called her name.
“Lady Charlotte…?”
His voice trembled thinly.
Fortunately, Charlotte was still there. She gently stroked Number 25’s sweaty forehead and spoke with a worried expression.
“Why are you sweating so much from the morning? Did you have a bad dream?”
Number 25 didn’t say anything and immediately hugged Charlotte.
She didn’t push away Number 25, who hugged her suddenly without saying a word, and smiled kindly, unlike before. The hand that had been touching his forehead now went up to his hair, which was disheveled with sweat, and neatly arranged it.
Number 25 felt Charlotte’s touch and made a weak sound while still hugging her.
“I had a scary dream….”
“Really? Then shall we stay like this a little longer?”
Charlotte, who confirmed Number 25’s appearance nodding instead of answering, hugged his back tightly. His small body was still trembling, but the trembling gradually subsided over time. When the trembling finally stopped completely, Charlotte opened her mouth.
“Are you okay now?”
“Yes….”
It was definitely a brighter voice than before.
After answering, tear marks remained deeply like scars on Number 25’s face, who took his face off Charlotte’s chest.
Charlotte took out a handkerchief from her pocket, wiped away the flowing tears, and reassured Number 25.
“There’s nothing that’s bothering you anymore. In the first place, the only one who can bother you in this castle is me.”
Number 25 smiled at Charlotte’s words, which he didn’t know whether it was a joke or a serious remark. Charlotte fiddled with Number 25’s hand and offered a suggestion with a sly smile, unlike his innocent smile.
“That’s right. Why don’t we go for a walk with me tonight to change your mood?”
“A walk with Lady Charlotte?”
He had taken a walk alone with Acer, but he had never taken a walk with Charlotte.
Number 25 nodded happily without much hesitation. A light of joy briefly lingered in Charlotte’s eyes when she saw him.
“Then keep it a secret from the Demon Lord and come out to the yard at night.”
After finishing speaking, Charlotte kissed Number 25’s round forehead and left the room with a smile. Number 25 stroked his forehead, which Charlotte had just kissed, and waited for the night to come.
Before he knew it, the guilt and nightmares that had been tormenting Number 25’s heart had disappeared cleanly.
●
The curtain of night was thickly drawn, and it was time for all the maids except those on duty to finish their work and sleep.
The front gate of the castle, which should not be opened, was opened, and a small shadow looked around and quickly slipped out into the yard.
The identity of the shadow was Number 25, and he ran so hard that he was exhausted and headed to the fountain where Charlotte was waiting.
Charlotte sat on the fountain and smiled softly at Number 25, who approached her, and spoke to him.
“You came?”
Number 25 roughly caught his breath and nodded in response.
“Yes.”
The night was short. There was no room to spend time leisurely with trivial stories. Charlotte went straight to the point.
“Do you remember this?”
The item Charlotte took out of her chest was something he could never forget.
What she was holding in her hand was the necklace that was used in the walk with Acer right after Number 25 came to this castle.
Number 25’s eyes fluttered. He had an expression that he couldn’t understand why that was in Charlotte’s hand.
Charlotte, who had already come close, whispered in Number 25’s ear.
“It’s too much for only the Demon Lord to see this cute appearance. I want to see you wearing this too?”
Charlotte handed the necklace to Number 25’s hand. She could have forced him to wear it, but she didn’t want such a relationship. Charlotte just wanted to see Number 25 wearing the necklace of his own free will.
Number 25 slightly raised his head and looked at Charlotte’s eyes full of expectation. A burning gaze, he moistened his dry throat with hot saliva. After a moment of time, Number 25 made a decision.
If she, who always moves for him, can be happy, he would gladly wear this necklace….
Number 25 began to put the necklace he received from Charlotte around his neck himself.
Number 25, who finally put on the necklace with clumsy hands that slipped several times, asked Charlotte with a blurred voice while looking at the floor as if he was embarrassed.
“I, is this okay?”
Charlotte smiled brightly and stroked Number 25’s head.
“Yes, good boy.”
The slight shame that remained in one corner of his heart was sublimated into even greater joy by her praise.
The leash was pulled slightly taut, and the second experience was not a bad feeling unlike the first time.
No, rather, he felt like he had become her possession, and he even wanted to be like this even more.
“Then let’s go.”
With Charlotte’s voice announcing the start of the walk, Number 25 disappeared into the moonlight following her.
