"Crack..."

The tree branch, weighed down by the snow and soaked through with moisture, had failed to freeze solid. Instead, it seemed damp and pliable, and the creaking sound startled Nick awake from his thoughts.

Ever since he could remember, he had always faced everything around him with an optimistic attitude—illness, accidents, or any unexpected misfortune. After the initial shock, he could always confront things with a level of calm that most people would find difficult to possess.

Perhaps it was because he knew that one day he would die regardless, and there was nothing in this world that he was particularly attached to.

But after meeting Silvanus, something seemed to be slowly changing. Even though he knew it was strange to feel this way when they had only just met for the first time.

When he was around Silvanus, he never wanted to close his eyes, give up, and surrender so easily to fate. He would live, and naturally, Silvanus had to live as well.

But right now, what the hell was Silvanus talking about?!

"A... a deal?" Nick’s lips twitched slightly as he muttered under his breath.

Faced with Nick’s strange expression—a mix of fear and disappointment that was difficult to identify—Silvanus frowned inwardly. Outwardly, however, his smile grew even brighter.

He stepped closer, and one hand suddenly rose to rest over Nick’s left chest. Through the layer of woven fabric, Nick’s excessively rapid heartbeat was clearly transmitted to his touch.

Lowering his head and tilting it slightly, Silvanus smiled faintly and said, "That’s right. I promised Daisy that I would dig out your hearts and avenge her."

Daisy? And who the hell was that supposed to be?!

Nick gave up trying to think about it. Facing Silvanus, he swallowed nervously, feeling as though Silvanus’s hand could pierce through his flesh at any moment.

His eyes grew misty with tears. In the end, he simply squeezed them shut and shouted, "If you’re going to kill me, at least make it quick and painless!"

Silvanus: "..."

[...]

[Damn it, I’m sure I just saw speechlessness on Silvanus’s face.]

[How could he not be speechless? I know Silvanus is acting, but even he probably didn’t expect Nick to cooperate this enthusiastically.]

[My heart aches for Nick. He’s so infatuated that he’d offer up his very life!]

[Oh my god, this love-hate drama is exactly what I’ve been looking for. More, more!]

[I still don’t understand what Silvanus is actually trying to do.]

[Just keep watching. I can already feel where he’s taking this.]

[...]

"Ha ha ha."

At that moment, Silvanus suddenly burst out laughing. Then he put a little force into his hand and, under Nick’s astonished and slightly horrified gaze, shoved forward.

Nick immediately fell backward. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for death to arrive. He had even imagined the ground opening into a dark pit, ready to swallow him whole.

Thud!

A loud impact rang out, followed immediately by his own muffled groan.

Curling up from the pain, he wrapped his arms around his head. He hadn’t even tried to turn himself around during the fall, simply letting himself drop freely because he had been certain he was about to die.

But he wasn’t dead.

And the ground hadn’t swallowed him either.

His tear-blurred eyes widened as he struggled to look toward Silvanus. Beneath the gloomy sky, Silvanus’s face remained strikingly clear in Nick’s vision.

A handsome face, now displaying undisguised contempt and mockery.

"Were you waiting for me to bring you death?" he asked. "I’ve always wondered about the strange feeling you give me. The way you look at me is like a dog—a loyal dog. Is that your true nature?"

As he spoke, he gave Nick a couple of casual kicks.

"You wait for my attention, stay close by my side, come whenever I call..."

Silvanus tilted his head slightly, as though considering something. Finally, he crouched down and lifted Nick’s flushed face with both hands.

He studied him for a moment before lightly patting his cheek and smiling with remarkable friendliness.

"As I thought, you really are a dog. But don’t worry, I don’t dislike you. As long as you’re loyal. You’ll follow me, do anything for me, and never go against what I want, right?"

Nick’s face burned crimson from Silvanus’s string of judgments. He felt so embarrassed that he could dig a hole and bury himself on the spot. Mixed in with the embarrassment was a swirl of anger.

Yet at that moment, the distance between them suddenly closed.

And he panicked.

He could see his own reflection in Silvanus’s eyes. It was as if he had been swept away by something. By the time he realized what was happening, he had already nodded foolishly in agreement...

Only then did Silvanus seem satisfied. He released Nick’s face and tossed it aside, lifting his chin slightly.

"Get up. The way you’re blushing from excitement is truly laughable."

"N-No... I’m embarrassed..."

Nick instinctively tried to defend himself, but his voice was so quiet that it was little more than the buzz of a mosquito.

Then he realized that, after everything Silvanus had done to him, he wasn’t angry at all. In fact, he even felt fortunate that he could continue traveling alongside Silvanus.

Nick’s expression gradually turned blank.

Could it be... could it really be that he had masochistic tendencies? Silvanus had humiliated him to such an extent...

Looking down at the ground, Nick unconsciously stepped into the footprints Silvanus had left behind. The thoughts in his mind twisted and struggled in despair.

I really am pathetic...

No one knew how many different thoughts had passed through Nick’s head. One moment his face was red, the next it turned pale. After a while, he even slapped himself a few times before vigorously shaking his head.

[I don’t think it’s hard to imagine what’s going through his mind right now.]

[Silvanus says I’m a dog → I’m not a dog → Could I actually be a dog? → Yep, I’m definitely a dog.]

[Goddammit, I’m dying of laughter.]

[No, seriously, why does he have absolutely no dignity in front of Silvanus?]

[This is so weird.]

[The toxic relationship I live for.]

[They’ve completely lost it.]

Silvanus took the lead and headed deeper into the forest.

He still remembered the news report mentioning the mysterious death of a man and the skeleton identified as the remains of a body from seven years ago that had been discovered in a forest.

Based on the information currently available, there was a high probability that the forest in question was the very one standing before them now.

The deeper they went, the darker their surroundings became. Ahead of them, the forest resembled the gaping maw of some colossal monster, waiting for them to walk willingly into its trap.

With the information he currently possessed, even Silvanus did not dare venture any farther.

After all, he had already achieved the primary objective of this trip.