CH 299

Unable to overcome the pressure, I took Ha Tae-heon’s hand and headed toward the centre of the hall.

After confirming that I had moved away from Woo Seo-hyuk, I whispered to Ha Tae-heon.

“I’m sorry, Ha Tae-heon-ssi.”

“I’ve checked that you’re okay.”

Ha Tae-heon, like Cheon Sa-yeon, was also free from mental control. I breathed a sigh of relief and explained the current situation.

“Everyone around me, including Woo Seo-hyuk-ssi, was mentally controlled. Actually, I don’t know who the other people are except for Woo Seo-hyuk-ssi.”

The music changed while we were talking.

Ha Tae-heon, who heard the music at a slightly faster tempo than just before, grabbed my hand that was barely stretched and wrapped his opposite arm around my waist.

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi?”

“First of all, we have a lot of eyes seeing us, so we have to dance. Let me listen while dancing.”

“That… I can’t dance.”

“Follow me slowly. I don’t know either, just pretend.”

Ha Tae-heon took the first step and started moving slowly. I was also nervous and moved my feet along Ha Tae-heon.

Still, it wasn’t too difficult to follow Ha Tae-heon’s slow movements, probably because I was an A-rank combat type. When we didn’t speed up, the band noticed and slowed the music down.

Thanks to this, we were able to have a conversation while dancing moderately, so we continued the conversation we had stopped.

“It seems to me that the people here are museum visitors and auctioneers.”

“I think the same.”

Kim Woo-jin’s clone, who was first disconnected from the beginning, was outside the building. So, people from outside and inside must have all entered the space.

It meant that the unidentified veil had swallowed up the entire Deus Museum.

“This space is made of fairy tales as the background.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Before I became a prince here, I was Hansel in Hansel and Gretel. Gretel was Min Ah-rin-ssi.”

The music started to speed up again. Even we, who had become accustomed to dancing to a certain extent, acted a little faster to match.

“Then this is the second time.”

“That’s right. Do you have no memories from the previous one, Ha Tae-heon-ssi?”

“None. When I opened my eyes, I was already in this place.”

“We need to know which fairy tale this is. That way, we can find a way out.”

I and Ha Tae-heon slowly turned around with our bodies tightly pressed against each other. In order to move more stably, my opposite hand was placed on Ha Tae-heon’s back.

“…how did you get out of Hansel and Gretel?”

Ha Tae-heon, who had an awkward expression, asked another question.

“We put Cheon Sa-yeon’s blood in the furnace where the witch should fell to death. Cheon Sa-yeon played the role of the witch.”

“Then it means you’ve already met Cheon Sa-yeon.”

“That… ugh.”

Ha Tae-heon grabbed my waist and suddenly bent his upper body forward. My back was bent heavily backwards. Our distance became so close that our lips could touch at any moment.

Ha Tae-heon swept the wrist of my clasped hand with his thumb. I felt a tickling sensation.

“I don’t like it.”

“Gasp…!”

I was held Ha Tae-heon’s arms, who immediately stood up, and moved as if being dragged by him. Suddenly, the music was much faster than before.

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi. Can you guess what fairy tale it is?”

“I can.”

“Then you have to tell me, ugh.”

My shoulders trembled at the tingling sensation I felt on the back of my neck. Ha Tae-heon, who lowered his head and buried his face in the nape of my neck, murmured.

“It smells sweet.”

“Ah, what… I heard I was sprayed with perfume and I think it was its scent.”

Before I knew it, the music was coming to the end.

I didn’t know what would happen after the dance was over, so I had to finish talking now. I asked Ha Tae-heon again impatiently.

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi, please tell me what fairy tale it is.”

“You will find out now anyway.”

It was the moment Ha Tae-heon, who glanced up, answered. As the music ended, a loud bell rang through the hall.

Deeng, deng! I turned around and found that there was a huge clock hanging on the top. The time was pointing exactly at 12 o’clock.

“I have to go.”

Ha Tae-heon, who had kissed my lips lightly, released my waist and stepped back. As the warm body temperature disappeared, the emptiness washed over me.

“Wa, wait a minute. Ha Tae-heon!”

Despite my call, Ha Tae-heon left the ballroom without looking back. I quickly followed Ha Tae-heon.

“Prince!”

“Prince, you must not go out alone!”

Shaking off the hand holding me, I followed Ha Tae-heon and vigorously opened the front door of the ballroom. Then there was long stairs leading down.

In case someone wasn’t SS-rank, in that short moment, Ha Tae-heon was all the way down the stairs. There, a carriage strangely resembling a pumpkin appeared.

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi!”

Ha Tae-heon, who finally looked up at me, got on his carriage without delay. The carriage took Ha Tae-heon like that and left abruptly.

“Prince, are you all right?”

“Prince!”

Ha Tae-heon left me… The guards and attendants rushed out behind me, who was standing blankly.

“Prince.”

Woo Seo-hyuk picked up something from the stairs and held it out. When I received it unintentionally, it was a black glove. I was sure it was the glove Ha Tae-heon was wearing that I saw while dancing earlier.

“It was on the stairs.”

“Ho…”

I smiled as I grabbed his glove.

As soon as the hour came, Ha Tae-heon left the ballroom as if running away. A carriage resembling a pumpkin. A glove was left on the stairs.

Putting it all together, I came to one conclusion.

‘I wonder if it is really Cinderella?’

* * *

“The man who danced with the Prince is said to be difficult to identify now.”

I touched my forehead on Woo Seo-hyuk’s report and sighed. As expected, it was so.

In order to proceed according to the fairy tale, I had to start looking for Ha Tae-heon with this glove as evidence.

However, there were a lot of people who appeared here, so I also wanted to look around as much as possible because other team members might be somewhere. If Ha Tae-heon’s safety was guaranteed, I could have visited him later.

“…I apologize, Prince.”

“Oh? What?”

I looked up at the sudden apology. Then, Woo Seo-hyuk, who had a stiff face with his hands on his back, was seen.

“I’ve never had an unidentified person in a ballroom like this before.”

“It’s okay…”

“I feel deeply responsible for this. All those involved will be severely punished and I will also receive the punishment the Prince gives me.”

“No, what punishment… it’s really fine.”

“It’s not like that. If that person had been a dangerous person, what would have happened by now… Just imagining it is scary.”

“……”

Woo Seo-hyuk furrowed with words full of sincerity. I was very bewildered at the sight.

I didn’t think he had ever done this to Cheon Sa-yeon. Ah, was it because Cheon Sa-yeon, unlike me, was a stronger boss than Woo Seo-hyuk?

‘Maybe he cares this much because he thinks I’m a weaker boss than him.’

I felt bitter. Right now, Woo Seo-hyuk was in a state of being mental controlled, so he couldn’t remember Cheon Sa-yeon.

With an awkward smile, I lightly grabbed Woo Seo-hyuk’s shoulder, who looked somewhat depressed.

“It’s okay because nothing happened. In that sense, could you find someone who danced with me?”

“That is a must. I will find him and put him to death.”

What? Put what?

“Wa, wait. Do we even need to kill him?”

“It’s not enough to hide his identity and sneak into a ball, he had even danced with the Prince himself, so of course, he should be executed.”

“……”

Chilling goosebumps were felt on my spine at Woo Seo-hyuk’s behaviour, which made the terrible sound naturally.

Right, this wasn’t just a fairy tale with happiness. It was a stage created by the Praus Cult to kill us using mental control.

‘I should meet Ha Tae-heon first.’

Let’s think about others after that. It was a priority to gather at least one team member.

Rather, how should we deal with this situation now? If I had left it like this, I might have seen Ha Tae-heon, who was being dragged to the death, with my own eyes.

To find Ha Tae-heon in the most moderate way…

‘Driving me crazy.’

Thinking of a way, I swallowed dry saliva. I really didn’t want to, but I had no choice. I should do this.

“No. I’m against the death penalty.”

“Prince?”

“Because… I… that person… I love him.”

“Pardon?”

I emphasized it again to Woo Seo-hyuk, who opened his eyes slightly wide as if surprised.

“Because I fell in love at first sight… just find him. I will marry him.”

I didn’t know if I could marry a man, but since Ha Tae-heon’s role was Cinderella, there was a possibility.

Earlier, when I pointed out that I was going to dance, he went on without pointing out that he wasn’t a woman.

“Prince, I would like to ask again for confirmation. Are you talking about the man who danced with you at the ballroom?”

“Yeah. That guy. I love him… that’s why I did it.”

I was embarrassed enough to die, but I answered as calmly as possible.

Woo Seo-hyuk, who had licked his lips several times with a complicated look at those words, asked in a low voice.

“I didn’t know you liked men.”

“That…”

“Didn’t you say you liked an innocent woman in the past?”

“……”

Did I say that? Or was it an illusion made by Woo Seo-hyuk, who was under mental control?

“I thought so too, but my taste has changed. Anyway, I really want to meet that man, so please help me.”

“…I understand.”

After hesitating for a moment, Woo Seo-hyuk nodded his head. He seemed less energetic than before. Why is it?

“However, there are many complicated procedures for getting married right away, so why not make a decision after you meet him again?”

“That’s fine, too. As long as we can meet, it doesn’t matter.”

“Yes. Then we will start searching in the city tomorrow morning.”

“Ung. If you find him, don’t treat him badly until I arrive. There’s no such thing as the death penalty.”

“Please do not worry.”

Thank, God. Although it was a bit embarrassing, it guaranteed Ha Tae-heon’s safety.

When I meet Ha Tae-heon, I will listen to the circumstances surrounding him and find out where the other team members are.