IDBWM 05

Chapter 5

This was Daisy Hall.

And once again today, the place had been thrown into chaos.

All thanks to the fresh, piping-hot gossip surrounding Prina.

“So this isn’t ghosting—it’s amnesia ghosting.”

“Seriously, your ex ghosts you for over a week, keeps you waiting forever, then shows up at the meeting place pretending not to know you? And on top of that, accuses you of being some drunk causing trouble?”

“That’s insane.”

“I think this is the wildest dating story I’ve ever heard.”

Her coworkers fumed on Prina’s behalf. And honestly, who could blame them? The whole story was bizarre.

“Guys, I’m okay now.”

“We’re not okay!”

“R-Really?”

Prina felt grateful that her coworkers were angry for her sake.

Though more pressing concerns occupied her mind.

‘A twenty percent rent increase…’

She considered going back to selling medicinal herbs on the side like she used to, but even that avenue had long been cut off.

The landlord’s son—whose confession she had rejected—had reported her for illegally selling herbs out of spite.

‘That psycho.’

The landlord’s family practically controlled the entire district with money, and the city guards certainly weren’t on Prina’s side.

‘Sigh… so where am I supposed to get money?’

Since herbal work was out, she’d need to find something else…

“You useless bastards!”

At that moment, the head chef stormed in, a dishcloth slung over his shoulder as he roared angrily.

His flushed face twisted as he glared at the men standing at the entrance to Daisy Hall.

‘Those are officials from the Imperial Transport Department.’

“You can’t even transport ingredients properly? Your entire job is delivery! Then shouldn’t you deliver them on time?!”

“We already said we’re sorry! There was nothing we could do!”

All ingredients supplied to the imperial palace were managed by the Transport Department.

Had something happened during delivery?

“How am I supposed to feed those damn freeloaders now?!”

The atmosphere turned ugly. The knights nearby blinked nervously.

After all, they lived off the head chef’s cooking.

“We didn’t expect those idiots to get lost in the Black Forest either!”

The hall erupted into murmurs.

The Transport Department had gone into the Black Forest?

The Black Forest was infamous for terrifying rumors—evil spirits, curses, and worse.

‘In the original story, it eventually becomes a restricted zone… so I guess that hasn’t happened yet.’

But Prina herself could safely enter it.

‘Right. This is it.’

…A way to earn money had just appeared before her.

“Why the hell would they go into a dangerous place like that?!”

“We had no choice! The roads were completely blocked because of the upcoming victory parade, so they took a shortcut! Do you think they wanted to go in there? If we failed the delivery, it would’ve caused a huge problem, so they forced themselves to go!”

“…”

“We requested a search party from the palace, but they said they were too busy preparing for the celebration and told us to wait until after the event!”

The official’s voice trembled. Even the head chef could no longer keep yelling at him.

“Um…”

A tiny voice broke through the tension.

“…I-I have a way.”

“You do?”

The palace official frowned.

“Listen, miss. I appreciate the concern, but this isn’t something a young lady should involve herself in. Go back to washing dishes—”

“The transport workers are probably near the entrance of the canyon.”

“What?”

The head chef and the commoner official—who had been ready to kill each other moments earlier—both turned toward Prina.

“They disappeared early this morning, right?”

“Did I say that? How would you know…?”

“The reason they disappeared in the Black Forest is because of the demonic energy rising from the ground. It mostly appears at dawn.”

Daisy Hall fell silent.

Everyone’s attention shifted entirely to Prina.

“D-Demonic energy?! Something dangerous like that rises there? Don’t be ridiculous! I’ve never heard anything like that!”

Of course not. The investigation hadn’t happened yet.

“But it’s true. I heard rumors they’re going to officially seal off the forest soon because of it.”

“…There were rumors like that?”

According to the original story, an official closure order would indeed come soon.

“The workers most likely collapsed because of the demonic energy. But if they don’t take medicinal herbs before sunset, the poison will spread through their entire bodies.”

“Is that true?”

The imperial official’s face turned deathly pale.

He shifted anxiously, clearly imagining the fate of his workers.

“It’s okay. There are herbs inside the Black Forest. If we find them and feed them to the workers, they’ll survive.”

“…There are medicinal herbs in a cursed land like that? How would you know?”

“Um… my mother was a herbalist. She taught me a lot when I was young.”

The official’s expression changed instantly.

“You know herbs? Please! Then come with me into the Black Forest—!”

“No! Absolutely not! Prina, it’s too dangerous!”

The head chef barked loudly, shoving Prina protectively behind him.

“But Chef… if no one goes, those people will die before sunset…”

“What can a tiny thing like you even do?!”

“Well… that’s because you’re two meters tall…”

The chef’s face twisted violently.

Still, he was conflicted.

At this rate, those poor workers really would die in the Black Forest.

Finally, he let out a huge sigh.

“Damn it all. If you’re the type who’d sneak in anyway, there’s no point stopping you now.”

Without even waiting for her response, the chef turned toward the knights, who had been nervously eating while pretending not to listen.

“You lot! Time to earn your meals!”

The chef bellowed.

“All of you escort Prina! Anyone who refuses doesn’t get fed anymore!”

The knights only blinked blankly.

From their perspective, this disaster had appeared out of nowhere.

* * *

The Black Forest.

The name wasn’t an exaggeration.

Beyond the entrance stretched endless darkness.

Tree branches swayed violently in the wind like whipping lashes.

The knights accompanying Prina turned pale the moment they reached the forest’s edge.

‘…If I take these people inside, I’ll just end up with even more patients.’

“I’ll go in alone from here. And um… let’s keep this a secret from the chef.”

“R-Really?”

So they really didn’t want to enter.

The official asked nervously,

“…You truly intend to go alone?”

“It’s safe at this hour. More importantly, make sure you pay me the transport fee like we agreed.”

“O-Of course! Please come back safely, miss!”

Leaving the worried official behind, Prina stepped into the forest.

‘Phew. At least this solves my immediate money problem.’

Feeling relieved over something tied to other people’s lives made her feel guilty.

But she was desperate too.

‘Let’s see.’

After making sure nobody was nearby, Prina quietly purified the demonic energy swirling around her.

In truth, she possessed divine power as a Purifier, which was why she had volunteered—she knew she wouldn’t die in the Black Forest.

Other than her younger siblings, nobody knew this secret.

Prina wandered through the forest searching for the missing workers. Since they had entered at dawn, wagon tracks should still remain.

“AAAAAH!”

Suddenly, a horrifying scream echoed through the woods.

‘W-What was that?’

Prina blinked in shock.

Ever since rumors spread about the Black Forest, ordinary people never came here.

‘Could it be the transport workers?’

But something felt strange. Victims overwhelmed by demonic energy usually couldn’t even scream properly—their throats tightened too much.

Prina hurried toward the sound.

If she hesitated, someone might die.

“Ghk…!”

The closer she got, the more agonized the scream sounded.

‘…Their airway’s blocked?’

Prina broke into a run.

Before they stopped breathing entirely—

“S-Save…”

When she finally arrived, the scene before her was utterly unexpected.

The victim wasn’t screaming because his throat was closing.

A blade had been stabbed through his chest, leaving him unable to breathe.

The trembling man stared at Prina.

Then the shaking in his eyes stopped.

Frozen, Prina slowly turned her head.

Her gaze met the murderer’s.

Bright crimson eyes.

And beneath one eye—

a beauty mark, like the finishing touch on a painting.

‘H-Hugo…?’

Her mind went blank, as though she’d been struck in the back of the head.

‘Am I hallucinating right now?’

Because what Hugo had done to her was so absurd?

Or because she still regretted not returning the ring?

Otherwise…

There was no way the Hugo standing before her would calmly pull his sword from a man’s chest while holding her gaze so intensely.

A slow smile spread across his face.

“Seeing you again already?”

The hallucination spoke.

Cold sweat streamed down Prina’s back.

This had to be a hallucination. Please.

“But why is it that we keep meeting in places like this?”

His gentle voice brushed against her ears.

‘Why is Hugo here murdering people?!’