After bathing, washing off the sweat from their training, and breakfast, Kemiro guides Mandipha through the corridors of his home.

Though luxurious, the furnishings are of lower quality than the ones expected of a support family. Mandipha wondered if this was a deliberate choice or just part of the treatment Kemiro received from his family.

Soon, they began descending a staircase leading to the basement. Instead of a traditional cellar, they arrived in a well-lit room with no furnishings, just a single door on the wall opposite the stairs.

“There’s no lock?” Mandipha commented as they approached the door.

The wooden door had a refined design that surpassed anything in the upper part of the house.

Kemiro didn’t respond, and to Mandipha’s astonishment, he simply walked through the door.

“An illusion?” Mandipha stopped abruptly.

“Only if you’re with me.” Kemiro stuck his head back through the door, smiling, clearly pleased with Mandipha’s surprised expression.

Realizing that Kemiro was enjoying his little trick, Mandipha smiled and asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Coming back, Kemiro stood to the side, nodding his head and saying, “Try touching the door.”

Without hesitation, Mandipha does so.

“Eh? It’s solid! How is that possible?”

Feeling the door was indeed real, Mandipha ran her hands over it, pushing with force, but the door remained immovable.

With a confused expression, Mandipha looked at Kemiro, questioning him silently.

“This is a security system that Azarthine and I developed. Without my authorization, anyone can pass through it.”

With that, Kemiro extended his hand to Mandipha. Curious about the development, Mandipha took Kemiro’s hand without saying anything.

“If you want, you can close your eyes during the crossing.”

With that, he walked through the door and pulled Mandipha along with him.

Surprised, Mandipha shielded her face with her other arm. However, she soon heard Kemiro’s voice.

“You can open your eyes now.”

Hesitantly, Mandipha does, only to be overcome with awe at her surroundings.

Outer space. The only words filling Mandipha’s mind.

Above and below them, two galaxies moved slowly. Myriads of stars adorned the surrounding darkness, forming nameless constellations.

“Did we teleport? Where are we?”

Confused, Mandipha looked behind her for a point of reference, only to be startled to find that the door they came through disappeared.

The shock was so great that she tried to walk back in search of an answer, but her analytical skills betrayed her.

Mandipha came to her senses when Kemiro gently tugged on her arm.

“You don’t need to worry. The door is still there, even if you can’t see it.”

Mandipha turned to Kemiro with an apprehensive expression, only to see him pointing to his eyes.

“To see the path to the door, you’ll need at least Akrava.” Emotionally looking around at the environment, much like the first time he entered the passage, Kemiro continues, “Even with Azarthine’s help, I can’t fully understand the laws governing this passage. The only warning she gave me is that this passage has a blend of illusion and Spatial Laws. I should never stray from the path; otherwise, I will get lost in between spaces.”

Hearing the explanation, Mandipha unconsciously gripped Kemiro’s hand with superhuman strength, afraid of losing him.

Sensing her involuntary action, Kemiro smiles at her and says, “Come on, the surprises aren’t over yet.”

With no other options, Mandipha follows him, stepping exactly where Kemiro stepped on. Feeling a bit anxious, Mandipha used her free hand to squeeze the tip of her tail to calm herself.

After a few dozen steps, Kemiro said, “We’ve arrived.”

Mandipha’s heart races as she notices a door ahead of them. An ordinary wooden door, much like any office door.

Kemiro opened the door by turning the handle, and Mandipha sighed in relief as she saw the interior: a luxurious office with sofas and armchairs, an opulent desk, exotic plants, and shelves filled with books, grimoires, and scrolls. There was even a separate area for a kitchen.

Above the desk, she notices a white stone jewelry case adorned with various flowers carved into its surface.

How beautiful!

Without waiting for Kemiro's introduction, Mandipha stepped into the office, relieved to anchor herself in something mundane.

Click!

However, she jumped at the sound of the door closing behind her. She felt like something was lost and immediately turned to face Kemiro, who had inquisitive eyes.

"Oh! Did you lose your connection with your Goddess?"

Mandipha couldn't hide her shock. She took a few steps back, distancing herself from Kemiro, her brows furrowing as she asked, "How long have you known?"

"Actually, I never knew," Kemiro replies. "I just started suspecting after Azarthine casually mentioned sensing divine presences emanating from the Capital Barrier and the Hauveron territory." Noticing that Mandipha’s expression grew more serious, Kemiro continues, now with a disinterested tone as he walked toward the kitchen, followed by Mandipha's gaze. "First, allow me to clarify a few things."

Kemiro selects various high-quality ingredients to prepare his favorite tea; he explains, "This space wasn’t created to trap anyone inside. It exists to protect me!" Glancing at Mandipha, he saw a shift from wariness to confusion on her face. "A few years ago, right after I summoned Azarthine, she revealed to me that outside the exclusive surveillance system for each residence, the property above is constantly monitored. Not surprising, since every Pillar House has a similar system, right?"

Mandipha nodded in agreement. Seeing that she was responsive, Kemiro offered a slightly awkward smile and went on.

“In my case, I started becoming paranoid."

“Huh?” Mandipha expresses her surprise at this unexpected confession.

"Strange, isn’t it? But it was serious for me. I became so paranoid, constantly stressed by the thought that the main house was watching my every move, that I started getting physically ill. It got so bad that Azarthine designed this space to serve as a 'safe haven' for me. For example," Kemiro pointed to various doors between the bookshelves, explaining, "That door leads to my bedroom. That one, to a training room. And this door here leads to a full bathroom; it's my favorite spot, with a tub as large as a pool." He turns to her with an earnest expression, saying, “So please, don’t think I brought you here as part of some malicious scheme. This place is special to me... Only here do I truly feel at home."

Recognizing the affectionate way he speaks about this place and analyzing Kemiro's demeanor, she sees no lies.

“The loss of connection with your Goddess wasn’t intentional. It’s just an isolating effect of this space, meant to block any external interference. This isolation is what allowed me to overcome my paranoia. Apart from my Pair, you’re the second person I’ve invited here. The first was Safix.”

Kemiro allows Mandipha time to absorb the information. He noted that her expression softened, though there were still reservations about the situation. Understanding that's a normal reaction, Kemiro says, “I understand that I’m being selfish, but to move forward, you have two options.”

Kemiro’s face became expressionless as he pointed to the entrance door. “First option: You choose to leave this space. We’ll leave immediately and call off this engagement, which doesn’t make sense to begin with.” Mandipha looks like she had something to say, but Kemiro ignores her, smiling; he continues, “Or, you can join me for tea, and as part of my request for winning our bet, we can have an honest conversation, where the secrets shared here will stay within this space. What will you choose?”

Kemiro fell silent, turning his attention to preparing the tea and some accompanying sweets, waiting for Mandipha’s response.

“For the first time in my life, I feel cornered, unable to find a path to a satisfactory solution. Kemiro is far more capable than I ever imagined. To think he would lead me into such an unfavorable situation. This is the problem of dealing with people you don’t have enough information about.

But that’s not my fault! How could I have known he’d be so clever? My Goddess didn’t warn me about any of this. She told me she wouldn’t interfere too much unless I became an Apostle, but she’s not helping me at all.” Feeling her emotions turning against her Goddess, Mandipha sighs inwardly.

Her attention is drawn to Kemiro, who was watching her with his enigmatic smile, holding a tray of tea and assorted sweets in hand, including one of her favorites. Her brow twitched in indignation as she glared at him, thinking, “AAAHH! I just want to jump at him and squeeze all his secrets in alphabetical order! And what’s with that smile? Do you think you’ve cornered me so much that you can act all superior? Well, you’re not exactly wrong, but I’m not accepting it!

My grandmother was right. Having contact with our Goddess doesn’t mean we only reap benefits. If she hadn’t made me that proposal in the first place, I would’ve never noticed Kemiro.

It’s not like I dislike him, though; in fact, he’s starting to captivate me, revealing secret after secret, tightening the rope around me. Honestly, this feeling of helplessness—it's a first for me. Defending our territory against Boronéa House’s incursions is easier.

It would be easier to throw in the towel and look for another candidate. But is there anyone out there more captivating than Kemiro and everything he’s shown me so far? And what else is he hiding? AAAHHH! But again, there’s my Goddess’s proposal. I have no reason to doubt her words. Yet, I’m losing confidence that I can handle Kemiro in the future, even after learning his secrets.

No! No! No! No! I’m being too negative! Who am I? Mandipha Hauveron! There’s no one in my family that can decipher my paths. Why am I having these defeatist thoughts in the first place? Once I uncover his secrets, he’ll have no guarantees of manipulating me like he has so far.”

Lost in thoughts, Mandipha’s attention is drawn to a sorrowful comment from Kemiro, making the corner of her mouth twitch in indignation.

“Ah! The tea’s getting cold.

“Guuhh! OK! OK! My congratulations, Kemiro Boronéa! You’ve really managed to pique my interest. Let’s see what you’re capable of!”

Resolute, Mandipha adjusts her posture and walks over to the luxurious sofa. Sitting down, she looks at Kemiro with a charming smile and says, “I like my tea very sweet.”

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