The baron's firstborn had been searching for her for more than two hours since leaving the village. Once in the forest, he noticed recent tracks where someone had left the main path. He followed them and ended up in some bushes where the trees met the mountain. After pushing them aside, he found what looked like a dungeon entrance. No dungeons were known in this area, but that darkness behind the hole in the rock couldn't be anything else. He wasn't about to go in there unprepared, not knowing what monsters might be waiting. At first, he thought about doing it to help who he hoped would soon stop being his fiancée. But... was she really that reckless? Even a young lady who only knew libraries and ballrooms had to know what a dungeon was. Something strange was going on there, and he decided it was best to wait for her to come out. He hid in the undergrowth and armed himself with patience. When Bianca finally emerged, her clothes were covered in dust and destroyed in front, with several huge holes. Her feminine parts, at least, were covered. The young woman walked with confidence and determination, nothing like the timid, coquettish walk he remembered. He watched her leave. Was it really her? In any case, he had something to do.

He waited a few minutes and left his hiding spot, hurrying to the forest's main path, where he waited for her to arrive. Bianca, upon seeing him, slowed her pace and brought her hand to the hilt of the sword hanging from a belt at her hip.

Could she actually use it?

If so, how deceived he'd been.

"Lady Bianca, it's me, Marco Lacor."

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She looked at him with distrust and stopped, allowing him to approach.

"What do you want?" she asked somewhat harshly, not relaxing her grip on the hilt.

" Don't you recognize me?"

"Uh..."

"I'm your fiancé. Are you alright? Do you have some head injury affecting your memory?"

To his astonishment, the girl rolled her eyes, released the sword hilt, and put her hands on her hips.

"Fiancé?" she snorted. A tone unbefitting an educated noble. "Just what I needed. Well, look, yeah, a knock right to the head. I've got memory gaps and right now's not a good time. As you can see, I just cleared a dungeon and all I want is a bath and sleep. Well, and food, because this works up more of an appetite than swimming. So get out of the way, come back another day."

She reached out and pushed him aside.

Marco was so surprised he let himself be moved. He didn't say anything. Just watched her. Was this really Bianca, the girl with boring conversation and zero personality? He observed as she walked away down the path, moving with the confidence of a queen while dressed like a beggar and talking almost like a dock worker. He should have told her the engagement was off but he wasn't so sure anymore. There was something about this girl, about her change, about her claim of having defeated a dungeon alone, that intrigued him. He retraced his steps and entered the dungeon. What she claimed was true—not a monster remained, and the boss room stood with its door open and chest looted.

He couldn't get the image out of his head of Bianca leaving the dungeon, disheveled, face and clothes covered in dust, and a wild gleam in her eyes as if she'd just done something truly exciting.

Had she been pretending during their walks in the count's gardens? Or perhaps someone else had been possessing or controlling her through magic and spells?