“R-really?” Carmine’s eyes widened as Bernard still had his arm wrapped around her waist, which looked less solid and daintier within her ripped princess dress.

The usually strong Carmine looked every bit the princess, right down to her blonde hair and blue eyes. Her armor had never done her body justice, hiding her alluring curves and inherent beauty. Now that the miasma had infected her, even her strength as a Paladin was being suppressed, and her expressions and mannerisms appeared more like Eliana.

“Carmine…” I reached out a hand to her.

“In this dungeon, she’s Princess Sophie, and she’s fated to be with me, the Demon Prince, remember?” Bernard’s expression turned dark.

“Please, don’t tell me you’re under the effect of the miasma!” I begged to Carmine.

Her face suddenly turned red and she brought her head against Bernard’s shoulder, “I won’t say.”

I felt like my heart was falling, and the anger inside of me was building to the point that the blade in my hand was starting to shake.

“You… bastard…” I spoke slowly and darkly. “Carmine, you can’t fall for him.”

“Eh?” Carmine glanced up. “Him?”

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“See? She has!” Bernard laughed. “This is truly fate. Even this dungeon knows it. Just accept your role as some useless human!”

The blood started to drain from my face as I started to remember the first dungeon I had ever been in. There was a bit of truth to Bernard’s words, and that was what stung the most. My relationship with Lydia had spawned within that first dungeon. Part of the reason we ended up together, or perhaps part of the reason we were able to survive the dungeon, was because of our relationship. It was ultimately a story about a boy and a girl. We were cast in those roles. I hadn’t been inflicted with a karmic curse at the time, but it had essentially been the same.

What that told me is that there was a reason that the dungeon picked these roles. There was a reason that Carmine had become the princess, and Bernard had become the prince. Perhaps, there were some underlying feelings there. Maybe it was destiny that they would complete this story. If I did nothing now, the Demon Prince would take her to the Capital with him. This would likely be the instigating event that started the human invasion. Without it, there would be no war.

“Um… I think you guys have the wrong-” Carmine started to say.

“Darn it!” My fist hit the wall, causing her to jump. “Carmine… I won’t let you be with any other man!”

“Master… about that…”

“I will take your heart, your body, and your mind and make them mine!”

“R-really?” Carmine’s eyes brightened, telling me my words were affecting her.

“Don’t be swayed by him,” I said. “I’ll buy you anything you want. I will fetch you the shiniest armor from the deepest dungeon. Anything you want, I will make it yours. As my woman, I will make sure you never want for anything. I will care and love you every day!”

“You beastly Slaver… you think you can just promise her stuff and get her to turn like that?”

“I-I’m listening…” Carmine said weakly.

“Gah! P-princess!”