Alan had a headache. That damn old man—this wasn’t finding him a fiancée; it was handing him a hot potato, one that could burn him alive!

Layne, who’d been eavesdropping and peeking at Alan from the bar counter, caught a fleeting trace of helplessness in Alan’s eyes. She instantly concluded this female Dark Mage—who’d nearly killed her—really might be Alan’s fiancée!

Bacas Medi’s enchanting eyes sparkled with amusement. This handsome young man seemed so frustrated and resigned. What an interesting cutie.

“Hand me that parchment.”

Bacas Medi smiled as she passed the parchment to Alan. It bore magical certifications from her and that old man. Bacas Medi wasn’t worried—she truly was the fiancée of the Cloud Peak Guild’s leader.

Alan skimmed the parchment quickly, then handed it back weakly. He’d been tricked by that old man over a potato. And this was a Dark Mage? How had she survived in such a brutal world with such low intelligence?

Signing this binding contract without even meeting him first—Alan had never seen such a foolish Dark Mage. They say big chests mean no brains; he hadn’t believed it before, but seeing Bacas Medi, he did now.

Tall, with stunning curves and a face like porcelain—how could a girl like this be so dumb?

“Eh? Cutie, your name’s the same as your guild leader’s,” Bacas Medi breathed softly. Before she even neared Alan, he caught a faint, natural scent—not cheap perfume, but something pure and gentle. A maiden’s scent?

Alan wasn’t experienced enough to tell for sure. He’d only heard some girls naturally carried such a fragrance, supposedly only virgins.

The scent was pleasant, but her words left Alan speechless. He *was* the Cloud Peak Guild leader. She’d just said she’d kill him and then marry him—to his face. Was this girl out of her mind?

Treacherous. A fiancée like this was unacceptable. Better to trade her in for gold.

“Layne, upstairs. We’re staying here tonight. Tomorrow, take her to the city lord and hand her over.”

Alan steadied Bacas Medi’s slender frame and called to Layne, still slumped at the bar.

“Whoa, Alan! You’d sacrifice your own fiancée? If you hand her to the city lord, she’ll face burning at the stake. Are you sure?”

Layne was shocked. Alan wasn’t usually this ruthless.

“Are you stupid? Didn’t you hear her? She just threatened to kill me. Who’d want a fiancée like that?”

Bacas Medi, now sitting upright, blinked in confusion. Kill the cutie? Why would she? He wasn’t the guild leader.

Wait—Alan. Cloud Peak Guild leader Alan. Two Alans? Could this cutie *be* the leader?

“Cutie… are you the Cloud Peak Guild leader?” Bacas Medi asked uncertainly, gazing at Alan’s handsome face.

“Yes. He’s your fiancé, Renas Alan!” Layne answered for him.

Bacas Medi’s lovely mouth dropped into a perfect O. Her bewildered eyes glazed over.

This was complicated. Cutie Alan was her fiancé. Her fiancé had captured her. And she’d said she’d kill him to marry him.

Dark God must be in a foul mood today to let this happen.

So awkward. What now?

A flush of embarrassment spread across Bacas Medi’s flawless face. Dark Mages were human too—they felt emotions.

“Alan, before handing Bacas Medi to the city lord, confirm one thing: were the recent deaths in Newdali City her doing? If yes, I won’t oppose your decision. If not…” Layne took a deep breath. “She’s a Dark Mage and your fiancée. Choose wisely.”

“Kill? I haven’t killed anyone in Newdali City. Only Red Wolves. But I *have* sensed other Dark Mages lurking here—their stench reaches me from far away.”

Bacas Medi’s delicate face twisted in disgust. Dark Mages were a vast, fractured group. With many Dark Gods, infighting was rampant. They often killed each other with magic.

More Dark Mages died in internal conflicts each year than at the hands of the Light Cathedral or lawful mages.

The Light Cathedral only hunted evil Dark Mages. If one hadn’t committed crimes, they’d just register and go free.

“You haven’t killed anyone?”

Alan and Layne froze. Should they believe her?

Bacas Medi was a true Dark Mage—seemingly foolish but terrifyingly skilled in battle. Alan still remembered his butt getting bitten by her summon; Layne had lost all his magic. Trusting her felt risky.

Deep down, they hoped she was telling the truth. It’d be hard to accept if such a beautiful girl were a murderer.

“Bacas Medi, are you certain you haven’t killed anyone?” Alan scratched his silver messy hair after a pause.

“I swear to the Dark God—I haven’t killed in Newdali City.”

“No need for oaths. Whether you’ve killed or not, I won’t release you yet. Your magic stays sealed until the real Dark criminal is caught.”

Even if she was truthful, Alan wouldn’t let Bacas Medi go—not until the true culprit was behind bars.