11.

“I heard you haven’t been feeling well.”

Why would he say that…? Erable looked up at him cautiously, confusion written across her face.

“You drank quite a lot yesterday. Maybe I should have stopped you?”

“I’m fine.”

Erable carefully ate her oatmeal in the most polite posture she could manage, all while trying to gauge Dezeb’s mood.

“Commander, is there something you need me to do?”

Erable racked her brain for ways to appear more respectful. If kneeling would make her seem more deferential, she would have done it. The tension in her neck was causing a stiff ache, and she made a mental note to get muscle relaxants tomorrow—if she was still alive by then.

“There it is again.”

Dezeb chuckled, looking down at her as he asked.

“Lieutenant, am I making you uncomfortable?”

It was such an obvious question that she didn’t even need to answer it, but there he was, leaning on the table with one hand, asking anyway.

His gaze was so piercing, it was unbearable.

Her body felt smaller and smaller, and her stomach twisted into a tight knot. Without thinking, she responded.

“Yes… uncomfortable.”

“I want to get closer to you, but you seem to find me uncomfortable, don’t you?”

“No, not at all. I’m really not uncomfortable.”

“Should I leave, then? If the homeowner wants me to go, I will.”

“No, really, I’m not uncomfortable at all.”

Even as she spoke, Erable could feel something wasn’t right.

But knowing that didn’t mean she could stop.

“I’m really glad you’re here, Commander. I’ve always wanted to get closer to you.”

“Is that so?”

Dezeb finally softened his expression, smiling gently. Erable, relieved, tried to smile back but faltered halfway.

“It makes me happy to hear that. I was worried you found me uncomfortable. Alright then, let’s get closer from now on.”

“Yes…”

This wasn’t what she intended at all…

“There’s a fourth movie in that series we were watching last night. Want to continue?”

“Yes… sure…”

Dezeb casually crossed the living room in just a few steps, his long legs making the small space seem even smaller. With practiced ease, he picked up the remote and turned on the TV, settling in as if it were his home.

It was eerily familiar—the way he handled the remote and scrolled through the channels. Almost like he had done this before. That was more frightening than the horror movie itself.

‘Am I really going to die like this…?’

Erable blankly stared at Dezeb’s back as he turned on the TV.

He seemed like some sort of living weapon.

Whether it was his sheer presence or the setting, Dezeb appeared even more imposing here than he did in the office. At 188 cm tall, with a frame devoid of any excess fat, his mere presence made her shrink back.

The difference in their physicality was overwhelming.

He was lean, but his bones and muscles matched his height perfectly. Even just being near him made her body instinctively tense.

With her 160 cm frame, running away was impossible. The difference in their leg lengths alone made it clear—there was no escape. If he hit her once, she’d be crushed in an instant. Her brain started to spiral into thoughts of murder, death, and dismemberment—just like last night.

Of course, even in this moment, Dezeb was stunningly beautiful, which made it all the more terrifying…

“Do you like what you see?”

Erable, who had been staring blankly at his back, quickly turned her head, thinking of her will tucked away in the freezer.

Was there anything she needed to add or update? If so, she needed to do it before she died today.

“If you’re done eating, take your medicine and get comfortable. Let’s watch together.”

Dezeb spoke from the sofa, looking entirely at ease.

Erable did as he instructed, swallowing her stomach medication and cleaning up her oatmeal before sitting beside him.

“You fell asleep during the third movie last night. Want to start there?”

He asked as if it had just occurred to him.

“I’m fine.”

“Hmm, or we could watch something else. There’s plenty to choose from. Do you not like comedies?”

Was it her imagination, or did he seem a little… excited? Erable glanced at him cautiously.

‘Why?’

Dezeb, sitting with his legs crossed and leaning casually on the armrest as if this were his own home, looked unusually pleased. Maybe some stock in the Merchant Union had gone up?

“Horror sounds good.”

“Alright.”

He turned on the fourth movie.

The production company’s logo flashed across the screen. Now that she thought about it, she didn’t even remember how the third movie had ended.

But that wasn’t the only issue. She had no idea where Dezeb had slept last night or what time it had even been.

Did he sleep in my bed? Or maybe he didn’t sleep at all? If that were true, did I just pass out drunk beside a wide-awake commander?

Well done, Erable. If you’re going to die anyway, passing away in your sleep is the best option.

With that in mind, Erable desperately wished to lose consciousness again.

“Can I have a beer…?”

“No. You have gastritis.”

“Oh… okay.”

She had no idea why beer wasn’t allowed because of gastritis, but Erable just shut her mouth and stared quietly at the TV.

By the time they were watching the fourth movie, she felt as though she might develop some kind of strange emotional connection with the ever-appearing spirits. Trembling through yet another terrifying scene, she could feel Dezeb’s gaze drilling into the side of her head, just as it had yesterday.

But she couldn’t turn her head to meet his eyes.

It was terrifying… Terrifying to the point where she felt like her head might explode. Her breathing became shallow and labored from the tension.

His gaze didn’t leave her for a single moment, and soon her mind went blank, unable to process anything else.

Without the help of alcohol, things were even worse than they had been last night.

At this point, the movie didn’t even register in her mind.

Here they were, the two of them alone in her tiny apartment… the perfect setting for something to happen.

If his large hands were to grab her head and slam it down on the armrest of the sofa, that would be it. It would probably take him longer to clean up the mess than to kill her.

Or maybe he’d simply twist her neck and be done with it, a clean break, and he could take care of the body in ten minutes tops. That’s if she was lucky.

If he decided to toy with her instead, things would be far worse.

She’d be forced to sing her favorite song while dying or write a letter to her family, like a makeshift will. She’d seen it happen before.

In two years, she’d witnessed plenty.

Her stomach churned again. If she hadn’t already taken her medicine, she might have ended up hugging the toilet by now. Her back stiffened, and cold sweat dripped down her forehead.

As her face grew paler, Dezeb finally chuckled and turned his gaze away. She could tell that he was letting her off, giving her some respite.

Tears welled up in her eyes from sheer gratitude.

Once he finally shifted his attention back to the movie, he watched for a bit before losing interest. Getting up from the sofa, he began wandering around the room, minding his own business.

With the space beside her now vacant, Erable finally allowed herself to breathe again. She took a deep breath and exhaled cautiously.

Dezeb strode around her apartment with his long legs, appearing here and there in her peripheral vision as he moved.

While the movie played on, Dezeb casually showered, changed his clothes, and opened her fridge to inspect its contents.

Once the movie ended, Erable had no choice but to look over at him.

Dezeb Avganis, dressed in casual clothes, looked perfectly at ease.

He was wearing light gray sweatpants and a white T-shirt, with his damp hair still clinging slightly to his face. He looked so comfortable, like he was the owner of this place.

The fact that he’d showered and changed his clothes implied he might be staying the night again.

But this is my house. My opinion… He did ask earlier, didn’t he? He said, Should I leave? And I said no…

…Right.

There was no point in getting brave now. Challenging this man would only result in a pointless death. She might not live long, but at least she wanted to die peacefully, maybe even of natural causes. If not, euthanasia wouldn’t be so bad…

‘I don’t get it. He said he wants to get closer? That’s so random, I can’t even pretend to believe it. This is my third year in the military, and now we’re suddenly fostering a relationship?’

‘…A month, a month and a half.’

Erable briefly recalled the bet the others had placed and inhaled sharply.

Meanwhile, Dezeb had laid his laptop out on the dining table. He really brought a lot with him, she thought.

Clothes, oatmeal, and now a laptop. The funny thing was, she had just noticed it now.

The idea of Dezeb Avganis carrying all of this stuff was beyond her imagination. She couldn’t remember him bringing any of it.

This sleek, nine-headed beauty of a man, now rummaging through her fridge, was utterly surreal.

“I’ll replace this tomorrow.”

He said, meeting her eyes while holding up a beer can he had opened.

“…Okay.”

Did that mean he was planning to come back tomorrow?

“But Lieutenant, what do you even eat?”

“…Excuse me?”

“The state of your fridge is dire. All I see is instant food and beer.”

Dezeb peered into the fully open fridge, his voice sounding almost judgmental.

“There’s milk, and a few cans of fruit.”

Erable said, feeling the need to defend her fridge.

Dezeb closed the fridge door and looked at her, a faint smile playing on his lips. She had no idea why he was smiling.

“All of it’s expired.”