I Hid That We Were Dating from the Blackhearted Man Who Lost His Memories
Maddy
기억을 잃은 흑막에게 연애 중인 걸 숨김 May 25, 2026 64 views
Chapter 5
This was Daisy Hall.
And today, the place was once again in complete uproar.
All thanks to the fresh, piping-hot gossip surrounding Prina.
“This isn’t ghosting. This is dementia-level breakup behavior.”
“So let me get this straight—the ex-boyfriend who ghosted you made you wait over a week, then showed up at the meeting place pretending not to know you, and on top of that accused you of being some drunk causing trouble?”
“That’s insane.”
“I think this is the wildest relationship story I’ve ever heard.”
Her coworkers fumed on Prina’s behalf. And honestly, who could blame them? The story really was bizarre.
“Guys, I’m okay now.”
“We’re not okay!”
“R-Really?”
Prina was grateful they were angry for her sake.
Though as thankful as she was, there was something more urgent on her mind.
Twenty percent increase in rent?
She wondered if she should go back to selling herbs as a side job like before, but even that option had long since been cut off.
The landlord’s son—whose confession Prina had rejected—held a grudge and reported her for selling herbs without a permit.
That lunatic.
The landlord’s family practically controlled the whole district with money, so even the guards weren’t on Prina’s side.
Haah… so where am I supposed to get money now?
Since she couldn’t work as a herb seller anymore, she had to find something else…
“You damned idiots!”
At that moment, the head chef stormed in with a dishcloth slung over his shoulder, roaring furiously.
Red-faced, he glared at the men standing at the entrance to Daisy Hall.
Those are officials from the Imperial Transport Department, aren’t they?
“You can’t even handle transporting ingredients properly? Your whole job is delivery! Then shouldn’t you deliver things on time?!”
“We said we’re sorry! It’s not like we had a choice!”
All food supplies for the imperial palace were managed by the Transport Department. Had something happened during delivery?
“What am I supposed to feed those useless gluttons with now?!”
The atmosphere turned vicious, and the knights nearby only blinked nervously.
They had all eaten the chef’s meals for a long time, making them exceptionally obedient in moments like this.
“How were we supposed to know those idiots would get lost in the Black Forest?!”
Daisy Hall instantly erupted into murmurs.
People from the Transport Department had gone into the Black Forest?
The Black Forest was infamous for terrifying rumors—evil spirits dwelling there, cursed land, and all sorts of dreadful stories.
In the original novel, it becomes a restricted zone… so I guess that hasn’t happened yet.
But Prina knew she could enter it safely.
Right. This is it.
…A way to earn money had just occurred to her.
“Then why’d you go into somewhere so dangerous in the first place?!”
“We had no choice! The roads were completely blocked because of the upcoming victory parade, so we took a shortcut through the forest… We’re losing our minds too! Do you think those workers wanted to go in there? If we failed to make the delivery, it would’ve caused a huge problem, so they were forced to go!”
“……”
“We requested a search party from the palace, but they said they were too busy preparing for the celebration and told us to discuss it after the event is over!”
The official’s voice trembled. Even the chef couldn’t continue yelling after hearing that.
“U-Um…”
A tiny voice broke the silence.
“...I-I have a way.”
“You do?”
The imperial official frowned.
“Look here. I appreciate your concern, miss, but this isn’t something a young lady should involve herself in. Just go back to washing dishes—”
“The transport workers are probably near the entrance of the gorge.”
“What?”
The chef and the commoner official—who had been moments away from tearing each other apart—both turned toward Prina.
“They disappeared at dawn today, right?”
“Did I say that aloud? How would a young lady like you even know—”
“The reason they vanished in the Black Forest is because of demonic energy rising from the ground. It usually surfaces around dawn.”
At that moment, Daisy Hall fell completely silent.
The arguing men were now fully focused on Prina.
“D-Demonic energy?! Something that dangerous rises there? That’s ridiculous! I’ve never heard anything like that!”
Of course he hadn’t. The investigation hadn’t happened yet.
“But it’s true. I heard rumors that an order to seal the area off will be issued soon because of it.”
“...There were rumors like that?”
According to the original story, the closure order would indeed come very soon.
“The workers most likely collapsed because of the demonic energy. But if they don’t take the proper herbs before sunset, the poison will spread through their entire bodies.”
“Is that true?”
The imperial official’s face turned deathly pale.
He anxiously stomped his feet, terrified about what might have happened to his workers.
“It’s okay. There are medicinal herbs in the Black Forest. If we find them and administer them, they’ll survive.”
“...There are herbs in that cursed place? And how would you know that?”
“Um… my mother was a herbalist. She taught me various things when I was young.”
At once, the transport official’s expression changed.
“Miss, do you know about herbs? Please! Then come with me into the Black Forest—!”
“No! Absolutely not! Prina, that place is dangerous!”
The chef immediately barked out, shoving Prina behind his broad back.
“But Chef… if I don’t go, those people will die before sunset…”
“And what exactly can someone as tiny as you do there?!”
“That’s only because you’re two meters tall…”
The chef’s face twisted ferociously. Even he was conflicted.
At this rate, those poor workers would really die in the Black Forest.
Eventually, the chef let out a huge sigh.
“Damn it all. If you’re the kind who won’t listen even when stopped, then there’s no point trying. You’d sneak in anyway.”
Without even waiting for Prina’s response, the chef spun around toward the knights, who had been nervously eating while watching the situation unfold.
“You lot! Time to earn your meals!”
The chef roared loudly.
“All of you go with Prina! Anyone who refuses gets no more food from me!”
The knights, who had already been eating in fear of him, only blinked in confusion.
From their perspective, they’d just gotten dragged into disaster out of nowhere.
* * *
The Black Forest.
The name was no exaggeration—the inside of the forest looked pitch black even from the entrance.
Branches swayed violently in the wind like whipping lashes.
The knights who had followed Prina turned pale the moment they arrived at the forest entrance.
...If I bring these people in, I’ll just end up with more patients.
“I’ll go in alone from here. Um… let’s keep this a secret from the chef.”
“R-Really?”
So they really didn’t want to go in.
The official asked anxiously,
“...You truly intend to enter alone?”
“At this hour, it’s fine. More importantly, you’ll definitely pay the transportation fee like promised, right?”
“O-Of course! Please just come back safely, miss!”
Leaving the worried official behind, Prina stepped into the forest.
Whew. At least this solves my immediate money problem.
Feeling relieved over a matter involving people’s lives made her feel guilty.
But Prina herself was on the verge of being thrown out onto the streets, so she had no other choice.
Let’s see…
After confirming no one was nearby, Prina purified the demonic energy swirling around her.
In truth, she was a Purifier who possessed holy power, which was why she had volunteered with confidence that she wouldn’t die in the Black Forest.
Aside from her younger siblings, no one knew this secret.
Prina wandered through the forest in search of the missing workers. Since they had entered at dawn, there should still be wagon tracks left behind.
“AAAHHH!”
Suddenly, a horrifying scream echoed through the forest.
W-What was that?
Prina blinked in alarm.
Ever since the terrifying rumors spread, ordinary people never entered the Black Forest.
Could it be the transport workers?
But something felt strange. When someone was overtaken by demonic energy, their throat constricted—it was difficult to scream that sharply.
Prina hurried toward the sound.
If she hesitated because of her doubts, the workers might die.
“Ghk… gghk…!”
The closer she got, the more the screams sounded like someone clawing at their own throat.
...Is their airway blocked?
Prina broke into a run.
Before their breathing stopped completely…!
“S-Save… me…”
When she finally arrived, the sight before her was nothing like she expected.
The victim wasn’t screaming because they couldn’t breathe.
A blade had been driven straight through their chest, leaving them unable to even draw breath.
The owner of the scream trembled violently as they looked at Prina.
Then the trembling in their gaze stopped.
Frozen, Prina slowly turned her head.
Her eyes met those of the assailant who had just killed a man.
Bright crimson eyes.
And beneath one of them—
a beauty mark, like the final touch of a masterpiece.
H-Hugo…?
Prina’s mind went blank, as though she’d been struck in the back of the head.
Am I hallucinating right now?
Because what Hugo had done to her was too absurd?
Or because she regretted not returning the ring?
Otherwise…
There was no way the Hugo before her could be leisurely pulling his sword from the dead man’s chest while staring deeply into her eyes.
