What did I just hear? It felt as  if a loud ‘ding’ resounded in my head.

Unable to utter a word in my confusion, Irmin spoke,

“There’s an informant in the temple. It’s easy to get that kind of information.”

It was then I realized why Irmin knew about it.

Thinking that the rumor wouldn’t leak was foolish of me. With so many priests in the temple, it was impossible for secrets not to leak.

But what should I respond? It was obvious that I couldn’t reveal the truth. It would sound preposterous.

“……”

I chose to remain silent.

As I pressed my lips tightly together, Irmin grinned, as  if he had anticipated it.

“I know this must be awkward for you, so I won’t pry too much. But, may I set one condition?”

“…What is it?”

A condition. The word made me feel unease, but in my current state, I had to comply.

With an unabashedly bright smile, Irmin said,

“Meet with me once a day.”

“……?”

It was a condition I couldn’t comprehend.

What could he possibly want to propose such a condition? His smiling face made it even harder to discern his true intentions.

For now, I had no choice but to nod. It was as  if he had me cornered.

Seeing my compliance, Irmin seemed pleased.

“Well then. Shall we?”

“Shall we what?”

“Your escort!”

“……”

And so, under the guise of being my escort, I spent the entire day being dragged around by Irmin, chatting away.

* * *

Finally, after Irmin left, the broadcast also ended. It wasn’t the complete end of today’s broadcast. I just wanted a short break.

Being around someone so talkative had drained me. The angels, on the other hand, seemed excited and kept typing in the chat. Tired from both sides, I immediately lay down on the bed.

[Manager: You’ve worked hard]

The chat window still showed the manager.

“What’s with that guy, really?”

[Manager: I don’t know either]

[Manager: Did you think you could act like that and not get caught by anyone?]

“What should I do now?”

[Manager: You figure it out]

As usual, no help at all.

Right now, my mind was in turmoil. I had been diligently distinguishing between ‘this novel’ and ‘reality’. But now, someone had appeared who broke that boundary.

‘Is this okay?’

Even though Irmin was amicable towards me, an inexplicable anxiety was wrapping around my entire body.

* * *

It was only after dinner time that I turned the broadcast back on and left the room. Dinner had to be with Kabir, so it was inevitable.

It started as a casual comment, but it became an unspoken rule. Selena joined us on her first day, but apart from such special occasions, it was just Kabir and me dining together.

Spending dinner together every day, I’ve come to know quite a bit about Kabir.

He’s surprisingly picky about food. He only eats protein-based meals. He doesn’t even touch fish.

‘Come to think of it, I only really know about his dining preferences.’

It couldn’t be helped. I had only seen him during dinner. We both weren’t much for conversation, so we hardly chatted.

But today, there was something I had to say. Casually, during the meal, I broached the topic.

“Do you know that the crown prince came and went?”

“…Irmin?”

As expected, Kabir looked at me, surprised.

It seems he left without revealing his identity to Kabir.

Kabir let out a sarcastic laugh.

“Ha, he came and left on his own whim, as usual.”

“Does this happen often?”

“Very.”

Could it be that among the people who visited the mansion, Irmin was one of them? He’s shown up in various forms, making me curious about his real appearance.

“What did he do this time?”

“He came as my escort and just chattered away before leaving.”

“……?”

Kabir looked utterly baffled. If he came as my escort, he must have directly encountered Kabir. Kabir seemed newly astounded by Irmin’s audacity.

“I thought something was off…”

“I got played.”

“I know about it too, so don’t bother saying it.”

I smirked at Kabir. Though I wasn’t in cahoots with Irmin, seeing Kabir so annoyed felt somewhat refreshing.

As the conversation flowed, Kabir also began to speak up.

“But what on earth did you say to the lady to make her act that way?”

“……?”

Kabir suddenly brought up Selena, and I tilted my head slightly.

“What did Selena do?”

I had been worried since she dashed out.

But I didn’t think she’d confront Kabir directly. It seems I underestimated Selena.

“…If you don’t know, you’d better ask her directly.”

Kabir evasively changed the subject.

That made me curious. It seemed best to seek out Selena after dinner.

* * *

After dinner and a quick wash-up, I stopped by the room next door before going to bed. I was still in my pajamas, having come right before actually going to sleep.

Eric was probably waiting inside Selena’s room again today, as he was nowhere to be seen outside. The two of them seemed to be getting closer by the day.

After knocking on the door a few times, the person who emerged was Eric.

“……”

Eric flinched upon seeing me.

It felt like it had been a very long time since I last saw Eric’s face.

“Hello.”

I greeted him, somewhat anew. Eric’s eyes darted around. He seemed uncomfortable.

“…You’ve come to see the lady, right? I’ll wait outside.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“No.”

Eric firmly refused and stepped out of the room. Somehow, his back looked forlorn as he left.

Why the sudden distance? I didn’t know the reason but decided to enter the room, passing by Eric.

“Sister!”

As soon as I entered, Selena, who seemed to have been waiting by the door, hugged me tightly.

Seeing her like this, it seemed we had grown close. I gently stroked Selena’s hair.

Still holding me tightly, Selena looked up at me with her bright eyes.

“What brings you here at this hour?”

“Just thought I’d say goodnight before bed. And there’s something I wanted to ask.”

At my words, Selena pulled away, looking at me with an innocent expression.

“Did you say something to Kabir?”

“……”

At my question, Selena clamped her mouth shut. She even averted her gaze slightly.

She really did something. It was the first time I’d seen Selena react so nervously.

I stared intently at Selena. The silence lingered, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

Finally, Selena opened up.

“It’s nothing big… I just suggested that instead of taking you away, he should get engaged to me.”

“……”

I had somewhat expected it, but hearing it from Selena herself was quite astonishing.

It wasn’t a game of hot potato. We were both, in our way, proposing engagement to Kabir.

“That’s serious business with the duke.”

“I… I did speak politely!”

But considering Kabir’s apparent dissatisfaction, it seemed unlikely Selena had been calm during the conversation.

“Be careful in the future. It’s not good to be at odds with the ducal family.”

I uncharacteristically reprimanded Selena.

Unlike me, Selena was someone who lived in this world. She couldn’t act as  if there was no tomorrow, like me.

Selena drooped her shoulders, looking dejected.

At that moment, the door opened.

“Sister!”

The person who barged in was Finley.

Right, she was staying here too. I sometimes forgot.

“Finley, hello!”

Selena greeted Finley cheerfully, grateful for an escape from the situation.

Finley gave a small smile to Selena, then grabbed my arm and led me away.

“Sorry, Selena. I need to borrow her for a moment.”

“Okay!”

Selena let me go without hesitation. I was led out of the room by Finley.

Only Finley and Eric, who was standing guard at the door, were in the quiet hallway. Regardless of Eric’s presence, Finley, seemingly unbothered, shot at me,

“Is it true you’re engaged to the duke?”

“Yes.”

I answered nonchalantly, almost brazenly.

Finley asked, incredulous,

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Why ask the obvious?”

It seemed Finley had only recently heard the news. Unlike with Selena, whom I had told directly, I hadn’t mentioned anything to Finley, so it was understandable that he was unaware.

“Why did you keep it a secret?”

“It wasn’t really a secret.”

“Then?”

“I just forgot to tell you.”

Finley looked exasperated. But what could I do, it was the truth. Finley, suddenly becoming my younger brother, was someone I often forgot about. Maybe it’s similar with real siblings. I wouldn’t know, having been an only child in my previous life.

“Why would you suddenly do such a thing…”

Finley frowned, then continued,

“Did you do it deliberately because of Selena?”

What a misunderstanding.

The situation was getting more and more complicated.

“Think whatever you want. I’m tired, so I’m going to bed.”

“Hey!”

Despite Finley’s indignant protest behind me, I ignored him and entered my room.

The broadcast was off, and now it was time to truly sleep. I lay down on the bed.

As I was drifting into a light sleep, someone came to my room.

“……?”

Who would visit at this time?

It was almost midnight. I got up from the bed, still half-asleep.

After a long yawn, I headed towards the door.

Opening it, I found Eric standing there.

“…Eric?”

I called out his name, surprised.

Eric’s expression was complex, as  if a mix of emotions were tangled within.

Moonlight spilled through the corridor windows, casting a shadow behind Eric. His face was shadowed.

His expression looked melancholic. Were Eric’s eyes always so downturned? With that expression, his normally soft features seemed even more pronounced.

“What brings you here at this time?”

As he didn’t seem inclined to start the conversation, I broke the silence.

Eric hesitated, clearly wrestling with his thoughts.

I waited patiently for him to speak.

“Lady.”

After what felt like an eternity, Eric finally spoke.

“…Can’t you not go through with the engagement?”