Chapter 1

“I thought you might be behind this. The flourishes in your handwriting felt vaguely familiar. But I really hoped it wasn’t you, Shade,” I said, glaring.

I recognized my adoptive younger brother’s face instantly—obviously, since we’d been living under the same roof until just a few months ago. I certainly hadn’t hoped to see him again here, and I’m sorry to say that our reunion was not at all a happy one.

Shade looked back at me, his face frozen into an affectless mask, but I could see a trace of delight in his eyes.

***

Let me give you a quick rundown of what’s happened so far.

A letter had been left on my doorstep early this morning, most likely by the ringleader of this whole mess, El. I remembered the address it’d invited me to as I was chasing after Lily’s kidnapper, which led me to this mansion. As soon as I set foot inside, I found myself face-to-face with Prince Seth again for the first time in a long time. And once we’d ascended the staircase, whom should I happen to find but my adoptive younger brother, Shade, sitting comfortably on a sofa?

It was still too early to say if this meant that Shade was El. But judging by how at ease he looked, it seemed pretty safe to assume that he had something to do with Lily’s kidnapping.

I’d really hoped that I wouldn’t see him here, though. I mean, Shade is an obsessive little creep with a canonical penchant for locking away the main character for good. The last thing I wanted to do was make an enemy of him.

“Shade Schwarose? I can’t possibly imagine what reason you would have to kidnap Liliana, much less to summon me here. But—”

“Ah... A moment please, Your Highness,” Shade interrupted, noticing that Seth was readying to unsheathe the sword at his waist. His tone was cool and composed.

“I won’t object to a verbal or physical joust—I’ll fight you to the death, if you like—but I only cooperated with Lady Liliana’s kidnapper because I have business with my sister. Shouldn’t your priority be to go after the mastermind or to track down Lady Liliana?”

Apparently, he really didn’t have any business with Seth, because he pointed at the staircase and jerked his head in its direction as if to say, Well? Hurry up and get going. His black bangs fell over his eyes.

It made a lot more sense to me that someone else was behind all of this. It was hard to pinpoint why Shade would go to all this trouble to kidnap Lady Liliana and bait us out here. I was still pretty certain El was responsible, but I wasn’t any closer to an actual idea of who they were.

“I’ll get the whole story from you later, but know that cooperating with this ‘mastermind’ implicates you in their crimes. I hope you’re prepared to accept the consequences,” said Seth.

“I know what I’m getting into,” replied Shade. “But don’t you have something more important to be doing? You’d better get going. It seems to me that Lady Liliana lost her wits before I or my partner in crime even laid a finger on her.”

What Shade was suggesting only made me even more worried for Lily, but I knew I couldn’t just leave him here and go off looking for her. This was partly because I felt like I needed to keep him in line...but also I couldn’t ascend to the next floor before I’d figured out why he’d done this. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t my brother by blood—in this life, he was still my little brother.

I was fully prepared to stay, but I knew that Seth probably wasn’t. His priority was saving Lily, after all. This wasn’t the time for him to be getting caught up in other affairs. And as much as his royal title necessitated his own protection, he was much more capable in combat than I was. The logical choice was for him to go ahead of me.

It seemed like we were on the same page, but I could tell that he was having some doubts about leaving me here alone. Frustration was written all over his face.

I looked him in the eye and gave him a meaningful nod, as if to say, Go. I’ll take care of Shade. I was hoping it would be the push he needed. As much as I hated him, he was my former fiancé, and fortunately it seemed we could still communicate without words. He gave me a defeated look in return and clucked his tongue.

“Yell if you need me. I’ll come running,” he said quietly.

Then he took off up the next staircase.

You know, if you weren’t always lording it over people, you’d actually make a pretty dashing prince, I thought. You’ve definitely got the face for it.

The way his beautiful golden hair shone in the light as I watched him from behind, he looked just like a real hero. A knight in shining armor, one might even say.

And if I’m in the hero’s party, then that kind of makes me a hero too, right? I’m not sure most people would buy that kind of thinking from a random commoner, but whatever...here we are.

Wait...hold up. Isn’t this like one of those clichéd scenes where the weak sidekick tells the hero to go on without them? Where they’re all “You go on ahead! Leave these guys to me!”? Why does it feel like I’m just foreshadowing my own death here?

“Well, then... Now that there’s no one to get in our way...” Shade began ominously.

I was lost in my RPG fantasy world, but Shade didn’t know that. He got up from the sofa and took several smooth steps toward me, looking as refined as ever.

“It’s been a while, sister dearest.”

The way he said that was so casual, it almost felt like it really was just a coincidence that we’d met here again. As usual, the boy was too stone-faced and monotone to read. It was exactly the same greeting he’d given me when he’d last paid me a visit.

I was a little pissed off that he was acting so casually, under the circumstances, but I put those feelings aside. I took in a deep breath, trying to keep my composure, and braced myself before giving Shade a stern look.

“I don’t understand why you felt you had to go to these lengths just to talk to me,” I said.

“Don’t pretend that’s the problem.”

I was floored by his quick rebuttal—and confused. I had no idea what he meant by that.

I gave him a puzzled look. The look he gave in return made me feel like he could see right through me.

“It’s not that you don’t understand. The problem is simply that you don’t even try. Even from the very beginning, you’ve always avoided me. You’ve never made any attempt to understand me. Isn’t that right?”

After a long pause, I replied, “I don’t know what I could have done to give you that idea, but no, that isn’t right.”

“Ah ha ha!”

My eyes widened as Shade burst out laughing. I couldn’t believe my ears.

He’s laughing? Out loud? That’s weird... Shade always smiles slightly in that classic way that creepy, obsessive characters do, but he never lets his inhibitions go enough to laugh or cry. The only time he does that is in his route’s good ending in the game. Basically, he has to resolve all his emotional hang-ups before he can actually express himself.

So why is he able to laugh like this now? Is it because of something El’s done?

“You never change, do you?”

As the smile suddenly fell from his face, I found myself feeling a bit shaken. But I knew I couldn’t let him dictate where this conversation was going, so I steadied myself emotionally and refocused.

“Never mind me. Do you really understand the gravity of what you’ve done, Shade?”

“Are you upset?”

“Do you even have to ask? Of course I am.”

“Ah ha ha!”

Despite the serious nature of our conversation, Shade burst into a laugh again.

I felt another rush of anger swell up inside of me. This time I couldn’t just push it down. I kicked the floor with all the force I could muster. The sound echoed throughout the hall, as if piercing the air.

“Hey, do you think you could not laugh in my face? I’m on the verge of getting seriously angry here.”

“But that’s exactly why I’m doing this, sister dearest—to make you angry.”

“What?” I blurted out.

You’re trying to piss me off on purpose?

“Hold on. You’re not trying to tell me that you did all of this just to rile me up because you hate me, are you?”

“Huh? What are you talking about? I love you, sister dearest,” Shade replied, eyes wide with shock.

“You what?!”

I couldn’t help raising my voice, my tone betraying the anger and confusion I felt at his response. I had absolutely no idea what was going on anymore.

Nothing about the way he’d been acting suggested that he loved me. How was I supposed to believe him? There had still been something redeemable about him back when I’d thrown that bread in his face and stopped his creepy behavior in its tracks, but he’d taken a dark turn since then.

When did he turn into such a twisted kid? Is it El’s fault? Is this all El’s fault?!

“Your bad habit of overthinking things has made you lose sight of the simple truths right in front of you. You don’t even understand yourself, do you?” Shade said, his voice dripping with criticism.

Is it really my fault that I can’t understand him? I wondered. To be fair, he’s not the only one who’s told me I don’t understand myself. Nika’s said that to me several times too, so it’s hard to argue with that. What “simple truths” have I not been seeing, though?

No...it’s pointless. I’m not going to figure this out. I feel bad giving up this quickly, but I really have no idea what he means.

Actually, I should probably have my guard up... This is pretty textbook coercion. There’s no easier way to get someone to buy into a lie than to package it in truth. He might just be saying all of this to confuse me.

“In all fairness, I could probably afford to give things a little more thought,” Shade added.

Even in my exhausted state, I felt a pang of recognition when he said that. But I was too distracted to really inspect that feeling. I was feeling increasingly uneasy about the strange silence from the upper floors. I’d been expecting some sort of clamor, but it was eerily absent. There must have been something up there. If there weren’t, then Seth would’ve come back downstairs.

I want to hurry up and run up there too, I thought.

“No matter how ‘simple’ the truths I’m missing are, I’ll never figure them out if I don’t know how to see them. If you could show me, I’d really appreciate it,” I tried, after cooling my head and reeling in the hostility for a moment.

Shade looked at me with an amused expression on his face.

“I was just thinking that I’d like to draw this out a bit, but...at this rate, I’m not sure you’ll ever figure it out. So, how about you play a little game with me?”

A game? I don’t know what the hell that’s supposed to mean, but maybe he’s going to spell things out for me a bit more?

I gave him a look that implored him to elaborate, and he obliged.

“I’ll pose three questions to you. I’ll even give the answer to one of them, but I won’t let you continue upstairs until you understand everything. Once you do, I swear I won’t interfere or try to stop you or anyone else. Well...physically, at least. That’s the nature of the game. How about I start us off? First: why did I agree to be an accomplice to Lady Liliana’s kidnapping? Second: why am I so fixated on you? Third: why is it so impossible for you to escape from your fate, Felicia Schwarose? There you have it. Will you play?”

I swallowed my spit—and, with it, my nerves.

The third question felt markedly more significant. Surely that was connected in some way to El?

“May I start by asking a question? You’re not just going to try to close the book on that third question by saying that El is pulling strings from behind the scenes, are you?” I asked.

“No, that’s not where I’m going with this. All I can speak to is you, me, and our relationship...so you won’t get any answers like that.”

It was hard to tell from his answer whether he meant that he’d been forbidden from talking about El or whether he was just as in the dark as I was. But one thing was clear: I wouldn’t be able to catch up to Seth until I knew—and understood—the answer to each of his three questions.

Of course, Shade could stop me handily if he actually wanted to. As a nobleman’s son, he would have had a fair amount of combat training—certainly more than enough to subdue me, considering that I had absolutely none. And from where I stood, there was no reason not to play along with his game. Even if all I had to go on was his word, he’d presented a pretty compelling offer. It’d be a weight off my shoulders not to have to worry about him interfering any further if I beat him. Besides, I had a feeling that I knew how to really make him sweat a bit once I’d answered all his questions.

All things considered, it seemed like playing along would be the right call here. If he was going to give me one answer as a freebie, I needed to think carefully about which one I wanted.

I knew the answer to his second question—the one about why he was so fixated on me—from playing Lady Rose in my past life. The boy had a colossal inferiority complex; how could he measure up to “the perfect Lady Rose”? As an adoptive son of the Schwaroses, it was understandable that he might harbor those feelings toward their biological daughter. What’s more, I’d been doing my best to play the part of the perfect protagonist I knew from the game. I could imagine that living under that huge of a shadow would drive him pretty nuts.

As for the third question about why I couldn’t escape my fate...well, I’ll admit that I was pretty eager to know that myself. But if it didn’t have anything to do with El’s influence, then all I had to do was psychologically profile Shade to find the answer. I had a feeling that’d be easier than trying to answer the first question.

“All right... I choose question one, then. Will you tell me why you agreed to be an accomplice to Lady Liliana’s kidnapping?” I asked.

“I figured you’d choose that question. I’m happy to answer it for you, but just so you know, I’ve already told you the answer.”

You’re kidding... When?!

I narrowed my eyes, giving him a suspicious look. He gave me a sweet smile in return. He’d been smiling an awful lot at me today. It was almost like he’d forgotten that he was supposed to be the deadpan guy.

“It’s because I’ve always wanted to make you angry,” he said, still smiling, without any hesitation. There wasn’t a trace of artifice in his tone.

Wait... What?

I racked my brains, desperately trying to process what he’d just said.

How does that have anything to do with Lily’s kidnapping, though? Wait... Huh?

“So, you kidnapped her...because you wanted to make me angry? That’s the only reason?”

“That’s the only reason,” he confirmed.

Oh, god... Does that mean poor Lily just got wrapped up in this all because of me?! Actually, wait... I feel like I tried to ask him about this before. But he told me he didn’t do this all because he hated me. Is there some subtle distinction I’m missing here?

“You really did all of this just to upset me? But...I thought you said you didn’t hate me?”

“I don’t hate you.”

“I don’t understand...”

Why would he go to such extreme lengths to make me angry if he didn’t hate me? Surely you’d have to despise someone from the bottom of your heart to be willing to commit a grave crime just to upset them?

I don’t understand you, Shade. I feel like that’s all I’ve been saying lately, but I honestly mean it. I don’t understand you at all. The more this conversation unfolds, the more mystified I become.

“Question one has now been answered. So, on to question two: Why am I so fixated on you?”

“Because I make you feel less than. You’re jealous of me because I know how to navigate the world of the upper crust and I’m a Schwarose by blood.”

“Hmm... So, you picked up on all of that, huh? There’s more to the answer than that, though. I want to hear the rest...from your own mouth.”

“There’s more to the answer than that”? I repeated his words in my head, puzzling over them. So, he’s acknowledging that he does envy me and that he does feel overshadowed...but there’s something else? There’s a reason that gets even closer to the heart of it all?

“Is it because I foisted all of the responsibility of taking on the Schwarose name onto you and became a commoner?” I guessed.

“It’s not about anything that recent,” he replied. “It’s about something that’s been playing out ever since we first met.”

When did we first meet again? Hmm... I’m pretty sure it was after I’d realized that I was living in the world of Lady Rose. By then, I think I’d already made up my mind to avoid him. I don’t feel like I did anything that would have made him fixated on me, though. I mean, all I ever did since meeting him was make any excuse to avoid him.

But from the way Shade is talking about this, I must have done something, right? But what...?

Our conversation ground to a halt. In the absence of our voices, I was keenly aware of the silence that filled the mansion. I still hadn’t heard a peep from upstairs. I’d figured eventually there’d be a scuffle, or at least a few heated words, but nah, nothing doing.

I really hope the Pompous Prince hasn’t passed out and lost all his strength or something... It’d be pretty embarrassing for him to just wind up adding to the hostage count.

Okay, that’s enough, Fii! Focus on the situation at hand!

“You can’t figure it out by yourself, can you? I’d feared as much. You had some good guesses, at least,” said Shade somewhat sadly.

He wasn’t smiling anymore. It felt like he was talking to himself, giving voice to some truth that he’d resigned himself to acknowledging.

As I looked at him, it finally began to dawn on me that what he’d become was neither his fault nor El’s—it was mine. He was acting like this because, unbeknownst to me, I’d been operating under some misunderstanding.

That didn’t excuse him for what he’d done to Lily. But, while I didn’t understand why he was looking at me so sadly, I knew that it had something to do with something I’d failed to recognize. That was the whole reason that he’d done what he had and why we were standing here right now.

It would have been great if that realization was enough to lead me to the answer...but unfortunately, it wasn’t going to be that easy. The only reason that the detectives in mystery novels and the like could land on answers so quickly was because they were blessed with keen intellects and preternatural perception. As much as I tried to rack my brains in silence, not a single idea came to me.

“I just can’t help but go easy on you. I guess I really do have a bit of a soft spot for you,” Shade said with a smile. “Shall I give you a hint?”

I knew that if I refused out of pride, I would never get to the answer. So, I didn’t hesitate to throw the small ounce of pride I had out the window and bow my head.

“I love you to the bitter end, sister dearest. No matter what I do, I can’t help but adore you...and no matter what I do, you always remain out of my reach. So, give some thought to the answer to question one and what it was that struck you as strange. It’s all related to the answer to question two.”

I did exactly what he said. If there was one thing that struck me as strange, it had to be...the question of why he would try to upset me if he loved me.

Is there any circumstance where anyone would want to upset someone they love? I wondered. A few ideas came to mind: a grade school boy who teases his crush, a kid who acts out to get the attention of their busy parents, and someone trying to play a little good-natured prank on their partner.

What do all of those have in common...?

“You wanted to upset me...because you wanted a reaction?” I tried. “You wanted me to notice you. You wanted me to feel something toward you. Is that it?”

“Yes. Well done. That’s the answer to question number two.”

“It is? That seems less like a cause than an effect, though. Surely that would be a reaction to being fixated on me rather than a reason for it?”

“Can you blame me? You’ve never even once looked my way.”

“Can you blame me?” Seriously?

Well, to be fair...I guess he’s right. I never did look his way, since I was trying so hard to avoid him. I can see how it might’ve come across like I didn’t care about him.

I still don’t understand, though. He’d have to be fixated on me to begin with to care about that, right? I mean, if I didn’t matter to him, then why would he care that I was trying to avoid him?

I’m sure Shade feels like he’s already given me more than enough information to go on, but it’s just not clicking...

But Shade didn’t seem to be impatient with how slowly I was putting things together. Instead, he opened his mouth again to tell me more.

Maybe he really does have a soft spot for me?

“I’ve looked at you feeling nearly every way a human being can, but you’ve never even so much as returned my gaze. Despite everything I’ve felt about you, you’ve never seemed to feel anything for me. That’s why I’ve developed this painful, pitiful yearning for you. I became obsessed.”

I could see the despair in his eyes.

Now that he’d told me everything, I finally felt like I understood. In essence, thanks to me ignoring him and pretending that I didn’t feel a thing toward him, his once-small fixation on me had grown out of hand.

“So...this is all because I avoided you?”

“Is that your takeaway? No. It’s not because you avoided me. You’re still thinking too surface level.”

Sorry, Shade. I guess I didn’t put it all together after all...

Wait... Hang on, what now? He’s given me this many hints, and I still haven’t figured it out? Am I actually just a complete dunce?

What the heck were you on about when you said you could “afford to give things a little more thought,” Shade? That’s actually a really rude thing to say to someone as stupid as me who can’t even figure out answers she’s basically been spoon-fed. So, knock it off with the modesty, will you? It makes the rest of us look bad...

“You should know what I’m talking about, sister dearest. Is there really nothing coming to you? Do you really think I’m such an idiot that I wouldn’t put the pieces together after ten whole years of living under the same roof? I know I can’t compare to the superior intellect of the perfect Lady Rose, but ouch... That hurts.”

“Huh? No, I was just thinking that you’re completely outwitting me. I can’t keep up,” I said, cocking my head as I made eye contact.

“Oh... So, you’re just making another assumption about me? You sure do love to make assumptions, don’t you, sister dearest?”

I was taken aback by how quickly he turned things around on me with a comeback. I’d forgotten what a sharp tongue he had. I already knew that side of him, though, so it wasn’t a total surprise. Besides, he only lashed out like this from a place of brutal honesty—not to try to knock people down.

What did he mean about me loving to make assumptions? Well...I guess I’m not easily dissuaded once I’ve made up my mind about something. I do get pretty fixated on whatever explanation I’ve come up with, and it’s hard to think of any alternative possibilities. I should probably try to fix that.

“I basically gave you the answer with my comment about you making assumptions, but it seems like you still don’t get it, do you? I’d really like to help you figure this out, though,” Shade said. “Hmm... Okay, how about this? The first time that you actually saw me was when you threw that baguette in my face, wasn’t it? That was the only time that you’ve ever really looked at me. That’s why I wanted to make you angry again.”

My eyes went wide with shock as I looked at him.

“How could that have possibly been the first time I saw you...? At the very least, you can’t say that I didn’t see you when you came to the village to visit me after I’d been estranged from the family. I’d say I was definitely looking at you then.”

“Are you sure? Was it really me you were seeing?”

Huh...?

I looked at Shade.

How could you say I haven’t been seeing you this whole time? Are you saying I haven’t really been perceiving you? But...that makes no sense...

Does it?

The boy I was looking at was Shade Schwarose, my adoptive younger brother. Among fans, he was sometimes known as “the Trapper.” His expressions never held a trace of emotion, and he always spoke in a completely flat yet casual tone. He fit neatly into the “obsessive stalker” archetype, and—

Wait...are these all just assumptions I’ve been making about him?

Oh. I think I get it now.

“I don’t know why you’re like this, but I wish you’d stop assuming you know everything about me without even trying to get to know me.”

I bit my lip as I felt his criticism pierce straight through my heart.

I’d been living under the same roof with Shade for years. We were family...and yet, I’d only ever seen him as a character from a video game. I’d never seen him as a real person, just like myself. When I stopped to actually think about it, I realized for the first time that everything I felt I knew about him, I’d learned from the game.

“And now, my beloved sister is finally seeing me. I’ve never been happier,” he said, smiling. He really did look happy.

I felt like I finally understood him. Shade had diverged so far from who he was in the game, doing things that his in-game character would have never been capable of. I had no choice but to see him as a completely distinct entity now.

It was all because he’d gone to such drastic lengths that I could see him now for who he was: a real person.

“I’m sorry...” I said. “I’m so sorry.”

Scene from a Mansion

Little did Fii Crow know that, just as she had finished answering her estranged younger brother’s three questions, a whole cast of characters who carried the future of the kingdom on their backs (each with their own connection to her) had sneaked in.

Yes, you heard that right.

Unlike Fii, who had entered the mansion head-on from the entrance hallway, they had opted to take a hidden back door. And presently, they were rushing through the mansion’s labyrinthine secret passages.

Now, I’m sure you have some questions. Perhaps you’re wondering how a group of people who had presumably never before set foot here could possibly know of its hidden back door.

The leader of the pack, a peasant nun named Nancy, held the key to all such mysteries—which is to say, a literal key. She’d known where to look for key and door alike.

Naturally, this aroused a fair amount of suspicion. Nancy, however, had nothing to say for herself.

“I just know, okay?!” she declared forcefully when asked about her unusual knowledge of the grounds. “Forget about that! Saving the saint is our priority right now!”

It was hard to argue with that. The others who accompanied her had decided to put aside their suspicions—for the time being, at least.

Melvin Crabitt found himself smiling at the girl’s outlandish behavior.

He knew exactly who owned the mansion. After all, he knew everything about everyone who was anyone in the kingdom. But even he didn’t grasp why Nancy had so much insider information. He racked his brain, but he could think of no possible explanation.

Nancy had been working as a nun in the same local church ever since she’d been a child. As far as Melvin could ascertain from the intel he’d gathered, Nancy should have been completely in the dark about any connection she had to this mansion. There would have been no way for her to have learned about it.

Melvin couldn’t help but smile. Nothing brought him greater joy than unraveling the mysteries of baffling human behavior.

Let’s shift our attention to a different character now, shall we?

Perhaps feeling that the burden of suspicion had eased (thanks, no doubt, to Nancy taking it on herself), one of Nicholas’s guards approached the other casually.

“Hey,” he said.

“In case you’ve forgotten, we’re on the clock. Let’s save the private chatter for later, please.”

Despite advancing as quietly as possible, so that no one in the mansion would be alerted to their presence, the guards were also running at a much faster pace than the rest of the group. And yet, they didn’t seem the least bit out of breath.

If you were to guess what they were doing from their voices alone, you would probably assume that they were having a leisurely conversation as they sat down for tea. They spoke so softly that an average person standing next to them would struggle to catch all of it. Only the guards’ keenly trained hearing made such subtle conversation feasible in such extreme conditions.

Despite the formal guard’s blunt refusal to engage with him, the casual guard continued, completely undeterred.

“Well, if you ask me, I reckon this is a li’l above our pay grade. I mean, we’re guards, y’know?”

“Yes, indeed we are. Very astute of you,” said the formal guard. Then, after a moment of silence, he seemed to relent. “Oh, fine. What?”

The formal guard picked up on the hidden meaning in the casual guard’s words. With an irritated expression on his face, he prompted the casual guard to continue. He knew he had no choice but to hear him out.

“I’m just wonderin’, y’know...what are we s’posed to be doin’ right now?” the casual guard mused cheerfully.

The formal guard let out a sigh. Is he really this clueless? he wondered.

“As long as it doesn’t interfere with anything, we guard. That is our job, in case you forgot.”

“Guard whom, though?”

“The two of them. The others, too, I suppose...if we have the capacity,” replied the formal guard. “I’m sure this goes without saying, but that doesn’t include Prince Nicholas. You must understand why.”

“Yeah. Don’t need to, right? Hold on, though. I know who one of the people we need to guard is, but who’s the other?”

“Someone we’ll find at our destination. You could say that we’ll have paid off our final debts once they’re safe. Does that ring a bell?”

“Yup. I’m hearin’ it crystal clear now.”

He figured that out pretty quickly, thought the formal guard. It was a low bar, but he was impressed. Of course, he forgot all about that in a matter of mere seconds.

Once their conversation had ended, the formal guard tore his gaze from the casual one to look at his master, Nicholas.

His master had been quiet for some time now. It was dawning on the formal guard that he must have realized there was likely something more than met the eye to the future queen’s kidnapping.

Nicholas had figured it out sooner than he’d expected, but the formal guard wasn’t at all troubled—nor did he feel the need to say anything to him about it.

That said, he did feel just the slightest pang of sympathy toward the prince. It seemed that the advice his meddling partner had given him—to profess his feelings sooner rather than later—would go to waste after all.

The two guards had begun working for Nicholas right around the time that Felicia Schwarose had been cast away to live as a peasant. The only reason that they had become his guards, instead of anyone else’s, was because his status and his movements made him the most convenient candidate. There was nothing more to it than that. The two guards felt almost no attachment toward the man whatsoever.

No matter what anyone does, the ending won’t change. Lady Rose probably has no idea what’s in store for her, nor does she know just how carefully the traps have been laid. In some form or another, El’s prophecy will come to fruition...and when it does, there will be no way to undo the consequences.

The formal guard felt confident in this. To him, it felt exactly the same as the inevitable epidemic that had wiped out the village he’d grown up in with the other guard.

After all, that was just the nature of fate.

“You think Lady Rose is winning?” the casual guard asked out of nowhere.

“What?” the formal guard blurted out, surprised more by the content of the other guard’s question than anything else. The monosyllabic question, and the threatening low tone he used, came out almost out of habit. “What the hell are you talking about? Of course she isn’t. She’d better not be, or something’s gone very wrong.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“Because she has no clue what’s going on. Not only does she not understand the situation at hand, she doesn’t even understand herself. And until that changes, she has absolutely no chance of facing things head-on and claiming a victory.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, however, the formal guard felt himself privately arguing with what he’d just said.

But if she did get a grasp of the whole situation, then maybe she could reverse her fortune.

Even as he thought so, though, the formal guard didn’t really believe that she could—and it didn’t change the fact that, as he’d said before, it would mean that something had gone very wrong.

“Well, I think she’s got it in her.”

“Huh? On what grounds?”

“I dunno.”

The formal guard stared at the casual guard with utter astonishment in his eyes. Naturally, the casual guard paid him no mind.

“Look, I’ll admit it: I don’t have any reason for believin’ in her. But wouldn’t it be cool if she could change fate? I’ve been hopin’ she’ll find a way to screw it all up. Of course, I say that as a loyal servant of El, yeah?”

“So your reasoning is purely emotional?” retorted the formal guard. “Well, I suppose you’re right, though. Maybe that could have some merit. I say that as a loyal servant of El, of course.”

The two guards bumped fists, laughing. Naturally, no one had heard a word they’d said. They were so quiet, it would have been impossible to tell that they were even talking.

“So...this is fate, is it? I suppose there’s no fighting it after all,” muttered Nicholas, in a self-deprecating tone so quiet, no one heard him either.

Chapter 2

Okay, I’ll be honest: I know it was kind of weird to brandish a baguette as a weapon, and I didn’t exactly expect it to be especially useful. Mostly, I was just hoping it could calm my nerves.

But soon as I flung the doors open, I was grateful that I had it. Because immediately, I felt myself falling into confusion and panic over the scene that lay before me.

“With this, I’ll return everything to the way it was supposed to be. I loved you, Seth,” a sweet, familiar voice said. I would have called it “translucent,” if voices could actually be that way. She muttered something, but from where I was standing, I couldn’t make it out.

Slumped on the floor and looking depleted of all energy was Lily, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time (at least, not while she was conscious). She was smiling through her tears.

With a steady grip, she was pointing a sharp knife straight at her neck.

I had absolutely no idea what was going on, but fortunately, my body moved on its own. Without a moment’s hesitation, I flung the baguette I’d been wielding straight at Lily’s slender arm.

Baguettes could be pretty hard, but I figured that it wouldn’t do any serious damage even if it hit her. I’d like to say I thought about that before I threw it at her, but truth be told, I honestly didn’t have the time to think until the deed had already been done. The only thing I’d been thinking about when I threw it was how to make her drop the knife before it plunged into her throat.

Fortunately, my plan worked. The baguette hit her straight in the arm, forcing her to drop the knife. It fell to the ground with a metallic clang and slid across the floor. I couldn’t believe how perfectly I’d pulled that off.

“What? Bread...? No... It can’t be! Lady Rose?”

Lily, who was probably not expecting to have her suicide attempt thwarted by an errant breadstick (to be fair, I doubt anyone in this world would), spent a good several seconds just blinking at the interloper in shock. Then, she turned to scan the room for me. When she found me, her face contorted into a look of distress that shook me where I stood.

I was still frozen in the pose I’d struck hurling the baguette; I stared back at her, feeling about as awkward as any woman could, with my right arm and left leg thrust out in front of me.

I had absolutely no idea why Lily would have wanted to kill herself. But before I asked any questions about that, there was something else I needed to know...

Where the hell is that Pompous Prince?! What’s he doing, asleep at the wheel at a time like this?!

I briefly broke eye contact with Lily to look around the room angrily in search of him. That’s when I spotted his dazzling golden hair. He was sitting on the floor, hanging his head. He was closer to me than to Lily, basically right by the doors.

This is no time to be loafing around! I wanted to yell at him. But after pausing for a second and putting aside my anger, I realized that something was wrong. Never mind his love for Lily—Seth’s pride would never permit him to chill out on the floor like that. After all, he was supposed to storm in here and let the kidnapper know that they’d never get away with this. At a glance, it didn’t seem like he had any injuries. So what in the world had happened?

“Your Highness...?” I tried.

“What?”

“Wait, seriously? That’s all you have to say?”

Seth’s head was hanging so low, I couldn’t see his face. His voice sounded the same as always, but there was no way that he’d just sit around and do nothing while his fiancée tried to commit suicide if he were conscious.

“I have no right to stop her,” said Seth plainly, as if offering an answer to the questions that were swimming in my head.

Huh? Wait... What the hell is he talking about? If someone is trying to commit suicide right in front of you, that’s not really the time to be thinking about anything but stopping them!

“Liliana and I...have nothing to say for ourselves,” Seth said. He shifted, and I saw that he was wearing a self-deprecating look on his face that didn’t suit him at all.

I was utterly mystified, but a tap on the back of my shoulder interrupted my confusion.

“Sister dearest, if I may? Even I didn’t expect Lady Liliana to try to take her life as soon as we walked through the door, so I can understand what you must be feeling. But before you get distracted in your confusion, shouldn’t you at least confirm who’s behind all this? Don’t you suppose there’s someone else in this room with us? A fifth person, perhaps?”

Shade’s composure knocked some sense back into me.

That’s right...the mastermind must be in this room with us. They’d know why Lily tried to kill herself and why Seth has given into despair and given up too. They’re the one who’s responsible for Lily’s kidnapping: El.

I might as well just ask someone to take me outside and shoot me if I couldn’t take the opportunity to pull back the curtain on the final boss when it was offered. I mean, who does that?

In the midst of all the craziness that had just played out, I’d gotten a bit of tunnel vision. Now that I’d hardened my resolve, I gave the room a good long once-over. That’s when I saw the fifth person.

“Huh?”

I was so floored by seeing them here that all I could do was let out a doltish expression of surprise. But no matter how many times I rubbed my eyes, I still saw the same person standing there.

Hold on... How in the world could he be El, though?

“Evan...?”

The fifth person in the room was none other than the brunet puppy dog love interest, Evan Douglas.

N-No way. This can’t be happening.

We’d only met once since the engagement had been annulled, and that was only the morning after it had all gone down. We hadn’t even talked about anything important. He’d been his usual, sweet puppy dog self, and I’d responded the way I always did: by putting on an innocent act. It wasn’t exactly memorable, but I was pretty sure we’d just had a meaningless conversation.

It seemed a little hackneyed for him to appear out of nowhere as the final boss. It just didn’t really feel real, I guess. I mean, was it even possible for someone of his social standing to be El? Sure, he was a noble, but his status didn’t exactly afford him any special privileges. Besides, we’d barely had anything to do with each other. He’d just had an unrequited crush on me, that’s all.

“Evan... Why? What reason could you possibly have to kidnap Lil—I mean, the future queen consort? I don’t—”

I’d love to know, because I can’t think of a single one...

My voice shook as I spoke, making it abundantly clear how rattled I was. I’d barely begun another sentence when suddenly, I became too shocked to even speak. The warmth and tenderness with which Evan smiled at me felt completely at odds with the situation we found ourselves in, and the sight of it had rendered me speechless.

What? Why are you smiling? Was this all just an act, Evan? Including your love for me? Is that why you’re taking such delight in tormenting me right now?

No... I knew his smile wasn’t sadistic. Just like Shade’s, it was a smile of real, genuine love for me.

“I have my reasons—reasons compelling enough to risk even the death penalty for my actions. I’d gladly die for the cause,” Evan said.

His gaze was determined. That smile he wore, along with his kindness and conviction, made him seem more like a protagonist than a final boss. In fact, he seemed like a hero.

How can you look so full of righteous conviction when you’ve just kidnapped poor innocent Lily? I wondered.

“Your virtuous and noble spirit constrains you, Lady Felicia. That’s why—”

“Wait!” cried a soprano voice, interrupting Evan.

I turned my head to see Lily, who’d managed to get back onto her feet at some point. She was pointing the knife at her neck again. My eyes went wide with shock.

Crap! I was so fixated on Evan that I stopped paying attention to Lily!

Evan seemed like he was about to say something, but the priority now was knocking that knife out of Lily’s hands again. I knew I couldn’t just rush over and take it from her, though—it was too reckless.

Wh-What if I just slowly reached into my bag again for the other baguette? I wondered. No... She’d definitely notice that!

Baguettes may be somewhat discreet in their unremarkable brown color, but it certainly wasn’t going to look so discreet if I pulled one out in the middle of all this!

“Lady Rose need not know anything. It would be better if she lived her life in ignorance. I’m sure you must agree with that, Evan Douglas. I wish for her to return to her position as future queen consort completely oblivious. That’s your wish too, is it not?”

“Yes... Yes, that’s exactly right.”

I’d come here to save Lily and to find out the truth. And yet, Lily seemed to be denying me on both fronts.

She and Evan both want me back as queen consort? But...why would they want that?

Hmm...maybe I should think about this from a different angle. What if Evan isn’t El? What if El is manipulating him and Lily, completely unbeknownst to them?

As I was lost in my consternation at their exchange, Lily turned to face me with a pleasant smile on her face. But even as she smiled, she took her knife in both hands and steadied its deadly angle. I knew that if I made one wrong move, she might just plunge it straight through her flesh. But I felt my breath catch in my throat at the realization that it would probably end that way even if I did nothing.

“Oh, Lady Rose, your beauty and kindness cannot compare. I beg of you, please don’t try to stop me again. This was my fate from the very beginning. Let me give my life to correct the distorted future that lies ahead of us.”

She’s giving up her life for something like fate? I thought. She’d throw it all away...all to fix it? That’s the only reason?

I was so confused now, and infuriated by how helpless I felt to stop her. Hearing her say that only compounded things. I felt tears of frustration welling up in my eyes at her baffling reasoning.

“But I don’t—” I began.

I was about to finish the sentence with “want to be queen!”, but she didn’t let me. Before I could get the words out, she brought the knife forcefully home.

It was obvious just from a visual assessment that the distance was too great to close, even if I ran. Even if I wanted to throw another baguette at her, I didn’t have enough time to reach into my bag for it either. Shade, Evan, and Seth were also too far to help—even if they wanted to.

All I could do was watch, helpless, as Lily took her own life.

Blood spattered all across the room.

And yet...the knife was no longer in Lily’s feeble hands. She didn’t even have a scratch on her.

How? It was such a brutal cut. I swear I saw her blood spatter!

It was physically impossible for anyone to reach her in time...at least, for anyone in the room that I was aware of to reach her.

“Whew! You sure didn’t hold back, did you, Miss Saint? Let’s work on that survival instinct, okay?” said Nana in a joking manner.

The knife had pierced her hand, but she pulled it out without a moment’s hesitation. Without anything to stop the blood, it fountained from her hand as Lily watched on in a daze.

“Nana...?” The nun’s name spilled out of Lily’s mouth. It was clearly more a question for herself than for Nana.

There was no way that Nana could have been in the room. Until just moments ago, all I could see was a wall where she stood now. And yet...here she was. She must have suddenly pushed through a hidden door and intervened just in time, making a spur-of-the-moment decision to sacrifice her hand to stop Lily from taking her own life. It was clear that she hadn’t hesitated—nor had she stopped to consider the damage she might do to herself in the process.

“Yep, it’s me, Nana! Please don’t ask me why I intervened, okay? I’m really mad at you right now.”

As soon as she said that, Nana’s smile suddenly vanished.

“I wish you wouldn’t run off and try to off yourself like this. You have no idea how much trouble you’ve caused me,” she said.

Her voice was frigid. Listening felt like being pierced by icicles, and it was clear from the way she’d spoken that her intervention had nothing to do with concern for Lily’s life and well-being.

The genuinely irritated, aggrieved tone she took was nothing like I’d ever heard come out of her mouth the many times that I’d spoken with her. But sure enough, I’d heard it. Unable to make sense of it all or accept it, I just watched Nana’s every move in disbelief.

Then, out of nowhere, Nana’s expression contorted into one of fear and contrition.

“Oh, n-no! That’s not what I meant to say! Please, I didn’t mean any of that! I only blurted that out because I was upset! I take it back! I-I swore I’d save her no matter what, didn’t I?! Um, so, that’s why I was so mad that she was trying to die!”

Her strange slip of the tongue was pretty egregious, so I could certainly understand why she’d be flipping out a little and fumbling over her words as she tried to smooth things over. But the weird thing was...she didn’t seem to be saying any of this to Lily. She wasn’t even looking at Lily. Instead, she looked up as she spoke, as if she were apologizing to someone we couldn’t even see. If it hadn’t been for that, the trust in Nana I’d developed over time might’ve been enough to hold on to.

No...this isn’t the time to be pondering Nana’s real intentions.

The fact of the matter was that Nana had interrupted Lily’s suicide attempt, and now she was saddled with a pretty serious wound for her trouble. The blood spattered across the room was pretty horrific on its own, but even more dreadful was the steadily progressing stream of red pouring from her hand onto the ground.

“Nana, you’re hurt! We need to get you help!” I said.

“That doesn’t matter right now!” she protested.

“Yes, it does!” I yelled, not really thinking.

I hadn’t meant to yell, but I was worried about her. I didn’t know if she was just too occupied with everything that was going on or in too much pain, but she didn’t seem to be paying any mind to her injury.

Then an emotionless look swept across her face again.

“It doesn’t,” she repeated.

There was a genuine apathy in her eyes and her tone that stunned me into silence.

“Anyway, I’ll be confiscating this now,” Nana said, turning away from me and practically toying with the bloodied knife in her hand as she turned to face Lily.

Lily must have been as confused and overwhelmed as I was, because she didn’t say anything to Nana in response.

Just then, I heard noises coming from the hidden door that Nana had emerged from, which was still open. As I turned to look at the source, a throng of familiar faces spilled into the room like an avalanche.

“Stupid Nana! What were you thinking, running off ahead at full speed?! Did you forget that the rest of us don’t know the way or something?! Wait...what’s going on here?”

“Fii! Oh, thank god you’re safe!”

“Hey, cool! Looks like a party in here!”

“I doubt anyone else is feeling as festive as you are about this, Prince Nolan. It seems we’ve stumbled across a bloody royal dispute.”

The vibe in the room took a sharp turn for the wacky.

Mel, Nika, Nolls, Zero... I can’t believe all of the love interests are gathered here in one place. I think I feel a headache coming on...

Nika’s two madcap guards and another guard who I assumed was Mel’s had accompanied the pack of love interests, but they stood by silently.

“Hey, how did you find that passageway? I thought my parents and I were the only ones who knew about it.”

To my surprise, it was Shade, who was standing next to me, that brought us back to reality. His tone was icy as he spoke.

Without a word, all of the newcomers turned to look at Nana. The meaning of their look was unmistakable: “Ask her.” Assuming they hadn’t all coordinated this response beforehand, it seemed that she had somehow been the one in the know.

Why in the world would a commoner like Nana know about a secret passageway in a noble’s mansion?

Going off of what Shade had just said, it seemed likely that this was the house where he’d lived with his biological family until the Schwaroses had adopted him—which meant that only they should have known about the passageway. It was beyond weird that Nana would be in on it too.

“I know you... You’re that nun from the church, aren’t you? What are you doing here? How did you even get here?”

“Well, look who it is: the young master. See? That’s why I said it doesn’t matter. None of this matters to Nana!” exclaimed Nana, refusing to answer any questions. I was struck by how self-centered and enigmatic she was being.

Hmm? Wait... Does that mean Nana and Shade know each other? But how could they? There’s no reason Shade would have ever gone to her church on the outskirts of town, right?

Actually, that’s not the only thing weird about this... Did she just call herself “Nana”? But Nana never talks in the third person like that... And I thought “Nana” was just a nickname I gave her? Her real name is “Nancy,” isn’t it? But now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure Mel and Lily called her “Nana” too. Maybe I’m overthinking this. Maybe she just let slip her old nickname and I picked it up inadvertently?

“It’s gonna be okay, Miss Saint. Nana’s here to help,” Nana said to Lily, smiling sweetly as I tried to make sense of everything.

Lily let out a quiet scream in response. It seemed like she was more scared of Nana than anyone else in the room. What in the world is their relationship? I wondered.

From the way Nana called her “Miss Saint,” I could only assume that Lily was the “saint” she was always going on about. But something didn’t add up. Why would Lily leave the comfort of her home to make regular visits to a church in a provincial town? Nana had made it sound like she had visited on a monthly basis since she was very young.

Then there was the way Nana spoke to her. How could Nana tell her beloved saint not to “off herself” and reprimand her for “causing her trouble”? It was all just too weird. Weirder still was the fear of god she put in Lily. I was at a complete loss trying to make sense of it.

“Fii,” said Nana.

“Y-Yes?!” I replied. My surprise made the word come out a little too forcefully.

Nana didn’t seem fazed by that, though. She just gave me the sweet, innocent smile I was always used to seeing on her—or at least, that’s what it looked like on the surface.

“Nana’s going to take Lily outside for a little ‘counseling.’ I’ll let you take care of everything going on here, okay?” Nana said.

Is she putting on a show? I wondered. Can a sixteen-year-old girl really act this well?

I felt nothing but suspicion toward her now. I wondered if she was like my older brother from my past life: perfect on the surface, but deep down, it was all just a front. But when I tried to see past Nana’s sweet, cheerful exterior for something more sinister that might be lurking, I couldn’t find anything. It was the first time I’d ever experienced something like this.

No matter how hard I looked, all I could see in her was a pure heart. Even if I put the fact of her age aside, I knew from experience that I wasn’t looking at the face of a scheming adult. And yet it was clear as day that she was no innocent child either.

Who in the world is she?

“All right. I’ll take care of the situation here,” I agreed, despite the internal conflict raging within me.

I didn’t exactly feel comfortable letting Nana go off somewhere alone with Lily when she was acting this weird, given how liable Lily was to make another attempt on her own life. Honestly, though, my brain was feeling a little too overloaded to think about it any harder. I’d hit my limit.

In any case, I didn’t feel like I was going to be able to have a discussion with Evan if I was distracted by my worry for Lily. I couldn’t exactly just grab Lily’s hand and try to make a run for it with her either—she’d probably protest bitterly. And despite how afraid of Nana Lily was, Nana clearly cared for her. At the very least, I figured Nana would be able to keep Lily from hurting herself while I was talking with Evan.

If anything, I felt like what I ought to be worried about the most was the possibility that Nana might try to brainwash Lily when I wasn’t around to stop her. Nana was acting a lot like El right now. But I couldn’t exactly handle Lily in her current state. If I wanted to talk to both of them alone at some point, then it felt like a good idea to go along with Nana’s plan.

As I watched Nana and Lily leave the room, I saw Nika’s two guards follow after them. Did Nika tell them to do that? Or are they following Nana because she’s El? I wondered.

I didn’t have two bodies, mouths, or brains, though...so, as worried as I was about Lily, I knew I’d have to stay here and focus my attention on dealing with Evan.

Fortunately, I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about Evan overpowering me; if things turned violent, it’d be a whole bunch of us against just him. Even if not everyone here took my side, I knew I could count on Nolls, at least. He’d probably never even met Evan before, so it didn’t seem likely that he’d take his side.

“Thank you for your patience” was all I said to Evan as I turned to face him again.

“Hey, Fii,” Nolls interrupted. “Is that your baguette over there on the ground? ’Cause I’m dyin’ to know: How the hell did that wind up over there?”

“Why don’t we save that for later?”

C’mon, Nolls, read the room. Yes, obviously, that bread is mine. But can’t you see I’m trying to have a serious conversation with Evan here?

I pulled myself together and faced Evan again.

“I have a lot of questions,” I said to him, not even trying to hide the fact that I had absolutely no idea what was going on.

Evan gave me a gentle smile in response.

“Anything you don’t already know, Felicia, you don’t need to know.”

Okaaay... So much for getting any answers from him.

You know, I’d be perfectly happy living in blissful ignorance if it meant that I was at no risk of being sucked back into the role of future queen consort and that Lily would live to take that role instead. Oh—and if all this ominous foreshadowing turned out to be a bunch of bunk. But that’s just not reality now, is it? And there’s no way in hell I’m gonna stand around and just let some tragic fate befall me and everyone I care about!

I needed to know why Evan was doing all of this, why Lily was so eager to kill herself, and why Seth seemed so defeated. I also needed to know why Shade had said that this would all come back to hurt me somehow.

Hold on... I just remembered something. Before we entered this room, Shade said I was better off not knowing anything too. That must mean that he knows whatever it is that he doesn’t think I should know.

“Shade, please tell me what’s going on. You must know whatever it is that he knows, right?” I tried.

“If Evan’s decided not to tell you, then I’m sure it must be in your best interests not to know. I respect his decision. Lady Liliana would probably prefer you didn’t know anything too.”

Why won’t anyone tell me anything?!

“Fii... Is this the villain who tried to kidnap Lady Liliana? We should apprehend him immediately,” said Nika, stepping forward.

He made an excellent point. Honestly, for a guy who bought out a peasant bakery every time he visited and foisted groceries on people, he was surprisingly levelheaded.

But as sensible as it sounded, was it really the right call to just arrest Evan here and now?

Does that sit right with me? I wondered. No. No, I don’t think it does.

Shade had warned me that I’d regret learning the truth, which meant that Evan must have gone to these drastic lengths for my sake or something like it somehow. In all likelihood, it was probably my fault that he was doing all of this. Just like how I’d pushed Shade to the brink, I must have done the same to Evan. I felt like I’d learned enough to safely make that assumption, at least.

“We’re discussing your arrest, and yet you’re not making moves to run or resist,” I said to Evan, my face grim.

“I told you, didn’t I? I have no objections to facing the death penalty,” Evan replied, as if it were plain as day. He gave me a calm, confident smile.

“Are you doing all of this...to make me queen?” I asked.

“No, although surely you will be, after the harebrained stunt I’ve pulled today. But that’s simply an unintended consequence. Once the villainous Liliana Inoce is dead, you’ll be back in the arms of your one true love, Seth Cabott. If that isn’t poetic justice, I don’t know what is.”

He didn’t seem willing to admit that he was doing this to make me queen consort. But despite calling it an “unintended” consequence, I couldn’t help but think it was his real goal. Whether or not I believed what Lily had said before, it was easy to imagine that he must have sorely wanted me reinstalled.

But...why would he want that so badly?

“I’m sorry, Nika. I know this is a selfish request I’m making, but please wait to apprehend him. There’s something I’d like to ask Evan about while we’re here now on equal terms.”

“...”

Nika said nothing in reply. I wasn’t necessarily surprised that he didn’t readily agree to that. After all, it probably wasn’t a good look to delay in arresting the man who’d kidnapped the future queen consort.

I glanced over at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking. He didn’t open his mouth or make any noticeable movements with his hands. Instead, he just crossed his arms and watched. It seemed he was giving his silent assent.

I had no doubt that Evan’s mild manner and lack of resistance had something to do with that, but maybe it was also because he had faith in me that I could handle this? I appreciated the vote of confidence.

From my perspective, I couldn’t possibly see Evan as a bad guy.

“Shade... Can I ask you something?”

“I can’t promise you I’ll have the answers, but go ahead.”

“Is this like when I was trying to find the answers to your questions? Do I already have all the information I need, and I just need to look back on my memories of Evan through a different lens?”

“Yes,” Shade answered, after a long pause. He looked troubled.

I gave him a smile in return.

Right. I only found the answers to Shade’s questions after he’d given me a million hints. But even if I don’t get any direct hints this time with Evan, I’ve got the experience and knowledge I’ve gained from that exchange with Shade now, so I should still be able to figure this out. If I want clues, I just need to think back to any conversations I’ve had with Evan.

“Give me a moment, please, everyone. I’d appreciate it if no one did anything rash or unsavory. That goes for you especially, Mr. Foreign Prince.”

“Huh? Hey! I have a name, you know!”

“I know, Nolls! Now just sit down and be quiet!”

I knew it wasn’t great to treat a prince like an unruly dog—especially in front of a bunch of other people—but it was kind of his fault for picking up that baguette and gnawing on it like one. He had only himself to blame for looking foolish, as evidenced by the warm look of gratitude that his aide—or should I say chaperone?—was giving me.

Despite the way I’d snapped at him, it was actually kind of endearing. At the very least, him behaving like a dunce was far preferable to his other default behaviors in a tense and uncertain situation, like flying off the handle and foaming at the mouth.

In stark contrast to that incorrigible problem child, Mel had retreated obediently to the corner of the room to wait patiently in silence.

He’s so sweet. He’s just like a baby rabbit, I thought. Poor thing. He must be hopelessly confused by all of this. I’ll have to fill him in on everything once we’ve gotten out of all this mess.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand...

Let’s assume that something I’ve said or done drove Evan to kidnap Lily. If that’s true, then I should be able to find the root of all this if I just reflect back on all of our interactions.

Honestly, though...we’d barely had anything to do with each other. He’d probably fallen in love with me at first sight when he saw me at school, just like he did in the game Lady Rose. That would have been obvious enough to anyone who would’ve seen us talking at school, even if we were just discussing formalities. But...we’d never had any particularly meaningful conversations.

The only thing I could think of was the talk we’d had right after my engagement had been annulled and I’d been estranged from my family. I remembered that I’d run into him as I was leaving and we’d talked briefly, but for some reason, my memories of that conversation were pretty hazy. That felt significant too, but I couldn’t put my finger on why.

Oh! I know! It was probably because I was so exhilarated that I was finally free of the Pompous Prince and my family—not to mention my role as future queen consort! Yes, that’s got to be it... Of course my memories would be hazy if I was that excited. Come to think of it, I was on the verge of breaking into a Cossack dance.

God...that’s actually really embarrassing. I can’t believe I just dredged up that memory. I think I’m on the right track here, though.

“This will all be over as soon as you apprehend me, Prince Nicholas Cabott,” said Evan.

“I’m aware. But Fii has every right to spend some time with her thoughts. I want to let her bring this all to a conclusion she’s satisfied with.”

“You’re putting her wishes above the safety of your own brother and his bride?”

As I racked my brains for answers, Evan and Nika seemed to be having a disquieting conversation in the background.

It was a perfectly reasonable conversation to be having, and it certainly didn’t count as “rash” or “unsavory”...but still! I was just getting somewhere good!

Knock it off, will you?!

“All I’m doing is putting my wishes above all else,” Nika shot back.

So...your wish is the same as mine? You want my freedom? I thought. But just as I was about to start dissecting this in my head, I decided I’d better stop. It was a surefire way to derail my thought process about what was going on with Evan, so I pretended not to have heard anything.

Right. Back to thinking about Evan. I’d just been estranged and my engagement had been annulled, and I’d been so high on life that I must’ve seemed like I was drunk. That’s when Evan suddenly appeared in front of me, blocking my way...

...

Wait...huh? I was “high on life” when I ran into him? I’ve never given that much thought before, but maybe that was the reason everything turned south? I mean, I wasn’t acting normal. I probably seemed like I’d lost my mind...

Hold on. Just hold on a sec here! No one’s rushing you, Fii. You’re the only one who’s trying to rush things, and you know that. So let’s just slow down here a bit.

I wasn’t in my right mind. So, it wouldn’t have been the least bit surprising if I’d really screwed something up and blown my cover somehow. But if I’d said anything weird, then surely I would’ve realized later. I’m pretty sure I managed to keep my facade up perfectly during that conversation, despite my excitement. So, I...

...

Oh... I think I get it now.

When I met Evan that day, I was playing my part even more convincingly than usual, and certainly more convincingly than I’d needed to. I was chewing the scenery.

“Oh... Oh god. I...said Prince Seth was the love of my life, didn’t I? I even shed a tear or two. I overplayed the scene and acted the part of a tragic heroine...” I muttered, my voice shaking, as I collapsed onto the floor.

I curled up into a ball and hugged my head in my hands. I knew that if I didn’t, I’d run right out of the room in shame.

That’s right... I was too out of my mind to think straight when I talked to him then. I handled that conversation all wrong. He took me at my word, and my melodramatics inspired him to take these tragic, desperate measures. I knew how good an actress I was, but I didn’t realize until Shade pointed it out that my persona could be perfect enough to work against me. Evan probably bought my act hook, line, and sinker, and I’d never bothered to get to the “release” part of catch and release.

I lifted up my head a bit and glanced around the room. Everyone was staring straight at me with a worried look on their face.

It was understandable they’d be concerned. Anyone would take notice of someone suddenly slumping to the floor. I was kind of on the brink here. I mean, I was mortified enough to want to crawl into a hole and die over the memory of almost breaking into a Cossack dance, which I knew wasn’t actually that embarrassing. That wasn’t what I was really ashamed of, though.

What was actually weighing on me right now was that I was face-to-face with a man who’d committed treason all because of my stupidity.

I stood up again, my legs shaking.

“Hey...Evan? If I’m wrong, then I can accept that. But if I’m right, I’d appreciate it if you could tell me,” I began. “I know I left in a somewhat dramatic fashion when we last met, after declaring my love for Prince Seth and refusing to take your hand. After that conversation, did you...go on to look into the truth behind Lady Liliana’s accusations that I’d bullied her?”

My legs, hands, and voice trembled as I spoke. Evan neither confirmed nor denied my theory. Okay, I thought, that’s fine. I knew what he wanted: for me to keep talking until I’d reached the truth that lay at the bottom of everything.

The lie Lily had told about me “bullying” her had, of course, been nothing more than a little twist on the truth: that she’d been bullying me. A little digging probably wouldn’t have been enough to turn up anything to prove that, but if Evan had done some extensive digging...well, truthfully, I didn’t know what he’d find. I mean, Lily had gone to great lengths to fabricate her false narrative, so maybe she’d been thorough enough to ensure that she hadn’t left any evidence?

I had no idea whether or not Evan could have found any, but if he had, that would certainly explain Seth’s fatalistic declaration earlier. If he’d learned that Lily alone had been responsible for the annulment of our engagement, it might just have been enough to tear him apart.

The depth of Evan’s love for me was, quite frankly, kind of astonishing. I mean, the man was ready to put his faith in me and drop everything to run away with me, all because I was his first love. If he was that obsessed with me, then I could see how it would send him over the edge.

“After uncovering the truth, you confronted Lady Liliana and Prince Seth here with the evidence. You wanted to make Lady Liliana confess to her wrongdoings and to make Prince Seth admit that he’d made a mistake. You were hoping Prince Seth and I would get back together, and that I’d return to my role as future queen consort. You kidnapped Lady Liliana and set this whole thing into motion all just to make me happy. Have I got that right?”

This was all for me...which meant it was all my fault. I was sure I’d found the answer now. Why else would Shade, who knew the truth, be squeezing my hand tightly in a show of sympathy and support like this? I knew that my sweet little brother was trying to tell me that he was on my side, even if I was responsible for all of this mess.

Evan looked at me with a gentle smile—the gentlest smile I’d ever seen.

“No,” he said.

He couldn’t have been clearer in his denial. Its decisiveness was almost enough to bring me to tears.

It was obvious to me that he must have been covering for me. He wanted to make it out like I was an uninvolved third party, and to grant my deepest wish (or at least, what he assumed to be my deepest wish) while I lived my life in blissful ignorance.

Oh, Evan...you sweet, naive little puppy dog. You really think you can sell me on a lie like that? You’ve probably never told a lie before in your life. Do you have any idea how many lies I’ve told throughout my life? I practically live off of them. And thanks to a whole other lifetime spent in Mr. Seemingly Perfect’s shadow, I’m a pro at seeing through them.

His “no” sounded unmistakably like a “yes.”

“Don’t... Don’t give me that, Evan. I know that’s a lie,” I said, letting my emotions get the best of me and failing to make clear what, exactly, I was disputing.

Evan gave me a concerned look.

I knew now why Shade had said that no one would blame me if I didn’t try to go save Lily. He hadn’t been suggesting that I was blameless; on the contrary, he’d probably said that because he knew I did bear some blame for what I’d said to Evan, and that this fact would come to light if I confronted him. If Evan had told Shade about our encounter, then Shade would probably have realized there was something amiss with the “tragic heroine” act I’d put on—especially after he’d seen how happily I was living as a commoner.

Shade had probably realized that I’d lied to Evan. But he hadn’t revealed the truth—not to Evan or to anyone else—because he wanted to protect me.

I also realized now what he meant when he’d said that I’d regret finding the truth. Still, I couldn’t just turn a blind eye to it...even if I felt so crushed under the weight of my guilt now that I struggled to even breathe.

There was no undoing all the harm that had been done, all thanks to my thoughtless lie. I felt like I was at a complete loss. What am I supposed to do now? I wondered. I had no idea, but I knew I had to do something...even if it meant I might lose something because of it.

I took a deep breath to steady myself and looked at Shade, giving him a forced smile as if to say, it’ll all be okay, and releasing my hand from his. Then I took several steps toward Evan. I could feel how pale my face was. A cold sensation ran through my whole body, all the way down to my toes. My steps were shaky, and my body didn’t feel like it was really mine. It felt more like a corpse or a marionette.

“This is entirely my fault,” I said. “You haven’t done anything wrong, Evan. The only reason any of this happened is because I deceived you.”

“I’m not sure I understand. Are you trying to protect me? I did all of this of my own volition, because I wanted to. You have nothing to anguish over, Feli—”

“That’s not true!”

I walked up to him and fell straight to my knees in front of him. I bowed so low that my forehead touched the floor. It was the deepest kowtow I could muster. I wanted to show him just how sorry I was.

“I’m so sorry!” I cried, from the bottom of my heart.

Everyone in the room began to murmur apprehensively. They probably still had no idea what I was apologizing for.

But I didn’t try to tune in to their murmurs. Instead, I focused solely on Evan.

“Wh-What in the world are you doing? P-Please! Lift your head!” Evan begged me, flustered.

But I didn’t listen. I stayed right where I was, kowtowing with my forehead on the floor, and continued.

“It’s all a lie. I lied to you, Evan. I know you did all of this for me, but it was for nothing.”

“Um...I’m not sure what lie you told me, but please, Felicia. Please...just lift your head.”

From the distant sound of his voice, I could tell that he’d squatted down on the ground. He reached out to touch my shoulder with his hand, but I didn’t lift my head.

“I never wanted to be queen,” I cried.

Evan’s hand stopped suddenly in midair, before it could reach my shoulder.

“All I’ve ever cared about was securing happiness for myself,” I continued. “I’ve never had any desire to carry the weight of the kingdom on my shoulders, or to marry Prince Seth. I hated my family, and I hated being a noble. I wasn’t a helpless victim—I just ran away, all because of my own selfishness!”

I’d been so used to brushing off people’s questions about what I wanted, but now the dam had burst.

“I wasn’t upset by what Lady Liliana did. I was grateful, because she indirectly helped me to get exactly what I wanted. I felt like things worked out perfectly for both of us, so I always privately thought of us as coconspirators, not enemies.”

I couldn’t say Lily was blameless, per se; even if she hadn’t wronged me, that didn’t mean she hadn’t wronged anyone else. But the fact that I’d never fought her accusations or denied her lies made me every bit as culpable as she was.

If anything, my sins had actually been greater than hers. I’d never told her how I really felt about everything. Instead, I’d just let her carry out her plan, and I’d let anyone who caught on to her lies think that I really was a tragic heroine. My lies had led Evan to commit treason, and I’d put Lily straight in his crosshairs.

I’d told a careless lie to Evan, who loved me so deeply, and then I’d carried on in blissful ignorance of its consequences. I hadn’t given a single thought as to what ideas it might give him or what action it might spur him to. If only I’d stopped to think about that sooner, I might’ve been able to prevent all of this.

That’s right... It’s not just Shade that I’ve failed to see as a real person. I never saw Evan or anyone else as a real person either. I’ve only ever regarded them as characters from a game. That’s how I’ve treated everyone who made an appearance in the game: as a mere character. All this time, I’ve been treating this whole world as a game. I’ve never given anyone the respect they deserved.

If I’d ever once thought of Evan as a real person, instead of just a character from a game, I would’ve immediately realized the potential consequences of telling him a lie like that.

Thinking about it now, I’d had plenty of chances to reorient my thinking. I’d been assuming this whole time that all of the love interests would act just like they did in the game—and on several occasions, they’d proven me wrong. But each time they did, I had chalked up their unexpected behavior to a “glitch” or assumed that it must have been El’s doing. Subconsciously, I’d been rejecting that these people were all living, breathing human beings.

I live here in this world. It’s not a game—it’s real. And they’re all real too.

I felt disgusted with myself. How could I treat them all like this, when I knew from my experiences in my past life how horrible it felt to be treated like a toy instead of a human? I’d made a point of never being anything like my older brother...but apparently, I’d failed miserably.

Unlike my older brother, I hadn’t demanded anything of anyone—but that’s about where the differences ended. Just like my older brother, I’d regarded the people around me as if they weren’t even human. It pained me to admit how similar I was to the brother I despised so much, my hatred transcended lifetimes.

I was so tormented by my own self-hatred now that I just kept pressing my forehead to the floor. Evan attempted to pull me up gently by the shoulders, but when that didn’t work, he tried a bit more forcefully to get me to lift up my head. He wasn’t smiling anymore. Instead, he stared straight into my eyes with a deadly serious look on his face. I could tell he must have been angry.

Of course he is. I told him that stupid lie all to make him go away. I didn’t even take his feelings for me seriously. Evan was just trying to do the right thing, but I made a villain of him.

Then Evan suddenly tore his gaze away. He cast his eyes downward, and with a grim expression on his face, he seemed to become lost in thought. Then he looked back at me again, straight into my eyes.

“Are you telling me...you never loved Prince Seth Cabott?” he asked me.

“That’s right. If anything, I actually hated him.”

“And...you weren’t just being self-sacrificing when you accepted your fate? You weren’t just trying to make everyone else happy at your own expense?”

“No. On the contrary, I was only thinking about my own happiness.”

“Then...that means everything had gone exactly the way you wanted? You were happy?”

I found myself unable to get the words out. This was the hardest question of all for me to answer, but I knew I couldn’t just not answer it. I gasped in a breath of air and, after a moment’s pause, I croaked out my honest reply.

“Yes. For the most part, everything went exactly as I’d hoped. I had no idea how many people I’d hurt and used along the way, but I was happy here. I can say that honestly, from the bottom of my heart...as much as it pains me to.”

I’d managed to get it all out, as hard as it had been to say. It was hard to admit the awful truth that I’d been happy, now that I knew what it had cost.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine how Evan was feeling right now. It must have been unbearable to learn that falling in love at first sight with a wretch of a woman like me had caused him to ruin his life.

“Good,” he said calmly.

And yet...with that one word, he’d shattered all of my expectations.

“Then that means you didn’t have to suffer and that you’re living a life that makes you happy. Nothing could possibly make me happier than that,” he continued, smiling.

I was good at seeing through people’s lies, and I could tell that Evan wasn’t lying. He meant exactly what he’d said. There wasn’t even a trace of anger in his words. No matter how hard I strained to see it, it just wasn’t there.

“Why aren’t you angry?!” I cried.

I knew I was being unreasonable for snapping at him like that, but I couldn’t stand to let my sins go unpunished like this. I needed him to yell at me and tell me how horrible I’d been. It was unbearable for him to still bear nothing but goodwill toward me, without holding my actions against me at all. I felt like I might be crushed under the weight of my guilt.

“I tricked you! You committed treason and kidnapped the future queen consort all because of me—because I made you believe that you’d be doing the right thing! And it was all for nothing! You wasted your life for me, all because I told you some stupid, careless lie!” I yelled, hysterical.

“Felicia, if I may? None of that changes the fact that I was just doing what I wanted to do. My choices were my own,” Evan replied softly, as if trying to soothe an out-of-control child. “I committed these crimes out of the arrogant belief that I could make you happy. I never once felt that you’d pushed me to do any of it. I’m the one who jumped to conclusions and acted in haste. I was trying to make you happy, but I ended up roping you into all my wrongdoings instead. You’re simply another one of my victims now.”

Okay, look: If you’d agreed with me earlier and said that, yes, it was all my fault and you bore no blame in the matter...well, I would have objected. I would’ve argued back that you did have some blame to bear, even if it was mostly my fault.

But hearing you insist you bear some blame is different. I just can’t accept it. I’m not going to let you let me off the hook like this. Whatever blame you might share, it doesn’t absolve me of my sins or lessen them.

“You’ve done no wrong,” he said.

Your refusal to admit that is kind and pure, Evan...but misguided.

I could tell that he really believed that, though. From the bottom of his heart, he believed that I was blameless. Even after I’d admitted the whole truth, he was still smiling as he insisted on taking the blame for me.

No...I can’t let this happen!

“If I were ruthless enough to live my life using people, without ever feeling an ounce of guilt, then I never would’ve saved the kingdom,” I said.

I’d resolved never to reveal that I’d made up that prophecy to save the kingdom, but the words left my mouth now all too easily.

“I don’t have the heart to turn my back on people I care about, not when they’re being charged with crimes they committed because of me! If you and Shade were sentenced to death, I couldn’t just keep living like it had nothing to do with me. Even if that’s what you both wanted for me, I don’t have the strength to endure that!”

Evan looked at me with a troubled expression on his face, as if I were a petulant child. Shade, who had taken a spot at his side before I’d even noticed, was looking at me with a similar expression on his face.

“You’re far too kind, Felicia.”

“Oh, sister dearest... If I knew you’d take it this hard, I would’ve just kept you in the dark.”

“Well...I suppose our time is up, isn’t it?”

“I certainly hope so. I think it’s time to close the book on this.”

The two of them spoke as if none of this had been a big deal at all—as if it were already over. They completely ignored my protests.

I’d been fully prepared to accept any blame. This was the first time I’d ever experienced how painful it was not to be chastised or condemned. I wasn’t kind at all. The only reason they thought that was because they were kind. If I were what they thought I was, then I never would have let everyone around me down and lied to get what I wanted. I never would have been able to keep smiling and living my life, never once regretting the damage I’d caused.

I have to do something. Even if nothing I can do will change their fate, I have to try.

I’d resolved, during my conversation with Shade, to make the effort to intervene. That determination hadn’t changed. If anything, it felt even more urgent now.

I have to be positive about this and keep moving forward. I can’t keep staring a hole in the ground and feeling despondent. I don’t have time to be negative about this. How am I supposed to secure a bright future when I’m wearing such a gloomy expression?

I stood up and looked straight into the eyes of the one person I felt could help.

“Nika,” I said, as firmly as I could manage.

He looked back at me, saying nothing.

Nika had always told me to come to him whenever I needed help. I knew that the situation I found myself in right now was different, though. This wasn’t just about me. The whole kingdom was involved. Right now, though, he was in the best position to help. He was the only one I could count on.

“Please let me speak to His Majesty. As a commoner, I know I’m in no position to ask for their sentences to be reduced...but I can’t just leave them to their fates without trying.”

I knew I’d never get anywhere petitioning the king to meet with me on my own. For the first time, I felt frustrated by the limitations of my status as a commoner.

“I have to save them, no matter what it takes. Not just for their sake but for my sake too.”

Nika had told Evan earlier that he wanted to help me reach a conclusion I could be satisfied with. I couldn’t help hoping that he might help me.

I couldn’t just let their lives come to an end just because I’d gotten sucked up into the role of a tragic heroine.

“I understand I’m making an impossible request right now. I know full well that I can’t expect an audience with the king, especially not one this last minute. But please, Nika... I beg you!”

I bowed my head deeply, entreating him to consider my request.

God isn’t real, so the only one I can pray to is you, Nika.

“How could I possibly refuse a request from the one and only Fii?” he replied. “I’ll make it happen, I swear to you.”

I was so touched by his kindness and relieved that he’d been willing to entertain my request that I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I quickly tamped them down, raising my head once to get in one more good genuflection.

But as I did, I felt a faint unease wash over me at his ready and all-too-willing reply. I chalked it up to my own bad habit of leaping to paranoid conclusions. Honestly, though, I just couldn’t help but feel that his eager assent felt like a foregone conclusion—almost like a line from Lady Rose.

I guess I still haven’t stopped thinking like I’m in a game...

Just as I was reflecting on that, some things Shade had said echoed in the back of my mind. He’d said that he felt like there was someone playing a bigger part in this whole scheme than he’d thought—like we were all standing on a stage that had been set up for us from the start.

Come to think of it, I still don’t even know who El is. But I wonder if that’s just because everything I’ve said and done up until this point went exactly the way they planned...

As this vague, baseless fear flickered in the back of my mind, I put on a smile and did my best to ignore it. It felt better to smile—even if it was forced—than to look all worried. I wanted to stay positive, no matter how empty my optimism was.

“You’ve always had a soft spot for Felicia, haven’t you, Prince Nicholas?” said Shade.

“You think so?”

“I do. I’m not complaining, of course. That’s a good thing, as far as I’m concerned. I’ve resigned myself to whatever punishment is handed to me—even if it means my death. But this feels like the right time to say this, so...if I die, I hope I can trust you to look after Felicia.”

“I’d rather not make promises predicated on your assumed demise.”

Here I was, trying to think positive, and my younger brother just had to step in and drop his last wishes like that.

I don’t know what’s going through your head right now, Shade, but I’m determined to save you no matter what it takes. The least you could do is save these morbid conversations for when I’m not around! It’s kinda hard to look on the bright side when you’re filling the horizon with dark clouds like this.

That said, I did understand that the differences in where we stood at the moment made it only natural for Shade to have this conversation with Nika in plain view, particularly after the conversation Nika and I had just had. None of us knew if he was going to get another chance to get a word in.

“Whatever punishment we may receive, it would probably be prudent to restrain us somehow for the moment—at least for appearances’ sake,” Evan said, breaking his long silence.

It was kind of surreal to hear him make this suggestion, but he had a point. Even if he was unlikely to run away, even without restraints, it would probably be a bad look if we just left a criminal unfettered to wreak whatever havoc he wanted in the presence of nobles and royals.

There was just one problem: Pretty much everyone here was a high-ranking blue blood whose safety could plausibly be at risk. Who here was going to restrain him? The obvious answer seemed to be me, but even putting aside how painful that would be emotionally for me, it seemed a little pointless. It would have been such an obviously simple matter for him to break free that it didn’t seem worth it even for the sake of appearances.

As I was fretting over the logistics, someone raised their hand to volunteer. It was Mel, who had until now been standing quietly in the corner.

“My guards and I will restrain him. This is a man’s job, and of the men in the room, I’d say my status makes me most fit for it—especially now that Prince Nicholas’s guards have run off,” he said.

Oh, Mel, you’re an angel! I thought. I knew I could count on him not just to keep quiet and not disturb my conversation with Evan but also to speak up now that we needed him.

I hadn’t even thought about Mel’s position. I guess if you exclude me from the list of candidates—on account of my being less physically capable as a woman—then Mel would be the lowest-ranking person here, huh? It’s crazy to think that the son of a high-ranking duke with the whole financial world at his fingertips would be the lowest-ranking person here. This lineup is way too rich for my blood...

“So? What’s the story with that baguette, huh?” asked Nolls again, now that things had settled down.

You heard the entire conversation between Evan and me, and that’s what you’re concerned about? Must be nice not having a care in the world...

I looked over at him, wondering if I should tell him the truth: that I’d used it to disarm Lily from halfway across the room. It was so absurd, I worried that saying it aloud would absolutely shatter the atmosphere.

Then I noticed that he was holding only half a baguette in his hand...which meant that he’d already eaten the other half.

Ugh... Nolls!

“If you wanted a baguette so badly, I could’ve given you the one in my bag. You didn’t have to eat that off the floor...”

“You’ve got more? Amazing!”

“What’s amazing is how you managed to just casually eat half a baguette while we were having such a high-stakes conversation,” I shot back.

I saw Zero nodding emphatically behind him.

Poor guy. He’s got a tough job...

How the heck did Nolls manage to eat all of that without anything to drink, though? He must be parched, I thought. But as soon as the thought crossed my mind, I realized that Nolls did in fact have a drink. He’d surreptitiously produced a bottle of something in his hand.

It pays to be prepared for anything, but what exactly were you preparing for? A picnic?

“So?” he prompted again. “Why the baguette?”

“I threw it at Lily to interrupt her suicide attempt.”

“Now that’s wild! I love it!”

I had no idea why he was so taken with that, but at least my explanation seemed to have satisfied him—not that satisfying him was my goal.

Seriously, though, this tangent was beyond unimportant. I didn’t appreciate that we were losing momentum over it. I was also starting to worry about Lily and Nana, who still hadn’t returned.

Maybe I ought to go check on them...

I turned to leave through the same big doors I’d come in through—the same ones they’d used—but someone who’d apparently been right behind me the whole time stopped me in my tracks. I took a step back, surprised, and then blinked with confusion as I realized who it was.

“Fii.”

It was Seth, and he was wearing a deadly serious expression on his face. Until just moments ago, he’d been slumped on the floor looking desolate, but it seemed he’d bounced back.

That’s when I finally realized why he’d been so dejected: Evan must have presented evidence to prove that he’d been lied to with the whole bullying scandal, and he’d had no choice but to confront that he’d made a mistake in the way he’d treated me.

He may be self-centered and arrogant, but deep down, he’s not a bad person. This must’ve hit him pretty hard.

In the game, he believes the protagonist when she denies the bullying accusations lobbied against her. “I thought you might say that,” he says. “I believe you, then.” It was impossible to say what he’d privately believed in this universe, but in the game, he’d never once truly doubted the protagonist.

He probably would have been happier if I hadn’t affirmed the bullying charges and accepted the annulment of our engagement.

“I know this probably isn’t the time to be asking this, but...you didn’t ever love me, did you? All of that stuff about me being ‘the love of your life’... That was just a misunderstanding, wasn’t it?”

Huh? Wait... That’s what you wanted to ask me about?!

I was stunned, but Seth just stared at me with a sullen expression on his face as he waited for my answer.

Jeez... Here I was, all worried about you beating yourself up, but I guess I was giving you too much credit! Seriously, though? It’s my feelings for you that you want to talk about?!

“Um, yes... That’s right...” I said, with an interrogative lilt.

There was no point in lying about my feelings for him now. Besides, I didn’t want to double down on my lies here... I’d just admitted to Evan that I’d never meant anything I’d said to Seth—I couldn’t walk that back now. I had nothing left to do but tell the truth.

“I see,” replied Seth, nodding solemnly.

Wait...huh? Why’s he acting like this is such a huge deal? Would it change anything if I did love him?

“Right... If anything, you hated me, right? That’s what you said earlier,” Seth said.

“Uh...!” I sputtered. “Um, that was...just a figure of speech...”

I’d been so wrapped up in my conversation with Evan that I hadn’t even been thinking about Seth. But when I thought back on it, that was a pretty awful thing to say.

Seth and I just weren’t compatible. There was a fundamental mismatch in our personalities, but it wasn’t that he was a bad person. I felt horrible that I might’ve hurt him with my words. To be fair, though, he had roped me into a bunch of crap when we were kids thanks to his self-centeredness. So, in my defense, it was kind of understandable that I hated him.

Still...emotionally, I’d always been more mature than him, and I knew from my playthroughs of Lady Rose what had led him to act like that. So, it felt a bit childish to say I hated him. Besides, it wasn’t really Seth himself that I had beef with. It was the fact that he reminded me so much of my older brother from my past life and also how he had the perfect older brother that I’d always wanted.

“You don’t need to placate me. What I wanted to say was...” Seth began, just as I was starting to wallow in my guilt again. He looked down at the ground, as if lost in thought, before locking eyes with me. His stare was full of resolve. “Now that I know I was wrong about you, I can’t live with myself unless I make an apology.”

Uh...isn’t that kind of an apology in and of itself? I thought, but I knew he was talking about a formal one. Still, even if it was the least public apology ever, it would be a serious blow to a future king’s dignity to apologize to a peasant. And for my part, I really didn’t want any kind of official apology from him. It would just feel too weird.

Besides, I wasn’t his fiancée now—Lily was. If Seth were to make a formal apology to me, it would be tantamount to him acknowledging Lily’s wrongdoings. He’d be forced to mete out some kind of punishment. I didn’t know how things had unfolded between him and Lily ever since I’d become a commoner, but if he wanted to skirt around a formal apology to avoid making her take the fall, then I’d happily play along.

As far as I was concerned, this was the best he could do without torching his whole life. I figured I ought to accept it. After all, deep down, I didn’t really hate him, and I knew I bore some blame for his behavior as a child too. Since I’d always planned on leaving him one day, I’d never made any attempt whatsoever to point him in a less dire direction, and admittedly, that was kind of cold. So, I figured we could just call it even.

“There’s no apology necessary, Your Highness. You’re going to be king—it wouldn’t do to have you tarnish your reputation,” I said with a smile.

I know I’m denying that you just apologized, but please know that I forgive you, I thought, hoping my smile could convey the sentiment.

Seth gave me a slight smile in return. He looked much more mature than I’d ever seen him look.

You know, I have a feeling he’s going to be able to keep moving forward too.

“Well, to put it very succinctly, we were talking about how he’s in love with you.”

“Come on, don’t make things up. That conversation was way too tense for me to buy an explanation like that,” I protested.

“I may be sugarcoating it a bit, but I’m not making anything up. I wouldn’t do that to you after we’ve bared our souls to each other, Felicia.”

Wow. Okay, I saw how incapable she was of lying when she was trying to switch topics after her past life came up... There’s no way she’d be able to trot out a line like that if she didn’t mean it.

Still, I didn’t quite buy it, and I knew my doubt was written all over my face. Lily gave me an exasperated look before she went on.

“I’m not lying to you, I promise. The entire gist of our conversation was that he loved you and despised me. There really wasn’t anything more to it.”

I looked Lily straight in the eyes, and she looked straight back at me, uncowed. It seemed she really wasn’t lying.

But...

“I thought he was in love with you,” I said.

“Excuse me?” she replied, sounding almost hysterical. With a faint smile, she clapped both of her hands on my shoulders. “I don’t know what kind of mental gymnastics you had to do to come to that conclusion, but if you’ll pardon my candor, it’s a little concerning.”

“But... I mean... I feel like all we ever talked about was you, Lily.”

“Do you think that might have anything to do with the fact that you kept bringing me up? I’ll have you know that he always complained about that bitterly to me later.”

“B-But he only ever looks at you! He’s never looked my way!”

“Is that the best you’ve got?! What kind of twisted logic is that?! You sound like a sheltered, blushing maiden! That’s only because he was trying to do right by you, just like—” she began, before cutting herself off. “Anyway, it’s insane to think that he has any feelings for me! I wish you knew how many days I spent with a pit in my stomach all because of how much he loathed me!”

Hearing her protest with all her heart and soul, I graciously decided to concede that I must have been mistaken.

Right... Okay. I guess he wasn’t in love with her. He’s too graceful to express his feelings in a way that would make the person he loves misconstrue affection as contempt.

“I’d rather not involve myself in your romantic entanglements, so let’s leave that there, shall we?” Lily said.

“S-Sure. Sorry...you’re right. Nika sees me as a little sister. I like to think we’re friends now too. He probably does give me special treatment sometimes.”

“You... You can’t possibly mean that, can you?”

I’d been trying to apologize, but somehow I’d only made her mood worse. I tried to take a step back, surprised, but Lily just tightened her grip on my shoulders. I had no choice but to confront what she’d say next head-on.

“You must know that’s not how he sees you, don’t you? No matter how much you may undervalue yourself, you’re not oblivious, are you? Surely you’ve realized his feelings for you? He’s always treated you the same way that his character treats the protagonist in the game when she’s maxed out his affection meter. If you’ve played the game, then you couldn’t possibly have missed that. Just so you know, the only time I’ve ever seen him smile was when we were talking about you.”

She’s right. There’s...no way I could have missed that. I was an avid Lady Rose fangirl, not some casual.

But...Lily hasn’t come right out and spelled anything out for me yet, so I can still stay in the dark. Yeah, that’s what I’m going to do. When it comes to wishful thinking and self-delusion, I’m basically a professional.

“You aren’t trying to pretend we never had this conversation, by chance, are you?” Lily asked. I gave her a wordless smile in response.

She took her hands off my shoulders. After a brief pause, she gave me a perplexed look.

“Felicia... Aren’t you in love with him too?”

“I...”

He was a character from the game. If I said I was in love with him, wouldn’t I just be yielding to fate?

No... I made up my mind never to look at the people of this world as video game characters again. This never had anything to do with that, anyway. I mean, I... I can’t fall in love with him...

No. That’s not the problem. I’m not in love with him. I mean, I can’t be. I...

Argh, I don’t want to think about this. Yeah. That’s it. I’m just not going to think about it.

“Oh... I’m sorry! I’m not sure I understand, but I can tell I shouldn’t have asked you that! P-Please don’t make that face! Th-This is all my fault!” Lily said, panicked.

She shook my shoulders.

What kind of overreaction did I have to make her panic like this? I wondered, a little alarmed.

There was no need for Lily to apologize. It wasn’t her fault that I had a tendency to disregard anything that I didn’t want to know and feign ignorance.

That defense mechanism was what had protected me my whole life, though. I felt like I wouldn’t be able to get through life if I couldn’t turn a blind eye to the things I didn’t want to see. That’s why I couldn’t even remember the name of our own kingdom—much less our neighbors’—ever since the day I’d been disowned by my family.

I couldn’t remember the names of my parents in this life, nor could I remember the names or faces of anyone in my past life. My brother’s face was the only exception. It kept popping up in my head no matter how desperate I was to forget it.

My mental defenses were ironclad. Despite Lily’s concern, there was no need to worry.

I thought I’d have a little fun at her expense for it, though, so I put on a mysterious expression and said, “I’ll forgive you...if you stop calling me ‘Felicia.’”

“Huh?! U-Um... Shall I call you Fii, then?!”

“Yes! Now consider yourself forgiven!”

“Huh?!”

“Well, now that that’s all settled, shall we head back?”

“Fii?!”

Lily’s eyes were wide with shock as I reached out my hand to her. She hesitated for a moment, but then she took it in hers and gripped it tightly.

Jeez, when was the last time I held hands with another girl? I wondered. I don’t think I’ve ever even done it once in this life. I’m not even sure if I did it in my past life.

I decided not to worry about my personal business. I cared way more about Lily and how she was doing. And if she thought I couldn’t see right through the strong front she was putting on to notice how anxious she was about seeing Seth again, then she was dead wrong.

Of course, I had my own hurdles ahead of me. It was going to be a pretty tall order to petition the king to be lenient with Evan’s and Shade’s sentencing, but I was determined to give it everything I had. I’d extended my hand to Lily in hopes that it would give her some moral support, but if anything, it was probably more for my sake than hers.

I’m too full of myself to notice Nika’s feelings.

Yeah, that’s right... I haven’t even noticed a thing.

If I read between the lines, I could see how it wouldn’t make much sense for the king to make me his pawn if it meant I would resent him for it. If I had a magnetic personality, and the people in my sphere of influence were all powerful people in their own right who would carry the future of the kingdom, I could easily sow the seeds of rebellion. The king cared too deeply for his country to let that happen. It was no wonder that he would be anxious about what might come of it.

And yet... And yet...

As tears threatened to spill down my cheeks, I turned my back to the king, abandoning all sense of propriety and running toward the doors that led back to the hall.

“I... I’ve always loved you like a father. You’ve been more of a father to me than my real father,” I choked out, desperate to be heard even through my tears.

Then I ran out into the hallway.

Naturally, neither the king nor the guards followed after me.

Ever since I’d stepped into the throne room today, the king’s smile hadn’t wavered. I would have been able to see through it if it were fake...but it wasn’t. I had no doubts now that he really was watching over me with warmth and compassion.

If I’d never realized the truth behind all of this and I’d surrendered to the king in blissful ignorance...then he probably would have traded Shade’s and Evan’s freedom in exchange for my devotion to the kingdom. Even if it pained him to do so, he probably would have believed he was acting in the kingdom’s best interests.

But if he’d meant what he said about my magnetic personality...and if that really was one of my talents...then maybe the king had come to care for me too? As king, it was natural that he’d yearn to put my talents to use to help the kingdom flourish. But maybe there was more to his feelings than that. Maybe, just as I loved him as a father, he loved me as if I were his real daughter?

Even though he might have planned from the start to give me my freedom if I figured everything out, he’d probably hardened his heart to me for the sake of the kingdom.

Of course, I didn’t actually know any of that. It could have just been wishful thinking—but I’d settle for that. A little wishful thinking never hurt anyone.

After I left the throne room, I spent several minutes sobbing. When I eventually composed myself, it finally hit me that I’d be going back to the outskirts where I’d made my new home.

The guards were probably staying put here, and there would be no horse-drawn carriage to send me off. That was okay, though. Not many commoners get the chance to ride in carriages anyway.

Just like the day I’d been disowned, I decided to walk all the way back to town. Unlike back then, though, it wasn’t early in the morning. The thought of walking back in the evening didn’t sound so bad, though. And what could be better than arriving home after a long walk and crawling into my modest futon for a good night’s sleep?

All right. Time to get going, I thought, as I wiped my tears and set my gaze on the hallway ahead of me. There, standing at the end of it, was Nika.

The moment I noticed him there, my body started moving before I could even think, and I found myself running toward him at a full sprint. When I reached him, I stopped to steady my breathing before looking up at him. He looked like he’d been waiting for me.

I love him... I thought, as I looked up at his face.

“I get to stay a commoner,” I told him, with a genuine smile on my face. I was still riding on the high of everything that had just happened.

I knew I’d have started crying with joy if I told him how I’d claimed my victory against fate. Before I could even stop to worry about how Nika might be feeling about everything, he gave me a smile back.

“Is that so? Well, then I look forward to paying you another visit in town,” he said.

Without even thinking about it, we both broke into a laugh.

Nika lifted up his hand gently, and for a moment I had no idea what he was doing. Then I realized and broke into a chuckle again at how absurd it was that Nika was trying to high-five me.

Without saying a word, we both slapped each other’s hands—just like commoners do—and left it at that. Still silent, we both walked past each other and carried on in our opposite directions.

After that brief encounter, I walked straight out of the palace, and no one else stopped me.

I paused to take in a deep breath and fill my lungs with fresh air. Then I set off again for town. I knew I probably wouldn’t be home until the dead of night, but I had a warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest.

This feels different from the elation I felt when I first made this trek to the outskirts, though. I don’t think I’m going to be tempted to start skipping this time, I thought. So instead, I just walked.

If there was anything that still nagged at me, it would have to be the mysterious “El.”

But now that it was all over, this “El” business just seemed like a complete coincidence. Maybe they’d never actually had anything to do with me? It felt like when something is foreshadowed in a video game as if it’s significant, but then there’s no payoff. To be fair, this wasn’t a video game, and it wasn’t like real life didn’t leave you lots of loose ends and open questions. I’d basically resigned myself to the reality that I’d probably never get an answer, but...a part of me still couldn’t let it go.

Maybe I’d jumped to conclusions because that conversation with Nolls about El had felt significant, thanks to coincidental timing? And maybe it was all just a remarkable coincidence that El had made that prophecy sixteen years ago about a baby? Maybe I’d just become obsessed with learning about El, even though they had nothing to do with me, and that’s why I’d been so needlessly suspicious of Nika’s guards for their coincidental connection with them?

Coincidence, coincidence, coincidence...

It was all just a coincidence. I didn’t get it, but that was the reality, and I had no choice but to accept it.

Just as my bright mood was darkening, I heard the thunderous sound of something quickly approaching me from behind. It was an incredible dmp dmp dmp dmp dmp dmp noise.

I whipped around to see what the heck was going on and, instantly, I felt something whiz by me on both sides.

“Looks like I win the race.”

“Dammit! I was just an inch away from winning! This sucks!”

I turned back around to face forward again and saw what it was that had just hurtled past me: the two guards, who were now standing before me wheezing and trying to catch their breaths. I was shocked that humans were even capable of running at speeds like that. I looked at them in astonishment, still doubtful that the incredible clamor I’d heard earlier could have been footsteps.

“Hey, Fii. So, we meet again!” the casual guard said.

“You say that like we didn’t just see each other,” I replied. “Hey, aren’t you guys supposed to be, you know...guarding? Why did you follow me here?”

The guards worked for the king and were employed to protect Nika. I couldn’t even imagine what would have compelled them to follow me.

The casual guard threw his hands up, fingers splayed in a celebratory “ta-da!” gesture, and puffed his chest out as if to say, Great question!

“’Cause as of today, we quit! Woo-hoo!”

“We’ve decided to move into your town, so we figured we may as well escort you there while we’re at it. The sun’s going to set soon, though, so we had to hurry.”

“Oh, okay... Wait, what?!”

I gave them a baffled look that said, What the hell are you two talking about? but it didn’t seem like they were lying.

They must be, though...right? I mean, they’re super elite guards—good enough to guard Nika—so they wouldn’t just up and quit their jobs to come live in the countryside, would they?

“Stooop! I’m scared!” I whined. “Does this have something to do with El? Seriously, stooop! I’m begging you, please don’t make me do any more negotiating or puzzle solving!”

“Whoa. Is it just me, or did she just regress, like, ten years?” said the casual guard.

“Perhaps she’s finally snapped, and now she’s just showing her true colors? Come to think of it, she is only sixteen. Maybe she’s acting out because she was so mature as a young child that everyone always treated her like an adult?” said the formal one.

I didn’t appreciate him calmly psychoanalyzing me, but it was a reasonable theory. Even in my past life, my parents had largely ignored me, and I’d had to act like an adult just to protect myself from my older brother. And in my current life, I hadn’t really been allowed to ever be a kid. I’d had to be “the perfect Lady Rose” basically from the moment I’d left the womb.

Wait, what am I supposed to call these guys now that they’ve quit their jobs? I can’t exactly call them “guards” anymore, I thought. Actually, you know what? Screw it. It’s too late to change how I address them.

“Okay, if I’m bein’ honest...we miiiight have an ulterior motive in walkin’ you home. We’re kinda countin’ on you owin’ us one for it,” said the casual guard.

“What?! Hell no! I’m going home by myself!”

“Oh, you’re not goin’ anywhere,” he replied. “Besides, you already owe us for when we helped you negotiate with the king, remember? It’s thanks to us that you can go home to your peasant life now.”

He grabbed my collar with catlike reflexes, tragically preventing any escape I might’ve been planning.

I hated to admit it, but he was right. The king himself had said that the guards had played a big part in his decision-making. I stopped flailing, and the guard let go of my collar. I glared up at him, like prey trying in vain to fight back against its natural predator.

The El issue was still weighing on me, but I absolutely wasn’t looking to fight any more battles. If that was the only loose thread, then I was content not to tug on it further.

“S-So, what kind of favor are you going to cash in...?” I asked, hesitantly.

“Don’t worry. All you have to do is keep a secret.”

“And do a little mediating.”

“Oh, that’s right. That’s probably the most important thing you can do for us.”

What on earth are they talking about? “Keep a secret”?

Oh... Come to think of it, the casual guard said something once before about not saying a word about El’s identity to anyone. Maybe that’s what they’re talking about?

I still don’t get what exactly they want me to mediate, though. What’s that all about?

The two guards watched my response. Then they turned to look at each other.

“She seriously doesn’t know who Master El is, does she?” said the casual guard. Then, turning to me, he said, “I was sure you’d figured it out. That’s why I was tryin’ to intimidate you when we first met. Sorry ’bout that, by the way.”

“I certainly wouldn’t have put it past Master El to reveal that information personally. But seriously, you need to learn how to think before you speak.”

“No can do. Who else is gonna balance you out when you’ve got that stick so far up your ass?”

“There you two go again, getting lost in your own little world,” I said, a little annoyed. “So? Who is this ‘El’ person?”

The guards looked back at me again.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” the casual guard teased. “Just sit tight and chill out for a bit. You’ll find out tomorrow.”

“Exactly. Just focus on playing your part as a mediator tomorrow, and there won’t be any issues.”

“I still have no idea what I’m mediating, though!” I protested.

“Just wait ’til tomorrow,” said the casual guard.

“You’ll find out tomorrow,” said the formal one, at the same time.

It was a relief to know that I’d at least be able to find out who El was in the very near future, but I was a little scared of what tomorrow held in store for me. I had a funny feeling that I might be better off never finding out.

“Oh, almost forgot to tell you something: Congrats on successfully defending your commoner status!”

“Yes, and congratulations on changing your fate. You fought valiantly.”

It felt too weird to give them an earnest “thank you” after the conversation we’d just had, but I could tell that they were genuinely happy for me.

“Thanks,” I managed awkwardly, after a bit of a pause.

Urgh... If these guys are serious about moving to my village, then I might end up seeing a whole lot of them in the future. They don’t seem like bad people, but I can easily imagine developing a stomach ulcer or two from their brand of malarkey.

“Hey, just answer me one question. Is El a bad person?” I asked.

“Oh, please,” they replied, in unison.

Their identical cries of incredulity put me at ease. Guess I can just put this out of my head until tomorrow, then, I thought optimistically and started walking again.

For today, at least, I was done with puzzling over things in my head. I felt ready to hit the hay, and I knew that the moment I climbed into bed, nothing was going to wake me.

I could feel myself cooling down a bit now that I’d gotten that off of my chest. In fact, now I was starting to feel embarrassed.

Wait, did I seriously just say that? I thought, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks. Surely that didn’t just leave my mouth! What am I doing, acting like a blushing maiden all of a sudden?! How was that pathetic vent supposed to be a display of “courage”?! I didn’t pick my words carefully enough at all... I basically just shot myself in the foot!

“Fii—”

“Well, that’s that! Gotta go!” I said.

My house was finally within sight, so I took off for home before Nika could say another word. I was certain that anything he’d say would make me so mortified, I’d just want to crawl in a hole and die. I took one last glimpse at Nika’s face. It looked like he was beaming—him and all his guards.

Ugh... This is humiliating!

No sooner had I made it back home than I dove straight into my futon. I covered my face with both hands, wondering how I was ever supposed to face Nika again. I flailed around, silently screaming.

Calm down, Fii! Just calm down!

Ummm... Okay. Right. We both feel the same way about each other, but that doesn’t mean we can actually be together. After all, I’m not willing to throw away my life as a commoner, and Nika isn’t willing to abandon his duties to the kingdom. I know Nika said he loved me more than the kingdom, but that’s not the same thing as saying that he’ll leave behind his duties and his royal status to live with me as a commoner. Besides, I know the kingdom needs him.

Basically, it’s a battle: Either I’ll break first and agree to marry him, or he’ll break first and give up on me.

Yeah... Thinking about it as a battle makes me feel a little better for some reason. It is basically a battle, I guess. It’s a battle of attrition, that’s all.

I closed my eyes, feeling a bit more settled now, and took deep, measured breaths.

I wonder who will win in the end: me or Nika? I have no intention of losing, but who knows what the future holds? As long as we both fight with everything we’ve got, whether I win or lose, I know I’ll be able to face any of the potential outcomes with a smile. And I’m sure Nika will too.

Putting it all together like that brought a smile to my face.

Relieved, I suddenly felt a wave of drowsiness hit me. But there was just one thing I had to do before I fell asleep. I’d fallen asleep last night before I’d gotten to get this out of my system, so I wasn’t going to let that happen again tonight.

As I rolled around in my futon, I took in a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. Then, in the loudest voice I could muster, I yelled:

“I love being a commoner!”

Afterword

Thank you for reading Lady Rose Just Wants to Be a Commoner Volume 2. I’m the author, Kooriame.

I can’t even begin to express how grateful I am that I was able to publish this second volume. I know I ended the first volume on a bit of a cliff-hanger, so I’m relieved that I didn’t have to leave you all hanging with no follow-up.

I know this second volume felt a bit like a mystery novel, what with all of the clashing motivations and perspectives, but I think this story is a lot more straightforward than an actual mystery. For one thing, I’m not a big fan of gimmicks and twists. I don’t like to read them or write them. What I mean by that is: If you just ignore the main character’s misleading conjecture, it’s actually pretty easy to understand what’s going on throughout the story.

I’ll wrap up the serious discussion here and pivot toward sharing a bit of fun character trivia, just like I did at the end of volume 1. I won’t be able to fill up the remaining two pages otherwise.

I talked about our heroine, Fii, in the first afterword, so I’ll talk about our hero, Nicholas Cabott, in this one.

I wrote Nika to be the kind of gentle, cool older brother character who seems perfect on the outside (read: in front of Fii, at least). But I like that when Fii isn’t looking, it’s clear that he’s fighting hard to win her heart, and he’s actually kind of a doofus. I love intelligent characters who don’t even realize how brilliant they are. I love intelligent characters who do realize they’re brilliant too, but we have Nolls filling that niche already.

Both Fii and Nika think they’re not good enough for each other because they’re blind to their own talents but they recognize each other’s. They also think that their respective statuses and ambitions make their love impossible. If it hadn’t been for all of the events of the story, I think they probably could’ve gone their whole lives without even revealing their feelings for each other.

I think I’ve filled out enough space now, so I’ll get back to the formalities.

I’m so happy that I was able to complete the story of Lady Rose in book format. Thank you again to Hidaka Nami-san, the illustrator for volume 1 who returned to do the illustrations for this volume as well. You do such an incredible job at making the characters shine with your drawings, and seeing them makes me fall in love with each character even more.

Thank you as well to my editor, who has given me so much valuable advice and support throughout the process, and to everyone at Beans Bunko. I’d also like to extend my thanks to everyone else who had a hand in the making of this book.

Most of all, thank you to all of my readers, who have stuck with me to the end.

I hope I’ll see you all again soon.

Kooriame