[Renée’s POV]

‘Where am I?’

When I came to my senses, what came into my eyes were the stars densely embedded in the black night sky. There were so many of them that I suddenly came to my senses while appreciating them without even realizing it.

There were large trees all around. It seemed like a forest. Naturally, I wondered where this place was.

There was even an eerie atmosphere in the dark surroundings and dense trees so that the road could not be seen, but strangely, it was not scary.

I don’t know why, really, for some reason.

It seemed like a place I knew well.

However, I couldn’t continue to stay here, so I took a step. My body was strangely light.

I walked wherever my feet led me and soon came across a cliff. But I didn’t think I was on the wrong track. It seemed that this was the destination I was heading for.

So I moved as I wanted. Accustomed to grabbing the hem of my skirt, I sat with my foot sticking out on the cliff.

“Uwaa…”

The view from the cliff was so spectacular that I exclaimed without even realizing it. A beautiful castle stood in the middle of nowhere, and houses gathered in close proximity on a little distance away.

Light leaked from the windows of each house making it look like stars.

And that’s not all. When I raised my head, real stars shine brightly, and a clear full moon floated between them. It was lighting up the village in the dark.

How peaceful it is that.

The cool breeze that blows occasionally, and the sound of tree branches colliding with it. Even the pretty sound of an owl hooting.

It seemed to calm down the already confused mind.

Then, someone sat next to me.

I wasn’t surprised. As if I thought someone would come and sit down, I naturally accepted the existence.

Her hair, shining under the moonlight, was a pretty coral color. She must have been about ten years old, she was a fairly small child.

Every time the wind blew her wavy hair, the child flicked it back with a cool gesture, took a piece of bread from the basket she had been carrying, and bit it.

Her round eyes were the same pretty color as her hair.

Oh, why do I feel so nostalgic?

Even though I knew it was rude, I watched the child for a long time without even saying hello.

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After eating a fist-sized piece of bread, the child spoke to me in a cute voice.

“You know, it’s pretty here.”

“Oh? Yes, it’s pretty.”

“It’s my favorite place. So I introduced it to my friends.”

“I see… I think it’s pretty, too. I want to introduce it to my friends too.”

“Then you can take your friend with you next time.”

The child, who nodded slightly as he spoke, shook her feet back and forth. And out of nowhere, she asked me a question.

“But how old are you?”

“What?”

“How old are you?”

How old am I?

“That’s…”

As I tried to answer reflexively, but strangely, my lips couldn’t open. It’s not like someone blocked my mouth, or even smeared honey* on my mouth. But strangely, it was like that.

TL/N: Honey makes mouth sticky=difficult to open mouth

No. I don’t know exactly.

How old am I?

“What’s your name?”

“Name?”

“… …”

“Name…… Of course…….”

I got confused in an instant. Likewise, I couldn’t open my mouth. Then I had a thought.

Who am I?

I blinked and looked down at my feet. Feet in uncomfortable shoes, a colorful dress on top of it, and fine hands were placed on the dress.

Reflexively, I tugged at the hair that had been brushed behind my back. It was to see the color of the hair.

However, the child who was looking straight ahead turned to me for the first time and restrained my hand.

The pupils that shone brightly in the round eyes were clear. She was looking straight at me.

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The child opened a small mouth.

“Will you always check like that whenever you try to remember who you are?”

“Uh?”

“People don’t check their bodies every time they reveal who they are.”

“That’s…right?”

“But why do you check? You’re not sure?”

The child tilted her head. At the same time, the wind blew and my hair and the child’s hair fluttered in the same direction at the same time.

Both were coral-colored.

“Even if it’s not what you were thinking, I’m me. Don’t you think so?”

It’s okay to be sure.

The child’s voice grew more and more distant. Suddenly, the pronunciation was muffled, and the child’s figure became blurred.

The scenery that seemed only beautiful was also blurred as if someone had sprinkled water on the painting. The only thing that didn’t change in the center was me.

And I opened my eyes.

***

Nothing was seen in the dim consciousness. It was because my vision was blurry.

I wanted to rub my eyes right away, but my body strangely didn’t listen. In general, it was in a daze. Like a cotton ball in the water.

I felt like I was being pulled over and over again behind my back. It wasn’t a very good feeling.

How many times did my mind repeatedly float to the surface and then sink.

I opened my eyes.

I thought I had opened my eyes all this time, but it seemed like I was an illusion. Only now did I see a blurred vision.

I was thinking hard about where I was when I heard a sudden voice that made my heart pound.

“You’re up.”

I took a deep breath and looked at the place where the voice came from, I saw brilliant blonde hair.

No way…

“Aiden?”

“What?”

Despite the blurred vision, it was not difficult to see that Aiden was frowning. Sulk, no matter how much you hate me, you don’t have to frown for no reason.

“Why are you angry?”

“……What did you call me now?”

“Ung? I called you Aiden.”

“……I see. I must have misheard it.”

He rose from his seat with squinted eyes. I stared blankly at the chair he was sitting on, then shut my eyes tightly against the pouring sunlight and heard a rustling sound. Aiden seems to have pulled back the curtains.

“Where are we?”

“Don’t you remember?”

“Remember?”

“The last memory.”

The last memory…

As I pondered over my memories, several thoughts came to my mind. At the banquet hall, with the count… And…

“Ah. Crazy.”

A headache arose as the memories poured in. I tried to calm my throbbing headache somehow and recalled the last memory.

The penalty that came up in the red window.

And the penalty is…

“What happened to me? Stomach? My stomach was definitely torn.”

“You seem to remember.”

“I’m not sick at all right now… … What happened?”

“No wonder. It’s been a month.”

What?

“Wh, what?”

“Lady Blair, I said you had been unconscious for a month.”

“Crazy…. So the flowers must be gone, right? I couldn’t go see the flowers.”

“……Is that important?”

Aiden looked down at me with pitiful eyes. But it’s been a month… … It’s completely unexpected, so I’m just spitting out whatever.

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I swallowed my saliva and furrowed my brow.

“Come to think of it, I feel very thirsty right now… … My lips are so dry that it hurts…”

At my words, Aiden let out a light sigh and pulled the rope from the bedside. Soon after, an attendant came in.

“Prepare lukewarm water and thin rice gruel.”

Instead of answering, the attendant nodded and went out again. As soon as I heard the sound of the door closing, I gently touched my stomach with my hand.

Really, I’m not kidding, it didn’t hurt at all. I definitely remember that the time didn’t appear in the mission window… …

Can it be so cleanly healed?

“So where are we?”

“It’s the royal infirmary. You’ve been here for a month.”

“Did I get better in a month?” Or what, was it healed by magic.… ?”

“If it wasn’t for someone’s strength, it wouldn’t have been possible to be cured within a month.”

He grumbled.

Then who healed me?

When I asked again, narrowing my eyebrows at the conversation that was not going well, Aiden looked down at me with a very disapproving face and sat back in the chair.

Sunlight came in from the window by my bedside, making his blonde hair truly dazzling. It was so dazzling that I couldn’t even look straight at it.

“More than that, I want you to answer my question first.”

“Tch… …What?”

“Who made you that way?”

Um.

I’m really sorry Aiden, but I couldn’t answer.

You know. I have a mission. It’s every 9 o’clock in the morning, isn’t it? But if I don’t complete the mission, I get a penalty… And ridiculously, the last penalty was Seppuku.

If I said that, Aiden, who was already looking at me pathetically, would look at me as if I were crazy.

When I didn’t say anything, Aiden laid his dark red eyes on the window for a moment and murmured.

“The two knights of the Knights of Hugo who were with Lady Blair will be receiving complaints soon.”

“Yes? Why?”

“There are two people who were with Lady Blair until the end.”

“Why is that…?”

“Of course, the suspects who made Lady Blair’s stomach like that… …”

Aiden paused, then looked away from the window and looked down at me. Dark red eyes stood out.

“Because it’s two people.”

What?

Without understanding for a moment, I stared blankly at Aiden, and after a while, I understood and opened my mouth.

Whaaatt?

When I opened my mouth, I closed it again in pain. Then I asked in a tone of confusion.

“Why are they two suspects?”

“Didn’t I just say that? There were two people who were with Lady Blair until the end.”

“If that’s the reason, it’s ridiculous!”

“That’s why I asked. Who brought you to that point?”

I quickly thought hard. With my eyes and mouth tightly closed, my face crumpled, and I let go of my wrinkled expression while thinking about what excuse I would make.

There’s no answer.

Goodbye, Diwen, Zion. But there’ll be no evidence, so you’ll be cleared of the charges soon. But if you get caught… … . I’ll even give you bail money.

Giving up neatly, I immediately opened my eyes and saw Aiden’s eyes.

‘But he’s… Why is he here?’

It was a natural question. It was Aiden Burwars who hated Renée Blair the most.

He hated the people he cared about being touched and hated burdensome things that touched him. And Renée Blair did both.

So it was weird. Why is none other than Aiden Burworth here? It’s like he’s taking care of me.

Besides, you’re looking at me like this?

Obviously Aiden felt terrible just looking at Renée. He often smiled at others but when he happened to run into Renee, he hardened his expression, 

Um.

By any chance, isn’t this something you can see in a common fantasy novel? The male lead candidates don’t like the female lead and suddenly fall for someone possessing a supporting character?

As soon as I thought about it, I jumped up and spoke in a severe tone.

“Aiden… I’ll tell you in advance. I don’t like you.”

“What?”

“I don’t see you as the opposite sex. Sorry.”

“……What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Yes! That’s the reaction! That’s a relief. You’re all right.”

TL/N: I chuckled HAHAH

I shook my head and was relieved that Aiden was fortunately fine. Although Aiden looked at me with eyes filled with contempt for my words.

Why are you staring at me like that? I thought something was wrong with my hair.

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It was then. There was a quiet but firm knock at the door far away.

With Aiden’s permission, someone soon came in.

Naturally, I thought the attendant who had come earlier had brought water and rice gruel, but…

“Renée…!”

Dazzling silver hair, brilliant golden eyes. A person like an angel whenever I see her.

It was Anastasia.

As soon as she saw me, she lowered her eyebrows, bit her lip, and quickly approached me.

Before I could react, she gave the tray she was holding to Aiden and hugged me tightly.

Anastasia hugging me. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised, but it was strangely comfortable, so I hugged her as well.

She kept whispering that she was really surprised and that it was good that I came to my senses safely.

How long had it been, Anastasia muttered earnestly.

“Let us put Sir Diwen Fergus in prison.”

No, excuse me… … It seems a bit selfish…