“Miss. Where are you going again today?”

Sena asked while gently combing Kasha’s hair.

“Hmm… the library.”

“The library? Oh my. For the library, I wonder what outfit would be good.”

Sena pondered with a serious face.

“A beige dress with button collars to bring out an intellectual atmosphere? And then we’ll do a half-up hairstyle with a white lace ribbon. How about that, Miss?”

Kasha, who had been absentmindedly listening to the words flowing from Sena’s mouth, quickly nodded.

“Good. Perfect.”

“Oh, Miss. You always just say it’s good.”

Even as she said that, it was clear from her upturned mouth that she was pleased with the compliment.

Humming a tune while brushing Kasha’s hair again, Sena suddenly paused after placing her hand on Kasha’s forehead.

“Um… Miss. But if it’s not urgent, how about just resting at home today?”

“Why?”

“You don’t look well. Your hand hasn’t fully healed yet… and I think you have a slight fever too.”

“I’m fine.”

The wound from the Grand Duke’s residence was healing well without infection after applying the hemostatic herb.

It’s true that she was tired.

In fact, she hadn’t had a day of peaceful rest since her regression, and she had been staying up late for several days due to her research.

But that doesn’t mean she can postpone today’s appointment.

Today might be the last chance to approach Leon.

“But you haven’t been sleeping properly for days. I think all the weight you gained has fallen off again.”

Looking at herself in the mirror, Kasha tilted her head.

“Is that so?”

“It is. Just look at the shadows under your eyes.”

Kasha nodded at Sena’s words, clicking her tongue.

“Ah. So that’s why…”

“What is it, Miss?”

“No, I was just thinking… maybe that’s why he rejected me. Perhaps I looked too… haggard to talk about romance.”

Kasha had just mumbled without much thought, but the comb fell from Sena’s hand upon hearing those words.

“Oh, Miss? Who on earth? Who rejected you?”

“Hmm…”

Ignoring Sena’s words as she stamped her feet, Kasha called out to Sena while examining her face in the mirror from various angles.

“Sena.”

“Yes, yes? What is it, Miss?”

“I… want to look very pretty today. Is that, possible?”

“O-Of course! Miss. I’ll stake my life as a maid on making you the prettiest in the world today!”

Sena’s face seemed to shine a bit too solemnly as she hurriedly picked up the comb, but that shouldn’t matter.

“I’m counting on you. Prepare me, as you see fit.”

At those words filled with her mistress’s complete trust, Sena’s eyes suddenly blazed with passion.

“Yes! Just trust me, Miss!”

Kasha’s eyes widened the moment she entered the Royal Library.

“Is… is this heaven?”

Kasha, who had always borrowed books through servants, Simon, or by correspondence, was visiting the library for the first time.

The library she was seeing in person for the first time was far more magnificent and antique than she had imagined.

The smell of books everywhere. The serious and heavy enthusiasm emanating from people poring over books here and there under the low lighting.

Kasha exclaimed, unconsciously clasping her hands together.

“To think I never set foot in a place like this in my previous life…”

A wave of regret for a life wasted suddenly washed over her.

As if trying to compensate for this belated disappointment, Kasha hurriedly approached the bookshelves.

‘Ah… ‘The Great Magician Elios’s Interpretation of Ancient Magic Scripts’? Wait. This is the Continental Plant Guide by the botanist Juvenabie. Look at these intricate illustrations…’

Before she knew it, Kasha was frantically pulling books from the shelves and piling them in her arms.

After about ten minutes, she could barely stand due to the weight of the books in her hands.

‘It should be fine to skim through them a bit until Leon arrives.’

She crouched down under a bookshelf where sunlight was streaming in, without even taking the time to find a seat. Then she opened a book, barely breathing.

At that moment, she had forgotten her purpose for coming here, her fatigue, and even her hunger from skipping breakfast and lunch to correct design errors.

She didn’t even notice that someone had been watching her from behind a dark bookshelf for quite some time as she focused intensely, as if being sucked into the books.

…How much time had passed like that?

She instinctively frowned at the scent that suddenly brushed her nose.

‘…What’s this?’

A feeling as if someone was pricking the center of her brain with a needle.

Along with the intense stimulus came a deep sense of unpleasantness and instinctive fear.

The moment she realized what it was, she closed the book and sprang to her feet.

She felt dizzy for a moment, but quickly regained her balance and looked around.

‘This smell…!’

Her eyes gleamed coldly.

‘It’s definitely that scent. The one from that person who came with Simon to the prison before my execution.’

An intense floral scent that stung her nose.

One she hadn’t smelled again anywhere since her regression.

‘Is that person… here right now?’

She hurriedly left her spot and scanned her surroundings.

However, due to the numerous bookshelves, the interior wasn’t visible at a glance.

‘If I go up to the second floor, I should be able to see the entire first floor at once.’

She hugged a few selected books from those she had been reading and began searching for the stairs.

Perhaps due to her sudden tension, she felt dizzy and feverish to the point where her eyeballs felt hot.

But there was no time to check her own condition right now.

‘The scent is getting weaker.’

Her steps quickened, and her dress tangled around her ankles.

‘Ah, there are the stairs.’

Having finally found the stairs, she hurriedly took a step onto them.

At that very moment, she thought she saw the hem of a snow-white dress disappearing into a dark corridor facing the stairs leading to the second floor.

“…!”

And, clearly stinging her nose, the floral scent.

It’s that woman.

As Kasha began climbing the stairs two at a time, straining herself while listening to her rapidly beating heart,

“Well, well. Who do we have here.”

Along with a line straight out of a third-rate novel’s villain, someone called her name from behind.

A voice that sent chills down her spine just from hearing it. For a moment, her nerves throbbed.

“Kasha Lyuschino. I wondered what urgent matter could be keeping you so elusive, only to run into you in a place like this.”

Hearing the blatant sarcasm, Kasha slowly turned around.

“Simon Blanche.”

Ignoring her clearly unwelcoming expression, Simon looked her up and down.

Thanks to Sena’s meticulous grooming, she looked even more beautiful than usual today.

Simon’s gaze lingered particularly long on her red lips.

“Ah, I’m glad you at least remember my name. With no replies to my messages, I thought you might have forgotten even that. Haha.”

Simon, wearing a twisted smile, slowly climbed the stairs.

Kasha glared at him and sneered coldly.

“…If I could truly forget, that would be so nice…”

At Kasha’s words, Simon wiped away what little smile he had been wearing.

Though he tried to appear relaxed, his gestures betrayed his anxiety.

“Kasha. Don’t be like that, let’s talk. About those attack magic tools and mana diffusion devices I mentioned before. Is the design finished? Hm?”

“……”

Kasha turned her back again, seemingly deeming him unworthy of a response, and tried to climb the stairs.

“Aish, this woman really… Kasha Lyuschino! Are you really going to be like this?”

But Simon was quicker than her. He leaped up three steps at once to block her path.

Perhaps because of his previous experience of being scalded with hot tea, he at least refrained from touching her body carelessly.

“Kasha, Kasha. Come on, calm down and listen to me for a moment. If I’ve disappointed you in any way, I’ll sincerely, seriously apologize. Okay?”

“I don’t need your apology, Simon.”

“No, don’t be like that… Ah, right. Shall we go talk at the cafe in the central district? You said you wanted to try the desserts they sell there, remember?”

Simon coaxed her in a gentle tone, as if dealing with a child.

Right. That’s true.

In those times when I believed you were my destiny, I did dream of such things.

Drinking tea while sightseeing beautiful streets in broad daylight with a loved one, smiling brightly at each other across the table.

But instead, what Simon allowed her was black bread, hard cheese, and moldy jerky delivered to a remote tower.

‘And even that, I’d often go hungry all day if the delivery cart was late.’

Kasha felt her dormant anger boiling up again.

At the same time, she felt dizzy as her temperature suddenly rose.

Barely maintaining her balance, Kasha blinked her feverish eyes.

“I have no reason to sit across from you, Simon. Nor to hand over the magic tools I’ve made.”

“Ha… Look, Kasha.”

Simon rubbed his forehead and blocked her path again.

Was it due to contempt and disgust? A nauseating sensation rose up, threatening to turn her stomach. Kasha gritted her teeth, suppressing the urge to vomit.

Simon, oblivious to her condition, looked around and whispered.

“I explained everything last time. Don’t you understand the situation yet?”

“Seeing you here now… I guess it’s true.”

“What?”

Simon frowned slightly at Kasha’s muttering.

“That woman.”

“That woman?”

The one who conspired with you in all those evil deeds.

You people who cut down innocent lives like roadside weeds just to fulfill your own desires.

Stagger.

Suddenly her knees buckled, and the books Kasha was holding spilled onto the floor.

“Kasha! Are you alright?”

Simon approached as if he had been waiting for this moment, trying to support Kasha.

However, before he could touch her, Kasha recoiled and stepped back.

“D-Don’t touch me.”

“Kasha. You really…!”

Simon, his face reddening with embarrassment, looked around.

Even in this situation, it was obvious he was more concerned about whether anyone had witnessed his humiliation than about Kasha’s condition.

Kasha tried to straighten her posture.

But for some reason, her stance kept crumbling.

‘No. I’d rather die than collapse in front of you of all people, Simon.’

She gritted her teeth.

However, her body, exhausted from days of accumulated fatigue, frustratingly refused to obey.

“Stop being stubborn and just lean on me, Kasha. Who else do you think can help you right now besides me?”

Simon extended his hand with a shameless smile.

“We’ve been good together all this time. I’ll continue to be your hands and feet. This is what happens when you wander around with such a weak body. You don’t need to do anything, just focus on the research you want to do. I’ll take care of everything else. Okay?”

Shut up with that nonsense and get lost.

She wanted to shout that with all her might, but her malfunctioning body wouldn’t even allow that.

Meanwhile, Simon, disregarding her wishes, took another step closer.

And Kasha glared at him while trying to step back just as much. Or at least, that’s what she tried to do.

“Whoa? Kasha! What are you doing now!”

Along with Simon’s startled cry, Kasha’s body suddenly swayed and completely lost balance.

Ah. This isn’t right.

With that thought, her body tilted completely backward.

Thud.

In that instant, she fell right into someone’s outstretched arms, and immediately lost consciousness.