As I stepped back in surprise, Ruth chuckled.

“If you’re curious, it wouldn’t hurt to check.”

“…I didn’t plan to tell you everything one by one, you know?”

I wasn’t foolish enough to spoon-feed information to the point where I had to feed the soup kindly.

‘If Ruth noticed, it should be clear.’

Benedict and Michael also found Sienna’s return to be unusual.

‘Well, let’s put aside what Ruth said last for now.’

“Why? I’m really curious about it.”

‘Please, just keep your mouth shut, Zero…’

When Sienna appeared, Zero, who had been particularly cold to Ruth and the original three sub-male leads, including rattling his tongue only at her, regained his vitality.

“Why? It’s getting interesting now!”

‘Ugh, my fate…’

Zero, who was excited and even wiggled his butt, was cute, but he had a plausible point in causing irritation in people’s hearts.

“Fortunately. You’re indeed wise. By the way, did Lord Zero’s mood improve again?”

Ruth looked puzzled as to why Zero was acting like that without knowing the reason.

“You haven’t shown yourself to me for a while. Was it because of Sienna?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

Rather than that, I’m glad that we can resume the exciting romance simulation with my party members, maybe…

Unable to reveal the true situation, I laughed soullessly, making Ruth look proud.

“Hmm, you did well to reveal your suspicions first. Ben is indifferent in this regard, and that naive knight wouldn’t even think about it.”

What’s there to be so proud of? In Ruth’s expression, where he raised the corners of his mouth with his fist clenched, there was a corner that looked just like Zero.

“Anyway, thank you. Thanks to you, I can breathe a sigh of relief. I was worried about how to tell you all about Sienna’s true identity.”

Ruth’s eyes widened in surprise at my sincere confession, then narrowed thinly.

“It seems like we were completely taken by Sienna’s charm. It must have seemed like we fell for her like fools.”

“Yes, it felt like my heart was pounding.”

To exaggerate a bit, I felt uneasy because Sienna seemed to be accepting her like a puppet.

I thought we had a completely trustworthy bond between our party members, but maybe I was the only one who thought that.

I was afraid of being abandoned again…

“…If Ruth hadn’t told me that she already suspected Sienna, I would have been disappointed.”

“What?”

‘Oh no, I didn’t intend to talk about this…’

I tried to block my mouth in surprise, but it was already spilled out.

Ruth’s face flushed at my words that came out like a whimper.

“Please forget what I just said. I just…”
“Ha… Haha… The weather is quite hot, isn’t it?”

It seems like the central nervous system has malfunctioned. Judging by the desperate attempt to utter any words.

“… Please forget what I just said. I’m just…”

Unable to meet eyes, I cautiously lifted my head, and an unbelievable sight appeared.

“…No, it’s not. Since the Duke mentioned it, it’s something to be happy about, isn’t it?”

Ruth, with a face reddened like the evening glow, warmly smiled.

“Um, um. The weather is indeed a bit hot, like the Duke said.”

“…”

I could see an expression that didn’t know how to handle the good mood.

It was as if… I wanted to take a step back like watching a boy in his first love.

“Oh my, oh my, look at these two.”

Zero got excited while exhaling loudly.

With that remark, heat rose up to my throat, and I could only think of escaping from this place.

“W-well, then, I’ll go! Today’s conversation was informative! Goodbye!”

“Oh, Your Grace! Wait a moment…!”

“See you later!”

In a hurry, I ran away desperately, pushing Ruth as if I were a thief.

“Ah, why are you running away! It’s getting interesting now! This is a story even the higher-ups will like!”

“Noisy!”

Now, I couldn’t deny it anymore.

Ruth Krichevurn… seems to like me.

Even with just the incidents with Ashton, my brain’s capacity for romance seemed to burst, and my party members were constantly stirring up the calm atmosphere.

‘What on earth is this…’

Panting, all I could think about was that throughout the time Zero kept jumping into my room.

‘…Could it be that Mihail and Benedict too?’

Is that why they suspected Sienna?

“Oh no, it can’t be. I shouldn’t have such useless thoughts…”

Mocking myself for having such absurd thoughts, I, panting, realized that Zero was making an annoying expression and spoke.

“Hmm, well, whatever you think, it’s probably true, right?”

“…”

Normally, I would have retorted with nonsense and told him to wipe his feet and go to bed mockingly.

But this time, I couldn’t say anything.

My mind was so blank that I felt like I was floating in the air just by imagining it.

As Sienna, who had been pushed away gently by Ruth’s words, walked slowly through the corridors inside the mansion.

“…”

In front of the people inside the mansion, her expression, endlessly harmless and soft, sank coldly when left alone.

Walking with a clicking sound of heels, Sienna, who showed no trace of human warmth, didn’t display any hint of emotion.