Outwardly he asked for permission, but his lips were already about to land on Layla’s hand. Of course, if Layla pulled her hand away here, or even if she sufficiently expressed her refusal, it didn’t seem like Millay would act rashly.

However, Layla couldn’t push him away.

If Millay’s words were true, he would probably be the only one who could help her.

Layla, who had been contemplating what choice she should make with her eyes tightly closed, slowly opened her mouth.

“Then I won’t ask any more about your identity, so please answer just one thing.”

“As long as it’s a question I can answer, by all means.”

Layla lifted her eyelids and filled her eyes with Millay. With her serious expression, Millay also patiently waited for her next words.

“If I walk out holding your hand at the engagement ceremony, do you think I can return to Wessex and resolve this issue?”

“…”

“Can I stop Princess Isabella’s scheme?”

“That’s…”

Seeing Millay’s reaction unable to give a definite answer, Layla’s expression turned to disappointment.

“So you’re not certain after all.”

If she could protect her kingdom by giving up this engagement, Layla thought that would be much more valuable.

But could she really stop what Princess Isabella had set her mind to? It would be fortunate enough if she didn’t get beaten by her father just for returning after breaking off the engagement.

“No one will believe me. Even if I bring this report that the Marquis showed.”

“…”

“And you don’t know exactly when this will happen either, do you?”

If he had known, the execution date would have been written in the report, but it wasn’t.

Feeling that there was no use in denying it, Millay honestly admitted.

“That’s right. It wouldn’t be strange if it happened tomorrow. Originally, speed is the most important in these matters.”

“If this happens tomorrow, then the Marquis’s help becomes even more useless.”

As Layla smiled bitterly, Millay frowned with concern and squeezed her hand tightly.

“But Princess.”

At his gentle calling voice, Layla looked at him calmly with an expression asking if he had anything more to say. By this point, she thought Millay would give up appropriately, but he didn’t.

“Why don’t you look at your own heart?”

“…Do you know what my heart is?”

“At least I believe you’re not a self-destructive person who wants unhappiness.”

“…”

“And probably just an ordinary daughter of a family who loves her family. Enough to volunteer to be the fiancée of someone who insults her. Am I wrong?”

Why does this man speak as if he knows her so well?

Instead of making any rebuttal, Layla stared at him intently. And Millay did the same.

Clear eyes, unwavering posture. His appearance facing her seemed very upright, serious, and sincere.

But a man with lies in his mouth.

Layla was confused about which parts of him she should believe. No, it was difficult to distinguish which of his words were true and which were false from the beginning.

Whether to not believe him and return to the royal palace to live as Reynold Filmer’s fiancée.

Or as he said, to escape together from the engagement ceremony tomorrow and return to Wessex.

Probably neither path would be easy for Layla herself. It was as if a thorny path was predicted whichever way she went.

But if she had to choose one of them, being pushed…

Layla finally made a decision inwardly.

“Lord Millay… You may think you’re doing me a favor, but I have to stake my life on someone else’s words. And that’s on the words of a very suspicious person who won’t even tell me the purpose of helping me.”

As she spoke, Layla recalled Maeve whom she met after coming to this mansion.

She seemed very kind and sincere. Although they only met for a very short time, at least that’s how Layla felt.

The thoughtfulness emanating from just a few words, careful actions not to make others uncomfortable. Thanks to Maeve, the discomfort in her heart was resolved in an instant.

There’s a saying that to know what kind of person someone is, look at the people around them. If it’s someone Maeve serves as her master, then perhaps it would be okay to trust him a little.

Such a thought suddenly occurred to her.

So she decided to follow the solution proposed by the man in front of her.

“But I’ll put aside my immediate doubts for now.”

“If you’re putting them aside…”

Layla held out her hand, which had been awkwardly resting on Millay’s hand, in front of his face. Then she felt Millay grasp her hand even more firmly than before.

He must have realized what it meant. Layla transferred words of permission to her lips to meet that expectation.

“If you can really send me back to Wessex, please do so.”

“Of course.”

I will do that.

Before hearing all of those following words, Layla hurriedly added one more thing.

“And promise that you’ll tell me your identity when everything is over.”

Millay drew a smooth curve with his lips, sharp like a well-honed blade. He revealed his interest in Layla by smiling.

“You seem certain that I’m hiding something.”

Layla nodded without a moment’s hesitation.

“You’re not an ordinary marquis. Maybe you’re even someone who knew me from before.”

“…”

Millay was still smiling, but looking at the intense eyes gazing at her under his long eyelashes, Layla thought.

That she had guessed correctly.

“In any case, I want to know who the person trying to change my life is. Whether it’s really just a very kind passerby.”

“Or some scoundrel who’s been after you from before.”

Although Millay’s expression was surprisingly vulgar to come from a nobleman’s mouth, Layla didn’t bother to mention it and agreed.

“Well, yes, that’s right.”

Clean words of agreement also came from Millay’s mouth.

“Alright. If that’s your only condition, I swear.”

After finishing his words, he grasped Layla’s outstretched hand and took a step back. Layla’s eyes widened as she saw Millay’s next action.

Millay knelt on one knee. As if making a knight’s vow, he lowered his posture.

Layla was perplexed, as she had expected that for a vow, at most he would briefly kiss the back of her hand as a light expression of affection, but she hadn’t anticipated this situation.

Moreover, she had clearly thought he was a person with strong pride. There was an aura emanating from his confident tone and upright posture, characteristic of someone who had never contemplated failure.

As her eyes followed him and she naturally looked down at him, Layla momentarily questioned if this was appropriate.

For some reason, she felt that this action didn’t suit him. However, contrary to Layla’s assumptions, Millay willingly looked up at her, raising his head.

“No matter what happens, I will safely return you to Wessex.”

After reciting his vow, he immediately lowered his lips to the back of her hand. His lips, carrying a faint warmth, pressed deeply as if imprinting a seal.

And that warmth seemed to travel up her arm, making her face feel hot.

It was truly fortunate that it was deep night. Relying on firelight now, the reddening of her cheeks and ears wouldn’t be noticed.

However, due to her heart being so tense, she herself didn’t even notice that her hand was trembling slightly.

Millay, conscious of that pleasant trembling through their connected hands, felt his chest tighten.

After removing his lips, he softly added:

“…Princess Layla Wessex.”

But the words Adrian recited in his heart were completely different.

‘My Layla.’

My first love from childhood.

From the first time I saw her, she seemed lovely, and I wanted to protect her with my own hands.

So in that rash young age, without any hesitation, hadn’t I confessed?

Let’s be together for life.

I want to be with you forever.

Not knowing even in his dreams that such feelings could be exploited by someone.

But now Adrian was no longer the naive child from back then, powerless enough to be swayed by others, so he would never repeat such foolishness.

So that neither she nor he would be hurt.

If needed in that process, he was ready to take on the role of the villain at any time.

Even if it meant being pointed at as a tyrant by the people of the world.