“…If what you say is not a lie.”

At Layla’s answer, Millay crossed his fingers and placed them on his crossed legs. It was unclear if he had expected this reaction, but he seemed quite at ease.

“Then the princess has reached another fork in the road.”

He gestured towards the table with his eyes, and Layla looked down at the travel pass he had presented.

“Shall we make a second deal? This time, I’ll also put up something I want.”

Even though she had said that the previous incident could not be considered a deal, Millay deliberately emphasized it as a ‘second’ one, giving it meaning.

If it was a second, then it was indeed a second. Layla found herself once again at a crossroads of whether to believe what he had thrown in front of her or not.

The first was whether to trust him and break off the engagement at the engagement ceremony or not.

That dilemma was perhaps a gamble on her life. It was a choice made with the mindset of becoming the only person who believed the shepherd who had already told dozens of lies and was shunned by everyone.

And the second.

“If that travel pass is real, you’ll believe that my heart is real too, won’t you?”

Layla had already secured a safe and certain path, albeit too late. If she could just endure for a week, she could set out on her way back to Wessex.

In the midst of this, the man in front of her had presented an even faster route. The problem was that neither stability nor certainty could be guaranteed.

Layla picked up the continental travel pass the size of her palm.

On the front of the copper-colored pass, engraved with the shape of the Damburnant continent in relief, the shapes of the continent’s mountains and rivers were delicately carved.

On the back, the clauses of the treaty that served as the basis for making this travel pass were engraved in tiny letters.

Layla, who had only heard about it in words and seen it in pictures due to its scarcity, closely examined the travel pass with its curious shape.

As this travel pass was very valuable, naturally, there was a device to prevent counterfeiting.

First, special dyes were applied to the mountains, rivers, etc. on the front, so that when illuminated by light, those areas would glow brightly, and there were also certain glowing letters engraved on the back where the ordinances were inscribed.

Layla shone the travel pass under a nearby lamp and refuted Millay’s words.

“If this is real, the Marquis will have no choice but to come find me. But that fact doesn’t prove your heart is true as well.”

To that, Millay denied it quite firmly.

“No, it will be proof. Because on the day I set foot on Wessex’s soil, I will propose to the princess.”

“…Sir Millay.”

Just then, the sound of a large bell ringing, dang, dang, was heard from somewhere. It was the bell signaling 7 o’clock in the evening. Before she knew it, deep darkness had fallen outside the window.

Millay turned to look at the uncurtained window and informed Layla of the schedule he would offer her.

“The ship bound for Wessex departs at dawn tomorrow, when the bell rings five times.”

In other words, it meant 5 o’clock in the morning.

Layla was surprised that it was much earlier than she had thought. According to his words, there were already less than 10 hours left.

“Is there a reason for me to go so quickly?”

To Layla’s question, Millay nodded his head as if asking the obvious.

“Now that you’ve become Isabella Fitzroy’s target, you can’t be optimistic about the situation in Wessex. Perhaps at this very moment, the royal castle may be burning. In such a situation, will you waste a week here?”

“That’s…”

Saying that the royal castle of Wessex would be occupied within just a few days was actually a very extreme statement. After all, it was the royal castle of a nation. That was probably evidence that Millay classified the First Princess Fitzroy as a very dangerous person.

However, when Layla couldn’t readily express her agreement, Millay said something that would change her mind.

“It seems you don’t have a family you want to protect.”

It was a truly unexpected remark.

As if he knew Layla’s heart too well.

“No, that’s not it.”

Layla thought of her youngest brother Cedric, whom she was already worried about.

Cedric was a much younger brother with a large age gap, but he was always a comforting presence to Layla. He was the only family member who told her to come back if she didn’t like it, even after the engagement ceremony, when her father pushed her to go to Filmer.

When she thought of that child, it might indeed be a better choice to return quickly rather than just worrying here.

Millay presented another condition to her, who seemed to be on the verge of changing her mind.

“My lieutenant, Lilburn, will have hired mercenaries to protect the princess and her maid as well.”

“Is there any guarantee that they won’t harm me?”

“A couple of my men will accompany you, but I can’t force you to trust them, princess. But…”

Millay, who paused for a moment, stood up from his seat. Then he walked over to the opposite side of where Layla was sitting.

He stood in front of her, leaning on the table with one hand and bending his waist.

In an instant, their faces drew close, and when Layla turned her body and pulled back a little, a medium-low voice flowed out from him in a small volume.

“Isn’t it the truth that I’m the one who led to the breaking off of the engagement with that trash?”

“…”

“Princess Layla Wessex, you can’t deny it either.”

Thump, thump…

Although the lamplight was bright, to be this close in the drawing room where darkness had fallen.

But unlike Reynold, Millay didn’t give off a scary feeling.

Was it because of his gentle gaze?

Or because of his trembling eyelashes, tense like her own?

Or was it…

“May I kiss you, despicably?”

“…”

Because of the kindness of deliberately asking for permission?

She could guess, but if she just shook her head once to say no, or pushed him away slightly with her hand, he would step back right away. But for some reason, Layla didn’t want to push the man in front of her away.

Even though she knew her own heart was being dishonest.

“Does no answer mean yes?”

“Sir Millay, you really are a strange person…”

“All of that will be explained if the princess comes to the port tomorrow morning. Because then you’ll find out who I am.”

At Millay’s calm reply, Layla clasped her hands tightly in front of her chest. And she slowly tried to sort out the numerous reasons in her mind why she should doubt him in this situation.

“If I trust you, I have to go there. But there’s also a possibility that Sir Millay won’t be there. Then I will certainly regret believing a liar.”

“Even so, it’s not a big loss, is it? At most, you’ll only waste an hour or two, and the princess can just leave Filmer a week later.”

“Yes. If you told a lie, it might be better for me if you’re not there. But if you’re there and I end up boarding the ship with a fake travel pass, that would be the worst-case scenario.”

As Layla continued to emphasize the magnitude of the danger that would arise from trusting him, Millay chuckled in front of her. As if he found her thoughts endearing.

“Then you’ll have to pray that I’m not a very bad person.”

“But you showed off your skills in handling Filmer’s Seventh Prince right in front of my eyes too flashily. It makes me think that dealing with a princess from a small country would be easy for you.”

“Should I regret not being a bit more sloppy?”

However, Layla shook her head at this answer. Of course, Millay seemed to find that amusing as well.

For some reason, it felt like she was being teased, but the tension didn’t dissipate. Layla, already feeling the moisture filling her hands, called out to him.

“Sir Millay.”

Millay only twitched his eyebrows once. It meant to keep talking as he was listening. At that, Layla brought up a question as dangerous as asking if he liked her.

“Why did you give me your room?”

This question seemed to be unexpected even for Millay. A slightly surprised voice was heard.

“How did you know that?”

“There was a cufflink in the vanity drawer. It seems you forgot and left only one side after losing its pair.”

Millay tilted his head slightly, still not understanding why she brought up this question.

“…Surely you don’t think that was also part of my plan to gain the princess’s trust.”

Layla’s chest swelled slightly with an inhale. After pausing her breath for a moment to try to calm her heartbeat, Layla borrowed the word Millay had spoken.

“Are you that kind of despicable person, Sir Millay?”

“…”

At that moment, a different light seemed to flicker in Millay’s eyes.

But there was no room to interpret its meaning.

Millay’s lips touched hers.