In reality, it was an excessive greed and malice that had awakened the nightmare of a dead spirit. But Aris, who knew nothing, was only focused on the clue she had just grasped.

“I have to tell Hubert.”

The expression of Aris, who was about to get up, became cloudy.

‘What if he finds out that my power disappeared?’

“Of course. Your health is my top priority. Really, is there no problem at all?”

At that moment, it felt like my heart was constricting.

Hubert was smiling affectionately as always, but for some reason, it sent shivers down my spine.

Would Hubert still love me even if he found out that I lost my ability?
For the first time, such a question arose. While others may not know, if it’s Hubert, he should love me regardless of the presence of abilities… Why do I feel so uneasy about this?

“People liking me isn’t just because of the power of water!”

Aris shouted loudly in her mind, as if trying to drive away ominous thoughts. She believed she was lovable and beautiful in her own right.

But why do people beg me like this? Even Hubert!

“If he really cares about me, he should take away the princess title from Igraine. Hubert is on Igraine’s side.”

It was an annoying situation.

Aris, shedding tears like chicken droppings, leaned forward.

That’s when.

“Are you okay?”

Aris lifted her face, buried in her hands, to see. Through her teary and blurry vision, a tall man with a somewhat scruffy appearance appeared.

Wiping away her tears and looking again, a man with a neat build and slightly rough skin stood there.

Looking at her with embarrassment when she sniffled and remained silent, the man scratched his head awkwardly.

Upon closer inspection, he was quite handsome.

Curiosity arose in Aris’s eyes.

The somewhat messy skin indicated that he wasn’t a noble.

It was a bit regrettable, but unlike other times, she felt like she could be more lenient now.

Her love and interest towards me, even with my youthful appearance, Aris was quite familiar with men.

With her beautiful appearance, moderate family background, patronage, and the mysterious power as a deity, Aris had admirers like clouds.

Even though they withdrew due to the rumor of Aris being cursed by Martha, they were still her admirers.

“Cowards!”

Aris stared at the man again.

“Who is he? Considering he can come to the playground, he must be wealthy.”

She examined the man without stopping, even as he became increasingly embarrassed.

His burgundy beret and a generous suit that embraced his slender body seemed to be of good quality.

Although there was no title, he appeared to be from a wealthy family.

“He’s probably from a merchant family.”

In a short time, Aris, who deduced his status from his attire, felt a bit amused.

Being generous has its limits; merchants don’t suit the style.

She turned her head and sighed. Her head hurt from crying too much.

As she groped for the table, a cold cup touched her hand.

“What’s this?”

She opened one eye slightly. The man who decided to ignore her cautiously handed her the cup.

He took out a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and handed it to her.

When Aris continued to stare silently, the awkward man lightly tapped her cheek.

“…You probably need to wipe your face.”

“…”

“It’s soaking wet.”

Without asking why she was crying, he handed her the water cup with a careful attitude. Her curiosity that had been suppressed by his considerate actions resurfaced.

‘His voice is similar to Hubert’s.’
Although she was somewhat disappointed with Hubert due to the recent incident, Aris fundamentally liked him a lot.

When she first saw Hubert as the ward of Lady Emeryn, she fell for him at first sight.

Kind words, a gentle and handsome face, a warm attitude, and meticulous attention were addictive.

No matter how many women in high society liked him, she had put in a lot of effort to catch his attention knowingly or unknowingly.

At first, she was most cautious about Igraine, but after learning that she was a maid, Aris relaxed.

In reality, Hubert had taken care of her noticeably more than Igraine, so she thought there was nothing to worry about.

“But now…”

The subsided anxiety surged like a wildfire. Simultaneously, the tears that had stopped started falling again.

As she cried again, the man was surprised, blinking his eyes.

Aris shed more tears as if to show off.

She knew exactly how her crying appearance would look to men.

Sure enough.

“Do you need comforting?”

Naturally, she didn’t expect him to just leave. One man’s words were more pleasing than she thought.

His attitude of quietly asking without prying into what happened strongly reminded her of Hubert’s affectionate care.

Unconsciously, Aris nodded her head.

“You’ll feel much better after eating something sweet.”

With sweet cookies in hand, he naturally sat beside her.

She was surprised by his nonchalant attitude, contrary to his cautious expression, but she didn’t dislike it.

As he sat beside her, the man’s scent wafted into her nose. Unlike his gentle demeanor, it was a quite robust masculine fragrance.

Aris’s heart fluttered a little.