After that, meeting Reneola Violet again was purely by chance. I encountered her while walking through the magically tangled path to leave the palace.

Cahirun’s lips stretched into a long line as he recalled the face that had shown disgust upon recognizing him.

“What are you thinking so deeply about?”

Cahirun awoke from his reverie at Machi’s question. When no answer came, Machi changed the subject without hesitation.

“Anyway, make sure to read that book. Matching tastes! That’s the first step in approaching someone.”

Machi advised seriously, as if he had been in dozens of relationships. Cahirun looked down at the book with a sour expression.

‘She’s an interesting woman, but liking her?’

That couldn’t be.

It’s probably nothing more or less than feeling drawn to an amusing person.

Cahirun shook his head and opened the book.

“Do you mean the annexe of the Second Prince’s Palace?”

I quickly nodded at Matthias’s question. Matthias blinked slowly, seemingly puzzled about why I was asking about the annexe, then spoke.

“I believe it was a place favored by the first queen. Originally, the Second Prince’s Palace was used by the queen. It’s said she particularly loved the naturally blended garden. Records show she even planted flora from the fairy forest and often had tea with King Oran there.”

Confirming that Cal’s words were true, I immediately continued.

“How did the first queen pass away? Being a fairy, I wouldn’t think her lifespan was short.”

“It’s said she passed away as if following King Oran after his death. According to popular belief, she supposedly ended her own life out of love for King Oran.”

As I thought. The queen’s source must be hidden inside the annexe. If the source were to be hidden, it would undoubtedly be in a place with many happy memories.

The question is, what exactly is this source? What could be the closest thing to nature?

‘Damn. I should have read the side story after all.’

As I was cursing myself for ignoring the side story, Matthias spoke as if he had read my mind.

“Oh, I looked into that book about the fairy’s source I mentioned before.”

“Really?”

I unconsciously gripped Matthias’s hands tightly.

“Th-th-th-that’s…”

Matthias’s face flushed bright red as he floundered, not knowing what to do. I could see his startled eyes shaking behind his glasses.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

I made another mistake when I had thought to be careful. I quickly let go of his hands. Matthias hastily pulled his hands back and hugged them to himself, bowing his head with a reddened face. Not only his ears but even his nape had turned red.

‘If you get this embarrassed just from holding hands, how are you going to manage dating later?’

He was like this last time too when his hand was held at the Carrot Carrot Carrot bookstore.

‘It’s cute, but still.’

As I looked down at Matthias with pity, a sudden thought occurred to me.

‘This person, he doesn’t like me, does he?’

Looking at his reactions, it was entirely possible to think so. Just then, Matthias abruptly stood up.

“I-I’ll bring the book I’ve set aside separately. Please wait a moment.”

“Ah, yes.”

Matthias fled the scene in a hurry, unable to look me properly in the eye.

‘If it’s really like that, it could be troublesome…’

It wouldn’t do him any good to have feelings for me. After all, my goal is to leave this place someday. So I too would find it difficult to be comfortable around someone who likes me.

“Surely not. What reason would he have to like me?”

Thinking back on my encounters with Matthias, I recalled catching him when he fell from the bookshelf, saving him from ruffians, chasing away the cultists, and so on.

…Surely not because of those things?

Come to think of it, his face had been red each time. Looking in the direction where he had disappeared, I stood up, shaking my head.

“Forget it. I don’t know anything.”

I decided not to think about it anymore, whether it was true or not.

Intending to look for a book about the kingdom’s founding while waiting for Matthias to return, I browsed the bookshelves. Spotting a title that caught my eye, I climbed up the ladder.

Suddenly, I was reminded of when Matthias had fallen from the ladder. Remembering his face without glasses made me feel a bit regretful.

“His face is my type too, if the situation were different, I might have gone for it.”

“Seems like you regret it quite a bit.”

Startled by the sudden interjection, I lost my balance.

‘Damn it!’

Today’s the day I crack my skull. As my posture tilted precariously with no time to react, I squeezed my eyes shut, but something firm supported my waist.

‘Huh?’

Stopped in a half-bent position, I turned my head. Cal was looking up at me, having appeared at some point. The relief of survival was short-lived as he mercilessly pushed away the waist he had been supporting.

If I hadn’t reacted quickly to brace my hands, I would have smashed my forehead into the bookshelf.

‘This bastard!’

If you’re going to catch me anyway, why not do it properly instead of pushing me?

I glared fiercely at Cal. However, he raised his eyebrows high as if he were the one who had suffered an injustice, twisting his lips.

“Where’s the thank you?”

“Yes, th~ank you.”

“My, what a polite greeting.”

Cal tilted his head crookedly and looked up at me.

Somehow feeling pricked by his glaring gaze, I averted my eyes, and he reached out to me.

He lightly embraced my waist and set me down on the floor. The feeling of my waist being held was strange, so I hurriedly stepped back.

“Wh-what are you doing? How can you grab my waist so suddenly?”

“You looked like you couldn’t even stand properly on your own two feet, so I helped you out?”

“What?”

What’s with this man? Why is he like this?

Cal usually spoke in a glib manner, always choosing the most annoying things to say, but today he was particularly sharp.

“Did something bad happen to you?”

“No.”

You clearly did. Your expression is obviously displeased, so what do you mean?

‘Why did you chase me all the way here just to take it out on me?’

As I turned away, grumbling, he held out something. It was a small envelope.

“What is this?”

“What you requested.”

“You found out already?”

How many days has it been for him to have already completed the request? Thinking he was more capable than I had expected, I quickly tried to snatch the envelope from his hand. Or rather, I would have if Cal hadn’t swiftly pulled it away.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s just too annoying to hand it over simply.”

What nonsense is that about being annoying?

Seeing my incredulous look, Cal raised his eyebrows once more and waved the envelope.

“Look here. You said yourself it was something I requested. Hand it over.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Ah, why not!”

“I’m not in the mood.”

His curt voice made me laugh in disbelief.

Do you fulfill requests based on your mood?

“Give it to me right now.”

“Why don’t you try and take it if you can?”

“I said give it to me!”

Give me my lifeline, you jerk!

As I waved my hands trying to grab the envelope, Cal raised his arm high.

With the height difference already significant, and him raising his arm, there was no way I could reach it.

But it was too frustrating to just give up, so I struggled to snatch the envelope somehow. I tried jumping and even hanging onto him, but it was still useless.

‘Should I punch him in the solar plexus?’

I felt like I needed to give this insufferable man a good hit to feel better, and worry about the consequences later. As I narrowed my eyes and glared at his chest, Cal chuckled lowly.

“I can guess what you’re thinking, but do you think I’ll just stand still and let you hit me?”

Cal’s tone had already returned to his usual glib manner. Looking at his face, his expression had also relaxed considerably.

‘What the hell is going on?’

I couldn’t fathom this man’s fickle moods at all. Just then, a small voice interrupted from a distance.

“Um…”

Turning my head, I saw Matthias holding a few books in his arms, watching us. Following his gaze, I hurriedly moved away from Cal. When had we gotten so close?

“I didn’t know you two were so close.”

Matthias glanced at me. I remembered answering his previous question by saying we had only met a few times by chance.

“Ah, that’s…”

“We are quite intimate indeed.”

Cal, who spoke first, looked down at me. As I looked back at him as if to say ‘What are you talking about?’, he grinned.

“We’re sharing secrets, aren’t we?”

Though I couldn’t refute it since it was true, the nuance was somehow strange. Matthias, who had been silently watching us for a moment, turned to me.

“Reneola, I’ve brought what I mentioned. Shall we look at it together?”

Matthias pointed to the books he was holding.

“I don’t know what those are, but this seems like a more urgent matter.”

Cal waved the envelope. As I tried to snatch it, he quickly dodged.

“If you don’t take it now, I’ll get rid of it.”

“What? What kind of nonsense is that?”

I looked at him with eyes that said ‘This is clearly a task I requested!’, and Cal raised an eyebrow.

“It’s my prerogative.”

He snorted with an brazen attitude and then took the lead as if telling me to follow.

“Ugh…”

It was so absurd that my forehead throbbed.

“Reneola.”

Matthias approached me closely. He looked anxious, perhaps worried that I might follow Cal. Although our appointment came first, I had no choice.

“I’m sorry, Matthias. I’ll come back later.”

At my words, Matthias couldn’t hide his disappointed expression.