As soon as I opened my drowsy eyes, I saw Cahirun’s face. Cahirun, who had been quietly looking down at me, opened his mouth.

“Are you conscious?”

I nodded and sat up, and he supported me, putting a pillow behind my back.

Then he just sat there, staring at me. Feeling uncomfortable under that puzzling gaze, I rolled my eyes. What should I say if he asks about what happened with Floria?

But what came out of Cahirun’s mouth was concern.

“How do you feel? The royal physician said there was nothing wrong, but are you dizzy?”

“I’m fine.”

Come to think of it, my body, which had been covered in ashes, was now clean and dressed in new clothes. I looked at him with a suspicious expression, and he raised an eyebrow.

“What are you thinking? The maids washed you while you were sleeping.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Disappointed?”

“Not at all.”

I coldly cut off Cahirun’s playful retort. Usually, I would have been utterly disgusted by such a conversation, but now it was so reassuring. I think I felt that way ever since I heard Cahirun’s voice outside Floria’s room.

“Will you tell me now?”

“Tell you what?”

I tilted my head at the sudden question.

“The weakness the Second Princess has on you.”

“What are you…”

Just as I thought he was going to ask about that incident, Cahirun tossed something onto the blanket.

It was the bracelet he had once held as collateral. I always wore it on my wrist, but when did he take it? I looked down at my empty wrist and then turned my gaze to the bracelet.

‘Why this…’

As I frowned, unable to understand the reason, he calmly said.

“It’s a bracelet with an eavesdropping spell on it.”

“…What?”

I gaped in shock at the unimaginable words. Are you saying you’ve been eavesdropping on me? No, how can someone saying such a thing be so brazen?

As I felt a chill run down my spine and simultaneously felt dumbfounded, I glared at Cahirun.

“Are you a pervert?”

“What’s a pervert? It doesn’t sound good.”

“It’s what we call people like you who casually eavesdrop on others’ private lives!”

I crossed my arms over my chest and backed away from Cahirun. He raised his hands.

“Wait, first, I apologize for giving you this bracelet without your knowledge.”

“First? Is that how someone apologizing should act?”

This bastard, he doesn’t look it, but he’s a pervert? I looked Cahirun up and down and moved as far away as possible.

Those hands raised as if to show he was harmless were utterly detestable. I felt like I wanted to run out of the room right away if I could.

Damn, to think there’d be a pervert in front of me after nearly dying!

“I understand the look in your eyes like you’re seeing a madman, but let me clear up one misunderstanding. This wasn’t given with the intention of eavesdropping on you.”

“Stop talking nonsense and just get out of my room first.”

First Prince or whatever, I was about to get up with the intention of kicking him out of the room right away when he grabbed me and made me sit down. As I flinched and shook off his arm, Cahirun quickly continued speaking.

“This bracelet only works when a certain someone is nearby. That certain someone is your sister and my brother’s wife, Floria de Hilic.”

I frowned, wondering what he meant.

“The purpose was to monitor that woman’s movements through you. I knew from the start that she wasn’t just the kind woman people talk about.”

His gaze was too upright to be lying. I eyed him suspiciously.

“…So, you’re saying this bracelet only eavesdrops when I’m with Floria?”

If he was trying to keep tabs on Floria through me, I could understand. It’s similar to how Floria put me in the First Prince’s palace.

So both sides were using me. Ha. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

“I know you feel bad. I think I did wrong. But I don’t regret it.”

What’s this madman saying? I gritted my teeth and threw a pillow at him, which he caught lightly as he continued speaking.

“Because it saved your life.”

“…What?”

“I was curious about what weakness she had on you. So I used a little trick, but if I had known it would do this to you, I swear I would never have done it.”

Cahirun looked extremely regretful. His expression softened my heart.

“But thanks to this bracelet, I was able to save you just in time. If it wasn’t for this…”

Cahirun frowned as if he didn’t even want to imagine it, and met my eyes.

“Now tell me. The weakness that woman has on you. I want to hear it accurately from your own mouth.”

It was a serious face without any of the playful expressions he usually wore when looking at me.

His purple eyes were pure. There was not the slightest hint of trying to persuade me to extract information about Floria or make me act as a double agent.

I could only feel worry, regret, and deep anger towards someone. And somehow, he also looked a bit sorrowful.

‘Why is this man…?’

I couldn’t understand why this man was looking at me with such an expression and such eyes. Then suddenly, I remembered what Floria had said.

‘Wouldn’t it make more sense if the lady he has his heart set on is you, sister?’

No way. That’s impossible. But my thoughts kept turning in that direction. After hesitating for a while, I carefully asked.

“You might laugh when you hear this… but maybe.”

“Say it.”

“…Do you like me?”

Ha. Cahirun let out a sigh like empty air. Then he covered his eyes with his large hand and lowered his head.

Thinking he must be so dumbfounded that he’s reacting like that, I felt embarrassed. Then Cahirun slightly lowered his hand, looking at me with just his eyes, and smiled.

“Should I laugh at this or not.”

“You’re already laughing. And I know I was wrong, so…”

“Saying such things even in this situation, aren’t you seriously lacking in tact?”

“What?”

Cahirun, who had straightened up, stared at me intently. I unconsciously turned my head away from his deep amethyst eyes, and he grabbed my chin to meet my gaze. Then, before I could avoid it, he declared.

“I like you, Reneola Violet.”

My mouth fell open. Cahirun gently closed my jaw with his hand and continued speaking.

“I didn’t intend to confess like this.”

“…Why, I mean, since when?”

“For quite a long time. My feelings are deeper than you think.”

“No, how could you… Don’t you have any shame?”

“I guess I like you so much that I can even hear you call me a crazy bastard you don’t want to associate with.”

Cahirun chuckled and took my hand, gently stroking my fingers. I tried to pull my hand away from that strange movement that tickled, but he wouldn’t let me go.

“…You didn’t show any signs at all until now.”

Cahirun laughed as if in disbelief.

“Everyone knows except you. Even the gardener in my palace knows.”

Suddenly, I remembered what Isola said when she grabbed my hand.

“Just, thank you.”

At that time, I couldn’t understand what she was thankful for. Now I understood that face that looked both sorry and relieved.

‘Isola knew too.’

There were times when this man would approach me so closely that I wondered why he was doing it.

Looking at me affectionately, sometimes sending gazes as if enchanted. Even though I found it strange, I never thought he liked me. Because he was one of the main characters in the original story, I always kept a certain distance.

I couldn’t imagine that Cahirun had already crossed that line long ago.

“So stop tormenting me and tell me now.”

“…Tell you what.”

“Your weakness.”

“Why are you so curious about that?”

“I like you, so I want to interfere so that you don’t get hurt in any way.”

Cahirun lifted my finger and kissed it. My shoulders flinched at the sudden kiss. A tingling sensation spread from where his lips touched. I bit my lip at his urging gaze.

I remembered Floria, who seemed to enjoy watching me suffer greatly. No matter how much I struggle now, Floria will no longer trust me completely.

Then there was only one way to escape from Floria, who could kill me at any time.

It was to completely destroy this original story where she was the protagonist. I had to make her return my heart and make it impossible for Shana to use magic on me.

‘And I want to return exactly what she did to me.’

I felt so wronged and so angry. Even though I felt humiliated by her smiling face as she looked at me, I begged her to spare my life. I wanted to return that pain and humiliation to Floria intact.

At a time like this, Cahirun confessed his feelings to me. I turned to look at him, who was quietly waiting for my answer.

‘I need this man.’

The fairy’s magic didn’t work on Cahirun, the Sword Master. So if I stuck close to this man, I could survive even if Floria broke the jewel.

I didn’t intend to think this in front of someone who had just confessed their love. But the fear of the extreme pain I felt yesterday was much stronger than the guilt of using someone’s feelings.

“What are you thinking with that expression?”

“…What kind of expression do I have?”

“A face that looks like you’re about to die from guilt.”

Cahirun tilted his head and raised his eyebrows, meeting my gaze.

“As long as it’s not a rejection of my confession, I don’t care about anything else.”

Cahirun seemed to know what I was thinking. It was as if he was saying not to hesitate because nothing else mattered.

“…It’ll wear out.”

I quickly pulled my hand away from Cahirun’s subtle fiddling. He laughed softly.

“Are you shy because the man you like is touching you?”

“Can you not say that?”

“I keep saying it hoping it might become true.”

Cahirun looked at me while stretching his lips into a long smile.

Avoiding his gaze, I hesitated for a moment before slowly opening my mouth.

“The weakness Floria has on me is…”