Alicia asked in surprise at the unexpected words.

“Are you perhaps a divine artist?”

“Something similar. What do you think? Don’t you want to learn divine arts?”

“But divine arts basically require being born with magical power. I’m not like that.”

“To my eyes, young lady, you seem to have great talent.”

“Me?”

The man nodded with a bright smile towards Alicia, who had a doubtful expression.

“Shall I prove it to you? Give me your hand for a moment.”

Alicia thought it was nonsense. If she had been born with magical power, she would have already been identified at the temple and become a divine artist.

Nevertheless, curious about the man’s confident words, Alicia extended her hand to him.

The man placed his hand over Alicia’s palm, which was facing upwards.

“?”

The warmth felt in her palm, that is, a warmth different from body heat, felt somehow familiar and comfortable.

“Can you feel it?”

“Ah-.”

“What are you feeling, you fraud.”

Eric, who had appeared suddenly, grabbed the man’s wrist.

“Eric? When did you arrive?”

“Ouch ouch. This is-”

“Just now.”

Eric answered Alicia’s question calmly while tightening his grip on the man’s hand despite his cry of pain.

Yet the man still didn’t let go of Alicia’s hand.

“Do you think just anyone can do divine arts? Are you trying to pull some ridiculous scam?”

“No, it’s not a scam-. Hey, could you- this- young lady. Please say something.”

“Eric. Calm down for now. And you too, it would be better if you let go of my hand first and we talk-”

“See? He’s telling you to let go. Are you going to let go quickly or not? Should I arrest you? Want to be dragged away for interrogation?”

“On what charges would you arrest me? That’s going too far…”

“Fraud. Harassment of women.”

“When did I ever?”

As the man protested indignantly, Eric stared at him with confusion.

‘What’s with this guy?’

The man with barely any muscle in his arms was withstanding Eric’s grip.

Usually, at this level, even a big man would cry out in pain and back off.

Then suddenly, the man opened his mouth as if satisfied.

“It’s done.”

“?”

“Ah, look, a butterfly!”

As Alicia turned her head in the direction he was pointing, the man suddenly let go of her hand and shook off Eric’s grip.

Surprised by the sudden strong force, Eric lost his grip, and as the man turned to run away, Eric tripped him.

“Waaah!”

With a loud crash, the man rolled on the ground.

Then he lay motionless.

A blue butterfly fluttered away after that, but neither Eric nor Alicia noticed it, their attention focused on the man.

“Did he faint?”

“Eric.”

“No, he was trying to run away. This was just a reflex.”

Eric smiled awkwardly at Alicia, who was glaring at him reproachfully, then called over some nearby patrol officers.

“What’s the matter?”

“I’m Eric Russell Gloucester, Captain of the 2nd Knight Division. Take this guy and find out who he is.”

“Huh? Yes. What happened?”

“He was doing a puppet show here, but he’s suspicious.”

“Understood, Captain Russell.”

The patrol officers left with the man who was lying face down on the ground.

Watching them leave, Alicia asked worriedly.

“Wasn’t that going too far?”

“No, it was necessary.”

“?”

“You’ll see. More importantly.”

Eric turned his head from watching the man being taken away to Alicia and smiled mischievously.

“Why did you stay still when a strange man was holding your hand?”

“Well-.”

“Besides, divine arts? It’s obviously a scam, right?”

“I thought so too. But when his hand touched mine, I felt something strange.”

“A strange feeling?”

“Rather than strange, it felt familiar and comfortable?”

“…That man’s hand?”

Alicia smiled awkwardly at Eric’s doubtful expression.

“It’s a bit hard to explain in words, but something-”

Alicia fumbled for words with a troubled expression, recalling the feeling from earlier.

It was true that she was surprised, but the feeling she had then was clearly not a dangerous one.

Eric, who had been watching Alicia lost in thought, took her hand.

“?”

“Don’t think about other things.”

“…”

Seeing that Eric seemed a bit angry, Alicia immediately held his hand back.

“I’m not thinking about other things.”

“…”

“After all, this hand is the best, how could I think of anything else?”

As Alicia smiled and clung slightly to Eric’s arm, Eric forcibly suppressed his mood that was about to improve.

“…Are you trying to get away with it like this?”

“Ah. It’s not quite familiar enough to say that yet.”

“Are you openly asking me to hold it?”

“Is that not allowed?”

“I’m grateful.”

Eric ended up smiling. Seeing this, Alicia also smiled, seeming relieved.

“Then where shall we go first?”

“Aren’t you hungry? It’s not lunchtime yet, right?”

“That’s right. Then shall we eat something first?”

The two started walking, still holding hands.

The festival was just beginning.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Suddenly, it’s raining.”

“I know. It was so bright just a moment ago. Is it a sudden shower?”

“I wonder if it will stop soon.”

Eric ran with Alicia under the awning of a nearby shop.

They shared Eric’s jacket to avoid getting wet, but they still got quite drenched.

As they roughly shook off the water with their hands, Eric suddenly looked at the shop behind them.

“Shall we go inside? Aren’t you cold?”

“I’m fine. The sound of rain is nice to hear.”

“Well, that’s true.”

For a moment, they stood side by side watching the pouring rain.

The sound of the falling rain was refreshing.

Suddenly, Eric turned his head to the side.

Was it strange to think that Alicia’s wet hair looked oddly seductive?

Noticing a water droplet falling from her hair along her neckline, he gently wiped it off with his finger.

At his touch, Alicia turned her head and their eyes met.

“?”

“I was trying to wipe it off.”

Alicia smiled.

Then she reached out and tidied Eric’s hair, which was also wet and disheveled.

As before, whenever Alicia fixed his hair, he always liked the feeling of her slender fingers touching his head.

So Eric smiled too.

“It doesn’t look like the rain will stop.”

“You’re right. It seems to be raining harder than before.”

“With rain like this, they won’t be able to do the fireworks, will they?”

“Probably not.”

Shop clerks began busily clearing away the tables and chairs they had put outside.

Some stores started closing their doors.

It seemed they thought that because it was the square, they wouldn’t be able to do business anymore due to the rain.

Looking at the heavily pouring rain, Eric spoke.

“This won’t do. I’ll call for a carriage.”

“Let’s go together.”

“Stay here. You’ll catch a cold if you get soaked.”

“But-”

“It’s okay. I’ll be back soon, so don’t go anywhere. And don’t follow strangers.”

“Are you treating me like a child?”

Eric grinned mischievously at Alicia’s incredulous expression.

“I guess so. I feel uneasy leaving you behind.”

“What are you saying. Hurry up and go.”

“Alright.”

At Alicia’s chiding, Eric ran into the rain.

After a few steps, Eric stopped midway and turned back.

When their eyes met, Alicia urged Eric worriedly.

“You’ll get even more wet if you stand like that. Hurry and go.”

“It’s fine since I’m already wet.”

Walking backward a few steps while continuing to make eye contact with Alicia, Eric then turned around and ran off.

[This is the timeline separator]

A moment later, a carriage stopped on the street around the corner from the shop where the two had been standing. Eric got out of that carriage with a robe for Alicia to wear.

“What? The rain has almost stopped.”

Eric looked up at the sky, gauging the falling rain with his palm.

The sun hadn’t come out yet, but the raindrops had weakened considerably.

“Was it really just a shower.”

Grumbling, Eric turned the corner.

“Alicia?”

There was no one where Alicia should have been.

He looked through the glass window into the store, but she wasn’t there either.

He opened the door and asked the shop clerk loudly.

“Did you see the woman who was standing out front?”

“Huh? She left earlier.”

“Left? Where to?”

“You left together, didn’t you?”

“What?”

His heart sank.

“Left together with whom?”

“What do you mean? You came to pick her up and left together earlier.”

“Which direction? Did you see?”

“To the left.”

Eric hurriedly closed the door and ran to the left.

As the rain stopped, shops that were about to close their doors started opening them again.

Some places were setting up tables outside again.

But Alicia was nowhere to be seen.

He asked people he grabbed, but no one had seen her.

“Alicia!”

He called out loudly, but there was no answer except for passersby looking at him strangely.

His mind went blank, and he held his head and looked around, but still, Alicia was nowhere to be found.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Ah, Captain. I was just about to contact you.”

A guard ran up to Eric as he rushed into the guard station.

“Contact? What’s the matter?”

“Yes. About the man we arrested in the square.”

“Did you find out who he is?”

“He doesn’t remember being there at all.”

“What?”

“He’s just a fraud who tells fortunes in back alleys, he’s never done puppet shows or anything like that, and he doesn’t remember you at all, Captain.”

“He’s not lying?”

“No. We tried forceful methods too, but it was completely useless. It seems certain.”

Somehow it seemed suspicious.

Eric frowned and ran his hand through his hair.

“I understand for now. Good work.”

“Not at all. Then how should we handle this?”

“Keep him in custody for now.”

“Understood.”

“And-”

He was about to give orders to deploy the guards to the square to search for Alicia.

Just then, someone called out to Eric.

“Um, Captain Russell.”

“?”

“Someone urgently asked me to deliver this to you, Captain.”

The guard held out a letter.

It was a simple white envelope with no seal or pattern, and no sender written on it.

Puzzled, he opened the envelope.

To Count Eric Russell,

Your fiancée is with me.

But it seems she’s not having fun without you here.

So I have no choice but to invite you too, please make sure to come.

The location is the abandoned temple north of the capital.

And you know the basics of hostage situations and threats, right? You must come alone.

P.S. It’s quite a dangerous place. I won’t be responsible if you get hurt or die.

Eric crumpled the letter.

The guard standing next to him took a step back, startled by Eric’s expression that had suddenly turned cold.

“Who did you receive this from?”

“Pardon?”

“I asked who gave you this letter.”

“What letter are you talking about?”