“……”

Fei didn’t say anything, then transformed into a cat and quickly left the room.

“Fei! Fei!”

Summer, having lost Fei, stumbled as she caught on the window sill.

It would have been better if Fei had just separated her body and soul and sent it earlier, but she unnecessarily came back in a complicated way.

Summer leaned her upper body out the window and called out loudly.

“Fe-i! Please just kill me!”

But Fei continued to ignore Summer.

Summer lived as if repeating a recorded video.

Even the Earl and Countess Lindsey, whose behavior was only special during the banquet, had returned to how they were before.

Thanks to Daisy chattering brightly by Summer’s side, she was able to not lose her mind. If Daisy hadn’t been there, she would have gone crazy.

“Um, so you’re saying that when you saw me and thought I was Daisy, I answered ‘My name is Daisy’ like this?”

“Yes.”

“But I was originally Daisy!”

Daisy laughed as if she had heard quite a joke.

Mary, who was quietly peeling apples beside them, glanced at Daisy and then impassively continued to take care of Summer.

These days, Summer went on picnics in the garden almost every day. It was because she couldn’t bear the unfairness if she didn’t fill her eyes with the beautiful scenery.

“Mary. The same goes for you.”

“I know.”

“…Huh?”

“I know. The moment you gave me the name Mary, I became Mary.”

Summer stared blankly at Mary in surprise.

Mary was really amazing. She had the most bored and listless face in the world, yet she was skilled at her work. And she seemed to know everything, so she looked uninterested.

“Weren’t you… uncomfortable? I arbitrarily gave you your name.”

“You already know, miss. How insane this world is.”

“……”

“I mean I wasn’t uncomfortable.”

Mary fixed her soulless eyes on the apple again and mechanically peeled it, placing it on the plate.

“Mary. Um, could I give names to the other kids too? Would that be the right thing to do?”

“Go ahead. Anyway, the moment you forget, they’ll return to how they were originally. There’s nothing to lose.”

“Returning to how they were originally, does that mean losing their existence again?”

Summer asked hesitantly. And Mary faced Summer directly and opened her lips.

“Yes.”

This world was created and destroyed through memory and oblivion. Forgotten existences disappear from this world at that moment.

Mary knew this all too well. That’s why she couldn’t let Summer return to her original world.

On the day exactly one week after the second attempt had failed, a guest visited the Earl Lindsey’s house.

“Summer. Prepare to welcome the guest.”

“A guest?”

Summer followed Countess Lindsey, who was once again acting out of character, down to the reception room.

Seeing the countess utter words that weren’t her set lines, it was obvious that it must be one of the protagonists.

XX boring world.

Summer followed the countess into the reception room, cursing this world with bitter expletives.

By the way, which of the protagonists could it be? First of all, it definitely wasn’t Ian Lancaster. If it was a lead who had been involved in recent events,

“Russell Bertrand?”

Summer blurted out the name that suddenly came to mind.

“Summer. You should be careful with your form of address.”

“Yes. I will.”

Summer quickly closed her mouth at the countess’s gentle admonition.

Since meeting Russell Bertrand at the lake, Summer had often thought of Russell.

It was because his words about receiving time as a reward had stuck in her mind.

As they approached the reception room door, Earl Lindsey’s laughter could be heard from beyond.

“Summer!”

The guest was this world’s protagonist, Julian Dudley. Summer stepped back in surprise.

Why?

When she had reached out her hand at the banquet, it had been impossible to even approach due to the wall blocking her.

‘Why are you all always so nonchalant?’

To me, this single wall feels as enormous and daunting as if it were God’s will.

The protagonists passed through the walls so easily. Like now.

“Summer. You don’t look well. Did… something happen?”

“No. Please, have a seat. I was just surprised because I didn’t know it was Julian.”

“It was sudden, wasn’t it? Actually, I have something I want to ask.”

Julian Dudley smiled brightly and lightly embraced Summer. After greeting with a hug, the two sat down on the reception room sofa.

Soon, a maid set the table. Summer dropped a sugar cube into her tea and spoke first.

“What did you want to ask about, Julian?”

Summer looked at Julian with a kind expression.

To Summer, Julian was like a celebrity. Sparkling. A grain of sand. The sea. It wouldn’t be so bad to fall into the sea.

Summer let out a deflated laugh at her scattered thoughts and drank her tea. Maybe it’s because she’s not in her right mind that she keeps laughing.

She might have been happy to be able to see her favorite protagonist alive and moving before her eyes again. This is an excuse.

Not finding it strange that Summer was laughing as if she had lost her mind, Julian hesitated for a moment, took a sip of tea, and then mustered up the courage to speak.

“Did you attend the debutante ball?”

What kind of question is this? Summer’s laughter stopped abruptly.

“Of course.”

Summer answered in a slightly deflated voice. At Summer’s answer, Julian bowed his head with a confused expression.

“Summer. I must be out of my mind lately. There’s no excuse for this. I’m sorry.”

“Why are you suddenly apologizing? Nothing happened at the ball. Rather, I was upset that I couldn’t help when Julian was being treated unfairly.”

To be precise, I couldn’t help because I was blocked by an invisible barrier.

“Until I entered the ballroom, I was only thinking about Summer. But from the moment I entered until I returned, Summer… Summer didn’t come to mind. I had planned to go and greet you first. I’m sorry, really.”

Julian must be an angel. To use a protagonist’s ability just to apologize to a mere extra like this.

Summer knew why Julian had temporarily forgotten about her.

It must have been the will of God, or rather, the author. A message not to interfere with major events.

The one fortunate thing was that this novel had a happy ending. The female protagonist, Julian Dudley, would achieve everything.

“It’s okay. I couldn’t call out to Julian either.”

“Summer. This might sound strange, but I’ve been experiencing odd things lately.”

“Such as?”

“Like completely forgetting something that was definitely a precious memory the next day, or like that day when I clearly remembered until just before, but then my mind went blank and when I came to my senses again, strange things had already happened.”

Oh. How perceptive. Summer muttered inwardly.

“Julian. Then……”

“So I was wondering, would you like to go to a social party with me this week?”

I was about to suggest visiting the temple instead. Summer’s eyes widened at the sudden invitation to a party.

Did the author just prevent something? Is Julian not supposed to go to the temple right now? Otherwise, how could the solution to her worries be attending yet another party?

Summer gave up thinking. While Julian was as perceptive as a protagonist should be, judging by the flow of events, the author’s influence was absolute.

“A social party? I’m not sure.”

To be honest, Summer was no longer intrigued by this luxurious and glamorous play.

At first, things like banquets and parties were fun, but now the mere thought of them was exhausting.

It felt like a company dinner, for example.

“It’s a party hosted by Duke Lancaster, and I’d like to go. Won’t you come with me, Summer?”

“Duke Lancaster is hosting a party?”

He must be a nobleman too. How soon after the royal banquet ended is he already holding a party? Summer shook her head with an exhausted look.

I guarantee that if a homebody were to be possessed in a romance fantasy novel, they’d collapse in no time. Just like Summer now.

“Summer, please. I don’t have any friends.”

“If Julian is asking, I have to go.”

Summer finally accepted the request.

She wasn’t keen on it, but she didn’t want to see Julian struggle alone in high society without a single ally again.

There was also a feeling of pity for Julian, who moved like the author’s puppet. How daring. Despite being a foreign object in this world.

If she were blocked by an invisible barrier and unable to approach Julian again this time, she was determined to do something crazy to everyone she could approach to change it.

The reason was simple. Summer would be fine as long as she returned to her original world, but Julian Dudley had to live in this world for the rest of her life.

And based on what Summer had experienced so far, this world was not kind to Julian.

She had to endure too many twists and turns for the happiness of the ending.

Perhaps it reminded her of herself, dreaming of happiness at the end while taking short naps in a tiny room in Korea, comforting herself that someday she would be able to achieve an ordinary and peaceful life.

“Thank you!”

“It’s nothing.”

Julian joyfully grasped Summer’s hand.

As Summer watched the delighted Julian, she thought of Ian Lancaster.

She decided to try returning to her original world again a few days after the Duke Lancaster’s party ended.

The image of Ian Lancaster, looking like a rain-soaked wolf, lingered in her mind.

Summer wanted to return to her original world, not leave indelible scars on someone.