The owner of the voice was Ian Lancaster.

At that moment, Summer came up with a good idea. Having interfered with the original story, she had to make sure of this part, if only for Julian’s sake.

“Your Grace. Please give me your word that you will surely punish the culprit.”

“Summer, what are you saying…”

“Please.”

Summer’s blue eyes gazed directly at Ian.

Those eyes, colder and bluer than a lake, were clearer and more distinct than ever since coming to this world.

“I promise. Even if I have to use my right of summary execution. Now tell me.”

Instead of answering, Summer raised the hand that had broken the glass. The wound had healed, but it was still red.

Summer lightly bit her hand, then released it. The red wine that moistened the back of her hand left a bitter taste in her mouth.

And then,

“Ugh, urk!”

Her dazzling blonde hair scattered in the air, and Summer’s body collapsed helplessly onto the carpet.

The atmosphere in the party hall had now turned ice cold. No one dared to even make a sound.

“It’s poison!”

At someone’s piercing scream, everyone fled the party hall in panic. As if poison could run and kill people.

“Cough!”

But it hurts so much. Summer laughed senselessly as her consciousness faded.

It hurts like hell. To the point where she was glad she didn’t breathe in Blengkis that day.

With the final sensation of someone lifting her body, Summer closed her eyes.

Is this a dream? When Summer opened her eyes, she saw a distant darkness.

“…”

Did I succeed? Just as she thought that, she heard a familiar voice wailing.

“What’s that sound?”

Who could be crying so sadly? Is it Julian? But it sounded more like an older woman’s voice than Julian’s.

Who could it be? Summer tried to follow the voice but stopped when her neck area became hot.

As she touched around her neck, her fingertips met a necklace.

“Ah.”

Fei. What could Fei be doing? The necklace grew hotter and hotter. To the point where she wanted to rip it off.

Summer actually pulled on the necklace with all her might. But it only made her hand hurt.

“Aaah! Ah, it hurts, it hurts!”

As Summer jumped around clutching her burning neck, a bright white light soon penetrated her closed eyes.

“Wake up!”

“…Who,”

Summer frowned as she woke up, with someone constantly shouting in her ear.

She tried to demand who it was, but her voice came out hoarse and broken. Her throat still burned painfully.

“I said wake up, you idiot!”

The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Fei, her face flushed red, yelling right into her ear.

“…Fei.”

“You’re awake? Who are you? What’s your name?”

“I told you I still don’t remember my name…”

“Phew, thank goodness. You really are Black Hair.”

What’s there to be thankful for? Summer felt like snapping at her.

“Summer! I didn’t realize you meant it that way! I was so scared Summer might die…”

Summer shifted her gaze to Julian, who grabbed her hand and burst into tears.

Julian, Russell, and Ian in this room acted as if they couldn’t see Fei at all.

While Julian kept holding Summer’s hand and shedding tears, Russell quickly opened the door and instructed the maids to bring lukewarm water and a wet towel.

Ian looked a bit dazed.

“Summer…”

“Julian. I’m awake now. So,”

Please stop pouring holy power into my body. Summer swallowed the rest of her words, realizing there were people around.

As far as Summer knew, even a saint’s body would be greatly strained if holy power was used excessively.

But now Julian was holding Summer’s hand and constantly infusing holy power. It was obvious how much holy power she must have used on the collapsed Summer, if she was doing this much for someone who was already awake.

“Thank you for living. Thank you so much for living…”

Julian kept dropping tears onto the sheet as she pressed her cheek against Summer’s hand.

Summer took in Julian as if time had stopped. The words “thank you for living” felt strange.

It was an odd feeling.

Should she be happy that Julian liked her this much, or should she be angry at a character in a novel who was saying “thank you for living” when she couldn’t return to her original world?

Two incompatible emotions clashed strongly within Summer.

Moreover, what was that wailing sound she heard before waking up?

“Summer. A moment.”

Russell, who had approached by now, put a wet towel soaked in water into Summer’s mouth.

His soft white fingers brushed past Summer’s pale lips.

Only when the wet towel touched her lips did Summer realize how thirsty she was. After Summer sucked on the wet towel a few times, Russell replaced it with a new one.

After repeating this several times and Summer shakily raised her upper body, Russell held out a cup of lukewarm water.

“Russell. Did you have someone sick in your family?”

“Is that what you’re most curious about after nearly dying?”

Russell looked genuinely bewildered.

“I could be, cough, curious. Don’t answer if you don’t want to.”

“Both my parents passed away early. That’s why I became a duke even before coming of age.”

“Ah… really.”

Summer held her head. Every word seemed to hit a landmine. It’s as if tragic backstories were a mandatory element in this world.

Ian Lancaster, who must have felt like walking on a knife’s edge every moment, caught up in the power struggles of the ducal family.

Julian Dudley, who had to endure hunger and cold in her childhood, then was pointed at in noble social circles for being an adopted child after entering the Dudley family… and later had her life thoroughly entangled in male problems before barely reaching a happy ending.

Summer knew their circumstances, as they were the main characters.

But come to think of it, there was hardly any information about Duke Russell Bertrand. At most, he was Julian’s helper.

A rational and cold administrative official to the bone, receiving all the popularity of the empire. Something like that.

Russell had never revealed his past in the work. He was always living in the present.

“…”

“Summer. Your gaze is too intense.”

That part seemed a bit cool. As Summer stared intently at Russell, he slightly furrowed his brow as if uncomfortable and said,

“I like people who take good care of others.”

Summer casually threw out a half-serious, half-joking remark.

Summer’s ideal type was, more precisely, someone who wouldn’t make her anxious.

Someone devoted to family, stable, with low anxiety – that kind of cliché ideal type.

“My. I’m not interested in dating yet. I apologize, Young Lady.”

“I thought you told me to call you by name before.”

No way. To think the form of address would change from Summer to Young Lady just because of a little joke. How unfair. Summer looked at Russell with round eyes full of bewilderment.

Russell checked Summer’s eyes and pulse, then lightly placed his thumb on Summer’s lips.

“Rejections should be polite.”

“You don’t give an inch, do you?”

“I have no reason to.”

As Russell pressed his thumb down slightly, Summer’s mouth opened a bit.

Summer frowned, feeling Russell’s touch was unnecessarily sensual. She knew. Russell was doing this purely to check her condition.

After thoroughly examining even inside her mouth, Russell let out a sigh of relief and laid Summer back down on the bed with an indifferent face, holding both her shoulders.

“Especially to someone who recklessly drank poison.”

“…”

“Didn’t I say I would listen to your story?”

“It’s unfair. You saw why I drank the poison this time, didn’t you, Your Grace?”

“You’re not calling me Russell?”

“It’s revenge for earlier, Your Grace.”

When Summer snapped back, Russell let out a dry laugh and removed his hands that had been lightly resting on her shoulders.

As the distance between them suddenly widened, Summer felt a bit empty.

It was because his indifferent and cold attitude had fully revealed how much he had worried about her.

“Summer, it’s okay now. I’ll protect you. I’ll definitely…”

“Julian. I’m really fine. If anything, I should be protecting you.”

It would be a disaster if the protagonist died. What if the world collapsed before she could return to her original world? Of course, the protagonist wouldn’t die so easily, being the center of the world, but still.

From the start, Summer’s presence in this world was a variable, so anything could happen.

“Um, I think I need to rest a bit.”

“Oh, I kept you too long. I’m sorry. Please rest well.”

At Summer’s words, Julian hurriedly stood up. In the process, a handkerchief that had been on Julian’s lap fell with a thud.

“Julian. Something fell.”

“Oh, this… It’s a mess, but I made it hoping you would wake up.”

Julian shyly handed the handkerchief to Summer. On the handkerchief were a yellow circle and green leaves.

“This isn’t the symbol of the Lindsey family, though.”

“I made it thinking of you. Summer means summer, right? Above all, meeting you was as intense as suddenly encountering the hot sun in midsummer.”

“…”

It must be a compliment. Summer slightly blushed, recalling her past when she had frantically searched for the Dudley family.

A midsummer sun and a verdant landscape. That was how Julian saw Summer.

“Then I’ll be going. Rest well.”

“… Thank you. I’ll cherish it.”

Summer gently stroked the embroidery on the handkerchief. After Julian left, Ian and Russell followed suit.

Ian looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end he left with the same dazed expression he had at first.

“Black Hair!”

“Fei. Were you worried?”

“Why would I be! You humans are like cockroaches to us!”

Fei denied it vehemently, jumping up and down. They say strong denial is actually affirmation.

“Actually, you liked me too, didn’t you, Fei?”

At Summer’s words, Fei, who was about to get excited again, suddenly stopped moving.

Summer’s image filled Fei’s blank eyes.

Summer, smiling brightly and speaking playfully.

Just as that human woman had said, Black Hair was indeed like an intense summer, true to her name.

“…”

“Fei?”

“Why would I? Why would I like you?”

At Fei’s question, Summer slowly got up and approached Fei. Thanks to Julian using her holy power, her body felt light.

Summer embraced Fei tightly just like that.

“Hic!”

Fei let out a small cry and froze with her shoulders raised high.

Summer opened her mouth with a clear laugh.

“We’re both outsiders, aren’t we? Like a cat among dogs.”

Fei’s eyes wavered greatly, shaking.

“You’re saying… you like me because I’m an outsider?”

“I didn’t have anyone in this world who recognized me either, just like you, Fei. Because I was here, you felt less lonely too, right?”

“…”

Summer slowly patted Fei’s back. Fei stared into space with wide eyes, not moving at all. As if struck by lightning.