“Not allowed.”

“But why!”

In front of the imperial underground prison. It’s not an important place in the story, and the author doesn’t seem to be too particular about historical accuracy, so I went there without much thought.

Summer tore at her hair as she saw Ian Lancaster standing firmly in front, blocking the way like a guard.

When things don’t go as planned, the first reaction is anger.

Summer stood up to Ian, who was looking down at her coldly. Gasps of surprise could be heard from all around, but they fell on deaf ears.

“It’s dangerous.”

“Your Grace, that person next to you is going in. I really just need to talk to Lady Legacy for a moment, just a very brief moment.”

When anger doesn’t work, the second stage is pleading.

“Hah… Summer. Go back.”

Ian, who had been speaking politely in front of others, couldn’t hold back and called Summer by name.

The faces of the soldiers standing guard around them were colored with shock, but neither Ian nor Summer noticed.

It was a battle between spear and shield.

“Please, just once!”

“No.”

“Why are you even here in the first place, Your Grace? It’s a historical inaccuracy, right?”

“Ha. The real historical inaccuracy would be a well-bred count’s daughter wanting to enter an underground prison.”

The soldiers began to whisper among themselves.

While it was rare for anyone to speak so boldly to Ian Lancaster, even if they did, Ian’s personality would normally lead him to coldly dismiss them or call someone to drag them away.

The current Ian seemed rather, how to put it, like he was enjoying it a little.

“Ah, Ian! Please!”

“What?”

When Ian sharply questioned back, Summer finally reached the last stage.

“…Fine, I understand.”

Resignation.

Ian looked at Summer with slightly bewildered eyes, then rubbed his face with one hand and said in a low voice.

“Come in with me. Then I’ll allow it.”

“What?”

“Didn’t you hear? I said I’ll allow it.”

Suddenly he’s allowing it again. For Summer, it was fortunate, so she quickly clung to Ian’s side.

The underground prison was much darker and damper than Summer had imagined. To think that Ferotia was locked up in a place like this. It was unimaginable.

Soon, Ian’s steps stopped in front of a cell.

“Ferotia Legacy. You have a visitor.”

“Your Grace. Are you deliberately speaking to me so coldly? Huh? You’re supposed to love me!”

Ferotia cried out like a scream, suddenly reaching out her arms. Ian’s gaze grew colder in response.

“The visitor isn’t me, but this person.”

As Ian stepped aside, Summer, who had been behind him, took a step closer to Ferotia.

“Lady Lindsey?”

“Yes. I am that Lady Lindsey.”

Will she slap her cheek or scream? But Ferotia just glared at Summer with wary eyes.

It wasn’t the reaction Summer had expected.

“Lady Legacy. I know you feel wronged.”

“Lady Lindsey! You are a proper noble indeed. Yes, I am wronged!”

It was just a test. Ferotia reacted vehemently, her eyes welling up.

Being cruel doesn’t necessarily mean being strong. In fact, it’s more likely to mean weakness. Like Ferotia right now.

A person who thought nothing of cutting off a maid’s hands and feet was now on the verge of tears after being locked up in an underground prison for just a few days. Honestly, Summer found it ridiculous.

The underground prison was quite spacious and brightly lit with torches. Compared to the tiny gosiwon she used to live in, this place was at least habitable.

“Lady Legacy. Do you remember the situation that day?”

“I remember! Ugh, I just asked everyone to share the celebratory drink together, but then Lady Dudley suddenly collapsed!”

“…”

“Wait. What did you say?”

Summer remained silent, as if she had roughly guessed the situation. Instead, Ian, who had been standing beside her, stepped forward and asked incredulously.

“Yes. Everyone is saying Lady Legacy was the mastermind.”

“Sob, I’m being wronged…”

“I also think Lady Legacy wanted to kill Julian.”

“Why would I? I wasn’t even someone who hated Julian that much!”

“Then why did you try to kill her?”

“I didn’t try to kill her!”

“Lady.”

“…”

Summer leaned forward to meet Ferotia’s eyes.

Her piercingly blue eyes were emotionless, making them all the more chilling. Enough to make Ferotia flinch.

“Just because you were acting on someone else’s orders doesn’t mean you’re innocent.”

“T-that…”

“I originally disliked Lady Legacy too, but you know, my opinion changed today.”

“W-who are you?”

“I feel sorry for Lady Legacy too. As much as I care for Julian.”

You’re just faithfully playing your assigned role, aren’t you? Who would point fingers at a puppet without a will of its own? We should find and punish the one controlling the puppet.

So this world should punish the author. Especially Ferotia.

“L-Lady. Please get me out of here…”

“If you tell me who put you up to it, I’ll get you out.”

“…”

Ferotia pressed her lips tightly shut. It was a clear exercise of the right to remain silent. Summer sighed deeply as she straightened up.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to say.”

“Lady, that… that…”

After hesitating for a moment, Ferotia finally closed her eyes tightly and didn’t speak.

It was somewhat expected. But for Ferotia to tremble so much and keep her mouth shut in fear, it meant the person was in an even higher position than Ferotia.

“Strange.”

Summer muttered.

There weren’t many people with more power than Ferotia.

Duke Russell Bertrand, Duke Ian Lancaster, the Emperor, the Empress. That’s about it. There weren’t even any children between the Emperor and Empress, so that really was all.

“Lady Lindsey, please save me…”

Ferotia pleaded, reaching out to grab the hem of Summer’s skirt. Summer easily understood that the plea to save her meant more than just getting her out of the underground prison.

A plea to somehow pull her life out of the mire. But Summer was in no position to save anyone.

When she herself hadn’t been saved yet, how could she?

“Don’t worry, Lady Legacy. You’ll be released soon. This is a prophecy.”

Summer grasped Ferotia’s hand once, then let it go.

Stupid and pitiful marionette.

As Summer was about to leave the prison, Ian quickly blocked her path.

“Summer.”

“What is it?”

“Let’s talk for a moment.”

“I’m sorry. I have nothing to say.”

“Why is Lady Legacy saying Julian drank poison?”

Julian? Somehow the way he addressed her seemed a bit affectionate.

“Your Grace, when did you become close with Julian?”

“Is that important right now?”

“It is important.”

This is a romance fantasy, and in this world, only you and Julian are having a romance.

In this bleak world, it’s a romance like a sweet rain, how could I not be curious?

“At the banquet, I handed her clothes and we exchanged letters. And there’s a misunderstanding, we’re not close. It’s just,”

“Hmm, I know, I know.”

He must be gradually suspecting that the nameless little child he met when he was young might be Julian. Summer’s heart was pounding for no reason.

I enjoyed reading this part. It was a shame I couldn’t observe it from above like a god.

Ian’s face hardened coldly as he saw Summer smiling contentedly. His dark, thick eyebrows twitched as if displeased.

“It’s not like that.”

“I know.”

Summer replied in a voice that seemed like you could almost see the ripples. She quickly stopped Ian as he tried to explain again and grinned.

It was a smile of Summer’s that Ian had never seen before.

“Don’t say anything! I want to feel a little excitement, even if it’s about someone else’s story, in this harsh world.”

And with that, Summer turned and left, and Ian couldn’t stop her. He could only slowly follow the departing Summer with his gray eyes.

“Mary.”

Upon returning to the mansion, Summer looked for Mary first. Among the cleaning maids working mechanically without eyes, nose, or mouth, she saw Mary, who looked noticeably tired.

Mary straightened her bent back as if relieved and threw down her broom.

“You’re back early.”

“Can you bring me some gossip magazines sorted by type? I want to try taking an interest in the media again.”

Summer said in an excited voice.

“Just a moment.”

Soon, Mary led Summer to the building where the maids’ quarters were located. The building where the maids stayed was quite neat and ordinary.

“My goodness, Mary. Are you showing me your room right now?”

“Yes. The gossip magazines are here. I’ve been collecting them.”

“…Thank you.”

Mary’s room was simple and neat, just like her personality.

But Summer knew well how much tiresome labor it took to maintain even a small room so neatly.

“Here you go.”

Summer quickly took the box Mary handed her. It was quite heavy, heavier than expected.

At the top of the box, a gossip magazine headline caught her eye.

“Dudley’s adopted daughter collapses at Legacy family’s coming-of-age party…”

The world had intervened. So urgently that it manipulated the facts that had clearly occurred.

It was definitely Summer who drank the poison and collapsed. But according to the article, Summer’s existence had been completely erased.

It says that at the coming-of-age party, Julian drank poison and struggled for her life, just like in the original story.

“But Duke Lancaster…”

He remembered. The protagonists were unable to accept the world’s intervention.

Did the author give the protagonists some kind of power to defy god because of too much affection for them?

Otherwise, there’s no way that while everyone is saying in unison that Julian collapsed, only Ian Lancaster, the male protagonist, would remember the incident accurately.

“Mary. I think something scary is going to happen.”

Summer blurted out with a blank face before she knew it. Mary, roughly grasping the situation, nodded once with her characteristically tired face.

“Well, I think so too.”

“I thought that because I was just a speck of dust, the world would ignore me no matter how much I acted up.”

“Well. In fact, from this world’s perspective, aren’t you yourself the scary thing?”

Mary replied emotionlessly and took back the box Summer was holding.

Summer stared blankly into space, not even realizing that Mary had taken the box.

It’s ominous. Like the feeling of failing an exam due to a marking mistake. Very ominous.