“Lady Luibel, is something wrong?”

Maria asked worriedly.

“Ah, no. Aha ha…”

Luibel answered with an awkward laugh.

“Then, it’s about time. Shall we go enjoy the festival?”

Just as Maria was about to get up with a bright smile after checking the wall clock,

“W-w-w-wait a moment!”

Luibel shouted, jumping up.

“The more the merrier when it comes to festivals, right? So let’s all go together!”

In the first place, their plan was to enjoy the festival together. There was no condition that only the two of them would go.

“By all together, you mean…?”

Maria, who had hoped for a date with just Luibel, trailed off, clearly expressing her disappointment.

Does that mean bringing along Anselot and that pig bird?

‘It’s okay. If it’s just the two of them, I can appropriately shake them off and be alone with Lady Luibel.’

However, not long after, the sound of her plan crumbling was heard loud and clear.

[This is the timeline separator]

Myself, Maria, Anselot, Klaus, Illae, and even Piya who had turned human.

A carriage carrying a total of six people smoothly rolled through the streets of the capital of Luenhart.

On the last day of the festival honoring Amor, the goddess of love and truth,

We were on our way to see the temple event called the highlight of the festival.

With a slightly haggard face, I stared at the quest window that had been blinking before my eyes for a while now.

It was a quest Piya had brought a little while ago.

‘Lulu, the final quest has arrived! The difficulty isn’t high, but what should we do when Piya can’t stick close and help you in this state?’

‘You said it’s not difficult. I’ll do my best.’

Until then, I had no idea.

That the last remaining quest in Luenhart would be…

[Main Quest: Love and Duel! (3/3)]

You who have finally won love by emerging victorious in the duel! Now all that remains is a pledge of true love with all your heart! Give a kiss filled with genuine love♡

▷Clear Condition: A kiss of love

▶Reward upon success: EXP +31300, Skill Points +30

…something like this!

‘No! Absolutely not!’

I screamed inwardly.

In the original work, Hezen and Maria realized their love in Luenhart and shared a sweet kiss.

It was the most beautiful and perfect scene when read in print.

But now that it was happening to me, it became an emergency situation.

‘My first kiss has to be because of a quest!’

That’s because I had never done such a thing in my previous life or this one!

Even though Hezen and I maintained a somewhat couple-like relationship for nearly 3 years, we never went beyond hugging for skinship.

It wasn’t because I was particularly conservative.

When I first met Hezen, I was only 17 years old, and after turning 20 and receiving his proposal, I was too busy preparing for the engagement to have any time for a romantic relationship with him.

Of course, while I was busy with engagement preparations, Hezen was out meeting other women behind my back to fulfill his dark desires.

‘That shattered any romantic notions about love.’

I shook my head, recalling the unpleasant memories.

Anyway, what mattered now wasn’t the unpleasant past with Hezen.

That damn quest was threatening my lips!

‘Even if the system’s compulsion is imposed, there’s no way things will lead to that kind of atmosphere if we all move together like this, right?’

That was the reason I brought everyone along.

Right then,

Screech!

The carriage came to a sudden stop and cheers were heard from outside as soon as it halted.

‘What?’

As I opened the carriage window to look outside, Maria chuckled beside me and said,

“Oh my, looks like a new couple has formed over there.”

A young man and woman were kissing, and people were throwing flowers around them, cheering.

“Eek! Wh-what is that?”

“Ah, Lady Luibel isn’t familiar with it.”

As I widened my eyes in surprise at the passionate display of affection between the man and woman in broad daylight, Maria kindly explained.

“During the festival period honoring the goddess Amor, it’s customary for newly formed couples to pledge their true love by kissing in front of others.”

“They have to do it in front of so many people?”

“The onlookers bless the new couple and shower them with flowers. There’s a saying that their love will last forever if they do that.”

‘It’s just a made-up saying.’

I grumbled inwardly.

If love could last forever with something like that, why do couples break up in this world, and why do married couples get divorced?

But I couldn’t say that outright to Maria, who was the holy maiden serving the goddess of love.

“How romantic, isn’t it?”

“Hmm…”

I gazed out the carriage window again.

The two lovers who had parted lips and were looking at each other with flushed faces looked incredibly happy, and sincerity was evident on the faces of the people blessing them.

It’s a very unfamiliar culture since it doesn’t exist in Azester, but…

“I suppose. It is romantic.”

I replied with a brief smile.

Come to think of it, it was somewhat similar to the romantic love I dreamed of at 17.

“…Public displays of affection in the streets for all to see.”

Just then, Klaus’s exasperated voice was heard beside me.

“Luenhart’s festivals are vulgar.”

Klaus muttered with a disgusted expression.

‘Ah, right. Klaus… detests this kind of thing.’

Recalling Klaus’s trait of ‘Abstinence’, I felt a little sorry for him.

“Not knowing the beauty of love. Poor Klaus.”

“The knight is truly pitiful.”

Maria agreed with my words.

Then she turned to me, eyes sparkling, and asked,

“Lady Luibel. Shall we, who know the beauty of love, just…”

“Ah, no! I don’t really know much about the beauty of love either!”

As I answered in a raised voice to her burdensome gaze, Maria made a sullen expression.

The carriage, which had started moving again at some point, stopped in front of the temple.

The temple, open for the occasion, was crowded with people gathered to see the temple event known as the highlight of the festival.

Going inside, the vast front yard leading up to the temple building in the distance was lined with tents and stalls of all colors.

Befitting a festival honoring the goddess of love, things themed around love could be seen here and there.

“Lulu! There’s a sweet smell coming from over there!”

Piya, lured by the sweet scent, grabbed my hand and led me.

They were selling magic cookies said to help make love come true.

“They look similar to what the pig bird ate.”

“Eek!”

As Anselot muttered while looking at the cookies, Piya’s appetite vanished and she hid behind me in surprise.

“Heart-pounding magic cookies?”

“They’re cookies made with divine power imbued by the temple.”

“Do these actually work?”

“Would you like to try them yourself?”

Maria’s eyes sparkled as she recommended them to me.

At that moment, I had a strong premonition that I shouldn’t eat them, so I declined with an awkward smile.

“It’s alright, Maria.”

“Aww, what a shame.”

Maria openly expressed her disappointment.

Ignoring her gaze, I pointed to a place where many people were lined up.

“What are they doing over there?”

“Ah, that’s the spring that reveals your ideal type.”

“Ideal type?”

Just then, a couple who had finished their turn came out, and the woman, whose face had turned red, turned her head away from the man in a huff.

“Oh dear, it seems the man’s ideal type wasn’t the woman.”

Maria muttered regretfully, watching the man console the sulking woman.

“It can be a bit risky for couples to go see it together, but… What do you think, Lady Luibel? Aren’t you curious about Prince Anselot’s ideal type?”

Maria whispered in my ear, slightly lowering her voice.

For a moment, her gaze toward Anselot seemed somewhat ominous, but that must have been my imagination.

“Well… I suppose…”

Anselot and I weren’t real lovers anyway, so even if someone other than each other came up as the ideal type, there would be no quarrel.

‘I am a bit curious…’

Pretending to be unable to resist Maria’s suggestion, I took steps toward the spring of ideal types.

After lining up and waiting for a bit, it was our turn.

A large golden tray rippled with clear spring water.

“Sir Klaus. Why don’t you check first?”

“M-me, you say?”

Klaus stammered uncharacteristically.

“You are the knight who protects my safety. You need to check if that spring water is safe first.”

“That may be so, but…”

Pushed by my persuasion, Klaus slightly poked his head over the spring water.

Then the spring water gently swayed and the face of a woman surfaced above it.

Pink hair, amber eyes…

“Kuh-hah!”

A strange sound escaped from Klaus’s mouth, who was always refined.

[SYSTEM] becomes startled.

[SYSTEM] ‘s language ability has decreased.

“Th-this seems a bit strange, Your Highness!”

That was because the face reflected on the tray was none other than me.

‘Right. Klaus’s ideal type… was .’

I had confirmed it long ago when viewing his detailed information window, but I had forgotten since I never felt any romantic vibes from him.

Klaus always maintained a bland attitude in front of me.

“This is unfair! I have never once harbored such vile feelings toward Your Highness…!”

“It’s okay, it’s okay, Klaus.”

I diligently consoled Klaus, whose eyes had finally turned red as if he were about to cry.

“It’s strange, you say?”

Maria poked her head out in front of the tray holding the spring water.

Then the spring water in the tray gently swayed and my face was reflected again this time as well.

“Huh?”

This time, I was the one who was bewildered instead of Klaus.

“It really does seem strange. Why is my face…”

“It seems to be showing it properly.”

I was the one who spoke first, and Maria was the one who spoke after.

As I blinked my eyes in perplexity, Maria smiled brightly.