“Is it really true that Franz was the one who used black magic?”

Is there a possibility that we’re barking up the wrong tree? I looked at Carl and he nodded in affirmation.

“We caught the vendor who sold you the pie at the train station. We’re investigating who hired him to sell it to you. He won’t easily give up Franz’s name, but as we continue the investigation, we’ll eventually find some evidence.”

When did he have time to investigate all of this? They said he was a competent investigator who had the full trust of the emperor, and it seems to be true. I felt amazed at how Carl smoothly answered all my questions.

“For now, I’ll station troops here, so stay at the count’s residence. I’ll arrange for you to move to the duke’s residence as soon as possible.”

“What? Who?”

“Who else? It’s you, Celine.”

He spoke as if it was obvious. I was so surprised that my eyes widened.

“You mean move into the duke’s residence.”

“It may take more time to hold the ceremony, but considering your safety and Valerie, it would be better for us to live together as soon as possible.”

It would be better for us to live together as soon as possible? It was truly an unromantic proposal, completely devoid of any romance.

I didn’t expect an affectionate proposal since we’re not lovers bound by love. But still, isn’t it a bit too much to say let’s quickly merge and live together because it seems dangerous for you to be alone?

“Did His Highness the Duke really say that?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh my, that’s the most dry and bland marriage proposal I’ve ever heard.”

“Right?”

Liv’s reaction was the same as mine. See, this is what all women would think. There’s probably no woman who wouldn’t feel wronged if the once-in-a-lifetime moment of a proposal was filled with such words.

I started pouring out my complaints to Liv, who had come up to help me get ready for bed. As is usual with women, the conversation that started with the topic of proposals flowed in an unpredictable direction.

What do you like about His Highness Albrecht, what does His Highness like about our Lady Count. Well, you’re both such outstanding individuals, so you couldn’t help but fall for each other when you met, Liv exclaimed in a fuss, and I burst into laughter.

“But when did His Highness the Duke have time to investigate all of that? Today was the first time I met Lord Linke in person. And he immediately summoned Captain Kassel as well… It’s as if His Highness had already anticipated something like this would happen.”

I agreed. I was also amazed at how swiftly he handled the situation.

“I was disappointed that there was no word from you after confirming that Valerie was your biological daughter, but it seems you were truly busy. Now I understand why people praise His Highness the Duke so much. We were just panicking and at a loss when we saw you collapse, but thanks to His Highness the Duke, the situation was resolved at once.”

“R-really?”

“Yes, I’m telling you, it was a relief that you came. Oh, my lady. Did you know? His Highness the Duke personally rode a horse to get here today. They said he grabbed a horse and rushed over immediately because he couldn’t even wait for the carriage. My goodness, doesn’t that mean he’s willing to endure his own discomfort for the safety of his beloved fiancée? I’ll have to take back what I said about the proposal not being romantic. He’s so deeply in love with you!”

I had forgotten for a moment. Once Liv gets absorbed in her own words, she keeps rambling on without stopping.

“Oh, Liv. There’s something I’m curious about.”

“Yes. Ask me anything, my lady.”

I threw out a random topic to cut off Liv’s words, because otherwise I felt like I would have to listen to her praise of Carl all night long.

“It’s about Cel, no, my father.”

“You mean the previous Count?”

“Yeah.”

“What about the previous Count?”

“What kind of person was he?”

I had just blurted out something to stop the chatter, but once I said it, I genuinely became curious whether the purple-haired man I saw in the vision was really Celeste’s father. If so, I wanted to confirm if that was really Celeste’s memory.

“Hmm… He was a cold person. Very dignified and commanding.”

“And what else?”

“He was meticulous in everything. He never let anything slide.”

“He wasn’t the warm and affectionate type?”

“Warm and affectionate… Well, I never saw the previous Count speak affectionately. But he might have been caring towards you, his daughter! Did you remember something from the past?”

“Not really. I think I dreamed about my father.”

“Is that so? My lady, perhaps your memories are starting to return.”

Liv’s eyes sparkled. It was a look of anticipation, hoping that our lady would fully regain her memories and be restored to how she was before.

“I hope your memories will be completely restored soon. Then we’ll be able to know when Miss Valerie’s birthday is, and how you became close with His Highness the Duke.”

“Yes, Liv. If you’re done tidying up, may I rest now?”

“Oh, my lady. You must be tired. I was thoughtlessly rambling on.”

I thought it was pointless to arrange the bedding when I was going to sleep anyway, but apparently that’s how nobles are.

“My lady, are you sure you’ll be alright alone? If you feel even slightly unwell, or suffocated, or scared, pull the cord immediately.”

“I got it.”

Even after that, Liv repeated several more times that pulling the cord by the bed would ring the bell outside. I could only send Liv out after watching her make the final adjustments to the bed, pulling up the blanket.

The bedroom became quiet after Liv left. My stomach was still churning and hadn’t completely settled down, so even if I wanted to get up, I couldn’t. The only way to make my head feel less dizzy was to lie straight like this and look up at the ceiling.

〈Didn’t you hold my hand while sleep talking? Telling me not to go. And very tightly at that.〉

The hand that had held Carl’s felt hot for some reason. Was it because it was the first time holding hands with a man, or was it because that man was Carl? The warmth that started from my hand was gradually spreading throughout my body.

Until I met Franz and lost consciousness, I was engulfed in tremendous fear. So much so that I couldn’t even breathe properly from fright.

Even while wandering through my unconsciousness after losing my senses, my whole body was weighed down by fear and anxiety. If Carl hadn’t come, if he hadn’t stayed by my side, I probably would still be groaning in pain, unable to open my eyes.

In his well-tailored uniform, he seemed flawless, making it difficult to approach him recklessly. But his casual attire today somehow made him feel more approachable.

It felt strange. The fact that someone had watched over me with concern while I was asleep felt odd. It was as if something in my stomach was fluttering with embarrassment, or as if my toes were tingling.

“…Am I really getting married?”

Worries and expectations came rushing in at once. I was concerned about whether it was okay for me to go along with this marriage to Carl that everyone was pushing for.

It wasn’t a worry about whether it was alright for me to recklessly change the life of the ‘original’ Celeste. What I was anxious about was more of a vague fear of the unknown future.

The reason I was able to adapt to living as a completely different person to this extent was because I believed that even if things changed a little, I knew the future of this world to some degree.

Marrying Carl, the male protagonist, would be an act that destroys all the worldviews and settings in the original story. But then again, things have already gotten this twisted because of the incident Celeste and Carl caused two years ago.

The original story had already changed before I, as Celeste, altered it. It’s like adding a little weight to a scale that had already started to tilt.

But what if that tiny bit of weight I added completely ruins the balance of the scale?

“Sigh…”

Worries and self-consolation, concerns and self-reassurance alternated endlessly. There was no answer.

I raised my arm and looked at the hand that had held Carl’s. Even though there was no trace of him left, my eyes kept being drawn to my hand for some reason. The warmth he gave still lingered there.

The sex education classes I had wanted to run away from in that moment came to mind.

Just holding hands makes my face feel this hot, so how will I handle more than that? No, the two of them have already gone that far…

Suddenly, an unfamiliar unpleasant feeling reared its head.

“Why do I feel bad?”

I felt upset thinking about the fact that Celeste and Carl had been together two years ago. Why?

“Ugh. I don’t know. I should just sleep.”

Nothing good comes from overthinking. Constantly asking questions with no answers seems to be making me sensitive to trivial things. I pulled the blanket up to my chin. And I closed my eyes.