An intricately sculpted face filled the space where the intricately wooden lattice had disappeared. Long, almond-shaped eyes were set beautifully and symmetrically on the bridge of a towering nose. Lips, which were neither too thick nor too thin, seemed to maintain the perfect amount of moisture. When the pale gold eyelashes moved, it felt like gold dust was falling. His eyes were dazzling. However, he was frowning.
“Are you okay?”
Keran asked. Before I knew it, I was lying on my back on the floor, and he was peering at me from an all-too-close distance. I quickly crawled away from him like a frightened lizard.
“That’s so fast.”
“Did you know that there is a butt-running race every year in northern Milua? I took champion’s honors when I was only twelve.”
“You’re lying, right?”
“Of course. I’ll stay like this for a moment. I have no strength in my legs.”
Without hesitation, Keran picked me up and sat me down on the chair. I’m grateful, but I’m not sure if it’s right. Even though he was programmed by the system, Keran’s feelings for Florence Belle were clearly love. It was an unwritten rule among girls not to hang out with other people’s boyfriends—even if she has five boyfriends.
But I didn’t have much time to think about that. Because it was time for me to return. According to Detective Ariel’s brilliant deduction, whenever I was seriously injured and knocked unconscious, I would be transported to Florence Belle’s world. When my body recovered to a certain extent, I would be sucked back into Rosemary Blossom’s world.
The precursor to returning to Blossom’s world was a headache. Just like what I just experienced. If my judgment is correct, I was briefly awakened by a healing spell cast by Keran of the original world, only to fall back to sleep again. It probably wouldn’t be long before I fully regained consciousness.
“How long was I out, Keran?”
“Not long. About three minutes?”
“Alright. I’ll tell you everything.”
“So suddenly?”
“I didn’t think this was time to joke around.”
I had a lot to say because I couldn’t point to tangible evidence—the spinning wheel of fate or anything—like Kyle had done with me.
Kyle said that it would be best for people who are deeply involved in the game’s story, such as the target, to not approach the witch’s path. I don’t think the system will tolerate that much (then what am I? I remembered laughing awkwardly when I asked that. Right. I’m just a background character.)
“It’s probably an incredibly shocking story, especially for you.”
“As much as the appearance of a lover from a parallel world?”
“Haha, that’s really funny. Actually, it’s not. Can you please concentrate?”
Is there anyone who wouldn’t go crazy the moment they realized that their life was not their own? I didn’t want Keran of any world to get hurt, so my voice came out very cautiously.
“First of all, as you may have guessed, the world revolves around the student council secretary with flowing blonde hair, eyes like violets, and who looks like a porcelain doll. In my case, it would be ‘Rosemary Blossom’, and in your case, it would be ‘Florence Belle’… .”
While I was talking about ‘main characters’, ‘cheats’, and ‘characters’, Keran’s lips twitched countless times but never opened.
“You are free to believe it or not, but this is the truth I know.”
After the explanation was over, Keran fell into a long silence. Since I had conveyed what was worth conveying, I decided to wait patiently until his thoughts came together.
“This is the worst.”
It was a conclusion reached after a long time.
“When I think about it… yeah. It was too good to be true. It felt almost miraculous. The words I wanted to hear always came out of Flora’s mouth without hesitation. As if she could see the answers.”
“… … .”
“My real feelings. Marquise’s problem. Bryce’s weakness and Edgar’s trauma. Even Jaden’s secret. Things we’ve been hiding yet we casually revealed to her. I mean, we’ve only known her for a month.”
A small teardrop rolled down the side of his cheek that was cut at an artistic angle. Keran’s tone was calm, but his heart was not. I couldn’t bring myself to say to him, “Don’t cry,” the way I’d said it to Kyle and the others.
I didn’t dare guess what he was feeling because I wasn’t in the exact same situation as him. I just thought how great it would be if they could just be washed away by a shower of tears, especially since he was so stingy with his emotions.
“I… I mistakenly thought it was a miracle created by love. Naively. Romantically. Stupidly.”
As Keran irritably wiped his eyes, I nervously fidgeted with my feet. It was understandable. The reason he was suspicious of her was because he wanted to find a reason to love her at ease, but what I pushed into him was the reason why he couldn’t love her.
Seeing someone sad wasn’t a very pleasant experience. Moreover, Kelan Illestia was a man who would probably smile even if he had a sword in his back. Perhaps the rose’s thorn was more painful than the sword. I felt distressed, as if the rose thorn was stuck in my heart.
“I’m sorry.”
I offered some clumsy consolation. Then Keran composed himself as if nothing had happened. His tears were gone, and his voice was gentle.
“But that’s all assuming your claims are true.”
That was correct. I wanted Keran to understand that I didn’t have a reason to lie to him, but at the same time, it was strictly from my perspective, so he didn’t have to accept it.
Keran would need time. Much longer than the few days it had taken me to come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t even a seasoning to the main character’s life.
“When can you come again, Ari?”
As I pressed my thumb to my temple, a somewhat impatient question came out. He also seemed to have figured out the pattern when I returned to the original world.
“Well, I don’t know, but I’ve got a lot of things to take care of…”
“I’ll wait.”
Before I could fully express my reluctance, Keran intervened. His words were spoken crudely and not as polished as usual. Feeling a sudden itchiness in my stomach, I shrugged my shoulders slightly.
Then a huge wave of pain hit me. I collapsed like a crumbling breakwater.
***
The wooden lattice that caught my eye again had one side of the hexagon horribly distorted.
“Bree…?”
“Sorry, it’s me.”
The person sitting with his back to the window was definitely not Brianna Mosley. What great ears they have! They replied without missing my small whisper. It was a male voice. Moist like a sponge cake.
“Luckily, the wound wasn’t too deep. No further treatment will be necessary. It won’t be noticeable on the outside either. As long as you don’t move too aggressively.”
I glanced down at the pajamas I had changed into. As Keran said, my side where Pannington had stabbed me was smooth as if nothing had happened. Except when I traced it with my hand, it was lumpy and painful, like a poorly sewn seam. It looked like it had been wrapped with an expensive magic bandage that was said to be softer than real skin.
“I will repair your shirt and return it to you. I already explained to Mosley that you were attacked by an assassin targeting me.”
“He’s the assassin you hired. Now that I think about it, what happened to him?”
“What do you want to do?”
‘I’ll deal with him as you wish.’ Keran added with a smile that didn’t seem like a smile at all.
‘Deal with’ was a bit too stiff a word for a human to be the object.
I didn’t know Pannington well, but I doubted whether he was a being that should be dealt with. After all, he imitated the cuckoo bird for me in the world of Florence Belle. It seemed like an act that required tremendous courage.
Anyone who had to muster the courage to imitate a bird could hardly be considered a threat, even if he had stabbed me with a dagger.
Moreover, at the moment the incident in question occurred, Pannington was not Pannington. Not as a metaphor for his identity, but literally.
He seemed to be possessed by something while he cut a hole in my side. I scratched my eardrums, feeling like I could still hear the remnants of those creepy sounds.
In conclusion, in my opinion, the punishment Jimmy Pannington deserved was a death blow*.
*(Generally, it refers to the act of hitting the lower part of the face, such as the cheek or chin, with a fist.)
“That’s frugal.”
That sounded funny. Recently, I heard a completely opposite assessment from the same person in a parallel world.
“Do you also think I will live a short life?”
“If you continue your behavior of attacking opponents much stronger than you, yes.”
Keran responded, his tone faintly friendly. He hadn’t seemed in a good mood for a moment since I’d woken up.
“But do I have the right to worry about you? We’re not that close.”
I sensed something in Keran’s sarcastic attitude but didn’t dare comment. This was because ‘sulking’ was such an awkward concept to apply to the crown prince of Illestia. It was hard for me to imagine Keran Illestia with his arms crossed and his cheeks puffed like Cynthia, the most sulky of the Villards.
“You know, could you be…”
“Your Majesty.”
After hesitating, I finally spoke, only to be interrupted by a polite knock. Soon, a voice leaked through the gap in the old wooden door. I couldn’t be sure, but it seemed to be Walsh. Since he was licking the soles of Emperor Kaitlyn’s feet more passionately than anyone else, it wasn’t surprising that he had decided to act as an attendant to her successor.
“Miss Blossom appears to have business with Your Majesty.”
“What is it about?”
“Uh, it’s nothing special. Shouldn’t you go and see her?”
“Rose is a good girl. She’s close to me too. I’m sure she’ll wait long enough.”
“Your Majesty.”
Despite Keran’s assurances, there was more urging. This time it was Marquise Bolton’s voice.
“Lady Blossom appears to have business with Your Majesty.”
“Isn’t there a lack of creativity in the lines of your, uh, subordinates?”
“… It’s not the Marquise.”
As I chuckled, Keran spoke without taking his eyes off the doorway. His lips were firmly pressed together.
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