I Lied to the Male Lead with My Pinky Finger on the Line

 

“…Aren’t you afraid at all?”

 

Raphir stared at me intently and asked.

 

“Yes?”

 

“I mean, in this situation right now. We’re trapped in a place we don’t even know, with no guarantee that we can get out, so how can you be so calm about it?”

 

“It’s not like I’m completely calm. But nothing will change if we panic….”

 

Raphir’s eyes widened at my words, and then he smiled.

 

“You are indeed unique.”

 

“…Is that a compliment?”

 

“Of course. That’s why I can’t help but fall for you.”

 

“…….”

 

I blinked in surprise at Raphir’s unexpected comment.

 

“…Well, anyway, there’s no point in getting discouraged when there’s no way to do anything about it. Don’t worry. I’ll find a way somehow. Even if worst comes to worst, I’ll make sure even His Highness the Prince can get out.”

 

I quickly turned away. Raphir let out a wry smile.

 

“I feel complicated hearing such words from you.”

 

“Huh? Why?”

 

“I’ll find a way no matter what. I will save you. Honestly, as a man, that’s something I’d rather say than hear.”

 

Raphir’s straightforward words made my eyes widen.

 

“But His Highness the Prince is much more valuable than me. I have a duty as your servant to protect you.”

 

“I mean, before being a servant, you were a woman who…”

 

“Besides, your Royal Highness knows nothing about magic. How can you find a way to escape from here? I, a mage and the one in charge of this artifact, will find a way. There’s still a chance…”

 

“…….”

 

Raphir’s broad shoulders slumped slightly. As I looked at him inquisitively, he smiled weakly.

 

“Your words are so accurate that I can’t possibly refute them, Researcher Rojasis.”

 

“Yes? …Oh, and if that was presumptuous, I apologize….”

 

“No, it’s fine. I just told you, you’re absolutely right, so I’ll just have to rely on you for now. There will definitely be an opportunity to assert myself later.”

 

“Assert yourself? I’m not asking you to do anything you can’t…”

 

As I hesitated in my words, Raphir chuckled softly. It was a clear, refreshing laugh that always improved my mood.

 

“Then I’ll ask for your help, Eila.”

 

  ~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~

 

A dozen seconds passed as a pure white glow of magic filled the artifact’s chamber.

 

As the light faded and their vision returned to normal, Prince Raphir and Eila were nowhere to be seen.

 

“Your Highness? Your Highness! Where are you?”

 

“Eila! Eila, where are you?”

 

Baffled cries overlapped.

 

“Everyone, please calm down! Count Polden, and Sir Nita, check if there are any missing members in your respective investigation teams.”

 

“Ah, understood.”

 

Following Marquis Colliwood’s instructions, Count Polden made an effort to regain his composure and began checking the people in the room one by one.

 

“I have checked. Among the members of the investigation team, the only one missing is Researcher Eila Rojasis.”

 

“Sir Nita, how about the Royal Guards?”

 

“…….”

 

“Sir Nita!”

 

Nita’s complexion was pale without a trace of color. He tightly bit his trembling lips.

 

“…Everything is normal.”

 

“Very well, Polden, go outside with the members and check every corner of the ruins. Just in case the crown prince or researcher Rojasis has been transferred to another room.”

 

“Understood.”

 

“Dean, take the knights and assist.”

 

“Yes, Commander.”

 

Following Nita’s orders, Lieutenant Dean led the knights and followed behind Count Polden.

 

Marquis Colliwood turned his head towards the artifact in the center of the room.

 

The last link that had surrounded the artifact had disappeared without a trace. The unsealed artifact was now emitting even denser and more powerful magic than before.

 

Aslan approached the artifact.

 

“Professor Rojasis! It’s dangerous. Keep your distance!”

 

Marquis Colliwood frowned and raised his voice. However, Aslan paid no attention and began chanting a spell.

 

“Dell Mahata, Ahurun Gehas.”

 

Soon, Aslan’s fingertips emitted blue light. As he assumed a posture of enveloping the artifact with both hands, the black magic emitted by the artifact began to merge into the blue light.

 

But only for a moment. The black magic, which had seemed to weaken for a moment, swelled again and repelled Aslan’s magic. The blue energy that had been at his fingertips scattered into the air.

 

“Ugh…!”

 

“Professor Rojasis!”

 

Marquis Colliwood rushed to Aslan and grabbed his shoulders.

 

“Be careful, Do you intend to have more casualties?”

 

“…….”

 

Aslan gritted his teeth.

 

“Since a serious threat to Prince Raphir’s safety has arisen, this matter is no longer something we can handle unilaterally. We urgently need to send a message to the palace and summon the best experts available. Also, make sure to contact the academy.”

 

“…….”

 

Aslan glared at the Marquis Colliwood with searing eyes, then nodded slowly.

 

Nita quickly approached him.

 

His face remained serious, but there was an effort to regain composure to encourage his younger brother.

 

“Calm down, Aslan. Father will surely know a way.”

 

“…….”

 

Without responding, Aslan clenched his fist tightly. His hand, tightly clenched as if ready to strike, showed the clarity of bones and tendons.

 

It was Aslan who had requested that Eila be allowed to join the investigation team.

 

Aslan had made a promise to protect Eila at the cost of his life, and that’s why his father had allowed it.

 

He couldn’t lose Eila. He couldn’t lose her after his mother. Not just for his father, but to himself…….

 

“Aslan.”

 

“…I know.”

 

Aslan muttered and left the room. Nita watched his retreating figure with a stern expression.

 

  ~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~

 

I examined the room as carefully as I could.

 

To be honest, it wasn’t quite accurate to call it a room. While it appeared to be surrounded by white walls on all sides, no matter how much I walked in a certain direction, I couldn’t reach the end.

 

It seemed that way because there were no objects to gauge the distance.

 

I walked until I could barely see the central artifact and Raphir as a tiny dot, then gave up and returned.

 

Ambiguity extends to time as well.

 

Since arriving here, it has been strangely difficult to perceive the passage of time. When I asked Raphir, it seemed he felt the same way.

 

It was hard to estimate how long it had been since I first regained consciousness. Typically, even if it wasn’t precise, you could make a rough guess if it had been 30 minutes or an hour.

 

In this extremely surreal space, the sensations of the physical senses were vivid. Even though Raphir and I touched each other’s hands and faces, we couldn’t feel any discomfort.

 

As an experiment, I cut my hand with a mana blade. I could feel the pain, and blood flowed. When I licked the wound, the taste was unmistakably the taste of blood that I knew.

 

Seeing me do this, Raphir panicked.

 

“What are you doing to your delicate hands, Eila?”

 

“Well, I have to try experiments… Besides, it’s not that delicate.”

 

Since the age of eighteen, I have been working diligently every day, so my hands were undoubtedly rough compared to ordinary noble ladies.

 

“With such white and pretty hands, what are you talking about? If you want to make a wound, use my hand.”

 

“That’s ridiculous. How dare I inflict a wound on His Highness the Crown Prince’s body….”

 

“Eila.”

 

Raphir furrowed his eyebrows. His face was unusually serious to the point of being a little intimidating.

 

“Promise me. If you’re going to do another experiment like this, you’ll use my body next time.”

 

“But….”

 

“Listen to me, this is an order from the crown prince.”

 

“…Alright.”

 

I said awkwardly.

 

“But there won’t be any more experiments that involve causing wounds. . It seems that finding evidence that this is not our actual physical bodies in this way will be difficult.

 

“You mean you still can’t be sure?”

 

“Yes. If it’s highly realistic magic, it can make you feel like even your mental form** is your real body. If this is an illusion magic, there’s also a possibility that this space doesn’t actually exist. We’re still inside the artifact’s chamber, and there are others inside, but we can’t perceive it due to the magic.”

 

“If that’s the case, there’s probably no need to worry about not being able to escape from here. After all, we’re not actually here.”

 

“Yes. Unfortunately, the probability of that happening is extremely slim.”

 

“Why is that?”

 

“There are two reasons. One is that we don’t feel any physiological needs like hunger or sleep at all. Illusion magic can interfere with perception and deceive, but it can’t control physiological functions. It’s similar to the feeling that even if you go to the bathroom in a dream, the need to urinate is never relieved.”

 

We confirmed this after the incident with Raphir earlier.

 

“Urinating, you say…”

 

Raphir muttered with a cloudy expression, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

 

‘Why is he reacting like this? He’s not some old idol, and it’s not like he doesn’t go to the bathroom just because he’s a member of the royal family.’

 

I tilted my head in confusion.

 

** The term “mental form” in the context of the text refers to the psychological or mental perception of one’s own self or body. In the discussion between the characters, they are contemplating whether their current situation may be an illusion or magical construct that simulates a physical reality, including the feeling of having a physical body.

 

𝖳𝖫/𝖭: 𝖧𝖾𝗅𝗅𝗈! 𝖨’𝗆 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗂𝖺, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝗐 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗌𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗈𝗋 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖺 𝖿𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝖿 𝖲𝗂𝖾𝗇𝗇𝖺. 𝖨 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝖻𝖾 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗌𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗈𝗇𝗐𝖺𝗋𝖽𝗌. 𝖲𝗂𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝖨’𝗆 𝗇𝖾𝗐 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗌𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀, 𝗉𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗌𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗀𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗆𝖾 𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗂𝖼𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗌. 𝖨’𝗆 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝖺𝗇 𝗈𝖿𝖿𝗂𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗅 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗌𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗈𝗋 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗌𝗂𝗍𝖾 (𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖨 𝗇𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝖻𝖾), 𝖨’𝗆 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝖽𝗈𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖿𝗎𝗇, 𝗌𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗌𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗆𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝖻𝖾 100% 𝖺𝖼𝖼𝗎𝗋𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝖨’𝗅𝗅 𝖽𝗈 𝗆𝗒 𝖻𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝖻𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗊𝗎𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗍𝗒 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗌𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌, 𝗉𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗌𝖾 𝖾𝗇𝗃𝗈𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋!

𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝑲𝒐-𝒇𝒊