Even as I walked down the corridor, my conversation with Levi still lingered in a corner of my heart.

My heart felt incredibly heavy, as if I had hurt a good person.

“How should I face Sir Merten from now on?”

Levi had tried his best to make me comfortable until the very end.

…I don’t mind, so let’s remain good friends in the future.

“How could he say that?”

Isn’t that just prolonging false hope?

Wanting to stay together even like that somehow felt more devastating.

Knowing his feelings, is it okay for me to be with him for my own comfort, under the pretext of granting his request?

I’m not sure. I—

‘I?’

Then a thought suddenly occurred to me.

Ah, I think I’ve been missing something important—

“Wait.”

My current appearance is Leonora, but I’m actually Sienna.

Levi was my brother’s longtime friend and knew Leonora well.

He wanted to make a small piano for the sickly young Leonora, and Leonora was close enough to him that she said she would marry him.

‘Hold on, I think I’ve made a terribly big mistake.’

I stopped in my tracks.

“…..!”

Feeling like I might scream, I covered my mouth with both hands.

Eventually, Leonora and I will return to our original bodies.

What if Leonora still likes Levi?

Then what happens?

What if Levi returns to Bilmotz and meets someone new?

“Oh no, that absolutely cannot happen…!”

I couldn’t ruin her love after already borrowing Leonora’s body.

I need to tell Levi.

I quickly walked back the way I came. Then I gradually increased my speed and started running.

‘I need to tell him the truth. That I’m not the real Leonora!’

After running for a while, I spotted Levi’s brown hair in the distance.

“Sir Merten!”

When I called out to him with all my might, Levi stopped walking.

Even from a distance, I could feel him looking at me with puzzled eyes.

“Sir Merten, just a moment. I still… have something to tell you.”

He saw me and started walking toward me.

Whew, I’m out of breath just from running a few steps.

Just as I caught my breath and looked up at Levi.

“Len, are you alright?”

Levi asked with a concerned expression.

Goodness, even now he’s asking if I’m okay instead of what’s wrong.

What have I done to such a kind man?

I suppressed my heavy breathing and began to speak.

“I have something, I mean, I have something to tell you.”

At my words, Levi tilted his head slightly.

With an expression that seemed to say our conversation had already ended.

“I’m sorry, it’s really important but it will only take a moment.”

“Alright, tell me.”

Levi said with a gentle smile.

The corridor was empty except for us standing there awkwardly.

But this wasn’t something I could carelessly discuss in such an open space.

When I looked around, Levi’s expression subtly changed.

“Should we move somewhere else?”

❀❀❀

Levi didn’t say a word until I finished my entire story.

He didn’t make a fuss in the middle like Sabine, nor did he freeze like Soniel.

He occasionally furrowed his brow, but he maintained his composure and listened to my explanation until the end.

Rather, it was I who couldn’t control my emotions and hesitated several times while speaking.

“…That’s what happened. I’m sorry.”

Unable to look into Levi’s eyes, I slowly lowered my head.

“You probably don’t believe me, do you?”

“Hmm… To be honest, at first I thought you were making an absurd excuse because you disliked me.”

“That couldn’t be!”

Levi smiled slightly at my response.

“Yes, I don’t think you have such a malicious disposition. Besides, hearing your explanation, all the puzzling things from before make sense now.”

“……”

“So really, then Leonora, you…”

I knew exactly how his eyes, which had always gazed at me warmly, would change.

Bewildered and angry with me.

‘He might even think I’m shameless.’

I had nothing to say if he thought I had stolen Leonora’s body. Of course, I had no idea our souls had switched at the time, but still…

Finding it difficult to face Levi, I bit my lip nervously.

He had granted my request without asking for anything in return when I asked him to help prevent my marriage to the Emperor without properly explaining why.

Whether it was our contract marriage or anything else.

‘He must be very angry.’

Just as I cautiously raised my head to look at Levi.

He bowed to me with a calm face.

“Please forgive me for my disrespect to Your Majesty the Empress due to my ignorance.”

I was surprised and waved my hands frantically.

“What are you saying? Please don’t do this.”

I wished he would get angry instead.

I wanted him to resent me and get angry, asking how I could deceive him like this.

But instead of showing his emotions to me, Levi seemed to have decided to accept everything.

“Even though things turned out this way, I’m still Leonora for now. So please treat me the same as before.”

Levi didn’t answer.

Though he was trying not to show it, his eyes were wavering.

‘He’s confused.’

Of course he would be.

“I’m sorry.”

“I am the one who should be more apologetic.”

“Please don’t say that. Why would you, Sir Merten?”

“I’ve been extremely rude to Your Majesty all this time—”

“Please stop.”

I buried my face in my hands and muttered.

“Sir Merten, if you’re trying to make me wither like a straw from guilt, you’ve succeeded.”

When I spoke with a sigh, Levi’s expression softened compared to before.

“Today seems to be filled with nothing but things I need to apologize to you for, Sir Merten.”

“That’s not true.”

When I narrowed my eyes at his response, he covered his mouth with the back of his hand.

“I understand.”

“You must be very surprised, right? But I couldn’t tell you carelessly.”

“I can understand. It wouldn’t have been easy for anyone.”

Levi just smiled comfortably.

Despite my revelation of the shocking truth, despite the fact that he could have thought I had been deceiving him all this time.

“By the way, now that I know the secret, I really do feel like I’ve become a friend of Len’s—I mean, Your Majesty the Empress.”

“If I were Leonora, I would have married you immediately, Sir Merten.”

“Please stop saying things like that. Now that I know it’s a tree I can never climb, it might shake my resolve.”

Levi spoke mischievously and then stared at me intently.

“Actually, I thought something was strange from the beginning.”

“Strange?”

“People’s personalities can change as they grow up, but the Len I met after she had grown up was very different from the young Leonora.”

Then Levi said that when we first met, he was quite bewildered by how I cut a beautiful dress to shreds with scissors, spat out what I had in my mouth, and spoke without restraint.

“Oh, I really want to find a mouse hole to hide in.”

“Not at all. Your Majesty didn’t do it on purpose.”

“Sir Merten.”

I composed my expression and spoke again.

“The reason I told you the truth now is…”

“…..?”

“I don’t want Leonora to miss out on love because of me.”

Wasn’t Levi Leonora’s first love?

And it must have been the same for Levi.

“Len.”

When I muttered in a small voice, Levi slowly shook his head.

“I liked you, Len.”

“……”

“You, who cut dresses with scissors, who was whimsical and cheerful.”

I didn’t know what answer to give or what expression to show him.

Just as I was trying my best to maintain a steady gaze, Levi spoke again.

“But looking back, I’m not sure if I have the right to say I liked you.”

“……”

“Because I didn’t really know who you were.”

Levi looked at me with a somewhat sad face.

“Sir Merten, I will probably return to my place soon.”

He nodded slowly.

“Hearing you say that makes me realize what a strange situation this really is.”

“Please think of it as everything finding its rightful place.”

Levi didn’t answer my words. He simply gave me his usual elegant and languid smile.

❀❀❀

Right after Levi left, I moved to meet Ainberg.

“He went to Pinch National University?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t hear that he had an external schedule today.”

When I muttered this, an elderly secretary sitting at his desk answered dryly.

“There were many matters left unattended while he was bedridden. Besides, His Majesty needs to verify everything with his own eyes. Starting today, he decided to force through external schedules accompanied by medical staff.”

I nodded slowly, but I was a bit worried about him.

It hadn’t been long since he nearly died—would he be alright?

Just because you’re young doesn’t mean you should push your body too hard. You’ll suffer for it when you get older, you know?

“Did the court physician agree?”

When I asked, he let out a brief sigh and answered.

“Half agreed and half gave up.”

“I figured.”

“Still, he said he’s never seen anyone recover as quickly as His Majesty from a fracture. So I think you needn’t worry too much, my lady.”

“Yes, I understand.”

I answered lightly and turned around.

Pinch National University, huh.

Ainberg must know about the Empress’s disappearance.

I had a feeling that his movement wasn’t simply due to external schedules.

I carefully spoke to Sabine, who was standing quietly by the door.

“Sabine, I need to go to the Empress’s quarters now.”