“They keep coming out endlessly. Oh my, they’re all crazy wanting to marry you.”

She said there was no luck with men earlier, but now there are many men?

Charlie, who found this absurd, was about to snort when…

“Were there men?”

At Hector’s question, Charlie shook her head with indignation.

“What do you mean were there? There weren’t.”

At that moment, the fortune-teller interjected.

“What do you mean there weren’t, men are scattered all over like you’re tripping over them. If you were to live with them all, you’d need to build a palace. No, you can’t live together. If you put them together, they’d tear each other apart.”

“Palace?”

Hector’s eyebrow twitched.

Charlie, dumbfounded, couldn’t offer any rebuttal and just let out an empty breath.

“This is strange. But why do two keep appearing…”

The fortune-teller’s expression darkened as she looked at the cards. Then she spread the cards, gathered them, and repeated shuffling.

Charlie and Hector watched the fortune-teller intently at her sudden behavior.

“Two… Two…”

Muttering, the fortune-teller drew cards and suddenly stared at Charlie.

“You were two.”

* * *

Footsteps crossing the stone path echoed through the quiet alley.

Charlie, who had escaped from the fortune-telling tent, looked visibly tired.

It was because she had to sweat profusely to stop Hector, who tried to kill the fortune-teller after undoing his magic seal.

[That’s right! It’s two. I lost my memory, so that’s probably why it came out as two.]

If it hadn’t been for Charlie’s quick thinking, the fortune-teller might have truly died.

[Oh, somehow I kept seeing two. Looking at the cards again, it’s correct.]

The fortune-teller, sensing a threat to her life, quickly agreed with Charlie’s words.

Charlie knew that it was a false act.

The fortune-teller had clearly noticed the existence of her, the possessed one.

She had a mountain of questions she wanted to ask, like if she knew a way to return to the original world.

But because of Hector, who was emanating killing intent as if he would kill the fortune-teller at any moment, she couldn’t stay any longer.

[Be careful. What you know is not everything.]

Just as they were about to leave the tent. The fortune-teller whispered softly, only audible to Charlie.

Be careful? What did that mean?

While she was lost in thought for a while…

“Are there men?”

At the sudden question, Charlie looked up at Hector, who was much taller than her.

“Didn’t you say it was plausible nonsense?”

“……”

“Didn’t you say not to believe such things because they’re all scams?”

“I don’t believe it.”

“Then why are you asking?”

“Because she said there were.”

Hector answered shamelessly with a nonchalant face.

“What do you mean you’re asking even though you don’t believe it?”

“I’m asking because she said there were.”

“……”

What is this? This bread-without-red-bean-paste way of speaking with such a strong sense of déjà vu.

Charlie’s eyes twitched.

“But whether there are men or not, what does it matter to Your Grace?”

“It matters.”

“How?”

“Because you are my guide.”

Hector’s sculptured face flickered under the light illuminating the alley.

His red eyes boasted a brilliant glow in the darkness.

‘Anyone who sees this would think I’m not his guide, but his lover.’

Honestly, isn’t it cheating to act like this with that face?

Charlie turned her gaze away as if avoiding Hector and said,

“…Can’t a guide date?”

“It’s specified in the contract that you’re only to guide me.”

“There’s no such thing. While Your Grace performs purification rituals with other women.”

It was an impulsive statement.

It wasn’t meant to reprimand or express disappointment.

She was just a little annoyed at the behavior that seemed to imply jealousy, which is full of potential for misunderstanding.

But Hector’s pupils reacted violently and shook.

“That’s…”

Charlie, who glanced at Hector, continued.

“I’m not saying don’t do the purification ritual, but why is it unfair that only I can’t? That’s what I mean.”

At that moment, Hector’s steps came to a halt.

Because they were holding hands, Charlie also stopped.

“So, are you saying you want to guide other men now?”

“I could. What, am I supposed to live in solitude watching only Your Grace for my entire life?”

Hector pulled Charlie, who was trying to walk away after answering nonchalantly.

“No.”

“What?”

“Break up.”

“Br-break up?!”

Charlie’s mouth gaped open, suddenly forced to break up with a non-existent man.

“Why? Why is Your Grace telling me to break up?”

“Because I don’t like you meeting other men.”

“……”

The cool night air brushed between the two as it passed.

Due to the flickering light, the image of Hector forming on Charlie’s retina appeared disjointed.

She asked again, wondering if she had misheard due to the mental confusion caused by this, but Hector was resolute.

“What did you say?”

“I said I don’t like it. So don’t meet other men. Purification is absolutely not allowed.”

“What……”

Charlie, who was exhaling in disbelief, suddenly stared at Hector.

“Do you, by any chance, like me?”

To Charlie’s question, Hector answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“I like you.”

* * *

Leon, who was startled, almost let out a loud sound, but Tanner covered his mouth, narrowly avoiding a crisis.

Charlie, far from being surprised, instead let out a low sigh.

This was because Hector’s expression was as impassive as if he were solving a math problem and presenting the answer.

What kind of answer was she expecting?

Charlie tried hard not to assign any value beyond that of a guide to the special treatment Hector had been giving her.

Just because she was the only guide…

She had repeatedly brainwashed herself that this was the reason.

Yet, it seems there was a part of her heart that hoped, seeing how such a deflated feeling was washing over her now.

Charlie, her shoulders drooping like a deflated balloon, muttered.

“I see. So you liked me……”

“Isn’t it natural to like my guide?”

“Yes, I suppose so. You have to like me for the pheromones to be good and for purification to work well.”

“Don’t you like me?”

“I do like you. I like you very much.”

Charlie swallowed dry saliva, scraping her bitter mouth like eating unripe persimmons.

As if reflecting her complicated feelings, her toes scraped the ground directly.

“Then what is it that you don’t like?”

Hector furrowed his brow.

“What’s not to like about Your Grace saying you like me? I’m honored.”

“I told you not to lie. Your pheromones clearly show irritation.”

“……”

This damn pheromone isn’t a lie detector, you know.

Charlie glared at the invisible pheromones, resenting them.

“Speak honestly.”

“What I asked was if you liked me romantically, but you said something else… Never mind. I get it, more or less.”

I must be a fool for asking.

Charlie scratched the back of her head, which felt numb as if hit by a blunt object, and clicked her tongue inwardly.

Her pheromones were as cold as her chilled emotions.

Hector’s eyes narrowed.

“Then aren’t you the opposite s*x, not the same s*x?”

“Right. I’m the opposite s*x. But a woman, not a child or something like that.”

“Yes, a woman.”

Hector truly looked like he didn’t understand at all.

After all, he had answered the questions without a shred of lie.

“So, um… like love or something.”

“Love?”

“Yes.”

“What’s the difference between the two?”

“……”

For a moment, a heavy silence fell.

Charlie had known for a while that Hector didn’t understand love well.

However, she hadn’t thought that he wouldn’t even know the dictionary definition.

Hector had grown up alone.

Therefore, he had never been loved by anyone, nor had he loved anyone.

Of course, the people of Hunt, including Tanner and Leon, sincerely cared for and valued Hector.

But it was closer to loyalty than love.

Charlie felt sorry and frustrated about this aspect of Hector while reading the original work.

After all, he had only approached Liliana with holy power.

But to think he didn’t even know the definition of what love was…

A sense of guilt washed over her, as if she had done something wrong.

The self-reproach whipped Charlie’s conscience and even hurled insults at her.

“How should I put it… Liking is like saying you like a cute puppy, or you like delicious food. Love is, well, bigger than liking.”

“Bigger?”

Although she didn’t know why she was suddenly giving a lecture on love theory, Charlie continued rambling.

“To give an example between a man and a woman, just thinking about the other person makes your heart tingle, you feel like you’ll go crazy if you don’t see them, you miss them desperately. You think about them all the time, and you can’t control the emotions that surge up, making you wonder if it’s a disease.”

As Charlie explained, Hector’s face grew increasingly stiff.

“When they’re sick, you want to be sick in their place, if they have to die, you want to die in their place… Something like that.”