If I had been more observant of the situation from the beginning, I wouldn’t have let our conversation come to this point, but I was tired in many ways and didn’t have the energy to pay attention to every little detail.

In the end, I needed an answer to avoid this situation, and at the same time, it had to be an answer that would make Ilion terribly dislike me.

It was unfortunate that this was the only answer that came to mind at the moment.

But I was certain.

It was an expression of affection that Ilion absolutely couldn’t deny, while also being an action he would terribly dislike.

“Is this enough?”

“…What?”

“The expression of affection. I showed you, is it enough?”

So whether he was shocked, disgusted, or angry, Ilion would react, and then I needed to take control of this conversation at that moment.

That was the only way to survive.

However…

“……”

“Um, Your Grace?”

Ilion had been staring at me blankly since earlier, like he was out of his mind.

Was I too harsh? Don’t feel too wronged though. You probably wouldn’t even get to kiss the saintess in the original story.

Or is it the other way around? Is this more unfair?

I waved my hand in front of Ilion’s face, who still seemed unable to come to his senses. He finally took a step back from me and covered his mouth.

His reaction was much slower than I expected.

Oh dear… It seems the stimulation was too much for a man who had never even had a girlfriend in his life.

“Wh-what… what is…”

Ilion stuttered uncharacteristically, and I could see black spots creeping up his neck. It seemed his emotional turmoil was quite significant.

Well, he must find it terribly unpleasant. But I had no intention of ending it here.

“Father told me to behave modestly, but to think you’d make me do such a thing. You’re really too much.”

I murmured, opening my fan, looking embarrassed.

“What? What are you talking about!”

“I was saving my first kiss for our wedding day.”

“This– you did it first!”

“But with this, you’ll understand my feelings a bit better, won’t you?”

“What?”

“If this isn’t enough, what more do I need to prove… Perhaps you need something more definitive than this?”

Ilion, who was blinking with an expression of complete bewilderment, covered his eyes with his hand and sighed.

It seemed the control of the conversation had completely shifted to me.

“Don’t think you’ll get away with just this.”

Yes, yes. Go ahead. It’s not like there’s much time left anyway…

Ignoring Ilion’s warning, I followed him towards the banquet hall.

By the way, what happened to the saintess that he came looking for me?

In the original story, Ilion spent time with the saintess on the terrace until late.

At their first meeting, the saintess noticed Ilion’s curse and said that the holy power engraved on his body had weakened, so she cast a blessing on him. And thanks to her blessing, the black spots spread all over his body noticeably decreased.

No matter how worried he might be about his fiancée, if such an event had occurred, I wouldn’t have even crossed his mind.

Or had he already received the blessing?

As I continued to ponder over the story that flowed similarly yet strangely deviated, I suddenly hit a wall. It was Ilion’s back.

I looked up with an expression that seemed to ask why he had stopped.

“It seems you’re thinking of running away again.”

“…Pardon?”

Did you learn mind reading?

“Give it up.”

“You still don’t trust me?”

“I’ll believe that you like me. But if you’re thinking of running away, stop it. You won’t be safe the second time.”

Yes, I’ve wisely given up on the idea of running away from you because it seems impossible. I’m actually quite quick to give up, you know.

“It sounds like you’re threatening me.”

When I reluctantly replied with a pout, Ilion smiled and said,

“Well. Let’s call it a plea instead. Isn’t that more to your taste?”

“My, how romantic. Are you finally going to call me your baby bird?”

When I grinned and replied, Ilion let out a short laugh as if exasperated and turned his head away.

You’re still far from it, kid.

To not miss the timing, I quickly added more words.

“Actually, I’ve thought of a few nicknames to call you too, would you like to hear them?”

“No.”

“Just listen and choose one, please.”

“I don’t want to.”

***

From the morning, Ilion was briefly away on knight order business.

Days without Ilion were rare opportunities to slack off fair and square, but on such a golden day, I was still…

“……”

In the office.

Unfortunately, Lucas’s surveillance was still ongoing, and there was very little I could do while being watched.

“Don’t you need to go for knight order business, Lucas?”

“No, I’m fine. Besides, the Duke specifically asked me to look after you.”

Lucas answered with a bright smile. What a diligent person!

This is why adults always tell you to make good friends. If your friend is too diligent, the other person has to follow along forcibly!

Damn it.

“Miss, even if the Duke isn’t here, that posture is…”

“Comfortable.”

I answered while reading the newspaper lying on the sofa.

Although it’s not clearly visible behind the newspaper, Lily is probably sighing.

Today’s main topic in the newspaper was about the recent victorious war.

The story of unilaterally crushing the opposing country with force, to an extent that it was embarrassing to even call it a war, was enough to praise the emperor’s strength.

It wasn’t particularly interesting, but as I carelessly opened the pages, they were all about the emperor, naturally giving me a headache.

The two months since I stepped into this world had been a busier two months than anyone else’s, but I was still here.

I boldly started this journey thinking that if I had to walk a thorny path anyway, heaven would be better, but now I was steadily walking the thorny path towards hell. What a foolish human I am.

Like the myth of Oedipus, perhaps all attempts to defy fate ultimately lead to fate.

In other words, I’m saying that this so-called force of the novel or whatever has twisted things like this. Otherwise, there’s no way things would go wrong every time I cause trouble.

“Haah…”

“You’ll make the ground cave in.”

Lily said as she set down the tea on the table.

“I wish it would cave in.”

“What a joke.”

I’m serious.

I had started reading the newspaper to clear my complicated mind, but my thoughts were still jumbled.

As I casually flipped through the pages about the emperor that I neither wanted to see nor know about, an interesting article finally caught my eye.

“Porto Crab Festival?”

“Oh my, come to think of it, it’s almost crab festival season in that region, isn’t it?”

“Crabs?”

“…Yes. Are you interested?”

They have crabs here too?

“By the way, the Duke mentioned he would be going on a short business trip to Porto…”

“Business trip?”

“Yes. He said there was something urgent he needed to check.”

No, he doesn’t even have time to meet the saintess, how can he go on a business trip?

I sat up, pushing aside the newspaper out of frustration, but come to think of it, even in the original story, Ilion’s appearances were sparse for a while after the banquet.

“Let’s go.”

“…Pardon?”

“We should help the Duke with his work.”

Yes, no matter how sparse Ilion’s appearances might be, there was no reason for me to just sit still. Outside the novel, one should focus on matters outside the novel.

I can’t just let Ilion go like this.

As I chuckled with a sly smile to myself, Lily looked at me with a completely distrustful face.

“Are you really going to help? It’s not because you want to eat crab, is it?”

Oh my, was it that obvious?

I wiped my mouth with my palm, wondering if I had unconsciously drooled, but fortunately, it was clean.

“We’ll enjoy it while we’re at it.”

“Will the Duke allow it?”

“When have we ever done anything with his permission?”

When I said this confidently, Lily thought seriously for a moment and then nodded.

“…That’s true.”

***

“No.”

“I’ll behave.”

“Still no.”

“I’ll be good.”

“If you want to go to a festival, there are other places…”

“I told you, I want to help with Your Grace’s work.”

“I don’t need your help for this task.”

Why are you so adamant? You’re being unusually stubborn today.

Sigh, I didn’t want to go this far if I could help it…

I slowly composed myself and put on a pitiful expression.

“As you know, Your Grace, my family is poor, so I’ve never even tasted crab dishes.”

“……”

“In the future, if someone asks me if I’ve ever eaten crab, what should I say? Should I just make something up based on what I’ve read in books, saying it melts in your mouth? Or should I lie and say I don’t like it?”

“……”

“What if crab comes up as a conversation topic at the next banquet? I probably won’t be able to say a word. The young ladies already don’t like me much, I might become a complete outcast because of this…”

“That’s a bit of an exaggeration…”

Ilion tried to interject, moving his lips, but I quickly cut him off to prevent him from getting a word in.

“I’ll probably live my entire life not knowing what crab is, shunned in social circles. But it can’t be helped. Because Your Grace won’t allow it. Still, I won’t resent you.”

After hearing my heartbreaking story that couldn’t be listened to without tears, Ilion let out a small sigh.

“Will you really behave?”

“Yes! I’ll be quiet and won’t interfere at all.”

Unlike earlier when he firmly refused, it seemed his mind had changed a bit, so I hurriedly approached Ilion’s desk and nodded.

Ilion let out a laugh of disbelief at my completely changed behavior.

“Alright. But, I’ll allow it only if you permit me to cast a location tracking spell on you.”

“…Your Grace, that’s an invasion of privacy…”

“If you don’t like it, give up.”

So you weren’t planning to just allow it after all?

“Then I have no choice.”

I understand what Ilion is worried about, but such a thing probably won’t happen. I don’t plan to leave this mansion or run away from Ilion for the time being.

I neither have the confidence to get past the doubled number of guards and Lucas who follows me every day, nor do I intend to turn the Duke’s family into enemies.

Given how things have turned out, at this point, it would be faster for Ilion to fall for the saintess and ask me for a breakup.

And I, for my part, was planning to prepare for what comes after the breakup.

I had enough money, and I had already finished investigating several countries free from the Empire’s control.

All that was left was to find someone to help with identity laundering and choose one of the candidate locations.

Additionally, my plan to do my best to make Ilion hate me was still in progress.

So,

“Please cast the location tracking spell.”

At my ready agreement, Ilion looked at me with suspicious eyes.

“Since you’re so worried about me, it might be good to cast the spell while we’re at it. My, I don’t know what to do with myself, you care for me so much.”

“……”

Once again, Ilion was at a loss for my innocence in calling his surveillance affection.