“……Huh?”

Ariel blinked his eyes slowly.

Taking time to think if he heard correctly.

When he slowly faced Merrien, she had her arms crossed confidently, just like he did moments ago.

‘In the original story, the Tower Master kidnaps Merrien, so there’s no reason for Ariel and me to be connected so randomly.’

Merrien thought there was no need to say such things out loud.

And seeing Ariel not saying a word, she seemed to believe her hypothesis was correct and continued speaking.

“Even if your original self is stronger than the Tower Master, it’s obvious you’d lose in your current state. But seeing that you made a contract with the Tower Master using ‘Death Magic’ or whatever, that must mean you’re close.”

“……”

“The white ghost that appears in the corridors after six in the evening. It’s the Tower Master, right?”

The Tower Master with white hair only appears in the evening. And the white ghost that appears at the Hartez mansion after six in the evening.

Somehow, it’s too perfect of a match.

Ariel and the Tower Master are close, and even these circumstances align.

That could only mean they’re family, right?

Well, Ariel could be the older brother, but given how sickly he is, she thought he must be the younger one.

‘Did you think I was wandering around the mansion without any thoughts?’

Seeing Ariel just staring blankly, she felt even more confident.

After contemplating for a while with his head down at her cleanly drawn conclusion, Ariel finally let out a deflated sigh.

“…Yeah, you’re right.”

“I knew it, just as I thought!”

With this, what was just a suspicion became certain.

Of course, she couldn’t help but feel a primal fear knowing the Tower Master was so close by.

Perhaps that’s why.

“Ariel.”

A serious voice came from Merrien’s lips, and Ariel’s pupils dilated, not expecting this.

His body, which had slightly relaxed, immediately tensed up again.

“I’ll definitely save you.”

Of all the things Merrien had said so far, or would say in the future, this was the most weighty statement.

The system said that once the healing gauge was full, it could completely cure a specific person’s illness.

If needed, she could cure Ariel’s illness.

“Honestly, I think I like this kind of life too. So make sure you keep your promise too.”

Their serious gazes met more intensely than usual.

While Merrien thought it was a weighty statement herself, she didn’t expect it would cause such ripples later.

‘I’m not even expecting the Tower Master to kneel.’

Just until the healing gauge is full.

If she could live peacefully without dying until then, she felt there would be nothing more to wish for in this place.

Ariel, who had been dazed again, blinked after a while and muttered softly.

“Merri. You’re really a kind person.”

“…What’s this, earlier you said I was wicked.”

Merrien wasn’t natural enough to easily accept the serious demeanor from someone who usually acted playfully.

Moreover, for some reason, his blue eyes seemed as clear as a lake reflecting the clear sky today, making her feel strangely shy.

“Sometimes people become someone else’s savior without even knowing it.”

And seeing herself with pink hair and orange eyes so clearly reflected in those eyes, she felt momentarily breathless from the overwhelming pressure.

However.

“Merri. That’s a quote from the romance book you ordered, [The Secret Circumstances of That Duke].”

The suffocatingly heavy atmosphere shattered completely.

“…Hey!”

‘What, you read that? When did you read those romance books I secretly slipped in, just three out of a hundred?’

Though Merrien shouted with a momentarily flushed face, Ariel had already left the room.

He poked half his face through the doorway and mischievously narrowed his eyes.

“Merri. I now know your taste is obsessive dukes.”

“Oh geez, you!”

Merrien’s clenched fist trembled. She couldn’t punch that face. Actually, she wanted to hide in a mouse hole as her toes curled in embarrassment.

Kuooo-!!!

However, hearing Alexander-whatever’s intense cry from behind, Merrien hurriedly left the room as well.

She could only follow while looking at Ariel’s annoying back.

“Merri. Do you really like obsessive men?”

“…Book preferences and real preferences are different.”

“Really?”

“Ouch!”

She suddenly bumped her nose into his back when he stopped abruptly.

“Why is your back so hard!”

I thought my nose would break!

Merrien frowned while rubbing her nose this way and that.

Meanwhile, Ariel smoothly turned around.

“Merri. Do you dislike obsession?”

“…Uh, huh?”

His shadow suddenly covered her.

Startled by the sudden large shade, Merrien forgot the question and got lost in thought.

‘This guy Ariel, his shoulders are broader than I thought. And his height… he’s quite tall.’

Seeing how she had to look up quite a bit, he seemed at least two spans taller than her.

Having only seen his sickly appearance lying or sitting in bed, being this close to him standing up felt strangely unfamiliar.

“Hm?”

She was startled and stepped back when his face suddenly came closer while she was lost in thought.

“…Ah!”

When Merrien lost her balance and stumbled, Ariel naturally wrapped his arm around her waist to catch her. This brought their faces even closer.

“I asked you, Merri. Do you dislike obsession?”

Because they were quite close, she could feel his breath on her face with each whisper, making her hair stand on end.

Feeling his persistent gaze fixed on her lips, she spoke rapidly.

“…Well, liking provocative content and reality are different, right? Honestly, I don’t know since I’ve never been obsessed over.”

Had she ever spoken this fast in her life? She was amazed at her own honesty, but no response came.

Finally, after quite some time passed, she gave up waiting for an answer. That wasn’t the problem now anyway.

“So how long are you going to hold my waist?”

No matter how many times she blinked her eyes suggesting he let go, he showed no intention of releasing her waist.

Instead, he lowered his eyes as if in thought, then soon fixed his gaze on Merrien’s eyes.

“…!”

At this, Merrien almost covered her mouth. It was her first time seeing his blue eyes this close.

So she unconsciously muttered what she had only thought to herself before.

“Wow, really like a lake. Your eyes are so pretty.”

At that moment.

[♥ 140]

[♥ 142]

Ariel’s heartbeat began to jump.

“…Hmm?”

Even while trembling as if about to collapse, he didn’t release his hand from her waist.

Slap! Merrien quickly laid him down after hitting his hand.

“Ariel. I’ll heal you!”

She was about to infuse holy power while watching his rising heartbeat, but Ariel grabbed her wrist, preventing her from doing so.

Merrien looked down at her captured wrist pensively before shifting her gaze to Ariel.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s not because I’m in pain.”

[♥ 145]

‘No, your heartbeat is racing towards 150, you know?’

Looking at those blue eyes staring intently at her, Merrien could only let out a hollow laugh.

Ariel spoke casually.

“I heard from the butler that in times like these.”

“Yeah, what?”

“Artificial respiration helps.”

“……”

Merrien slapped those annoying lips.

“Ouch.”

Without listening further, she infused holy power. Her eyes were ice-cold.

‘Mr. Butler. Where did you hear such things, and why are you telling him these things?’

Still, she focused on healing quite calmly. She couldn’t be careless in front of a patient.

For some reason, his heartbeat seemed to slow down more gradually than when she healed him during the day.

Only after seeing his heartbeat return to normal did Merrien speak.

“This won’t do. The patient keeps walking around, that’s why your body isn’t getting better even after healing.”

Ariel raised his upper body abruptly, as if feeling wronged.

“I was going to go to the library with Merri.”

“No. I’ll take you to your room. I can go to the library alone.”

“…Well, I guess it can’t be helped.”

Despite mumbling in a sulky voice, Ariel nodded in agreement.

Merrien’s eyes widened at his unexpectedly easy compliance. However, she needed to send him to his room right away.

If they went to the library together, who knows what nonsense he might bring up there.

As Merrien stood up quickly and roughly dusted off her dress which had gotten dirty while sitting, she was about to support him.

“I set aside [Saint’s Secret Hobby] and [How to Tame a Beast] that you ordered, so let’s read them together next time.”

…As expected, he had other intentions.