Although our relationship began with bad blood, I thought we had come to understand each other a little while living together.

“……”

Somehow, eating meals and having conversations with Adriel in this house felt like something from a very distant past.

…Fine. Let’s just think of it as a midsummer night’s dream.

“You’re right. The idea of you liking me doesn’t make sense at all.”

I nodded toward him again, pretending to be unfazed.

“That’s why it’s strange. You liking me would truly be an absurd thing.”

“……”

“And it shouldn’t happen either.”

“What do you mean?”

“What?”

“I’m asking what reason there is for it not to happen.”

What? Why is he getting serious about that…

Though I was flustered, I tried not to show it as I spoke.

“You’re asking for the reason?”

I shrugged toward Adriel, who raised his eyebrows, silently demanding an explanation.

“Obviously, if you liked me, it would be troublesome in many ways, wouldn’t it?”

“Troublesome?”

Adriel repeated my words as if he had heard an unfamiliar term.

I glanced at him and pretended to be concerned as I continued.

“If that were the case, I would pity you for nurturing feelings that would never be reciprocated.”

At that, cracks appeared in his rigid expression.

Good. He’s wavering.

Secretly swallowing, I continued.

“You see, I don’t like you now, and I have no intention of liking you in the future, so I have absolutely no intention of accepting those feelings of yours.”

Looking at Adriel, who couldn’t even blink from shock, I thought:

You find this misunderstanding unpleasant, don’t you? Ridiculous, right?

So just give up and sign already.

“……”

“……”

As I watched him remain silent for a long time, I wondered if he was even breathing.

“For me… for me to not sign because I like a woman like you…”

You must feel so wronged, right? So let’s just go our separate ways now.

I was earnestly praying inside when it happened.

He, who had been staring at the floor with blurred focus, suddenly looked up at me.

With red eyes that had become clear again… no, beyond clear, they were blazing!

Now he must be so angry that he wants to sign out of spite.

With that thought, I was about to subtly push the magical contract forward again when Adriel said something outrageous.

“Isn’t that what you want to believe, my lady?”

“…What?”

What is he talking about?

“Isn’t it? Just a month ago, you visited the temple every day just to see me.”

I gaped blankly before finally coming to my senses and exclaiming.

“Y-yes, that was then, but I told you it’s not like that anymore!”

“I can’t believe that.”

“You can’t believe it?”

“Yes. The image of you desperately following me around is still vivid in my mind. Yet you expect me to easily believe what you’re saying now?”

No, this…

Crackle, the paper magical contract crumpled in my trembling hands.

What more do I need to do here for him to believe me?

I bit my lower lip and glared at Adriel.

Then, after barely calming myself, I spoke coldly.

“I don’t like you, Sir Knight.”

“As I just said, what you’re saying-“

“I hate you, Sir Knight. I hate you!”

Not wanting to hear more of Adriel’s words, I stomped my feet and shouted.

“I hate everything about you—your words, your actions, even your expressions!”

And I immediately regretted it.

I’m doomed.

Am I a child? What kind of childish thing did I just do?

Doing this won’t affect Adriel at all… huh?

For a moment, I thought I was seeing things.

But even after closing my eyes and opening them again, all I could see was Adriel looking utterly shattered, as if he’d been hit by a bomb.

Did that… actually work?

While I stood there with a dumbfounded expression, he, looking as if half his soul had left him, muttered.

“Before…”

I quickly regained my composure and responded without giving him a chance to speak.

“I must have had something in my eyes back then.”

At that, Adriel’s eyes trembled slightly, as if overcome with shock.

What was so shocking?

Was it because I suddenly shouted? Or was it the fact that I, whom he naturally assumed would like him, actually hated him?

After a few minutes of trying to guess his thoughts.

Adriel’s firm chest rose and fell deeply, and then a voice that seemed to be suppressing emotion flowed out.

“Give it to me.”

Without waiting for my response, he snatched the magical contract and pen from me.

After watching this sequence of events in a daze, I belatedly said.

“Uh… um, that’s a magical contract, so you need to put blood on the tip of the pen.”

Crunch-

“…!”

I was about to take out the knife I had brought when I froze.

Adriel was biting his own finger with his teeth to draw blood for signing.

He’s crazy. How could he do that with his own mouth…

I was frowning at his bruised finger when he spoke.

“Don’t come to regret it.”

“Regret?”

Who? Me? Or you?

“Even if you come looking for me later and beg, it will be of no use.”

I blinked quietly.

He really has a lot of worries.

“Regret?”

I smiled as I carefully received the magical contract Adriel handed to me.

“I feel incredibly relieved right now.”

It was finally all over. It felt like a long-aching tooth had suddenly popped out with a light, pleasant sound.

Adriel looked at me, clenched his teeth, and then walked past me.

“Ah, Sir knight.”

As I called out to him, remembering something belatedly, Adriel turned around with an expression that seemed to say he’d been expecting this.

“What is it? Don’t tell me already-“

“I know it’s shameless, but please don’t report me to the temple.”

His confident expression sank again, but I didn’t stop talking.

“For the sake of our last remaining loyalty…”

“Ha!”

Adriel suddenly burst into a loud, mocking laugh and then left the house.

“No, I haven’t finished what I was saying… sigh. Fine, fine.”

After standing there in a daze, I finally moved my feet.

It was truly time to leave now.

Staring blankly at the door, I muttered to myself with a sigh.

“…It’s finally over.”

***

In the study of the Berto Marquis family.

Lucian Berto, languidly stretched out in a teal chair, cast a bored gaze toward the window.

“Hmm. How boring.”

“Tsk. In-instead of wasting time like that, don’t you think it would be more beneficial for you, you scoundrel, to find another piece of gold?”

Taro, in the form of a clock on one side of the desk piled with documents, made a remark as if finding Lucian pathetic.

At Taro’s nagging, Lucian closed his eyes, clearly unwilling to hear it.

“Taro. How did you become such a boring demon? You used to be fun to tease at least.”

“Y-you! How dare you call me a demon!”

“Even that reaction isn’t fresh anymore.”

“Y-you impudent contractor…!”

Taro, who nearly collapsed as if someone had grabbed him by the neck—if he had a neck—barely managed to calm himself.

By now, he knew that this kind of reaction was exactly what Lucian wanted.

Taro ground his teeth.

Did Lucian think he would always be the one getting teased?