“Don’t joke around. I’m being serious. I’m not in the mood for games.”

“I’m not joking. This isn’t a game either.”

“So you’re saying you’re Oscar?”

“Yes.”

“What nonsense…”

I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

After all, this man was someone I had already met three times before.

And suddenly, he claims he’s Oscar? It didn’t match at all.

“…Didn’t Ari tell me not to transform recklessly in hatchling form? That’s why I went away.”

The man nervously kept fiddling with the pendant hanging around his neck.

“What?”

“I think Ari doesn’t like me now that I’ve grown.”

The man mumbled with a deeply sorrowful, dejected expression.

‘I told him not to transform?’

I carefully traced back my memories. Of course, out of concern, I had said something like that to Oscar when he was severely ill.

“Do you prefer me as a hatchling? Is that why you’re acting this way?”

He kept spouting incomprehensible words.

I felt completely disoriented and confused. My head felt like it would burst from overload.

‘He hid his identity all this time, and now he suddenly appears claiming to be Oscar? And expects me to believe it?’

What absurd nonsense. I just felt dumbfounded.

‘When I met that man, Oscar was definitely…’

I slowly revisited the past again.

Imperial ball day. I danced with that man → Oscar suffered from a fever.

Fireworks festival day. I watched fireworks with that man → Oscar was found asleep in the food storage.

Masquerade ball day. That man appeared and defeated a stalker → Oscar alternated between high fever and hypothermia before falling into a long sleep.

Coincidentally, on the days I met that man, Oscar’s abnormal conditions overlapped.

“Has he used magic excessively?”

“I mean like transforming into dragon form to attack someone, or polymorphing.”

Simultaneously, Benedict’s words came to mind, making goosebumps rise all over my body. My heart raced.

‘That suspicious man’s identity was Oscar polymorphed? And now he’s returned after growing into an adult?’

All lies! This was… no matter how I thought about it, it was difficult to comprehend.

‘Isn’t it a bit much to believe the words of someone who broke into my room n*ked?’

For now, this was just circumstantial evidence. Since he was suspicious, I couldn’t believe him without confirming it first.

I exhaled slowly, trying to calm my startled heart.

“So you’re saying you’re Oscar?”

“Yes.”

“How am I supposed to believe that? I only have your word as evidence.”

When I narrowed my eyes sharply, the startled man lowered his eyelashes.

“Prove it properly. Otherwise, I’ll call the guards for trespassing.”

“I already told you before. My identity is Oscar.”

“What??”

“You even said the answer was Oscar.”

Well, it’s true that Oscar did say something strange right after recovering from his sleep state. I thought he was dreaming. Was that a confession about transformation magic?

‘You’re telling me this a week later. How am I supposed to understand?’

That was my perspective. From Oscar’s viewpoint, he did confess to me as soon as he saw me after the masquerade ball.

“Ari gave me this as a gift, too.”

“You said it was from someone precious to you.”

“That’s right. My precious person.”

“B-but that was clearly a necklace…”

“It’s the same, but it became smaller as my body grew.”

Fair enough. I originally gave it as a child-sized gift. As his body grew, it could appear that way to an adult.

Still not fully convinced, I decided to check something else abruptly.

“…When you’re angry?”

At my sudden question, Oscar took out a lollipop from the candy basket on the side table.

Then he naturally unwrapped it and popped it into his mouth.

“I eat candy.”

Goodness… The way he stared at me with red eyes while sucking on the lollipop was very familiar.

“And if that doesn’t help?”

“I hide in Ari’s bed.”

“……”

This was also exactly the same as what Oscar always recited with me.

By this point, I couldn’t deny his identity anymore.

“…Oscar?”

When I called cautiously, he nodded without answering. He still seemed quite dejected from the aftermath of my doubt.

“W-what happened? Why are you… c-completely n-n*ked…”

I shouldn’t be like this. Somehow, feeling unfamiliar and embarrassed, I kept stumbling over my words.

“Sorry. After growing, the clothes I left in don’t fit anymore.”

Oscar stuck out his tongue slightly and smiled broadly.

“Actually, I was in such a hurry I couldn’t find clothes. I wanted to come quickly and show you.”

“Show me?”

“Yes.”

He answered as if it wasn’t a big deal.

‘You mean that perfect body?’

I wanted to ask that, but I couldn’t bring myself to say those words.

‘I must be crazy. Thinking like this about Oscar… I must have completely lost my mind.’

The devil of lust must have possessed me. My cheeks burned hot.

“…I must look unsightly.”

“That’s not unsightly, rather too…”

“Too what?”

Too good-looking that it’s a problem… No, I mean it’s too embarrassing to even look at you!

I barely held back the words I almost blurted out. When I finally managed to raise my head and look at him, he was watching me with clear eyes, his chin resting on his knee.

“……”

It was the most harmless gaze in the world. It seemed like I was the only one who found this situation embarrassing.

‘Right. Only I am corrupt.’

I shook my head vigorously to dispel my wicked thoughts.

‘He’s Oscar. Not a man, but Oscar, whom I raised.’

I kept repeating this to myself while reciting the national anthem lyrics in my mind. Fortunately, that had some effect.

As my mind filled with solemn thoughts, my scattered reason seemed to gradually return.

First, I needed to remove that dangerous thing quickly.

“Anyway, Oscar. You need to wear clothes when you’re around many people.”

“There’s only you and me here?”

“Sigh… It’s still not okay.”

“…Okay.”

Getting sulky again. Though I had many questions, Oscar was still as docile as when he was young.

Oscar had no self-awareness, while I was the only one making a fuss. With an inexplicable embarrassment, I kept fanning myself and avoiding his gaze.

“Just wait a moment. I’ll tell Leon and borrow some clothes.”

“Thank you. Ari.”

It was a radiant smile, like flowers in full bloom.

That this precarious man was Oscar… I felt dizzy because the cute hatchling and this man didn’t match at all.

Looking carefully, the way he smiled with crinkled eyes was exactly like young Oscar.

It made sense. Young Oscar had grown up to become this current form.

Being so identical, why didn’t I recognize him then? No, in fact, I hadn’t noticed until just now.

Thinking about it, there were hints, and I could have figured it out, but how did I remain so completely oblivious?

Even if I had known, it would have been hard to believe, just like now.

“Did you go to the ravine?”

“It’s a secret.”

He put his index finger on his lips. It seemed there were circumstances he couldn’t talk about.

“You should have at least told me before leaving.”

“I did.”

“What?”

“I wrote a letter. To Ari.”

“A letter? Where is it?”

This was news to me.

“I wrote two, just in case.”

He seemed genuinely aggrieved, so it didn’t seem like a lie.

“I put one in something Ari looks at every day.”

“What?”

“Ari’s manuscript notebook.”

Oh no. He must have slipped it into the dragon romance novel I was writing.

“The manuscript was hidden in the desk drawer. How did you…”

Right. On the day Oscar disappeared, I fell asleep while writing. It was truly a foolish question.

‘I hope he didn’t read the entire novel?’

Feeling it would be to my disadvantage to ask, I kept my mouth shut.

“Where did you put the other one?”

“W-where did I put it?”

When I asked with round eyes, Oscar mischievously whispered in my ear.

“In the book Ari secretly reads when I’m not around.”

“The book I secretly read?”

Oh no. Surely not that one.

Oscar pulled out a book from the gap between the bed mattress and the wall.

“This.”

As he waved the book, a note fell out from between its pages.

<The Circumstances of the Virile Male Lead 3>

I turned pale seeing the book title.

“W-when did I e-ever read this d-daily…! J-just occ-occasionally!”

I had never stuttered this badly in my life. My face turned bright red from embarrassment and shame. I felt short of breath from frantically making excuses.

“…You didn’t see this?”

Meanwhile, he didn’t seem to have any intention of teasing me. Oscar waved the note, looking wronged.

“With Oscar gone, how could I have the mind to look at anything else?”

It was an obvious statement, but it was true. After Oscar left, I couldn’t focus on anything.

It was just a repetition of being blankly awake and then collapsing into sleep.

“I’m sorry. I should have talked to you face-to-face. Things were a bit urgent.”

Oscar, who was staring intently into my eyes, smiled faintly.

“Ari. Now that I’ve grown up, will you think about it?”

“What? About what?”

“Marriage.”

“All of a sudden?”

“You said you’d think about it when I grew up.”

When I asked in bewilderment, he whined a little.

Oh no. The night I gave him the necklace. Oscar had proposed to me.

“Ari. Let’s get married.”

“I’ll think about it when you grow up.”

Right. It was too cute a proposal to reject. I definitely evaded it like that.

‘Did he rush to become an adult because of that one statement?’

For something rushed, it turned out quite excellent. No, that’s not the point.

If Oscar misunderstood my casual evasion, it would be a big problem. I needed to explain quickly.

“Um. Oscar. T-that was just…”

“It’s because you haven’t looked at me properly.”

“What?”

“My body. Look carefully at how much I’ve grown.”

As Oscar tried to remove the blanket with a solemn expression, I frantically waved my hands in panic.

“Please stop!”

“Make me stand at attention to stop. I simply cannot stop myself.”

Oscar pleaded with a smile.

‘Is he talking about the attention stance I used during discipline?’

He must be crazy. If I made him stand at attention now, the blanket he was holding would fall right off his body.

That would be explicitly asking me to look at his body. He must really be crazy.

My head was spinning. I had absolutely no courage for this.

“I-I can tell without looking!”

“That’s good then.”

“Oscar, you’re an adult now. You shouldn’t show your body carelessly to others.”

“Even to Ari?”

“Yes.”

“Then when will we get married?”

What on earth was he planning? Was he intending to show his adult body and then get married?

“I didn’t say we would, I said I’d think about it. So please wait.”

“…Okay.”

When I narrowed my eyes, he answered obediently, but his eyes filled with despair.

Just then, the door to the room burst open.