The moment she received his confession, she realized. Perhaps they had felt the same way about each other for a very long time.

When she thought about it, it was natural.

Carl was the first person ‘she’ had formed a relationship with as Shailyn, and he had always been with her whether she was sad or happy.

Like sleeves getting damp from drizzle without knowing it, she had been soaking into him for a long time.

So if she accepted Carl’s confession here, she would immediately enter the hidden ending.

Then she, she would……

‘Have to return to the original world.’

Leaving behind Carl and everyone she had met in this world.

Her heart dropped with a thud.

It was something she had wished and wished for so much, but when she actually thought about returning, fear overwhelmed her.

If she went back, what would she have?

Besides the 5 billion lottery, what was precious to her, what had become precious……

‘Everything is in this world.’

As she became aware of that fact, her throat tightened completely. It was a kind of fear she had never felt once in her entire life.

Losing someone precious……

Something dropped from around her eyes with a thud. At the same time, Carl looked down at her face with a panicked expression.

“Shailyn, are you…… crying?”

“……No, I’m not.”

“That’s a lie. Why are you crying, didn’t you like my confession?”

He carefully cupped her cheek and wiped away her tears with a gentle touch.

She sniffled and denied it.

“No, it’s not that……”

She couldn’t bring herself to say that if she accepted his confession, she would have to leave.

What on earth should she say?

Her head was too complicated because she had just realized that her feelings weren’t simply having a favorable impression, but were deeper than she had imagined.

“……Can I say what I wanted to say?”

In the end, unable to find appropriate words, she chose to change the subject.

Carl pressed her cheek and then released it, readily agreeing.

“Yeah, sure. Go ahead.”

“The heretical registry that your parents lost, actually my mother had it.”

As soon as her words ended, his thick eyebrows furrowed.

“What?”

“Among the relics found in the county, there was that registry. Your mother had entrusted it to my mother, but because mother suddenly passed away, it seems she couldn’t get it back.”

“I see.”

When she explained step by step, Carl also calmly nodded.

She firmly grasped his arm and carefully warned him.

“But don’t be surprised when you hear this. The current emperor and the high priestess’s names were written in the registry. Raviel too.”

Carl flinched for a moment and made a face as if he had many thoughts.

After being lost in thought for a while, he suddenly threw out a question.

“Besides me, is there anyone else you told about that registry?”

“Lord Diart and the duke. Both of them said they would handle it themselves and took the registry.”

“That’s fortunate.”

Carl’s stern expression relaxed a little. He soon crossed his arms and slowly leaned back against his chair.

“You did well not to rashly mention heresy as you said. Since the imperial family is involved, it could have been big trouble if something went wrong.”

That was something she agreed with too.

When Howard bit his tongue, she had wondered why he struggled so desperately to hide the truth.

There was a high possibility it was because he was afraid the emperor might be mentioned from his own mouth.

If heresy had been mentioned during the trial, the emperor’s side would never have stayed still.

“If you want to participate in registry-related matters, tell me. I’ll convey it to Lord Diart and the duke.”

“Well, I’m not sure how much help I could be. Rather, please tell those two that if they need me, they should let me know.”

“Yeah, I understand.”

She was secretly impressed by his quite thoughtful words. What, that’s cool.

Tsk, am I being too easy right now?

As she fidgeted and glanced sideways, Carl tilted his head and asked.

“Do you have anything else to tell me?”

“No.”

As soon as she replied with a much more comfortable heart, a piercing attack came.

“Then I’d like to hear an answer to what I said.”

Ah, naturally moving on was impossible after all.

Well, even if she had been in the position of confessing, she would have wanted to address it.

‘But…… I don’t think I can answer……’

Her answer would definitely be positive, so the moment she spoke it out loud, she would have no choice but to enter the hidden ending.

Then she would have to part not only with Carl but also with the Diart family, who had now become like real family to her.

‘Not now…… I hate it.’

She didn’t yet have the confidence to handle the wave of farewell that would crash down enormously.

She wasn’t mentally prepared to part with anyone.

So she was really sorry, but she asked Carl as if pleading, despite the rudeness.

“Do I have to, right now?”

“……”

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I can answer right away……”

Carl, quietly looking at her without saying anything, let out a small laugh.

Tap.

He touched the forehead of her half-bowed head and said.

“You have a lot to be sorry about. Where did the person who used to work me to the bone go, and why did you suddenly become so timid?”

“She died when you became a duke.”

“I think I’m still alive though.”

He propped his chin and playfully narrowed his eyes, then shrugged his shoulders.

“I understand for now. I’ll follow your wishes in everything, so don’t worry too much.”

“……Thank you.”

Since he had stepped back almost ten steps for her sake, she couldn’t help but be truly grateful.

“That sounds much better than an apology.”

Carl, replying lightly, naturally threw out a question as smoothly as flowing water.

“Do you have plans tomorrow?”

“No, not particularly?”

She had handed the registry over to the adults, so there was nothing more to do.

At her answer, a faint smile appeared and disappeared at the corners of his mouth.

Their conversation in the Celsior garden ended like that.

She thought she was fortunate to have safely gotten past Carl’s confession.

It didn’t take long to realize that was her misconception.

***

The next day, morning.

Mandy woke her up with an urgent voice while she was still not fully awake.

“Miss! Miss Shailyn!”

“Mmm, Mandy. Just five more minutes……”

“Please get up quickly! Duke Celsior has come to visit!”

“……What? Who?”

She flailed around drowsily and then opened her eyes wide.

No, why is Carl here at this hour?

Wondering if something had happened, she panicked and tried to go outside wearing a shawl, but Mandy grabbed her and pointed to the balcony.

“Not that way, that way.”

“……?”

Huh? Usually guests would wait in the reception room, so what’s this?

The moment she opened the balcony door and went out in confusion, she realized why Mandy had told her to go this way.

“Shailyn, good morning.”

Carl raised his hand from the garden in front of her room’s balcony, receiving the brilliant sunlight with his whole body.

That appearance was as sacred and perfect as a prince from a fairy tale, but she doubted her eyes because of something else.

“You, you, you what are you doing right now?!”

Because currently he was standing in the middle of rose petals scattered in a heart shape.

He looked exactly like a crazy male student making a public confession on the school grounds.

“I tried to visually express my feelings for you. How is it?”

How is it, I want to hide in a mouse hole……

Has this guy gone crazy?

Public confessions on school grounds are almost like school violence!

“I, I told you I couldn’t give you an answer right away……!”

She protested while covering her flushed face with her hands. Then a nonchalant answer immediately came back.

“I know, I’m not confessing asking for an answer either. It’s just that no matter how I think about it, it was my first confession but I think I was too insincere.”

Carl, who had reflected on his own without her wanting it in just one day, grinned.

“I’ll prepare various versions until it suits your taste.”

“Nooo!”

She violently waved both hands in refusal. If it was already this much from the start, she was scared to imagine what would come next.

Then Carl leisurely put his hands in his pockets and replied.

“Oh, me neither. No need to decline. I’ve already decided.”

“What about my opinion……?”

“I also listened to you saying you couldn’t answer right away. Then you should also listen to one thing from me.”

“Ah.”

Ah, that’s petty. Ah.

Seeing her with her mouth firmly shut, he laughed quietly and jerked his chin.

“You said you had no plans today, right? Go on a date with me.”

“Suddenly……? It’ll take quite a while for me to get ready……”

“It doesn’t matter. Whether it takes an hour or several days, I’ll wait.”

She could feel he was speaking sincerely, so after briefly contemplating, she said to Paul who was visible behind Carl.

“Paul, please guide Carl to the reception room!”

“Yes, Miss.”

After confirming that the two people left the garden, she also came into her room and closed the balcony door, saying resolutely.

“Mandy, dress me up as quickly and flawlessly as possible. You understand, right?”

“……I’ll give it a try!”

Mandy clenched both fists tightly and nodded resolutely.