“I’d like Your Highness to help me.”

‘With what, and how?’ Those crucial details were entirely absent from her statement.

“I’m more capable than I seem. I’ll be useful to you.”

Aiger silently gazed at Raylin.

From his perspective, her words were far too sudden and abrupt, but to her, it seemed as though she was finally expressing something she had been holding in for quite some time.

Raylin Greuga…

Aiger slowly lifted his back from the chair, leaning forward instead.

At a much closer distance than before, he asked quietly,

“Then tell me. What do you think I want?”

She had immediately seen through Kertan’s secret desire and used it to bring him to her side.

A faint sense of anticipation stirred within Aiger as he stared at the lips barely visible beneath her hood.

Raylin swallowed dryly, feeling like a blade was hovering beneath her chin.

What one desires is not always hopeful.

Sometimes, the most desperate wish is the removal of a weakness.

Aiger, too, harbored such a desire.

Ultimately, what he wanted most was ‘survival.’

Survival from the threat of his father…

But in her current position, Raylin could not utter the words that would name his deepest desire.

She had neither the right nor the ability to touch upon Aiger’s most fatal weakness—his darkness, his inescapable past, the wounds that remained like fire scars.

In that case…

Her lips parted, blending into the dim light and shadows around her.

“I’ll cure your insomnia.”

At that moment, the word ‘interest’ flared intensely beside Aiger.

“How?”

“I’ll use every method I know.”

Aiger’s insomnia was a chronic affliction, present from the moment he could remember.

The constant threats to his life had never allowed him to sleep properly.

Now, he had grown so powerful that he could fight off assassins even in his sleep, but his insomnia had become ingrained and was beyond curing.

It had even been worsening, which meant he had likely been planning to find a solution soon.

In Re.Vil.Bre, staying true to classic clichés, the villain had turned to drugs in an attempt to treat his insomnia—eventually losing his mind.

What was his actual fate before Raylin’s regression…?

Catherine, Theron, and the secondary male leads often dealt with villains, so Raylin had no clear memory of how it had played out.

Regardless, in this life, she could not allow Aiger—the greatest weapon against Catherine—to fall into drug addiction.

‘So please, don’t refuse.’

Raylin pushed the small box in front of her toward him and said,

“For today, take this first.”

She eagerly explained how to open the box and what the Egg of Pibe inside was.

“You’re giving this to me?”

“Yes!”

“This is the first gift I’ve received directly.”

Since their engagement, countless gifts have been exchanged under their names.

But as he said, this was the first time something had been passed directly from one hand to another.

Raylin smiled softly and gave a small shake of her head.

“It’s not a gift; it’s a bribe.”

“A bribe?”

“Yes. It’s meant to encourage you to look favorably upon my proposal.”

Despite her blunt words, Aiger did not feel offended.

He found it amusing enough that even if the story about the box wasn’t true, it didn’t matter.

A bribe—wasn’t that rather adorable?

He was aware that he treated her more leniently than others.

But it neither displeased him nor particularly bothered him.

After all, a lion does not feel tense before a rabbit it can swallow in one bite.

Aiger smirked and tapped the box lightly.

“Your Highness, will you help me?”

He seemed inclined to accept the box, so Raylin subtly extended her hand for a handshake.

Though hidden beneath her hood, he felt as if he could see her emerald-green eyes glimmering with anticipation.

“Alright. A bribe and a cure for insomnia—there’s no reason to refuse.”

Grasping her much smaller and softer hand, Aiger closed his drowsy eyes slightly.

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

***

“Welcome, Lady Mifaro.”

“It’s been a while. Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, I’m fine. That’s why I invited you.”

When Raylin playfully shook the prepared gun, Lady Mifaro burst into laughter.

Gathered at the shooting range set up in a corner of the garden, the two exchanged lighthearted conversations for a while.

“My goodness, you were there too, my lady?”

“Yes. Somehow, by chance.”

“Then tell me about it in detail!”

“Haven’t you already heard everything?”

“Oh, come on, I only heard rumors. Did Lady Sillion really initiate the breakup?”

Starting with Catherine’s breakup announcement, their conversation naturally transitioned to their shared interest—firearms.

“How’s the research on firearm improvements going?”

“They say there hasn’t been much progress.”

“Oh, come on! The maximum load is still just four bullets, the ammunition is expensive because it has to be made with magic, and any decent knight can dodge a shot unless it’s at point-blank range—none of these flaws have been resolved? Then what’s the research funding even for?”

Lady Mifaro pouted as she spoke, and Raylin nodded in deep agreement.

As they chatted, Raylin noticed her maid repeatedly glancing in another direction. She was about to scold her when she followed her gaze and stopped herself.

So that man is the infamous bodyguard from the rumors.

He wasn’t particularly handsome or had any striking features.

He had the steadfast appearance of a typical knight, with a solid build and rough hands accustomed to gripping a sword.

It was commendable that he never took his eyes off Lady Mifaro. Keeping his charge within his line of sight at all times was an essential trait for a bodyguard.

Well, that wasn’t the only reason.

Seeing the overwhelmingly strong presence of ‘love’ hovering next to the bodyguard, Raylin’s eyes slightly narrowed.

So, half of the stories about the lady and her knight’s passionate romance were true.

Shifting away from the knight, Raylin observed Lady Mifaro as she checked her gun.

Floating beside her were emotions like ‘joy’ and ‘excitement,’ but ‘love’ was nowhere to be found.

Even people in love don’t always carry ‘love’ as an aura around them.

It only appears very distinctly when they look at or touch their beloved.

If ‘love’ were visible beside Lady Mifaro now, it would be directed at the gun, not the knight.

People have diverse preferences, and some do love their hobbies deeply.

But at least she didn’t seem to fall into that category.

“Shall we start shooting now?”

With a bright, lively smile, she got up, and Raylin willingly joined her.

—Bang! Bang!

—Bang! Bang! Bang!

For a while only the sound of gunfire echoed.

Compared to modern firearms, the guns of this world lacked destructive power and had more flaws than advantages.

The only real merit was their relatively low noise.

The two women fired their magically prepared bullets in what seemed like a friendly competition, stopping almost simultaneously.

No matter how small the gun was and how little recoil it had, aiming at a target for an extended period was exhausting for those who didn’t train regularly.

“Hah, that was refreshing. You were right, my lady—shooting at something is the best remedy for frustration.”

Lady Mifaro sighed as she elegantly sipped her chilled tea.

“I’m glad it helped.”

Raylin responded with a gentle smile.

Raylin wanted to press Lady Mifaro about her relationship and the reason for her upcoming disappearance, but she held back.

If she acted too hastily, things that could have been resolved might not be.

With patience, she continued making small talk about various trivial matters.

As Raylin observed Lady Mifaro while they chatted over tea, a question arose in her mind.

‘Why hasn’t she looked at her escort even once?’

No matter how much someone tries to hide it, a person in love inevitably gives themselves away upon close observation.

Unconsciously seeking the other person with their gaze, subtly exchanged glances, gestures meant to brush past each other even slightly, and the spontaneous, uncontrollable smiles—

Considering the widespread rumors about Lady Mifaro and her knight’s love affair, it wasn’t as if they were trying to hide it.

And yet, despite her lover being right behind her, she hadn’t spared him a single glance?

Hmm. Maybe, no matter how openly everyone gossips about it, a secret remains a secret.

Of course, there was the status difference between them, so publicly… No, even then, it made no sense for there to be no signs.

Even office or campus couples who think they’re hiding their relationships well are often apparent to everyone but themselves.

Of course, not all relationships fit that pattern, but in most cases, lovers give themselves away.

Raylin continued observing the two for a while before reaching the most plausible conclusion.

Could it be… that Lady Mifaro doesn’t have feelings for her knight?

This unexpected realization triggered a chain of new questions.

Then what about her disappearance in the previous timeline? It was said that she had eloped for love…

Before her thoughts could tangle any further, she was interrupted.

“Um, Lady Greuga.”

“Yes? Please, go ahead.”

Lady Mifaro hesitated momentarily, her expression resolute as if she had made up her mind.

“Well… um.”

She hesitated, merely opening and closing her lips while tapping the rim of her teacup with her fingertips.

Raylin calmly prompted her, fearing that she might stay silent if left alone and not wanting to miss the opportunity to hear directly from her.

“If something is troubling you, would you like to share it? Even if there’s no solution, simply talking about it might help.”