Kiriel caught the bouquet with a bewildered expression.

“Hmm? This came to me.”

“Let’s just move on.”

Though it deviated from her intention of throwing it to her close noble ladies, Letie smoothly played it off. Kiriel shrugged nonchalantly.

“As you wish, Your Highness Crown Princess.”

Kiriel holding the bouquet looked like a painting. He smiled with his eyes while glancing at Kana.

When she flinched, Kiriel lightly flicked his fingers. The bouquet disappeared suddenly into subspace. The noble ladies around her had sparkling eyes.

“Oh my! Did everyone see that?”

“Of course we did! He openly gave Miss Kana that look!”

“Wow, how romantic!”

Kana hesitated while hearing the noble ladies’ exclamations. Though she felt somewhat happy seeing Kiriel, she also felt a slight sense of disconnect.

After all, this was clearly different from the description in ‘Fake Saint’ where he painfully maintained his position watching the female protagonist’s wedding scene before returning to his mansion via teleportation magic and forcefully suppressing his feelings.

‘Is he different?’

While Kana was wrapped in confusion, the protagonists’ wedding ended and people dispersed.

Kiriel strode over to her as she was leaving the hall in a half-dazed state.

“Miss Kana, let’s go together.”

“Ah, yes.”

Kana snapped back to her senses and walked alongside him. There were still quite a few people around even after leaving the imperial palace. Kiriel looked around before awkwardly opening his mouth.

“About that answer…… since there are many people around here, shall we move somewhere else?”

“Let’s do that. Where should we go?”

“Hmm, how about the flower garden?”

“Sounds good.”

They sent away their carriages first. Kiriel led Kana and used teleportation magic to move to that flower garden.

Kana looked around while tucking her light brown hair that was fluttering in the wind behind her ear. The flower garden was full of pale-colored flowers and tender sprouts.

“Though not many flowers have bloomed yet, it’s a beautiful scene.”

“Yes.”

A tense atmosphere and strange mood hung between them as they stood facing each other.

Kiriel swallowed while slightly stiffened. His heart was pounding. He unconsciously pressed his hand against his chest.

Kana took a slow deep breath to compose herself before speaking.

“Lord Kiriel, do you still like me?”

“Yes.”

“Perhaps your feelings have weakened or other emotions have arisen……”

“No. I don’t know why you’re saying such things, but my heart has only been directed at you from the start. And still is.”

His unwavering, plain voice and firm gaze touched Kana’s heart. Her eyes widened.

The supposedly unbreakable rule in her mind shattered completely. The scale distinguishing between story characters and real people instantly tilted toward the latter.

The emotions she had been deliberately ignoring and suppressing flooded her heart like water bursting through a dam. Kana felt light-headed as if swept away by waves.

‘……Even though it’s the ending, it hasn’t changed? Really?’

Though it was a situation where showing feelings for the female protagonist wouldn’t be strange, those purple eyes held only her.

Kiriel anxiously watched as she suddenly froze. What was so shocking about his words? His heart sank seeing her expression completely crumble unlike usual.

“……Miss Kana?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I’m just… a bit confused.”

“If it’s burdensome, you can tell me next time. You know, it’s not like we only have today.”

Kiriel awkwardly comforted her while trying to contain his emotions. Though he didn’t know, there was actually only one day left.

Kana smiled faintly while forcefully suppressing the sorrowful feelings welling up.

“No. Since I promised, I should tell you here.”

After working hard all this time, perhaps she could be greedy just this once. It might be okay since he would forget everything after she exits anyway.

She rationalized to herself as she moved closer to him.

“……Rather than words, showing through actions might be faster.”

“Huh?”

Kiriel, who had been waiting for her answer, just blinked blankly. Kana placed both hands on his shoulders and stood on her tiptoes. Soon their lips softly overlapped.

Kiriel stiffened for a moment at the warm, soft sensation on his lips before suddenly becoming aware of reality.

He bent his head and firmly supported Kana’s waist and nape while actively exploring her lips.

‘Ah, I must be crazy.’

Though it was quite impulsive and she had intended to just give a light kiss and pull away, she failed. Kana trembled at the elevated feeling and heightening sensations while gripping his robe.

She had momentarily forgotten the fact that male protagonists and sub-male leads in romance stories create intense and heated atmospheres when they set their minds to it.

The flower fragrance in the garden gently wafted around their noses.

Kiriel focused on the sensations while feeling dreamily ecstatic. The warm and soft feeling, even the faint woody scent mixed with flower fragrance. He tightly embraced the woman in his arms.

After some time passed, they slightly separated. As soon as Kana opened her eyes, she could see his purple eyes still flickering with heat. He languidly smiled while running his tongue over his lips.

〈Warning! This action exceeds the role of a supporting character. 400 star points will be deducted.〉

The warning text that had been so quiet it seemed broken since the boat incident finally appeared again. The deep red letters engraved in the blue sky created an eerie atmosphere.

Including this incident, that makes 1,000 star points deducted just from ‘Fake Saint’.

‘So slight distortions in the flow are fine but they can’t stand seeing a background supporting character kissing the sub-male lead? Whatever, they can eat dirt.’

She inwardly sneered. As her industry friend said, she decided to make up the deducted points in other stories and actually felt more at ease.

The red text adorning the empty air flickered intensely as if strongly warning before slowly disappearing. Kana ignored the afterimage while touching her own reddened cheeks.

His hand gently covered hers. Kiriel spoke in an excited voice while beautifully creasing the corners of his eyes.

“Miss Kana, we’re lovers now, right?”

“Yes.”

Though only for a day. She forced a smile while swallowing the words she couldn’t say. Unaware of this fact, Kiriel smiled broadly.

“Today is truly a happy day.”

“Indeed.”

“Thank you for accepting my feelings. I’ll do even better from now on, so let’s stay together for a long time.”

“Alright. And Lord Kiriel, you’re already doing well. Your very existence is my hope.”

It had a double meaning. Both for breaking what she thought was an unbreakable rule and for growing attached to him.

A gentle breeze passed by their bodies, cooling the heat. Kiriel answered while removing a light pink flower petal that had softly landed in her hair.

“That’s what I want to say. I really like you, Miss Kana.”

“Ah, the expression……”

Kana’s mouth opened slightly. Had the restrictions on Kiriel disappeared now that it was the ending? She couldn’t tell since all aspects of him were unprecedented cases from the start.

Deep joy settled in Kiriel’s eyes as he was freed from the restrictions that had tightly bound him.

“It’s been lifted. I love you, Miss Kana.”

“……Yes.”

As if once wasn’t enough, he kept pouring out words of love. Kana’s cheeks just grew hot from hearing it. Finally, she covered his mouth with her hand.

“S-stop now. I’ve heard enough.”

His lips moved slightly. Kana flinched at the ticklish feeling on her palm and removed her hand. Kiriel shrugged while smiling slyly.

“I don’t think it’s enough but…… can’t be helped.”

“Ahem, shouldn’t we head back now?”

Kana clutched her dress hem while smoothly changing the subject. Unexpectedly, Kiriel shook his head.

“Just a moment, there’s something I need to do first.”

“Was there something left?”

“Hold out your hand for a bit.”

“Okay.”

Kana held out her hand to him without much thought. Kiriel took out a ring from inside his clothes and put it on her ring finger. The ruby firmly set in the center of the gold band shone brilliantly.

In ‘Fake Saint’, there was a setting that lovers’ rings should have rubies. Engagement rings had opals, wedding rings had diamonds.

She blinked slowly.

“……Ah, it was a ring.”

“Yes. Later changing it to a diamond would be even better.”

He openly mentioned marriage. Kana smoothly threw out a joke.

“Are we skipping the middle step?”

“If our relationship deepens, I think we could easily skip the opal stage?”

“Ahem.”

She just cleared her throat at his increasingly bold behavior. The sun had already begun to set. Kiriel firmly held her hand while smiling happily.

“I’ll take you to the mansion now.”

“……Yes.”

When Kiriel used teleportation magic, the scenery changed to in front of the Round mansion. He looked at her with eyes dripping with regret.

“Go in and rest well.”

“You too, Lord Kiriel.”

“Yes.”

Kiriel hesitated before leaning toward his lover. His lips lightly brushed against her round, straight forehead.

Kana waved and blankly watched as he suddenly disappeared before going inside. Sitting on the sofa, she unconsciously touched her lips.

Though what happened in the flower garden felt surreal, it remained as a vivid memory.

The ticklish, fluttering feeling in her heart, the slightly embarrassing but excited mood. She placed her hand on her pounding chest.

‘When was the last time I felt emotions like this?’

She was always maintaining distance and remaining only as a bystander, now that she directly experienced it as the person involved, she finally felt the reality that this was a romance story.

In her lingering state, she unknowingly summoned Celia.

The spirit’s cheerful voice echoed in her mind.

[Ah, Kana! Is everything finished?]