“Well, that’s not entirely wrong. You’re quite composed, more than expected.”

Kana acknowledged with a shrug, her voice distorted with static. There was no point denying when the other party was already certain.

Cedric narrowed his eyes and responded flatly.

“I expected you’d come directly someday, judging by your actions. You don’t seem like people who work just for money…… Could you perhaps be quite close to Elina Dekrom?”

“Think what you want.”

Though Kana responded indifferently, she was internally surprised that the sub male protagonist had accurately seen through the female protagonist’s identity.

‘What? He knew Elina’s identity yet still sent assassins? This is no ordinary matter.’

Moreover, according to their investigation, Cedric had no grievances with House Dekrom.

Though he had connections with nobles from the Aidel Empire, it wasn’t with the north. His exchanges were mostly with nobles from the capital and eastern region.

Cedric struggled to maintain composure.

“Then I’ll take that as confirmation.”

“……”

Seeing their silence, he broke into a cold sweat as he secretly pulled the cord by his bedside. Though he deliberately dragged out the meaningless conversation while continuously sending signals, no one came to help him.

Kiriel, who had noticed Cedric’s futile attempt from the start, snapped his fingers and spoke dryly.

“It’s useless trying to call for help. Your signals won’t reach anyone.”

“Ha, so you used strange abilities like how you suddenly appeared in my room. There was a reason you left no traces all this time.”

He let out a hollow laugh, frustrated that the intruders had read his actions completely. They silently nodded.

Cedric tightly clenched his fist resting on his thigh and spoke sharply.

“So what do you plan to do with me now? Dispose of me secretly?”

“That depends on your attitude.”

Kana naturally left room for negotiation. They needed to gather information just in case. From experience, it was better to handle major characters and plot-connected characters carefully.

Cedric immediately caught the intention behind her words.

“You mean you’ll let me off if I stop trying to assassinate Elina Dekrom?”

“Right, you understand well. It would be troublesome in many ways if she dies. If you insist on trying to kill her, we’ll have no choice but to eliminate you first.”

“……That’s quite a brutal warning.”

Cedric flinched and swallowed hard hearing the emotionless voice.

The words from the duo before him didn’t sound empty at all. It felt like they would really eliminate him right here if he crossed them.

Kana ignored his wavering and probed for what she was curious about.

“Why are you trying to eliminate her when you’ve never even had any bad encounters?”

“……Because I sensed an ominously eerie energy.”

Cedric’s face contorted as he answered through gritted teeth.

Though it sounded completely random and crazy, it clearly hinted at hidden keywords and something the female protagonist possessed.

‘What? Was he a character who gives hints? This makes it even more difficult to deal with him.’

For a split second, Kana and Kiriel’s gazes met. Without needing words, they knew they both thought to keep watching for now.

She deliberately snorted and spoke sarcastically.

“Elina hasn’t done anything wrong, and that’s your only reason?”

“I had a feeling that leaving her alive would greatly harm the eastern region…… no, the entire Lis Kingdom, and my bad feelings have never been wrong.”

His ash-gray eyes that resembled cloudy skies flashed sharply. This line also sounded like a meaningful clue. Kana furrowed her brow and refuted in a monotone voice.

“But couldn’t you be wrong this time? It’s not good to be too overconfident.”

“……Hmm.”

Cedric frowned. Kana pressed the contemplating man relentlessly.

“Do you still have the resolve to eliminate Elina now?”

“……Actually, things haven’t been going well, so I’d already half given up.”

“Why not give up completely? We plan to watch over her condition carefully.”

Kana wiggled her finger while making the blatant suggestion. If they could pass without having to deal with him, there would be no risk to stability.

Finally, Cedric yielded to the intruders’ persuasion that bordered on threatening.

“……Alright.”

“You better keep that promise.”

Kiriel emphasized as he snapped his fingers to place a binding spell on Cedric. The mana that flowed like thread from his fingertips coiled around and seeped into the sub male protagonist’s head.

Though Cedric wasn’t a person who possessed power, he instinctively knew something had been done to him. He looked at the two intruders with wavering eyes.

“……What did you just do to me?”

“Just placed a simple safety measure. Well, don’t be too scared. You won’t die as long as you keep your promise.”

“Yeah, be careful.”

Cedric shuddered at his indifferent tone, chills running down his spine. Kiriel turned his back on the tense sub male protagonist and spoke gently while looking at Kana.

“Shall we head back now?”

“Yes.”

She took his outstretched hand. Kiriel used teleportation magic to leave with Kana. Left alone in the room, Cedric finally relaxed and let out a deep sigh.

* * *

Quite some time had passed since they barged into the sub male protagonist’s room and half-threatened him. Their warning seemed to work well as the people lurking around Elina noticeably decreased.

‘We can’t let our guard down just because we solved one major cause. Anything could happen until the mission is completely finished.’

With that in mind, Kana didn’t withdraw the spirit she had attached to the female protagonist.

She planned to keep the spirit attached as long as her spirit energy could sustain it until the mission completion message appeared.

Currently, they were spending idle time at the jewelry store. Since they had investigated most things in previous rounds, there wasn’t much to do besides watching Elina and those around her.

Kiriel glanced at Kana who was covering her mouth with her hand while yawning slowly.

“Kana, how’s the female protagonist doing?”

“Fine. Celia tipped me off that the situation is peaceful. Nothing unusual.”

Kana stretched slowly to loosen up her body. The female protagonist’s survival rate had definitely increased after clearing out the mastermind early on. Kiriel twirled his finger while giggling.

“I see. The binding spell is quiet too. Looks like Cedric Cleave is behaving himself wisely.”

“That’s fortunate. It would have been quite troublesome if he hadn’t yielded.”

Kana’s eyes curved prettily. Though she was shocked briefly that the kind-type sub male protagonist had contributed to the female protagonist’s death, she was more concerned about the clues he had dropped.

She had been uneasy about the hidden elements from the start, and hadn’t he given her certainty? Her extending thoughts were interrupted by Kiriel’s slightly excited voice.

“Yeah. By the way, isn’t the male protagonist supposed to appear soon?”

“Right. He might even show up today.”

Kana stroked her chin while recalling the scene where the protagonists reunite in the rough plot. Already bored, Kiriel’s eyes sparkled as he clapped his hands.

“I can trust your intuition. In that sense, shall we check around the female protagonist today?”

“Sure.”

Kana accepted with a small smile. Combining Kiriel’s markers and Celia’s words, the female protagonist was heading to a nearby flower shop.

They naturally left the jewelry store to Del and leisurely walked to the flower shop. They managed to run into the female protagonist at just the right timing in front of the shop. Elina’s eyes widened.

“……Miss Kana and Mr. Kiriel?”

“Oh my, fancy meeting Miss Elina here. Are you taking a break from the coffee house today?”

Kana waved her hand with a gentle smile. Elina, whose complexion had improved thanks to the peaceful situation, answered with a smile.

“Yes, the owner closed temporarily for building repairs. What brings you two out?”

“We’re here to buy flowers for a vase. How about you?”

Kana made up a plausible reason on the spot. Kiriel quietly marveled anew at her natural improvisation. Elina brightened at their similar errand and clasped her hands.

“I was planning to look around and buy if I saw any nice flowers.”

“I see. Decorating your room with well-chosen flowers will help refresh your mood.”

“Yes!”

As the women exchanged smiles and conversation, the sudden sound of heavy boots broke the atmosphere. All three turned their heads simultaneously.

There stood a handsome man with jet-black hair and vivid red eyes. From his toned, nimble body to the sword hidden by his cape at his waist—he embodied all the characteristics of a male protagonist.

‘……The male lead has finally arrived.’

Kana observed the male protagonist and his companions with indifferent eyes. His complexion was somewhat haggard, perhaps from emotional suffering after Elina left, but that only added to his decadent charm.

Despite his moderately neat and ordinary attire, his intense presence and intimidating atmosphere couldn’t be hidden. The men standing slightly apart from him appeared to be knight escorts.

Kyle, who had strode up close to the three people, slowly parted his lips.

“Elina?”

“……Who are you?”

Though Elina’s question contradicted it, she recognized who he was but acted coldly. The corners of her mouth that had lifted upon meeting her kind neighbors who shared her secret instantly dropped.

The male protagonist answered in a suppressed voice.

“Kyle. Your husband.”