But there was no response from the communication device. When Kana was about to ask again, he sighed deeply and spoke.

— …Actually, my star rating got deducted. I sent away a small fry who kept bothering me from the Treasury, and I got 10 points deducted.

“Oh my god, even a small fry must have had strong connections. Were there any problems after sending them away?”

If you’re unlucky, even a slight mishap could lead to consecutive star rating deductions. Kana genuinely worried for her industry friend. He hesitated briefly before answering.

— Yeah. Fortunately, everything went smoothly without any major issues, but losing those points is still a shame.

“…Well, 10 points isn’t too bad. I got 600 points deducted.”

Kana laughed bitterly in self-deprecation. Alderaan, sensing the deep sorrow in his industry friend’s voice, instinctively realized she wasn’t joking.

He stammered in disbelief.

— What? 600 points? You? How did that happen?

“A crucial scene got messed up. Ah, I really feel like crying.”

Kana’s eyes lost focus as she recalled the chilling warning etched in the air.

She sighed deeply, rubbing her forehead. Alderaan, still in shock, spoke.

— No words of comfort would probably resonate with you. How did the scene get messed up?

“Kiriel protected me during the attack by the assailants.”

— Not the female protagonist, but you?

“Yes.”

Alderaan reflexively asked at Kana’s immediate response.

— Could it be that he likes you?

“If that were the case, I could understand, but he denied it. Haha, if I probed twice, I might lose double the points.”

Kana laughed hollowly. Alderaan, listening to her soulless laughter through the communication device, frowned.

— Hmm, this is troublesome. I was sure Kiriel had feelings for you. Could it be that his feelings for the female protagonist are still weak?

“That’s possible. He’s originally a character who slowly realizes his feelings without noticing.”

Surprisingly, in the boating scene, Kiriel and Letie’s relationship was distant but not bad. Kana considered her industry friend’s guess.

Of course, the situation deviating from the flow in ‘Fake Saint’ was unwelcome. In romance genres, the emotional lines and relationships between the female protagonist and the surrounding males are crucial, and the delay caused a disruption.

Kana tapped her fingers on the desk. Alderaan, thinking along the same lines, added somberly.

— Whatever it is, it’s not good for you.

“Yes. I hope things go well, but I feel uneasy.”

Kana closed her eyes tightly and then opened them. Alderaan bluntly suggested.

— Round, why don’t you just quit?

“Well, I don’t want to quit unless I have to. Whether I’m kicked out or voluntarily leave, my star rating will still drop, and I think I’ll regret it later if I avoid it without trying anything.”

This was Kana’s belief carried over from her original world. Whatever the task, she had to see it through to the end. Alderaan, somewhat expecting her reaction, remained calm.

— I see.

“Yes. As you know, it’s hard to earn star ratings if you get used to quitting. You start giving up and leaving whenever it gets a bit tough. I appreciate your suggestion, but I want to handle this properly and see it through.”

— …That’s like you. Alright, let’s hold on to the end. But let me know if you ever want to quit. I’d be willing to leave with you.

“Okay, got it.”

Kana chuckled at her industry friend’s sly expression of his will. Alderaan smoothly shifted the topic.

— Then, let’s move on from this. The key issue now is how to deal with Kiriel. Are you going to keep your distance and subtly create opportunities for him and the female protagonist?

“I’ll respond based on the situation, but that’s the basic plan.”

— How about just keeping your distance from Kiriel?

Alderaan’s voice was serious. But it wasn’t as easy as he suggested. Also, she didn’t quite feel like doing so.

Kana groaned, rubbing her temples.

“Considering my background and the need to observe variables in my work, it’s not easy. Kiriel is a perceptive key figure, so I need to be careful.”

— Tsk, that’s troublesome.

Alderaan clicked his tongue, and Kana sighed. In the gloomy atmosphere, Alderaan clapped his hands and boldly suggested.

— Ah, suddenly thought of this, if getting deeply involved with key figures is the problem, how about we engage in a fake relationship or engagement?

“…Are you serious?”

Kana was quite surprised by her industry friend’s suggestion. It was hard to believe coming from someone who lived a life far from romance, both personally and professionally.

Alderaan, who made the radical suggestion, remained indifferent.

— Why not? It’s a romance genre, but there’s no rule that only the protagonists can use convenient settings.

“…Hmm.”

— Of course, they will eventually fall in love, but we can interact as usual and occasionally act when needed, then end it cleanly after the job is done.

“That way, it does have several advantages. Meeting and talking frequently for work wouldn’t seem strange to others. We could also preemptively block unnecessary approaches.”

Engaging in a fake relationship or engagement between background supporting characters wouldn’t significantly impact the novel’s flow. It could be a supplementary setting. His suggestion was quite reasonable.

“What do you think?”

“I’m a bit tempted, but… I’ll think about it.”

Kana decided to hold off on his suggestion after careful consideration. Kiriel’s face inadvertently came to mind, and her intuition sounded an alarm. She felt it could end badly in many ways.

Alderaan, who had brought it up just for smoother work, let it go.

— Alright. Moving individually might be better. Let me know if you change your mind.

“Okay.”

— Anyway, I hope he quickly falls for the female protagonist and stops creating variables that could lower your star rating.

“I hope so too.”

Kana answered resolutely, her eyes shining. Alderaan, who was about to continue the conversation with his industry friend, stopped.

— Oops, Olivia is already here. Let’s discuss this next time.

“Okay, take care.”

Kana disconnected the communication device.

* * *

After returning from the boating trip and handling the incident, Kiriel began having strange dreams. In his dreams, he wandered around looking for Kana who suddenly vanished.

“Lady Kana Round? That’s a name I’ve never heard before.”

“Tower Master, our family has no one by that name.”

“Could it be that you’re mistaken?”

People who should have known Kana didn’t remember her. It was as if her existence had been erased from the world, with the void roughly patched over.

“My friend? If someone had made such an impression, I wouldn’t forget them… It feels odd to say this, but could it be that you dreamt it?”

Even Letie, who had called Kana her friend, looked at him strangely. Other ladies who were supposedly close to Kana couldn’t recall her existence.

The things Kana had done either disappeared entirely or were partially distributed among the ladies in Letie’s circle.

A despondent Kiriel went to the secret place he had visited with Kana, staring blankly into the void. As the wind brushed his cheek, a familiar woman’s voice whispered in his ear.

“No one pays attention to the passing wind.”

The unsettling dream ended abruptly with that scene.

In his office at the Magic Tower, Kiriel sighed deeply, recalling the disjointed, unpleasant dream. He could have ignored it, but it strangely bothered him.

Kanto, noticing his boss’s low spirits and slow hands, cautiously spoke.

“…You seem unable to focus on work.”

“Kanto, I’ve been thinking, what if Miss Kana cast an incredible spell on me?”

Kiriel’s expression was quite serious as he crumpled the document he was holding. Shocked by his boss’s unusual behavior, Kanto’s eyes widened. He hesitated before barely managing to reply.

“…Tower Master, Lady Round is a spirit summoner with no connection to magic or mana.”

“I know. But what if she cast a spell on me without my knowing?”

Kiriel put down the crumpled document and tousled his hair. Deep in thought, he sighed again.

Of course, it sounded absurd to Kanto. He was sure Lady Round would think similarly. Reluctantly, he pointed out the contradiction in Kiriel’s words.

“Well, if she had the skill to cast a spell without your knowledge, she would have already made a name for herself as a genius mage in the Empire.”

“…That’s true.”

Kiriel chuckled and slumped in his chair.

Kanto held his head. Despite his personality, his boss’s great strength was his ability to handle things well without being influenced by external factors. But now, an unexpected problem had arisen.

Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Kanto bluntly asked Kiriel to find the cause.

“Why are you suddenly like this? Is it related to the Magic Tower’s work, or is it about Lady Round?”

“The latter. I keep thinking about her, and she even appears in my dreams.”

“…Ah.”

So it was about that lady. It was serious. At a loss for words, Kanto just moved his lips.

Ignoring Kanto’s bitter reaction, Kiriel continued.

“But the dream was really unpleasant and strange.”

“What was it about?”

Kanto responded decisively. Kiriel tapped his fingers on the desk and answered in a low, sunken voice.

“It was about everyone’s memory of Miss Kana being erased, and I was the only one searching for her.”

“Dreams are said to be the opposite. Maybe it’s a sign of good things to come.”