“Ah, did you call for me?”

Kiriel was flustered, which was unlike him. His disheveled state made it hard to believe he was supposed to be the prickly sub male protagonist of ‘Fake Saint Was Real.’ Kana clicked her tongue and asked seriously,

“Have you been overworking yourself lately?”

“…What?”

“It’s natural for people to break down mentally when they’re buried under excessive work without proper rest.”

A faint hint of sympathy appeared in her eyes as she recalled her past experiences.

‘Looks like he’s been struggling because he’s been so busy.’

Even though the Tower Master was designed to highlight the sub male protagonist, it wasn’t just an empty title. Major characters were usually given the most significant and glamorous settings, making them extremely busy.

Kiriel saw her completely off-base assumption and moved his lips. Despite the misunderstanding, he appreciated her genuine concern.

He ran his fingers through his hair, which was rare for him, showing a troubled expression.

“Well, you’re not entirely wrong, but…”

“I fully understand the hesitation in talking about it.”

Typically, male protagonists or sub male protagonists were supposed to be difficult for others to approach. Only the female protagonist could see their true feelings and vulnerable sides.

Kana, a bit worried, looked him straight in the eye and said firmly,

“Lord Kiriel, instead of this, you should rest well at the mansion. Go back quickly.”

“…Am I being kicked out right now?”

Kiriel blinked, muttering blankly. She, who always drew a line, was particularly adamant today. Kana shook her head and replied clearly,

“No. It’s just that I’m not in a state to entertain guests, and Lord Kiriel doesn’t look well either, so it’s best to send you back. This is for both of us.”

“Wait a moment.”

Kiriel lightly snapped his fingers, and her dress became completely clean. Even though she had brushed off the dirt, there were still some remnants, but his mana control was very delicate. Kana looked at her dress and said,

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. Can I stay now?”

His mysterious purple eyes sparkled with anticipation. Kana, flustered and awkward, tilted her head at his sudden brightness.

Though he was known to be a capricious character, his emotional swings suggested he was mentally exhausted. She cautiously refused.

“No. Lord Kiriel, you’re still not well.”

“But I feel better now.”

“Well, they say the person themselves often doesn’t realize it.”

Kana shook her head firmly. A strange light appeared in Kiriel’s eyes.

“Does that apply to you too, Miss Kana?”

“No. But Lord Kiriel, do you have something to tell me?”

“…Well, yes.”

Kiriel mumbled his answer. Kana, seeing his awkward demeanor, decided it would be endless at this rate. She clapped her hands to wrap up the situation.

“Then let’s just get to the point considering each other’s circumstances.”

“Alright. Miss Kana, I…”

He tried to say, ‘I think I like you,’ but it felt as if something invisible was blocking the words from coming out. Feeling a sense of discord, he touched his lips and his expression hardened.

Unaware of his situation, Kana was puzzled by him suddenly mentioning her name and looking serious.

“Yes?”

“I…”

Expressions like ‘I have feelings for you’ or ‘I like you’ were also blocked. His face contorted in frustration at the situation not going his way.

Kana, seeing his varied and increasingly negative expressions, could only interpret his next words in a bad direction.

Frustrated, she asked outright,

“Um, do you mean you don’t like me?”

“No!”

Kiriel was on the verge of going crazy. After repeatedly wiping his face in distress, he weakly continued,

“…I think I’m friendly towards you.”

“Oh, I see.”

Kana’s reaction was plain. She was relieved it wasn’t dislike. If he could show her a bit of kindness without causing major issues, she would be grateful.

Kiriel, contrasting his fluctuating emotions, quietly stared at the now calm Kana. Her earlier excitement seemed like a mirage, leaving his eyes dry and emotionless.

“In a way, they were like the spirit she contracted with, like the wind. They don’t seem tied down, nor do they have expectations or regrets.”

Duke Cardium’s words at that time they were discussing her gaze suddenly crossed his mind. Coupled with the strange dream where she vanished, it left him feeling unsettled. Kiriel asked absentmindedly,

“Miss Kana, this might be random, but do you like libraries?”

“…Yes.”

Kana nodded. To her, libraries were a love-hate relationship. She liked them because of memories from her days as a reader and her original world, but thinking of the Otherworldly Library made her feel uneasy.

Silence fell between them. Kana quietly observed his thoughtful face and gently asked,

“Are you done talking now?”

“Yes, I’ll be going. See you next time.”

Kiriel didn’t give her a chance to respond and disappeared using teleportation magic. Celia, who had been silent, narrowed her eyes.

[Isn’t he falling for you?]

‘No way. No matter how prickly a sub male lead is, they don’t frown in front of someone they like. Besides, my star rating didn’t decrease.’

Kana calmly denied it based on her accumulated experience. Celia let out a weak sigh.

[…Hmm.]

‘Anyway, we’ll see him falling for the female lead later.’

[But he’s just a sub male lead, so he won’t end up with the female lead. It’s a bit pitiful.]

Celia’s voice carried sympathy. For a spirit who usually disapproved of the main characters mistreating supporting roles, it was a lenient reaction. Kana was a bit surprised but joked lightly.

‘What, Celia. Did you get attached to Kiriel?’

[I didn’t mean to… but he’s been taking good care of you, which caught my attention.]

Moreover, the spirit’s intuition told her that he had feelings for her contractor. But since the situation was unpredictable, Celia kept that to herself.

‘I was a bit concerned when he took care of me… but let’s just move on. Until he completely falls for the female lead, we should quietly observe and cooperate.’

[Okay.]

Kana returned to her room with Celia.

* * *

Kana attended a social gathering she had been avoiding while training with a new spirit and returned to the mansion. She took a short break and then waited for Alderaan in the drawing room with her spirits. She arranged to meet him to discuss matters related to the Founding Festival episode.

Before long, Alderaan, who had finished his work, came to see her. He waved his hand casually and smiled broadly.

“Round, it’s been a while.”

“Yes. We haven’t seen each other because we’ve both been busy, so it’s nice to see you.”

Kana welcomed him warmly. While she naturally used spirit magic to soundproof the room, Alderaan’s eyes were on the spirits beside her.

“Hm, you’ve got one more spirit now.”

“I made a new contract recently. How is it? Isn’t it amazing?”

Kana proudly displayed her satisfaction.

Alderaan, as a fellow supporting character, knew how hard it was to achieve results from the minimal talents a background character has. He had gone through a lot to obtain aura himself. He genuinely applauded her.

“Wow, that’s really impressive. It must have been tough to make the contract. What’s the new spirit’s name?”

“Gnome.”

“A default name. Are they aware of the supporting role and its duties?”

“To some extent. Celia has explained the basics.”

Kana made an OK sign with her fingers. Celia, being experienced and of the same species, had explained well from a spirit’s perspective. Alderaan nodded.

“Then we can discuss things comfortably.”

“Right. By the way, there haven’t been any star rating deductions, right?”

“No. I’ve just been busy handling paperwork. Some knights were annoying because I used aura, but I managed to handle it well. How about you?”

“Luckily, I haven’t had any more deductions. And it’s a bit embarrassing to say, but… I’ve been focusing on training and neglecting other things.”

Kana gave an awkward smile and fiddled with her dress. Alderaan shook his head and spoke seriously.

“Hey, that’s understandable. You can’t just pass up a chance to gain new power. Unless there’s an urgent matter, everything else should be put on hold for that.”

“Right? I knew you’d understand.”

Kana’s voice brightened, and Alderaan laughed heartily. As their laughter subsided, he brought up their work.

“Were there any issues with the major characters you’re close to? Like Letie and Kiriel.”

“…Now that you mention it, there were a few concerning things.”

Kana blinked hesitantly. Alderaan leaned in closer.

“What is it?”

“The other day, when I met Letie about the healing water… she probed me about whether I knew about the future and even revealed her time regression.”

“Hm, did she sense your presence and anomaly between her past and present? She’s sharper than I thought. And wasn’t her regression supposed to be a secret only revealed to the male lead?”

“Yes.”

Kana gave a resigned smile at Alderaan’s bewilderment. He rubbed his forehead in frustration.

“That’s troublesome. How did you handle it?”

“What else could I do? I pretended not to know and made up some excuses. Letie seemed to accept it, so it should be fine.”

“That’s a relief, but what about Kiriel?”

“…I’m not sure.”

Kana let out a deep sigh. Alderaan was taken aback by her rare loss of confidence and asked again.

“What?”

“Usually, you get used to someone after watching them for a long time. But strangely, the more I see Kiriel, the more confused I get. It feels like something is off, but I can’t figure it out, and it’s frustrating. I’ve never felt like this before.”

Kana gulped down her cold tea, feeling parched.