“Whoever you are, mind your own business and move along.”

“Unfortunately, it’s not someone else’s business.”

The familiar voice grew closer. It was unbelievable.

‘Could it really be him?’

Surprised, Rarien opened her eyes. Though his face was hidden by a mask, there was no mistaking him. The sharp jawline, the full lips, the high-bridged nose. It was indeed Nicholas Reinhart.

‘Not someone else’s business? Has he already found out?’

Perhaps His Excellency had discovered that she had secretly slipped out of the temple and was pretending to be Sera Evotte.

While Rarien trembled in fear of her identity being exposed, Nicholas seemed at ease.

“This person is my partner. What business do you have?”

“Partner?”

“Yes, partner. It seems the Duke is mistaken.”

Partner? Am I Nicholas Reinhart’s partner?

It felt like a dream, leaving her bewildered.

Rarien instinctively looked up at Nicholas’s face. She met his golden eyes looking down at her. As Rarien’s startled eyes trembled, Nicholas’s eyes curved lazily.

“That’s why I said we should go up together. Why did you come up alone, babe? I’ve been looking for you.”

Nicholas gently adjusted Rarien’s crooked mask and whispered sweetly.

No one had told him to do so. He was naturally acting as if they were lovers.

Was it because she was flustered? Or because she couldn’t believe it? Her whole body trembled.

“Well, that is…”

“Don’t be shy. We’re wearing masks, no one will recognize us.”

Why was he doing this? Was there a reason His Excellency had to act this way?

She was grateful that he had saved her from a difficult situation, but she was confused as to why.

“You seem awkward. Are you really partners?”

Meanwhile, Duke Cervantes still seemed suspicious. He continued to look at Nicholas and Rarien alternately with a doubtful gaze.

“Yes. How should I prove it?”

Nicholas suddenly wrapped his arm around Rarien’s rounded shoulders. The sudden action made her heart pound so loudly it seemed audible.

“She’s not even your fiancée. Is there a reason I need to prove it to you?”

His tone was rather cold. At the same time, his hand tightened around her shoulder.

It was the first time she had seen Nicholas, who was always kind and gentle, showing such sharpness.

‘…He’s impressive.’

Rarien was secretly impressed. Falling for him again in this situation showed she was hopeless.

A tense atmosphere flowed between the two men.

“The rumors about Cervantes don’t seem to be unfounded.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m curious why someone with a fiancée would hold another woman’s wrist.”

“……”

“Are you going to keep holding it?”

Though he spoke with a smile, Nicholas’s tone became sharper. Duke Cervantes seemed taken aback, letting out a brief laugh before releasing her wrist.

“I’m sorry. It seems I was mistaken. I made a mistake.”

Duke Cervantes, feeling there was no value in continuing, skillfully wrapped up the situation with a raised eyebrow.

“Then, enjoy your time with your partner.”

Duke Cervantes bowed slightly and retreated without further protest.

Only after his figure disappeared into the distance could Rarien finally breathe a sigh of relief.

“Th-thank you, Your Excellency.”

“What are you?”

Nicholas abruptly withdrew his hand from her shoulder. His expression was somber.

“…Pardon?”

“Do you know who I am?”

Oh no, should I not have acknowledged him since he was wearing a mask too?

She made a mistake. The title had slipped out unintentionally in her gratitude. Startled by his sharp reaction, Rarien’s shoulders flinched.

“Well, that’s…”

“It doesn’t seem like you’re acting alone. Who put you up to this?”

Recognizing him just by his voice was natural for someone in love, but it might be unnerving from his perspective.

How stupid, why did I act like I knew him? Feeling like she had made a grave mistake, she was at a loss for words.

“I’m asking who you are.”

“I, I am…”

The atmosphere had completely changed from when he had been pretending to be her partner. She hadn’t expected him to question her so directly, and it left her flustered.

The cold interrogation made him seem like a completely different person from the Nicholas she knew. Rarien’s lips stiffened.

“I saw you get off the carriage with Evotte’s emblem. That’s why I followed you.”

“……”

“Seeing that you know me, you must also understand how the temple’s position would be affected if Lady Evotte gets caught up in rumors at this time.”

She thought no one would recognize her since she was attending with a mask, but she didn’t expect him to check the carriage and question her identity.

Rarien’s fingertips turned cold with anxiety.

From the temple’s perspective, they had a duty to protect the daughter of a patron.

If they had been caught up in a fight with Duke Cervantes and ended up with the guards, the news would have reached the Marquis of Evotte, escalating the situation.

‘He pretended to be my lover to prevent that.’

As a leader of the temple, it was natural for him to be angry about her reckless behavior.

‘What should I say? Should I be honest and ask for forgiveness now?’

Seeing Nicholas’s incredulous expression, Rarien began to realize the gravity of what she had done.

“Um, well…”

Just as she was about to say something, she heard murmuring voices from a distance. They were women’s voices.

“Hey, did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“Someone over there said ‘Your Excellency.'”

“Really? Lord Reinhart must be over there. Let’s go check.”

Oh no. It was surely a group of young ladies targeting His Excellency. He seemed to realize this too, as his brows furrowed.

What to do? There was nowhere to run. Behind her was a dead end, and from the opposite side, young ladies targeting Nicholas were approaching. Her escape route was completely blocked.

Nicholas licked his dry lips to moisten them.

“Damn.”

It was the first time she had heard Nicholas utter such harsh words. He seemed quite desperate.

She had to do something. If they found her here with Nicholas… being involved along with the issue about Evotte’s carriage could make things difficult.

Just as Nicholas had saved her from trouble, was there a way for Rarien to save him in return?

Suddenly, a crazy idea flashed through Rarien’s mind.

She knew it was a mad act. But that mad act was the most definite way to hide his face and deceive the group of young ladies.

What did it matter if it was crazy? They wouldn’t know who she was anyway, so it didn’t matter. The sound of footsteps grew closer. There was no time to hesitate.

“Since it’s all because of me, I’ll save you this time.”

“What are you talking about? What can you possibly do right now…”

“Please forgive my rudeness.”

Before Nicholas’s face could fully register his surprise, Rarien leapt up and clung to his neck.

And just as the young ladies rounded the corner and rushed towards them, she squeezed her eyes shut and shouted.

“I love you, Benjamin!”

Rarien quickly pressed her lips against his. Benjamin was the name of the male protagonist in <A Night at the Immoral Temple>.

She didn’t know why that name came out, but as long as she didn’t call him Nicholas, any name would do. The goal was to hide Nicholas’s face and throw off the group of young ladies targeting him.

She didn’t know where she got the courage. She hadn’t asked for permission to kiss him, so it was certainly rude.

But at this moment, her senses were focused solely on her lips, and her mind went blank.

Soft lips overlapped, and breaths mingled. Nicholas stood frozen, like a man caught in the middle of stopped time, unable to believe what was happening to him.

She was kissing Nicholas, something she had only imagined in her fantasies.

Oh, God. Thank you.

Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it would leap out of her chest.

Though it wasn’t a romantic setting, and it was just a strategy to get out of the situation, she wanted to make the sign of the cross in disbelief.

Since she was doing it, she might as well do it well. In that brief moment, Rarien recalled the kissing techniques she had learned from books.

The description said that when a woman initiates a kiss, she should dangle from his neck and stand on tiptoe.

There was a size difference between her and Nicholas. The height difference was thrilling enough to make kissing challenging.

Rarien lifted her heels until her feet ached and pressed her upper body closer to his torso.

In that instant, her body tilted forward, and her soft br*asts pressed against his firm chest. Startled, Nicholas took a few steps back, inhaling sharply, which caused his lower lip to part slightly and their lips to mesh deeply.

Rarien didn’t miss the opportunity and deftly moved in. She sucked on his stiff lips gently, like sucking on a candy, drawing them in.

She felt his frozen lips soften slightly, clinging wetly to her damp inner lip.

Perhaps because she was so focused on the kiss that she forgot to breathe, her vision spun as if she were short on oxygen. Nicholas seemed to be struggling to breathe properly as well.

She sensed the group of young ladies approaching her had halted.

Sensing their gaze, his hand, which had been wandering aimlessly in the air, slowly wrapped around her slender waist.

Rarien tilted her head to the side, capturing his lips more deeply. When she opened her eyes slightly, she met the startled and flustered gazes of the young women.

Rarien boldly tightened her hold around Nicholas’s neck.

“Oh my, I guess it’s not this way.”

“Did we hear it wrong?”

“I-I don’t know. Let’s just go.”

Fortunately, the women didn’t seem suspicious and turned back. As soon as their figures disappeared from view, Rarien exhaled a shaky breath and pulled her lips away.

Both of them panted heavily after the intense kiss. Nicholas looked somewhat dazed.

“Hah, what on earth… huh, is this?”

He was glaring at her reproachfully. Seeing the fierce look in his eyes, Rarien finally realized what she had done.

“I’m s-sorry.”

Rarien bowed deeply in apology and then dashed away from the spot.

“Damn, what the hell…”

Left standing alone, Nicholas stared blankly at the space where she had vanished.