After actually possessing the character, everything became concerning. From when Felix began to look like one person……

“Seeing him in pain really makes me worry. Like when we first met too……”

Come to think of it, rolling around after taking medicine, groaning and suppressing the power of the sun for fear of going berserk, and even thoroughly putting up walls against people trying to help him because of trauma.

It was enough to shake the heart of police officer Lee Su-jeong, who looked after the citizens’ safety and peace.

‘Even though our relationship is ultimately a business tied by contract.’

I flipped through the 10-year-old newspaper again with a troubled heart.

The content of the following articles was like this. Felix, separated from his nanny, was arranged to be protected in the safest place within the imperial palace thanks to protests from Grand Duke Atium, his supporter. The emperor issued an order to move Felix’s residence to the separate palace, supposedly granting his wish……

‘Some people thought Felix was being confined.’

Now I seemed to understand why everyone in the separate palace was living with constant worry about Felix’s every action. 

No matter how much Grand Duke Atium’s influence was involved and they were selected as those who showed loyalty, could Felix, who was betrayed by the closest retainer, comfortably open his heart to them? Even now, when someone runs from behind, he acts as sensitively as lightning……

[ Solium’s Cinderella Receives a Mansion as a Gift from Second Prince Felix! ]

Suddenly, gossip magazine articles came to mind. And also the expressions of the separate palace retainers who looked at me and Felix with satisfaction.

‘Is it…… alright for me to continue acting as if I’m in a romantic relationship with Felix?’

Our contract period is six months. It literally means this relationship will also end someday. These six months can’t be said to be long, but they’re not short either.

‘Other people’s gazes aside, I feel sorry for deceiving even the people in Felix’s palace.’

Lying to those who are already suffering because Felix won’t open his heart to them. And that’s if I’m good at lying.

Anyway, there’s no other choice right now. It would also look a bit strange for me to distance myself from his retainers.

“Ah…… I don’t know either. It’s too early to worry about what happens after six months when the immediate future is pitch black……”

I roughly ran my hand through my hair and took out another newspaper. Though I had obtained all the content I was curious about, my hands wouldn’t stop due to my complicated feelings.

‘……Wait, since I’m here, should I dig around for something? There might be other information that didn’t appear in the original work?’

Right. Let’s deal with the immediate problems that need to be solved first.

In this situation where I almost died because of Kervic, it would be perfect if there was information that could help me escape from his grasp or backstab him!

“Isn’t there some useful information……”

Behind me, as I unconsciously muttered while frowning…… an ominous voice was heard.

“What kind of useful information are you looking for?”

“Hwaaah……hup!!”

Lecia quickly covered my mouth with one hand as I let out a loud scream from being so startled.

“Why are you so surprised, Miss? As if you’ve committed a crime?”

“Huh, I couldn’t hear any footsteps at all! Why did you walk around killing your footsteps like that?!”

“Oh my, I was just following public etiquette. Quietly in the library!”

Lecia, who said that, winked and acted cute. Then she loaded my arms full with romance novels.

“It looks like new books came in here quickly too! I saw this book at the market a week ago, and they’re all here now?”

“Really? Ahaha…… That’s quite good.”

“Right? To be able to see new releases without leaving the palace! Don’t worry about romance novels from now on. And here, what I’m holding are works I personally recommend!”

No, just how many books are you recommending? Even after loading my arms full, Lecia held romance novels in both her arms and began chattering about why she recommended them.

Unfortunately, it seems 19+ romance novels didn’t come into the library. Looking at the healthy-looking green romances, I made a sourly disappointed expression.

Seeing my expression, Lecia stepped closer and whispered.

“Don’t worry, Miss. The red ones are all prepared at night.”

“Uh, what? Red…… No, I don’t read those kinds of things?!”

“I’ve been serving you for over ten years already, Miss, hoho. I can tell everything from your expression.”

“Uh, uuh……!!”

When she brought up the ten years, I couldn’t even argue back. Besides, I’m originally the type whose thoughts show all over my face.

In the end, I had no choice but to give up reading newspapers and return to my room.

“It’s alright to borrow all these books, right?”

“Yes, of course! Oh, we’ll organize the materials you read.”

The librarian in charge smiled and saw us off. Anyway, today’s library visit was quite fruitful.

‘Now that I know Felix’s wariness is extraordinary…… I’ll have to act really carefully to win his favor from now on.’

Of course, my resolution was broken as soon as I returned to my room. Quite miserably……!

⁕⁕⁕

After Marina left, when the librarian was about to organize the newspapers Marina had spread out, a man who suddenly appeared from behind the bookshelf stopped their movements.

“Wait. Leave that as it is.”

“Oh my, what a surprise!! Kale, how long have you been here?!”

The librarians made a fuss from being startled by Kale’s sudden appearance, but Kale, whose dark circles had already reached below his chin, only answered calmly with a gloomy expression.

“Hmm, I came into the library after dinner…… so about half a day has passed.”

“You stayed up all night?! Again?”

“That’s originally the kind of work I do……”

At Kale’s words, the librarian sent him a pitying look. Kale’s right hand was covered with dried ink. The desk behind the bookshelf was piled high with countless unidentifiable documents.

“You looked at materials here again instead of the office? Just use this place as your office.”

“Haha. His Highness wouldn’t allow it!”

Well, Felix, who was in the final stages of paranoia, only discussed important matters with Kale, his only aide. The other subordinates in the separate palace found it difficult even to speak with him……

“Work while staying healthy. Only you can stay by His Highness Felix’s side., Kale”

“Haha, right. I want to stay healthy too, but it’s hard for exactly that reason.”

At those words, the librarian burst into laughter. Before hands moved to put away the newspapers again, Kale shrugged his shoulders and pointed to the desk.

“I was just about to look at the newspapers anyway. I’ll organize them, so go rest?”

“Oh my, who’s talking? It seems like you should be the one resting instead.”

“His Highness Felix’s only aide is competent and good at these things too……”

Kale, who spoke cheekily, waved his hands as if telling them to go, dismissing the librarian.

Though Kale whined about having too much work to die from, he handled Felix’s affairs quite perfectly. Such behavior was very natural to the retainers of the separate palace, so the librarian quietly greeted and left.

After the librarian left, Kale, who had been pretending to be tired with a completely relaxed face, flashed his eyes and checked the content of the newspapers Marina had looked through.

‘Was she digging into His Highness Felix’s past? Maybe she wanted to find His Highness’s weaknesses?’

Kale, who crumpled several newspapers among the materials he had researched by searching through books all night, soon left the library. After organizing even the materials he received from other retainers, Kale soon arrived before Felix. Buried in countless piles of documents just like Kale, Felix asked the question first.

“The investigation into the rampage drug?”

“Just before the ball, we’re tracking several of the merchant groups that supplied goods to the imperial palace. There’s a particularly suspicious place, but we haven’t caught the tail yet.”

“……As expected, too much time has passed to catch evidence.”

“However, I’ll continue tracking with all my might.”

They were investigating the drug that made Felix and Marina go berserk. Though they had circumstantial evidence that Kervic had ordered it, there was no solid proof. There was only one clue Felix could catch about the drug.

‘The scent was definitely unique. It was strong enough to ruin the taste of the wine I usually enjoyed drinking.’

“Your Highness, what did Lady Marina say? You asked her, right? About that smell……”

“Hmm……”

Only Felix and Marina recognized the drug’s scent. Since Marina drank thin soup instead of the strongly scented wine, she would have noticed the drug’s smell more clearly—making her assessment particularly significant.

“Uh…… just a grassy smell? You know that smell when weeding.”

The problem was…… that answer wasn’t satisfactory.

“……She really answered like that?”

“She must be rather dull about taste.”

Kale looked at Felix with an incredulous expression. Felix was also frowning deeply, but it was Kale who was getting angry instead.

Kale placed the newspapers Marina had been looking through on his desk and shouted.

“You need to stay alert, Your Highness! Lady Marina is doing everything she can to dig into Your Highness’s background right now!”

Felix’s expression became cold after briefly scanning the articles. It was content he had already read all about in the past. Seeing Felix’s eyes coldly sunken, Kale added.

“I searched thoroughly through other magical powers excluding the power of the sun, but only one thing came up. The power of curses that offset the power of the sun!”

“Are you saying Lady Marina is a dark mage? And that she’s using power that disappeared hundreds of years ago?”

“Isn’t it the most plausible explanation for the identity of the water power Lady Marina possesses?”

Hearing those words, Felix squeezed both eyes shut. His aide Kale Finkler’s words were always simple, clear, and reasonable. However, this time he absolutely couldn’t agree with his words.

While the two were having a conversation with hardened faces, Felix suddenly began keenly staring outside.

‘?!’

“Your Highness, what’s the matter?”

Kale, who was right in front of him, still seemed to feel nothing as he made a puzzled face. Felix could instinctively sense it in that moment.

‘Is this…… magic?’

An aura that only those with magical power like Felix could feel suddenly appeared. That power was similar to the water power Marina Enchester possessed rather than the power of the sun. The problem was that this aura felt sticky and evil, unlike Marina’s refreshing and pleasant one.

Felix ignored Kale, who asked again what was wrong, and quickly ran toward where he felt that power.

Straight to Marina Enchester’s room……!