Chapter 1.4

God was not on her side.  

She had thought as much ever since realizing her past life.  

As she fell, she panicked but instinctively grabbed onto a branch a little lower down with one hand, preventing herself from falling completely.  

“…….”  

Green leaves fluttered down like snowflakes.  

Among the falling leaves, one of the two men below—the young one—looked up.  

Their eyes met.  

Dangling from the branch with one hand, she stared at him.  

“……Erden?”

First Love—though it’s hard to call it that when all she could remember was fighting with him—was, at any rate, the first person she had confessed to. Reuniting with him after three years was far from the beautiful scenario she might have imagined, even in a romance fantasy world.  

Worn-out training clothes, disheveled hair, and blue leaves scattered all over her body.  

‘Why now, of all times…?’  

This was how our reunion looked after three years?  

Unlike her messy, tomboyish appearance, Erden looked the same as ever.  

‘No, he’s even more handsome now.’ 

Sharper facial features, a seemingly taller stature, jet-black hair that contrasted with his pale skin, and eyes as beautiful as finely crafted gemstones.  

He was still stunningly beautiful, as if every detail of his appearance had been perfectly arranged.  

‘That guy… Why does his face still have to be my type?’  

Well… At least being handsome is a merit, right?  

“……Still the same.”  

Yes, indeed.  

His slightly swaying hair in the breeze, his deep-set eyes, and his low voice that reached her ears despite the relatively close distance—all of it was perfectly harmonious. She couldn’t help but nod without realizing it.  

‘Even the falling leaves seem like they’re timed perfectly for him.’  

The leaves drifting down only served to accentuate Erden’s striking appearance further.  

She stared at them disapprovingly before meeting his gaze for a long time.  

Not even noticing the pain in her arm.  

At that moment, a piercing scream reached her ears.  

“Cielie!!”  

Distracted by her own complaints, she found herself looking down at her father, who had returned to the mansion’s front gate after realizing Erden hadn’t followed him.  

Her father, who always had a warm and gentle expression, now looked pale as a sheet.  

“What are you doing up there!? I’ve told you not to climb that tree since forever—”  

“Miss……!!”  

Ruby’s voice, filled with shock, followed soon after. She was drenched in sweat, perhaps from running around looking for her.  

“This isn’t that high.”  

Cielie shrugged her shoulders once.  

But seeing the two below her looking like they might faint if she stalled any longer, she prepared to jump down.  

Of course, she didn’t expect the thick branch she was on to snap with a loud crack.  

She had completely forgotten that her larger body, grown heavier since childhood, might not be supported by the tree she hadn’t climbed in years.  

‘At the very least, I’m going to sprain my ankle, aren’t I?’  

She crumpled the paper she was holding into her pocket without a second thought.  

And then, she forcefully leapt down.  

Thud—  

A dull sound rang out. But contrary to her concerns, she felt no pain in her ankle.  

Feeling puzzled, she slowly opened her tightly shut eyes.  

The first thing she saw was Erden, who had caught her effortlessly without showing any sign of strain.  

“It’s been a while.”  

“…….”  

“Three years, isn’t it?”  

He greeted her casually, as though the absurd event that had just unfolded hadn’t happened.  

‘That being said… He smells really nice.’  

She stared blankly at Erden for a moment before realizing how strange she was acting.  

Startled, she quickly pulled away from his arms and replied in a detached tone.  

“Really? Three years already? I hadn’t noticed.”  

She knew perfectly well, but the words slipped out instinctively.  

Let’s chalk it up to the lingering stubbornness from her past obsession with not losing to him.  

“That’s a bit hurtful.”  

Erden responded, though his expression showed no sign of being offended.  

“Anyway…….”  

“……?”  

“You’re still the same.”  

For some reason, she got the distinct feeling that the next thing he would say would be an insult.  

“Like a disobedient dog.”  

Of course.  

It was definitely an insult.  

Erden’s deep blue eyes had turned cold.  

Though they had accidentally kissed once, their relationship wasn’t one where such an incident would make them shy around each other.  

Just as breathing came naturally, fighting between her and Erden was inevitable.  

He hated her for picking fights with him, and she…  

‘Yes, that look in his eyes.’  

The arrogant gaze and demeanor of a noble, despite him being a commoner.  

It always rubbed her pride the wrong way.  

Then, a thought suddenly crossed her mind.  

‘I didn’t realize this before graduating from the academy because I hadn’t remembered my past life—’  

But isn’t it possible? Something like hiding his true identity as a Grand Duke of the North.  

Or being a villain.  

However, she quickly shook her head.  

“No way……”  

What are the odds he’s secretly the mastermind or something?  

***

“Fortunately, there aren’t any injuries. Let’s head inside and discuss this further.”  

Erden swiftly took control of the situation.  

He led her father, whose face was still pale, and her, who looked like a mess, back into the mansion.  

As they entered, Cielie deliberately avoided her mother’s wide-eyed stare.  

‘Act like nothing’s wrong, act like nothing’s wrong.’  

She repeated the mantra in her head, maintaining a calm expression as they made their way to the drawing room.  

Erden, seemingly busy, walked briskly while frequently checking his watch and speaking in a low voice.  

“The chain rampage incident in the capital is likely the work of the same culprit.”  

Her parents nodded. Though they weren’t surprised, perhaps because they had already suspected it, their expressions darkened.  

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air until they arrived at the drawing room.  

“You may leave now.”  

The servants preparing refreshments bowed their heads and left the room.  

“Before I begin…….”  

Once only the Ronenfeld family remained, Erden briefly closed his eyes and reopened them.  

“His Majesty the Emperor has specifically ordered that information must not leak to anyone outside the immediate family.”  

He quickly cast a soundproofing spell around the room.  

Without hesitation, Erden began explaining the details of the incident, as well as the conditions of both Cielie and her brother.  

“It seems Yurien Ronenfeld, who has stronger magic within his body than the young lady, will take slightly longer to wake up.”  

“Is it related to the magic within the body?”  

“Yes. Based on investigations of previous incidents, it’s been revealed that the stronger the magic in a gifted individual, the greater the damage and side effects.”  

“……Is there no way to predict when he’ll wake up?”  

Her mother’s voice trembled slightly.  

“Since the young lady woke up a day after the accident, he should wake within three days.”  

At Erden’s words, her parents’ faces brightened.  

‘Well, I’m relieved they feel better….’  

The chain rampage incident.  

There was no way she wouldn’t know about it.  

Not only had she heard about it as a knight in this world, but it was also a major plot point in the original novel.  

A nameless organization that had been active for ten years.  

They would suddenly appear, cause rampages among gifted individuals, and then vanish without a trace.  

Though their operations were brief, many lives were lost.  

Gifted individuals, ordinary people caught in the rampages, even the mastermind’s mother was among the victims.  

However, at the time, the cause of the rampages couldn’t be identified, and the mysterious organization disappeared nine years ago.  

‘So I had completely forgotten about them—’  

Until they resurfaced three months ago.  

Since then, they had been causing chain rampage incidents one after another.  

‘And it’s still ongoing.’ 

Unfortunately, she and her brother had been caught in the chaos.  

‘……But Yurien and that organization. Those two words somehow feel oddly connected. Why……?’  

She furrowed her brows, trying to recall something.  

Thud.  

The sound of Erden placing a thick stack of papers on the table snapped her out of her thoughts.  

She widened her eyes and turned her gaze to him. Seeing that everyone’s attention was on him, he slowly began to speak.  

“I apologize for arriving late due to my schedule. However, most matters have been handled well, and Yurien will wake soon, so there’s no need to worry anymore.”  

At Erden’s words, everyone in the drawing room let out a sigh of relief.  

“Thank you.”  

Her father grabbed Erden’s hand and expressed his gratitude.  

Erden lightly bowed in acknowledgment, offering a formal smile.  

“Well then, I’ll take my leave. If you notice anything unusual or have any questions, please contact the Association.”  

“Understood……. Ah, and I forgot to thank you earlier for saving our daughter.”  

At her father’s words, her mother looked at him as if asking what he was talking about, while Cielie quietly turned her head to the side.  

“It was nothing.”  

Erden’s gaze met hers.  

At that moment, his lips curved into a faint smile.  

‘That smile is definitely…….’

For seven years, they had been stuck together, so she knew that smile all too well—the one that appeared right before he started teasing her.  

“Of course, it’s what friends do.”  

As expected.  

That guy, he’s doing this on purpose, isn’t he?

Ever since she lost her powers at sixteen and drifted apart from Erden, she had hated being tied to him by the word “friend.”  

But Erden…  

What else could they call their relationship besides friends?  

He often used the word ‘friends.’

“It’s something we can do, right? We’re friends.”

All just to see her startled and vehemently dislike the term.