"...Don't look at me."
The words left my mouth before I could stop them.
The moment they did,
I regretted them.
Immediately.
Completely.
Because Noah didn't look away.
If anything
He looked even more concerned.
"...Why?"
His voice was quiet.
Soft.
Too soft.
I kept my face turned toward the hallway.
Because if I looked at him now...
I was certain the tears would fall.
"I..."
Come on.
Think.
Think of something.
Anything.
A reasonable excuse.
"My hair is messy."
...
...
...
What kind of excuse was that?
Even I didn't believe it.
Silence filled the hallway.
Then,
"...Your hair looks normal."
Of course it did.
Because I had spent twenty minutes making sure it looked normal.
Wonderful.
Absolutely wonderful.
My brain entered emergency mode.
Retreat.
Immediately.
"I should go."
I took exactly one step.
Then stopped.
Because Noah suddenly spoke again.
"...Thank you."
I froze.
"...For what?"
"For waiting."
My heart skipped a beat.
Waiting?
He knew?
Noah looked at me quietly.
"The guards told me."
...
Traitors.
Every single one.
Was there anyone in this mansion capable of keeping a secret?
Apparently not.
"I heard you stood near the front gate since afternoon."
"..."
"I made you worry."
No.
You didn't.
The novel did.
Your death flag did.
The author did.
Not you.
But obviously I couldn't say that.
So I remained silent.
Noah smiled faintly.
A tired smile.
"I'm sorry."
...
Wait.
Why was he apologizing?
He was the injured one.
Why was he apologizing?
This man apologized for existing too loudly, didn't he?
No wonder he ended up miserable in the novel.
"...Sir Noah."
"Hm?"
"You're the one who got shot."
"Yes."
"You're poisoned."
"...Yes."
"You're injured."
"Correct."
"So why are you apologizing?"
Noah blinked.
As though the question had never occurred to him.
"...Because you were worried."
I stared.
No.
Absolutely not.
That answer was illegal.
Someone this kind should not exist.
My eyes burned again.
Danger.
Danger.
Danger.
Abort mission.
Abort immediately.
I turned around.
"I-I'm leaving."
"...Alice."
No.
Don't say my name like that.
Please.
Because if you do...
I'm really going to cry.
"Alice."
His footsteps approached slowly.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then they stopped.
Not too close.
Not far away either.
Just enough to avoid making me uncomfortable.
Even while injured...
He was still careful.
Ridiculous.
Absolutely ridiculous.
"...You don't have to force yourself."
My fingers trembled.
"What?"
"If you're upset..."
"..."
"You can say it."
Noah scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"I'm not very good at comforting people."
He actually looked embarrassed.
How?
How could the strongest knight in the Empire look embarrassed because of this?
"...But I can listen."
That sentence shattered the last piece of my self-control.
Not completely.
Just enough.
A single tear escaped.
Only one.
I immediately wiped it away.
Too late.
Noah had already seen it.
His eyes widened.
"...Alice?"
"I said don't look."
"I'm sorry."
"..."
"..."
"..."
He apologized again.
Of course he did.
For several seconds neither of us spoke.
The hallway remained quiet.
Only the distant sound of crickets echoed outside.
Finally I took a deep breath.
"I'm fine now."
"...Are you?"
"No."
At least that answer was honest.
Noah almost smiled.
Almost.
"You should sleep."
"You too."
"The physician says I already sleep too much."
"The physician is smarter than you."
"..."
"...Perhaps."
He admitted it.
Immediately.
Without arguing.
This man was impossible.
Suddenly,
A loud voice echoed down the hallway.
"AHA!"
Both Noah and I jumped.
The head maid stood at the end of the corridor.
Hands over her mouth.
Eyes sparkling.
Oh no.
No.
No no no.
Not her.
Not now.
She looked between Noah...
And me...
Then at the distance between us.
Then at the tear on my cheek.
Then,
Her expression transformed into one of absolute delight.
"...I didn't see anything."
You absolutely saw everything.
She turned around dramatically.
"I shall definitely not tell anyone."
YOU ARE GOING TO TELL EVERYONE!
She disappeared before either of us could stop her.
I slowly looked toward Noah.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Tomorrow's rumors were going to be horrifying.
Sure enough...
The next morning...
Chaos.
Complete chaos.
When I entered the dining room...
Every servant smiled.
Not a normal smile.
A knowing smile.
The terrifying kind.
The head maid greeted me cheerfully.
"Good morning, Lady Alice."
"...Good morning."
"You slept well?"
"...Yes."
"Liar."
"..."
Excuse me?
She leaned closer.
"You cried yesterday."
"..."
"I did not."
"You did."
"I didn't."
"You had puffy eyes."
"..."
Curse you.
Observant maid.
Another maid joined in.
"Sir Noah was very worried."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"He stood outside his room for almost ten minutes after you left."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Why did they know that?
Were they hiding in the walls?
Did this mansion have surveillance magic?
I was becoming concerned.
Very concerned.
The head maid clasped her hands dramatically.
"Our Lady has finally fallen in love with her husband."
"Pfft—"
I nearly inhaled my tea.
"No."
"Denial."
"It's the first stage."
"There are stages?"
"Of course."
Who made these stages?
Why were the servants experts?
Did they attend romance seminars?
Before the conversation could become even more embarrassing,
A calm voice interrupted.
"...Good morning."
Everything became quiet.
Noah had arrived.
He looked much better today.
Still pale.
Still injured.
But standing.
Walking.
Alive.
Relief immediately washed over me.
Then I remembered everyone was watching.
Act normal.
Normal.
What was normal?
I had forgotten.
Noah sat beside me.
"...Good morning."
"G-Good morning."
Why was I stuttering?
Stop stuttering.
The servants exchanged glances.
I could practically hear their thoughts.
They're being awkward.
How adorable.
Please stop thinking.
Breakfast began peacefully.
For exactly three minutes.
Then,
Ace arrived.
Wonderful.
Exactly what I needed.
Another genius observing my every movement.
The Duke sat across from us.
Blue eyes calmly scanned the table.
Then...
He looked at Noah.
"I heard you're injured."
"A minor wound."
"The physicians disagree."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Why did conversations between intelligent men always sound like sword fights?
Ace suddenly turned toward me.
"...Lady Alice."
My instincts screamed.
Danger.
"What?"
"You seem relieved."
I nearly dropped my fork.
"What?"
"When Sir Noah entered."
"..."
"You smiled."
...
I did?
I hadn't noticed.
Noah slowly looked toward me.
Oh no.
Not him too.
Everybody stop looking.
Immediately.
"I smile all the time."
Ace tilted his head.
"...Not around me."
...
...
...
That was true.
Unfortunately.
Noah looked strangely thoughtful.
The Marquis quietly drank his tea.
Pretending not to hear.
Coward.
Ace rested his chin on one hand.
"The accident truly changed you."
There it was again.
That sentence.
Every time he said it...
My lifespan shortened.
I forced a laugh.
"Haha..."
Why did it still sound like a question?
Ace continued observing me.
Then,
Unexpectedly,
He smiled.
A small smile.
"...Perhaps."
Perhaps?
Perhaps what?
Explain!
Don't just leave mysterious sentences lying around!
Before I could ask,
A knight rushed into the dining room.
Completely ignoring etiquette.
His breathing was ragged.
"Your Grace!"
Everyone looked up.
The knight bowed hurriedly.
"A monster has appeared near the eastern village."
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Noah immediately stood.
Too quickly.
He winced.
His injured shoulder clearly hurt.
"I'll go."
The physician, who had been eating nearby, nearly choked.
"No!"
"I can fight."
"You can barely lift your arm!"
"I only need one."
"You have two for a reason!"
The argument began immediately.
I watched Noah.
Then his bandaged shoulder.
Then the anxious physician.
Then...
Without thinking,
I grabbed Noah's sleeve.
"...Don't."
The room fell silent.
Again.
Why did silence keep happening around me?
I slowly realized what I'd done.
Oops.
Noah looked down at my hand.
Then at me.
"...Alice?"
I wanted to disappear.
Immediately.
To another kingdom.
Another continent.
Another dimension.
Anywhere.
"I..."
Think.
Quickly.
"I mean..."
Nothing came out.
Wonderful.
The knight hesitated.
"...Sir Noah?"
Before Noah could answer,
Ace spoke first.
His voice calm.
Cold.
"Sir Noah isn't going."
Everyone turned toward him.
Ace folded his hands.
"An injured commander who ignores physicians is more dangerous to his own army than to the enemy."
Noah frowned.
"I can still fight."
"I know."
Ace nodded.
"Which is precisely why you shouldn't."
"..."
"You'll overestimate yourself."
Silence.
Then,
For the first time,
Noah didn't argue.
"...You're right."
The physician nearly cried from happiness.
"I've been saying that for hours!"
Ace calmly sipped his tea.
"It sounds like he listens to other people more easily."
The physician pointed dramatically.
"Exactly!"
Noah looked genuinely embarrassed.
I almost laughed.
Almost.
Then I noticed something.
Ace wasn't looking at Noah anymore.
He was looking...
At me.
Again.
His blue eyes lingered on my hand, which was still clutching Noah's sleeve.
I immediately let go.
Too quickly.
Ace smiled faintly.
Not a warm smile.
Not a cold smile.
A smile that said...
I noticed.
And somehow...
That frightened me more than the monster report.
Because once again, I had forgotten to act like the original Alice.
And Duke Ace de Rubius...
Never overlooked details.
Not even the smallest ones.
As Noah quietly sat back down...
And everyone returned to breakfast...
A strange feeling settled in my chest.
The story was changing.
Bit by bit.
Choice by choice.
Smile by smile.
But whether it was changing for the better...
Or leading toward an even greater tragedy...
I still had no idea.