Chapter 49

Fall (2)

Naturally, entering the Emperor’s private chambers was no easy task. Especially at an hour when most people were asleep, the number of people who could access it was extremely limited.

At most, it would be limited to the Emperor’s direct guards, verified handmaidens, or direct members of the Imperial family.

But even outside those categories, there were still a select few individuals who could enter.

Although, there was only one person who could kick the door open with a bottle of liquor and suggest a full-on drinking session.

“…Why did I even do that?”

Noel murmured with a flushed face.

She had a rather close relationship with the Emperor—so close that Aiden had once been shocked upon witnessing it.

If one were to ask how close—

“If you're going to get drunk, at least wash your feet and sleep. Before I break your nose and knock you out.”

…Then this would be the kind of response she’d get even when a fully grown adult woman walked into a man’s bedroom with alcohol in hand—an outrageous situation just from the sentence alone.

“It’s strange. It’s not like Aiden said anything that weird.”

Regardless, Noel repeated the same words and downed another glass.

‘…Why did I do that?’

Even to herself, it felt odd.

Why had she reacted so disgracefully just because Aiden brought up setting a wedding date?

She was the one who dragged him into a marriage in the first place, yet when he made a reasonable request, she hesitated and fled?

“……”

Then, the Emperor, who had been watching her with a pitiful look, ran a hand down his face and spoke.

The reason Noel and the Emperor were so close was because they had spent countless years on the battlefield together—so long they could hardly remember. And when you were around someone for that long, you naturally came to know everything about each other's personal matters, almost like family.

“Noel. Don’t twist my words and just listen. I’m saying this with no hidden motives or distortions—just the plain truth.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“……”

“A one-of-a-kind, world-class idiot. You’re going to make me explode, seriously.”

“……”

“You’re practically shouting to the world that you’ve never been in a relationship at your age. What the hell are you doing, huh?”

…Only a relationship like this could allow such scathing insults.

As Noel winced, the Emperor let out a sigh and continued.

“You and that Aiden guy were only supposed to be in a fake marriage, right?”

“…That’s right.”

“A fake marriage, meaning you don’t like each other but pretend to be married out of ‘necessity.’ Right?”

“…Right?”

“Think about it. That guy even helped you shed the heaviest burden you’ve been carrying. He said he liked you, too. And from how you’re talking now, it sounds like you’re more than a little into him.”

“…Right?”

The Emperor twitched his hand at Noel’s flat, indifferent response.

He looked like he was barely restraining the urge to smash the bottle over Noel’s head.

“How can you not get it after all I’ve just said?”

“Pardon?”

“You don’t want to go through with the fake marriage because you like that guy Aiden. You don’t want to treat someone who cares about you that much like it’s just a sham.”

“…I’ve always thought Aiden was a good person, though?”

The Emperor gripped the bottle in a reverse hold and swung it sharply.

It was a strike so fierce that it was worthy of someone called the Lionhearted. But even in her drunken state, Noel easily dodged it—something even more astonishing.

Panting in anger, the Emperor barely managed to speak.

“Not that kind of ‘like.’ I mean the kind of ‘like’ where you really, truly like someone.”

“Pardon?”

“From what I can see, you’re seriously considering marrying him for real.”

“……”

“A marriage with a purpose ends the moment that purpose is fulfilled. That’s the kind of marriage you were aiming for. But now you don’t want that anymore.”

Noel’s face went blank.

“You want him as a real husband, not just a fake one. That’s why your instincts are rejecting the idea of a pretend marriage. Got it?”

“…Oh.”

Oh.

“Oh?”

Noel fell into deep thought.

“For the love of—listen, I’ve got to deal with an avalanche of paperwork from the Minister of Administration tomorrow. I need sleep. I already knew the Aslan Ducal House was a disaster, but lately they’ve been especially—”

She was so lost in thought that even the Emperor’s grumbling faded in one ear and out the other.

Then finally—

“-!”

A flash of realization struck across Noel’s face.

“So that’s—”

But as she began to speak in a slow, unsure tone, the Emperor smiled gently.

‘Now that she’s finally gotten the point, maybe she’ll leave.’

…That gentle smile carried a very clear intent.

“You’re saying I truly like Aiden, right?”

“Yeah.”

“……”

Noel, silent for a moment, then spoke in a dazed tone.

“So that’s why I felt that way?”

“…What?”

“I thought it was strange. But lately, whenever I see Aiden, my head starts pounding, my chest tightens, my throat clogs up, and whenever I stand in front of him, I just end up acting like a fool—”

“…Get out. Let me sleep.”

Instead of pointing out that she was still making a fool of herself right now, the Emperor just buried his face in his hands and issued an eviction order.

Thankfully, she seemed willing to comply this time. Noel, still holding the bottle, staggered toward the exit.

Only after watching her finally leave did the Emperor let out a sigh of relief and lie back down—

"Your Majesty, then how should I treat Aiden from now on—"

“Get out—!”

▣

They say humans are creatures of adaptation.

In short—

-System Message

▶ Affection level of ‘Noel Astrea Simus’ has increased.

▶ ‘Extreme Love’ level has risen from 1 to 2.

▶ You can now copy one additional skill!

…At this point, even something like this popping up out of nowhere—with zero context or explanation—was something Aiden could simply nod at without much reaction.

Whatever it was, Dame Noel must have gone through something again. Thanks to that, I guess she likes me more now…

“……”

This didn’t feel right.

There was a creeping sense of guilt—was it really okay to handle someone’s emotions this mechanically?

‘…I do like Dame Noel too.’

It wasn’t easy not to like someone who was that upright and stood on your side without hesitation.

But at the very least, Aiden knew he wasn’t in a state where he could fully return that affection.

From the beginning, it was odd to even expect to fall in love and dream of a happy future while bearing the burden of saving the world.

“……”

Aiden let out a sigh and closed his eyes.

Well.

He knew the situation was what it was. He had no choice but to reduce human emotion to numbers and metrics.

He knew that. He understood it. It couldn’t be helped.

…But that didn’t stop him from feeling like garbage.

‘I’ll have to give her an answer someday.’

He was well aware of that. It was just basic human decency, after all.

But at least for now—

Aiden was walking on a tightrope every moment. Even during his fight with the Warden of the Realm, he nearly died from a single blow.

In a situation where even the slightest mistake could mean death, surviving and growing stronger had to take priority over anything else.

Right now, he had to figure out how to prepare for Chapter 2: Night of the Hunt.

-Skill Info

◆ The Savior’s Vow

※ Unique – Only this character possesses this skill!

Geas 1: Protect the World

Geas 2: Protect the Subjects of the Empire – Protect the powerless

The only vow ever dedicated to Urgan, the God of Ascension. When performing actions related to the vow, power is significantly increased.

★ A new geas has been granted. When performing actions related to this geas, the skill’s efficiency increases drastically.

If there was anything fortunate, it was that this part had yielded a significant gain.

The geas he chose when forming a pact with Dame Teresa would be endlessly useful in the upcoming Act I. Every action he took would now be tied to this geas.

That wasn’t the only thing he’d gained.

‘Come to think of it…’

It was thanks to earning Dame Teresa’s affection that the Point Shop had opened up.

Indeed, as he navigated through the system window, a new tab that hadn’t existed before now caught his eye.

Point Shop

▶ In the Point Shop, you can use accumulated points to purchase potions.

▶ Only one purchase is allowed per day, and it must be used quickly. The effects of the item are given at random.

▶ In exchange for random effects, the items possess extremely powerful effects. Use with caution!

“…Oh.”

Aiden nodded in admiration as he read through the effects.

Despite the various restrictions, the phrase “extremely powerful effects” was undeniably appealing.

Whatever the outcome, at least it wouldn’t be harmful.

Soon, Aiden scanned through the available items in the Point Shop, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

‘The narrower the effect range, the more points it consumes.’

The shop offered every kind of potion imaginable—related to physical enhancement, supernatural abilities, and more but the more specific the category, the more exponential the point cost.

With the amount of points he currently had, he could only afford the lowest tier option: a “Completely Random Potion.”

‘…Might as well give it a try.’

With that thought, Aiden tapped on the item and purchased it immediately.

There’d be more opportunities to earn points in the future anyway, so it was more important to figure out how this thing actually worked.

Upon purchase, particles of light gathered before him and formed a vial about half the size of his palm.

As he stared at the colorless, odorless liquid gently swishing inside, a window popped up.

-Item Info

[ Lowest Grade Random Potion ] [ Low Rank ]

[ You won’t know what effect it holds until it’s consumed. What kind of item could it be? ]

▶ Upon use, grants a random beneficial effect.

…Well.

This made him feel a bit uneasy about drinking it.

“Ah, Aiden.”

Just as he frowned at the potion in doubt, a voice called to him from the side.

It was Noel, opening the door and stepping into the office—apparently having just arrived for work.

‘She looks more normal today.’

Aiden looked at Noel and felt a slight sense of relief.

She had been acting a bit strange lately. Every time they were alone in the office, she would display some truly bizarre behavior.

She would claim she was too embarrassed to look him in the eye and talk while staring at the ceiling, or say she couldn’t calm down after hearing his voice for too long and step outside to get some air.

Compared to that, she looked unusually calm now.

Eventually, Noel quietly looked at Aiden as she sat down at her desk.

Then, she began tapping her chest with her fist.

…After a few light taps, she moved on to thumping it more forcefully.

“…What are you doing?”

“Calming myself down.”

“……”

“……It’s a bit noisy.”

“……”

…This woman.

He had heard that ever since their relationship had moved into ‘Extreme Love’ territory, she couldn’t act rationally whenever she saw him but lately, it really felt like her behavior was drifting into another dimension…

“Anyway, what’s the matter? You seemed to be staring at that vial.”

“Oh. I wanted to test the effects, but it feels a bit shady…”

Hearing that, Noel smiled and gestured with her hand.

“Then I’ll drink it. Mind handing it over?”

“…Pardon?”

“Embarrassing as it is to say, I’m one of the Empire’s top-ranked knights. Of course I have resistance to most drugs. As long as it’s not some fatal poison, anything’s fine.”

Well, it wasn’t fatal poison.

It even said it had a beneficial effect.

“But wouldn’t your resistance also block the beneficial effects?”

“That’s true, but I’ll still be able to feel any changes. I think it could be helpful.”

Well, if she insisted that much, he could probably trust her with it.

Besides, even if the effect was slightly off, breaking through the defenses of a knight as resilient as Noel wouldn’t be easy.

Noel took the vial Aiden handed her and drank it in one gulp.

After a moment of checking her body, she tilted her head and replied.

“Hmm. I don’t really feel any big changes…”

And that was expected.

-System Message

▶ Target’s ‘Courage’ and ‘Candor’ have increased!

▶ Target’s ‘Self-Control’ has decreased!

Even Aiden was starting to see unfamiliar statuses piling up.

Courage? Sociability?

‘So stuff like that can increase too…’

He scanned the window with a somewhat resigned look.

Well, just knowing that vague effects like this could occur was helpful.

It was a reminder that if he wanted to use the shop properly, he’d have to start stockpiling points.

At least since this was a lowest-grade potion, he was confident it wouldn’t affect Noel too much—

-System Message

▶ Item ‘Lowest Grade Random Potion’ affects ‘Lionhearted’.

▶ The potion’s effect exceeds the target’s resistance. The effect activates.

“……”

A lowest-grade potion piercing through the Lionhearted’s resistance.

It really was something. So that claim about the effects being powerful wasn’t just for show…

While Aiden chewed over that realization, Noel suddenly twisted her lips slightly, as if she felt something.

“Oh, I guess something is changing.”

“Oh, really?”

“…Feels like my mouth is getting looser.”

She tapped her cheek thoughtfully with a finger.

Well, it did say her ‘Courage’ and ‘Candor’ had increased.

At the end of the day, she was a person with emotions and thoughts. If she always kept her words and actions within the bounds of manners and morality, it was only natural for things to start building up inside.

With courage and candor both boosted, it wasn’t surprising if something slipped out without her meaning to say it.

“If I don’t stay alert, I might end up saying anything. For example, just how much I like you—”

Noel snapped her mouth shut with a loud pop.

It felt like a sentence that had broken past her control and barely stopped halfway.

She clenched her eyes shut, as if suddenly overcome with dizziness.

“……”

“……”

An incredibly awkward silence settled between them.

It was a truly hellish quiet…

“Would you like a cup of tea?”

…For now, the best move Aiden could make was to pretend he hadn’t heard anything.

“…Thank you.”

Noel responded as she shifted her gaze toward the desk. Even through the brim of her hat, the flush reaching all the way to her ears was clearly visible.

‘Wait, hold on.’

As he poured water into the kettle, Aiden suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

‘Is she going to be like this all day?’

…Somehow.

A terrible sense of dread began to creep in.