The moment Felyn stepped into the office, he knew Adeline was there.

The rose-like scent she always carried was too familiar to him.

But he pretended not to notice, intending to slip out quietly.

Linda, standing in front of him, was still rummaging through the drawer, supposedly looking for the official seal. She’d been searching for five minutes now. Was she planning to polish that thing into a relic?

“Can’t find the seal? It’s okay, I can come back another time,” he offered helpfully.

“N-No, I’ve almost got it. Just one more stamp to go. If you leave now, you’ll just have to come back later.”

Her face flushed even redder, and her gaze flickered nervously between him and Adeline behind him.

Her heart was in the right place, but her acting was awful. From Linda’s eyes alone, Felyn could pinpoint exactly where Adeline was sitting.

If this kept up, he was going to be locked in this room like a game character stuck in an NPC’s endless dialogue loop.

“Linda, maybe the stamp’s outside the office? Why don’t you check there?” Adeline’s voice suddenly rang out from behind.

“How could the stamp be outside the—” Linda stopped mid-sentence. Then she understood, “R-Right! That’s it! I left it outside. I’ll go check!”

She bolted from the office like a gust of wind, and just before the door shut, she turned and gave Adeline a big smile that screamed, Mission complete!

Click.

The door closed with a solid thud.

“…I walked right into that trap.”

This was the classic treasure-chest trap room in a dungeon. He just came to get a stamp and ended up getting sealed inside.

Adeline sat in silence on the couch, clearly struggling with how to begin.

Felyn walked over to Linda’s desk, picked up the official seal sitting right there, and calmly stamped his own form.

“You didn’t see anything, Lady Adeline,” he said with a smile, waving the stamped document.

Adeline froze for a moment, realizing the line was a double entendre.

She hadn’t seen Felyn pick up the seal and stamp the form. But it also meant she should pretend she hadn’t seen him. Pretend nothing happened. Say nothing.

Which meaning had he intended? Adeline couldn’t tell.

Nor did she want to.

“Felyn, I have something I’d like to say to you. Do you have a moment?” She stood up slowly, voice soft. “I’m not here to pester you, I just… wanted to talk.”

“Sorry, Lady Adeline. I’m a bit busy right now. Just got back from the Capital, still have things to unpack.”

With that, Felyn walked past her and headed for the door.

But the door wouldn’t open.

He checked the lock—it wasn’t engaged. When he peeked through the crack, he saw a head of blonde hair pressed firmly against the other side.

Linda was physically holding the door shut.

“Felyn, I know this might be hard for you, but I swear I’m not here to talk about last night.”

Adeline stood awkwardly where she was, unsure if she should move closer to him.

“…Is this about the contract?”

Felyn stepped back into the room, making sure they couldn’t be overheard from outside.

Was Adeline here to end the contract?

“Kind of…”

Just then, his communication seal buzzed.

It was a message from Viloti.

[Hermi is being very well-behaved on the chair.]

Despite being in a completely different building, Viloti’s sixth sense had kicked in. Something didn’t feel right—so she sent a probing message.

What she really meant was: I’m sitting on the chair waiting for you. Hurry back.

Felyn replied briefly, then tucked the seal away.

“Alright, Lady Adeline.” He faced her, ready to listen.

“You just came back from the Capital. You must be tired. Why don’t we sit and talk?”

“I’m fine standing.”

Another soft rejection.

Adeline’s hands, clenched around the hem of her skirt, slowly loosened and dropped.

It had only been one night… and yet Felyn already felt like a completely different person.

Was it all her fault? Was it because she selfishly confessed to him, trying to keep him by her side?

She’d expected things to be awkward between them—but the actual pain was much sharper than she imagined.

She regretted it.

Regretted confessing to Felyn.

Regretted never truly understanding his feelings.

“…I wanted to apologize to you,” she finally said, hugging herself gently.

“Lady Adeline, you haven’t done anything that requires an apology.” Felyn’s tone was calm. “I said it last night—I’m grateful to know how you feel. Being liked by someone as brilliant and beautiful as you is an honor. It’s just that… we’re not right for each other.”

He took the opportunity to reinforce his rejection.

He knew: the more he said, the more direct he was, the less Adeline would say. The less she said, the less hurt she would be.

Her rose-tea-colored hair had come loose, bangs falling to shade her eyes.

“…Back during the contract,” she whispered, “I shouldn’t have made you do those things. I shouldn’t have had you kneel beside me to atone. I shouldn’t have thrown tantrums at you.”

Felyn waited for her to finish, then tapped his chest lightly.

“Lady Adeline, the fact I’m even standing here today, studying at this school, is thanks to you and the others who hired me. You’re my client. You gave me a huge sum of money. Maybe it didn’t mean much to you—but I desperately needed it.”

“Compared to that money, what I gave in return—emotional support, staying by your side for thirty minutes—was nothing. It was a fair trade. Nothing excessive.”

“You really don’t have to apologize.”

Silence filled the room for a moment.

“…But I still feel guilty. Especially because I kept misreading your feelings all this time…”

“It’s fine. If it really bothers you, you could always compensate me with a little extra payment.” Felyn waved his hand, pretending not to care.

But Adeline didn’t feel better.

Payment?

Had their relationship truly been reduced to just… money?

“…Will you still come next Wednesday?” Her fingers gripped the edge of the sofa tightly.

A single beam of sunlight streamed through the space between them, falling silently on the wooden floor.

Outside the window, the soft rustling of leaves could be heard. Their shadows danced and overlapped across the floor.

Dust drifted through the sunlight, flickering between the air and Felyn’s gaze.

“I’ll be there, Lady Adeline. Same time Wednesday evening. I’ll come.”

The contract hadn’t been terminated.

Adeline finally let out a slow breath, the tight knot in her chest easing just a little.

If Felyn had refused to continue the contract right then, there would’ve been no way for her to get close to him again.

“I’ll wait for you at home, then.” She said it softly, as if trying to place each word directly into his heart.

But Felyn’s chest was already guarded—an invisible shield forged from money and boundaries.

A barrier that protected her… and protected him.

(End of Chapter)