Everyone’s gaze was focused.

Grandfather flinched when he saw me, then shouted.

“So, that... uh, yes! What if it affects your blessings!”

Then clearing his throat, coughing, he frowned and said,

“Milan’s matters are not yours to handle. There is no need to apologize, so make sure to eat on time.”

“Grandfather...”

“Yes, now go to the dining hall—”

“I have always been learning about responsibility in this castle.”

“...What?”

“You have always said it too, haven’t you? That even a single word coming from the mouth of your grandchildren carries weight.”

“Th-That is...!”

“I am taking responsibility for what I just said.”

Grandfather’s mouth opened wide as if to speak but then he flinched and closed it.

He seemed speechless because of his own previous words.

Even Viscount Debussy, usually eloquent, wore a flustered expression.

‘If I stay any longer, he might come up with a convincing argument, so I should leave.’

I lowered my head with a gloomy expression.

“Grandfather, then I will be going now.”

“...”

“Have a good evening.”

Then I abruptly left the room.

That night.

While in the study, people kept coming in one after another.

“Erilot, here’s your favorite fig pie!”

Dionera brought it anxiously—

“Your favorite salmon sandwich. I think mixing bread and fish is terrible, but... well, it’s your taste.”

Liantin brought the salmon sandwich and cleared her throat—

“Miss~. Here are some meringue cookies you like~.”

“Earl Grey ice cream~.”

Hilda and Greta, my senior retainers now, gently coaxed me.

As with Dionera and Liantin, I refused the food from Hilda and Greta who had come last to my door.

“I won’t eat.”

“Miss!”

“You’ll become skin and bones if you keep this up...!”

Hilda and Greta had met me during their time as junior servants and even acted as my nursery maids.

So the two who especially adored me looked shocked.

But I firmly shook my head.

And then wore a listless expression.

“I won’t eat. Go back.”

“Miss...”

“Miss~!”

Hilda and Greta pouted.

After greeting them, I closed the door and sat on the sofa.

Outside the room, I heard Hilda and Greta’s loud voices.

“You should have made it smell better! So the miss would be interested in the food!”

“Didn’t you tell the kitchen to add plenty of butter?!”

They were scolding innocent servants.

I felt sorry for the servants getting scolded for no reason, but I couldn’t stop the hunger strike.

‘The hunger strike is getting through to Grandfather.’

If this keeps up, I might really be able to save Milan and Aunt Canaria.

And if word spreads that the hunger strike is working, my position will improve too.

‘If I become someone who threatens Grandfather, life in the palace will be easier.’

That would naturally help Father’s efforts.

‘Sorry, servants.’

I thought I’d reward them with something warm as a bonus.

With that in mind, I collapsed onto the sofa with a flop.

‘I’m hungry...!’

After smelling all the food, my already empty stomach twisted.

I hugged my empty stomach and groaned.

‘I usually skip two meals easily...’

Sometimes I missed meals because I was busy, or had no appetite after staying up all night.

But now that I was really determined to starve, my empty stomach felt much more real.

At that moment, a knock came, and the door opened.

Alexis entered.

I looked gloomily at Alexis while still lying down.

“I’m hungry.”

“...I thought so.”

He sighed and pulled something from under his armor.

It was a bundle of handkerchief, which he unfolded to reveal a bunch of tiny cookies about two finger joints wide.

“...!”

I quickly got up and looked at Alexis.

“Is this for me to eat?”

“You don’t think I laid them out to eat, right? In front of you who’s been starving all day.”

My eyes opened wide, and I grabbed the cookies and ate them quickly.

They weren’t the usual buttery, chocolate-filled fancy cookies I normally ate.

But maybe because I was starving... they were so delicious!

Much better than the usual cookies.

‘They melt in my mouth.’

I held the cookies with both hands and stuffed them in mindlessly.

Meanwhile, Alexis brought a glass of water placed on the side table for the warhorse.

Then he unfastened the training water pouch on his waist and poured something into the glass.

I opened my eyes wide and said,

“That’s milk... cough!”

“Since I’m not taking it away, drink it slowly.”

Alexis frowned and patted my back.

I took the glass he handed me and gulped down the milk.

I drank so quickly that when I pulled the glass away from my mouth, I even made a nobly unladylike “Puh!” sound.

“Ah, I feel like I can live now...”

I patted my full stomach and sighed with satisfaction.

When I came to my senses, only crumbs of the many cookies were left.

“Where did you get these cookies?”

Then I remembered today was a training day.

Although Alexis belonged to my regiment, as my personal guard he stayed in the study and trained with the Astra troops.

‘He probably hasn’t gone out today.’

“Who gave them to you?”

“Who?”

“...Who.”

I stared intently at the handkerchief.

Then I smirked slyly.

It had the study’s emblem embroidered on it.

That means it was an item issued to servants.

“A maid gave them to you.”

Well, he’s handsome, so there must be many girls approaching him.

I emptied the crumbs from the handkerchief into the trash and looked at the name embroidered in the corner.

[Diane]

Next to the name, a cute rabbit was stitched.

From the needlework and the rabbit, I guessed it was a girl around my age.

“Hmm, sorry. It’s a gift for you.”

“It’s better than not eating and wasting it.”

“I hate that even more!”

I frowned, and Alexis glanced at me sideways.

“You gave something you worked hard to prepare to another girl. Don’t do that next time.”

Then he got up and searched the side table.

‘There was something good... yes.’

I took out a pretty small box with a pattern and returned to the sofa.

I opened the box and showed its contents.

It was a hairpin arranged with cubic violet patterns.

“It was sent from the upper house. It’s never been used. How about as a gift?”

“You want me to wear this?”

“No, how about giving it to the girl who gave you the cookies? It’d be weird to give a gift from another girl as a gift... fine, I’ll sell it for five copper coins.”

“...”

I held my small change box where I saved coins to donate at year’s end.

Alexis’s face hardened.

It was a completely different expression than usual, so I blinked.

“Why?”

“To give this to another girl?”

I looked at Alexis wide-eyed.

Alexis also stared at me with a serious face.

Only the ticking of the clock filled the room.

“...”

“...”

We looked at each other silently for a while.

It was a strange atmosphere.

Han Ji-hyuk came in and saw us, flinching and stepping back.

Because I didn’t say anything, Alexis put the hairpin box down, placed five copper coins, and strode out.

Bang!

The sound of the door closing felt unusually heavy.

I put down the coin box and glanced at Han Ji-hyuk.

“Did I do something wrong?”

Han Ji-hyuk glanced back at the door and muttered,

“Explain it first.”

I frowned and said,

“I ate cookies a girl gave Alexis.”

“Oh.”

“I felt sorry for her, so I sold one of my things to use as a gift.”

“Oh.”

“But he got mad!”

“Hmm, you’re the one who did wrong.”

“...Why?”

“You don’t understand the heart of a teenage boy.”

“Why not? I know Alexis likes me!”

Then Han Ji-hyuk opened his eyes wide.

“You do? How?”

“This is the third time I’m buying it. Wouldn’t I know if a boy liked me?”

“Oh...”

“Sometimes you think I’m stupid.”

How could I not know when he wouldn’t even hesitate to risk his life for me?

I know.

If I wanted a flower at the edge of a cliff, Alexis would jump off without hesitation.

‘Pure and sincere affection.’

“That’s the kind of affection I’m most uncomfortable with.”

“You only want to deal with people.”

“...”

“Isn’t it because you feel like you owe something when you receive feelings you can’t give back?”

Han Ji-hyuk shrugged.

‘Sometimes he knows me better than my parents.’

I sighed deeply and leaned back on the sofa.

“Alexis liking me is like a chick’s imprinting.”

An affection for the one who reached out a hand when there was nothing, when you were most miserable.

The one who reached out was a girl, and happened to be around my age.

Conditions that make it impossible not to like.

“Is that not allowed? Any kind of affection is still affection.”

“I know what happens when Alexis really falls in love. I saw it in my first life.”

The expression and eyes when I looked at Dalia.

I know everything.

“They fell for each other like fate, burning like a love of the century.”

“So? It might be different this time. You’ve changed many things. Alexis might not fall for Dalia this time like during Ice. Black. Hand.”

“If there’s even a chance, I won’t set foot in it.”

I know how terribly painful it is to be hurt by love.

When I looked straight at Han Ji-hyuk and said that, he shrugged.

Then he perched on the sofa table across from me and said,

“So that’s why you paved the way to meet someone else.”

“Alexis doesn’t even know if he likes me yet. He only vaguely thinks I’m special, so he’s uncomfortable.”

“You’re perceptive.”

“Yes.”

“Though sometimes you don’t know that your perception can be poison.”

“...What?”

Han Ji-hyuk smiled slyly and stroked my head.

“Just because you’ve lived twice as long doesn’t mean you know more than someone who’s lived once.”

“...”

“Especially emotions are your weakest area.”

“...”

He grinned mischievously and tousled my hair.

“What!”

I frowned, and Han °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° Ji-hyuk said with an uncharacteristically serious face,

“You’ll find out soon enough. I hope it won’t hurt too much.”

“...”

“Why?”

“I get annoyed whenever you act all cool.”

“...Damn.”

Han Ji-hyuk flicked my forehead with his fingertips, and I yelped and glared at him.

The next day, afternoon.

I came out of my room eating the sandwich Han Ji-hyuk prepared.

I brushed my teeth and applied strong-smelling body oil to cover the scent.

‘I think I’ll get a response from Grandfather today...’

I would wait at the lake where I often go until I get a response.

Since they know I like the lake, a contact will come there.

I sat by the lake and opened a book.

‘So the exam scope is...’

I was turning my pen and reading the book when I flinched.

The sacred magic calculation formulas were within the scope.

Holy magic was my weakest subject.

‘I gave a 3 but got a 33 back? That’s strange!’

What you give should come back, it’s natural law.

I muttered to myself and worked through the example calculation.

“So... hmm...”

‘Should I plug in Pauros’s formula here?’

Just as I was writing the formula in the book—

“You should use Todome’s formula there.”

Vincent’s voice.

I flinched and turned my head.

“...What are you doing here again?”

“You said you come here often, so I wondered if I could meet you if I came.”

I sighed and closed the book.

“I don’t know why you insist on meeting me.”

I hate people who are rude, right?

I was rude enough, so I don’t understand why he keeps approaching.

‘Does he have a purpose?’

But his gaze was too transparent for that.

“I thought about what you said yesterday... that I’m annoying.”

I glanced around.

It’s not as crowded as the Great Lecture Hall, but there are quite a few people.

There were maids, and a few cousins as well.

“Is this a topic to discuss here?”

“It’s not something we can’t talk about here.”

“Make it quick.”

While I was staring at Vincent, I saw groups of maids walking by.

On the head of a young maid with short brown hair...

‘Huh?’

It looked like the hairpin I gave Alexis yesterday.

‘So she really gave it.’

I was watching with a pleased face.

“I should start the conversation first.”

A familiar voice came from afar.