IATVWAMOLS 115

115. My Fiancée Had an Affair… with a Servant?

Rozelia, returning to reality, felt a faint wave of dizziness wash over her.

The only sound in the room was Caien’s steady breathing.

【Unknown: Whew.】

【Unknown: Caien won’t remember anything that happened in the dream.】

“Really? That’s a relief.”

Otherwise, things might have gotten even more awkward between us.

Not that it isn’t already awkward enough.

【Unknown: Are you okay?】

【Unknown: ( ´ ᐞ ` )】

“…Yeah.”

【Unknown: You don’t look okay.】

“It’s just… I found out too much. It’s confusing.”

“Too much? Like what?”

“—!”

A pink-haired boy suddenly popped up beside Rozelia.

“Since everyone’s asleep, I can show up like this, right?”

The administrator’s avatar appeared, his honey-colored eyes sparkling.

“Well, I guess there’s no reason you can’t…”

Rozelia glanced at the deeply asleep Caien.

“Good. You looked troubled, so I came to comfort you.”

“Comfort me?”

“Yeah! Looking at something cute makes people feel better, doesn’t it?”

Kyuu?

The administrator poked his own cheeks with his forefingers.

“…That’s some impressive confidence.”

“Ahem.”

The administrator quickly lowered his hands.

“Actually, the Invitation into Dreams item is perfect for setting up a steamy, red-flavored atmosphere. But… thanks to that branching choice event, it didn’t work out.”

Rozelia wondered which was worse: a steamy romance event, or being forced into a branching choice.

Either way, both would surely help ruin her relationship with Caien.

“Good thing I was here next to our possessor. Still, sooner or later, you’ll have to choose.”

“There’s no way to avoid the choice?”

“If you avoid it, things will progress just like in the original story. Honestly, I’d recommend going that route.”

Progress as in the original.

Which meant Caien’s daytime personality would eventually disappear.

Would she stand by and watch that self die… or rebel against the inevitable and forge a new path?

It was still an unsolved dilemma.

“Don’t think about it too hard. The more you twist the story away from the original, the heavier the consequences you’ll have to bear.”

“I know, but…”

“Besides, wasn’t your goal to secure a happy ending as the villainess? You’ve got more than enough to worry about with your own future. Is this really the time to be worrying about someone else?”

“…You’re being so reasonable it’s actually irritating.”

Rozelia snapped back, and the administrator chuckled.

“Also, if you’re a possessor, you should act like one. If all you do is run around helping others, people are going to hate it. They’ll say you’re nothing but a pushover protagonist.”

“…Who exactly would hate that?”

“That guy, Ian. He’s addicted to those refreshing ‘cider-like’ payoffs.”

“…?”

“Anyway, the point is: don’t get too attached to the original characters. A villainess’s virtue is being smart, sly, and good at looking out for herself, right?”

“Must be nice, being able to talk about it like it’s someone else’s problem.”

Rozelia muttered.

“Huh?”

“If you were really in my shoes, you wouldn’t be able to say that. Humans get swept up in emotions.”

“You think I don’t know that? I know perfectly well—”

The administrator suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

The connection bridging space and time flickered unstably.

His fingertips were beginning to blur.

“Know perfectly well what? Why’d you stop?”

“…I know perfectly well because I’ve lived through it. Ah, shoot—it’s too late. You haven’t slept at all, have you? Go to bed already.”

“…That’s sudden.”

“It’s not sudden! Staying up late is terrible for you. Your sugar spikes, your blood pressure rises, your circadian rhythm falls apart—”

“Wow, a real-world health lecture? You’re definitely not human. Fine, fine, I’ll sleep. Go.”

Unable to withstand his nagging, Rozelia left the room.

Even as she walked down the empty corridor, the administrator trailed after her.

“Why are you following me? You’re not coming all the way into my bedroom, are you?”

“Hmm… Should I sing you a lullaby until you fall asleep?”

“No thanks.”

“Hing… You’re the first girl who’s ever been this cold to me.”

Rozelia snorted a laugh at that.

Finally, the administrator dropped his playful act and waved.

“Good night. Dream of me!”

“You too. Sleep well.”

“Mm. I’ll dream of you.”

He watched her retreating figure for a long while.

His avatar was fading away, fragmenting into nothing.

He felt himself shatter, and, realizing their brief game had ended, slowly closed his eyes.

“…My lady!”

“Lady Rozelia! Please wake up!”

Somehow, the maids had known she was sleeping in that room. Their clear voices carried from beyond the door.

“It’s nearly time to depart. You must get up and prepare.”

At their urging, Rozelia dragged herself out of bed.

So morning has come after all.

She’d barely slept a few hours.

The whole world looked like trash.

Come to think of it, throughout this entire journey, she hadn’t had a single day of proper rest—running around day and night.

At this rate, she might die of exhaustion before ever reaching her execution ending.

That thought crossed her mind, but she still let the maids dress her in traveling clothes.

Even while washing her face and forcing down a simple breakfast, she was half-asleep.

“My lady, you mustn’t walk in a zigzag. Please walk in a straight line.”

“I am walking straight…”

At last, she staggered outside the mansion, where a long procession of carriages awaited.

Carriages from the Imperial family, the Ducal house, and even Viscount Blaine’s family were all lined up in grandeur.

Philip, who had already come out ahead of time, spotted her and bowed.

“It could pass for a parade.”

“It shows just how large this incident really was. At least Lady Seraphine’s two luggage wagons were sent back at dawn.”

“Lady Rozelia—! Good morning!”

Just then, Seraphine, dressed in her outing gown, came trotting out of the mansion.

The Crown Prince and his retainers appeared soon after.

“It’s time we departed.”

As I moved to board the carriage, Perwin extended his hand.

“You’ll ride with me, my lady.”

“Eh? With me? Why?”

“Why? Because you’re my fiancée. Do I need another reason?”

“…Ah.”

There it was again—fiancée this, fiancée that.

I was already dying from sleep deprivation, and his cloying lines only doubled my fatigue.

If I got into a carriage with him in this state, I might end up knocking him out and collapsing right beside him…

No, no. Get a grip.

“Come along.”

Perwin urged again, his hand blurring in her hazy vision.

“Your Highness—”

“She said no.”

“…!”

Caien, who had been waiting quietly at my side, suddenly stepped in front of Perwin.

“Impudent!”

The Imperial guards immediately moved to restrain him, but even as he retreated, Caien’s blazing eyes never wavered.

He looked as though he might lunge for Perwin’s throat at any moment—blasphemous, even to my eyes.

Perwin scowled deeply.

“And who are you supposed to be? A servant of the Ducal house? You’ve lost all sense of fear.”

“….”

“Wait a moment.”

Perwin’s gaze swept over Caien, then froze, sharp and cold.

“You there—what’s that on your hand?”

His eyes locked on the slender ring glinting on Caien’s ring finger.

“Tch… Unbelievable.”

Perwin rode back alone, seething as if struck hard in the back of the head. Betrayal burned in his chest.

[What the hell is this? Isn’t that the same ring Lady Rozelia wears?]

[Uhm, it’s complicated… there’s a reason for it.]

[And what reason could possibly justify matching rings with another man?]

[I’ll explain later. I promise, later…]

[My lady!]

But Rozelia, having reached her limit, had already fallen fast asleep, leaving him unable to press her further.

The more he thought about it, the more absurd it became.

Storming across the Crown Prince’s palace, Perwin’s retainers hurried to keep pace.

“Your Highness, His Majesty ordered you to visit the audience chamber as soon as you returned. You must—”

“Later.”

He ripped off his outer cloak in fury.

Ignoring his attendants, he yanked at his suffocating attire—until his cufflinks snagged.

They were the ones Rozelia had gifted him during the recent birthday banquet.

“Now even this…”

A bitter laugh escaped him.

How could anyone make him feel such a fool?

His sincerity wasn’t just discarded—it was dragged through the mud.

“You there.”

“Y-Yes, Your Highness!”

The aide bowed his head low, trembling under the Crown Prince’s overwhelming aura.

“Investigate every single servant of the Serteia household. Immediately.”

“At once, Your Highness.”

“Especially the men.”

“The men…?”

“A man with black hair and red eyes.”

Perwin ground his teeth at the very thought.

“Find out exactly how that wretch managed to charm my fiancée.”