“Waaah—”
In the middle of the street, a large, magnificent fountain sprayed out refreshing water.
Beyond it, a bridge led to a vast lawn stretching as far as the eye could see.
Luca and I wandered freely around the area, unbothered by people’s gazes.
At one point, my eyes stopped in front of a cotton candy stand.
“Cotton candy.”
In my past life, I used to eat it often with my family whenever we went to amusement parks.
I spoke with a nostalgic tone, and Luca paid the vendor and asked for one.
“What shape would you like, dear customers?” the vendor asked, flashing a wide, toothy grin.
I hesitated for a moment, then replied, “A rabbit…?”
I wasn’t sure it was even possible, so I said it with uncertainty—but there was no need to worry.
The vendor was a cotton candy artist, and with dazzling hand movements, he crafted something that looked more like a piece of art than candy.
Holding it, I walked with Luca and said, “It feels like a crime to eat this.”
The rabbit-shaped cotton candy seemed to stare right at me, so I squeezed my eyes shut and bit into one of its ears.
“So good…!”
I offered some to Luca and urged him to try it.
Luca bit the other ear and said, “You’re right. It’s perfectly sweet, just the way you like it.”
As we strolled down the path lined with grass, sharing bites of the fluffy cotton candy, something suddenly caught my eye.
‘Huh? Was that…?’
I thought I’d seen violet-colored hair back by the street. Did I imagine it?
“Lia, what’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing. By the way, did you get the gift I sent?”
“Gift?”
“I asked Dad to pass it along. You haven’t gotten it yet, huh.”
Only then did Luca seem to remember.
“Oh, right. The Duke mentioned earlier that he’d left a gift in the drawing room… that must’ve been from you. I haven’t checked yet. What is it?”
“I’m not telling. Go look yourself.”
I gave a playful smile.
Then it happened.
A sudden gust of wind blew fiercely, and a crack ran through the magic necklace around my neck.
‘What the—?’
At the same time, my breathing became labored. I’d been doing fine until now, but suddenly my body began heating up intensely.
The spot where the red rash appeared felt like it was burning.
“Lu-Luca! My body… suddenly…!”
I grabbed his arm desperately.
“Luca…?”
He didn’t respond. When I looked up at him, his eyes were unfocused, as if he were in a trance.
I followed his gaze—he was fixated on something.
‘Senia…?’
Senia was browsing trinkets with a maid near the street.
I knew instantly, despite never seeing her before. That kind of beauty isn’t common. Senia had a cuteness that disarmed anyone who looked at her.
Her hair was like violet cotton candy, and her eyes were blue like the ocean. She was the flawless heroine of this world.
Like us, she wasn’t wearing a flashy noble dress but something more casual.
And right now, she…
‘…hasn’t recognized us yet.’
That meant she hadn’t yet learned about the evil deeds of the Cablos father and son. Even when she did, she wouldn’t need to save the crown prince—he’d already escaped on his own.
So I had assumed Luca and Senia would meet properly during the “Lord of the Battlefield” trial, just like in the original story.
But… was fate already decided in this world? Of all the streets, they had to cross paths here?
“H-Haa… Luca…”
Unable to suppress the heat rising inside me, I collapsed on the spot.
Luca’s eyes snapped back to me.
“Lia, Lia! What’s happening?!”
He dropped to the ground with me and supported my body. Then, glancing once toward Senia, he picked me up and quickly left.
Using magic, he teleported us to a nearby garden bench out of the public eye.
Only a few fallen leaves danced in the place we’d been.
And someone’s eyes quietly watched those leaves.
“I really am okay…”
I lay with my head resting on Luca’s lap.
When he placed his cool hand on my forehead, the burning sensation disappeared like magic.
He hadn’t used any spell.
After all, there was no magic in this world capable of curing my condition.
‘I can feel it. That this body I reincarnated into—Laveria’s body—is terminal.’
It was terrifying. I still had more than five years before reaching my limit, but moments like this reminded me that it was real.
“Lia, are you okay?”
Looking up at Luca’s deeply worried expression, I forced a smile.
“I’m fine. The weather’s just too nice today. Maybe it’s heatstroke?”
He finally relaxed a little at my lighthearted joke and closed his eyes with relief.
Now, as if everything earlier had been a lie, my body felt refreshed. Lying on Luca’s lap and watching clouds drift by was unexpectedly peaceful.
But… didn’t I just unintentionally interrupt Luca and Senia’s first meeting?
I felt like the typical villainess in a novel who fakes an illness to stop a romantic encounter.
I looked at Luca and said, “Sorry.”
It wasn’t a meaningful apology, but I felt I had to say it.
Luca gave me a puzzled look, asking what I was talking about.
The garden was quiet, filled only with the scent of flowers.
Luca looked down at me and murmured softly.
“Earlier, even though it made no sense… for a moment, I couldn’t feel that you were beside me. Just for an instant… my Amnesia spell activated.”
He checked the magic necklace around my neck.
Seeing the cracked gemstone, he poured his mana into it, restoring it to its original state.
“There was an ominous energy there.”
“Ominous energy…?”
I asked, but he didn’t answer. His troubled expression said it all.
He must’ve sensed someone’s mana.
Senia was the beloved daughter of Duke Cablos. There was a high chance the Duke had sent powerful guards to protect her.
If that seemingly ordinary maid beside her was actually a bodyguard, the unsettling presence Luca sensed may have come from her.
Especially since Luca’s Amnesia curse had been cast with Cablos’s dark magic, it wouldn’t be surprising if their auras reacted.
I narrowed my eyes, thinking through various possibilities, but in the end, I just gently cupped Luca’s cheeks.
Then I pulled on his squishy cheeks.
“Lighten up, Luca. Today’s supposed to be fun, remember?”
What Luca sensed, and the symptoms in my body—none of it was coincidence.
When we return to the Duke’s estate, I’ll have to check if that rash has grown worse.
I couldn’t burden Luca, who was already fighting alone in the Imperial Palace and preparing for the succession trials.
Stretch—stretch—
Oh my, Luca’s cheeks are still so squishy. How adorable.
I hope he never loses that baby fat.
“Muh are you doin’…”
His muffled voice made me burst out laughing.
“You act all grown-up, but sometimes you’re just a kid. Don’t worry about me—just tell me if anyone’s bothering you in the palace.”
“…And if I say someone is, are you going to scold them for me?”
“Scolding wouldn’t be enough. If someone touches my little brother, they’ll face the consequences.”
At my firm tone, Luca muttered quietly.
“Little brother, huh…”
“Yeah. We were the closest pair at the Troy Orphanage. Don’t go pretending you don’t know your big sis now…”
As I grumbled playfully—
Smooch
A tingling sound landed… right on my forehead.
‘……??’
What just happened?
I heard Luca chuckle above me.
He’d leaned down and planted a short kiss on my forehead.
“We can’t stay kids forever, you know.”
“L-Luca, you…!”
My heart was racing like mad—it must’ve just been a natural female instinct.
I ended up shouting,
“You don’t get it! Everyone thinks you’re a wolf!”
I could almost hear the whispers of noble ladies who had eyed Luca earlier with madness in their eyes.
I knew he meant it as an affectionate gesture—but with a face like his, he really needed to be more careful.
Luca, however, didn’t seem fazed.
“Yes, yes, whatever you say,” he replied, completely unfazed.
Just as I reached out again for his squishy cheeks—
“There they are! We’ve found the young master!”
Knights in armor bearing the proud crest of House Rayes suddenly appeared in our peaceful garden.
Of course, they were led by none other than Miller.
Cold sweat trickled down my back. Of all times—why now? While I was lying peacefully on Luca’s lap?
Miller approached and smiled as I quickly sat up from Luca’s lap.
“Lia, are you hurt anywhere?”
“No…!”
Luca stood up from the bench as well, and muttered to Miller,
“You’re being overprotective. I said I’d be home by six.”
“Well, Your Highness, if you’d found your long-lost sister after 13 years, you’d understand. There won’t be a next time. Please refrain from visiting the Duke’s estate for a while.”
Miller walked past Luca and stood before me.
“I’ll be going now. Let’s meet again.”
I gave an awkward smile and boarded the Rayes carriage with him, leaving behind Luca who waved with a hint of sadness.
Everyone who came with us was already in the carriage. Serin and Garnet bombarded me with endless questions.
Most were about what happened between me and the crown prince. A topic girls their age were naturally curious about.
But really, Luca and I were basically orphanage friends—or childhood friends, if you wanted to stretch it.
A childhood-friend prince was definitely a top-tier romance setup in this world.
But I was just a background villainess. That dreamy, flowery romance life wasn’t in my fate.
Miller, silencing the chattering girls, turned to me and said seriously,
“Lia, anyone outside your family… is a wolf.”
Ah… now I think I understand a bit of how Luca felt earlier. So this is what that feels like.
“…Did I just think he sounded like a boomer?”
Oops, I said it out loud. But I had whispered it—he probably didn’t hear it—
But it was too late. A dark aura immediately formed around Miller.
Muttering something gloomy like, “I’m not a boomer… I couldn’t be… does she hate me…,”
I quickly waved my hands in denial.
“I just meant I’m happy to finally have a guardian. Don’t get me wrong. In my vocabulary, ‘boomer’ means ‘guardian.’ Did I misunderstand?”
Thankfully, Miller was a simple man.
“Ah, I didn’t know that! Of course—I’m Lia’s guardian now!”
He wagged his metaphorical tail like a puppy, and I gave him a very awkward laugh.
Still… I had to admit, I was a little touched. He had searched for me until sweat beaded on his forehead.
Aww the classic brother who will never allow his pretty younger sister to be with a man… EVER. Just like I like.