CHAPTER 79…………………………………..
After meeting her, I reflected on everything I had experienced since coming to this world.
And at the end of that reflection came the questions.
Why was Cidheron being so kind to me, unlike in the original story?
Why didn’t Kan, who appeared in the original, show up?
Why did Adrina reveal to me that she had the Neutral Attribute?
Why, why, why… Every question ended with “why.”
I still didn’t know the answers.
“But thinking back, I have a rough idea.”
I wasn’t sure whether it was because of me or because the novel itself wasn’t a perfect prediction of the future, just a “possible scenario.”
Either way, the novel’s progression had diverged from what I knew.
They say a person’s personality is half innate and half shaped by experience.
“Since the events they experienced changed a bit, maybe their personality changed too?”
If that was the case, it made sense that Cidheron was acting kindly toward me.
“Did you like her that much?”
Cidheron and I had grown unusually close.
Probably because we had shared a room and talked about all sorts of things.
By now, I could even voice my opinions confidently.
“Of course! She’s pretty!”
No one believed it, but as Ken had originally hoped by putting us in the same room, there had been absolutely no weird contact between us.
And Cidheron, who used to ignore me, now responded to my words quite readily.
Excited, I kept talking about Adrina.
Half of it was deliberate.
Hoping that Cidheron would develop a small fondness for Adrina.
That way, when he eventually saw her, he’d be drawn to her faster.
“What do you think of me?”
“Huh?”
Cidheron, half-lying down with his chin in his hand, gazed at me steadily.
“What do you mean…?”
“Between you and that Rizen lady, who’s prettier?”
Is he seriously asking me this now?!
“Well, obviously…!”
I was about to answer bluntly, but a sharp look from him made me reconsider.
“…Maybe you’re a little prettier.”
Even if a secondary male lead was handsome and pretty, how could he compete with the heroine?
But subjectively, Cidheron matched my ideal of appearance better.
“Ahem. People see the world through subjective eyes, after all.”
Cidheron reached out, looping his arm around my neck.
Then, instead of just staying close, he started pulling me toward him.
Feeling his strong arm around my shoulders made my heartbeat quicken slightly.
“See?”
He seemed very satisfied with my answer.
“This sly devil…”
I placed my hands on his arm, trying to pry it off.
But his thick, firm arm didn’t budge.
I gave up and looked at the pile of documents in the corner of the bed.
“Looks like there’s a lot of work today…”
“There’s always a lot of work.”
“My arm feels heavy…”
“This is the weight of sacrifice for your subjects.”
What is he even saying?
“Cidheron, come on, let go.”
“I’ll let go if you call my name.”
Again.
Again with words that make a person’s chest flutter without a second thought.
“…Cidheron, please let go.”
I gave in, crossing boundaries yet again.
He loosened his arm as promised, but I still felt that tight, slightly suffocating pressure lingering.
“When will you stop calling my name so rigidly?”
‘This is not good.’
I tried to shake off my embarrassment by blurting something out.
“You should treasure the name your parents gave you. You can’t just chop it up and call it however you like.”
Cidheron tilted his head.
“Everyone calls you that way, don’t they?”
Well… true.
‘He won’t give me a little leeway, not a bit.’
“Besides, I don’t think my parents even valued my name that much.”
“Huh?”
He said it casually, but it hit a sore spot. I hastily added:
“Th-That’s not true! What parent would give a child a careless name?”
“Well….”
Of course, in novels, there were many such parents.
Mostly for plot purposes, the protagonists often received twisted affection from their parents and projected it onto the heroine.
“And this is one of those novels.”
I quickly changed the topic before it got more uncomfortable.
“So, what about the favor I asked for before? You said you’d tell His Highness.”
“Oh, the crown prince.”
Cidheron muttered in apparent displeasure.
“Oh right, you asked me to deliver a letter.”
“…A letter? Then why didn’t you say anything…?”
“I forgot.”
Cidheron said casually and flopped onto the bed.
Since he landed right in the center, my space noticeably shrank.
He didn’t seem to mind and murmured lazily, staring at the ceiling.
“Tired, huh.”
It was at least three hours earlier than his usual sleep time.
“Madam, aren’t you sleepy?”
Honestly… I was.
“Doesn’t seem like I have anywhere to lie down.”
He tapped the floor beside his side.
“Here.”
…Here?
I turned and got off the bed entirely.
Then I went straight to the sofa.
I lay down immediately.
Cidheron looked at me awkwardly from near his side.
“You’re going to sleep there?”
“This seems cozier.”
I wiggled into position.
The sofa wasn’t the bed, but it was made of high-quality materials, so it wasn’t bad.
‘Compared to sleeping on the floor before, this sofa is a blessing.’
Just as I was about to close my eyes:
“You won’t sleep well.”
Huh?
I narrowed my eyes and glared at him.
“I can sleep, you know?”
In my previous life, I had slept on the floor, on sofas, in cars—I could sleep anywhere.
…Yet strangely, I couldn’t fall asleep now.
‘Wait, could it be…?’
Was my body really this sensitive to discomfort?
I gave up and got up. The sofa was soft, but my body creaked slightly.
If I slept like this, I’d wake up sore tomorrow.
I stole a glance at Cidheron on the bed.
No movement. Phew, he’s asleep.
He must be tired from his work.
I cautiously crept toward the bed.
He still occupied the center.
‘If I disturb him, he’ll wake up, right?’
He’d probably smirk if he saw me sneaking in.
‘I’ve been tricked by him more than once.’
I had learned my lesson—I didn’t want to be teased.
The only saving grace was that the bed was really wide.
I squeezed into a corner, hugging my pillow.
The familiar cushioning and soft pillow made my tired body feel relaxed.
“Ugh…”
Why is this pillow so hard?
I fidgeted and tried to hug it tighter—but froze.
Wait.
Hard pillow?
A chill ran down my spine.
I felt strongly that I shouldn’t open my eyes here.
Maybe I should just sleep more.
As I hesitated, a large arm pressed against my back, holding me close.
Startled, I opened my eyes.
Our gazes met—his golden eyes staring down at me.
“Madam, awake?”
Gasp!
I’d anticipated this somewhat, but seeing it directly was shocking.
I tried to jerk up like I was having a seizure.
But Cidheron pressed my back down and murmured:
“Sudden movement isn’t good for your health.”
…I’m not that weak.
“And just so there’s no misunderstanding, last night when you crawled into my arms…”
I immediately covered his mouth.
Hoping that sly mouth wouldn’t finish the sentence.
“Enough! Let go already.”
His mischievous eyes replaced words as he grinned.
I realized too late that I hadn’t covered his eyes.
Rolling my eyes, I gave up and said in a resigned voice:
“Cidheron… please.”
Finally, he released his hold with a satisfied expression.
I sighed in relief as I got off the bed.
‘Dangerous, dangerous.’
With each passing day, his personality seemed stranger.
I got swept up in it, but if I got used to this life… I might not want to leave.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t leave.’
I had grown accustomed to this life—I couldn’t even imagine leaving.
Right now, Cidheron seemed unlikely to ever harm me.
Whether he liked me or not… I didn’t know. But if life continued like this, was there any reason to leave?
‘I’m fine with how things are.’
Huh. Fine?
‘I don’t know.’
Pandora’s box brought calamities into the world.
Sometimes, leaving things buried is the solution.
I’ve always thought that unsolvable questions need not be dwelled upon.
But I knew this:
The questions I buried would always resurface, pestering me relentlessly.
‘I can’t just… go on like this.’
Ignoring questions only works once or twice.
Even if it seems okay now, it’s not truly resolved.
‘It will linger in my heart, haunting me forever.’
I didn’t want to live like that.
So, today, I decided to face one of the questions I had buried.
I pulled out the communication stone I had tucked away in the corner of a drawer.
