Chapter 24

Since I was living the life of a runaway anyway, I didn’t have much luggage. I planned to leave behind only a letter on the table.

‘If I don’t do this, Angelo will keep following me.’

While deluding himself into thinking I liked him.

The most consideration I could give him was to leave alone. Otherwise, he would keep putting off his own affairs and follow me.

‘Come to think of it, Ethel said there was a hidden ending in the original game, too.’

Ethel said so. In the original game’s hidden ending, Elicia married Angelo. Angelo waited until the very end, even though the woman he loved had been married to another man for a long time. He was a guy with a strong spirit of sacrifice. If I had any conscience, I shouldn’t use him any further.

Before the sun rose, I finished preparing to leave and grabbed the doorknob.

Click.

However, the door was clearly designed to be locked from the inside, but no matter how much I turned the knob, the door wouldn’t open.

  – Are you trying to leave secretly?

 Lala’s voice came from behind me. I turned my head and met golden eyes that were staring at me resentfully.

   ‘I can’t help it. Angelo can’t keep suffering because of me.’

  – No. Angelo wants to be with Lady Elicia.

  ‘The Elicia Angelo loves isn’t me.’

  – It is you.

   I’m not that Elicia. So I have to leave for Angelo’s sake.’

  – Are you leaving again under the pretext of ‘for someone else’?

   “……”

  Flustered, I couldn’t speak. Lala’s eyes were red, as if he were genuinely hurt.

[★Lala★’s Quest]

 

<Be with Angelo>

 

Always together.

 

 

[★Lala★’s Quest]

 

<Marry Angelo>

 

As soon as possible.

 

 

[★Lala★’s Quest]

 

<Do not leave Angelo>

 

Forever.

Several quest windows popped up in front of me. They were all about Angelo.

‘Ah, this is why…’

Thanks to this, I realized the peculiar feeling I had when looking at Angelo. Why hadn’t I noticed it until now? The golden hair and golden eyes that I thought resembled someone from the beginning. There were only two people with golden hair and golden eyes in this game.

“You’re Angelo, aren’t you?”

A bright light poured out from Lala’s body, who kept his mouth shut as if momentarily flustered. When I subconsciously closed and opened my eyes, Lala was gone, and in his place stood Angelo with affectionate eyes.

“You finally recognized me. I knew you loved me after all.”

I don’t know why he was so touched when he revealed he was Angelo through the quests just now.

“Sia…”

“Don’t come near me.”

“I’ve always waited. Until the day we could be together.”

“Why did you bring me here?”

“Aren’t you thankful? I gave a chance to you who died back there.”

“I ended up dying after all?”

I was distraught. I made such a fuss to survive and return, only to find out I had died. My legs eventually gave way, and I collapsed onto the floor.

“You said you would save me if I saw the happy ending…”

“Think about it. How could I bring a dead person back to life?”

“You lied to me.”

“It wasn’t a lie. To be precise, I said I would help you live a healthy life after the game ended, didn’t I? Although I never intended to let you see the happy ending in the first place.”

“You crazy bastard.”

Angelo laughed as if pleased by the insult I uttered with sincerity.

“The game wasn’t real after all.”

I muttered with annoyance, and then Ethel suddenly came to mind. She clearly said she could return to reality if she cleared the final quest.

“What happened to Miss Ethel?”

“I don’t know. I sent her back to where she originally was, but since it was the first time I tried that magic, I don’t know if it succeeded…”

“How can you give such an irresponsible answer?”

“Shouldn’t you be grateful that I gave a chance to a person who almost died from overwork? She didn’t even do her part properly.”

There was no trace of pity or regret on Angelo’s face as he said that. I thought Angelo was the closest person to me after Erlian, but it turned out he was the culprit who dragged me into this place. My body trembled with a sense of betrayal.

Angelo knelt down and met my eyes. His gesture of patting my arm to calm me down was nauseatingly hypocritical.

“I just put in the setting of a game to make you interested in this life. But wasn’t it fun?”

“It wasn’t fun at all, and it was too sloppy.”

“Yet you were so immersed in it. I admit it was a little sloppy. But it improved after going through several Elicias.”

“That’s because you lack ability.”

“It’s not easy to turn back time and show you a ridiculous status window under the guise of starting a game.”

The hand that was patting my arm slowly moved down and covered the back of my hand.

Was touching someone this creepy? I tried to pull away, but Angelo’s grip was strong.

“I’m glad I no longer have to strain myself to turn back time or create game settings.”

Unlike me, who was serious, Angelo looked very happy.

“Were the affection and personality scores in the status window all fake?”

“They were fake. I observed Erlian’s actions and assigned plausible numbers.”

“Then what on earth was XX?”

I was curious because XX was never revealed until the game ended. What could it have been?

I actually suspected it might be ‘obsession.’ After all, as his XX score went up, he became obsessed with my friendship.

“It was ‘Awakening.’”

Angelo’s answer was completely different from my expectation.

“When the affection is high and the XX reaches 100%, Erlian realizes his feelings of love for you. That’s why I told you that the XX should never go up.”

Angelo then proudly added that he created XX as a warning, referencing the time when Erlian loved Ethel, and that I was the only one who raised both affection and XX this high.

“I think it was a good thing you escaped from Erlian before the XX reached 100%.”

“If I hadn’t run away according to the quest you gave me, you would have killed me, under the pretext of quest failure.”

“No. Don’t worry. Sia, you’re special. You saw the bad ending twice, but I didn’t kill you in the end, did I?”

“What are you talking about?”

“All the Elicias I met before died due to the bad ending.”

“You, what on earth…”

“I met many Elicias before I met you. It was a very difficult and boring time.”

Angelo looked quite proud. He mentioned that he gave the women who died beyond time and space a chance to live as Elicia for a while.

“Don’t worry. You are in a healthy state now. I have no intention of killing you in the future either. I swear it.”

“But I am not Elicia.”

“No. You are Sia.”

I grew curious as I watched Angelo speak so firmly, even interrupting me. He killed so many others, yet he saved me until the end. If so, perhaps…

“Was I the real Elicia?”

There is a common trope in web novels, isn’t there? I thought that Elicia might be my past life.

“No. You are the new Elicia.”

However, he firmly answered no.

“You said you could turn back time. Then you should have stayed with the original Elicia. Without dragging others into it.”

“Do you think I haven’t tried that?”

The hand covering mine tightened. When I frowned and glared at Angelo at his action, he realized his mistake and loosened his grip.

“It was the same no matter how many times I turned back time. Sia abandoned me.”

Angelo was smiling. But it wasn’t a joyful smile. It was a twisted smile, as if recalling a terrible memory.

“So I decided to abandon Sia too and searched for a new Sia.”

The warm sensation on my cheeks was unpleasant, and I involuntarily grimaced. Angelo, undeterred, stroked my cheeks with both hands as if touching something precious.

“Honestly, I wasn’t particularly expecting much from you, but I was so happy that you seemed like the real Sia. Now, my wish has truly come true.”

He was definitely crazy. Angelo’s face slowly approached mine, and I quickly raised my hand to block his lips. The pained look he gave me was utterly sickening.

‘I shouldn’t provoke him.’

If I acted strongly here, I couldn’t predict what this lunatic might do. This true self was too different from the Angelo I used to know. I forced a smile and spoke cheerfully.

“Sorry to ruin the mood, but isn’t this a bit fast?”

When I spoke lightly, as I usually did to Angelo, his eyes rounded. Just like the pushover Angelo I once knew. Instead of answering, he made kissing noises and kissed my palm. The sensation was so creepy that I wanted to pull my hand away immediately, but I endured it, knowing too well where Angelo’s lips would go if I did.

“Calm down a bit and wait. Someday…”

“How much longer do I have to wait?”

“Um, that…”

“You told me to wait, and when I did, you died.”

I wanted to scold Angelo, who was looking at me with resentment. Did I do that?

 

***

“Sia?”

It was a sudden visitor, but Angelo welcomed her more than anyone. After all, it was none other than Elicia.

“Thank goodness. You weren’t dead…”

It was the woman he loved. They had announced that she had died at the Duchy of Bellocchio this morning. Angelo’s trembling hand reached out to her hair. Her soft hair touched his fingers. Thank goodness. She wasn’t a phantom or a ghost.

“You’re really alive.”

Angelo smiled through flowing tears.

“Do I look like someone who would die that easily?”

Angelo wrapped his arms around Elicia’s shoulder, responding to her embrace around his waist. He used to think she was the strongest and coolest person when they were children. Now, Elicia looked so frail and weak. As if she would break if he put just a little force on his arms.

‘Now I can protect her.’

When Angelo was a child, his parents looked down on him for being weak and lacking. Although they didn’t scold him, an atmosphere that subtly discouraged him persisted.

In contrast to himself, Elicia was always confident and spoke her mind. She would even get angry on his behalf at the children of nobles who subtly ostracized and bullied him. Angelo thought she was the coolest person in the world.

And when he turned ten.

“Angelo, who are you going to marry?”

“Huh? Me?”

“Tell me quickly.”

“Uh, well… I don’t know yet…”

“If you don’t have anyone, I’ll marry you.”

“Huh?”

“Do you have a problem with that?”

“No! Thank you!”

Angelo was overjoyed at the proposal, or rather, the non-proposal, from Elicia. But since they were still young, getting married right away was impossible. So he waited eagerly for them to become adults, but…

“I’m sorry. I’m marrying someone else.”

When she turned thirteen. Elicia announced her marriage to another person. Angelo couldn’t say a word and just shook his head, sobbing loudly.

“I’ll get a divorce and come back when I’m an adult, so wait quietly.”

The only thing Angelo could do was wait. Fortunately, Elicia kept her promise. Throughout her marriage, she only acted to please Erlian but didn’t love him, and after becoming an adult, she even got a divorce and returned to him.

“The rumor of her death is actually a good thing.”

If Elicia married Angelo right after divorcing Erlian, people would speak ill of her. Moreover, although it wasn’t certain, Elicia was uncomfortable with her father. Now that Elicia was known as a dead person, he thought she could quietly enjoy her married life with him.

“Sia, I’ll show you to your room.”

He had decorated the room in advance, waiting for her to come to him. The interior, as well as the small decorations, had all been done by him. That was the only way to endure the boring wait.

The time had finally come to show it to the owner of the room. Angelo suggested it with a shy smile, but Elicia just stood still and didn’t walk.

“Angelo, I came to say goodbye.”

Did he hear wrong? Angelo desperately denied Elicia’s words.

“Right, goodbye. Since you’ve said goodbye, I’ll show you the room.”

“No. I have to leave with my sister.”

That darn sister. Angelo frowned irritably. Elicia’s older sister, Daisy, was a tremendously annoying presence to him. This was because Elicia’s concern for her sister significantly increased after Daisy got married.

Not only that. The once high-spirited Elicia started losing her nerve and began watching other people’s reactions. Especially towards the Duke of Bellocchio’s words, she would completely submit. All for the reason of protecting her sister.

Angelo blamed Daisy for the disappearance of the confident appearance of the Elicia he loved. But since he couldn’t show his feelings, Angelo forced a smile and suggested.

“Then I’ll leave with you too.”

“No, you stay here.”

Elicia’s firm refusal felt like a death sentence.

“What are you talking about? You told me to wait. So I waited…”

“You need to protect the Marquisate of Leglorie.”

“What good is that? Sia, you’re not here.”

Tears flowed down Angelo’s cheeks. Seeing his pathetic appearance, Elicia couldn’t speak firmly anymore. Elicia’s hands cupped Angelo’s face. And she gently wiped his tear-filled eyes with her thumb.

“Sia, please don’t leave.”

At Angelo’s plea, Elicia only gave a faint, enigmatic smile instead of an answer.

“Please…”

He couldn’t even think of resenting Elicia for leaving him. His mind went blank, and all Angelo could do was plead. Elicia just looked at him, her eyes filled with both delight and pity.

“Sia, tell me you won’t leave.”

Did Angelo’s desperation work? Elicia stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his.

He wrapped his arms around Elicia’s waist, wishing this moment would last forever. The two pressed their lips together for a long time, as if reluctant to separate. Their first kiss was salty.

After a brief moment, Elicia pushed Angelo’s shoulder, and their lips parted. He stared intently at Elicia’s lips with a look of regret.

“Angelo, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Angelo felt like his heart was going to burst. He had finally received the reward for his boring and painful wait. Elicia had chosen him over her sister after all. Just as he was about to lean in for Elicia’s lips again.

“So, from now on, live happily with someone else, not me.”

It was a misunderstanding. She didn’t choose Angelo. Elicia pushed him away with greater force and turned her back.

“Si-Sia…”

“Don’t follow me. That’s an order.”

Was the problem that he had always followed Elicia’s words well? At Elicia’s command, Angelo could no longer follow and could only stare at her receding back.

However, Angelo knew. If he didn’t hold onto her this time, he would never see her again. Only after Elicia had left the drawing-room did Angelo move his legs. His steps, which started slowly, one by one, like a baby taking its first steps, gradually accelerated, and he began to run after leaving the drawing-room.

He opened the front door and stepped out of the main building, where he saw her walking towards a carriage.

“Sia!”

Angelo called out pitifully, but Elicia ignored him and got into the carriage. Angelo tried to run towards the carriage, but.

“You cannot.”

Two knights blocked his path.

“Get out of the way. Before I kill you.”

“We apologize. It was the former Marquis’s request.”

Angelo’s parents were frustrated with their son, who only waited for Elicia, who was already married to another man. They had been trying to force him into an engagement with another woman, but Angelo was adamant. He even chased his parents out of the capital as soon as he inherited the Marquis title. But to think they had given orders to the knights in advance.

Of course, if it were the usual Angelo, the knights’ interference wouldn’t have been a problem. He could just magic away whatever was bothersome. However, his mind, which was broken by the separation from Elicia, couldn’t do anything.

The carriage carrying Elicia gradually became smaller. After passing the main gate, it was hidden by the high wall surrounding the mansion and could no longer be seen.

“Why on earth…”

She really left. Without ever looking at him once.

There was only one thing he desired. To live happily with Elicia until the day he died. Angelo, having lost his goal, stood rooted to the spot, unable to enter the mansion or chase the carriage.

“I have to find her again.”

He couldn’t give up like this. He had to find Elicia. Even if he had to search the whole world.

Elicia must be hiding in a small village outside the capital with her sister. Angelo could guess where Elicia would go. He remembered everything about her.

“Angelo, have you ever seen the sea?”

“No.”

“I went on a trip to Lisy Village last week. I saw the sea there, and it had a lot more water than the lake.”

“Wow, really? Is it prettier than the lake?”

“Yeah. Enough to make me want to live there when I grow up.”

This was when they were children, before he realized his feelings for Elicia. Angelo talked with her about the sea. He sometimes felt hurt by her saying she wanted to live near the sea, even though she clearly knew he had to inherit the title.

Angelo, having figured out a way to catch Elicia, smiled faintly and disappeared. Only the knights with complicated expressions remained at the scene.

The place where Angelo teleported was the beginning of an alleyway connected to the main street. His legs trudged into the alley and stopped in front of a shabby building. When he opened the door, a pungent smell stung his nose, and inside, people were smoking tobacco or drinking cheap fruit wine.

Angelo looked around the interior with a displeased expression. This was a place he would never set foot in normally, but he had no choice this time. The face he was looking for was seated at the table in the furthest corner. Between the man’s fingers were three cards with numbers and pictures, and he was angrily yelling at the person sitting across from him.

“It’s been a while.”

When he spoke, the angry man stopped talking and looked up.

“What brings you here?”

“Did you hear the news about Sia?”

“Yes. They say that incompetent daughter finally died.”

Angelo barely suppressed a hollow laugh at the man’s words.

Even though the rumor of Elicia’s death had spread throughout the empire, her father was only interested in the card game. Angelo’s resentment was focused on him. Didn’t Elicia abandon him to take care of her sister because her father didn’t act like a father? However, he couldn’t vent his resentment. Now was the time to use him.

“I thought she was doing well since the Bellocchio family was consistently supporting her, but to die so foolishly.”

He wanted to kill him. He wanted to twist the neck of the man who forced Elicia to marry another man and was now insulting her. But he couldn’t do it now. Angelo just clenched and unclenched his fist repeatedly.

Elicia clearly liked her father when she was young. However, after her mother passed away, her father became addicted to gambling, and she began to feel uncomfortable with him. That’s why she eventually ran far away from her father, didn’t she?

Elicia’s father was the root cause of all the trouble.

“Actually, Sia is alive.”

“You must be trying to deny her death.”

“No. It’s the truth. She even said she was running away with her sister, Lady Daisy, to a faraway place.”

“What? Doesn’t that mean the support from Baron Davida will also be cut off?”

Angelo unconsciously reached out his hand towards her father’s neck but changed direction and brushed his left shoulder.

“There is something dirty on your shoulder.”

“These foolish girls, instead of helping their father, they run away! Do you know where they went?”

“I’m not certain, but I have a guess. However, you must keep it a secret that I told you.”

“Yes. I will absolutely not tell anyone.”

Angelo explained the location to him and offered him gold coins.

“It will be hard for you to find your two daughters alone.”

“Thank you. I’ll go find them quickly.”

Watching Elicia’s father leave the establishment as if running away, Angelo smiled faintly. Of course, Angelo didn’t want to go this far either. However, even if he went himself, Elicia wouldn’t return, and above all, her sister, Daisy, was in the way.

So, he had no choice but to seek out her father. Elicia would be forced to return to the capital at her father’s command. Daisy would return to Baron Davida’s side, but that wasn’t important. Only Elicia needed to be by his side.

‘I want to go with him, but it’s better to wait.’

If he went with her father, he could meet Elicia a little sooner. However, he couldn’t do that because she might be disappointed that he had joined forces with her father. Angelo was most afraid of Elicia resenting him.

Now, all he could do was wait for Elicia to return.

However,

“What did you just say?”

“I just killed her. She would have just run away again even if I brought her back. I don’t need traitors.”

The news that returned was Elicia’s real death. Angelo, who desperately tried to deny the unbelievable reality, left the capital and found the cold body of Elicia.

His misplaced greed had created a tragedy. Angelo’s face crumpled as if it were shattered.

***

“That explains why it felt strange.”

When I previously saw Elicia’s memory. Not long after the real Elicia ran away with her sister, didn’t her father find and kill her? I thought it was strange that he found her so easily, but I just took it as part of the game. But to think Angelo was involved. After hearing the whole story, it felt incredibly futile.

“No matter what I did or how many times I turned back time, it was the same. Sia would just tell me to wait and ultimately left me. That’s why I abandoned Sia and searched for a different Sia.”

Because of Angelo’s greed, many women had acted as substitutes for Elicia. Finally, me too.

“You like financiers just like the real Sia.”

“Is that something you should be saying right now?”

“The way you fumed about where I bought them felt just like the real Sia. You didn’t even know I had hired our family’s chef in advance just in case you found out easily.”

“Crazy.”

I suppressed a string of curses and slowly opened my mouth.

“Lest you forget, Miss Ethel also liked financiers. Besides, there must have been other Elicias besides me who liked financiers.”

“That’s not all. Do you remember when we first met at the hunting competition? When you suddenly glared at me, I was so happy. It felt just like the real Sia.”

I remembered. Golden eyes and golden hair. I just glared because he looked similar to Lala, but I didn’t know it would make Angelo feel favorable towards me.

‘Come to think of it, I don’t clearly remember Lala’s features.’

I knew Lala’s overall image, but I couldn’t remember what his eyes or lips looked like at all. Perhaps Lala was what the young Angelo looked like.

‘He’s truly incorrigible.’

The face looking at me with affection felt grotesque.

“So I wanted to start anew with a new you.”

Angelo’s gaze towards me was full of desperation. A large, slightly trembling hand touched my right cheek. His touch was cautious, as if afraid of breaking me.

“But Erlian is too much of a nuisance. He was before, and he is again this time.”

“Is that why you gave me the quest to run away?”

“Yes. Of course, I could manipulate your mind with magic, but I didn’t want to. I just wanted you to like me of your own free will.”

Angelo’s voice was wet with emotion. His eyes were red as if holding back tears. The former me might have been moved by his pitiful appearance. But perhaps because I knew the truth? It just seemed like a facade.

I slowly took Angelo’s hand off my cheek and voiced my thoughts.

“Now I understand that I have to live Elicia’s life from now on, and I understand your feelings too.”

“Then please like me a little.”

“But the person you like isn’t me, it’s the real Elicia.”

“You are Elicia.”

“I’m just someone similar to the Elicia you loved.”

Angelo squeezed his eyes shut as if denying my words. Tears streamed down between his closed eyelids. Unable to look at him any longer, I turned my gaze and spoke firmly.

“I am not the Elicia you loved. That Elicia might have loved you, but I…”

“Stop.”

“Angelo…”

Angelo’s eyes were on me. Tears were still flowing incessantly from his eyes. I felt that no kind of conversation would be possible right now. I cleared my throat and spoke as gently as possible.

“How about you go back to your room and sort out your thoughts? I need to sort things out too.”

“Are you going to run away when I’m gone?”

“Even if I try to run away, you’ll catch me anyway. Like you did before.”

“……”

Hearing that I was right, Angelo couldn’t refute it any further.

“I’m the most confused right now, you know. After all, I’ve been living a lie, tricked by you with this ‘game.’”

“I apologize for that. But I brought you, who was dead, back to life in a new world so you could live a new life.”

Angelo was incredibly shameless until the end. Contrary to his words, his voice was cheerful and didn’t sound apologetic at all, which made me angry. I forced myself to look out the window and said.

“Come to think of it, you lied to me again, didn’t you? You said only citizens of this country could teleport here.”

Because of that, Angelo and I, as foreigners, had to travel long distances only by carriage. How hard and boring that time was. Yet, Angelo teleported into my room so easily.

“Sia, I have lived a long life, turning back time countless times. I’ve studied for that long and improved my embarrassingly poor magic skills.”

“So what am I supposed to do with that information?”

“It means I didn’t lie to you. Thanks to that, I could break through the barrier of the Duchy of Bellocchio and can teleport short distances here without being detected.”

“Then if we had just used teleportation all along, we would have avoided the hardship of traveling by carriage all the time.”

“It’s difficult to teleport you too without being detected.”

“……Fine, good for you.”

For someone who studied magic for a long time, his teleportation skill seemed mediocre. My fighting spirit vanished at Angelo’s confident appearance.

“You have to live as Elicia until you die anyway. And I have the power to protect you until you die. Don’t you feel secure?”

“Oh, that’s great…”

I tried my best to speak in the most friendly tone, as I did when dealing with Angelo before knowing the truth. Only Angelo and I were in this room, and if I did anything that didn’t please him, it was unknown what action he would take.

‘This guy and that guy.’

Is this world the problem, or are the men around me the problem? It seems like I’m only surrounded by lunatics. Furthermore, Angelo, who had been pretending to be kind all this time, seemed like a more sinister lunatic than Ian.

“Sia, but why haven’t you looked at me since earlier?”

Despite Angelo’s question, I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. It had been bothering me since earlier, but I deliberately avoided his gaze. It was because his appearance, tearfully pleading for me to like him while diligently swelling below the waist, was unfamiliar.

I even took a quick glance just now, and it looked serious, as if his pants were about to burst. I was annoyed as to why he wasn’t controlling his lower half in this serious situation, but since I couldn’t get angry, I was very frustrated.

“I need to sort out my thoughts. I want to be alone.”

“Okay. Rest up, and we’ll meet again. I’ll come back later.”

When I genuinely muttered, clutching my head in confusion, Angelo fortunately conceded.

“I won’t run away, so don’t teleport, just knock politely before opening the door and entering.”

Angelo didn’t answer but lightly stroked my head and left the room. Of course, he disappeared by teleportation this time too, instead of walking.

‘So, what am I supposed to do now?’

I sat in the chair, pulling at my hair in thought. The real me is dead. Now I was truly stuck living Elicia’s life in this world. I was sure about the first thing I needed to do. Leave Angelo. Although I don’t know if I can succeed.

‘I have to escape from Angelo and return to Ian.’

If Angelo hadn’t left behind that strange quest, pretending it was a game, I would still be at the Duchy of Bellocchio.

‘But even if I go back, will he welcome me?’

A disappointed Ian might actually chase me away. Or he might welcome me too intensely. Like breaking the ankle of the original Ethel.

“……Will I be okay?”

I lowered my gaze and looked at my ankle. Surely he won’t break my ankle too, right?

“That would be so unfair.”

At least the original Ian loved Ethel. That’s why he was possessive, controlled her, messed up her ankle, and then… whereas with me, we weren’t in love, just married and friends, so he wouldn’t do anything that cruel. No matter how much I liked Ian, such an action was unacceptable.

I didn’t know what kind of reaction Ian would have when we met again, but I at least knew what the most urgent task was now. First, I had to escape from Angelo.

***

“Sia, how is it?”

“It’s edible.”

I quickly cut the meat and nodded.

Two days had passed. We were still staying at the same inn and getting along reasonably well. Just like before I knew the truth about Angelo. Since I wasn’t trying to leave like before, he was as docile as usual.

However, if anything had changed, it was that we, who had been confined to the inn, were gradually broadening our scope of activity. We went down to the restaurant on the first floor for meals and wandered around the village to buy daily necessities. Each time, Angelo would laugh shyly to himself, saying we looked like a newlywed couple. Gross.

Angelo seemed to like this village. And he seemed to be greatly mistaken that if he waited a little longer, I would realize that I liked him. I didn’t bother to correct him. It was obvious he would deny it even if I told him the truth.

‘It will be easier to escape if Angelo is this unguarded.’

So I had to act as normal as possible. When I took a large bite of the steak, Angelo smiled pleasantly.

“Sia, how do you like staying here?”

“It’s not bad.”

“We think alike.”

Unlike Angelo, who was happy, I felt no particular emotion. Anyone else would think this was a good village to live in, not just us. It wasn’t too small, and it was suitable for selling goods because travelers frequently visited.

“So, about that…”

“……”

“……”

“Just say it.”

What on earth was he trying to say, being so hesitant? He even blushed and looked shy. I looked at him with dull eyes and picked up the water glass. I was thirsty.

“How about we start living together now?”

“Cough!”

At Angelo’s question, I accidentally spat out the water I had in my mouth. The water in my mouth splattered not only on the food on the table but also on Angelo’s face. Angelo was still smiling, as if it wasn’t dirty at all.

He even meticulously wiped around my mouth with a handkerchief instead of his own face. At that sight, I unconsciously glanced at his lower body. Fortunately, he seemed calm, probably because we were outside.

“It’s inconvenient to stay at an inn every day. I thought it would be better to buy a house in the village and live there.”

“No, well, do we really have to…”

“We were looking for a place to stay to avoid Erlian anyway. You also feel that this place is suitable, Sia.”

“That’s true, but isn’t buying a house a bit much?”

“Don’t feel burdened. Of course, I don’t plan to live here forever either.”

Unlike me, who was hesitant, Angelo was firm.

“We can live here for now, and when Erlian forgets about you later, we can go back to the Verati Empire. We can come here for a trip later. Then the house we bought here can be used as a vacation home whenever we travel.”

“Haha… You’ve planned for a very distant future. That’s amazing, isn’t it?”

I felt even more burdened. Damn it. Stop giving me that greasy look with your eyes!

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for the moment we would be together. Besides, staying at an inn is uncomfortable.”

“But I’m used to it, so it’s manageable.”

“The room is small, and we have to vacate the room every time the staff cleans.”

That was true. We had to eat on the first floor or look around the vicinity according to the staff’s cleaning time.

“Yes, we definitely need a house to live together. I should go look for one right away.”

“Already?”

“Because I want to live with you as soon as possible.”

Angelo sprang up from his seat as if he were going to buy a house immediately and held out his hand to me. I took his hand with a reluctant expression. For now, I had to comply with Angelo’s suggestions. So he would be more unguarded.

‘It’s not my money anyway.’

I decided to try to see the good side of it. I decided to put aside the burden towards Angelo, who was offering to buy a house for me.

‘I didn’t ask him to buy it first, did I?’

Couldn’t the house be resold later? And Angelo is rich. Buying a house in a small village wouldn’t be a burden for him.

“I’ll use the room next to yours, so don’t worry. Of course, if you’re okay with it, the same room…”

“No, I’m not okay with it.”

Sensing Angelo’s intention, I firmly refused before he could finish his sentence. This was because Angelo would inflate his center whenever we were alone. At first, Angelo was embarrassed by the changes in his body, but now he seemed quite bold about it. How did he control his lower half when we pretended to be friends?

Although I knew it wasn’t his intention, whenever his pants looked like they were about to burst, I would quickly send him away, pretending to wash up or be tired. Then he would reappear calmly a few tens of minutes later, or the next day.

I wouldn’t want to share a room with Angelo even if the sky fell.

I sighed and walked as Angelo led. However, strangely, our feet were headed not for the exit but for the stairs going up to the inn.

“What? You said you were going to buy a house?”

“You acted burdened, but you were secretly looking forward to it, weren’t you?”

“You were going to buy a house regardless of whether I felt burdened or not.”

“It will take some time. I need to choose a good house and decorate the interior.”

Angelo opened the door to my room and continued speaking.

“Wait for me. I’ll find a house that you’ll like.”

“Okay.”

As I went inside, the door closed. My mind felt at ease as I finally had time alone. It was stifling being with Angelo except when sleeping. I sat down on the bed and sighed quietly.

‘It was fine when I was with Ian.’

Ian was even in the same space when I slept. But it wasn’t this stifling.

‘I shouldn’t have run away from the Duke’s mansion…’

I kept regretting the past that was already gone. If I hadn’t run away, crazy over the quest, if I hadn’t insisted on divorce, I wouldn’t be going through this hardship.

If I hadn’t insisted on divorce, Ian’s ‘Awakening’ score wouldn’t have gone up, and then I wouldn’t have to worry about my ankle. Even if I was hurt by Ian only seeing me as a friend, we would still be getting along somehow.

‘What is Ian doing now?’

 It was true that I missed Ian. I had been ever since I ran away. However, I didn’t have the confidence to handle the way he was in the original game.

‘First, let’s secretly go back to the Verati Empire, assess the situation, and then decide.’

Now was the chance. I had to leave while Angelo was distracted with finding a new home. I walked back to the door and turned the knob.

Click.

I thought I had acted convincingly and played along quite well. But Angelo must not have fully trusted me. The door was securely locked, perhaps because he still suspected I would run away.

‘When can I ever escape?’

I was constantly thinking of leaving, but I lacked confidence. Angelo had excellent magic skills, whereas I had next to no magical power. It was obvious I would be caught quickly even if I ran away.

‘Should I just live here with Angelo?’

Angelo’s delusion is burdensome, but living here wouldn’t be bad. He likes me, so he’ll take extreme care of me like he is now. Maybe it would be easier to just give up. Over time, I might be able to forget Ian.

…Really?

“I must be crazy.”

I slapped my cheeks gently, regretting the nonsense I had momentarily entertained.

Angelo was the cause of everything. Yet, to consider staying by his side. I felt insane for even briefly thinking such a thing.

‘Besides, he’s a guy who constantly swells up his center when he looks at me.’

I leaned against the door and slid down to the floor. Which direction was the right path to take? I wish this place were really a game.

Someone might call me selfish, but I want Ian to find me right now. There’s no big reason. I just missed him. But I wasn’t sure if meeting Ian was the right thing to do.

Just then.