“But what will happen if I keep digging behind your back even though I promised not to?”

“That’s not like you.”

Reinhardt’s naive side was similar to Camilla’s. I remembered how desperately she tried to keep her promise, even though she didn’t like Lucia, after reading the original story.

“How long has it been since you know me?”

“I met you not long ago, but with Reinhardt, a little longer. Among the people I know, who does this man, who can’t lie, resemble?”

“It must be the former Emperor who easily told lies.”

Camilla chuckled and continued.

“Fine. I’ll value your audacity and accept your demands. From now on, I will not ask about your secrets or investigate them separately.”

* * *

After that, the three of us safely returned to the mansion.

“Since you’re not feeling well, go rest for now.”

Following Reinhardt’s strong recommendation, I did nothing and just slept. I woke up without any special dreams and saw Reinhardt’s face as he sat on the sofa reading a book.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

He noticed my gaze and lowered the book to look at me.

“Ah, come to think of it, the book cover was red. Did you see the book, not me?”

“I saw Reinhardt, not a book, and I don’t understand what the red cover has to do with anything.”

“I see. Then, did you see me holding a red book?”

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

“…No.”

Reinhardt seemed a little puzzled as he persisted.

“How is your body?”

“I think I’m okay.”

“Then, can you move?”

“Yes, but why?”

“Come with me.”

He stood up from the sofa and reached out to support me.

“I don’t need to be supported.”

Ignoring the thought that the thick vein in his hand was quite sexy, I stood up on my own while Reinhardt seemed a little flustered and walked out of the bedroom first. After following him for a while, we arrived at the basement where I had used the ‘Capture’ last time.

In the basement, there was a square, large object covered by a large cloth.

Huh. Could that be…?

“Could it be that my painting is complete?”

“Yes. I’ve been working on it in my spare time while preparing for the banquet. Would you like to see it?”

“Yes! Show me now!”

With excitement in my eyes, I nodded, and Reinhardt lifted the cloth covering the painting. How would Reinhardt’s perfect painting skills be?

“Uh…”

My eyes, which were sparkling with anticipation, became blurry. Pink hair and purple eyes, and a round face with densely packed features. I could tell that it was me in the picture, but it was just… like a drawing from an elementary school student.

‘Did he purposely draw it poorly because he didn’t want to admit how good he is at drawing?’

“Haha… There’s no need to purposely draw poorly.”

“I did my best to draw it.”

“What I meant was, you don’t have to do that anymore. I almost fell for you, but I managed to hold back.”

“…If I didn’t draw well, just say I didn’t. Don’t lie about it.”

As Reinhard responded, instead of continuing to lie, I apologized sincerely.

“… I’m sorry.”

“You almost fell for me, but you’re saying it’s the first time you’ve felt that way? And that I’m the best-looking person you’ve ever seen?”

“No, this is the first time.”

“How can I believe that?”

His face was full of suspicion. Whether my words were true or not, it wouldn’t matter to him. I didn’t understand why he cared so much.

“Really. Reinhardt is the best-looking person I’ve ever seen since I was born and the tenth… no, fifteenth man to make me flutter.”

“Fifteenth? How many men have made you flutter so far?”

Fifteen.

Reinhardt was still at the bottom since he hadn’t completely fallen for me yet. It was better not to bring it up. So, I just used my ultimate move.

“Hehe…”

“Do you think I’ll let it go because you’re smiling?”

Oh, it was not working. Let’s try to be more sincere.

“Anyway, it’s really the first time I’ve lied to you. I just didn’t want my mistake to make you feel bad.”

“….”

His eyebrows raised slightly.

What did that mean? I continued to speak to understand his mood.

“I swear, I’ll never lie to you again. Okay?”

I held out my pinky finger and begged, and his eyebrows raised again. All of a sudden, he let out a sigh and brushed his bangs.

“Huh? I told you not to do that because it looks good!”

“That was a lie. You should punish me.”

When Reinhardt said with a slightly arrogant tone and tried to wrap his finger around mine, I quickly dodged his hand and glared at him.

“Why are you trying to touch me with those big, strong hands? I’m weak to skinship. Let’s make a promise without physically touching.”

“Ah, I see.”

The look of doubt disappeared from his face. Instead, a new movement that I had never seen from him before appeared on his mouth.

…He actually pulled up the corners of his mouth and smiled.

“Well, this will be a bigger punishment then.”

While I was stunned by his smile, Reinhardt’s finger flew through the air as if catching prey. Even though I tried to dodge it, his finger grabbed mine in an instant.

“….”

Our skin touched.

Our intertwined fingers.

Even in such a small area, I could feel the clear heartbeat and then the pressure of his firm thumb. It was too stimulating for me. My heart was beating so fast it felt like it would explode, and my face was getting hot.

‘I can’t believe just our two fingers touching is this stimulating!’

“What are you doing?! You’re making my heart flutter!”

“How many times is it now? Is it still fifteen?”

“…Fourteenth?”

It was an amazing thing that made me flutter even though I didn’t have a crush on him for the fifteenth time. However, the laughter disappeared from Reinhardt’s face, who didn’t know that.

“…It was a special paint that only Tartars can see. You don’t have to worry about being revealed that you’re the person in the painting, as we usually buy a painting of an unknown demon for our soldiers.”

After finishing his harsh words, Reinhardt turned around and took the first step.

“You must be hungry from staying up late, so please go eat.”

Judging by his rough footsteps, he seemed to be quite unhappy with being the fourteenth person.

* * *

As soon as we finished eating together, Camilla said she would go back to the County of Vrelod. She had figured out who I was and the party was over, so she seemed to be getting ready to leave.

Thanks to her haste from the morning, she was all ready to leave around the afternoon.

“I’m going.”

“Yes.”

Camilla spoke coolly without a long farewell, and Reinhardt replied briefly like her son.

“Thank you in many ways. Please take care, Your Ladyship.”

She looked back at me after my sincere greeting instead of getting on the carriage. Her red lips drew a gentle arc.

“Call me ‘mother’ when you see me next time.”

Soon, the carriage left.

Looking at the carriage getting smaller and smaller, I looked up at Reinhardt standing next to me. For some reason, he was also looking at me.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I was just looking.”

“Unless there’s a reason, don’t look at me. I might fall in love.”

Reinhardt frowned his handsome eyebrows as if he couldn’t understand.

“… Didn’t you look at me, too?”

“As long as I don’t fall in love with Reinhardt, it’s okay for me to look at you.”

“Why are you so sure?”

It was because the first and last love of the male lead was always the female lead and because he was the character born to do so. Still, since I couldn’t answer directly, I only smiled.

“Hehe….”

“Even if you smile like that, it won’t work.”

“Do you want to know why I looked at you?”

“If I ask, will you answer?”

“I will answer.”

“When will you go back to the north?”

He probably didn’t go back to the north because I couldn’t face Camilla alone in the south. Although he didn’t say anything, it was something that could be easily predicted, given his personality.

“If you want me to go back to the north, I’ll go back then.”

Since the Erestein Duchy has a foothold in the north, he would have to go back whether he wanted to or not. He said he would go back if I wanted to… what did that even mean?

“I don’t understand. Why is your return to the north related to me?”

“Because it’s yours.”

“…Huh?”

—