WAV 11

“Ah-choo! Ah-choo, ugh…!”

The moment I stepped into the hallway, the sneezes I had been holding back burst out one after another.

From now on, be careful around flowers. Absolutely.

I had just learned something new about this body — it had a pollen allergy.

I had guessed it while sitting in the reception room because my throat kept itching. But now that the symptoms were clearly this strong, irritation rose inside me.

“Seriously, why wasn’t something this important written in the novel? Do they know how dangerous anaphylactic shock is— ah-choo!”

Barely stopping my coughing, I sniffed and grumbled in complaint.

This was all because of the second male lead I had just met.

You’ve known someone for thirteen years and you don’t even know your friend has a flower allergy?

I remembered Vincent’s face right before I left the reception room.

His golden eyes had trembled like a candle in the wind, and his face had turned pale.

He looked like someone who had just been struck hard.

As if he truly had no idea about Edith’s allergy.

It seemed to shock him quite a bit…

Well, that could have been acting too.

In the novel, Vincent only used his powers at the Gate site or in front of the female lead.

Because of childhood trauma, he was extremely afraid of losing control.

Maybe the “childhood friend” setting with Edith was just there to deepen the villainess’s inferiority complex.

Maybe they weren’t actually that close. Maybe their families just met often…

As I thought about that, I frowned.

“Then why did he come to see me and cause such a scene?”

He had said the “flower rain” only happened when he went on dates with the female lead.

From the looks of it, he probably came to check on me after I survived death and to ask about Ruelin’s whereabouts.

Unless he intentionally triggered my allergy, there was no other explanation.

“Don’t tell me…”

Suddenly, I remembered the way he had shouted at me desperately.

—

“Who… who said that? Which bastard said something like that…!”

“It was just an accident! The Gate… the situation wasn’t good! Look, you’re alive in the end!”

—

After the villainess’s death, the male leads supposedly felt some guilt for ignoring her while focusing only on the female lead.

If Vincent had come out of some twisted sense of guilt and tried to cheer me up with his powers…

“Ha!”

A hollow laugh escaped me.

Considering all the harsh words he had thrown at me, it would be more believable if he had simply pretended not to know and tried to assassinate me.

But if I were the real Edith, I probably would have been happy no matter the allergy.

That thought suddenly annoyed me.

“Do you have no pride at all? What’s so great about a guy like that— ah-choo!”

Another sneeze burst out, and I scrunched up my face.

Ugh, this won’t do. I need to get to my room and wash up quickly.

I hurried forward.

I had just reached the central lobby when—

“Oh…”

A tall figure walked in through the wide-open front door.

It was Ethan Blake.

It seemed he had just returned from Eugenia. He was still dressed in outdoor clothes.

As he walked forward with a cold air around him, our eyes met directly.

His smooth brow immediately wrinkled deeply.

Damn. Terrible timing.

Neither of us wanted to run into each other.

If that crazy Vincent hadn’t grabbed me at the end and spouted nonsense, we wouldn’t have met.

But since he had already seen me, I couldn’t just ignore him and leave.

I gave a slight nod and quickly stepped onto the stairs.

“You’re already walking around?”

A low voice stopped me.

When I turned my head, clear blue eyes were staring straight at me.

Looks like he met Ruelin and came back.

I slowly stopped and faced him.

Ethan’s blue eyes looked similar to Edith’s at first glance, but upon closer inspection they were lighter and more transparent.

Like ice crystals — just like his ability.

Both my legs work fine. Why wouldn’t I walk?

I was about to answer simply when the butler beside him spoke first.

“Well… Young Marquis Leandro came to visit. He said he wanted to see the young lady…”

“Vincent Leandro?”

Ethan repeated the full name of the second male lead, and the crease between his brows deepened.

After scanning me sharply, he twisted one corner of his lips.

“Have you stopped pretending to have amnesia?”

“Th-the young lady was informed about the young marquis by me. She has been trying all day to recover her memories—”

The butler hurried to explain.

Thanks to him, I didn’t have to defend myself.

Vincent and now this guy… why are they so obsessed with my amnesia?

And always in a tone that sounded like they were picking a fight.

Is it because they think I’ll claim innocence? Or because they’re worried I’ll endanger the female lead again?

There was no proof that Edith had tried to drag Ruelin into a Gate to kill her. It was only an accusation.

If there had been evidence, I wouldn’t be standing here. I’d be in the underground prison of the Imperial Security Bureau, charged with attempted murder of the only purifier and treason against national security.

Of course, even if they treated me like a criminal, I had no intention of admitting anything.

Shouldn’t they actually be grateful that I’m pretending to have amnesia?

What if I expose that you abandoned your duty as awakened ones and failed to save a civilian?

Annoyed, I looked him up and down the way he had done to me earlier.

When I stayed silent, Ethan frowned.

“Why are you staring like that?”

“I was wondering if you just returned from Eugenia.”

“How would you—”

His brow twitched before his tone turned cold.

“You claim you have no memory, yet you seem to know my whereabouts quite well.”

He looked thoroughly sick of me.

Perhaps he had long grown disgusted by Edith’s past obsession and interference.

To me, it was simply ridiculous.

I don’t even want to know, okay?

I had read the novel, and among the servants, his movements weren’t exactly a secret.

“I just… figured it out on my own.”

Instead of explaining, I shrugged sarcastically.

His eyes widened for a moment.

It was the same phrase he had thrown at me yesterday.

“You…”

“Did you happen to meet the purifier there?”

I cut him off before he could say something unpleasant.

“What?”

“I’m asking if you saw Purifier Ruelin.”

Just hearing her name made his expression harden.

“Why are you asking about Ruelin?”

“Because the young Marquis Leandro asked me about her whereabouts.”

“….”

“I said I didn’t know, but he didn’t seem convinced.”

At my indifferent answer, his eyes twitched slightly.

Perhaps he finally realized he was overreacting to someone who supposedly had amnesia.

After a short silence—

“…I didn’t see her.”

He answered reluctantly.

“I didn’t go to Eugenia to meet her.”

“I see.”

Whether he met the female lead or not, I didn’t really care.

“Then could you tell her that I’m innocent?”

Being a high-grade awakened was convenient.

I could already hear footsteps approaching down the corridor.

I glanced in that direction and continued,

“He doesn’t even seem to believe that I only woke up yesterday and stepped outside for the first time today.”

At my calm voice, the approaching footsteps suddenly stopped.

He must have heard everything. He was an S-rank awakened too.

“Well then.”

After a brief nod, I walked past Ethan and started up the central stairs.

I was already exhausted. Facing both male leads at once? Absolutely not.

That’s when—

“Wait.”

Suddenly, Ethan grabbed my shoulder.

“—!”

Startled, my eyes widened as he frowned and asked quickly,

“Did you come into contact with flowers?”

“…What?”

Before I could process the question, he suddenly reached out toward me.

What? Is he going to hit—?!

I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut.

I braced for impact.

Tap.

A faint touch brushed past the side of my hair and fell away.

It was quick and careful, almost as if he had tried not to touch me at all.

“You have a pollen allergy.”

“….”

“You would have reacted immediately even with slight contact. Did you not know?”