Quietly Hiding that I am a Man chapter 145- Fake Play

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My head pounded like it was about to split open, and my whole body ached as though I had been beaten.

The chirping of birds stirred me awake, and I slowly opened my eyes.

The sight before me made my breath catch—it was no labyrinth, but a dense, verdant forest.

Was I dreaming?

Dazed, I sat there until a booming voice behind me made my lips part in surprise.

“Lady Maya!”

Maya?

The sound of hoofbeats followed, and a knight clad in strangely designed armor appeared before me.

Unlike me, still struggling to grasp the situation, the knight had a grave expression as he knelt on one knee.

“We’ve succeeded in temporarily subduing Mephisto.”

“…”

“But the final seal must be performed by you, Lady Maya.”

I barely had time to process him calling me “Maya” before my head began to throb again.

The vivid surroundings and the searing pain made it clear—this wasn’t a dream.

A flood of thoughts raced through my mind, but only one seemed plausible.

‘Could this be Maya’s memory, as remembered by Belges?’

The second riddle had been solved thanks to the play, but it seemed Belges had become so immersed in the performance that he now mistook me for Maya and trapped me within his memories.

My face paled, and I clenched my fists tightly.

‘Which means… I won’t be able to escape until Belges decides to let me out.’

A sigh escaped me without thinking.

This seemed far harder than earning applause from those spectral beings earlier.

Trying to stay calm, I began to assess the situation.

If this world was indeed a grand play and Belges its audience, then what ending was he hoping to see?

‘In Belges’s final memory, Maya must have met a tragic end at the hands of Mephisto.’

An old illustration from a forgotten tome sprang to mind.

Maya had sacrificed herself to stop Mephisto’s rampage.

Belges must have regretted that moment for the rest of his life.

A black bird flitting above me caught my attention. It seemed to be observing me.

Staring at it for a moment, I turned and walked away.

This felt like the end of Act One and the beginning of Act Two.

‘I’ll show him a different ending. The one he always wanted to see.’

---

After grasping the situation, I followed the knight to a forward base where the army was gathered.

As soon as I entered the tent, familiar faces greeted me, and I couldn’t help but smile in relief.

“Carlisle, Luke!”

The two, engaged in a serious conversation, turned their heads simultaneously.

I felt a wave of relief knowing I wasn’t the only one trapped in this memory.

Luke, wearing his usual disinterested expression, spoke first.

“Of course, you’re here as well.”

“What’s going on? Where’s Jerome?”

“I’m not sure why you’d ask me. Even if I knew, I wouldn’t be obligated to answer.”

I flinched at Luke’s curt reply and lowered my head.

He had a point—this was all part of a trial to select the most outstanding guild.

Without any guarantee of personal gain, Flare had no reason to help Luna.

Luke let out a sigh as he watched me squirm before continuing in an annoyed tone.

“If you think about it, it’s obvious. I, once a priest, have become the priest again. Carlisle, who played the hero, is now the hero. Jerome? He has likely taken on a similar role to ours.”

“…”

“Jerome has become Mephisto, the being who once brought the empire to ruin.”

Luke’s explanation made my heart sink.

Running a hand through his hair with a weary expression, he added,

“I’ve been thinking about why Belges trapped us here at this particular moment. It seems he wants Mephisto’s complete destruction. He wants to see an ending different from reality.”

“And?”

“In this memory, we have to kill Mephisto completely.”

The unexpected twist made me frown instinctively.

“What are you talking about? That’s not possible. Jerome might actually die!”

“Wouldn’t it be better for one of us to sacrifice ourselves than to remain trapped in this labyrinth forever?”

“Don’t talk like that.”

I glared fiercely at Luke, who chuckled dryly and walked past me, leaning close enough to whisper.

“Foolish, naive Sacrean…”

“…”

“Let me know when you finally manage to control your emotions instead of letting them drag you around. Stop being such a nuisance to everyone around you.”

He brushed past me, shoving my shoulder slightly, and exited the tent.

The thought of possibly having to kill Jerome left my mind reeling.

I hadn’t even confessed my feelings yet—how could I let him die here?

Tears welled up in my eyes despite my efforts to hold them back. C

arlisle, observing me quietly, spoke with a gentle hint of amusement.

“Luke may be harsh, but dying in this memory won’t kill us in reality. You’ve noticed, haven’t you? Jerome isn’t like us anymore. He’s completely lost his sense of self.”

“…Lost his sense of self?”

---

Jeanne stared at Carlisle in shock.

Carlisle nodded slightly, gesturing for Jeanne to follow him.

Without a word, Jeanne followed as Carlisle stepped out of the tent.

Carlisle, who had fetched a horse from somewhere, finally spoke.

“It’s better if you see it for yourself.”

Carlisle helped Jeanne onto the horse and climbed up behind him.

The weight of Carlisle leaning against Jeanne’s back pushed him forward slightly.

Carlisle handed Jeanne the reins, then placed his own hands over Jeanne’s.

His large, sun-kissed hands were so warm they bordered on hot.

Resting his chin on Jeanne’s shoulder, Carlisle murmured softly.

“By the way, is it safe to ride a horse while pregnant?”

The sudden comment made Jeanne instinctively turn his head.

Carlisle’s gaze was searching, as if confirming something, which made Jeanne flinch momentarily.

He frowned deeply, pushing Carlisle’s face off his shoulder.

“Pregnant? Where on earth did you hear such nonsense? I wouldn’t… there’s no way I’d do something like that.”

The cold gleam in Carlisle’s eyes softened, replaced by a faint smile.

He spurred the horse, and it let out a sharp neigh before galloping across the wide plain.

As the horse sped along, Carlisle began to hum a cheerful tune, his voice lighthearted as he muttered.

“That damn Jerome. I’ll have to beat some sense into him later.”

“Don’t hit him!”

“Shut up. I will.”

The horse carried them to a quiet lakeside.

Carlisle dismounted first, taking hold of the reins as he walked forward.

Jeanne’s jaw dropped at the massive figure gradually revealed between the trees.

“That’s…”

“Yes. It’s Mephisto, the Archdemon, in his true form.”

The creature was enormous, its colossal body covered in coarse, black fur.

Its ribs protruded grotesquely, curling inward and leaving parts of its skeleton visible.

The monstrous being before them matched the Mephisto Jeanne had seen in the past.

Bound by an artifact, the creature let out a strange sound, twisting its body in discomfort.

Around the lake, mercenaries shuddered in fear, their courage failing.

Carlisle, who had been idly touching the sword at his waist, spoke up.

“Whether it’s fortunate or unfortunate, Jerome doesn’t remember anything right now. Whenever I try to talk to him, all I get is growling.”

“……”
“That’s not Jerome anymore. It’s just a monster pulled from Belges’s memories.”

“No, that’s definitely Jerome.”

Carlisle turned to look at Jeanne, his expression unreadable.

Jeanne clenched his fists tightly and continued.

“I know Jerome better than anyone. That’s not a monster—it’s Jerome.”

“And how would you know that?”
“Because Jerome and I are connected by our souls.”

Carlisle opened his mouth to speak, then abruptly moved, pulling Jeanne into his arms.

Boom!

A deafening noise filled the air as flocks of birds scattered in panic.

The mercenaries guarding the lakeside shouted at the top of their lungs.

“Damn it, everyone, fall back!”

The artifact restraining the monster cracked, threatening to shatter completely.

Jeanne tried to push Carlisle away, but he held firm, wrapping an arm around Jeanne’s waist.

His expression turned grim.

“You’re deluded. Love alone can’t save anyone. If you go over there now, you’re throwing your life away.”

“I don’t care.”

The words escaped Jeanne’s lips before he realized it, making him pause.

‘I don’t care.’

It was completely at odds with the conviction he’d held—that he would never pursue a love that cost him more than it gave.

The monster twisted its body, crying out in apparent agony, bound by the artifact.

Watching it, Jeanne’s chaotic thoughts settled into an odd clarity.

“Carlisle, I’ve decided to follow the values I believe in.”

“……”

“No matter what anyone else says, I’ll pursue what I think is right.”

The fear that Jerome’s feelings might not match his own suddenly seemed laughable.

And even if they didn’t align, what did it matter?

Whether Jerome loved him or not was irrelevant.

Jeanne couldn’t forget that boy who had once stood pale and trembling at his mother’s side, or the hand that had shaded his sleeping face from the sun, or the rare, boyish smile that sometimes appeared on Jerome’s face.

He would do it over and over again.

“I want to save him.”

The words slipped out as Jeanne lifted his head.

Carlisle’s face was etched with despair. Jeanne turned away from Carlisle, his silence heavy, and began walking.

While the mercenaries fled from the monstrous creature, Jeanne ran toward it.

He sprinted forward, his breath hitching as his lungs burned.

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