* * *

“What should we do? Hail, you just lost to me in terms of looks.”

“Mmph!”

Hey, let me go! At least give me a chance to explain!

As Delcia laughed smugly, I twisted my body, finally managing to escape Baek Yigang’s grip.

I clumsily avoided his gaze as I stammered out an excuse.

“N-no, I just thought Delcia looked particularly dazzling today… That’s all…”

“Don’t worry. Dowoon. Hail isn’t petty enough to get upset over something like this, right?”

My pitiful eyes betrayed my panic.

Delcia, noticing this, continued to snicker as she waved her hand dismissively.

Baek Yigang silently took a seat beside me—Delcia’s previous spot.

She had conveniently moved to the opposite side.

“Leave. Your presence here is becoming inconvenient.”

After glaring at Delcia with his usual stoic expression, Baek Yigang finally spoke in a low tone.

Delcia, looking satisfied, immediately stood up and waved.

“Alright, alright! See you later, Dowoon, after the engagement ceremony!”

Oh, right.

Once the Emperor collapses during the ceremony, things will be hectic.

Maybe I should prepare a teleportation circle so she can leave on her own.

Just as the thought struck me, I grabbed Delcia’s hand as she walked past.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to grab you suddenly.”

Flustered, I quickly tried to let go, but Delcia clasped my hand with her other one.

“No, it’s fine. Hold on as long as you like.”

She smiled brightly, her mood seemingly lifted even more.

What was making her so happy all of a sudden?

In any case, I engraved the teleportation circle onto the back of her hand.

“I infused only enough mana for the magic circle to activate once, so it’s unlikely anyone will notice the traces of magic.”

After all, teleportation magic circles often get used for dubious purposes, so it was best to avoid detection.

Moreover, Delsia was not a mage but a regular member of the imperial family, which made it even more critical to keep it hidden.

Besides, this magic circle… well, to be fair, its purpose wasn’t entirely noble either.

In any case, there was nothing to gain from being caught.

“The activation phrase for the magic circle is ‘Delcia Rietri.’

When you say your name, the circle will activate and transport you to the Imperial Palace of Arthe.

It only responds to your voice, so be careful not to say it accidentally.”

After explaining how to use it and emphasizing the importance of secrecy, Delsia gently brushed his hand over the back of his hand, a look of deep gratitude in his eyes.

“…I’ll make sure to watch over your engagement ceremony. I know it must’ve been overwhelming, but thank you for trusting and helping me. It wouldn’t have been possible without you.”

Warm, earnest green eyes fixed on me.

For the first time since my possession, I heard a genuine expression of gratitude, untainted and sincere.

A chill ran down my spine as if time had stopped for a moment, but unfortunately, Delsia was merely a supporting character, not the protagonist.

His gratitude didn’t change anything.

I mean, honestly, these kinds of thanks should be directed at Baek Yigang instead of me.

Still, when I fulfilled the desires of the characters in this world, moments like these—genuine, heartfelt gratitude—came my way.

Which means Baek Yigang’s turn isn’t far off.

After all, his final wish—ascending to the throne—is just around the corner!

I’ll make sure to hear his gratitude, even if only to justify all the suffering I’ve endured until now!

“See you later, Dowoon!”

Delsia left the parlor with a soft smile, and only then did I turn to face Baek Yigang, who had been behind me the entire time.

At a glance, his expression seemed unchanged, but if you looked closely, his mental state seemed completely twisted.

“Is that kind of face your type?”

I had my suspicions, but seeing him go out of his way to make a pointed comment confirmed it.

He’s surprisingly possessive and, dare I say it… jealous?

…Wait. Jealous? Baek Yigang?

“Baek Yigang, are you jealous right now?”

As he sipped his tea, Baek Yigang narrowed his eyes and gave me a sidelong glance.

For a moment, his violet eyes silently swallowed me whole, exuding an air of indifference.

“So you really like me, huh? I thought you were just saying it.”

If he was going to play it cool, then so would I.

After all, I’m not the one angling for marriage here—he is.

If anyone should be desperate and clinging, it’s him.

Baek Yigang’s gaze swept over me with interest at my newfound confidence.

A faint smirk played on his lips as he drained the last of his tea.

“Do I really need to say it out loud?”

His sly response caught me off guard.

I thought I’d been shameless, but compared to Baek Yigang, I still had a long way to go.

I’d have to work on that.

Not that he denied it. He didn’t confess outright either.

Of course, if I asked him to say it, he probably would, but if it didn’t come from him willingly, it wouldn’t mean much.

“Anna said something interesting. She thinks you need to experience a brutal rejection at least once.”

To be fair, Anna hadn’t said it to me directly.

It was one of those things she often muttered under her breath, which I’d happened to overhear.

Not that I could have missed it.

Ever since I showed up with a few scars on my face, she’d been practically chanting that strange mantra like she’d been cursed by some cult.

“What do you think?”

“I mean, she’s not wrong. People only truly understand things by experiencing them firsthand.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Uh-oh.

I’d only meant it as a joke, but Baek Yigang’s face suggested otherwise.

His resolute expression made me uneasy.

I’d better warn Anna to avoid being alone with him for a while.

She’s my only maid—losing her would be troublesome.

Anyway, it was about time to move.

First, I needed to head to the dressing room to prepare for the engagement ceremony.

“Shall we go?”

I turned to Baek Yigang, signaling for him to get up, but he checked his watch and shook his head slowly.

“There’s still time. Let’s eat first.”

He called for Anna, who’d been waiting outside, and instructed her to bring in the meal.

Not long after, Anna and Asel entered, carrying trays laden with food.

When did they prepare all this? And the menu…

“Everything’s exactly what I like?”

The dishes were all heavy on meat, with a few undressed tomato salads scattered here and there.

Clearly, the meal had been tailored for me.

Baek Yigang wasn’t particularly fond of meat, so it couldn’t have been for him.

“Delsia said eating too much would make your stomach stick out.”

I didn’t want to look too pleased, so I tried to play it cool.

But Baek Yigang’s gaze dropped to my stomach.

Hey, no need to stare so blatantly!

Propping his chin on his hand, his lips curled into a sly smile.

“So what? I’m the only one who’ll see it anyway.”

“Cough!”

What kind of nonsense is that?!

Startled, I choked on my tea, hastily sipping more to recover.

My face felt hot.

Judging by the faint blush reflecting off the glassware, it wasn’t just my imagination.

Does Baek Yigang take classes in delivering lines like these?

How does every word out of his mouth hit so perfectly?

“Wait… are you with me for my body?”

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking that? You couldn’t take your eyes off me earlier.”

When I pointed to my chest in mock indignation, he scoffed as if the idea were absurd.

“That’s because you suddenly took off your shirt right in front of me!”

“Clearly, you don’t realize it, but I’ve got a pretty decent body.”

“Oh, really? Let’s see.”

Before I could stop him, Baek Yigang reached out and firmly grasped my chest through my shirt.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!”

He kneaded my chest briefly before letting go with a smooth chuckle.

“Still soft, though.”

Unbelievable.

That’s the third time someone’s called my chest soft since I got stuck in this ridiculous world.

When will it stop?!

“Why are you randomly groping people?!”

“Because it looked tempting.”

“What kind of excuse is that…?”

Resigning myself to the absurdity, I began eating the meal in front of me.

After all the back-and-forth, my stomach felt emptier than ever.

But Delsia’s earlier comment kept echoing in my mind, and I couldn’t bring myself to eat too much.

“You’re not eating enough. This isn’t like you,” Baek Yigang said, frowning.

Then, as if to emphasize his point, he speared a piece of meat with his fork and held it to my lips.

“Do you think I’m a pig or something?”

“Aren’t you?”

His low chuckle reverberated, teasing me like a haunting melody.

Damn Baek Yigang.

* * *