* * *

Instinctively, my hand reached for my hood, but I hesitated, feeling a little embarrassed. In a small voice, I answered.

“Do as you like.”

I wanted to ask, ‘But why do you want to lower it?’

But before I could, Ateol was already reaching out, fingers brushing against my hair and ears as he pulled back the fabric.

As the hood fell, the deep red hues of the setting sun flooded my vision.

The sudden brightness made me squint before I opened my eyes again.

Ateol was staring at me.

Again.

[Affection: Ateol]

90%

Ateol is thinking, “I want to ■■.”

W-What exactly do you want to do, you bastard?
X-
Y-If it’s ■■, then it has to be that or that, right?
Z-
AA-The kind of thing that’s a bit difficult to do outside…

I hesitated before speaking.

“Ateol.”

“Yes.”

“The second time… do you want to keep going?”

There was no one around.

Only the sound of grass rustling in the wind.

Ateol didn’t refuse my offer.

With just a little pressure from his hand on my knee, he stretched upward, and our lips met with ease.

The second—and third—kiss was gentle.

His lips, the way they pressed against mine.

There was no rush, no urgency.

If our first kiss had felt like being caught in a violent wave, this one was like being wrapped in a calm, steady current.

A warm and tender kiss.

Ateol’s peaceful emotions seemed to seep into me.

As the breeze whispered around us, he slowly pulled away and gazed at me.

His crimson eyes, now darkened like deep red bricks in the backlight, locked onto mine.

[Affection: Ateol]
91%

Ateol is thinking, “What the hell is this?”

…Why does nothing feel different from when his affection was in the 60s?!

Is this a scam?

What was that kiss just now, then?

Even I could tell it was soft and affectionate!

Or is it one of those tropes?

Where he’s the cold, ruthless, emotionally stunted male lead, and now that he’s feeling something unfamiliar, he doesn’t know what to do?

No way.

Ateol isn’t that much of an idiot.

Still… I felt oddly annoyed.

His affection level was at 91%, but his attitude didn’t change at all, so it was confusing.

I always said I trusted the system completely, but honestly, I was just barreling forward because I had no other choice.

No wonder my emotions were all over the place.

Frustrated, I pushed against Ateol’s chest.

He allowed himself to be pushed back without resistance.

I slipped out from his reach and stood up. I was about to leave when—

A sudden burst of scarlet light washed over my face.

I squinted at the brightness before remembering—I wasn’t wearing my hood.

The sunset shone down on me without restraint.

A brilliant red sun, a sky tinged in deep pink, the untouched cool gray of the east, and feathery clouds painted in soft rose.

It was beautiful enough to make me stop in my tracks.

As I stood there for a brief moment, Ateol got up as well.

“I’ll escort you back.”

“…”

“If you don’t want my company, at least take my carriage.”

“Then what about you?”

“I’ll wait here and take the next one back.”

I said nothing.

Ateol added,

“If you summon a carriage to return alone, people will think something is wrong.”

…He had a point.

It would be obvious to anyone that we had an argument.

People would definitely start talking.

There were countless eyes watching the Tower Master and the Fourth Prince.

I wasn’t happy about it, but staying here wasn’t a great option either.

After a brief hesitation, I decided to follow his suggestion.

I wasn’t sure why I was acting like this.

Why?

Maybe it was just… realizing that Ateol didn’t like me as much as his affection level suggested.

‘Wait, what?’

As soon as I put my thoughts into words, I felt ridiculous.

Why the hell do I care if Ateol likes me or not?

He’s just my lifeline, my way to survive.

Oh, crap.

That’s right…

He’s my lifeline, and I was kind of cold to him just now.

What if his affection level drops?

Can it even go down?

What do I do if it does?

Feeling a sudden wave of regret, I glanced at Ateol.

Thankfully, his affection level seemed to be intact.

Still, I should be careful.

“I’m not mad. I just…”

“I’ll be more careful next time.”

“…”

Ateol simply smiled.

After helping me into the carriage, he watched quietly as I was taken away.

I deliberately avoided looking back.

When I arrived at the Tower, Ateol’s coachman and attendant bowed politely before leaving.

Judging by their direction, they were heading back to where Ateol was.

I watched them for a moment before turning around.

“Welcome back, Tower Master.”

Cloden was waiting at the entrance.

He didn’t say anything about the fact that I had returned alone.

He simply assisted me in removing my cloak, helped me wash and change, and carried on as usual.

I thought he might have something to say, but his demeanor remained unchanged.

It was only after I had a light meal that he finally spoke.

“Tower Master, what would you like to do about the upcoming banquet? Will you be attending?”

For a moment, I tensed, thinking he was about to bring up something serious.

But it was just that.

I relaxed.

“Oh, the banquet.”

I rarely attended banquets or balls.

But if Cloden was mentioning it, it must be an important one.

What should I do?

Well… If this were my past life, I would’ve just gone without knowing a thing.

I nodded.

Cloden began, “Then…”

“Will you be attending alongside the Fourth Prince?”

I quickly nodded.

I had been hesitating, unsure whether I could say it myself, while keeping an eye on the status window.

But with Cloden speaking first, I couldn’t have been more grateful.

“Understood. Then I will send a letter.”

Sending an invitation to attend the banquet together should be enough to make up for what happened today.

From Ateol’s perspective, the atmosphere had been good—until I suddenly pushed him away and ran off.

A little while later, I heard that Ateol had received the letter, and I felt slightly relieved.

Eventually, as time passed, I drifted into sleep, only to have a rather unpleasant dream.

In the dream, I was kneeling before Ateol.

In one hand, he held a vial of poison; in the other, a sword.

The dream felt like it was from my perspective, yet it also retained all my current memories.

So the moment I saw the poison, an overwhelming fear took hold of me.

Ateol lightly extended the vial, as if offering me a piece of candy.

“Drink. It’s the easiest way. You’ll die as if falling asleep.”

“…….”

I took it without resistance.

I thought it was better than being beheaded while still alive.

But now that I think about it, getting my head chopped off would have been a much better option.

At least it would be over quickly.

People say that even after being decapitated, one remains conscious for a few seconds at most.

As time passed after drinking the poison, drowsiness overtook me.

Ateol stood motionless before me, seemingly waiting to confirm my death.

It was the familiar sensation of exhaustion after a long, tiring day—my body aching slightly as my eyelids grew heavier.

But if I fell asleep like this, it wouldn’t be rest that awaited me.

It would be death.

Death.

The end of everything.

I would never wake up again.

Terror engulfed me.

I didn’t want to die.

I didn’t want to sleep, either.

I desperately tried to keep my eyes open, to wake myself up—but in the end, they shut.

* * *