* * *

When I opened them again, the scene was familiar.

Dim streetlights, a wide road with barely any passing cars, traffic lights…

Unlike now, back then, I had no choice but to drink.

But I wasn’t drunk.

Just slightly buzzed, and even that faded once the cold wind hit me.

I had work the next day.

My boss never showed up to work.

That bastard. I cursed him under my breath as I stepped onto the crosswalk—right when the loud roar of an engine echoed from one corner of the intersection.

A reckless driver speeding through the early morning.

I thought nothing of it and continued crossing.

But then, a truck suddenly swerved at full speed from the intersection.

Drunk driving?

Drowsy driving?

Maybe the driver thought no one was around.

Either way, the truck was moving far too fast.

By the time my brain registered the danger, it was already too late—the truck had slammed into me.

The pain was unbearable, as if my entire body was being shattered.

But luckily, I died instantly before I had time to fully process it.

The dream didn’t end there.

This time, I was standing at the edge of a cliff.

What?

I’ve never died like this before.

Someone stood in front of me, speaking.

But I couldn’t make out the words.

I could hear them, but they were unintelligible—like a corrupted text file being read aloud.

Then, one sentence came through clearly.

“You’re mine now.”

I took a step back in hesitation—and fell.

At first, I tumbled violently, hitting tree branches and rocks.

Then, suddenly, I was just free-falling into endless darkness.

And that was far worse than being struck.

It felt as though my body was wrapped in thin strings, tightening, squeezing—I had never experienced such a sensation before.

I kept falling, endlessly, until my eyes snapped open.

My body was drenched in cold sweat.

As I pulled off the blanket, an unbearable chill rushed in—impossible to believe it was summer.

I gasped for air, fumbling for my tranquilizers.

Seeing how few were left, I worried about what to tell Cloden and Eretto.

Curled up, I waited for the medicine to take effect.

Given that I’d had two consecutive death dreams, I must have been more anxious than I realized.

…The favorability score.

It didn’t drop after I left, did it?

I was already stressed that it had been climbing steadily toward 90% but had now stalled.

I checked the status window in a hurry.

Thankfully, it was unchanged.

I glanced at the gauge.

Still around 80%.

The thought of what happens when it drops below half made me shudder.

I had to manage this carefully.

Curled up in bed, my mind wandered—to my dream, my condition, the banquet, and, mostly, Ateol.

Unconsciously, I touched my lips.

A kiss… It wasn’t my first.

I had kissed someone before, though I couldn’t remember who.

Had I even had time for romance?

My life had been too busy for even social media.

Well, if I don’t even recall it, it must not have been anything serious.

The fact that only the kiss remains in my memory is odd, but I’ll let it go.

What role did Ateol play in the novel?

From what I read, he was merely an extra.

But I dropped the book fairly early on—he could’ve been an important character later.

Maybe even the protagonist’s loyal aide.

It was a typical fantasy novel, so he probably wasn’t the main love interest.

Besides, I only learned after coming here that this world even had such relationships.

Still, at the very least, they must have shared a strong bond, right?

If I end up taking Ateol for myself… does that mean I’m stealing both the fake protagonist’s role and the real protagonist’s person?

That’s complicated.

I feel a little guilty, but… I refuse to die again.

I’m sick of it.

Being taken away from someone…

No, wait.

I’m the one who took him.

I frowned.

The selfishness of human nature is truly frightening.

Pulling the blanket up to my chin, I grabbed the book at my bedside.

It was still early morning, but I knew I wouldn’t be getting any more sleep.

“Reply? Already?”

The response to my invitation arrived almost instantly.

If this were a messenger app, the reply came the moment the ‘read’ notification disappeared.

Reading the letter Cloden handed me, I found the contents brief again.

“You didn’t seem to like yesterday’s location much. Shall we go somewhere better today?”

Hmm.

I was relieved the favorability score hadn’t dropped, but I was even more relieved that Ateol showed no sign of being upset.

The place he suggested was a large marketplace near the imperial palace.

Like my outing with Bell, we planned to leave quietly in casual clothes.

It wasn’t a bad idea.

Unlike before, we took a carriage out through the palace’s main gate.

The crest of a reasonably well-known noble family adorned the carriage, but no one paid it much attention.

As we rode down the grand boulevard toward the market, I took in the lively atmosphere.

Stacks of bright red and yellow fruit, the scent of bread and oil wafting through the air, sparkling accessories, fabrics, sausages hanging from stalls—

It looked just like the European markets I had seen in countless pictures.

“Yuri, this way.”

Ateol led me into an alleyway.

Having only ever wandered the main roads of the market, I tilted my head, wondering where we were headed.

Slipping between a butcher shop and a store selling salted fish, we entered an unexpectedly spacious alley.

It seemed to be behind the marketplace.

I walked along the uneven stone pavement, glancing around in curiosity.

There was a different kind of excitement compared to when I went out with Bell.

Between the colorful walls and staircases, small shops lined the alley—flower shops, cafés, bakeries, and stores selling handcrafted goods.

Ateol seemed to know many quiet and beautiful alleys like this.

“Do you not come to places like this often?”

“Hmm… This is my first time in an alley like this.”

Bell had always taken me to more crowded areas, so even if we passed through places like this, it was only briefly.

It was my first time actually going into the shops, drinking something, and enjoying the atmosphere.

It was quite fun—until a certain point.

As I was about to turn to Ateol after catching the scent of freshly baked egg tarts, I froze in place.

A person in a hood was passing by in the distance.

Slender frame, average height.

Despite the summer heat, they wore a long robe.

As they moved quickly through the alley, they glanced around—just a casual sweep of their surroundings, not specifically at me.

But at that moment, their hood shifted slightly, revealing their face.

My breath caught.

A sharp, jarring impact struck my heart, leaving behind a cold, lingering shock.

My legs nearly gave out.

That face—how could I ever forget it?

The one who looked eerily similar to me.

The one who stood behind Ateol when he came to kill me.

My mind went blank.

Was I imagining things?

No.

Before I could react, the person vanished into the crowd.

But I was sure of it.

That was the real Yuri.

The true master of the Tower, who had returned with Ateol.

“…Ateol!”

Ateol, who had been looking at a bakery, turned at my urgent voice.

Without another thought, I grabbed his wrist and dragged him deeper into the alley, where no one else was around.

Though I shouldn’t have been strong enough to pull him, he didn’t resist.

After confirming that we were alone, I yanked him closer by the collar and stood on my toes to kiss him.

I had to raise his affection for me.

Quickly.

Raise it high enough to reveal that I wasn’t actually the real Yuri—so that I could beg him for help.

Otherwise, I would die.

Flashes of my repeated deaths from last night’s dream flickered through my mind.

As I desperately pressed my lips against his, Ateol suddenly pulled away.

I stared at him with desperation.

At some point, my hood had fallen off.

* * *