* * *

“I’m fine… It was just a moment of dizziness. My attendant is outside.”

“Shall I call them?”

“No, Sir Nezer should escort you. Isn’t that the proper thing to do?”

I smiled faintly, though I could feel the stiffness in my facial muscles—likely a reflection of my inner feelings.

Still, the tension probably added to the illusion of frailty.

With that weak smile, I shook my head slowly, as though it even pained me to speak.

“No… It’s fine. I wouldn’t want to trouble anyone…”

I don’t want to go anywhere with him.

“Then I’ll escort him.”

“?”

“What?”

Just as someone was about to fetch my attendant, a familiar voice rang out.

At that moment, something dropped from the upper floor with a thud.

I saw a hand gripping the railing, but it soon slipped as though by accident, leaving the figure dangling precariously.

“Ahhh!”

“Sir Klen!”

“Be careful! That’s the third floor!”

Nezer hurried to pull him up.

Klen, who had been flailing at the edge like a fish caught in a net, was yanked back onto the floor.

After lying there momentarily, he sat up and grinned brightly when our eyes met.

Wasn’t he supposed to be dining with eldest brother-in-law?

Did he finish and come here instead?

“Were you napping here to avoid Fabian again?”

Ah, so he’s been slacking off.

Klen offered no defense, only stretching exaggeratedly as if confirming the accusation.

Whether genuine or not, his movements felt overly theatrical, like someone putting on a show.

“Ahaha… Anyway, he is my spouse, so I’ll take him with me.”

He rubbed his back and shoulders as if in pain from hitting the floor, laughing in an awkward and slightly foolish way.

Strangely enough, at times like this, it felt like his true nature was on display.

Klen approached me and extended a hand.

Only then did I take his hand and rise to my feet.

Of course, I didn’t forget to stumble slightly, but I gently pushed away the hand that tried to steady me, politely declining his assistance.

“I’m fine now. I can walk on my own.”

“Hmm… Are you really sure about that?”

“Please be careful.”

The people around us nodded as if they fully understood why I refused his help. The gazes I met were filled with concern.

Klen picked up the book that had fallen to the floor and glanced at its cover.

His eyes widened slightly as he gave me a brief look but soon brushed the dust off the book indifferently.

Then, he handed it to Neser.

Neser, who had been glaring at the thick book as if it were his mortal enemy, reluctantly accepted it.

“Well, we’ll be on our way then.”

“Take care.”

Even though I refused his help earlier, I couldn’t bring myself to reject the hand he offered now.

I cautiously took Klen’s hand and began walking.

The ruckus we caused in the previously quiet library had drawn everyone’s attention.

Some people were even whispering while looking our way.

There was no point in paying attention to such trivial matters now.

I pretended not to notice and blocked out their voices.

As we exited the library, a waiting attendant spotted me and approached.

However, he stopped dead in his tracks after only a few steps.

“… Huh?”

He froze, blinking as if he had forgotten his manners.

I had entered the library alone, but now I was leaving with someone else.

And not just anyone—his shock seemed to deepen as he realized who the person beside me was: Klen Valuncio.

The attendant tilted his head slightly, as if questioning his own memory.

“I’ll go with him. You return ahead.”

“Ah, yes, understood!”

The attendant quickly bowed and left without further hesitation, though he glanced back a few times as if unsure whether this was really happening.

Even though I wasn’t leaning on him, Klen didn’t let go of my hand.

As we walked, the stares of passersby fixed on our clasped hands.

Instead of hiding it, he walked even more confidently, as if deliberately flaunting it.

Was he trying to play the part of a loving husband?

I could cooperate with that—it wasn’t as if it mattered.

After all, we were married.

“Don’t let Neser’s words bother you too much.”

It wasn’t until we had walked far enough from the library that no one was around that Klen spoke again.

Apparently, he had overheard the entire conversation earlier.

“He is overly loyal to my older brother and sometimes takes his actions too far.”

“…”

I kept silent and stared at him intently.

Perhaps because Neser was the knight of Klen’s eldest brother, his reaction was unexpectedly calm.

Judging by his words, it seemed likely that he or others around him had faced similar incidents before.

“I’ll make sure to have a word with him.”

“… Alright.”

Would he really say something?

Or would he let it slide, as his mild demeanor suggested?

Maybe he’d avoid confronting Neser to maintain his image.

At times like this, I couldn’t help but question whether this man was truly the same Count Klen Valuncio from the novel.

Where had the cold and calculating personality that struck fear into the protagonist gone?

If he was suppressing his true nature and acting, it was almost admirable.

Why would he go to such lengths?

To avoid conflict?

I disliked conflict myself.

If my goal had been to install Klen as the count, I might have devised a scheme to trouble Neser and his master.

Or settled it with skill outright.

But that wasn’t the case, so for now, I stayed quiet.

“Adrian, are you interested in rituals?”

Breaking the awkward silence, Klen subtly changed the subject.

He must have noticed the book cover earlier and deduced that I had been researching rituals.

“I am. Because I lack talent in magic.”

It was a plausible excuse—a good one, even.

After all, I couldn’t tell him the truth.

How would he react if I admitted I was investigating whether teleportation rituals were being drawn near the forest entrance?

“I heard the Caldrich family is renowned for their swordsmanship…”

“Yes. That might be why I lack talent in magic.”

Of course, there’s no rule that a great magician can’t come from a swordsmanship family.

There’s no proven link between the two.

It’s just that swordsmanship families often focus on swords from an early age, leaving little room for an interest in magic.

Judging by his silence, he seemed to accept the explanation.

Klen, who had been walking quietly, suddenly stopped.

I had no choice but to stop as well, since we were still holding hands.

“One last thing.”

Klen’s low voice carried unexpected weight.

“You are not Adrian Caldrich. You are Adrian Valuncio.”

“…!”

I hadn’t expected him to call me out on that, and my hand trembled involuntarily.

His gaze was sharp and piercing, colder than usual, sending chills through my body.

Just as I felt frozen in place, he closed his eyes briefly, concealing that icy intensity.

When he opened them again, the frost was gone.

“Understood?”

Klen smiled faintly, his usual absentminded and slightly foolish grin.

Yet my body, stiffened with tension, showed no sign of relaxing.

Even the act of nodding felt sluggish and mechanical, without a hint of pretense.

* * *