Quietly Hiding that I am a Man chapter 165- Fake Paradise

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“I remember! I know who Camille is!”

“Geez, if you remember, just say it calmly. Why the outburst?”

“Haha, I guess I’m getting old. I can’t believe I forgot about someone like him.”

Ber scratched his head awkwardly as I stared at him curiously.

Who could elicit such a reaction?

The baby dragon-like Ber revealed his tiny fangs and exclaimed.

“Camille the Gold Dragon! The divine beast closest to Maya and as revered as a former king among dragonkind!”

“How could you forget someone so important?”

“Well, Gold Dragons change their names and appearances every time they shed their human form. I hadn’t seen him since visiting him centuries ago. He also lives in seclusion deep in the forest.”

So he didn’t recognize Camille’s name because he hadn’t heard it in centuries.

Ber plopped onto my lap and flapped his wings thoughtfully before muttering quietly.

“Now it makes sense. If it’s him, he might’ve glimpsed your future.”

“My future?”

“Gold Dragons possess prophetic abilities. In the past, Camille used those powers to aid the Kaisar Empire during its wars. They say even the slightest future events are clear to his eyes.”

The memory of a mysterious man in the audience during my archery match against Luke resurfaced.

His pale, vacant eyes had been fixed on me, and next to him had been a young girl who looked just like Lily.

Following Ber’s example, I folded my arms and revisited Lily’s words.

‘Milady—no, Jeanne. There’s someone waiting for you in Sacre. Go find Camille. The answers you’re looking for are there.’

There had been a peculiar sense of dissonance in her words.

For Camille to know the answers I sought, he must also have known the questions I would ask.

“That’s right. Lily said all the answers were in Sacre. But it was strange because I didn’t have any questions at the time.”

“…”

“But if Camille knew about everything that would happen to me in the future and had been watching me all along, then he’d also know the questions I’d eventually ask.”

My voice grew brighter with realization.

Perhaps Camille knew how to save Jerome from the underworld.

But the problem was that Camille was in Sacre.

Carlisle would never let me leave willingly, and even if I tried to sneak out, I’d be stopped at the checkpoints.

As my newfound hope began to slip back into uncertainty, I groaned, clutching my head.

Watching me, Ber seemed to mull something over before cautiously speaking.

“Are you planning to go to the underworld?”

“Yes, why?”

“Well… heh, I was wondering if you remembered the terms of our contract.”

His sudden question left me momentarily speechless.

Ber’s expression faltered as my eyes wavered.

Memories of our past conversation came flooding back.

‘I… want to be free.’

‘Free?’

‘Yes. As you said, dragons live for eternity. But there’s one way we can die—by being absorbed into the tree of the underworld.’

How could I have forgotten?

The reason Ber made a contract with me was my promise to take him to the underworld.

But that also meant the time for us to part ways was drawing near.

My face darkened, and noticing it, Ber rolled around awkwardly with a nervous laugh.

“Ah, it’s fine! Living with you isn’t so bad after all. You feed me, give me a place to sleep, and sure, you scold me sometimes, but still…”

“No, I can’t take away your freedom just because I’ll miss you.”

“…”

“I’ll make sure you reach the tree safely. Don’t worry.”

I scratched Ber’s nose gently, forcing a faint smile.

His eyes widened, then he purred softly and shut his eyes.

Watching him fall asleep so quickly, I sighed deeply.

As I recalled the unsettling touch of hands gripping my thighs, goosebumps prickled my skin.

With a firm expression, I murmured to myself.

“First, I need to break free from Carlisle.”

✽ ✽ ✽

The carriage stopped in front of a grand mansion with a vast, beautifully manicured garden.

Its sheer scale and the meticulously maintained grounds made it clear that the status of the people frequenting this estate was far from ordinary.

As I moved to step out of the carriage, a hand reached out toward me.

“Take it.”

The familiar gesture made me pause, my body stiffening instinctively.

When I hesitated to accept the hand, Carlisle took mine as if he were pulling me forward.

My gaze naturally fell on the scar that lingered on Carlisle’s cheek.

Surely, the imperial palace must be filled with skilled healers.

The fact that he chose not to have it treated made his intentions obvious.

Noticing that I couldn’t take my eyes off his cheek, Carlisle spoke nonchalantly.

“It’s too precious to lose.”

“……”

“Shall we go?”

I couldn’t understand what could possibly be so precious about a wound that might leave a scar.

Yet Carlisle didn’t elaborate, and I didn’t feel like pressing the matter.

I clamped my mouth shut and followed where Carlisle led, though an oppressive weight continued to settle in the corner of my mind.

After all, the reason I had come here today was to reveal my secret to Carlisle.

‘If we go through with the ceremony, that’ll be the end. I’ll never escape the imperial palace. I have to tell him today. That Jeanne is actually… a man.’

No matter the depth of our emotional entanglements, the fact remained that Carlisle was the Crown Prince of the Kaiser Empire.

If I upset him, I would surely be dragged back to the palace, helpless.

Last time, I had vented my grief over losing Jerome without restraint, but today I resolved to handle the conversation rationally.

“This is the place.”

While I was lost in thought, Carlisle stopped in front of a door and turned the handle.

He gestured for me to enter, and before I knew it, I found myself stepping inside.

The room Carlisle led me to was strange—empty of furniture but featuring three doors, each a different color.

Suspiciously eyeing the central door Carlisle was approaching, I asked,

“What is this? Don’t tell me you’ve got some ulterior motive.”

“And yet you managed to get along with Jerome with that kind of nerve.”

I glared at Carlisle as he casually brought up Jerome.

Even if confinement wasn’t his goal, being alone in a room with Carlisle didn’t sit well with me.

Seeing me remain rooted to the spot, wary, Carlisle chuckled softly before letting out a deep sigh.

“Fine, stay there if you want.”

“……”

“I’ll just go ahead and chop off the arms and legs of the servant you brought along.”

Before he could leave the room, I instinctively grabbed Carlisle’s wrist.

In this moment, he resembled the darker, more unsettling Jerome I had first encountered.

It was shocking to see Carlisle, who had always been composed and benevolent, acting like this—and even more unnerving to realize it was because of me.

Pressing my trembling lips together, I finally spoke in a strained voice.

“Fine, I’ll go. Isn’t that what you want?”

Shoving past Carlisle, I strode toward one of the doors, the one carved with strange runes.

When I opened it and stepped inside, I was met with an unbelievable sight.

It was a colossal library.

Its scale rivaled that of the Academy’s library, making it clear that advanced spatial magic was at play.

“This place…”

“It’s where forbidden books, accessible only to royalty, are kept.”

Hearing Carlisle’s explanation, I instinctively moved forward.

The shelves were packed with books that weren’t even present in the Efilia Ducal Estate.

Surely, these books must contain forbidden spells or forgotten legends.

My heart raced at the thought.

The sight of the empty library filled me with a strange excitement, as if it were mine alone to explore.

For someone addicted to the written word, there could be no more thrilling sight.

Carlisle, who had been silently watching me fixate on the shelves, finally spoke.

“Do you like it?”

“Yeah. But… is it really okay for me to be here? You said these books are restricted to royalty.”

“No, according to imperial law, you should already be executed.”

“Well then, I guess I’d better read as much as I can before that happens.”

Ignoring Carlisle’s grim reply, I began pulling books from the shelves.

Among these forbidden tomes, there had to be one that held a way to save Jerome.

I grabbed book after book, but I soon ran into a problem—the shelves were too tall, and some books were out of my reach.

As I searched for a ladder, I stopped short when a shadow loomed over me.

Looking up, I saw Carlisle effortlessly retrieve a book I couldn’t reach and gesture for me to take it.

Without a word of thanks, I accepted the book and headed toward a window.

The stack of books I intended to read had already reached my waist.

‘Let’s start with forbidden dark magic.’

Sitting down with a thud, I opened the books at random.

Immersed in reading, I lost track of Carlisle’s presence entirely.

After about an hour, I suddenly remembered he was there and glanced up.

Carlisle, also reading something, spoke without lifting his gaze from the page.

“You’re so absorbed you wouldn’t notice if someone tried to kidnap you. I guess even with someone as stunning as me nearby, you’re more interested in those books.”

“But what if one of them contains a spell to save Jerome…”

“There’s no such thing as a spell to bring the dead back to life.”

I ignored Carlisle’s sarcastic remark and continued flipping through the pages.

Maybe he was right; such magic probably didn’t exist.

But doing something—anything—helped soothe my restless mind.

Just as I buried myself back in reading, Carlisle abruptly pulled me to my feet and into his arms, pushing me behind a chair.

I frowned at his sudden action.

“What are you doing?”

“Lower your voice. Someone’s here.”

My eyes widened at Carlisle’s whisper.
Unfamiliar footsteps grew steadily closer.

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