* * *
Masera stood in front of Cynthia and loaded his pistol.
“Follow Dahlia out.”
Dahlia was already slipping out of the banquet hall, holding Eugene in her arms.
But Cynthia couldn’t follow.
Beeeep—
As the echo of the gunshot and the noise that had filled the banquet hall faded, a high-pitched ringing began to fill Cynthia’s head.
“Ah…”
Her sense of reality blurred, and her consciousness grew faint.
It was a manifestation of war trauma she had suffered in her past life.
After all, she too had been a victim of war.
“Cynthia!”
Edford tried to catch Cynthia as she staggered and nearly collapsed, but he was immediately shoved aside by someone and fell flat on his butt.
“Move.”
It was a cold voice, sharp enough to freeze the very air.
Masera’s eyes gleamed with a murderous glint.
Feeling the oppressive force, Edford backed away with a terrified look on his face.
Masera supported Cynthia and then felt her hand clutch at his hem. He lowered his gaze.
She was staring up at Masera with a dazed expression. Trapped in panic, Cynthia was seeing her brother from her past life in his place.
Her trembling lips barely managed to form words.
“Brother, don’t go.”
Brother—was she calling Carlos? Masera’s brow furrowed deeply.
Whether she had some improper relationship with her own brother or not, it wasn’t his concern. It wasn’t like she was someone he’d be spending the rest of his life with anyway.
“Same here. I fell for him at first sight too.”
He knew it was a lie.
But he simply couldn’t stand the unpleasant feeling, like a shard of glass lodged deep inside him, prickling annoyingly.
Then her next words puzzled him.
“The air raid siren hasn’t been lifted yet.”
The war had ended ages ago, so what was this talk of an air raid siren?
Her glazed eyes seemed to be staring at a completely different world.
“Don’t leave me here all alone, please.”
With a voice full of despair, her hands—like someone lost in a nightmare—desperately wrapped around Masera’s neck.
He didn’t push her hands away.
“Who are you talking to?”
No answer came.
As her strength slipped away, Cynthia lost consciousness and went limp. Watching her, he felt an odd sensation that he couldn’t quite put into words.
It was then.
“Cindy!”
Carlos came running up and grabbed the limp Cynthia. Then his eyes met Masera’s, who was still holding her.
The strange color in Masera’s eyes thoroughly annoyed Carlos, and his brow knit tightly.
“Brigadier General, please leave Cindy to me, that way you can see to the situation quickly.”
Their gazes clashed sharply, both men glaring.
Carlos tried to pull Cynthia toward him, but her body didn’t budge an inch.
“Lord Carlos, you seem to care very deeply for your younger sister. Just as a proper eldest son should.”
Masera’s voice was calm, yet edged with a blade.
Lifting Cynthia into his arms, Masera tilted his chin arrogantly.
“But as her husband, I’ll see to her myself. You’d best look after your other younger siblings.”
Where he jerked his chin, Edford was sitting miserably on the floor.
Carlos ground his teeth and turned away.
‘Putting on the husband act, when he’s just someone we struck a deal with out of necessity.’
Of course, Carlos had only ever used Cynthia as a tool too.
But for some reason, it kept eating at him, sparking a gnawing jealousy.
When the gun had been shot at Cynthia, it had even felt like his heart dropped into his stomach.
‘I’m probably just worried that the merchandise I lent out might get damaged.’
Carlos rationalized it to himself as he kicked Edford’s rear.
“Stop making a fool of yourself and get up!”
Meanwhile, Helene was watching everything with a blank expression.
Her fiancé, Duke Rukanosa, belatedly approached her.
“You are well, I presume.”
Helene slowly turned her head to look at him.
Even if it was only a marriage of political convenience, they were still in front of Rutemia’s high society. Shouldn’t he at least show half the devotion that Brigadier General Vicente had?
And she didn’t like how he kept watching Cynthia so intently from earlier on.
“I’m unharmed. Are you alright, Duke?”
She also spoke words she didn’t mean, then cast her gaze toward the captured remnants of the People’s Liberation Front.
‘A bunch of ignorant lowly scum.’
Receiving the Duke’s escort, Helene twisted her lips slightly as she stared at the soldiers.
‘Well, good thing we’re making an example of them here, now those filthy commoners won’t dare crash my wedding and cause a scene.’
The only reason the People’s Liberation Front could have gotten in here was all thanks to Count Queensguard.
She had planned to use Masera’s hand to wipe out the People’s Liberation Front, as they’d become a threat she’d have to deal with while moving through the capital’s high society.
‘And perhaps… Brigadier General Vicente thought the same thing.’
Though she doubted he’d anticipated them smuggling in pistols past the security checks.
* * *
“Gasp.”
Maybe it was because of all the terrifying chaos. While I was unconscious, I dreamed of my past life, and when I opened my eyes, I was drenched in cold sweat.
“Were you that frightened?”
When I lifted my head at the low voice, I saw Masera holding me in his arms.
“The war… it’s over, right?”
Memories of the horrors I’d experienced in my past life rose up like haunting traces, so even though I knew full well, I asked anyway.
Hearing my trembling voice, he nodded.
“Yes. It’s been a year since the war ended. Did you have a war dream or something?”
Even this world hadn’t been long out of a major war. I shook off the remnants of the nightmare that clung to my chest.
“How long was I out? The engagement ceremony…”
“Ten minutes.”
I thought it must’ve been days, but ten minutes?
I looked around. It was one of the guest rooms near the ballroom.
He’d carried me out in a princess carry just to hide me somewhere safe? Was this some kind of tsundere trait?
I felt a little touched as I asked,
“Were you worried about me?”
The second I asked, my body went thud as it was thrown onto the bed.
Masera had full-on yeeted me onto the bed.
“Yes.”
He loosened his tie with a languid look in his eyes as he answered.
Could he pick just one—either be kind or be an ass!
“For about three whole seconds.”
Then he pulled something from his breast pocket and continued in a low voice.
“At least, until I found out you’re quite the skilled liar.”
In his hand was the small hand mirror I’d used for my little trick.
No way—had he seen through me? Did he think even me fainting was just an act?
When I saw the deepening cold in his eyes, my shoulders went rigid with tension.
“Whatever past you have, or whoever else there was, it doesn’t matter to me.”
Past—wait, did he somehow find out who I really was? Had I babbled nonsense while I was unconscious?
Seeing his terrifying expression, I felt myself shrink a bit.
“Why are you suddenly saying all this…”
“Even if you use me like you did today, I don’t care. It goes both ways, after all.”
Wait—did he think today’s incident was some staged play with Count Queensguard? A ploy to wipe out the People’s Liberation Front, since they were becoming a threat?
Given this happened inside a government residence with tight security… well, it probably was Count Queensguard’s doing.
The servants who came with me must’ve cooperated.
I let out a sigh, at least relieved it seemed he hadn’t uncovered my true identity. That was when—thunk—the bed shook.
He was leaning over me on the bed, looking down at me.
“However, if you keep deceiving me with lies that are bound to surface.”
Masera’s eyes, now close to mine, darkened to the color of an evening sunset.
Instead of finishing his sentence, he pressed the cold muzzle of his pistol to my forehead, then curved his eyes into a gentle smile.
“So, you better make sure I never catch you.”
I looked up at him, my face going pale.
Even if I could fool the entire world, it was meaningless if I couldn’t fool this man.
But for some reason, the look on his face wasn’t anger—it seemed more like betrayal.
As long as he never found out it was all fake, I could live.
But that also meant that someday, the truth might come and kill me.
‘This scam is bound to end someday.’
The only thing that could stand against such a cruel truth was genuine love between people.
‘Then I’ll become this man’s love.’
My gloved hand touched his cheek.
I forced a smile, recalling how he had wrapped his entire body around me earlier to shield me from gunfire.
He might hate me, but maybe he was starting to like me… by like ten percent.
“So will you keep on saving me, then? Just like you just did.”
Given that he’d agreed to this engagement ceremony when he didn’t have to, he was probably already planning to eliminate threats to me in advance.
You’ll fall for me in the end.
Just wait and see, my future doormat.
“What happened today, I won’t forget it…”
Maybe the gun pointed at me short-circuited my brain, because instead of a thank you, it came out sounding more like a vow for revenge.
And with that—I fainted again.
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