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“-Hmph.”

Noel let out a quiet breath through her nose, staring intently at the documents on her desk. For someone known for never getting distracted during work, this was certainly unusual behavior.

…

With narrowed eyes, Noel scanned the seal on the envelope, taking in the words inscribed in elegant handwriting, delivering a concise message:

[This contains the requested personal information from the Central Intelligence Bureau for Lady Noel.]

It was the personal profile of Aiden Kellermain, whom she had assigned for investigation shortly after he mentioned they had a “past connection.”

Silently, Noel rose from her seat and circled her office, her gaze somber as she surveyed the room’s corners in a pensive manner. After a while, she returned to the desk.

“Hmmm…”

Letting out a long sigh, she fixed her gaze on the envelope again. She had lost track of how many times she’d done this already.

“-Lady Noel, are you feeling unwell?”

Stella, who had been observing her quietly, couldn’t help but ask. It was the first time she’d seen Noel, who usually dedicated herself to work so earnestly, in such a state.

“Isn’t this the information you personally requested? I recall you were quite eager for it.”

“…Yes, that’s true.”

Noel replied with difficulty as she picked up the envelope. Stella’s question was completely valid; shortly after their first encounter, Noel had been intensely curious about Aiden’s background. However, now… now their relationship had… perhaps… evolved a little.

In her heart, Noel could no longer see Aiden Kellermain as just a “contracted partner.” Her feelings about him were far more complicated. Amid these mixed emotions, she was aware of one thing for certain.

Inside this envelope was Aiden Kellermain’s past—an undoubtedly unknown territory.

The Central Intelligence Bureau had meticulously dug up even the smallest details. This investigation was on a whole different level than her personal inquiries.

In other words, if something in here went wrong…

…then, there’d be no going back.

What if… what if Aiden had a dark past intertwined with hers? What if this envelope contained something she could never overlook? And what if that meant she could no longer continue this relationship with him?

Her hand, reaching to open the document, hesitated.

“-Why?”

She recalled a similar feeling once before—watching from afar as Aiden faced the prince, thinking he might call off their engagement. It felt very much like this.

If he were ever to be distanced from her…

The thought scared her. Why she felt that fear, she didn’t understand.

‘…From the start…’

Noel’s eyes softened. What was her relationship with him, truly? She’d heard him say he liked her, but she’d never given him any reply. And here she was, secretly digging into his past.

Truly, even if it’s necessary, this is certainly something one shouldn’t do.

Noel’s eyes slowly closed. But after a deep breath, she opened them wide, tore open the envelope with a determined gesture.

‘…At the very least.’

If she’s going to do something questionable, she might as well do it without leaving any regrets. If she finds out something he wanted to keep hidden, she’ll apologize honestly. If there’s any fault on her part for not confiding in him, she’ll shoulder it with him. Isn’t that the path of being honest with the other person’s heart?

With resolute eyes, Noel picked up the document and began reading it thoroughly, her gaze almost glowing. She spent a long time reviewing it several times, and finally, without a word, she set it down on her desk.

“Stella.”

At the sound of Noel’s heavy tone, Stella turned to her, tense with curiosity about Aiden’s true identity.

“Yes?”

“Aiden has never dated anyone in his life.”

“…And his favorite food is spicy noodles cooked in a Far Eastern style.”

When Stella looked at her, unsure how to respond, Noel tossed the document back on the desk and ran her hand over her face.

“…That’s the most useful information in there. Out of everything.”

“Pardon?”

“Come over and read it yourself.”

At Noel’s words, Stella tilted her head, approached, and picked up the document. After reading it all the way through, she had no choice but to agree with Noel.

“This… it’s really just the record of an ordinary citizen, isn’t it?”

“Exactly.”

“There’s not a single noteworthy detail—”

“There is, actually.”

Noel rubbed her forehead as if nursing a headache.

“He’s a war orphan.”

“Pardon?”

“The people he calls family now are those he met after the age of fifteen. They’re not blood-related, and he was never formally adopted.”

Stella blinked in surprise.

“I assumed they must be blood-related since he cherishes them so deeply.”

“So did I.”

Though unexpected, she naturally assumed they were close relatives given how fiercely he protected them, even at the risk of his life. On paper, though, they were essentially strangers—remarkably similar to Noel’s own relationship with him. It was a curious coincidence.

Considering how he throws himself into anything related to Noel as if it were a matter involving his own kin, the irony felt even sharper.

“Besides, if he’s a war orphan… it explains why there are no records from his early childhood.”

“Exactly, right?”

Indeed, the records were blank prior to the time he met his ‘family.’ Logically, it’s impossible for even the Central Intelligence Bureau to trace the past of a war orphan. The circumstances under which he arrived in the Empire are countless and difficult to specify. Expecting clarity was unrealistic, almost unreasonable.

However, the issue this time lay in a particular detail.

…Of all things.

The period where Aiden’s history is blank precisely aligns with the period when Noel suffered from her own “memory loss,” which she’s never shared with anyone around her.

Of all things, the one piece of information she most wanted was from a period even the Central Intelligence Bureau couldn’t uncover.

There was only one lead. And to follow it, there was only one path.

“Stella.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll need to meet with Aiden’s family at least once.”

“For an ordinary citizen, just facing you would likely make them faint.”

That may be true, but to delve deeper into Aiden’s history, there’s no one else to turn to. As Noel was seriously considering this, the office door suddenly swung open.

It was Katia, looking highly displeased.

“Your Highness? What brings you here?”

Noel tilted her head in curiosity. Since their last argument, they had managed to exchange apologies, but while Noel acted as if nothing had happened, Katia still seemed uncomfortable around her. Since mutual awkwardness wouldn’t help in maintaining a peaceful relationship, Noel usually took the initiative to lighten the atmosphere.

“Listen calmly.”

…Yet it was clear that the next topic would make remaining calm impossible.

“That guy’s been kidnapped.”

“…Who?”

“Your fiancé.”

Sparks practically flew from Noel’s eyes.

***

Having a bag pulled over one’s head is, in fact, more physically exhausting than one might think. And being tightly bound with ropes only adds to the strain. When someone abruptly yanked the covering off his head, Aiden was already quite worn out.

‘I need to train more.’

He had never thought he lacked stamina, but ever since being thrown into the main scenario with all sorts of monstrous encounters, he had been experiencing things he never anticipated. It would only get more intense from here, he thought, as he noted the person who had removed his mask now pressing a gun to his forehead.

Their entire outfit was distinctive: a mask, black gloves, and a coat. It practically screamed “I do shady work.”

“This him?”

“Yes. We found him lurking near the building and brought him in.”

“Caught him easily, huh? Isn’t he the one who’s been nosing around us all day?”

Hearing this, Aiden smirked to himself. It was true; he had been captured easily. After all, he had made no effort to resist.

As he pondered this, the man aiming the gun at his forehead lifted it slightly.

Ah.

There was no need to ask why. The pistol swung down forcefully, landing squarely on Aiden’s face. After several strikes, blood trickled down his face, coloring his vision red.

“This one’s tough…not even showing pain.”

It wasn’t exactly toughness; rather, it was cautious planning. He had taken painkillers in advance, knowing that once kidnapped, he wouldn’t likely come out unscathed.

‘No holy aura, either.’

Aiden smirked inwardly at the lack of a holy aura that would usually alert him to danger, indicating he didn’t see this as a “crisis” at all.

“Well, enough introductions. I don’t like wasting time, so let’s get to it. Who sent you?”

“Since I don’t like wasting time either, I’ll answer directly: if you don’t want to die, make sure you leave behind any important data or materials.”

The reason no holy aura appeared was likely because Aiden didn’t consider this a “threat.”

The masked man faltered at Aiden’s calm reply.

“…What?”

“You know you can’t dispose of everything in time, right? Just leave something that shows your connection to the prince or the administrative minister. That way, I won’t come after you.”

The masked man let out a dry chuckle and aimed the gun closer to Aiden’s forehead again.

“Hey, seems you still don’t get the situation—”

“I know you’re not going to kill me.”

“There’s still plenty left to dispose of, isn’t there? If you add a corpse to the mix, there’s no way you’ll manage a ‘clean’ getaway without being traced, right?”

“……”

“Wouldn’t you prefer not to waste time here if you value your lives?”

Aiden continued speaking calmly, leaving the masked man silent.

‘What’s with this guy?’

He must be wondering, as Aiden’s demeanor seemed almost as if he had willingly come here. He was reading their situation as if he knew it inside and out. Even though they had him tied up and at gunpoint, it felt like they were the ones under pressure.

“My aim isn’t to kill you all either, so if you cooperate, we can—”

Aiden paused mid-sentence as his vision adjusted to the darkness, letting him finally take in his surroundings and grasp the situation fully.

It turned out that the people surrounding him were far more than he expected…

“…Haven’t they all pulled back yet?”

…there were a lot of them.

Aiden’s face turned pale in an instant, his sudden change of expression so dramatic that even the masked man aiming the gun was taken aback. For someone who had just been calmly threatening them moments ago, this sudden shift seemed bizarre.

“No, aren’t you guys supposed to be highly skilled individuals, entrusted directly by the prince or the administrative minister? What have you been doing until now?!”

And suddenly, Aiden began scolding them.

“What?”

“I thought you’d nearly all have pulled back with maybe one or two people left. If it’s like this, I can’t even protect all of you! Someone’s definitely going to get killed!”

They had no idea what he was talking about. Here he was, a captive, threatening them, and now, he was claiming to protect them.

“Stay calm and listen carefully to me.”

Aiden spoke urgently, almost as if he could barely breathe.

“There’s still time. Heal me first.”

They were understanding him less and less by the minute.

…Is he mentally unstable?

As the group silently mulled this over, Aiden pressed on, his urgency apparent.

“There’s got to be some kind of elixir or something, right? You don’t have to actually heal me; just make me look somewhat okay! If she sees me injured like this, you’re all dead!”

“What the hell is this lunatic talking about—”

One of them finally snapped and spoke up, but even that sentence trailed off.

They could feel it, too—something wasn’t right.

The air trembled.

Despite the considerable distance, something… something *terrifying* was approaching them, step by step. With each heavy footfall, the vibrations in the air intensified, as though a massive creature was drawing near.

“She’s coming.”

Aiden spoke to the stunned group, his voice laced with resignation.

“My fiancée.”

And with Aiden’s voice filled with sheer dread…

…the world seemed to flip upside down.

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