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For Stella, Aiden Kellermain had been the source of non-stop work throughout the entire day. 

Most of it was because Lady Noel, whom she deeply respected, had been preoccupied with this man, which created a ripple effect that Stella had to deal with. And frankly, she wasn’t too happy about it.

“-Mr. Aiden.”

In that sense, there was absolutely no need for him to leave such a dramatic new mess for her to clean up.

“What is the meaning of this?”

Stella spoke in disbelief.

Right in front of her lay Prince Daniel, covered in blood, wheezing for breath.

He was conscious, but clearly unable to speak.

As for the man who had reduced the prince to this state, he simply shrugged his shoulders.

“Would you believe me if I said there’s a good reason for this?”

“The reason had better be good enough to justify gravely injuring a member of the royal family.”

Stella’s voice was sharp and firm.

Even if Daniel was effectively in exile, he was still royalty. This was more than enough to spark a diplomatic crisis.

“And it will be up to you to prove any wrongdoing. The power of royalty—”

But Aiden’s response completely derailed her line of thinking.

“Do we really need to prove it?”

“…What?”

Stella blinked, caught off guard, as Aiden spoke in a composed manner.

“Even royalty can be stripped of their status if they commit crimes beyond a certain degree, right?”

“That’s true, but why are you bringing this up now?”

“Do you remember the recent kidnapping case involving the daughter of Baron Cromwell in the capital?”

“Yes, it caused quite a stir. The young and beautiful daughter of the baron was kidnapped and went missing.”

Stella’s expression hardened even further. 

Not only was the topic disconnected from their current conversation, but what was more concerning was Daniel’s reaction to it.

Despite his severe injuries, the prince flinched noticeably, as if struck by lightning, at the mention of the kidnapping. 

It was as though he had been suddenly confronted with an evil he never expected to be exposed.

“If the perpetrator is here, wouldn’t that make things interesting?”

No way.

That’s impossible… right?

It seemed far-fetched that a member of the royal family, while exiled to a foreign land, would be involved in kidnapping a noble of that nation.

If it were true, it would be a serious crime—one worthy of being stripped of his royal status.

“Do you have any proof?”

“I don’t, but there’s a way to find out.”

“…What?”

“Even just confirming whether or not he’s lying would be evidence, wouldn’t it?”

Stella’s eyes narrowed.

Indeed, there was something capable of that.

But the fact that this man, standing before her so casually, was aware of it was in itself suspicious.

“Soldier.”

Still squinting her eyes, Stella called out to a nearby guard.

“Go to the lab on the first floor and bring something called the ‘Detector.’”

“Yes, ma’am!”

The guard’s response was slower than usual, likely because he too had instinctively realized something—this situation was far from ordinary.

And his instincts were not wrong.

It didn’t take long for Prince Daniel’s desperate denials of his involvement in the crime to be completely exposed by the Empire’s secret “lie detector” technology.

“Unbelievable.”

Stella could only let out a sigh of frustration.

For two reasons.

First, the rapid series of events that had unfolded in an instant had now turned into a massive scandal that would reach the Imperial Palace.

And second, she was now guaranteed to work overtime. 

The ensuing investigation proceeded swiftly.

When they thoroughly searched Prince Daniel’s residence and the places he had frequented, they found Lady Cromwell’s clothing and personal belongings. 

Not only were there traces of his efforts to cover up his crimes, but also evidence of various other ‘miscellaneous’ crimes.

“That concludes the report.”

As Stella finished her report, Noel massaged her temples with a weary sigh.

“What did the Holy Kingdom say?”

“They expressed their gratitude.”

“…What?”

“They said that because of their internal laws, they had no choice but to keep that disgrace of a prince in the royal family, and they thanked us for finally freeing them from him. They even mentioned that if Aiden ever comes to the Holy Kingdom, they’d treat him to the highest level of hospitality.”

The Pope, the leader of the Holy Kingdom, is renowned for being the most eccentric of all the Popes in history. 

Just from this response, his reputation clearly lives up to its name.

“There’s actually something even more serious.”

“What is it?”

“[Deathwish] has taken an interest in Mr. Aiden.”

“…”

“She hinted that she’d like to have a meal with him sometime, in a very friendly manner. True to her nature as an ambitious schemer, she moves swiftly when she finds someone she likes.”

Noel ran a hand through her hair, clearly exhausted.

“Deathwish, huh.”

“Yes.”

“You mean the second princess of the Holy Kingdom? The one who’ll stop at nothing, even killing her own brother, just for a chance to seize the papal throne.”

“Yes.”

“The woman who’s supposedly more skilled at wielding divine powers than the current Pope?”

“…Yes.”

The fact that such information came in not even a full day after the incident hinted at the scale of what was to come. 

The events of today were already spreading like wildfire among the ambitious power players, gathering every scrap of information they could.

“I don’t understand why she’s so interested in Aiden. He’s just a regular con artist.”

Regular…?

Stella raised an eyebrow, but Noel continued speaking nonchalantly.

“He single-handedly destroyed a Holy Kingdom royal wielding pure divine energy with a single punch, immediately uncovered the crimes they were trying to hide, and casually suggested using a highly classified tool that only someone in the military could know about—even though he’s never been in the military in his life.”

“…Yes.”

“And then, following his suggestion, they found actual evidence.”

“It’s nothing special. I don’t see why everyone’s making such a fuss about it. Don’t you agree?”

Noel’s voice, half-resigned, made Stella fall silent.

Even from her perspective, these events were a string of baffling mysteries. 

If this was all the work of one man who claimed to be a simple con artist, and it happened in less than a day…

Hmm.

“Um, Lady Noel, if I may ask…”

“Hmm?”

“Where in the world did you find someone like him?”

‘To be honest, even I’m not sure anymore. Was he always like this?’

At this point, his actions were far too removed from the background he claimed to have. 

Stella no longer questioned why Noel had brought someone like Aiden along—everything he had done in the past day silenced any doubts.

The problem, however, was that even Noel herself seemed deeply unsettled by the current situation.

‘How?’

Naturally, if a royal was determined to cover up their crimes, uncovering them would be like threading a needle.

Especially crimes so filthy and twisted that the culprit would go to any lengths to avoid leaving any traces behind.

And the fact that Aiden knew about the classified military tool was even stranger than that.

At this point, it was like shoving an elephant through the eye of a needle.

Noel was more than familiar with the infamous security protocols of the military. If something was classified, it meant no outsider had ever been informed of its existence—this paranoia was well-documented.

And yet…

Aiden knew both secrets. 

How?

That was the only question that kept running through Noel’s mind.

Just how much does he know? How far does his knowledge go?

The more she thought about it, the more confused she became.

Who in the world is this man?

Where did he come from…?

“Lady Noel.”

Stella’s voice interrupted Noel’s spiraling thoughts. 

She hesitated, which was unusual for her, and continued until Noel glanced at her curiously.

Finally, the words spilled out.

“There’s one more thing I’m curious about.”

“Curious?”

“How did the fight even start in the first place? Do you know?”

“Roughly speaking, didn’t the prince provoke him first?”

According to Sir Lester, who was present at the scene, it was something like this: Prince Daniel, displeased with the Lionheart’s groom, started a fight, and Aiden retaliated. 

The person involved probably gave the most straightforward account of the situation, but summarizing it could make it sound something like this:

“Aiden supposedly lost his temper after being insulted as unworthy of being Lady Noel’s husband and lashed out.”

“I’ve gained a bit more respect for him. There’s a manly side to him after all.”

Words always have a way of being interpreted differently depending on how they’re said.

The moment Noel heard this report, a strange twist appeared at the corner of her mouth.

“He liked me that much?”

“There’s no one on this planet who wouldn’t like you, Lady Noel, but it is odd. His attitude now is very different from how he acted initially.”

“It is strange. We weren’t even acquaintances before—”

Noel suddenly stopped talking.

A recent memory flashed through her mind.

—“It seems like you don’t remember the old days, huh? Like when you were a child.”

—“Oh, it’s nothing. I didn’t expect you to have really forgotten.”

Those words.

That man said them.

“Lady Noel? Are you all right?”

Stella’s concerned voice snapped her back to the present.

Noel quickly composed herself, closing her eyes for a brief moment.

“No.”

Then, with a bitter smile curling her lips, she spoke quietly.

“We might have… known each other.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s nothing.”

With that, Noel fell into silence for a moment before opening her eyes and speaking again.

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In the Craven Holy Kingdom, royalty held a particularly special meaning.  

Of course, being a royal of one of the continent’s most powerful nations was inherently remarkable, but even beyond that, they were unique in another way.  

“Lester. Go keep watch.”

How special? So special that they could order around a paladin—one of the kingdom’s top forces—for trivial errands without raising much objection.

Being assigned as a royal’s guard was usually considered a prestigious duty, but anyone would think twice if the royal in question was an idiot like this.

Prince Daniel Craven, the seventh prince.

Known as the biggest troublemaker among the royals of the Holy Kingdom.

‘He’s been saying for a while now how much he wants the Lionheart…’

The Lionheart’s husband was likely a position coveted by influential figures across the continent.  

Yet here was Daniel, someone who had clearly shown his disgraceful desire for the empire’s greatest treasure, despite it being well beyond his reach.

It was obvious that, seeing this weak-looking fiancé Lady Noel had brought, he was simply looking to take out his frustration.

“Your Highness, no matter how upset you are—”

Lady Noel’s fiancé was a VIP. 

Causing trouble for someone like that could easily escalate into an international incident between the two nations.  

But clearly, Daniel wasn’t someone who cared much about such real-world concerns.

“The divinity you wield, who did you swear it to?”  

Daniel snapped sharply, causing Lester’s mouth to shut.

Right. That was the problem.

Each nation’s warriors wielded different powers, and those powers had completely different natures.

And the source of all these powers ultimately came from one thing:  

The divine blessings granted by each nation’s patron deity. 

All powers stemmed from the divine authority the gods of the pantheon had bestowed upon the mortal world. 

The issue was that, in the Holy Kingdom, much of this divine power was concentrated within the royal family.

Even Lester’s current abilities were borrowed from this reckless prince.

‘And yet here he is, exiled all the way to the Empire.’

It was clear that having someone like Lester, who carried the kingdom’s divine power, stranded in a foreign land spoke volumes about the situation.

It was essentially an exile—a demand for him to go and “get his act together.”

This only further highlighted what an irredeemable troublemaker Daniel was.

“What are you standing around for? I told you to go keep watch!”  

Despite all this, Daniel seemed determined to cause trouble, and Lester internally screamed in frustration.

After all, he had no right to refuse. Even if the prince was a scoundrel, he was still royalty.

“…Yes, Your Highness.”

In other words, the royal family’s divine power was so overwhelming that even a paladin, one of the kingdom’s most powerful warriors, had to yield to it. 

‘Poor guy.’

With a silent prayer for Aiden’s soul, Lester turned and left. 

Daniel strode toward Aiden, and as he did, the divine energy within him began to swell ominously.

If the god of war, Karva, had bestowed upon the Empire’s warriors the ability to wield internal energy, then the blessing Seor, the god of purification, had given to his followers was fire that could burn anything.  

Of course, in Daniel’s case, he had no idea how to properly wield such power, like putting a pearl necklace on a pig.  

Yet, even a pearl necklace had value on its own.

Properly honed divine energy was a shield and sword in one. Just touching it could easily melt the flesh of an ordinary person.

Aiden’s expression tightened.  

One of the universally known facts:  

When a royal of the Holy Kingdom unleashed their divine power, it was essentially a declaration of intent to actively harm the other party.

In fact, it could be considered an even greater threat than when Gael had drawn his sword against him.

“I just don’t understand.”

Daniel, arms crossed, circled Aiden like a predator, his steps dripping with mockery and arrogance.

“Why would a woman of the Lionheart’s caliber settle for such a weak man as her husband, huh?”  

“Tell me, commoner. Did you seduce her? Did you, with that pretty face of yours, play the role of a gold-digging snake?”

Lester ran a hand over his burning face, embarrassed by the sheer audacity of the insult. 

The surprising part was that, instead of immediately resorting to violence using his divine powers, Daniel was still content to just run his mouth.

“…Ah, I see.”

This was a deliberate provocation. 

The prince was trying to make Aiden lose his temper and strike first, so he could claim self-defense and justify whatever came next. 

It seems the prince wasn’t entirely ignorant of the consequences—he still feared the repercussions from the Holy Kingdom itself. 

Even though Aiden was the one being provoked, a royal from the Holy Kingdom held enough power to cover up such minor faults. 

No matter how reckless a prince Daniel was, if he could claim that he was struck first, burying his opponent would be a simple matter.

“I wish that were the case.” 

“…”

“Then at least introduce me to someone else who can run for me in my place.”

This guy isn’t ordinary. 

Both Lester and Daniel had the same thought when they heard Aiden’s blunt reply, delivered without a single flinch. 

Of course, for Aiden, who had been dragged into this fake marriage against his will, this position as the groom held no greater meaning than that.

“If the Lionheart hears about this, you’ll be in trouble. Don’t you even know what honor is? I would have been a better choice than someone like you.”

For Daniel, someone talking about honor felt ironic, and it made Aiden’s eyes gleam with amusement.

“Would you like to take my place?”

Daniel, who had been sneering and provoking, was suddenly left speechless by Aiden’s response. 

‘What’s with this guy?’

It was as if Aiden was genuinely treating the marriage to the Lionheart as nothing more than a burden. 

An opportunity that any man on the continent would envy was nothing to him.

And that stung Daniel’s pride. 

He couldn’t get close to his coveted goal, while this man seemed to view it as something disposable.

The sentence that escaped from his gritted teeth was full of suppressed fury.

“Shut up, you filthy worm. A lowborn like you dares to speak to royalty with such disrespect?”

“And yet, let’s leave my family out of this. Even as royalty, you should at least have some sense of honor.”

Wait.

Hold on.

That stung. 

Hearing Aiden’s cold words, Daniel felt a chill and was momentarily taken aback. 

His reaction was the complete opposite of when his marriage to the Lionheart had been mentioned earlier.

But soon, Daniel’s expression turned into a smug grin.

“Honor? Honor, you say?”

If he was going to get mad like this, all he had to do was steer the conversation in the right direction.

“A lowborn worm who inherited nothing but filth from his scum of a father and mother dares speak of nobility in front of royalty?”

Wow.

Even Lester, momentarily forgetting his duty, sighed at the utter vulgarity of Daniel’s words.

After hearing this, Aiden’s face went completely blank.

“What’s the matter, commoner? Can’t refute the truth, can you?”

This time, instead of replying, Aiden silently looked Daniel up and down, as if calculating something in his head.

It was as though he was organizing his thoughts.

“I think this’ll do.”

He muttered to himself and began carefully measuring the distance between himself and Daniel with his eyes.

“Huh?”

Lester, a trained warrior, immediately recognized the look in Aiden’s eyes and widened his own.

This look…

It was like someone inexperienced in fighting was calculating how best to land a painful blow.

Of course, Aiden was clearly untrained and unlikely to accomplish much, but still…

Something felt off. 

Something strange was going on.

A sinking feeling told Lester that something bad was about to happen and he needed to intervene.

“Wait, sir…!”

But before Lester could step in…

“Your Highness.”

Aiden smiled.

It was a bright, white smile, showing off his perfect teeth, but to Lester, it looked like the unsettling grin of someone who had lost all reason.

“I hope you know a good dentist.”

“Huh?”

Before Daniel could fully comprehend what Aiden meant…

Pure white energy burst into view in front of his eyes.

In hindsight, this was exactly what Daniel had been aiming for. 

He had successfully provoked Aiden into striking first, drawing out the attack he wanted.

The problem was…

‘Wait, what…!’

It worked too well. 

Aiden’s fist, wrapped in a brilliant burst of pure white energy, tore through Daniel’s divine aura as if it were paper and slammed into the prince’s left cheek.

Without a doubt, it was a stunning blow, sending several of Daniel’s teeth flying through the air like dazzling stars.

There were too many questions to answer.

How was this man, seemingly untrained in any martial skill, able to wield the Lionheart’s signature pure white energy? 

Why did he, despite possessing such power, appear to be an untrained civilian with no combat skills?

But more important than anything else right now was focusing on the present situation.

“…Sir.”

Lester called Aiden in a trembling voice.

His head was spinning.

Daniel was lying right beside him, blood pouring from his body as he was plastered against the wall, but that wasn’t the immediate concern. 

The shock of what had just happened took precedence.

“What have you done…?”

Leaving someone in this state of unconsciousness wasn’t just a case of “hitting a royal.” 

At the very least, this could escalate into a diplomatic dispute, and at worst, an all-out war.

The current political landscape of the continent was still reeling from the aftermath of previous wars. 

And now, an imperial guest had turned a royal from the Holy Kingdom into a bloody mess?

No matter how you looked at it, this wasn’t something that could be brushed off lightly.

“First, stop calling me ‘sir.’ I’m no knight.”

How could someone capable of wielding such pure energy not be a knight? 

Lester had the question ready on his lips, but Aiden cut him off before he could ask.

“More importantly, go call someone. He’ll die if you don’t.”

“What?”

“We need to clean this up.”

Aiden’s voice was surprisingly calm, considering what he had just done.

No, rather than calm—it was cold.

When he said ‘clean this up,’ it almost sounded like he was asking Lester to bring something to finish the job and make sure Daniel’s head was fully broken.

“This is a big deal, after all. We need to make sure everything is properly sorted out, don’t we?”

Lester looked into Aiden’s gleaming eyes and realized one thing for certain.

This man…

He must have a completely different personality when he’s angry.

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A knight’s armor is fundamentally a high-end item. 

Equipment is something that should be tailored to its user, and for elite knights, the best in the empire, ordinary gear holds no meaning.

“But look at the state of it now.” 

Noel pointed at the completely dented armor, and with her words, Aiden felt his back rapidly growing damp with sweat. 

Even someone with no particular combat prowess could easily tell that the atmosphere Noel was exuding wasn’t normal.

“Do you know what this means?”  

“What does it mean?”  

“It means that if it weren’t for the armor, Gael would have died instantly. From just a single punch you threw carelessly without even assuming a proper stance.” 

Noel continued with a faint smile.  

“That’s absurd. Gael is considered a standout even among ordinary combatants.”  

“……”

“Even a knight, no matter how skilled, wouldn’t achieve such a result from a single, reckless attack.”  

He wished she’d stop with the compliments. 

His mouth was getting parched.

“Now that I think about it, there’s only one person I can imagine pulling off such a feat.”  

“…Is that so?”  

“Yes.” 

Noel’s smile widened a bit, and then her lips parted again.  

“It’s me.”

“……”

“The pure white energy you just unleashed from your body is the purest of all energies. With that level of output, it’s possible.”  

“That’s…” 

Aiden trailed off.  

Honestly, it was a difficult scene to explain.  

Even for those called geniuses, knights are a group that can barely stand shoulder to shoulder with their peers. 

And the pinnacle of them is someone who has honed their abilities their entire life, mastering this pure white energy.  

So now, this woman was asking indirectly: 

How on earth is someone like you able to wield the essence of a skill I’ve spent a lifetime perfecting?  

“Explain yourself, Aiden Kellermain.”  

The more she spoke, the faster Aiden’s back grew damp.  

Though Noel’s face was smiling, her eyes weren’t smiling at all.

“Who are you, really?”  

Suppressing the sensation of his throat tightening, Aiden barely managed to reply.  

“You saw my records, didn’t you? I’m really nothing—”  

“Are you referring to those cover-up records? Yes, I saw them. I did.”  

Tap, tap—  

Noel lightly tapped her arm with her fingers as she spoke.  

“…Excuse me?”  

‘Cover-up records? What on earth is she talking about?’  

Aiden blinked in confusion as Noel continued calmly.  

“Why do you think I went out of my way to bring you of all people?”  

‘Why is she asking me that, when I don’t even know the answer myself?’  

The person most curious about this was Aiden himself.  

Fortunately, Noel wasn’t the type to drag out an explanation.  

“If you really wanted to hide your identity, you should’ve left at least one flaw. You should’ve played your little game moderately so I could believe it.”  

“What do you mean—”  

“Aiden. No matter how big a criminal is, they get caught at least once. No matter how lucky or skilled they are, inevitably, they slip up at least once. That’s life—no matter how wise someone is, they could still be blindsided at any moment. But—” 

Noel’s gaze became even colder.  

“Here’s a person claiming to be a mediocre con artist, yet in over ten years, he had never been arrested, not even once investigated.”

“……”

“Judging by your track record, you’ve managed to avoid all the major incidents, and if anything seemed remotely dangerous, you pulled out before it escalated, didn’t you?”  

“……”

“Isn’t that basically admitting you’ve ‘known’ which dangerous situations to avoid all along?”  

Aiden’s mouth fell slightly open.  

…Well, that was true.  

In reality, when working outside the law, it’s only natural to get tangled in some major incident at some point. 

He had certainly put all his effort into dodging anything dangerous. 

Of course, it was probably a stroke of luck made possible because he had knowledge of the original story.

But the fact that Aiden had been desperately running away to avoid getting involved in anything dangerous shouldn’t be a reason to overestimate him.

“That’s why I brought you here.”

The problem is that this person is maintaining a completely different attitude.

“No matter who we place as the husband in this fake marriage, it’s bound to be a difficult role to handle. There’s no one among the people I know who could manage it.”

Noel added as she placed her teacup down with a clink.

“Never having failed means that no one knows the limits of your ability. It’s like we can’t see the ceiling. So I brought you in, half as if I were scratching off a lottery ticket.”

‘Well, I get it. There’s some logic to it.’ 

But the reality behind those records is just the result of him desperately struggling to stay out of sight and avoid getting entangled in the main storyline.

He never imagined it would come back around like this.

There’s a limit to how much better a situation can be interpreted than reality.

Aiden opened his mouth to try to explain.

After all, he had years of experience in professions that involved smooth-talking. He could probably come up with a plausible explanation… 

“I feel like I hit the jackpot, judging by how well you handle your abilities.”  

…If not for that. 

He had ended up displaying a scene that didn’t match his supposed history at all.

Aiden’s mouth shut tight like a clam.

“Aiden. I’d prefer to handle this peacefully. The fact that you have more ability than I expected is actually good news for me.”  

Noel’s eyes, which had been faintly glowing until now, shot up to meet Aiden’s gaze.

That alone was overwhelming.

If a physical force existed in her gaze, it felt like just meeting her eyes would cut him down.

“But I do want an explanation for what I just saw. That pure white energy—whether you know it or not—has quite a lot of history behind it.”

‘Uh… well, yeah, it does look that way.’

– Skill Info    

[Weaver of Fate]  

<Copied Skill>  

[Noel Astria Simus]  

Heart of Pure White  

※Unique – Only this character possesses it!

[It boasts the highest efficiency of all energy cultivation methods, requiring tremendous effort and sensitivity for mastery. This energy cultivation method is an ability passed down directly from Noel’s master, honed to the extreme.]

Even if Aiden himself saw someone else suddenly using an energy cultivation method that had been passed down to him directly, he’d be left wondering what was going on.

‘I can fully understand how she feels.’

“So, I suggest you speak up quickly. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to draw my sword.”

‘Correction. I can’t understand her at all. Why is it coming to this?’

“Gael’s way of thinking isn’t always right, but you can tell the truth of the path he’s walked when you cross swords with him. I can get a rough idea of how you acquired those skills just from that.”

As Noel said this, her hand played with the sword at her waist, and the already clammy back of Aiden’s neck grew cold.

Though her face still bore a smile, the intent behind her words, hidden between the lines, was clearly genuine.

This woman would definitely draw her sword and strike him down if he didn’t give a satisfactory explanation.

‘But how exactly should I explain this? How could I possibly tell her that I’ve been transported into a game and that I somehow managed to copy her skills as part of a perk?’

“Are you keeping silent as a sign of agreement?”

‘But I have to say something. Otherwise, I might really die.’

And with that thought echoing in his mind, Aiden heard a clicking sound in his head.

It was the sound that always rang whenever he faced a “client.”

Switching into business mode, convincing someone that he was just an ordinary con artist…

That ship had sailed. It was time to let that go.

There was no way Aiden could come up with an explanation that would convince Noel right there.

In that case, the only remaining option was…

‘I’ll have to lie.’

That’s what he’s always done, after all—lying to survive.

Aiden’s mind began to race.

All the knowledge from the ‘original story’ that could help in this situation poured into his head.

The essence of being a con artist is deceiving others, and the essence of deceiving others lies in provoking their emotions.

So…

When considering everything about Noel Astria Simus, Aiden focused on what keyword would shake her the most.

And what surfaced was…

“Well…” 

Even to himself, the words he was forming felt more instinctual than logical.

“It seems like you don’t remember the old days, do you?” 

“What?” 

“Like when you were a child.”

He dropped those words casually, almost as if they were unintentional.

A hint of sadness, a subtle touch of wistfulness—he made sure to convey those emotions in his tone.

Even Aiden himself wondered what on earth he was saying.

Of course, she wouldn’t remember. They had never even met before.

But the moment Aiden said those words…

Noel froze in place.

Her eyes flickered for a moment, and her expression briefly twisted before cracking.

She quickly regained her usual composure, but…

In that fleeting, barely perceptible moment, Aiden caught the gap.

‘This woman…’

Based on the information from the game, it seemed that some ‘event’ had caused her to lose part of her childhood memories.

He didn’t know what the event was, as the game never covered that much detail.

‘What’s important is…!!’

She really had lost her memories, and more importantly, she had never told anyone about it.

There would’ve been no reason for her to.

So…

If Aiden could just insert himself into that gap of information, into something only Noel herself would know, that alone would be enough.

Just knowing information that the real person couldn’t recall would significantly boost the credibility of his story.

“…What are you talking about, Aiden?” 

Her attempt to hide her confusion showed that this ridiculous lie was somehow working.

It was only natural for her to react this way after having one of her deepest secrets touched upon.

Right now, her mind was probably swirling with all sorts of theories about Aiden’s true identity. 

And just that was enough to serve as a perfect shield for him.

After all, right now, the most important thing was simply to survive this situation.

So, the next step was…

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just didn’t expect you’d really forgotten….”

He let his words trail off, as if explaining would be pointless if she didn’t remember herself.

And just from that, Noel’s expression stiffened. She could no longer hide her agitation.

“I’ll be taking my leave now, Lady Noel.”

In other words, this was the perfect moment to say something vague and make a run for it.

Aiden’s voice, full of melancholic tones, lingered in the air.

“And next time we meet, I hope you’ll greet me a bit differently.”

Noel would never know what that was supposed to mean.

Because—

‘I have no idea either…!’

Even Aiden himself had no clue what kind of nonsense he was spouting!

But anyone could see that this was the perfect moment to quickly escape the room.

Feeling Noel’s bewildered gaze on his back, Aiden strode out.

***

That was yesterday.

A whirlwind of chaos had swept through his life on the very first day of his new job, leaving him utterly exhausted.

Now, he was holed up in his private room, refusing to see anyone.

[Skill Info]  

[Weaver of Fate]  

[Only you know the truth of this world. Build bonds with key characters from the main story to unlock new rewards!]

[Noel Astria Simus]  

[Bond: Level 2]  

  – You can now copy one additional skill.  

_<Copied Skill>_  

  – Heart of Pure White

It’s a good thing.

It’s definitely a good thing.

Because what he did yesterday worked so well, he even got a free skill copy out of it.

There’s no downside to it, really.

Sham Marriage  

– You have been selected as Lady Noel’s spouse.  

  Maintain your contract with the other party until the end!  

—  

[A related event will soon occur.]

Except for this part.  

‘What is this related event about?’  

Frowning, he glared at the notification. 

No matter how he looked at it, the words didn’t give him a good feeling. 

It definitely felt like another life-threatening danger was on its way. 

‘Should I gather more abilities?’ 

Honestly, he wanted to avoid getting involved in any fights, but when a warning is as blatant as this, it would be foolish to just sit back and wait. 

‘But from whom?’ 

He couldn’t exactly go back to Noel and get another skill from her. 

After what happened yesterday, it would be awkward to even face her. 

As Aiden pondered who might be a suitable candidate, the surrounding area suddenly became very noisy. 

“His Highness, Prince Daniel, will be arriving soon!”

“Everyone, finish tidying up and clear out! Don’t get caught in his sight!”

Peeking his head out into the corridor to see what the commotion was about, Aiden noticed that someone of high status was visiting.

The Imperial Headquarters was the nerve center of the empire’s army, so all sorts of people came through. 

However, a member of the royal family was certainly a rare guest.

As the prince strode confidently down the corridor, staff members of the Imperial Headquarters quickly stepped aside to clear his path, which was impossible not to notice.  

Aiden’s eyes narrowed slightly at the sight.

‘If he’s royalty from the Holy Kingdom…’

Aiden mentally flipped through the game’s lore.

The powers wielded by the Empire’s members were ‘Qi’, granted by Karva’s authority, while the powers wielded by the Holy Kingdom’s members were ‘Divinity’, granted by Seor, the god of purification. 

And those who wielded divinity best were the royalty, those closest to the source of that power.  

‘…Should I give it a try?’

If building relationships resulted in skill copies, it wouldn’t hurt to get acquainted with someone like that.

If the connection worked out, great. If not, no big deal.

Since he held the title of Noel’s spouse, exchanging a greeting and having a brief conversation shouldn’t be considered a major offense.

With that thought in mind, Aiden puffed out his chest and approached the prince, who was walking down the corridor. 

Naturally, he positioned himself to intercept him and said, “It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness. I am…”

But the moment he extended his hand.

Slap!

His hand was violently swatted away. 

The prince’s voice, filled with disgust as if he had just seen a cockroach, followed immediately after.

“Get away, you filthy thing.”

…Life sure is tough.

Aiden quietly chewed over this thought as he looked at the person who had just slapped his hand away. 

It was a young man with an oily, smirking face, his features exuding arrogance and entitlement. 

‘…Now I understand why everyone was trying to get out of here before he arrived.’

With a temperament like that, it’s no wonder people reacted the way they did.

“One kneels on one knee when greeting royalty. How does a fool like you not know that and still walk these halls?”  

‘Wasn’t that tradition abolished a long time ago? These days, even royalty would face backlash for demanding something like that.’

“I am the seventh prince of the Holy Kingdom of Craven. Name’s…” 

‘Well, doesn’t matter. I’ll just call him ‘Slick’ in my head.’

Aiden mentally snipped the words he just heard and thought that nickname suited the prince perfectly. 

Based on what he had just said, it was obvious he had done something quite significant.

“And judging by your commoner-like behavior, there’s no need to even ask about your lineage.”

‘Wow.’

In just a few seconds, he had managed to display the full measure of his awful personality. Aiden’s temples began to throb as if they were about to burst.

“Your Highness, I believe it’s unwise to underestimate this man so lightly.”

Even the fully armored guard standing beside the prince tried to intervene, likely concerned by the situation.

Of course, Slick’s face immediately twisted into a scowl.

“Shut up. Who told you to interfere?”

“But, Your Highness, this man—”

Hearing the guard’s quiet words, a crooked smile spread across Slick’s face.

“Oh.”

It was a condescending smile, as if he had just heard a ridiculous joke.

“So, this is the one they brought in? Lion-heart’s man, huh?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

As the guard responded, Slick’s unpleasant gaze swept over Aiden from head to toe.

“This guy?”

“They didn’t even acknowledge my request, but picked this guy as her spouse?”

From the way he talked, it was clear that this guy had originally had a deep interest in the position of Noel’s spouse.

A vague realization dawned on him.

[Sham Marriage]  

[You have been selected as Lady Noel’s spouse.]  

[Maintain your contract with the other party until the end! A related event will occur soon.]

The “related event” mentioned here…  

‘Could it be that it’s connected to the troublesome royal standing right in front of me?’

It seemed that Aiden had walked right into it while trying to prepare for whatever was coming.  

‘Ah.’

Aiden Kellermain.  

On day one, he faced a friend of his spouse who drew a sword on him. Now, on day two, he had managed to get into a conflict with a foreign royal.

‘Ah.’

There was nothing left to do but sigh.

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