Anyway, accepting Zahid’s request, I asked the maids to step back a little.

“Here.”

I placed my hands on my knees and said with a bright smile.

“So, what do you have to say to your fiancée, secretly and in private?”

“…You.”

Zahid swept his gaze around once, then glared at me.

Those violet eyes were so fierce I almost hiccupped.

This kid’s got guts, huh…

The Zahid I met before the regression had a very strong presence too.

But even so, he’d never looked at me with such hostility before, so I was taken aback.

“Hmph.”

I flinched and blinked, and Zahid lowered his voice and continued.

“You came from the Temple, didn’t you?”

“Mm… It’s true that I was at the Temple before my brother came to get me. Before that, I was at an orphanage.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Zahid furrowed his brow even more and asked,

“Aren’t you a spy sent by the Temple?”

“What? Me?”

“Don’t try to fool me. There’s no way you’re just a simple apprentice. You’re far too cunning for how you look, you communicate with a Divine Beast, and…”

Zahid’s eyes narrowed for a moment. He seemed like he was about to say something more but then decided against it.

He glared at me and slowly declared, as if making a solemn vow.

“I hate the Temple more than anything.”

“Uh… yeah… I know.”

“Love and mercy, empathy and understanding? I hate those stupid words the Temple people are always spouting too.”

Love and mercy, empathy and understanding.

Those were the words passed down as the will of the god when the Temple was first established. So it made sense that Temple people clung to them.

The only problem was… I’d just said the same thing to provoke Cecil a while ago…

But the words themselves are fine, right?

I tilted my head and looked Zahid straight in the eye.

“I hate the Temple too. If I were really one of them, do you think Grandfather would’ve accepted me, even if I’m his granddaughter?”

“That’s because Count Noart doesn’t know who you really are yet…!”

“Wow. So an eleven-year-old kid who’s only seen me for a few hours knows me better than my grandfather? With that ego, you could go head-to-head with Julian.”

I smiled sweetly and munched on some tea snacks.

Honestly, I couldn’t understand why Zahid had suddenly come running all the way here.

Still, since Shulva came with him, it ended up being a good thing. It’s always a relief to have someone trustworthy around when things go south.

While calmly chewing my tea snacks, I suddenly spoke.

“Well, since you clearly don’t trust a lowly apprentice like me… should I tell you a secret too?”

It was a bit of an impulsive decision.

The Zahid before me wasn’t the Zahid from the past…

But before regression, I’d told Zahid everything.

We shared so many conversations that I used to think Zahid was the person who knew me best in the entire world.

Though now, he doesn’t even remember any of that time.

Zahid.

I took a slow sip of tea and thought to myself,

We’re even having tea time together. Isn’t that amazing.

The garden air was lovely, and the leaves rustled gently in the breeze.

On the pretty lace tablecloth lay sweet confections, and above our heads stretched the vast sky.

“What do you think it would’ve been like if we had just met as Count Noart’s daughter and Duke Dyfenril?”

“I dunno. We probably would’ve had tea time like this, danced at banquets. Just met at some social event like normal people.”

“Are social events fun? My brother was so overprotective I never even got to interact with other noble kids.”

“Eh, they’re all boring and stupid. Not fun. Waste of time.”

“I see. So you’re bad at socializing.”

“Well… maybe. But if it’s with you… I feel like I might actually like it.”

“Probably. I may look like this now, but when I put effort into it, I’ve been told I’m really cute and pretty.”

“Yeah, yeah. If we ever get out of here and have tea time or whatever, don’t bother dressing up. It’s a waste of time. Just come as you are so I can see your face a little longer.”

“Hmph.”

The maids were still fidgeting in the back, murmuring, “It’s her first tea time… we should’ve at least changed her hair accessory…”

I slowly placed a madeleine on Zahid’s plate.

Our tea time together… it’s not bad. Just as I thought, it’s actually pretty nice.

As I leisurely enjoyed the moment, Zahid suddenly spoke with his usual annoyed expression.

“Who are you thinking about?”

“…Huh?”

“Anyway, I’m your guest right now. So it’s rude to think about someone else in front of me. That dreamy look you had—cut it out.”

“…”

Something felt strange.

I ended up making a sullen face without realizing it, and as Zahid bit into the madeleine I gave him, he asked,

“So, what’s the secret? What is it?”

“Oh.”

I snapped back to attention and leaned in to whisper to Zahid.

“It’s a real secret, but… I think someone’s going to kill my brother. I’m scared.”

“What?”

Zahid dropped the madeleine with a soft plop.

I glanced around nervously and whispered.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“So I kept him from going outside, but… I still feel like someone’s going to come all the way to our house and kill my brother. What should I do to prepare?”

“Hm.”

Zahid’s expression stiffened in an instant. He seemed to think hard for a moment, then whispered with a solemn look on his face.

“So you’re saying someone’s trying to eliminate your brother before he regains his memory? Maybe your brother uncovered some huge secret about that person before the accident?”

Oh.

“Zahid…”

I blinked in admiration.

“…You’re pretty smart for a kid.”

“Ahem, hem! I’m not a kid. I’m only a year younger than you.”

Zahid turned red all the way to the back °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° of his neck and cleared his throat at my words.

“Ruff ruff! Ruff ruff ruff!”

<Marry this one! Marry this one!>

Then, grasping the teacup with hands still small—though larger than mine—he muttered sulkily,

“Well. Honestly, the easiest way to kill someone is with black magic. Even if it’s banned in the Empire, and even if the Temple can treat it easily.”

“Ah.”

I blinked and fiddled with my fingers.

Because Zahid’s parents had died from black magic.

They had passed away without anyone able to help, due to a freak earthquake and the absence of a priest at the time.

“They say it’s easy to cure if you go to the Temple within a couple of months… but still.”

“Black magic… I don’t really know much about it. Do you?”

“Well, more than the average person.”

Zahid answered calmly.

“They say it only works on nights with a full moon, when divine power is weakest. So maybe it’s best to be careful on nights like that.”

I already knew that divine power wanes during full moons.

That’s when the Temple’s vigilance weakens, and Zahid used to visit me during those times.

That’s how black magic worked—it was nearly the opposite of divine power.

But Cecil is a priest. Black magic? Really?

I tilted my head, puzzled, and Zahid slowly spoke.

“But, you know…”

“Yeah?”

“Tonight’s the full moon. You knew that, right?”

I dropped the teacup I was holding.

With a loud crash, it shattered noisily.

“Hey, be careful!”

Zahid barked like a dog, grabbing my hand.

“Are you hurt anywhere? Huh?”

“Zahid…”

I clutched his arm and, without thinking, pleaded earnestly.

“Stay the night at the Count’s estate. Please?”

Normally, priests don’t act on full moon nights. That’s because divine power weakens, which directly affects their abilities.

So the fact that a priest came to the estate at a time like this was highly suspicious.

A priest using black magic is completely absurd, but… everything feels too suspicious…

I hadn’t considered the possibility of a connection between the Temple and black magic, but hearing Zahid talk like this made it all feel wrong.

And the one who came to the estate was none other than Cecil, the close aide of the High Priest.

Sending someone that high-ranking—what could that mean, except that something outrageous might actually happen?

“I just… I have this feeling something will definitely happen tonight. But I don’t know enough about black magic. You do, so please help me. Okay?”

Zahid stared at me for a long moment, then let out a deep sigh.

And then he whispered softly.

“Surveillance.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll watch you. Not act with you. Got it?”

Zahid narrowed his eyes like a triangle and placed his hands on his hips.

“So, what do I have to do? Just say it. Whatever it is—what do you need?”

“Ruff ruff ruff! Ruff ruff ruff ruff!”

<Marry this one! I’m sorry!>

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep