It was difficult, but she confided her biggest secret to her friend.

The presence of her precognitive dreams, the true nature of Nocton Edgar, and she also added the advice not to provoke him.

Actually she wanted to tell Roa everything that she learned before Nocton Edgar noticed it, but she needed time to accept it.

Seeing Roa’s face full of confusion, Alice stepped back.

She wouldn’t have stepped down like that if she knew she would get an invitation to the tea party right after that.

Even if it’s a precognitive dream, it’s just show the appearance and the season, and Alice doesn’t know exactly when and under what circumstances it happens.

That’s why she was flustered when she received the invitation.

It was Alice’s best to lie and run to Ernhardt because she couldn’t refuse him while looking at his face.

Still, after days of being scared, crying, and trembling, she felt a little bit better.

Maybe she didn’t even have enough left, and now she thinks it’s time to go.

It may be that the stigma has blossomed, or the anger that was overwhelmed by fear threw its head out.

“My lady, everything is ready.”

“Yes, wait a minute. I’ll be out soon.”

Answering what was heard over the door, Alice slowly raised herself up.

In fact, she was afraid to go back now.

Even though she was a little out of fear, Nocton Edgar was still a fearful opponent.

She only knew that Duke Edgar was using black magic, and she wasn’t sure why he approached her or why he was obsessed with Roa.

That’s why Alice was hoping to have a new precognitive dream before returning.

Knowing what’s going to happen in the future is a great weapon.

Although her precognition did not show a distant future, it was limited to show what would happen in a month at most, but that alone would be helpful.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t get it. It was too vague to wait for a dream to come by chance.

Therefore, Alice took other measures instead of waiting for her precognitive dreams.

Alice opened the lock on the drawer and took something out of it.

How many times she wrote and read, it was a notebook with tattered paper.

It was filled with the information of Nocton Edgar, whom Alice saw in her dreams.

If he continues to go on as he is, he will not be suspected everytime he killed someone.

Even if it wasn’t his magic, it didn’t matter what happened.

She avoided the immediate tea party, but the second, third, could happen at any time.

Alice wanted to save the lives of her friend and her own.

The days of executions for just using black magic have passed, so she will not be able to borrow the power of the Empire until Nocton Edgar commited a great sin.

But at least personally, she can avoid the hypnosis and brainwashing.

Alice touched the white crystal around her neck.

It was just a simple necklace with a platinum string on it.

On the surface, it may seem only a simple jewelry, but in reality it was a relic that could protect the wearer from the magic of a black wizard.

It was expensive and difficult to get, and she had to get not one, but three. However, it was worth the money.

Alice Limorand’s coming to Ernhardt wasn’t just to escape.

Being stuck in a mansion like a hibernating wild animal wasn’t because she believed that time would solve everything.

Alice was preparing to fight Nocton Edgar in her own way; seeking holy artifacts and reading many books on black magic.

She threw her notebook into the fireplace in the bedroom.

The flames devoured the notebook greedily.

In front of the fireplace was a pile of information that had previously been swallowed up by fire.

Alice glanced at the burning traces of her fear and turned away.

It was time to leave Ernhardt.

***

Alice told me not to go to the tea party, but by this point, the tea party came to me.

Although she didn’t think so, I think it would be okay if there were only three of us.

I looked alternately at the two men sitting at the table in the drawing room and sighed.

“It’s quite a coincidence that you’re sitting down with the two people you wanted to invite the next day after the tea party’s broken. By the way.”

Perhaps he thought the same thing as mine, Nocton narrowed his eyes.

“Didn’t Sir Claymore say he wasn’t feeling well?”

Did you lie, not just saying you’re absent?

It’s an unbelievable excuse of him for not feeling well. If you were dealing with mana, you wouldn’t be sick if you weren’t hurt.

It is a lie that even a three-year-old would not believe.

Nevertheless, Aaron seemed to have no qualms.

“I haven’t been feeling well until the day. That’s why even though my fiancee is sick, I wasn’t able to show up before today.”

Is it okay for a knight to lie so well?

Aaron Claymore was definitely the most knightly man I’ve ever seen…..

His unexpected side embarrassed me, but I couldn’t show it in front of Nocton, so I just sipped the tea in front of me.

“But what brings Your Grace to Valrose’s mansion?”

“Well, do I need any particular reason?”

“It might have been unnecessary before, but now it’s different. In the first place, it’s rude to visit without reason, no matter how close you are. And even as a childhood friend, it’s not good to meet an engaged woman privately.”

“It’s none of your concern.”

“We’re going to be married soon.”

Who? Me?

“It doesn’t matter.”

I was just embarrassed by the story that was not agreed upon, but I couldn’t enjoy such a light emotion after checking out Nocton’s expression.

His eyes had sunk cold.

Though I had seen this expression a little while ago when there was only two of us, the atmosphere was somewhat different.

Unlike the moment when I only became aware of my anger visually, the air around him was also sullen.

I felt a murderous intention in Nocton, in other words.

The fear that was driven into anger and emptiness, it returned even though I thought it was gone.

The steady heartbeat went wild and I lowered my gaze.

My hands trembled aimlessly.

Then, the hand from the side held my hand firmly.

The large hand was a little rough, but it was definitely warm, perhaps because of its long grip on the sword.

The warmth somehow reminded me of Alroy.

I can’t say that fear is completely gone.

However, it was a little different from when I was overwhelmed with fear.

The moment when I had to endure fear alone and the moment when I had someone supporting me were clearly different.

Although it was a little ironic that I felt the feelings I had in my family with Aaron.

I slowly raised my eyes.

Even though it would have been hidden by the table, Nocton’s eyes were directed at my hand, which Aaron was holding.

Looking at the frighteningly cold eyes, I recalled the words I heard from him.

‘Does Aaron Claymore important to you?‘

‘More than me, who have been with you for ten years?’

It’s a novelty.

Just a moment ago, I couldn’t guess what Nocton wanted or what I had to do, but just having someone by my side made me realize at least one thing.

There’s something that Roa Valrose should do.

“Nocton, do you remember what you asked on the terrace before?”

Nocton didn’t answer, but just by not asking back, I could see that he had remembered the same thing.

My heart was pounding, so I took a deep breath without a sound.

“Just like you said, Nocton. Aaron is important to me.”

All I had to do was cut him off.

“So I have no choice but to distance myself from you.”

I could feel Aaron looking at me astonishment, either because of the word important, or because I said I want to keep the distance while trembling.

My face was still looking straight ahead, so I could only glimpses with my side eyes, but I felt a little shy when I saw him.

However, there was never a lie.

I had an engagement for a purpose, and it would have been nothing after we broke up, but I’ve come to regard Aaron, who is kind and reliable, as a friend for a little while.

Nocton’s expression hasn’t changed since he heard me.

A face sunken coldly. This time he was looking at me with a straight face that was neither displeased nor offended.

I said it with courage.

Nevertheless, the silence is heavy.

“I’m not joking.”

“I know.”

He gave a short answer to the added heavy silence.

Even though it was a short answer, I felt that his voice was cracked and rough.

It was a little too much to think that his voice had subsided.

The strange change made me even more nervous.

“Yes, I will keep my distance. How much.”

“Did I tell you how much? Let’s not see each other anymore.”

“….I’m curious. Valrose, can you do that? Can you cut me off?”

The words carried on slowly.

Nocton’s fingers touched the handle of the teacup in front of him. As if to drink tea, he pushed the handle and turned it back, rubbing the handle and the surface of the cup with his thumb.

Like a child who was always busy, he couldn’t leave the teacup alone.

Like someone who is nervous or holding something back.

I didn’t like his words that seemed to deny my decision, but rather, I felt strange that his expression had not changed for a while.

My stomach is turned upside down.

It might be called intuition, he felt the blue energy of his whole body and stood up.

Aaron also seemed nervous as if he felt something strange. His hand that held my hand fell off.

He couldn’t bring a sword when visiting his fiancée, but I noticed that his hands were habitually groping his waist.

A knight without a sword and a wizard without a sword.

The protagonist and the villain.

Nocton, too, has a position and purpose, so he won’t be doing anything back and forth.

But if he has the confidence to take care of everything, or if he’s angry enough that it doesn’t matter, can Aaron stop him?

Their roles gave Aaron a clear fact that one day he would win against Nocton.

However, I can’t help but to doubt whether that will be possible now, when Alice is not next to him….

I habitually arranged the positions of the two and bit my lips out of impatience.

That wasn’t it.

This moment was not a confrontation between Nocton and Aaron.

Aaron is just helping me, because I was the one who confronted Nocton.

If it weren’t for me, Aaron wouldn’t even be sitting face to face with Nocton, who had little interest in Alice.

Therefore, I should not hide behind others while trembling.

It was a situation that I should not reconsider the power of my friend and the enemy.

“There’s nothing I can’t do.”