Chapter 7: I didn’t ask to be suddenly embraced like this.

(――Wait. Wait, wait, wait?)

Leefe was in complete confusion.

Today was Easton and Aria’s engagement party. Leefe reluctantly came to the royal palace, but for some reason, in the middle of the grand staircase, she found herself wrapped in the arms of a stranger.

By the way, the arms tightly embraced Leefe, and there was a firm determination not to let go, but the man was not a muscular type. Rather, he appeared slim and incredibly beautiful—like a prince. With amethyst eyes peering through soft silver hair, he possessed a handsome appearance that could inspire admiration.

By the way, a few seconds before finding herself in this situation, Leefe had met his gaze and secretly thought, “It would be nice to have a lover like this; well, it’s too much to ask for myself…”

Somehow, she was now tightly embraced by that very person.

(Wha… what… what is this about!)

Leefe, whose catchphrase from her previous life was ‘I want friends’ and ‘I want a lover,’ was not accustomed to such situations. If she had actually experienced something like this before, it wouldn’t be her catchphrase. Right now, she was just nervously fluttering in the arms of a handsome stranger, feeling like she might die from excitement.

However, even though Leefe was blushing and frozen, there was no sign of Rene, the contract spirit, coming to her rescue.

So, how did this situation come about? It traces back a few minutes.

◇

A month after Leefe’s engagement was broken off, in the Distoria Kingdom

In the grand hall of the royal castle, Easton and Aria’s engagement party was about to begin. Leefe, who had arrived at the venue with Rene, climbed the dazzling grand staircase while looking distant.

“I’ve only been here once since I saw Lord Easton and Aria kissing last month…”

“Just imagining it makes me want to throw up, so can we not talk about it? Wasn’t it the same for meeting Aria-chan?”

“Yes, that’s right. Lord Easton and Father said, ‘It’s too dangerous until Leefe leaves the Tarantt Ducal House; we can’t send Aria back.'”

“Miss, even if they say that, why don’t you run away from that house? It’s way too dangerous.”

“!? Because Rene told me to behave!”

A month had passed since then, but Easton’s memory still hadn’t returned. What was strange was that only memories related to Leefe and Aria had completely disappeared.

(From the beginning, the reason for collapsing was weird. Is it possible to sway, slip, fall, hit your head, get sick, and lose your memory?)”

The current situation was intriguing for Leefe, who excelled in curses as a black magician and also worked as a magical pharmacist specializing in treating diseases. However, Leefe was now considered an enemy of Easton, so there was no way he would be allowed to conduct examinations.

By the way, Aria showed no signs of dispelling the misunderstanding. Once it had come to this, there seemed to be no change in the setup that labeled Leefe as an interfering nuisance and claimed Aria’s achievements as a magical pharmacist.

(Well, Aria would be troublesome too. I was able to get over His Highness Easton right away, but I would be disappointed if my sister betrayed me so clearly..)

As Leefe tightly gripped her hand, the burn mark from a month ago throbbed painfully. Since she started living as “Leefe,” it was the first time her magical power had seemed to run amok.

In her previous life, this wound would have healed easily, but her body seemed to have been shocked, and the burn marks from the runaway magic were still visible. Blowing on her palm, Renne gave her a meaningful smile.

“Limiting your actions is only as natural as your contracted spirit. In the young lady’s case, if she moves recklessly, there may be retaliation. For instance, you sent an enchanted potion disguised as a gift, weakening the enchanting power of the saintly maiden.”

“…You knew?”

“Yes. Honestly, the young lady is someone who cannot easily discard harmful things.”

“Come on, can’t you leave me alone?”

Rene’s concerns were on point.

In fact, over the past month, Leefe has been sending “gifts of tea” to Aria, who lived in the royal castle. Of course, it wasn’t just ordinary tea. Disguised as tea leaves, it was a magical potion to suppress the enchanting power of the saintly maiden.

She knew she would be rejected by Easton, who believed Aria’s words completely. However, the saintly maiden’s enchanting power could tilt the country.

(Well, my once peaceful life is now in jeopardy.)

After pretending it wasn’t for Aria, Leefe changed her expression to a more determined one.

“By the way, Rene, who did you send the letter to? I didn’t get a reply, so I ended up attending my former fiancé’s and sister’s engagement party alone.”

“How strange. There shouldn’t have been a reply. Well, I did say, ‘At least I won’t let you be alone; I’ll escort you.'”

Midway up the grand staircase, Leefe and Rene were having a lively argument when Leefe suddenly felt a gaze and looked up the stairs. There was a shadow there.

At the top of the staircase was a lavish and splendid party venue. Due to its brilliance, the face was not clearly visible. However, there was a young man, a little older than 18-year-old Leefe.

“Ah.”

Rene exclaimed, prompting Leefe to ask quietly.

“Is that person someone you know, Rene? I can’t see any spirit-like qualities.”

Rene, a high-ranking spirit, typically had good looks. The young man looking down from the top of the grand staircase was exceptionally handsome, like a spirit, but Leefe couldn’t sense the unique magical power of spirits.

(Hmm…?)

For some reason, at that moment, a dream Leefe occasionally had flashed through her mind.

soft silver hair and kind amethyst eyes. That person usually treated everyone equally. However, when looking at themselves, their expression changed to a meltingly sweet color. Leefe knew the happiness of being embraced by that person.

The person who taught her to love others when she had always been alone. Someone very important to her, but a haze clung to the crucial memories. The face, the expression, even the name—everything.

While lost in thought, the young man had come right in front of Leefe. Judging from his appearance and the aura around him, he seemed to be quite a noble person.

(I wonder if he has something to discuss with me.)

The young man stared straight at Leefe, and his eyes, so beautiful that they seemed to draw Leefe in, reflected only Leefe. Despite wearing an expression that seemed somewhat emotional, Leefe had no recollection of him.

However, he took Leefe’s hand without hesitation.

“I am Oliver Luke Sinfeld.”

(Sinfeld… that name…)

Hearing a familiar family name, Leefe blinks and forgets to introduce herself. In response to that gesture, Oliver, who had identified himself, gently smiled without taking offense.

“My family has a slight connection to the imperial family of the Shinwood Empire. I would appreciate it if you could keep that to yourself.”

“I… I understand. I am Leefe. Leefe Quinn Tarantt.”

(I feel like he’s someone I shouldn’t be involved with…)

At least Leefe was certain that he was not the right person to engage in conversation, especially as her reputation in high society was rapidly deteriorating.

Although Leefe attempted to step back, Oliver unexpectedly held her hand firmly, making it difficult for Leefe to withdraw. In the midst of Leefe’s confusion, Rene casually spoke from behind.

“That person there is the one I sent the letter to.”

“…!? !? !?”