Prologue

A warm breeze blew faintly across my face.

Suddenly, I looked up at the sky.

The sky on that summer day was clear and bright. A beautiful clear sky, with beams of sunlight embroidered across it. Suddenly, ‘He’ appeared before me, without any warning.

I looked towards the owner of that voice. At that moment, he seemed even brighter than the sun, which was already as bright as it could be on a summer day.

Dressed in a plain white shirt, his alluring clavicle was left exposed by a few undone buttons.

The only skin visible was his collarbones, yet he still exudes sensuality.

As soon as he ran into me, he tilted his mouth and smiled.

As if you’ve already noticed my situation, that man with a captivating smile.

I could tell right away who he was.

Chapter 1: The Ex-Girlfriend, Erica

I believe that everyone has their own role.

There is a saying, “One creates their own destiny,” but at least in this world, those words couldn’t be applied.

This is because the world that I lived in was a world set in a book, where the main character’s role was predetermined.

「Yuliana」

It’s the title of this world, the title of this book and at the same time, it’s the name of the female protagonist.

Yuliana works as a maid of honour, hiding her identity as a royal princess.

She is destined to be loved by various men.

Basically, this is a reverse harem novel.

The Matapju, the Grand Duke and even the prince of another kingdom will come to like Yuliana.

Ah, to be a heroine and be loved by all the best men in the world. That must be nice. Compared to her, what’s the role of this person I possessed?

“… So, I hope we can stop seeing each other.”

I looked at Michael, standing in front of me like a mute.

He dropped his gaze with his lips clenched.

Michael.

Until we came to the banquet together, he didn’t know this was going to happen.

I had this thought for a moment that I should comfort him.

But I didn’t.

I was leaving Michael, the man I had dated for the last 3 months. I couldn’t be weak now. Waiting for his answer, I listened to the faint sound of music coming from the banquet hall.

Standing in the garden under the full sunshine of a midsummer day was a bit hard, but listening to the music gave me some relief.

What’s taking him so long?

Suddenly, there was a voice that did not match the soft tune of the performance. It was Michael, who seemed to speak with his jaw clenched.

“Erica Kernels. I can’t accept what you’re saying.”

His voice held a deep sense of anger rather than sadness.

I thought back to my name, which Michael called. It was my new name which I became familiar with.

‘Erica Kernels.’

That’s the name of the woman I possessed in the book, ‘Yuliana’.

Originally, she played the role of the villain.

Erica was the only daughter of the Marquis of Kernels, a woman with an appearance too good to be a supporting character.

With her pink hair, green eyes and sensual charm, she was a social gossip who changed men as often as she changed clothes. And she was Leo’s ex-girlfriend.

Come to think of it, it turns out that 3 years have passed since I broke up with Leo. A bitter smile rose to my lips.

“Erika, please say something.”

I answered Michael with a smile. To him, who can’t accept our breakup.

“Why can’t I break up with you?”

“It’s too one-sided. Did I do something wrong?”

I shook my head. There was nothing wrong with Michael.

“Then why on earth…?”

He carefully brought his body closer to mine.

His brown eyes, once my favourite, looked deeper today.

“Michael. I don’t know if it sounds cruel.”

“….”

“But I’m tired of you.”

Hearing it out loud, it really was pretty cruel. I wonder if Michael thought so too, and his eyes fell on me. He looks furious.

But, I wouldn’t let his anger stop me.

Because I was really sick of him.

To add a little more to the description of Erica in the novel…

In the novel, Erica Kernels was a woman who was easily bored with all men except the male lead, Leo.

There was only one man Erica Kernels really loved throughout the novel.

That man was the hero of the novel, Leonardo Stein.

I wasn’t really Erica. Originally, I only wanted to act according to the set rules that Erica had, but surprisingly, I also got tired of other guys except Leo.

It was just as if I became the real Erica.

After breaking up with Leo to overcome this unwritten rule, I dated several men. Thanks to Erica’s beautiful appearance, dating many men was a piece of cake.

Strangely, however, those relationships never lasted more than three months. After three months, or 90 days, my interest in others would cool off.

His taste, how he laughs, what makes him sad.

Such things were usually determined within 90 days.

Then it’s less interesting. I was curious about him before I met him, but after about 90 days of meeting him, I became bored. It was a strange thing.

Michael was no different.

I was willing to last longer with him, but after 90 days, everything about him became troublesome. I didn’t want to see him any more because I was so excited to see what he would say when I broke up with him.

Even if it sounded cruel, it was bound to happen anyway.

“….”

Michael clenched his fist and his body trembled.

I squinted my eyes and made a rough estimate of what he would do next.

Michael, the count’s heir, was hot-tempered. Given that temper, he was surrounded by many violent rumours. But that didn’t mean he was always like that.

Because his face I liked was gentle.

Nevertheless, Michael would occasionally show his hot temper in front of me. Whenever he did that, he would crumple his face and try to quell the fury that’s threatened to explode.

That’s exactly what he looked like now.

He was crumpling his face with all his might.

Maybe he wanted to hurt me, like slapping me on the cheek.

If he’s about to hit me, why don’t I just grip his hand like the women in dramas?

All I would need to do was grab him by the wrist when he lifts it over my face and say,

‘Are you going to hit a girl now?’

But then, Michael would be even more angry. How should I deal with it?

Given my current situation, I was rather calm. This was the skill of a person who has experienced numerous breakups.

Funny enough, I could even understand a bit of his anger. I knew it was because the declaration I had made was cruel and uncaring.

My prediction was correct.

It wasn’t long before I saw his hand raised above my head.

Are you sure you’re going to slap me?

But he couldn’t bring himself to do it right away, his hands were in the air, shaking faintly.

I lightly pressed and stretched my hand, and prepared to grab his wrist.

“……!”

It was then that someone got in between us.

Someone grabbed Michael’s arm, which was raised in the air. Somebody with white, slender hands.

I looked behind Michael.

There was a man who appeared silently. A very handsome man, that looks like a main character.

Michael was handsome, but he was even more so.

Who could he be?

He snatched Michael’s arm, while I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off that man’s face. His silver hair reflecting the summer sun looked smooth, and his golden eyes were unfathomable.

He was a man who caught my eye, as if he was born to attract people’s attention. But he didn’t care.

When our gazes finally met, that man only showed a fierce smile.

“I found you.”

His voice was pleasant, but I couldn’t understand what those words meant.

You found me?

This man who came out of nowhere says he’s looking for me? The man’s glossy red lips opened again.

“No matter the reason, it’s never right to hit a woman”

It was a faint smile, but there was a certain chill in it. It was a warning. Though it wasn’t directed at me, even I suddenly felt nervous.

“You think so too, don’t you? Beautiful lady.”

He winked at me, asking for my approval.

No way. He couldn’t be referring to me as a beautiful girl, right… It gives me goosebumps. A silly smile appeared on my face before I realized it. It was totally out of place, considering my current position.

I just watched him with a smile on my face.

His deep-set eyes, the strange manner of speaking and his soft side.

I naturally recalled this man in the「Yuliana」book.

Matapju, one of the men who liked the female lead.

That Matapju is here.

I spat out his name, even though I thought he wouldn’t show up here.

“… Zionne?”

 Are… you running away now?

He seemed surprised at the fact that I recognised him.

“Do you know me?”

He smiled and quickly recomposed himself.

“Yes, that’s right. I’m Zionne.”

He was Zionne. In the 5 years since I had become ‘Erika’, this was my first time meeting another lead role, excluding Leo.

Zionne smiled more intensely at me, who recognized him.

His smile was nothing extraordinary. Just the corners of his mouth curling up like a crescent moon.

Even so, it was incredibly enchanting.

My heart pounded for a moment.

If I didn’t know that Zionne would fall for the heroine, I would’ve already begged him for his affection.

“….Zionne? You came to the city?”

Michael, whose arm was still caught, confirmed Zionne’s identity with a twisted face.

Zionne nodded calmly.

Michael, who had been floundering, roughly shook off the arm held by Zionne and turned away gently.

The hot-tempered man had decided to exit quietly.

Michael seemed to have recognised Zionne, who appeared like a knight in shining armour. If even he retreated from Zionne, then I was no match for him.

And Michael wasn’t the kind of person who would admit defeat easily.

Zionne did not leave my side until Michael had completely disappeared.

It seemed like Michael was prepared to come back once he left. As expected of Mr Playboy Matapju, he knew how to treat a woman. His manners truly deserved some applause.

I glanced at Zionne. His appearance exactly matched what the novel described.

Zionne, who became a womanizer at an early age, was often described as a ‘fairy-like flirt’.

He was like a mysterious woodland fairy whose name no one knew.

Perhaps that’s why I thought, “If I touch his fair cheek, he will turn to smoke and vanish.”

Zionne used to be described as a wizard of extraordinary ability. Such power, that even Michael ran at the sound of his name.

Of course, the rumours that circulated about him helped.

Although I stared at him, Zionne didn’t seem perturbed by it. The smile he wore didn’t falter in the least.

I expressed my gratitude belatedly.

“Thanks for your help.”

Nodding lightly, he asked me.

“Were you breaking up with him?”

I answered without reserve.

“Yes. We were.”

“Why do you speak so informally to me? Isn’t this our first meeting?”

“That is so, but you were informal towards me first. If you hadn’t spoken in such a manner, I wouldn’t have followed suit.”

Zionne was a playboy, but there was no reason to honour him.

I wasn’t a member of the Matap, and I didn’t have any deep relationship with him.

There was little contact between Erica and Zionne in the original story.

I believed that it would be the same even though I had replaced Erica.

In response, Zionne chuckled pleasantly, as if I had amused him, and pointed his finger elsewhere.

“Would you like to go inside and get a drink? I’m quite parched from walking all the way here.”

The place Zionne pointed to was the banquet hall where I was with Michael a little while ago. I nodded.

“Okay.”

I accepted impulsively.

As we entered the hall, silence spread amongst the terrified guests.

Of course, the reason for this was none other than the man who stood beside me.

He wore a comfortable shirt, a jacket over his shoulders, and black pattern-less pants, but he stood out more than any of the people dressed in their finest clothes in the banquet hall.

It was most likely thanks to his fine silver hair and beautiful golden eyes. As expected, a handsome face was the most important.

Everyone glanced at Zionne and started to murmur, but he paid no mind to the attention he was receiving.

He just picked up two glasses of wine on the table.

“Let’s go to the balcony.”

He led me to a corner balcony. I followed him silently.

Zionne went in first and left the balcony door open, waiting for me outside.

Closing the door of the balcony he left open, I looked at Zionne leaning against the railing.

He stood precariously as if he was about to fall over the railing.

The hot summer breeze gently scattered Zion’s silver hair.

Eyelids slightly closed, eyelashes catching the light ever so often.

The gentle smile playing on his lips was also eye-catching. Handsome faces were the best.

I almost jumped, startled as I walked closer to him.

The sound of something breaking was small, but there.

I looked down, and under my feet were fragments of broken glass bottles.

Between the pieces of broken glass, a mysterious blue-coloured liquid resembling the sea leaked out and spread across the floor.

What’s this?

Who dropped it?

Zionne questioned why I stopped walking.

“What’s the matter, beautiful?”

He called out to me again.

I replied thoughtlessly. I didn’t need his help.

“It’s nothing.”

It’s not a big deal to break a small glass.

Breaking a bit of glass wasn’t that big of a deal. Moving past it quickly, I walked over to the railing and accepted the glass of wine he offered.

“Zionne, why were you near the banquet hall? Shouldn’t you be in the tower?”

Zionne uttered a sigh of ‘Ah!’ to my question. He seemed to recall his original purpose belatedly.

Happily, he answered, “When I heard that the woman who dumped my friend was coming to this banquet, I thought I should find her. Then I found you in trouble.”

“The woman who dumped your friend?”

“Yes. Do you want to hear the story?”

I nodded enthusiastically.

Then I recalled who was Zionne’s best friend in the novel.

Don’t tell me it was him. It couldn’t be… right?

“It was three years ago. My friend, who had never drank a sip of wine, had come to me after drinking God knows how much Ap Saint. You know Ap Saint right? A very strong liquor.”

“Yes.”

“That drunkard shouted “Zionne! Zionne!” in front of the tower. He lost a lot of weight. Why? Because he was excited? No, because he was scared. A few days ago, I cut off a piece of pottery from their house. I was so scared to come back and get punished for it.

“Scared?”

Zionne poured all the wine into his mouth and said,

“When I came out, my friend was crying. I couldn’t believe it. Even when he pricked himself with a needle and started bleeding, he didn’t make a sound. That’s when I realised. It must be a girl problem.”

I laughed breathlessly at his words.

That’s right. Zionne in the novel was like this.

If he didn’t open his mouth, he looked like a noble master who had never dirtied his hands. But when he opened his mouth, that image would come crashing down. His speech ensured that.

Such a gap between expectation and reality was also part of his charm.

When ‘Yuliana’ had been serialized, everyone loved him so much that the readers would go wild whenever he appeared.

Some so many readers cried watching Zionne chase the heroine to no avail. I was one of them.

While I was thinking that, Zion’s words continued.

“So I grabbed my friend by his shoulders and asked, ‘Hey, what’s the problem? I’ll listen to everything you have to say and we’ll solve it together. If it’s a girl problem, well you came to the right place.’ So guess what he said while I wiped his tears?”

“What?”

“‘Zione, I got dumped.’ So I answered back, ‘Wait. You had a girlfriend?’ He almost hit me when I said that.”

“Puhaha.”

I couldn’t help laughing out loud, while Zionne just smiled at me.

Even then, I couldn’t help thinking his smile was very beautiful.

“But seriously. He doesn’t have any facial expressions. At first, I thought he had no emotions. But, now he’s saying he met a girl and even got dumped. Even if he doesn’t move a muscle, I know women would still like him because he’s big. Like big, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I almost got hit again!”

I giggled constantly.

My grin, which seemed like it wouldn’t leave my face, started to slip at his next words.

“I heard about his girlfriend and she’s quite good. She suddenly said one day that she wanted to break up with him. I heard she wanted to end it before he fell even harder, but what does that even mean? She’s just plain to mean.”

“……”

“So I said, “Hey, forget about that pretty girl. She’s not the only girl in this world. There are tons of women prettier than her. If you want, I’ll even introduce you to someone.’ I kept comforting him like this, but he still cried for a long time.”

Ah…..

This sounded familiar.

Soon my laughter was completely gone, replaced by gnawing my lips

“He cried so hard, and he didn’t even get her. What the hell was he thinking?”

Tsk. Zionne clicked his tongue.

“Hey beautiful, you know my friend’s name?”

Zionne’s golden eyes continued to stare at me.

I laughed awkwardly, instinctively taking a step backwards.

Then I recalled the fact that I had no idea.

Zionne’s best friend in ‘Yuliana’ was Leo. And three years ago, the one who asked Leo to break up was me.

Back then, I broke up with him so that my feelings didn’t have the chance to develop into something more.

Because the one Leo will truly love was Yuliana, the female lead.

Of course, there had still been some time before Leo would have met Yuliana.

But I had thought that by the time he did, I would be too fond of him. So I cut him off.

I was afraid that I would cling to him like Erica, the villainess of the novel.

Leo’s ultimate choice would always be Yuliana.

I started Leo’s name, in the hope that I was wrong.

“ Your friend…he’s most likely Grand Duke Leonardo, is it not?”

Zionne’s pretty lips formed the shape of an ‘o’, showing his surprise.

“Oh! How did you know?”

Damn it.

It was really about Leo and me.

I answered awkwardly.

“I had a feeling. Haha.”

“Then can you guess that evil woman’s name?”

“By any chance…. Erica Kernels?”

“Wow! Your instincts are something!”

“……”

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, but my mouth had become dry.

I don’t know why he came looking for me three years after our breakup.

But, somehow I had a bad feeling about it.

At this point, there weren’t many options. I could either

1. Runaway.

or

2. Admit that I’m an awful person.

I smiled as kindly as I could and waved at Zionne. “Well Zionne, I’m leaving first. I just remembered there was something I have to do. Thanks for your help. If we meet again, I’ll treat you to something.”

My choice was number one. For now, we’ll run.

“But I wasn’t finished with my story.”

Zionne tilted his head slightly.

“Do you have more to say?”

“What? Run? Why would I?”

I pretended to be unbothered while inching further away from him.

Then, Zionne’s pretty lips moved, allowing the following dreaded words to be uttered.

“Because you’re Erica Kernels.”

“….!”

He smiled, utterly convinced of my identity.

As I kept looking at his smile, a chill started creeping up my spine. Although it was beautiful, it seemed threatening.

I stood there stiffly, mouth half-open.

I must have looked stupid, but that was the least of my concerns.

Zionne gently grabbed my wrists, keeping me in place and said,

“Don’t even think about running away. I knew you were Erica from the start.”

….Zionne, you little bastard.

Go out with me

Not giving me a chance to answer, Zion said.

“Erica, I really want to ask you sincerely. Why did you dump my friend? Don’t tell me the nonsense ‘let’s quit before it gets deeper’. I’m not kidding.”

He asked in a high tone as he squinted his eyebrows. Apart from his tone, his hand also roughly holds my wrist.

Picking the pace of my breath, I tried to remain calm. Not long after, my silly face became a little softer and I could barely move my lips now.

“Zion, you don’t understand, but I really mean what I said to him. It is because Leo is the Grand Duke of Stein, and I am just a pompous lady of the Marquis. I wanted Leo to meet a woman more suitable for him.”

A woman right for Leo.

With no doubt, I believe it must be Yuliana, the female lead. I knew Leo would fall in love with another woman later on, so I couldn’t say that I dumped him first.

Because that was the only future that I know.

My ex-boyfriend, Leonardo Stein, whom I broke up with 3 years ago was the male lead in the novel ‘Yuliana’ and the successor to the Duchy of Stein in the Kingdom of Liechten.

When I met him three years ago, he was just a successor, but now, he became the Grand Duke. Come to think of it, it’s probably around this time when Leo will meet Yuliana.

It is on the summer day when Leo just became the Grand Duke. Perhaps, they have already met.

“It is absolutely fascinating.”

Zion said while letting go of my hand. He pouted his lips in disappointment as he expected another answer.

Then, I answered in a calm and subdued voice.

“I can’t help but think so. At that time, I broke up with Leo with that thought, and as you said, Leo was sad but did not hold me back.”

“That’s true.”

Three years ago, when I broke up with him, he only stood with a hard face. I thought he calmly accepted the breakup.

I thought his attraction for me was not that much. I assumed that I was the only one who was grieving about our breakup. That’s why it was unbelievable to hear that Leo also cried.

“………Zion. Did Leo really cry?”

Instead of answering, Zion gave out a cheeky sound. Then, he moved his eyes to another place.

Looking down at the unknown garden in front of the railing, he asked me.

“Then, what are you going to do? Are you trying to come back to him now?”

“No.”

I answered firmly. It was because I do not want to end up like the previous Erica Kernels, who creepily clung to Leo in the novel.

Erica, whom I possessed, was young and her status as the lady of the Marquis, was not bad either. And most of all, she was popular.

‘A pretty woman who changes men every three months.’

…… It was my nickname that followed me like a tail in the social world.

It’s a fact that I changed men every three months, but what could I do if men followed me despite my nickname.

So, it’s not just my fault. And I swear, I never made a move on someone first. Except for Leo.

In conclusion, there were so many men to meet, but there is no man whom I can love.

Even if I really liked Leo.

“I won’t go back to him, and I don’t care anymore. I won’t even meet Leo.”

Despite my stern answer, Zion asked me again meaningfully.

“Is that so?”

He asked as if he had foreseen that I would care about Leo again someday. It was strange.

“How did you know me at once? You knew my identity since you saved me, didn’t you?”

Zion nodded his head gently.

“Erica Kernels. I heard that you are a bad girl who changes men every three months…… pink hair and green eyes. Her sweet appearance could melt men’s hearts. I knew that much, but when I saw you for the first time, I thought it was you.”

Zion looked at me again and reached his hand. Since we are close to each other, his hand quickly touched me.

His hand eventually stopped at my pink hair. Holding onto a handful of my hair, Zion slowly blinked his eyes. His golden eyes, with a hint of summer shade, glittered every now and then.

“You have such a lovely look that men can’t just sit back and watch. Indeed, it is worth changing men every three months.”

“Is that a compliment?”

Zion kissed my hair which he grabbed earlier. His simple gesture wasn’t burdensome.

“Hmm. Pretty.”

You’re much prettier beyond my imagination.

He spoke in a low voice as if he was complimenting me.

Soon after, he bowed his head a bit and smiled at me. Looking at his gentle and curvy eyes, I lost everything I wanted to say.

Why?

It was because he is too handsome that is harmful to my heart. Afterall, he is a player.

I coughed and turned around. If I kept looking at his smile, my heart might leave.

“Zion. Actually, when you found out who I was, I was trembling. Do I feel excited? No, I’m scared.”

He then replied with a smile.

“Do you think I’m going to kill you?”

“I don’t know.”

You don’t know how cold my spine was earlier.

“I’m not going to kill you. Why would I kill you for dumping a friend? I was just curious about the real reason for the breakup. To the point I came here just to see you.”

Some tiny fragments shone in Zion’s golden eyes.

“Then, why did you come find me after 3 years? If you were curious, you could have come right away.”

When I asked him that, Zion gave a little grunt.

I guess he had encountered some bad stuff for the last 3 years. Maybe it was a serious matter that does not allow him to visit me directly.

“Good question. For the past 3 years, I’ve only stayed in the tower to study some matter. I was totally confined. But in the end, I managed to make the material I wanted with the top wizards and I was about to see the king. I want to show off that we made something like this. Speaking of which, do you want me to show you?”

“Oh, show me.”

Then, Zion began rummaging inside the pockets of his black jacket which was draped over his shoulders.

However, he couldn’t find what he was looking for and he was visibly anxious as he searched his pocket several times.

“Oh, where did it go?”

“What does it look like?”

“It’s a small glass bottle about the size of your palm … …. And there’s a substance inside.”

Small glass bottle?

Then suddenly, I remembered the small glass bottle that I had broken a few minutes ago.

“Don’t tell me… Is it a blue liquid that’s inside?”

Zion stopped looking in his pocket and raised his head.

“How did you know that?”

Because I broke it and the liquid was bright. But then, I couldn’t answer that so I gnawed my lips.

A few minutes ago, I told myself that breaking a small glass bottle was not a big deal…… I hit my head.

“Zion. If someone accidentally broke it, what would happen to that person?”

Zion replied with a scary remark in a menacing manner.

“Hmm. Wouldn’t that person become a traitor to the tower?”

His response made me surprised.

“What!”

I pretended to be fine after I screamed in embarrassment. Zion’s persistent gaze did not leave my face.

“That someone will become wanted by the legislation of the tower. If that person was caught, he would be brutally killed. Maybe his limbs might be cut off and scattered all over the continent. That liquid is important.”

He said violently. I was just lost at his words.

“…….”

“Erica? Your face suddenly became pale.”

“……”

“Are you sick?”

Zion asked anxiously. But I couldn’t answer him. His cruel words, ‘Maybe his limbs might be cut off and scattered all over the continent,’ ring inside my ears.

5 years of being Erica Kernels.

Trying to escape from the life of a villainess, I became a traitor to the tower and fell asleep forever, Amen.

……What kind of development is this?

Using my sleeves, I wiped off the sweat, which had formed on my forehead for some time.

It was then that Zion looked down at my dress.

“By the way, Erica. The hem of your dress is blue. It’s like the color of the substance in my precious glass bottle.”

I looked at the hem of my dress in surprise.

…….?

Like Zion has said, a visible blue color was spread openly on the bottom of my dress.

Why am I wearing an ivory dress today? The blue color looks so bright! Damn it!

Meanwhile, Zion naturally shifted his gaze and looked somewhere behind me. To be exact, the place where the bottle was shattered.

“Come to think of it, why are there broken glass shards behind you?”

Zion said while rubbing his chin.

“Well. I think the case is like this. When I came into the balcony earlier, I dropped the glass bottle without realizing it, and you followed me and broke it. That’s why the precious liquid spilled and wet the end of your dress.”

“……”

“What do you think?”

Zion asked with a serious face with no hint of playful smile.

I felt energy gushing out from him. He asked for my thoughts, but he was already convinced of something.

There was a conviction on his face that I was definitely the one who broke the vial. I am sure he was in the mood to kill me this time.

If that is the case…

“Zi, Zion. Zion, who is greater among all. I can’t die yet……I haven’t gotten married, and I haven’t eaten the limited-edition cheesecake I saved for tomorrow. Damn my feet. Why did you even put the precious liquid in a fragile glass bottle? Oh, no, no. I must have been as heavy as an elephant, so I broke it with one step. I’m not blaming you for putting the precious tower material in a glass bottle.”

Let’s be honest and ask him to spare me.

How would I know that a glass bottle was such an important thing?

I grabbed Zion’s coat and started begging. Then, without even knowing, my true feeling came out.

“Why did you even drop the precious bottle by mistake? You should have taken good care of it.”

Seeing Zion’s face hardened, I quickly controlled myself.

“……No. It’s probably because I don’t look ahead while walking. You’re so handsome that I just look at you and stop walking without my knowledge. I’m not blaming Zion for accidentally dropping the glass bottle.”

Zion narrowed his eyes and was silenced for a moment. After a few minutes of thinking, he finally answered.

“….. Hmmmm. I think I can sort this out for now. And since, I accidentally dropped the glass bottle, I can’t say it was all Erica’s fault.”

“Is there a way to fix it?”

“Yeah, hopefully. I’m the lord of the tower, not someone else.”

He smiled arrogantly by slowly lifting the corners of his mouth. However, because of his handsome face, his arrogant smile still looked pretty.

“Erica, if I fix it, can you do me a favor instead?”

I replied quickly.

“Zion, what do you want? Just say it.”

I answered curiously, but it would be hard to do if it was a difficult request. Indeed, what is Zion’s request? Money? I breathed a long sigh, recalling the assets in the Marquis. It was an asset with only a hopeless sigh. However, the words that came from him were really unexpected.

Those strange words which I never expect to hear.

“Go out with me.”

“……Date?”

“No, I’ll be more precise. Let’s pretend to be in a relationship.”

He unintentionally made a strange face.

“Zion, why should I pretend to be in a relationship with you?”

Then Zion answered.