My eyelids were heavy, but I was slowly waking up.
Edith's eyes stared at me through the scattered remnants of my dreams, holding on to me until the very end.
"Mmm......"
I let out a small groan and opened my eyes.
For a moment, I couldn't think of anything. The only thing I could think about was the man in front of me, his chest heaving.
'What happened?'
I rolled my heavy eyes from side to side, searching my memory for the moment when I was nearly killed by a crazy man.
'How much time has passed since then?'
I wriggled my body, which had seemed stiff for a while, and the arm on top of me hugged me even tighter.
"Umm."
"Edith......?"
Killian's deep voice called my name.
'Oh, it's Killian.'
A huge wave of relief washed over me as I realized I was being held by Killian.
"Edith. Are you awake?"
"Killian......"
"Don't worry. We're in the mansion, and you're safe. It's okay now......"
Killian's large hand patted my back.
"How long did I sleep?"
"You slept half a day. Luckily, I don't think you have a concussion, you just passed out from exhaustion."
"I can't believe you're sleeping with someone who passed out."
I nudged Killian, but he looked surprisingly pleased.
"You didn't let me go."
"Huh? Really?"
"Because you held on to my clothes even when you were passed out, and you kept looking for me in your sleep."
That was odd, because I wasn't dreaming about Killian.
"Is that so......? I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. I want you to keep looking for me like that in the future. You'll get in trouble if you call anyone else's name, so you'd better think of me, even in your dreams."
I thought he was an obsessive second male lead, but he has a steady personality.
Anyway, he kept patting and stroking my back, trying to reassure me.
I was just enjoying his patting like he was soothing a child. It really made me feel more at ease.
"What happened......?"
That was all I could think to say.
No matter what, I needed to know what happened.
"What should I say first?"
"Um...... start with how you found me?"
Killian let out a long sigh and patted my back, speaking slowly.
"When you told me you were going out with Lizé alone...... I had a bad feeling about it."
"......that's interesting. Maybe you have a strong premonition?"
"That's something I don't know. Actually, yesterday, Lizé asked me about my plans for today."
"And?"
"I lied and said I had to go out this morning."
I was momentarily lost for words.
I couldn't believe that Killian, the second male lead, was suspicious of Lizé enough to lie.
Now this world didn't seem to be part of the story of "I Refuse Your Obsession."
"Anyway, I pretended to go to the palace in the morning, then came back and went to Le-Belle Marie Street with my two knights, trying to pretend we'd run into each other by accident."
"Do you think three grown men coming to Le-Belle Marie Street can be called a 'coincidence'?"
"It didn't matter what it was."
I laughed, like a sigh, and then nodded.
"Go ahead."
"It's easy to find Lizé on Le-Belle Marie, just go where people are glancing."
Ah, the majesty of the most beautiful woman in the world!
"But as I approached, something was off. I could see Lizé and her maid, but...... you and your maid were nowhere to be seen. When I asked Lizé where you were, she said she was looking for you because you had suddenly disappeared."
I felt my fingertips go cold.
It was obvious she was lying about my sudden disappearance.
No matter how crowded the bookstore was, it shouldn't have been hard for Lizé to find me. Besides, I hadn't wandered off the shelves where we'd first parted ways.
But why did she lie?
"So I was freaking out, and then your maid came running up to me and said you hadn't been out there, and she pointed to an alley, and I was able to quickly search through it, and I found you and that madman in an abandoned house at the very end of the alley."
"I see......"
"If it wasn't for that maid, you could have been in big trouble...... no, let's not talk about this. It's horrible."
I nodded again.
"Do you mind if I ask you this time?"
"Sure."
"How in the world did you end up there?"
"Hah...... sure. It's a long story, but I should probably start by telling you why I was in that alley so there's no misunderstanding."
Lizé had asked me not to get in trouble with Cliff if he found out, but I didn't think I needed to keep that secret when she had lied about my whereabouts.
Lizé asked me to keep it a secret because she would get in trouble if Cliff found out, but I don't think I need to keep it a secret after she lied about my disappearance.
I calmly recounted how we'd gone into the bookstore she'd recommended and spent about an hour picking out books, how she'd disappeared when I'd finished, how I'd gone outside alone and met that crazy man, how I'd been dragged away by him and no one had helped me.
Killian didn't say anything the whole time I was talking. He didn't even flinch.
He just listened to me without making a sound.
"That's the surface story of how I ended up in the abandoned house with that guy."
"......you say that as if there's another story beneath the surface."
"Yeah, it's kind of weird how that man ended up there."
I was still staring at Killian's sternum, but somehow I could feel his piercing gaze.
"Tell me."
"I asked him how he knew I was here, and he said he overheard someone talking at the tea party. But that was only two days ago, and it was only two days ago that I decided to go hang out with Lizé."
"Who did he say said that?"
"He asked me what I was going to give him in return for telling me, so I didn't ask."
Killian gritted his teeth.
"Whoever it was, that's very odd. Doesn't that mean that person knew before you even decided to go to Le-Belle Marie?"
"Yeah. It's just a guess, but...... isn't there someone else who could have predicted that?"
"......you mean Lizé."
I didn't answer.
Killian didn't say anything either, just hugged me tightly. If this is unbelievable even to me, it must be confusing to him as well.
"What happened to the man?"
"I don't know if this is good news or bad news, but Fred Sicily, who was on a rampage in prison...... committed suicide two hours ago."
"What?"
I gasped, looking up.
Killian looked down at me, too, and gave me a mixed expression.
"That's a good thing in that that lunatic can't hurt you again, but it's a shame that the chance to get to the bottom of the case is gone."
"I guess we'll never know who he overheard at the tea party."
Killian nodded. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly.
"I'm sorry I blamed you then...... I was so freaked out and nervous that I didn't realize...... no, no, no, it was just my fault."
I remember him scooping me up into a princess hug and getting angry that this was all my karma for going around flirting with random guys.
I was about to say it was okay, but Killian continued, "I don't know why whenever I stand in front of you, mean things come out of my mouth. I guess I've made it a habit to blame you. I'm sorry."
I chuckled softly.
Not long ago, I had cleared up my misunderstandings about Killian.
I think I know why he did that.
"It's not your fault, Killian."
"Sure, the people who made up the rumors about you and spread them are the worst, but I'm just as culpable for believing them and treating you badly."
'No. You were just being controlled by the author. How does a mere character stand up to his creator?'
And I think you're pretty much free of the author's grip now, and it's all thanks to me, of course.
But I can't explain this stuff, so I just nodded.
Suddenly, Killian playfully twirled my hair around his fingers.
"By the way."
Hmmm. That's a rather ominous opening......
"I've been checking your 'luggage' that your maid packed."
My God......
"I didn't realize you liked such provocative books."
"Haha...... that's...... ahem! I mean......"
"Well, I guess you have a lot of different tastes. You have one about a princess being whipped by her own escort, and another about a countess who makes men kneel at her feet......"
"T- that's because...... I don't know what type you like!"
I couldn't say I was an omnivore who could eat anything, so I said anything as an excuse, but the hand twirling my hair stopped.
"So what you're saying is...... that you bought those books for reference when you spend the night with me?"
"W- what, for reference? Yes, for reference......!"
Then Killian began to chuckle. "You're a surprisingly studious type, I like that, but......"
His large hand on my back slowly slid down.
"I tend to prefer the practical application, so......"
My whole body tensed up at the slow roam of his hand over my body.
"I hope you get well soon. Because I want to put the theory you've learned into practice."