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𝐎𝐟 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬, 𝐈 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐀 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐦𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐮𝐬 ⑧

𝘗𝘈𝘚𝘛 𝘈𝘕𝘋 𝘕𝘌𝘞 𝘔𝘌𝘔𝘖𝘙𝘐𝘌𝘚, 𝘉𝘖𝘜𝘕𝘋 𝘉𝘠 𝘉𝘓𝘖𝘖𝘋

— ☆ word count: 12171

— ☆ summary

In which you wake up to find yourself being a priestess in an otome game, and Phainon is the knight commander at the temple. Phainon’s the true male lead; you’re not the female lead, but it sure feels like it.

— ☆ 【 𝕆𝕋𝕆𝕄𝔼 𝕀𝕊𝔼𝕂𝔸𝕀 𝔸𝕌, ℙℍ𝔸𝕀ℕ𝕆ℕ 𝕏 𝔽𝔼𝕄!ℝ𝔼𝔸𝔻𝔼ℝ 】

— ☆ 『ao3 link』

— ☆ 『masterlist』

<- Previous Chapter | Chapter Eight | Next Chapter ->

Bright sunlight beamed against your figure as you closed the distance between you and the faraway person, shouting her name against the strong wind, “Cyrene!”

Her eyes snapped to yours, a fond smile on her face at your approaching form.

With your raised hand lowered, you said, “████████ says you told him his future.”

“Ah, did he now?”

Your mouth lifted into a pout. “Yes.” You shuffled closer to her, eyeing the deck of cards by her side. “Me next!”

Picking up her cards, Cyrene giggled, “Alright… All you had to do was ask.”

“I’m here now!”

“You are.” Cyrene shuffled the deck. “Okay… let me see…”

As she focused intensely on the cards while discerning their meaning, you were watching her with the same curious intensity, wondering what your fate will be.

████████ told you Cyrene had picked out the Deliverer card for him. She hadn’t told him the interpretation, but she said he would be a hero worshiped by all. He would become a protector of the world and a savior to many people. You asked him if he wanted that—to which he replied that he didn’t… not really. The people outside of their village weren’t good, based on the stories his grandpa and grandma told him. He didn’t want to save bad people like them.

And when his azure eyes had met yours while he had spoken, your eyes widened.

Because he said he would only become a hero if it were for you.

Well, not just for you, but for the entire village as well. It wasn’t your fault that you lingered on that part more.

Your name was said, and you realized Cyrene had presented a card in front of you.

The minimalist depiction and its meaning were lost on you.

“What is it?”

Pulling the card back to her, Cyrene hummed, leaving your question unanswered for a moment.

Her silence worried you—scared you… because what if you were doomed? “...Is it bad? Cyrene… hurry and tell me. You’re scaring me!”

Suddenly, she laughed, “I just wanted a reaction out of you!”

“Hey! You’re so mean sometimes… ████████ had told me you pulled the same trick on him too.”

Cyrene’s lips tugged into a mischievous smile. “I did. Both of you are so cute that I can’t help it. Of course I’ll tell because you were the one who asked.” Holding the card before you again, she continued, “This is the Healer.”

“Healer? But Phagousa rarely blesses anyone with their gift…”

“That’s right! You’re going to be one of the few with it. Helping people overcome physical trauma and saving lives. Isn’t that exciting?”

“That sounds like a lot of work… And I don’t really want to have that kind of work…”

Narrowing her eyes, Cyrene smirked, “Would you take on the responsibility if it was for ████████?”

You froze, cheeks slowly heating up before avoiding her knowing look. “What does he have to do with anything?”

“You know, he’s going to need your help.”

“He needs help?”

“Sometimes, a hero gets hurt. You’re always there for him, right? It’ll be no different.”

Being blessed with healing and having to use that power for the greater good was a lot of work, effort, and responsibility. All things you could do without, but if it was for him…

“Okay, I guess I can deal with it.”

Slipping the card back into her deck, Cyrene amusedly said your name, “You’re so obvious… I support you wholeheartedly.”

…What was she talking about?

“There’s nothing to be obvious about!”

“Uh-huh. Sure. On that note, do you want to know about your future with him too?”

…Your future with him? There was one? But you didn’t want to let her know she was right.

“No…”

Cyrene tried to bait you into giving in. “Are you sure?”

Not wanting her to see your flustered self, you refused to look at her.

Silence stretched out between you and Cyrene before she spoke again.

“This is a one time offer!”

And that’s when you broke.

“Okay fine! I do.”

You hated how smug she could be, so you didn’t allow her to see your face because the embarrassment would be too much—if it was not already.

“I knew it! Haha… well, let’s see…”

Listening to the sound of Cyrene flipping through her cards, you played with the golden plants surrounding you.

Many possibilities plagued your mind while you waited patiently for her reading.

Like… in the future, would you still be able to see ████████? Would he still be with you by then? You had met him because of Cyrene. If she wasn’t here, would you have gotten close with ████████?

After all, she was the one who introduced you to him.

And actually, despite his earlier words, he might not like you as much as you thought. On your very first meeting with him, he seemed hesitant with you. It was only after learning you liked catching the field mice too that he had opened up to you.

Cyrene wasn’t into that kind of activity, so he played with you—and then you started spending way more time together.

On one occasion, where it was just you and him, resting after chasing mice—in between a lull of conversation and when you had been focused on something else—you turned your attention back to him, only to see his eyes briefly on you before he quickly removed his gaze to somewhere else.

“Why were you looking at me?” you asked, trying to get him to look at you again.

“No reason,” he said, facing away from you.

But his ears would turn a pretty shade of red.

And you could never figure out what for.

“Destined to end together… Meant for each other… Hmm… Eternally intertwined through time and space?” Wagging a finger and grinning, her eyes shifted from the cards in her hand to you. “You and him have a promising future, after all.”

Your attention never left the wheat field, afraid of Cyrene’s teasing if she saw the giddy smile on your face.

Noticing where your focus was, Cyrene remarked with a slight laugh, “Haha, I know you like the sound of it!”

“...Yeah,” you murmured.

If… what she said was true, and more often than not, her words were…

Then ████████ was yours.

He was yours.

Wait.

Who was yours?

This all felt wrong.

Slowly opening your eyes, your dream ended abruptly as you realized you were in the temple’s library. The hard feeling of wood and the smell of old books grounded you back into reality. With your head in your arms and still on the table, you woke up, disoriented.

It was only a dream, but it felt so real…

You’ve never met Cyrene before. Why were you talking to her like you were familiar with her?

“Cyrene.”

[ ? ]

On cue, the pink box appeared from out of thin air, and you stared at it, wondering how you should word your question.

“...Did we know each other?”

[ …Huh? Aren’t you from another world? It may not seem like it, but I’m part of Amphoreus too! Our first meeting was in your dream. ]

Well, you knew that.

But…

“I just had another dream.” Lifting your head, you laced your fingers together, resting them in front of your face. “We were in the same place as our first meeting… and you were telling me about some kind of future?”

[ Future? …What about?” ]

You tried to remember what was in the dream. “You predicted my path to becoming a healer…”

And there was something else—someone else.

A name kept coming up. Its syllables were on the tip of your tongue, but you couldn’t exactly remember it.

“Someone kept coming up in our conversation, but I can’t remember who it was.” Eyeing the translucent screen, you questioned, “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

[ Haha… If you don’t know, then how would I…? ]

She was hiding something from you, but you’ll let her off the hook for now because you didn’t even have a name for the person you were with besides Cyrene.

“You’re right. Once I remember the name, I’ll be bothering you again.”

[ Okay… ]

The box promptly vanished, and your suspicion increased tremendously.

You noticed how she really didn’t want to talk about it.

Did Cyrene have history with the woman you were occupying? And whatever happened to her, anyway?

What happened to the original owner of this body?

You had a feeling Cyrene knew the answer to all those questions; however, right now, she seems reluctant. Maybe you can catch her in a better mood later.

Stretching out your limbs, you got out of the chair and returned the scattered history books to their original location before deciding to check on how the others are settling into the holy city.

That was what you wanted to do, but how did you get yourself into this mess again?

“No way am I sharing my home with you Kremnoans!”

“Then where else should I go? Have you not heard of the situation? You Okhemans are all the same, unwilling to listen to reason.”

How were you going to solve this?

Turning towards you, the Okhema citizen pleaded, “Priestess, tell this Kremnoan that he’s not welcome here.”

Oh Kephale…

“Considering the state of his home…” You hesitantly looked at the unamused Kremnoan before returning your attention to the frowning Okheman, carefully saying, “He has nowhere else to go… Surely, Okhema can provide him and everyone else refuge for a little while…?”

“But I don’t understand. Why does it have to be here?”

He stumped you with that. You had no answer. Did it have to be Okhema? You were leaning towards yes because Tribbie was the one who picked the location, and she must have chosen it for a good reason.

“Hello, hello~” an upbeat voice sounded from behind you, interrupting the conversation.

Speaking of Tribbie… the red-haired girl slowly came to a stop by your side, studying the two individuals you had been dealing with.

You hadn’t been expecting her, but nonetheless, you were grateful for her entrance. “Tribbie, hello.”

She gave you a slight knowing smile when you pleadingly looked at her. “I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation.” Looking at the Okheman, she said, “To answer your question… yes.”

Suspiciously, the Okheman said, “And who are you?”

“We are Tribios.”

“Tri-Tribios? The Holy Maiden? You’re here…? But… why are you so different?”

You had asked her that same question a while ago; however, there had been more pressing matters to attend to. Giving her your full attention, you listened to what she was about to say.

With an understanding nod towards you and the Okheman, Tribbie explained, “Janus has given us a prophecy about the Black Tide, so we split ourselves to spread the word. As we speak, we are delivering it across Amphoreus.”

The Okheman looked doubtful, but the Kremnoan sternly asked, “Black Tide? Those monsters… It was because of that?”

“Yes… Janusopolis has also fallen, so we had to flee here as well. We have heard of a priestess,” Tribbie’s eyes flickered to you, “who could cleanse illnesses we cannot see. We took a chance by coming here because with you here, Okhema would likely remain a safe place.”

It most likely would, but you weren’t sure if you could help whatever those creatures were. They were already too far gone. Another thing was… how did they come to be?

You turned towards the Kremnoan. “Do you know what happened in Castrum Kremnos?”

Shaking his head, he answered, “I was minding my own business when those strange monsters started appearing out of nowhere, tearing apart the city and injuring everyone. Some of those that became injured had turned into those same… things! Afraid, I ran. I had been running for my life, and almost had lost it—if it had not been for the crown prince.”

Mydei?

That was right. The red crystallized structure housing the citizens had the same properties as the spear he had thrown at the mysterious, masked individual.

Mydei saved some of them, and you wondered what exactly happened because his messenger had mentioned the king was affected… but you haven’t seen anyone resembling him at all.

Could his father have turned into…?

Tribbie frowned. “The starting incident at Janusopolis… At the temple, there was a person who attacked one of us. We tried our best to restrain and subdue them, and one of our priestesses even volunteered to help them. She said she had the ability to cure what we came to know now as madness.”

What? There was someone other than you that could do that? Why didn’t Cyrene say anything about it? If there was someone else that could… then maybe…

“Unfortunately, she wasn’t telling the truth because nothing happened when she tried…”

Oh. There goes that idea…

“And without any other options, we had to consult Janus. They told us,” Tribbie’s eyes focused on you, “of another priestess—one of Kephale in Aedes Elysiae—who proved herself to be madness’s cure. Janus explained about the upcoming calamity that this world will have to face… the impending madness that is capable of turning humans into monsters—the Black Tide. Its source comes from corrupted waters, and the person who attacked us at the temple must have come into contact with it. Not long after we returned to that person, they became something unrecognizable… managing to turn more people… so we had to escape.”

What they had to deal with… sounded like what happened at the banquet—except there were no monster transformations.

“I… I didn’t know it was this serious,” the surprised Okheman said.

“Yes, we don’t blame you. Thanks to Starry Eyes, it never reached that point.”

You were confused about how you had more time to cure the citizens of Okhema. “But they all turned so fast? For us, we had some time before the madness overtook them?”

Sighing, Tribbie admitted, “...We have no idea how it works, to be honest...”

Did Mydei have the same circumstance? And that was why the place was overran by those creatures?

You needed to get confirmation.

“Tribbie, do you know where Mydei is?”

“We saw him high up in the city~”

“Thank you, I’ll take my leave now.”

“Goodbye, Starry Eyes~”

As you walked away, Tribbie could be heard saying, “...Now, do you understand why Okhema should be a sanctuary for others?”

Searching for Mydei wasn’t too difficult because he stood out like a sore thumb among the people in the city, and not many were on such high ground.

He stood there with his back to you, looking beyond the horizons with crossed arms.

Slowly walking towards him, you were about to make yourself known when he said, “Don’t sneak up on me from behind, Priestess.”

Once you were standing beside him, you apologetically looked up at him. His indicator hadn’t changed since then; its yellow ‘20%’ stared back. “I wasn’t…”

Mydei didn’t look at you, still focusing on the distance. “You could have fooled me.”

A nervous laugh escaped you. “I wanted to check in on you and…” Ask about what happened.

After glimpsing by your feet for a second, his eyes returned to the skies. “Where are your small companions?”

Oh? Was he worried about them?

“As of right now… they’re probably resting in my room back at the temple.”

“...Is Little Dei well?”

“It is!” Delighted at his concern for the chimera, you smiled before it faltered slightly. “...But are you okay?”

Last you heard—from his own messenger, no less—his father had been afflicted with madness… and you haven’t seen him around… and now that you know what Tribbie had told you…

Mydei was fidgeting with a piece of metal between his fingers, and upon closer look, it was a ring. “I will be.”

He became silent, saying nothing else as you looked away.

You wanted to know what exactly happened, but didn’t want to push him. All you could do was assume…

So without asking any more questions, you observed the people below.

It wasn’t just Okhemans that lived here now; there were citizens of Janusopolis and Kremnoans who were getting used to their new routines. Other people even started coming from different cities here because their homes had been destroyed. They scuttled about in the holy city, figuring out what their roles were in these trying times.

Then you remembered it was possible for some of them to continue on because of Mydei’s deed back in his home.

“Thank you for saving them.”

“They are my kin. And… my mother would have wanted me to.”

You haven’t seen her either.

“If you are curious, she is… gone—taken away by Thanatos. My father as well.”

Suddenly looking back at him, you wanted to give him your condolences. “Mydei-”

He cut you off. “It is fine.”

“That masked person you stabbed with the spear… Did they…?”

With a hand under his chin, Mydei deeply thought for a moment before saying, “I’m unsure…”

Who were they? Were they the cause of what was happening? You had seen them trying to do something suspicious to the unconscious knight—something most likely connected to madness.

Mydei was your one lead for them, but it seemed like he wasn’t sure either.

Besides that, you wanted to let him know that you were here for him. Losing his parents and home like that so suddenly…

“Mydei… you know you’re not alone, right?”

“I’m well aware. Leonnius and my other close companions would not leave me alone after we arrived here. I just needed some time to myself… for some peace and quiet.”

Oh, shoot. You were bothering him…

“Ah, sorry to disturb you! I’ll leave you be now!” Turning around, you were ready to rush off when Mydei spoke.

“Hah, no need to worry, Priestess,” Mydei hurriedly said, a hand out to reassure you. “I know you did not mean any harm. Back in Kremnos, you seemed to want to speak with me. It was only a matter of time before you seeked me out.”

“Yes…”

“You are… kind and thoughtful. Be careful to not let anyone take advantage of you.”

…Who would do that?

“...I’ll still go. Thank you again for the information.”

Nodding, Mydei said, “Farewell.”

When you were about to leave the rooftop, you briefly glanced back to see his percentage increasing—20% to 35%.

And on your way back to the temple, you thought about the mysterious, masked being again.

They had Phagousa’s blessing… but from what you saw, they tried to bring harm to the unconscious knight. The ability to heal and destroy… Who could possibly have the power to do that?

“Cyrene… do you know them?”

Her usual pink text box didn’t appear, making you think she didn’t hear you, so you repeated her name, “Cyrene?”

It still didn’t pop up.

You didn’t try to get her to respond to you anymore. If she didn’t want to talk to you, there was nothing you could do to make her.

Did your previous inquiry at the library throw her off that bad?

Sighing, you decided to worry about another matter.

It was time to get medicine from the clinic and head over to Phainon.

After that day where you healed his wound, you started coming over to his room for daily check-ups and medication. The knights had gotten used to your presence and made sure to always be decent during your usual time of visit.

In addition, rumors began circulating around the temple about you and Phainon, becoming the talk of the area. Those knights were a nosy bunch, and when it came to their leader, even more so. No thanks to Lydia and everyone else, assumptions were already had between the both of you. It had been evident with the dinner conversation with Lydia.

But you were only taking care of your patient! You were helping him get better! Was that so wrong?

And no matter how appealing it sounded, Phainon might not be as open to the idea as you… Or was he?

…Maybe not.

Come to think of it, Phainon hadn’t been very receptive to your touch.

You tried to ignore the subtle jolt Phainon made when your hand came into contact with his skin, and you also tried ignoring how tense he felt underneath.

Did your touch repulse him that much?

It was hard to think any differently with his behavior.

To be fair, you hadn’t gotten a good look at his face because you had wanted to get it over as soon as possible but still…

Something landed on your head before quickly flying away, startling you out of your thoughts.

Turning around out of curiosity, you saw a bright purple butterfly fluttering in the air—heading somewhere with purpose.

Such an elegant creature was a sight to behold. You didn’t know where its destination was, but you quietly prayed to Janus for its safe passage.

When you stepped into the clinic, you were confused because you didn’t see Zayne or Hyacine anywhere. Your eyes swept across the room before seeing them near one bed, and it was not until you came closer that you realized what had happened. Your relief dissipated at the solemn sight.

Medicine was advanced enough to the point where it could treat various illnesses and diseases; however, sometimes, it was not enough.

Hyacine grimaced, staring at the unmoving patient.

“...Is he?” you whispered.

Meeting your gaze, Zayne shook his head with a somber expression. “Unrelated to madness. He had been in chronic condition. Couldn’t hold on any longer.”

It happens—death happens. But even so, it was painful to witness, no matter how natural it was.

The knight who had saved you crossed your mind, and a heavy guilt buried its way into your gut.

Were you worth his life? You didn’t even belong here—in this world. Did you deserve to live while he didn’t?

You hoped he had found a way to reach the nether realm with Thanatos—wishing the same for the deceased person in front of you and for Mydei’s mother and father.

After paying respects, you headed towards a cabinet as Zayne prepared the body for a proper burial. While you gathered the medicine, Hyacine said your name from behind you.

Facing her, you said, “Yes?”

“Zayne says you have some chimera friends.”

“I do.”

“Do you want to know what they’re saying?”

“I can?”

The excitement in your voice made Hyacine laugh. “If I cast the blessings of Cerces, you should be able to understand them!”

You’ve grown accustomed to their little howls, and despite how cute they sounded, you also wanted to communicate with them. So if Hyacine was offering that ability, you wouldn’t refuse.

“Oh, yes please,” you eagerly said, readjusting the items in your hands.

Hyacine smiled, hands reaching out. “Close your eyes…”

Shutting your eyes, you waited for her.

As she chanted a verse, a soothing feeling came from the warmth flowing into you—reminding you of the dream where you had first met Cyrene, and your earlier dream with her as well.

“...May your reason remain clear. May Cerces guard your thoughts. All done, you can open your eyes now!”

Listening to her, the sight of Hyacine with her hands behind her back greeted you.

“Now when they talk, you’ll be able to know what they say, Starrie!”

Blinking, you registered the nickname. “Starrie?”

“Doesn’t it fit you? One could say you’re Amphoreus’s hope. Stars are a beacon of hope, no?”

The triad of girls were also calling you Starry Eyes…

“I’m not that impressive…”

“And that makes you are. Because of your humility.” Giggling, Hyacine glanced at the doorway. “Don’t you have a patient to get to?”

“I do!”

Remembering Phainon, you quickly got the remaining items you needed before bidding farewell to Hyacine, rushing off.

“There she goes…” Zayne observed you disappearing behind the door from where he was.

“I haven’t been here long… but are Starrie and Phainon perhaps…? I can’t fathom checking on him so often, especially when he’s almost certainly better.”

“Only they know, unfortunately.”

Once inside the barracks, you briefly greeted the knights before making a beeline towards Phainon’s room.

Right when you were about to call out his name, the door unexpectedly swung open.

Looking up, your eyes met Phainon’s, and you saw he was in his black, collared shirt and pants, foregoing his white armor.

“What are you doing?”

“About to head out. I’ve stayed here long enough…”

Placing one of your hands on the middle of his chest, you pushed him—his feet retracing their steps back into the room. “No! You need to rest until you’re fully better!”

He paused, a slight smile on his lips. “I’m sure I’m nearly there…”

“Maybe… but you need to stay here.” Grumbling, you settled the medicine on a table, moving your hands to his shoulders to sit him down on his bed.

You kept him in his room for who knows how long. And as much as he looked forward to your daily visits, he still had responsibilities.

Despite that, Phainon obeyed you because he didn’t want to cause more stress for you. He knew you were working harder now that there were more people seeking out Okhema and its bordering Aedes Elysiae as sanctuary from madness and monsters.

“Enough about me, how are you holding up?”

Averting your eyes, you responded, “I’m fine…”

“Are you really?”

You returned your firm and strong gaze to him. “I have to be. No one else can do what I can do, and I need to make sure I’m good at it.”

Phainon said your name, softening his eyes. “You’re the only one putting those expectations on yourself.”

You were, but you couldn’t help it. Everyone was making you out to be the world’s savior.

“...That knight who saved me… Did he have family?”

Recalling him, Phainon thought about lying to save your feelings, but decided against it. “Yes.”

Pursing your lips, your eyes wandered his place—taking note of the various decorations and little trinkets.

“How did they…”

“They took it well, considering the situation and all.”

That was reassuring to hear; however, the guilt wouldn’t go away. You needed to distract yourself.

“Do you have family?”

Fondly, Phainon replied, “Yeah, they’re on the outskirts of Aedes Elysiae.”

“Oh, that close?”

“You noticed the wheat fields, right? Beyond them is my home… which reminds me… I should go see how they’re doing and warn them about the current dangers.” More to himself, Phainon quietly said, “...My parents would like you.”

You didn’t hear the whole sentence. “Who would like me?”

Suddenly sitting up straighter, he shook his head, faint coloring appearing on his face. “Don’t mind that. How about your family?”

Where was your family in this life? You weren’t actually sure. How much does he know about you? What should you say to him?

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked when I know you’ve been at the temple your whole life…”

You have?

“How do you know that?”

“You don’t remember? We ran into each other once when I came here… but we rarely saw each other after that.”

You had no recollection because that wasn’t you.

But you couldn’t just say that.

“Oh, that was a long time ago, so it’s hard to remember…”

“It was…”

“...It’s okay, though. I don’t need to have a family to be happy.”

“Would you want one?”

“Huh?”

“I-I mean in the future! When everything’s fine again…”

What was he getting at?

“Phainon, what do you mean?”

He needed to stop digging a deeper hole for himself. Because all he could think of was a peaceful place—his quaint village—with you, and two smaller figures by your sides—they each had a different combination of his and your features. They ran up to him once they spotted him, trying to hang off his arms—while you stood on your toes, greeting him with a kiss on his cheek to welcome him back.

When did he start longing for you like this?

Hurriedly, he changed the subject. “The medicine! You brought it for me again?”

Thinking nothing of it, you replied, “Oh, yes! Let me get it for you.”

Returning to the table, you were about to grab it when something else caught your attention.

A leather sheath with a sleek golden handle laid next to the medication; its delicate, gold stitching stood out on the white tanned material, a symbol was engraved on it—a diamond, surrounded by a perfect near circle with pointy shapes protruding towards the outside. Under the light from the window, the handle intensely gleamed.

Noticing your prolonged silence, Phainon looked over to you, seeing your interest in his forgotten dagger. He had been wanting to go to Mr. Theodoros in Okhema to get it appraised, having acquired the weapon from one of the auctions happening a while back. The auctioneer had praised the antique, saying it was one-of-a-kind—that it had once belonged to the Throne of Worlds, Kephale.

…Really?

Phainon had asked them about it; however, received no response.

Out of curiosity, he bought the item anyway.

Real or fake, it could still be of use to you. “Do you want it?”

You did; you wanted the weapon to defend yourself in case no one was there to help you but… “I don’t know how to use it.”

“I can teach you the basics.”

“You know how to wield one?”

“Sometimes, we—knights—like to spar with different weapons. You never know when you need to take up arms.”

“Okay! I’d like that.” Half-smiling at him, you made a note to take the dagger when you leave before reaching for the medicine and coming back to where he was.

“...Do I still need these even though I’m feeling much better?”

“Of course! It’s important you finish everything I’ve prescribed for efficacy.”

Ever the physician you were.

“...You haven’t forgotten about our arrangement after I’ve fully recovered, have you?”

“I haven’t.”

How could you? It had been on your mind with every passing day—your not date.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Phainon stated, “Good.”

Was he looking forward to it that much? Well, you couldn’t deny you were eager for it too…

“...Anyway, you need to get better before we can go.”

As you continued to fuss over him, Phainon thought that he was going to very much miss this side of you.

The outing with you would have to suffice for now.

The Month of Freedom ended, and before you knew it, the Month of Reaping began—still in the season of creation.

During this month, people were busier than usual—harvesting their fall crops, having grown to their ripest. Even with the looming threat, lives went on because it seemed it wasn’t going to reach here. The only difference from before was the steadily increased population of Okhema.

A special night market was scheduled to take place in the holy city.

People who already harvested their crops were ready to reap the benefits of their hard labor.

They were busy with setting up stands and displays. You were busy with deciding on your outfit for tonight.

And you knew it wasn’t a date; however, your mind was thinking anything but that.

Whatever, you weren’t dressing up for Phainon. You were doing it for yourself. Yes, you didn’t need a reason to look good.

Little Dei stood on your bed, grasping a piece of fabric in its mouth before dropping it onto the sheets. “Starrie, this would look great on you.”

“Awoo, Starrie, no!” Also on your bed, Little Phai quickly interrupted its friend, dragging another set of clothes towards you, setting it in front of you. “Wear this, instead!”

After learning you could understand them with Hyacine’s blessing, the chimeras always had something to say to you. They also tried to find Hyacine because they wanted to thank her for giving you the ability to discern their howls. That was when they found out about the nickname she had for you, and they started using it, getting along with Hyacine quite well.

Looking at the outfits they picked, your eyes flickered between them—contemplating.

Both of them were appealing in their own right, but you didn’t want to choose one and hurt the other’s feelings, so you said, “Ah, sorry Phai and Dei. I’m going to have to go with something else…”

The two stared at you with their big eyes, a sadness welling within them that you tried to ignore by glancing away.

Hurting both of their feelings was better than hurting only one because at least they were in solidarity.

But… what were you going to wear? Did the priestess before you have nothing but religious robes? Why wasn’t there anything casual that was moderately attractive?

You continued to search your wardrobe for an outfit when you caught sight of a familiar bag.

It was the bag Aglaea had given you on your first meeting.

Peering into it, you saw the extravagant dress neatly folded; however, upon closer look, there was another garment under it.

The one that had your attention wasn’t the only dress she had gifted you. And it wasn’t suited for the night market.

But this one…

Taking the extra dress out of the bag, you gently unraveled it from its neat folding.

Its design was impeccable and fit for the occasion, but how did Aglaea slip this in without your notice?

Thinking back to your encounter with her, you remembered briefly looking away from her when Mydei had told you to hurry.

Did she do it then?

And a better question is why did she do it?

…Whatever the reason was, it didn’t really matter because now you had something to wear.

After changing your current clothes into the dress, you admired yourself in the standing mirror, flaring the skirt with a little twirl.

Dare you say… you looked good!

You didn’t get many chances to be out of your priestess robes, so this was a welcoming change.

“Starrie, you look very pretty.” Little Dei hopped off the bed, stopping by your feet to stare at you.

“Yeah!” Following its friend, Little Phai headed towards you as well, coming to a stop on your other side. “If me and Dei agree then Phainon will also, awoo!”

Phainon? What does he have to do with anything…?

You were doing this for yourself—not for Phainon!

“I’m not doing this for him…”

Tilting its head, Little Phai asked, “Why not? Aren’t you going on a date?”

“It’s not a date!”

Little Phai was taken aback by your immediate answer. “Awoo, oh… okay…” It was slightly disappointed because it liked Phainon the second best—right after you, so it was only natural it would want its two favorite people together.

Why did it sound so disappointed? Did it want you to actually be on a date? “Phai… don’t take it to heart. Phainon didn’t say it was one, so it’s not.”

“If you say so…” Little Phai said, not losing hope.

Crouching down, you placed your hands on Little Phai and Little Dei, petting them as they leaned into your touch. “I gotta go meet up with him now, so I’ll see you two later.”

“Goodbye, awoo!”

“Bye, Starrie!”

With a smile, you exited your room to head towards the entrance of the temple, having agreed with Phainon to be there.

Once you got closer to the meeting place, you could see the familiar figure of the knight commander, but the thing was—he wasn’t in his usual outfit.

Without his armor, he looked less like a knight, and more like a fashion model, with the clothes he was wearing.

Instead of his normal boots, dress shoes were in its place. He had on thinly striped dress pants with intricate designs, and the white dress shirt with golden accents matched him very well. Tying the outfit together was a loose black tie, drawing attention to the bright tattoo on his neck.

Ignoring the urge to yank on his tie as you walked towards Phainon, you realized it wasn’t just you who dressed up for the occasion.

He looked good—perhaps too good for a friendly trip to Okhema.

When you were by his side, Phainon’s eyes quickly lit up at your presence, and then his eyes went wide, breath hitching at the sight of you.

He hadn’t seen you in anything other than your priestess robes.

As he took in your look, all he could think of was that you were beautiful—in that flattering dress of yours, and you were also cute—trying to ignore his intense gaze.

Your dress had the tell-tale markings of a certain garmentmaker on it, and Phainon wondered when you had received it from Aglaea. Was it during the investigation of Okhema? He remembered seeing you with a bag that he helped carry for you when you were needed for the chimeras in the garden.

His current clothing had also been a gift from Aglaea a long time ago. She had given it to him for his birthday, but he never found use for it. Now, he did. Originally, he was going to show up in his normal clothes; however, decided against it at the last minute because he wanted to look good for you—wanting to impress you.

And it wouldn’t hurt to relax a little. The night market was the perfect excuse to let loose and enjoy himself, especially when it was with you.

Realizing he was staring at you for too long, Phainon quickly said your name, “...You’re wearing something different…” He wanted to tell you that you were pretty—beautiful, but it didn’t leave his lips, afraid of being so honest.

“I am… You are as well,” you responded, resisting the temptation to say what you really thought. Oh Kephale, he was absolutely handsome in that outfit. It should be a crime to be that attractive.

“Should we go now?”

“Yes.”

This wasn’t a date.

It wasn’t!

Even though you both had dressed up…

As you and Phainon walked side-by-side with one another to your destination, you tried to remind yourself that it wasn’t a date.

Okhema’s night market was in full swing by the time you and Phainon arrived at the holy city.

Bright and colorful lights decorated the skyline and roofs of the buildings, intensifying the lively atmosphere. Crowds of people occupied the various vendors around the area, and noise level was high at all times.

Your amazed eyes surveyed the place as you both wandered in the streets. “There’s so many people!”

“Yeah, there is.” Hold my hand, so you don’t get lost. Yeah, right. Phainon couldn’t say that. “If there’s something you want, let me know. I’ll buy it for you.” He bought more than enough money to buy anything. When he went last year, nothing was interesting, so he didn’t get anything, but maybe it’ll be different with you around.

“...Oh. Is it really okay?”

“Of course!”

“Well, there’s one thing I really want…”

“What is it?”

“You know the dagger you gave me? I want an accessory that could hold it on me. Once you teach me, I’m going to put it to good use!”

“Sure, if you see one you like, just tell me.”

Grinning, you teased, “Even if it costs a lot?”

Phainon nodded, slipping his hands into his pockets, slightly fidgeting with the bag of currency.

Lowering your head, you suddenly backtracked, “I was kidding. I would feel bad having you pay that much…”

“Consider it a gift for helping me get better.”

“I was just doing my job! And you already gave me the dagger…”

“Two gifts for helping me get better and helping everyone else.”

“Phainon…” But you didn’t say anything else because you had a feeling he wasn’t going to back down.

At your loss of words, he flashed a big charming grin at you, appreciating your acceptance.

You returned it with a shy smile before looking away, observing the vendors on the side, your eyes searching for the perfect item.

In this vicinity, craftsmen stalls were abundant, and you could only imagine how much work they put into creating their displayed products. Each of them had their own appeal, and many people were busy examining them in front of the different stands, making it hard for you to see what you were looking for.

“Find anything?”

“No, I need to get closer. I can’t see.”

Phainon followed you over to one of the less crowded booths. It didn’t have as many people as the others, but they still lined up around it. He watched your attempt at looking over someone’s shoulders to see the items before you stopped with a pout on your lips—unfortunately, unsuccessful.

He slightly laughed, amused by your cute behavior. “Want me to describe the stuff for you?”

“It’s not the same. I need to see it myself. I’ll just wait…”

After a moment, the person you had been trying to look over left, and you immediately took their spot.

You studied the products, trying to see if they had what you wanted. When you found it, you pointed at the object. “This one.”

Standing directly behind you, Phainon’s attention landed on a thick band made of brown leather with a bronze buckle. Its design meant for it to simply hold a dagger on a leg.

Phainon bought it for you, and you and him rested at a nearby wall because you wanted to check something.

His eyes roamed and observed the place while you were occupied with putting the newly acquired accessory on.

“Phainon, look!”

And when he returned his attention to you, his eyes widened as he choked on his breath, quickly feeling blood rush to his cheeks.

Because the skirt of your dress was lifted by your very own hand, flaunting the thigh strap on your bare leg. Its material dug nicely into your skin, and he couldn’t remove his eyes from you.

Finally getting a hold of himself, his hand swiftly reached out to pull your skirt back down, his head swung from his right side to left side, hoping no one else saw you. Thankfully, everybody was too focused on their activities to pay any attention over here. You… you had no business being this unaware… “Don’t… Don’t do that for anyone else, okay?”

As you blinked, it was a moment before you realized what you did. And when you did, you couldn’t respond—horrified at the realization.

You just basically flashed Phainon, and you didn’t notice until he had said something. You’ve always wanted to wear one of these, so this was an opportunity you couldn’t miss. In your excitement, you ignored how revealing it would have been to show off your new accessory.

Maybe you had grown too comfortable around him…

“I-I didn’t mean to.”

“...No, it’s okay. Just… Now I know where your weapon will be secured, and that gives me peace of mind… that you have something to protect yourself with.”

You really didn’t mean to… but what was done was done… How do you stop the embarrassment from this situation?

“Um, yeah…” Laughing nervously and avoiding his eyes, you noticed there were many food stalls further into the market. “Let’s get something to eat!” you quickly said, pointing in its direction.

Phainon looked in the direction of your finger before nodding. “Sounds like a good idea. We haven’t eaten dinner yet.”

You were about to walk deeper into the area; however, a shiny item on the ground drew your attention. Getting closer, you crouched down to pick it up, inspecting it in your hand.

The circular object had two pointed shapes sticking out of it, resembling cat ears, and there was a blue and yellow eye staring at you. Lines came out of the eye, creating triangular formations, making it seem like it was grinning.

“That is…” Recognition appeared on Phainon’s face as he examined the object with you.

Before Phainon could say any more, a voice rang out—one who didn’t belong to you or him. “Heeey, you have something of mine.”

Looking up from the object, you met the eyes of similar color as the one on it.

A hooded silver-haired woman donning black and gold clothing, accented with blue was in your sight. Her pair of cat ears twitched, a single tail slightly swinging behind her. Around her neck was an accessory that seemed like it was missing a piece.

Offering her what was in your hand, you asked, “This is yours?”

With a nod, she took it from you, fastening it to her necklace.

Once done, the unfamiliar woman’s eyes switched to the man beside you, lips spreading into a sly smile. “So… the Deliverer boy has a secret lover.”

Bowing your head, you became flustered.

Lover?!

No… you weren’t…

But… Deliverer boy? The dream from before briefly invaded your mind.

“Miss Cipher!” Phainon suddenly said, the blood from earlier returning to his face. “She’s… she’s not…”

“Is that so?” Cipher studied you and Phainon—both looking away from each other and also unmeeting her eyes—before her smile transformed into a big grin, addressing you. “Sure. I’m Cifera, but call me Cipher.”

“Hi, Cipher…” you greeted, slowly lifting your head, introducing yourself with your name and trying to change the subject. “Was that thing I found important to you?”

Fiddling with it, Cipher admitted, “Yeah, it’s a big part of me.” Easily taking it off, she hovered it over one of her eyes. “Coin of whimsy. Being Zagreus’s Chrysos Heir has its perks, and unbelievable speed when I throw and catch the coin—is one of them.”

Zagreus’s Chrysos Heir, huh? You weren’t one to judge by looks, but she did look like it… Cats were cunning and unpredictable, after all.

Attaching the coin back on her pendant, Cipher smirked, “Well, now that I found what I was looking for, I have to go because you both look like you’re having a nice time, so…” She said your name, “See you and Deliverer boy another time!”

Cipher quickly disappeared behind a building, leaving you and Phainon together again.

“Um… so food, right?”

“Right. Let’s go.”

Most of the food stalls were selling made-to-order or ready-to-eat foods, but there was a decent amount with fresh fruits and or vegetables.

Time passed by as you walked around to the different vendors, with you and Phainon buying several savory foods, immediately consuming them and letting each other know the thoughts of each.

All this food had been enjoyable, but you could go for some sweets right about now…

It was at that moment a stand specializing in desserts caught your interest. On their displayed menu was an image of one of their pastries—it was in the shape of a creature you’ve never seen before.

The purple treat had a long neck with a big body and a thick tail, white cream decorated the head, forming soft plumes.

The stall owner noticed you were scanning his menu. “Are you interested in our special Dromas pastry? It’s a new recipe we’re trying out.”

“We’ll take two.” Phainon gave him enough money for the pastries.

In return, he handed one to you and another to Phainon.

Moving away from the stand, you held up the pastry before you, taking in the details. “Dromas?”

“They’re Georios’s creations.”

“Are they seen here in Okhema?”

Phainon nodded, chewing before he said, “Some dromases are used for meat, but around here, they’re mostly used for travel. There’s a workshop for them in Okhema, and you can even see them roaming the city sometimes. I’m surprised you haven’t seen one yet.”

“Maybe one of these days! This pastry makes them look so majestic.”

“My professor would agree with you.”

“Professor?”

“We were required to spend some time at the Grove of Epiphany, and you must be thinking why would a knight need to be there? Well, the archbishop deemed it important for us to be educated—in addition to being physically capable. I had a professor there that I learned from. He loves dromases. But I wonder how the Grove is doing under these conditions… Maybe we should pay a visit soon.”

In the game, there had been a love interest advertised as being a scholar, and the Grove of Epiphany was where he spent most of his time, so you wondered if he was still there.

Finally done with asking questions, you bit into the dessert and instantly devoured it.

The stall owner mentioned it being a new recipe, and you could tell it was going to be a hit with the people because it was absolutely delectable—the vanilla sugar and cream flavor complimented the blueberry base.

Turning towards Phainon, you were about to say so when he slightly laughed, upon meeting your eyes.

“What?”

His finger came up to the side of his mouth, pointing. “You have…”

You swiped a thumb across the corner of your lips, but it must have been unsuccessful because Phainon chuckled again when you looked at him.

“...Here.” Coming closer, he lightly swiped a finger at the spot just underneath your lips before moving away, a little dollop of cream was on his fingertip.

Your heart started racing when he drew nearer, but it felt like it had almost stopped at his brief touch.

Mindlessly, Phainon popped the finger he had lifted the cream off you into his mouth.

And you combusted, heat quickly flaring up your neck to your cheeks—wide eyes incapable of looking away from him as he savored the taste with a lick of his lips.

Returning his gaze to you, Phainon wondered why you were staring at him, and then realization hit him. He had made the same mistake you did earlier: Being so comfortable around you that he didn’t think before acting. “I-”

“You…” Dodging his eyes, your focus drifted to the side, speechless.

Phainon also looked to the side—away from you, trying to come up with an explanation.

Silence lingered between the two of you while continuing to walk across the market.

Opening his mouth, Phainon was about to explain himself when someone bumped into him—his weight throwing them off-balance, so with his quick reflexes, grabbed their hand and dragged them into his chest, preventing them from meeting the ground.

The person met his eyes before a surprised expression crossed her face. Looking away from him, she saw you and held your gaze.

For a moment, she stared at you—something uncertain flickered in her eyes before they went back to Phainon, quickly letting go of his hand and stepping back.

“Sorry!” She apologized.

Phainon reassured, “It’s okay. There’s a lot of people here.”

“Thank you for not letting me fall, but I have somewhere to be, so bye!” Without waiting for a response, she blended back into the crowd.

In confusion, Phainon watched her leave, wondering why she was so quick to abscond; however, she probably had her reasons. Like she said, she had somewhere to be, so he dismissed it, head turning towards you.

You looked like you had seen a ghost.

With concern, Phainon asked, “Are you okay?”

No, you weren’t. You were screwed.

Everything had been going so well that you had forgotten who you really were.

You weren’t the main character.

The woman who disappeared into the crowd was.

Attempting to calm yourself down, you took deep breaths, ignoring Phainon’s worrying glance.

“You look like you just saw a ghost.”

“I’m…” Sharp inhale. Deep exhale. “I’m fine.”

You weren’t. You weren’t fine, but you didn’t want Phainon to be concerned. The reason why you were freaking out—it was out of his control—out of your control.

Now that the main heroine appeared, where does that leave you?

Phainon had brushed her off easily now, but later… he might not.

But you don’t want to give him up. The moment you locked eyes with her when she was near him, those thoughts came up, and you agreed with them, having briefly lost yourself. All she did was hold his hand because he didn’t want her to fall, and you wanted to kill her for it. Why?

It wasn’t okay to be like this, but you were done being in denial.

This date was making you more aware of the feelings you held for Phainon, and it seemed like he was into you too…

What if she decided to pursue him? Can you compete with her? Can you actually make Phainon yours?

You were going to find out, but for now… You needed some time to yourself. You can’t be around Phainon like this; you were afraid you were going to do something you might regret.

“Can we head back now? I’m not feeling well anymore.”

“Let’s go then.”

Walking among the crowd, your mind had been too preoccupied with your new worries to notice the growing distance between you and Phainon. His voice repeatedly calling out your name was lost on you as you hurriedly tried to get back to Okhema’s entrance, going against the wave of people.

All of a sudden, you felt your hand being taken, turning your head to look behind you. Who would dare do such an act? Only one person would, and when you caught him—or in this case, he caught you, you could only stare at him.

Phainon had your hand in his own, in a tight grip—uneasy, azure eyes met yours, a deep frown imprinted on his face.

Your eyes drifted to your joined hands, remembering the way you had been stuck on whether he was adverse to your touch. It seemed like he wasn’t.

Saying your name, Phainon hesitated before slowly saying, “...It feels like you’re running away from me. I thought I was going to lose you.”

You briefly glanced at the top of his head before looking straight ahead, continuing towards your destination, your hand still connected with Phainon’s.

He obediently followed you, trusting that you’ll answer him when you got to where you needed to go.

Even when you were outside Okhema, you didn’t let go of his hand, remaining silent, standing with your back to him.

The moon was bright against the night sky. Oronyx’s authority over the skies scattered numerous stars across the vast, black canvas with their shining, little dots, and you didn’t realize how late it had gotten—having been too wrapped up with Phainon.

“Phainon, was this…” You didn’t turn around. “Was this a date?”

A brief pause, as if he was thinking about what to say. “Do you want it to be?”

Did you? Of course, you did. But if you said yes, what would happen?

You needed to know if he felt the same way as you did, then it would be okay. Everything pointed to yes, but you were unsure, especially with the heroine’s appearance. If Phainon has feelings for you—and even if he did—would they be erased if she goes after him? Cyrene had said the opposite; however, you just weren’t sure how much the game’s influence extended.

Was this still a game?

It wasn’t—not to you.

There were still so many things you were unsure about, but you were already in too deep, ready to fight for him, so you finally turned to look at Phainon. “Yes.”

A short silence before a soft smile appeared on his face, and he answered, “Then it was.”

Your heart felt like it was going to burst out of your chest, and the slight squeeze he gave of your hand had your stomach twisting into knots.

It was a date. He said it was.

So what does this mean?

“...We need to head back.”

Unopposed, Phainon said, “Okay.”

On the walk back to the temple and to your room, his hand never left yours. After he escorted you back to your door, you eventually let him go—reluctantly. And you had been here before—when he had taken you back after the second banquet—except he didn’t leave immediately, currently standing before you.

You didn’t know what to do. Why was he still here? What did he want from you? What did you want from him?

Him—you wanted him.

You may not be the main character, but that doesn’t mean you were going to sit back and let him be taken away from you. You refuse to let your fears become reality. If there was a way to keep him by your side, you would take it. And if Phainon doesn’t feel the same way… well… It was a risk you were willing to make.

Before you could stop yourself, you came closer to him, slowly leaning up towards his face, steadying yourself with both hands on him. He stood there with knitted brows, allowing you to gently place your lips on the underside of his chin—lingering, his skin warm against you, and then coming back down, heels meeting the ground again, keeping your hands where they were as you waited for his reaction.

Your fleeting kiss made Phainon freeze, going rigid at the unexpected contact—but the meaning of it was unmistakable, especially after what he said earlier. His heart was thumping wildly in his chest.

You could feel it—could feel his heart beating strongly against him. Whether it was because of excitement or anxiety, you didn’t know. But he wasn’t pushing you away, and that was more than enough to gauge on how he was feeling.

Phainon wanted more. He wanted so much more, but it was too soon, unknowing if you were willing. What he did know was that he didn’t just want a brush of your lips over his neck; he wanted your lips on his.

Cupping a hand behind your head and settling another on your back, he closed his eyes and lowered his head to meet you halfway, capturing your lips with his.

You didn’t resist. Shutting your eyes, you moved your hands from his chest to behind his neck, wrapping your arms around him and enjoying the way he felt against you. Immediate relief washed over you at the realization that he does feel the same way as you do.

Pulling away from him, you gazed into his eyes. There was a hint of longing in them that you hadn’t seen before. “Phainon…”

His pupils flickered between yours, searching for some kind of sign. “Do you want this too?”

Too.

“Yes.”

Slowly, a smile spread across his lips, and he leaned down to kiss you again, and you welcomed it.

You should really get into your room, but you didn’t want to part from Phainon so soon. Now that you have him, you don't want to let him go—that voice in your head was clinging onto him.

Phainon moved away, removing his hands from you. “It’s pretty late, Priestess. You should head in. It’s a little chilly out here.”

No longer near his warm body, your arms went around yourself, emphasizing his point. “Thank you for everything… today.”

“Of course. See you tomorrow.” His smile never left as he fondly looked at you, soft eyes crinkling at the corner.

And the urge was too much. You needed to do it because he was basically asking for it.

Surging forward, you gave him one last kiss on the cheek before quickly going inside your room, not waiting for him to react. Once inside, you leaned against the door, fingertips pressed against your lips, trying to will the heat away from your cheeks. But curiosity got the better of you, so you quietly opened the door, peering outside and trying to get a glimpse of Phainon. You managed to catch him before he was about to round the corner. The deep red heart burned brightly above him, and the value inside the indicator stood out against the dark of the night: 83%.

Shutting the door again and turning around, your gaze met Lydia’s—she was very much awake on her bed, which was surprising.

“You’re still awake…”

“I am. Actually, you woke me up…”

“I’m sorry!”

“It’s fine. I’m just happy the rumors aren’t rumors anymore.”

“...You heard?”

“Maybe…”

Covering your face with your hands, you stammered, “D-don’t tell the others…”

“They already all think you’re together anyway!”

You said nothing—still a little flustered, but you got ready for bed.

Lydia closed her eyes to return to sleep, but not before letting a giggle escape at your behavior as she nestled back into her sheets.

A little while later, you were laying on your mattress with your chimeras peacefully sleeping on each side, splaying out one of your hands—the one Phainon had held—towards the ceiling of your room.

There was a thought that was keeping you up:

Where was the heroine now?

To your relief, she was nowhere to be seen. It was as if she never appeared in the first place, but you knew better.

The days continued, and you kept your guard up—just in case. When you were with him, Phainon remained unaware of your wandering glances, making sure the main heroine wasn’t there. But you were growing exhausted from always being on high alert, so it was one day where you decided to stop. It seemed like everything was going to stay the same.

Under the temple’s archways, you were walking closely beside Phainon. “If you keep meeting me like this, I’m going to start thinking you’re not very busy as you say.” Despite your chide, you couldn’t hide your grin.

“What? I can’t see you when I’m free?” Noticing your toothy grin, Phainon continued, “You don’t seem to mind, though.”

“...I don’t, but you’re going to see your family soon before the expedition to the Grove, right? You’ll be away for that.”

“Actually… I was going to ask if you wanted to come with me…”

He wanted you to meet his family? Isn’t it a little soon for that?!

“Is it really okay for me to tag along?”

“Yeah, I can show you how to use your dagger there too.”

“You don’t wanna teach me here?”

“My knights would want to watch.”

“What’s wrong with that? Afraid once I learn, I’m gonna take you down in front of them?”

Phainon laughed, “Nah, you still have a long way to go after.” Suddenly turning his head away from you, he said, “Might do something I don’t want them to see.”

You looked at him, wondering what he meant, seeing the tip of his ear reddening. Confused on why he was avoiding your eyes, you asked, “Why? Do what?”

“Sometimes, you can be irresistible, so I want to… you know… kiss you.”

Warmth swept over you, making your heart beat harder and you—flustered.

After the night of the date, you and Phainon weren’t any different than before. The only difference was the affectionate behavior, and you were getting used to it; however, the warm feeling you got every time never failed to appear. You didn’t dislike it, though.

“Oh, yeah… Wouldn’t want them to see that…”

“Is it just me, or is everyone very interested in us?”

“It’s not just you. They really are.”

“I wonder why.” A laugh left Phainon as you both continued to walk.

You joined in his amusement with your own laughter, but it was short-lived as someone familiar came into your line of sight.

And there she was—the actual heroine of the game, heading straight towards you and Phainon.

What should you do? There was no way she would initiate a conversation with him right now, would she?

She was coming closer, and you returned to being on high alert, anticipating the worst.

But when she passed by, she didn’t even spare a single glance.

“Is something wrong?” Phainon worryingly asked, unaware of anyone but you.

Realizing you had paused in your tracks to stare at her back, your attention snapped back to Phainon. “No. It’s almost the end of my break, so I was just thinking about that. I’ve been a little tired lately…”

“You should tell the archbishop and Zayne. And hey, visiting my family is like a little vacation for you.”

“Oh, you’re right. But is it really okay for me to go away like that? Something might happen while I’m gone…”

“We won’t be gone that long. You deserve an actual break.”

You hummed and agreed, “We’ll see what the archbishop says.”

With a nod, Phainon headed back to the clinic with you, chatting about the current events and upcoming plans before he left you alone. When he was gone, your mind came back to her.

Did the heroine really have no interest in Phainon?

If it was the truth, then it would be one less problem to worry about, but how can you know for sure?

Why was she here anyway?

Getting back to your work, you shelved that thought for later.

You didn’t have to put it off much longer because in the evening, while heading out after dinner from the cafeteria, you heard a light shout of your name. Waiting by the entrance was the heroine, an innocent smile visible on her face.

She knew your name. How? And why was she looking for you?

“You know me?”

“How could I not? You’re the famous healer everyone’s always talking about!”

“Right… Do you need me for something?”

“Can I talk to you?”

“Sure.”

“Somewhere besides here.”

“Ah,” you hesitated. Was that a good idea? “Okay. Where?”

“Let’s go to the library.”

“You’ve been there before?”

“I did some exploring when I came here.”

You did briefly seen her earlier, so her answer didn’t alarm you. That being said, not many people would be there at this time, so it was suspicious; however, this was your chance to ask questions. She might not respond, but there has to be a reason why she wanted to speak with you.

You gave her a nod, leading her into the quiet place.

Once there, she sat across from you at a table, an intense gaze, with narrowed eyes, set upon you. “You’re close with the knight commander, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve heard the rumors about you and him. Are they true?”

“Yes.”

Shouldn’t you be the one asking her questions? Why was she the one grilling into you?

“Your attitude at the market and the way you looked at me when I was walking past you…” Lowering her voice, she muttered, “The Embrace of Amphoreus.”

The Embrace of Amphoreus.

It was the name of the game you had been playing.

Surprised, you suddenly scooted out of your seat with your hands smacking the wooden table. “You… You know about it?”

“Huh… so I was right.” Saying your name, she cooly said, “You’re not actually her.”

Who was she? Words tangled together in your throat, unsure if you should admit the truth. Cyrene was the only one who was supposed to know your true identity. But it was already too late. You had given away too much.

“Let me start. I’m Elena, the heroine of the game… or was supposed to be. But I don’t have the cure to madness anymore, and nobody even looks twice at me. So, who are you?”

“I’m…” you said your name. “It really is my name, but…” Hesitation stopped you from saying any more.

“Well, I’m not actually Elena.” Seeing your confused expression, Elena-but-not-really-Elena quietly admitted, “I’m just a big fan of the game…” She sounded like she was ashamed of it.

Was she also from where you were? “...Are you not from here?”

“You’re not either.”

“...I’m not.”

“What a waste.” Deeply sighing into her arms with her head down on the table, she complained, “I’m in my favorite game, and I can’t even enjoy it because I’m a side character now!”

That wasn’t what you were expecting, but you tried comforting her. “Hey, you know… it’s kind of stressful being the…” The words had a hard time leaving you, but it was impossible to deny. “...main character…”

“Who cares? The important part is being surrounded by hot men!”

So that was what she was playing the game for… Very valid.

“Don’t you deny it! I saw you with Phainon. He must keep you so satisfied…”

“We’re not… We don’t…”

Elena’s eyes glinted with suspicion, her head peeked out from her arms. “You’re not there yet?”

There? Where is there? What is there? “I think you’re misunderstanding something here…”

“So you and him aren’t together?”

“We are… just recently, but it’s… it’s too soon!”

“He’s your favorite then?”

“I only played his route! I didn’t play much!” At the risk of her answer, you asked, “Is he… yours?” You knew it was a bad idea to ask that, but you needed to clear the air. But what if she says yes? Did that mean you would have to fight over him?

“...You have it bad for him, huh?”

The heat across your cheeks was hard to ignore.

“It’s written all over your face,” she laughed loudly before grinning. “You’re in luck. He’s not my favorite.”

A relieved sigh left your lips, glad of her response.

“But it’s a shame you didn’t play much because his route was the spiciest…”

What? Spiciest…?

“I guess it doesn’t matter if you’re just gonna experience it yourself…”

You were…?

“Think about it. Before you is the most loyal guy you’ve ever laid eyes on. What do you think happens when you max out his love? He wants to show you his true devotion. Will you let him?”

Ah, it wasn’t even a question of what you would let him do.

But now is not the time to think about that! There was something more important to mull over: the effects of madness on you. You didn’t know being the main character would mean healing others at the expense of yourself! Was the original heroine the same way?

“Elena… Do I call you Elena?”

“Elena is fine with me. Who I was before I got here doesn’t matter.”

“Then, Elena.” You nodded. “I’m getting the feeling you played more than me.”

“Probably.”

“Can you tell me something?”

Her curious gaze met yours, waiting.

“Do you know if there’s a cure to my madness?”

“You have it? You shouldn’t because you have golden blood, right?”

“Golden blood?”

“Yikes.”

Her answer wasn’t promising. “How would you know if you do?”

“You can’t see it?”

“Should I be able to?”

“If you have the ability to cure madness, you should… because the black wisps disintegrate when they touch golden blood.”

Was that the missing piece to the puzzle of madness? Then that was how there were unturned Kremnoans and how Phainon was unscathed by it. They had golden blood, but you can’t see it—and neither can anyone else. Does that mean only Elena could? Did Cyrene know about that?

“...But if you’re asking me that, then you don’t have it. That means you’ve been helping people while unhelping yourself. But you don’t seem like you have symptoms?”

“I do. Just not as obvious. That night… when Phainon had helped you stop your fall, I had dark thoughts. And they only appear around him… But I never know when they’ll show up!”

“So you’re insane!”

“I’m not!”

“Well, one thing’s for sure. You haven’t lost yourself yet, so chin up. There’s a reason why you haven’t, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Maybe the Grove has answers.”

“You know about the trip soon?”

“I heard talk about it. And I know I’m asking for a lot, but can you somehow convince Phainon to let me come with?”

“Why?”

“There’s someone I wanna see over there…”

Who was over there that garnered her interest? Thinking deeply, your mind wandered back to the night of the special market. When you were conversing with Phainon about dromases, he talked about the Grove of Epiphany, and you remembered there was supposed to be a love interest over there. What was his name again? It started with an ‘a.’

“Anaxa. You want to see him?”

“Busted. But he’s actually called Anaxagoras!”

“What? His introduction on the cover of the game was Anaxa…”

“He likes being called Anaxagoras.”

“Oh.”

“Please! If Phainon is yours, can’t Anaxagoras be mine?”

So Anaxa was her favorite. The reviews of the game complained about him though.

“Isn’t his route the hardest?”

“And the most rewarding! Don’t worry, I know all of his likes and dislikes. I’m going to approach this carefully and slowly because if I don’t… it could end really badly…”

“Well…” It would be unfair to keep her away from him, especially since she was such a huge fan of him… “I’ll put in a word for you with Phainon.”

Elena said your name and happily thanked you, “Thanks, I knew I could count on you!”

“Don’t get your hopes up yet… Phainon might say no.”

“He could never say no to you!”

“That’s not true.”

She let you have the last words, but her smug smirk said everything.

You didn’t bother arguing with her. You were just glad you had someone else to relate with.

Because you know what they say: Birds of a feather flock together.

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