I suppose. A more radical escape... It was not about escaping Actilus, it was about escaping this worldview itself. How narrow was my vision...? At his words, I could not help but feel somewhat embarrassed and lowered my head.

"Th-then, have you been living in the Temple of Tunia all this time? Have you seen Seraphina? I was very nervous this mission would include Seraphina."

I started to ramble again without realizing it.

"When Seraphina and the Emperor meet, it's the beginning of a disaster."

"Seraphina..."

As he muttered her name, a slightly warm color shone on his neat and beautiful face. I slowly lifted my head and stared at his face.

...What was this atmosphere?

"Why, why? Is there something wrong with Seraphina?"

Eden shook his head.

"Oh no. There's nothing wrong with her. It's just that I—"

"No, no way... Do you like her?"

That was the only problem that came to my mind. Because Seraphina was beautiful, besides, she was also kind, and he was straightforward.

'No way...!'

...Do not like Seraphina—!

If he gets terribly entangled with the unfortunate heroine, Eden would definitely have no choice but to become a cold corpse in this unfamiliar world...

At my startling question, Eden's face turned a little red.

"It's not like that! It's the other way around."

"What do you mean, the opposite?"

Then, Seraphina... Does he not like her?

I asked carefully.

"Is she ill-tempered, unlike the original novel?"

Eden sighed deeply before continuing, "I don't even know her personality. So, I tried not to meet her as much as possible."

Was this guy the type of person to hate someone they did not even know well? Or, was it that he did not like Seraphina when he read the novel? No, but as time passes after possessing, the memories of the owner of the body should become assimilated.

Nonetheless, does he still not know Seraphina well?

All sorts of hypotheses ran through my head, although I shook them off as if to stop thinking about those miscellaneous thoughts.

"The emotions of the body's owner are so intense that I am being wielded. What I have is a distorted image, so that's why I'm saying I don't know... Eden hated Seraphina."

What he said was shocking.

It was as if someone had slammed ten cleats at the same time in my head because I had never thought about that possibility. While reading the novel, I thought that Seraphina and Eden were two-sided love affairs. Needless to say, Seraphina loved Eden, and Eden also threw himself for her.

Come to think of it, Eden's feelings for Seraphina were not directly described. When I thought so, I stuttered and asked back.

"What, what about Eden...?"

"Because norms and doctrines are his life."

Eden rubbed his forehead as though he was having a headache.

"He didn't think it was right for the saint to have a love affair with a paladin."

Hearing it in a straightforward sentence, the second shock came. I have vaguely considered Seraphina's love noble because it was her sincerity towards Eden that was portrayed as the opposite of Raniero's clingy and violent obsession.

...However, Eden himself thought it was dirty.

Suddenly, the atmosphere became cold.

As the background story that was not described in the original story aroused a strange feeling, I turned my head and brought up another topic. It was to shake off the astonishment of the truth he had told me.

"...Are you going to the subjugation?"

"I'm going."

"I thought you weren't going to go?"

"I have something I want to see."

"What is it?"

"The great archives of the abandoned sanctuary. It's on the border that separates the realms of demons and humans."

He looked at me and added quietly.

"If I can't find a clue why I'm here by normal means, I'll have to risk it."

I shut my mouth for a moment and touched my shawl.

"...Your story, I get it. I agree with you that we should find out why we're here and find a way to go back. So, first, I'll see what I can find in the Imperial Library."

"Yes, I'd appreciate it if you could."

"I'll tell you what I find... at the Temple of Tunia."

Eden's eyes changed slightly at my words.

"At the Temple of Tunia...? Are you also coming to subjugation, too?"

I nodded my head.

"I was planning to go from the beginning. I haven't told the Emperor I'm going yet. Don't ask me why I'm going."

...Because it was a pretty childish reason.

Thankfully, Eden did not ask. It seemed like it was time to wrap up the conversation.

"I'd rather not want to make any more contact for now."

His words were cold and rational. Despite the fact that it was a bit disappointing to hear that since it was nice to meet someone in the same situation, I just nodded my head.

"Okay. It would be better for me to go back to my place before the friendly match is over."

If I need direct contact with him, I could just send a note to Cisen since she knows where he secretly reads.

I hurried back to the Empress's Palace.

Even though I talked to Eden for a while, when I looked at the clock, only less than an hour had passed. Seeing the Empress's Palace as quiet as a dead mouse, it seemed that the friendly match was not over yet.

I thought it would be good to think of my meeting with him as a perfect crime in its own way.

'Huu...'

At the thought, I sighed inwardly to myself as I walked to the bedroom and froze on the spot.

It was because I could see Cisen sweating and shivering in a cold sweat. And with her, a man with his golden hair scattered across his shoulders was leaning back in the chair and staring at me before opening his mouth.

"Looks like you've been around."

A distorted smile hung on his face.

"You said you were sick?"