Outside, the sky was clear and bright. The old butler sat quietly in the carriage, waiting for Gari Barodale's return. He chatted with the servant, hoping to find something to say. But as expected, no useful information came out.
"Butler, we're heading back."
Gari Barodale's calm voice came from nearby. The old butler immediately opened the carriage door to welcome his master. With the added weight, the tires squeaked against the ground.
Though he longed for news of the mistress, he knew they had to leave this troublesome place.
"Master, hold on tight. We're off."
Only the magic horse's snorting sound filled the air. The carriage sped into the distance. Hot breath blew past the butler's aged face. He seemed about to ask something but held back, fearing to upset his master.
"Butler, if there's something on your mind, just say it. No need to be so formal between us."
Inside the carriage, Gari sensed the butler's unease. He spoke casually, his voice unusually calm, as if he'd finally made peace with many things.
"Master, did you find the mistress? If not, that's normal. She's been gone so long. That person probably just looked similar."
The butler's tone was clearly comforting, hoping Gari wouldn't grieve too deeply. If the mistress were still here, the master wouldn't be like this.
"Indeed, I didn't find Manna. But I've realized something: she is herself, I am myself. You can never become me. How foolish to grasp such a simple truth only now."
Gari reached out and opened the old window. Wind swept over his face, etched with relief. The bright sunshine outside drew a smile from him.
"Master, what do you mean?"
"I think I've fallen for Miss Kallen. That's all it means."
"Is that so, Master? Ah, ah, ah! Master, you've finally come to your senses!"
Only the carriage's rushing sound remained. Gari caught a falling leaf mid-air. Reluctantly, he released it. The leaf drifted on the wind, landing on her silver-white hair—just as a piercing scream tore through the air.
"Why won't it come off? Why? Aaaah!"
Kevin strained with all his might to remove the ring. But it was utterly impossible. Sealed by magic, it clung tightly to his slender finger. A trace of ferocity flashed in his eyes. He decided to destroy it by force.
After a while, his magical energy was nearly gone. Sweat covered his graceful body. Yet the ring didn't budge an inch.
"No wonder it looked familiar. This is Gali and Manna's damn engagement ring. I was careless and didn't dodge."
He stared at the dense magical seals appearing on the ring, sighing inwardly.
Imperial magic masters had added this ancient seal to bind them forever. Only Manna herself should wear it. So why could he? Why?
Gali really is scheming. Using such a despicable trick to lure me into wearing it. And here I was feeling sorry for him.
Removing it wouldn't be hard—just destroy it completely.
"..." Kevin thought for a moment and gave up. This must be precious to Gali. He probably gave it to me by accident. I'll return it later.
He'd take it off slowly. It might take a year, but his soft heart wouldn't allow destruction. Still, he grumbled aloud.
"So annoying, so annoying, so annoying! This headache is killing me. Now Gali will see me wearing it and come after me again. I don't want that! Aaaaaah!"
A maid in the distance heard the young lady's cries. She rushed over, panting heavily, face flushed with urgency.
"Miss, the mistress and master are looking for you. Please wait in your room."
"Understood. I'll be right there." Kevin's voice turned calm and flat. Then he raised it slightly. "Hanna, come here!"
In the next instant, Hanna appeared soundlessly behind him. Kevin showed no surprise—he'd tracked her every move. He held out his hand, signaling for support.
Hanna's delicate face twisted in confusion. She stared at Kevin with puzzled eyes.
"Sigh." Kevin sighed helplessly, then spoke gently. "Help me back to my room. Understand, Hanna?"
"Yes, Master."
These crystal high heels were still uncomfortable. But to maintain the noble young lady's image, he had to endure. Come on, come on, come on, Kevin, you're the best.
Only when the system turned him back into a man would everything end. For now, he'd use Miss Kallen's identity to play hard to get with Gali. The strategy was simple: keep him dangling.
"Master, we've arrived." Hanna's emotionless voice snapped him back. He lifted his head to see the familiar door.
The door creaked open slowly. The once-messy room was now spotless, cleaned by maids. Even the air smelled sweet and fresh.
"So tired, can't go on, about to faint. Aaah!"
Kevin leaped onto the soft bed. He fidgeted with the blanket, still complaining. With a loud slam of the door, two familiar figures stood before him.
"Lord Kevin, how was our performance today? Are there areas for improvement?"
"How to evaluate... Overall, no major issues, but..." Kevin lounged lazily on the bed. He thought briefly but held back. It wasn't worth fixing. His tone turned weary. "Never mind. You two did well. Keep pretending to be my parents. I'll live as this identity for a while."
"Thank you for your appreciation, Lord Kevin. We will work twice as hard."
They spoke in unison. Then both froze, sensing another presence. Weapons flashed as they moved to eliminate Hanna.
"Stop, stop, stop! Hanna is under my command!" Kevin intervened before blows landed. Hanna did hold unknown secrets—even puppets couldn't detect her immediately.
