When Ann tried to open her eyes, she first saw the blinding light and reflexively closed her eyes again. Then, she slowly opened her eyes to let them adjust to the light, but she could only see blurry images of what seemed to be people.

Because she was lying down on a bed while the rest of the people were towering over her, she instinctively thought, ‘Is this how someone feel when they’re on the operating table?’

She just woke up, so her brain wasn’t in the full power mode yet. The first thing that she thought of was that… instead of recalling what just happened, why she was there, and other important stuff.

 

Thus, when she saw someone who seemed like a doctor approaching her with a raised hand, her body got the best of her as she quickly sat on the bed, covered her head with her hands, and said, “Hold on, Doctor! The anesthesia didn’t work, I am still awake, don’t cut open my insides!”

“…”

The moment Ann’s words resounded, the surrounding people who were initially talking to one another immediately quieted down. If a single pin were dropped in this instant, everyone would be able to hear it very clearly.

One second…

Two seconds…

Three…

Ann’s brain finally finished booting.

“Uhhhhhmmmm…,” She slowly let her hands down and opened her eyes that were now more adjusted to the light and finally could see who were surrounding her…

 

Brighid, Brien, Faye, Birdie, Allen, Gwen…

…

……

Ann felt like digging a hole to bury herself right away.

 

“Ppfft…”

Brighid’s muffled voice as she tried to hold her laughter back was the one thing that broke the silence.

“Arlea-sama, you worried us and after you woke up, you threw an unfunny joke at us? Hmph!” Faye childishly pouted.

“Faye, be happy, it means that she’s alright, don’t you think?” Brighid tried to cheer Faye up.

“W-well, if that’s the case then alright…”

Faye just had the record of the quickest pouting ever.

 

“Even so, she needs to be thoroughly examined again,” Allen said decisively.

With that, Brighid dutifully checked on Ann.

After she was done, she reported, “Arlea-sama is alright and very healthy. It’s just…”

Since Ann had remembered the crazy turn of events leading to her embarrassing herself on the bed, she was nervous when Brighid let her words hang like that.

“She’s just frightened and needs to rest more.”

Hearing Brighid’s next words made Ann breathe out of relief.

If there was indeed something wrong with her related to how the original owner of the body attacked Allen, and if that were to be revealed to the people in this room right away… She couldn’t think of how the other people would react to it.

 

Thinking about it, Ann finally realized one thing.

That’s right! Wouldn’t Allen chase me away or condemn me after what happened? Why did he ask the doctor to check on me instead?

She quickly shifted her gaze towards the man who was silent aside from when he asked Brighid to check on her.

Coincidentally, their eyes met, and Ann became stunned.

 

Not long after that, Allen dismissed the rest of the people, leaving only him and Ann alone.

The first thing that appeared in Ann’s mind wasn’t about her confusion on where to start explaining and how to explain.

After what happened before, how could he let himself be alone with me like this? Is he that confident with himself, or is he just reckless?

I can’t even trust myself again after that happened, it couldn’t be because he trusts me, right?

 

“So… Do you have any explanation you want to give me?”

Seeing Ann not opening her mouth and only looked dazedly at him, Allen decided to speak first.

His words broke Ann off from her thoughts and she cleared her throat nervously.

Ann’s nervous gesture somehow infected Allen.

Though he was the first one to ask, it didn’t mean that he was calm, either. He had doubts about what happened before, and a few wild guesses, but he wasn’t sure which was the truth. All he was able to tell was that somehow, there seemed to be an internal battle inside the woman he loved. But the question was… With who?

Was she possessed? By who?

But how would that explain her amnesia?

Could it be that her new personality clashed with her old personality that was threatening to wake up after she recalled a few stuff in her past? But it still didn’t make sense.

Pondering over his guesses won’t bring anything, only a headache out of overthinking. Therefore, he decided to just ask her and hear her explanation.

 

The two were silent with their differing thoughts.

After gathering her courage and trying to arrange her words in mind, Ann slowly spoke.

“I don’t know if you will believe me or not, but what I am about to tell you is the truth. Nothing less, nothing more. So… I am not Arlea, but I am not Anne, either.”

Allen frowned when he heard Ann’s last sentence, but his gaze seemed to say, ‘Continue’. So, Ann continued.

“I am Ann, and I came from another world. After I died, I suddenly woke up in this body. Being a totally different person, I know I can’t act exactly like the owner of this body, so I came up with the convenient excuse of amnesia.”

As Ann said that, she looked at Allen’s widening eyes.

“I know you must be thinking how I would know about the identity of this body, then? Well… It’s true that I had contact with this body’s biological father and his followers before, but I already know before that. I have some information about this world and this new life I got… because, uhhh, how do I explain this?”

Ann finally got to the most difficult part as she scratched her head.

Finally, she decided to simplify the explanation in a way that he would be able to understand it, without any knowledge of the modern world’s technology.

“In my original world, this world, you, the people, and the events happening here are fiction.”

“Fiction?”

“Believe it or not, but the fiction gave me information about you, about this body’s identity, and so on. That’s where I know this body’s real identity,” Ann said.

 

Then, silence returned to the two of them.

Since Allen was being silent with an expression that pretty much gave away that he was thinking deeply, Ann started to grow more nervous.

Did I manage to explain it well?

Will he believe in this nonsense?

Or…

 

Unable to withstand the silence, Ann rambled on.

“Y-you know, on the account of our good relationship so far, can you spare my life? It’s fine even if you exile me, but—”

“What? Who’s going to kill who, and who’s going to exile who?” Allen quickly interrupted Ann’s words with an exasperated look.

“Uhm, you to me…?” Ann said with an unsure tone.

“…….?!!!” Allen didn’t say anything, but Ann heard him sigh in a way that she had never heard before. His expression changed very rapidly and Ann blinked, unsure of what was going on. She only knew that she had apparently said the wrong thing.

 

Seeing the clueless look on Ann’s face, Allen finally said.

“I believe in your explanation. But you are my wife, and you will not go anywhere.”

“Wait, that isn’t in the scenario…,” Ann unconsciously blurted out.

“Oh? How does the scenario unfold?” Allen asked.

“Uhm, you and the others came to know my real identity, the rebels clashed with you guys, I got persecuted…? No, not me, but Princess Anne, yes… Basically, she is a character that is destined to die.”

“But you aren’t her.”

“Yes, well, uhm, but what about this body I am occupying? Technically speaking, or bodily speaking, or uhhh this is hard to explain… This body’s identity is the biological daughter of the previous king who’s now the head of the rebels, wanting to reclaim the monarchy he lost. I am his one and only heir, so I shouldn’t be left alive… right? And technically, our marriage had always been a fraud as this body isn’t Arlea, so you can dissolve it…,” Ann was really confused, so she just spoke without thinking.

“With how you’re behaving, you aren’t a threat at all to the current monarchy.”

“Well, yes, but if the rebels want to make use of my identity…”

“You won’t side with them anyway, right?” Allen asked.

“Why, yes, of course… More or less, I know about the conflict between the rebels and the current monarchy and how the previous king ruled. I support the current monarchy…,” Ann muttered.

“Then it’s fine.”

“You might believe it so it’s fine to you, but what about the others? Will they believe me?” Ann said in frustration.

At the same time, she was happy because Allen actually believed in her!

However, she immediately realized that even if he did, the others wouldn’t easily believe in her. Heck, she was still suspicious as duck!

 

“Don’t think about it. I will think on how to solve everything,” Allen finally said.

“Uhhh, you know, you don’t have to pity me or do it out of responsibility… As long as I can resume my life peacefully…”

“Do you really not understand?!” Allen raised his voice that clearly contained frustration, and Ann shut her mouth upon hearing Allen’s ‘roar’.

“Understand… what?” Ann blinked. Her brain showed zero search result in this moment as it was full of the things about how to survive with her identity, the rebel party, etc…

In short, she totally dismissed romance in her deep thoughts.

Perhaps sensing this, Allen finally sighed as he shook his head.

Fine. He was at fault as well for being ambiguous and only showed it through action. He thought that action would speak louder than words, but it seemed there was a need to convey things through words.

 

Allen approached Ann and looked at her straight in the eyes.

“I don’t care whether you’re Arlea or Anne…”

“I am Ann,” Ann cluelessly said.

“…Alright, Ann. Listen. I am in love with you, so I am not doing this out of pity or responsibility as your husband in name. I am doing this due to my own selfishness.”

Allen’s low voice that was usually cold now contained a hint of warmth and tenderness, causing Ann to feel like she was dreaming.

Did her favorite male capturable target from the otome game she played actually call her by her real name and confess his love to her?

Goodness, this is such a nice dream!

 

Ann’s bewitched look, coupled with the red blush on her tender face, looked ‘appetizing’ to Allen. The atmosphere was supportive as well, so before he even noticed, he had already approached his face to Ann.

And as soon as the soft sensation fell on her lips, Ann snapped out of her daze.

Holy sh--?! Is this real?!

I am finally awake after such a frightening event… Awake, but at what cost?

This… At the cost of my innocence?

But who cares about such thing?

There’s no one truly innocent in the modern world anyway. Why should I care?

 

As realization dawned upon her, Allen let her lips go.

“Do you understand now?” He asked.

Ann nodded like a chicken and blushed.

This made Allen chuckle and ask, “Where’s your shameless conduct from before?”

“T-that’s only teasing! Your reaction was so funny before, but now, your reaction isn’t as I expected. It’s not fun anymore…,” Ann said as she sulked.

Allen laughed with his magnetic voice. This made Ann sulk even more.

 

After a while, Allen suddenly realized one thing.

“But Ann… Are you willing to stay by my side?” He asked with a hint of expectation and anxiety.

Ann looked at him in disbelief.

“Why are you asking that now, dummy?! The rice’s been cooked, and you still ask?!”