With a pop, the campfire suddenly swayed. The burning charcoal split, and a few glowing embers jumped out, landing on Muen’s arm.

The embers hadn’t even gone out yet, still giving off a faint flame.

But Muen didn’t notice at all.

Across from him, Ariel was still saying something shyly, yet Muen couldn’t take in a single word. What kept echoing in his head were the things Ariel had just said—words that didn’t just make his heart twitch, but made it feel like it was about to leap right out of his chest.

So that was what she meant by “disguise.”

Disguising yourself, secretly following by her side, even learning her techniques... and when you had no choice but to appear next to her, you’d patch up your one flaw so you could meet her in your best state...

Damn. What kind of perverted stalker was that?

How the hell did Ariel’s brain even work, to build that kind of logic? It was basically—

Huh? Wait.

If he thought about it carefully...

That logic... kind of made sense?

Because if you really wanted to argue it, he did keep bumping into this girl in all sorts of weird situations. And if Ariel decided those “coincidences” weren’t coincidences at all, but carefully arranged “accidental” encounters...

Then purely from Ariel’s point of view—

Ah.

The perverted stalker... was me?

"Miss Muse, I know you have your own thoughts."

Ariel squirmed a little, growing even shyer.

"But I think this kind of thing shouldn’t be hidden away. It’s better to express it early. Putting aside the legal and moral issues of peeping, if you only watch and wait, you’ll miss everything you want. I know that from experience."

"..."

Muen was speechless.

Of course you know it from experience—didn’t you experience it because of me?

B-b-b-but... there’s nothing to express! How am I supposed to express something that doesn’t exist?

And besides, there’s no condition for “expressing” it at all. Like, what am I supposed to say?

Dear Ariel, Miss Muse doesn’t exist in this world. I’m the Muen Campbell you hate the most?

Then rip open my clothes and show off my solid pecs?

...That would really get me killed.

"Um..."

Muen weighed his words again and spoke cautiously.

"Could this... be a misunderstanding?"

"A misunderstanding?"

Ariel froze, then frowned and began to think hard.

"My reasoning is already perfect. If there’s a misunderstanding... then the only way is to deduce from some angle outside common sense? Like..."

"Wait, wait, wait!"

Muen panicked and cut her off again.

"That’s not what I mean!"

Damn it, even that route was blocked?

He couldn’t let her keep thinking in random directions.

This girl sometimes had bizarre angles of thought—especially when she met a beauty—but he had to admit it: for her to assemble such a self-consistent logic that fast, like she said herself, she was sharp as hell in her own way.

So if she kept deducing...

She might actually deduce the fact he was male!

And then he’d be finished.

Because not only had he done this and that to Ariel, he also held her black history, and even—

Squish, squish.

Muen absentmindedly kneaded the magic rubber with the excellent feel in his hand. It no longer felt like rubber at all, but like a guillotine blade hanging overhead, ready to drop during his execution.

He’d get chopped.

He would definitely get chopped.

One thousand percent he would get chopped.

"If that’s not what you meant, then what did you mean?" Ariel tilted her head, puzzled.

"I... I..."

Muen glanced around desperately, cold sweat pouring down his back. He tried to find a reason—only to find none.

The on-the-spot reflexes he’d cultivated through multiple brutal romantic battlefields were completely useless right now.

Because at this point, he basically had only two paths.

Deny it—then Ariel would unleash her powerful reasoning ability and keep digging for the truth.

Ending: death.

Confirm it—then Ariel’s affection for Miss Muse would deepen even more, to the point of obsession.

With Ariel’s “Phoenix heroine” level willpower, she probably wouldn’t stop until she successfully captured Miss Muse’s “heart.”

Unless Miss Muse got stolen by some other blond—of course, impossible.

So the ending...

Still death. And a miserable one.

"Miss Muse, you..."

Ariel looked at Muen’s face—how he didn’t dare meet her eyes, how his gaze kept dodging—and it was like she’d discovered something. A sharp light flashed in her eyes, making Muen’s heart lurch.

Had she finally—

"You’re shy, aren’t you? Geez, we’re already this close—there’s no need to be shy, Miss Muse, honestly..." Ariel scolded coyly.

"..."

Alright. He’d overthought it. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

The current Ariel probably wasn’t going to turn that corner so easily.

"No need to be shy. I mean... I’m actually pretty shy right now too."

Ariel hugged her legs, resting her head lightly on her knees.

"But... I just dreamed of my mother. It’s been so long since I dreamed of her. I’ve even started to forget what she looks like... but this time I dreamed of her. Isn’t that strange? Especially when we were being chased in such a dangerous situation."

Huh? Wait—what now?

The crisis had only just passed, so how had they naturally slid back into a heartfelt confessional plot again?

"So... I think it must be because Miss Muse makes me feel very safe, so I—"

"Waitwaitwaitwaitwait—"

After blurting out “wait” so many times he didn’t even know how many, Muen used the powerful lung capacity he’d trained through certain activities to stop Ariel from continuing.

If she went on, then when he got exposed, it wouldn’t just be getting chopped or finely minced—she’d probably grind his bones to dust.

"Miss Muse?" Ariel looked at him in confusion. "What’s wrong?"

"No, I just think... now isn’t the time to talk about that, right?"

Muen forced out a smile.

"Some things... wouldn’t it be better to talk about them after we’re out of danger?"

"..."

Ariel froze for a moment. Then her eyes flicked to the sealed walls around them, and a look of realization appeared—like she’d only just remembered their situation.

"Ah, sorry."

Her cheeks reddened, and she quickly buried her face between her knees.

"I think I got carried away."

Indeed, this wasn’t the time to deepen feelings.

Even though she now firmly believed in an aggressive strategy and didn’t believe in “boiling the frog in warm water” at all—

only a knight who successfully rescued the princess was a good knight. If you hadn’t even rescued the princess yet and started boasting, you’d only irritate the beautiful princess, wouldn’t you?

Even if, by Ariel’s own analysis, this beautiful princess had started with max affection from the beginning—she still absolutely wouldn’t do anything that lowered affection!

That was basic professional ethics for an emotional master!

"Phew..."

Seeing Ariel stop, Muen secretly let out a long breath too.

Looks like the Goddess still didn’t want to take the soul of this blond pig who’d plowed the Saintess. Otherwise, his head probably wouldn’t have lasted on his neck tonight.

But just to be safe...

"No sound at all..."

Muen stood, went to the wall, pressed an ear to the icy stone, and listened.

"Those monsters should have already left."

"Are we continuing forward?"

Once they got back on topic, Ariel instantly seemed like a different person. Her expression turned serious.

"If we can, I think we should leave as soon as possible."

Muen looked at the thin chain on his wrist.

"I can feel that the place this Myriad-Age Cycle branch is guiding me to is very close. Besides, this place isn’t actually safe. The stone house can’t withstand those monsters’ attacks. If we’re discovered, we’ll fall back into the disadvantage of being surrounded and attacked again."

"True."

Ariel pondered for a moment. "If the goal is clear and it isn’t far, then the earlier we reach it, the better."

"Then let’s prepare to move out."

Muen lowered his head and began tidying up the campfire on the ground, as well as the external medicines he’d taken out earlier when he bandaged Ariel’s wounds again.

Ariel didn’t move right away. She just stared straight at Muen, and then her gaze gradually drifted... to his chest.

"Not padding them?"

"Eh?"

"Not padding them?"

Ariel gestured in front of her own chest. "It’s rare that I even recommended it—Miss Muse, you won’t try it?"

"..."

This girl—how was she saying something like that with such a serious face?

Muen froze mid-motion. He stiffly turned his head and looked at the two lumps of magic rubber he’d set aside, the corner of his eye twitching.

"Th-this... isn’t that a bad idea? We might have to fight in a bit."

"Don’t worry. I already thought of that. After careful improvements, the magic rubber is very light. It absolutely won’t affect combat. I tested it personally!" Ariel proudly puffed out her chest.

After all, she’d been able to wear it while trading blows with Zagu—so stability was guaranteed!

"..."

Muen wanted to refuse firmly.

But under Ariel’s burning gaze, he couldn’t even «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» find a reason to refuse.

And refusing would be one thing. But if it triggered another string of Ariel’s suspicions...

"F-fine..."

He was already crossdressing anyway. Stuffing two lumps of rubber into his chest didn’t seem like such a difficult thing anymore.

Muen grit his teeth. With the mighty resolve of to hell with the Evil Gods, he slowly shoved the magic rubber into his chest.

With a boing, the magic rubber immediately turned firm and springy, propping up Muen’s loose clothing so those towering mountains were no longer a drifting mirage—

but something both false and real.

Muen looked down.

This thing really was as powerful as Ariel said. Even if he bounced twice, it stayed stable. In terms of “flaws,” it was definitely less obvious than the fake form created by the potion.

It was just that... he felt like he’d accidentally lost something again.

"So pretty!"

Ariel’s eyes shone. "Miss Muse has become even more perfect!"

"Hah... haha. As long as you’re happy..."

Muen forced a smile.

Then he made up his mind: from here on out, he had to keep distance from this girl. Absolutely no more actions that could make her misunderstand anything.

Because if her expectations of “Miss Muse” grew higher and higher, if she sank deeper and deeper...

Then it really wouldn’t be easy to clean up later.

"Let’s go."

Muen took the lead, turned around, and walked off—utterly emotionless.

"Okay."

Ariel braced on her sword and slowly stood up.

But before she could steady herself, her body suddenly staggered.

She clutched her thigh. Those willow-like brows that were sharp as blades unconsciously knitted together again.

Damn it—why did the wound have to act up right now...

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing."

Ariel shook her head, then stomped her foot hard against the ground, forcing her gait back into something normal as she clenched her teeth and followed behind Muen.

"Really nothing?"

"It’s fine."

"..."

Muen glanced back at her, then let out a helpless sigh.

Sigh.

As expected—blond villains and chosen protagonists were born to be at odds. As long as he was in front of Ariel, things could never develop in the direction he wanted.

"Come here."

Muen crouched down.

"I’ll carry you."