The faint sound of elegant string music and the bustling chatter reached my ears. My eyes snapped open, and I sat up suddenly, my head spinning.

“Where… where am I?”

“Are you okay?”

Luciano’s voice came from the dim darkness, and the nightmare within me was instantly revived. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, Luciano’s figure gradually became clearer, and I retreated, trembling in fear.

Looking down, I was lying on a plush chaise lounge, covered with a warm blanket over my white dress. The emerald-green ribbon fluttering at my chest caught my eye. My heart ached, and tears started to fall.

“Don’t cry. I’m sorry for bringing you to a place like this.”

I felt nothing but fear towards Luciano, who approached me with a worried look. A cold sweat trickled down my back.

What should I do?

With his knightly physique, Luciano was carrying a sword at his waist. Moreover, he was a yandere who loved Luna.

(Did he mistake me for Luna and bring me here to imprison me?)

Where is this place?

Looking around, I saw it was dim, and there was not a single window.

I shook my head side to side like a pendulum, trying to put as much distance between Luciano and myself as possible.

“Lu, Luciano, um, I’m not who you think I am. I may look like this, but I’m actually Richeli.”

“Shh.”

“Eh?”

In front of me, Luciano narrowed his eyes and gestured for me to be quiet.

“You’ll be released soon, so don’t worry. But for now, I want you to stay with me.”

No, I can’t relax.

People who don’t do anything don’t drug others and imprison them.

As I was flustered, unable to say another word, Luciano seemed troubled for some reason.

“Hmm… Ah, I know. I’ll tell you where we are. You were asking earlier.”

Luciano pulled a green magic stone from inside his knight’s uniform, placed it on his palm, and recited a short chant. Then, the accordion curtain in front of me became a screen, and an image appeared.

The scene of a dazzling evening ball was shown, and I was astonished.

Blue silk curtains and a huge chandelier shining gold hang from the high ceiling. The spacious venue. Against the backdrop of a band playing a leisurely and elegant tune, many gentlemen and beautifully dressed ladies were enjoying chatting with a glass of champagne in hand.

“Is this the royal palace?”

“Yes, although this curtain separates it, it’s right behind the ballroom. Don’t worry. I’ve cast soundproof magic. Noise can’t be heard here.”

I don’t understand what you mean by “don’t worry.”

Doesn’t that mean no one can hear me if I cry or scream, and no help will come? There’s nothing but despair, not relief.

“Luciano, why did you bring me to such a place?”

“For this.”

“Ah!”

Seeing the chains and ropes that Luciano presented with a clinking sound of metal, I jumped up in surprise.

“Lu, Luciano, …”

“Look at this. It’s quite long. This chain will keep Luna and me from separating. Look, over there.”

“Eh? …Ah!”

I hadn’t noticed in the dim light, but a little distance away was a large cage made of black-painted iron bars, about the width of a bed.

No, surely not.

“We’re going to go into that cage together, so we can’t be separated.”

I felt my legs would give out at Luciano’s calm statement. It was scary, too scary.

“Why in the world… behind the ballroom…?”

Even if a curtain separates the room, what if someone accidentally opens the curtain? What if the sight of a man and a woman chained together inside a cage is exposed in the royal palace’s ballroom? Everything would be over then.

Wait… huh? Wait a minute. I am currently looking like Luna… If they find me, Luna, in a confinement play, wouldn’t Luna herself be the one in trouble? What does this mean?

As I stared blankly at the image before me, Zinon suddenly appeared on the screen.

“Zi, Zinon! Zinon!”

Zinon, dressed in formal attire with a black base and gold tassels, had the royal crest of Elrand on his shoulder. And opposite him, looking up at Zinon with adoration, was Richeli in a blue dress, her cheeks blushing like blooming flowers.

“Hey Zinon, shall we dance together?”

Seeing Richeli sweetly whispering and begging cutely, my heart started to churn as if about to scream.

“Hey? Zinon?”

“Wait a bit.”

“Oh, Zinon. I was looking forward to dancing with you at the ball. We’ll dance two songs in a row, okay?”

“….”

Zinon, talking to the royal palace magician, had his usual indifferent expression and seemed to be gazing somewhere far away.

I don’t want to believe it, but is Luna Maria transformed into Richeli?

Though dissatisfied with being put off for a dance by Zinon, Luna seemed truly happy to be by his side, always smiling.

(Luna… so you were on Zinon’s route after all…? Did you really like Zinon?)

Why do such terrible things… Luna is the heroine of an otome game, if she loves Zinon, a happy ending is waiting for her if she approaches him straightforwardly…

As I thought that far, I gasped.

Could it be…

Does Luna intend to continue pretending to be Richeli…?

Demean me, who has become Luna, as a fallen young lady who can’t go out into society due to bitchy behaviour…?

And Luna, remaining as Richeli, intends to marry Zinon…?

“What if… if that’s the case, what should I do…”

An insurmountable fear seemed to crawl up from the pit of my stomach.

I felt as if I was about to faint from the sense of doom that I was no longer myself.