Harij immediately flips his body and kicks off the tower. At the same time, he lets go of the rope while shielding Roze’s head.

Roze, who’s facing the sky, can only see Harij’s chest.

As if responding to Roze’s anxiety, the leg of the chair where the rope is tied to snaps—the sensation of falling attacks her again.

Roze extends her hands to shield Harij’s head.

“Wha—“

Harij’s shocked voice reaches her ears—

—the next moment, the two fall onto the ground.

Roze doesn’t suffer much of a shock because the height of the fall wasn’t too high. Moreover, she’s being held by Harij.

—but what about Harij? He must’ve received the shock straight to his body…

Her waist is numb. She rolls and retreats from on top of Harij.

The moment Roze separates her body, however, Harij suddenly hugs her and drags her to hide behind the nearby tree.

Before Roze can utter any protest, Harij glances at her. His gaze is very demonic.

“—don’t you know how dangerous that was!?”

Harij shouts. His voice is suppressed, although the same can’t be said about his anger.

“—Why would you put your hands on top of my head?! Do you want your hands to get crushed beneath me—!?”

Roze is trembling. Harij is asking for the reason behind her previous action.

Roze stares at her hands.

Those hands are her most important tool of trade.

Even if she were to manage to escape the tower safely, without those hands, it would be difficult to continue making ‘Witch’s secrets’ and to cast magic.

For the Witch Roze, her identity is of a great significance. She stubbornly persists to stay as a Witch because she doesn’t know any other way to life—

—and also, because she’s proud of being a witch.

So, even after marrying Harij, she will stay as a witch—

—nevertheless…

“…I want to protect you.”

Porori, her tears fall at the same time those words are uttered.

“…My body, moved on its own…”

Roze stares at her hands in disbelief.

The reason why Roze’s hands are still safe is simply because Harij flipped over in midair.

“—Harij-san, did you perhaps cast a spell on me?”

Harij stares at Roze, it’s as if he’s struck by lightning.

Roze is very embarrassed.

Harij gently embraces Roze.

“You should already known, right? I can’t cast magic.”

“Then… how do you explain this?”

“Isn’t it love?”

Earlier, Roze was perplexed by his display of selfishness and the unreasonable actions all of which he justified as love.

Love sure is scary.

Roze, who is now aware of the horror of love, trembles.

It’s because love makes people act unreasonable—do something that doesn’t make any sense—

—in a way, isn’t it like magic?

Roze then remembers the story she read when she was young—

—in that story, the only key to dispel magic was love.

Surely, love is the only ‘magic’ that humans, who are unable to use magic, can use.

“…I’m sorry, Harij-san, it must’ve hurt, right?”

Roze gently strokes Harij’s shoulders, checking his body. He may have fallen in a lethal position due to Roze’s reckless act.

“My pain has gone away.”

“Because of love?”

“Indeed.”

“Then, you needn’t the help of a witch.”

“But I need you.”

Harij embraces Roze again. Roze gently hugs him back.

Harij, hugging her with all his strength, suddenly stiffens.

“What’s wro—“

“—Harij, you’re there, right?”

The voice is much quieter than the tiny one Roze previously let out. Even though the owner of said voice didn’t scream or speak loudly, the voice passed through the gaps of the overgrown trees and reaches straight to both Harij and Roze.

The owner of the voice—Lulu, is looking down from the window of the tower while Yashm is trying to pull her back.

Even if Roze looks up, the shadow covers her view, as such, she can’t see the princess’ expression.

“Come out, please.”

It’s a sweet and gentle voice, as if beckoning for a stray cat. However, it’s still the same voice that dictates other people to adhere to it.

“That Siscon Prince, it seems that he has failed to stop her…”

Harij curses. Roze keeps silent upon hearing his ridiculous rant. Then, Harij leaves his leather bag under the tree and covers it with a cloth.

He hides Roze in the bushes and he alone approaches the tower.

“Did you call for me, Lulu-sama?”

Lulu asks in a lovely, yet dissatisfied voice. “Why would you hide Roze? Ara, Harij, since when did you become this secretive?”

“She’s my fiancée. I hide her because her cuteness is too much for the naked eye.”

“My, my~ even though I have to properly greet her?”

“I would be glad if you postpone said greeting for today, she’s feeling bashful.”

“Wait there, okay? I’m heading there right now!”

Harij clutches his head—it’s as if Lulu had never even heard him!

Lulu has already disappeared from the window. She’s obviously rushing there.

Harij gives Yashm, who’s peeking through the window, a broad smile.

Feeling his best friend radiating anger, he quickly disappears from the window, too.

Now both the royal siblings are rushing there.

“Harij-san…?”

“I’m sorry, Roze. It seems that you’ll have to face them.”

“That is fine, actually… in the first place, why would you escape the tower in such an outrageous manner?”

Roze doesn’t see any problem in meeting Lulu, nor is she feeling bashful.

It’s true. Won’t things be more awkward if they run away like this?

“It’s not advisable to meet Lulu in that kind of situation. Also, if I didn’t cause such an uproar, it’s likely that Roze would have remained imprisoned by Yashm in that tower—I’m truly sorry for scaring you.”

“Is that so… we shall talk again about the latter part, but I do forgive you.”

If Harij is telling the truth, maybe Yashm will start comprehending that Roze is truly irrelevant to the case and release her.

“In the first place, the forests around this place are off-limits. No one can enter without the permission of the Queen. However, I usually don’t give any regard towards that—it’s not like I’m going to visit this place. But, Lulu-sama, on the other hand, would surely be intrigued.”

“I see, she’s a person with a lot of curiosity?”

“She’s usually warm, acts unbefitting of her age, and is generally approachable—however… if it’s regarding witches, she—“

—does she hate witch?

Roze comes to such conclusion rather easily. It’s probably because she keeps recalling Yashm’s gaze of contempt.

“My, my~ Harij, this won’t do. You aren’t even lending your hand to me. That’s not how a gentleman knight should behave…”

After descending down from the tower, the Princess, who’s a little out of breath, approaches them.

Roze stands up with Harij’s help and removes her robe.

“It would be better if we hide the fact that I’m a witch from her.”

“—I’m sorry. That would be a great help.”

—that is, if Yashm doesn’t do anything unnecessary…

Roze takes off her robe and hides it in the bush. Then, she emerges.

The Princess is astonished when she sees Roze with her messy hair and casual dress.

“—Huh?”

“—eh?”

The Princess, who sees Roze, stiffens. Roze, who sees the Princess, also has the same reaction.

---

***T/N:

“—Harij-san, did you perhaps cast a spell on me?”

///painfully clutch chest/// must, must hold in, the HNGGG, MUST HOLD IT IN!!!!!!!!!!

“My pain has gone away.”

“Because of love?”

“Indeed.”

“Then, you needn’t the help of a witch.”

“But I need you.”

///slowly inhale////

HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

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