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'Maybe now is the time.'
Ayla slowly opened her mouth.
"Felix, what I'm about to say... can you keep it a secret?"
Felix nodded without hesitation.
"Of course."
Even after hearing his answer, Ayla couldn't speak easily.
Telling someone the whole truth meant that you trusted that person that much.
And she knew very well how deeply she could be hurt when that trust was betrayed.
'What if Felix thinks it's nonsense after hearing my story?'
Ayla knew better than anyone how absurd the story she was about to tell would sound.
If someone told her this story, she wouldn't have been able to believe it easily either.
But Felix had mustered the courage to approach her countless times.
Now it was her turn to repay his courage.
"It's hard to believe, but... I'm actually the real daughter of the Blanche Noble house. Rosia manipulated the Parentage verification magic tool and stole my place."
Felix listened to her quietly without changing his expression.
Encouraged by his calm reaction, Ayla carefully continued.
"But as you know, I couldn't tell anyone about this. Honestly, who would believe that the Magical Tool was manipulated? It's ridiculous. But..."
"......"
"Today, Cedric and my mother came to me and apologized. I didn't say anything... but it seemed like they realized that I was the real family."
Ayla stopped talking at that point and looked at Felix.
"That's why I cried. I never imagined that my family would recognize me first before I even revealed the truth."
"So that's what happened."
Felix murmured quietly, then reached out and took her hand.
Feeling his warmth, Ayla finally realized that she had been shaking all along.
"So... did you have a good talk?"
At Felix's question, Ayla hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"I didn't really have much to resolve with my mother. She was worried about me even when I wasn't the Blanche Princess Consort. But Cedric... I think he felt sorry for what he had done, he even knelt in front of me."
Ayla laughed self-deprecatingly.
The more she thought about it, the more unbelievable what had happened today seemed.
Not only did she meet her mother, whom she had tried so hard to stay away from for so long, but the proud Cedric even knelt before her and apologized.
Cedric called her name weakly in front of the mother and daughter, who were hugging each other in tears.
"Ayla."
Ayla slowly turned her head at the sound of her name.
Then she saw Cedric kneeling carefully beside her. He bowed his head deeply, his lips only moving, and after a long time, he opened his mouth.
"I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you all this time and only said harsh things. I just stood by and watched you suffer after you were kicked out of the Noble house..."
Cedric's face was distorted with pain. He took a deep breath and continued in a dry, trembling voice.
"When I think about it now, I don't know why I did that. I guess I wasn't in my right mind."
Cedric was usually a person who would never give in unless he truly thought he was wrong.
Cedric kneeling and repenting of his actions.
As Ayla remained silent, Cedric's shoulders drooped even more.
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Ayla."
But Ayla couldn't answer his apology in the end.
Because countless assumptions kept popping up in her head.
'If I hadn't remembered the memories of the original story... what would have happened?'
If she had been taken advantage of by Rosia without knowing anything, Cedric would never have repented of his mistakes.
He would have realized all the truth and wept bitterly only after she died.
Of course, she knew that they had been brainwashed by Rosia's Magic.
But if they had believed in her with unwavering faith from the beginning, like her mother, they would not have been swayed by such brainwashing in the first place.
She knew what the outcome was in the original story.
That's why she couldn't forgive Cedric easily.
"......"
Anyway, she didn't want to think about Cedric anymore.
She was more worried about how Felix would react after hearing everything.
'He might think it's a ridiculous story.'
Ayla recalled the time when she mustered the courage to talk to her brothers before leaving the Noble house.
What was their reaction at that time?
"Is that what you're going to say now? You told Rosia to be confident a while ago? But now you're saying let's do the Parentage verification magic tool again? Why have you changed so much?"
"I've changed?"
"Yeah, you don't know how much Rosia is worried about you, do you? But you come to us and say that the results have changed, and you're trying to slander her..."
"Yeah, even if you do that, it doesn't change the fact that Rosia is a member of the Blanche Noble house. Just admit it, Ayla. Don't have any lingering feelings."
"......"
"I don't think you deliberately deceived us either. So let's stop here. You just have to live your life well in the future."
Ayla clenched her fist tightly at the feeling of tightness in her chest.
Then, a sighing voice was heard next to her.
"Ah... so that's what it meant."
Ayla turned her head and looked at Felix with a puzzled expression.
He was frowning as if he was confused and lost in thought.
Then, as if he felt her gaze, Felix made an "ah" expression.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I suddenly remembered something while listening to Ayla's story."
He bit his lip, letting out a sigh as if he was in trouble.
"Actually, I had been suspecting Rosia Blanche even before hearing this story. Because there were so many strange things."
"Ah......"
"But that woman was a fake Princess Consort, now I understand everything..."
Felix muttered to himself like that, then turned his body and looked at Ayla seriously.
Then he placed another hand on top of their clasped hands. Her face naturally turned hot at the size that was big enough to cover her entire hand.
Felix, who had made serious eye contact, opened his mouth without a smile.
"But you held on well."
"......"
"It must have been hard to keep it to yourself... Thank you for enduring this way, and for telling me honestly."
Ayla's heart fluttered at his sincere gaze and tone.
"...You believe me?"
"Of course. I guessed that there must be something shocking going on since Ayla was hiding it without saying anything."
"But even my family didn't believe me..."
"But in the end, they realized that Ayla is the real one, right?"
Felix smiled and continued.
"And actually, anyone who saw Ayla's performance in Ritsha Forest would think it's strange if they didn't believe it."
The moment she heard those words, tears welled up in Ayla's eyes again.
She bit her lip and tried to suppress her emotions, but it wasn't easy.
Feeling that she was struggling to hold back her tears, Felix reached out and carefully wiped her eyes.
"Are you okay?"
"......"
Ayla blinked instead of answering. Then she saw Felix's face, which was so close that it was excessive.
Her breath trembled and her heart beat rapidly at his light green gaze.
'...Is Felix in this state too?'
Ayla's cheeks flushed red. But this time, she didn't want to avoid it like last time.
As she slowly closed her eyes, Felix's breath tickled near her cheek as if they had promised.
Soon, their lips met softly.
Unlike her heart, which was pounding as if it would burst, his kiss was extremely cautious, as if trying to soothe her.
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