Dust motes danced in the shafts of light filtering through the stained-glass windows as I moved from shelf to shelf, fingers trailing the worn spines like a silent incantation, lost in thoughts already spiraling out of control. I heaved a huge sigh while my head bumped into the wooden shelf. I have been camping inside the library for days. It has been like that since my conversation with the couple and with Sebastian after declaring that I would be willing to get engaged with him, and that ultimately, I will find a way to resolve it.

I need to resolve it as soon as possible, or I will end up getting married—with this stranger's body and my soul residing in it. I don't even know how to feel about that, or what the original owner of this body would feel if she learned about it.

I promised myself not to dwell too much on my complicated situation and try to live the best life that I could give to both of us, but this marriage talk is going to put a hamper on it—or is it just me being selfish about this? I automatically shook my head in denial. No, this is the best for both of us. Habitually, I started gently tapping my left shoulder, trying to comfort myself. For a moment, it calmed me.

I was lost in the quiet turmoil inside my head when a warm tap on my shoulder made me turn—and suddenly, the world felt quieter still, as if it, too, had paused to watch him smile at me. I caught myself for a second, and I couldn't help but grimace in response.

Sebastian's grin widened as he leaned against the bookshelf. "So, any books in here on how to escape our impending arranged marriage?"

I mechanically took a step back and started pulling out several books, one after another. Instinctively, my body seems to be in flight mode. I feel uncomfortable in his presence.

"If you're trying to be annoying, I don't have time, so you can see yourself out."

Sebastian gasped dramatically, one hand flying to his chest like he'd been gravely wounded. "Ouch. And here I thought you would be needing my help with your grand escape plan," he said, though the crooked grin tugging at his lips gave him away.

He is enjoying this. I smirked in response. "Is this your true self? I didn't know you're the playful type. Instead of getting worried, you seem too keen on the idea of getting married to me. If you're cooking something inside that thorny head of yours, forget it. I will just ruin your plan."

Sebastian tilted his head, squinting at her as if reevaluating her entirely, then shook his head with disappointment. "What do you think I'm planning?"

The playfulness in his eyes was suddenly replaced with quiet intensity, and I suddenly felt suffocated. Yes, this is his true self. The same eyes that examined me back in the river, amid all the floating dead bodies and rotters inside the forest. It was his coldness that reminded me of someone. His azure eyes have always been a cold reminder that everything is not what it seems.

"I don't want to know your intentions. But what I do know is we both don't want this, and I'm only interested in knowing that you will fulfill your end of the bargain."

"I didn't know we had a bargain,"

I glared at Sebastian. He is testing my patience. I looked at the piles of books on my arm.

"Hands out," I ordered. As if a child following an adult's instruction, Sebastian followed suit without asking, and I couldn't help but smile. I started dumping the books on his arm one after another. I pulled another batch of books that I was planning to read and placed them on top of the other ones he was already holding.

"Hey! How many books are you planning to read? Will you even finish all of this?" Sebastian protested as he struggled to balance the weight on his arms.

I ignored his question, letting my gaze linger on him through the gaps between the books, my view briefly obscured. For a few heartbeats, I hesitated, gathering the courage to finally speak. This had been weighing on my mind for far too long.

"I heard that the emperor has already found his mate. If that's true, then the issue of the decreasing population will finally be resolved. Thus, the law that has been passed will eventually be useless, don't you think so?"

Several heartbeats passed, and Sebastian had gone abnormally quiet. When I thought that he wouldn't speak up about the topic, his low baritone voice filled the quiet stillness of the room.

"Even if the emperor has found his mate, it won't change things overnight. The law was passed out of fear, and fear doesn't disappear just because one problem is solved, or is it really resolved? We are still not sure about that."

"What are you talking about? The emperor himself confirmed that the girl he saw is his mate—the one from the prophecy. Everyone's been buzzing about it. Their love story has practically taken this small town by storm."

Sebastian stepped in, leaning slightly to the side to catch a glimpse of my face. "That's true, but we don't know what those people in power are thinking. Maybe, they are the ones plotting something, not me."

I arched a brow, puzzled.

"Anyway, all will be revealed in time. The Holy Temple will be conducting a sacred dawn ceremony where the Lumira will be anointed as the emperor's companion. Everyone will find out the truth whether that woman is a fake or the real deal."

I exhaled in exasperation. "I was hoping she would be real. If she is, then everything will unfold naturally. We'd finally have a legitimate reason to call off the wedding."

"And if that legitimate reason is not valid?"

"It won't be easy, but faking my death seems like the best option. After that, I'll disappear—somewhere far away where no one knows who I am."

A shadow flickered across his expression—regret, maybe. Or something heavier. "Are you that desperate to get away from me?"

I shook my head. "I just want to live my life here, free from judgment and the weight of everyone's opinions."

Sebastian watched me closely, his gaze steady and unblinking, as if trying to memorize the raw honesty etched across my face.

Sebastian smiled wistfully. For the first time, I saw his genuine smile. "For what it's worth, I do want to support you. But we still have our roles to fulfill. Like you, I just want to live quietly, spending my days buried in research at the magic tower."

I let out a small, humorless laugh, tracing the worn edge of the book on my hands. "I know that you don't have to remind me."

"Then come with me to the palace. The Moon Harvest Festival is next month, and nobles from all over the empire will be there. We need to show them we're honoring the emperor's wishes. To make our engagement official, we have to present ourselves before him."

I hesitated, the weight of his words pressing down on me like a stone. "Parading ourselves like that..." I muttered under my breath, staring at the space between us.

"It's survival," Sebastian said gently. "If we don't, they'll question our loyalty—and the consequences won't fall on just us."

I lifted my eyes to him, finding no anger there—only a quiet exhaustion that mirrored my own. "You make it sound so simple," I whispered.

"It's not," he replied, a faint, humorless smile tugging at his lips. "But if pretending gives us time to find a way out, then I'll endure it... if you will too."

For a long moment, neither of us spoke.

Then, finally, with a bitter laugh, I said,

"Fine. Let's go to the palace. Let's put on a show they'll never forget."