---

The little body of the cat, tightly embraced.

But before I could even feel the softness of the cat’s fur, the small cat that could be held in one hand was slowly growing bigger, and its once weightless form was gradually becoming heavy. Of course, it still felt light in my arms.

And at the end of it, the cat’s appearance vanished, replaced by a girl in my embrace.

The rough tongue of the cat had somehow turned into a ticklish sensation.

“Boss…?”

But since Frecia, not the cat, was still licking my neck, I couldn’t see her face. However, even without seeing her face, the scent of the girl that tickled my nose was unmistakably Frecia’s.

“You said we would be together forever…”

A small voice from beneath my neck, just below her ear. It was only a short phrase, but I could once again fully feel the emotions Frecia was experiencing. It wasn’t due to some contract magic; it was a word more magical than magic itself.

It was only natural that the pain of our three-year separation wasn’t just mine alone. It was selfish, but I felt a little happy about that fact. Frecia missed me too. She hadn’t forgotten me.

But the joy was brief. Soon, confusion set in. The thoughts of how the cat was actually Frecia and how she had come to find me were part of the bewilderment, but more than that, I just couldn’t muster the courage to face her.

Fortunately, since she had buried her face in my neck for now, I could avoid that situation, but I didn’t know for how long that would last. I had no idea what kind of expression to show when I faced her.

Along with that, the agony of knowing I would have to leave Frecia again overwhelmed me. The reunion in a situation where I thought I’d never see her again was delightful, but I had sinned too much to be with her. In the end, I would have to leave her side, and the pain of separation—especially one without hope of meeting again—was something I had already experienced, and it was more agonizing because I knew all too well the pain it brought.

“Ugh… what….”

While I held Frecia, Luna, who had been stepped on by the cat form of Frecia, wiped the drool from her mouth with her sleeve and got up. Her face, still half-asleep, looked quite funny.

“Senpai…?”

Luna, rubbing her eyes with her tiny hands, resembled a cat. If Frecia, nestled in my arms, was a proud and aloof cat, Luna looked more like a stray cat dreaming of freedom.

“Um…? Who is this woman…?”

Only then did Luna seem to notice Frecia in my arms and asked. Yet, Frecia simply clung to me and didn’t let go.

“Fool, Elysia.”

“Um, Boss….”

“It’s been painful every day. I felt despair at the reality of not being able to see Elysia even when I opened my eyes. However, what kept me going was the hope of being able to see Elysia again.”

“But…”

How could her emotions from the past three years be conveyed in just a few words? Even the smallest fragments stabbed my heart deeper than any sharp dagger.

“Is it okay for Elysia to think she’ll never see me again? Is it just me who’s suffering?”

Frecia lifted her head from my neck and looked me straight in the eye. Tears glistened in her eyes.

I should put her down and leave immediately. The longer we looked at each other, the clearer it became that it would be painful to separate her from me.

But even so, my mouth remained tightly shut, and I couldn’t bring myself to say anything that would push Frecia away.

And it seemed that silence was enough of an answer for Frecia, as she continued to gaze at me with tears in her eyes, smiling softly.

“I’m glad. That Elysia doesn’t hate me.”

“…How could I? If anything, it’s the other way around, where you could hate me and I wouldn’t be able to say anything….”

Perhaps she could say this so easily because she didn’t know what I had done in my past life.

“No. Even if Elysia pierced my heart, I would never hate you. I’m not scared. A life without Elysia would be meaningless. The true life for me is this moment right now, together with Elysia.”

However, the thought that Frecia wouldn’t know was entirely my delusion. She already knew. It wasn’t just a metaphor or relating to the time before meeting me in this life. She might have heard it directly from Selian, or perhaps it was a miracle created by her exceptional talent.

“So who are you…!”

Feeling like she was being ignored, Luna suddenly shouted and stood up. However, Frecia didn’t care at all and just continued to look straight at me.

Caught in a situation where I was ridiculously easily forgiven, I hesitated, unable to move one way or the other, when Frecia’s mouth opened once more.

“Just like Elysia held my hand, it’s my turn now.”

But contrary to her words, Frecia’s hands were gently cupping my cheeks instead of my hands.

“I won’t let go now.”

And at that moment, I felt a soft sensation on my lips.

For a brief moment, caught off guard by Frecia’s sudden action, a bright light blossomed around us, illuminating the dark surroundings.

The soft sensation that started from my lips began to envelop my entire body. The magical energy from Frecia flowed through me, bringing warmth and comfort.

I had felt this sensation before. The contract magic I had with the cat.

It was far more vivid than that time, yet fundamentally it was still the same contract magic.

Of course, as a hero, I could break the contract magic if I wished. But I simply couldn’t bring myself to reject the warmth and longing that flowed beyond that comfort.

In the end, her magical energy lingered in my heart, while my own magic remained in the heart of the one I had stabbed in my previous life.

On top of our hearts, a single petal bloomed. This was another contract connecting me to her. If she died, I would die too, and if I died, she would die too… a contract akin to a curse.

If I were to use my power as a hero to break the contract magic, she would inevitably die because the connection would be severed. Because of a moment’s hesitation, I could no longer escape.

Her face slowly receding. Even though we were already apart, the softness I just felt on my lips remained.

But did Frecia not realize how foolish her actions were? Even if it was to form a contract, did she not understand how embarrassing it was? Frecia was just looking at me and smiling.

Was she happy that she had managed to keep hold of me, just as she said?

“What… what… what…!”

Luna, watching me kiss Frecia and form a contract, yelled out in shock. If I didn’t resolve this misunderstanding quickly, both Frecia and I would be misunderstood as having feelings for the same sex.

Of course, I liked women, but that felt more like an attraction rather than a same-sex feeling. Moreover, unlike me, Frecia was just a normal girl.

However, instead of trying to clear the misunderstanding, Frecia merely turned to look at Luna, who had been ignored all this time. Then…

“Heh.”

A small sound of laughter from Frecia. It seemed almost condescending, but there was no way Frecia would mock someone else, so she was probably just laughing at Luna’s misunderstanding.

“Ugh! I need to get away from the Senpai…!”

But since Luna didn’t know Frecia, she probably took it as mockery, and she came charging toward Frecia. However, Luna’s feet barely moved an inch, as if she was caught.

“Hmm? What are you…? Whoa!”

What stopped Luna was a rabbit plushie. Since Frecia had come, it was obvious that Gomtaengi and Tokki would follow. But Tokki looked… completely unexpected.

Of course, it was still cute. But… its size differed enormously from the last time I saw it.

Tokki had grown to be as gigantic as Frecia. The enormous bunny plushie that I had won at the festival three years ago was standing right there.

Wait. Does that mean Gomtaengi…

Crack!

At that moment, I felt a firm grip on my back. As I turned my head to look, as expected, Gomtaengi, resembling the gigantic bear plushie I had won at the festival, was holding me tight.

“Um… but Gomtaengi? Why are you holding me…?”

As I had made a contract with Frecia, I could no longer run away. The proper contract created a stronger bond than ever, conveying our positions completely, and as our lives were linked, I couldn’t just break the contract and escape.

But Gomtaengi held firm, showing not a hint of relent to my question.

“Hehe… Elysia said, if you run away… you’ll get a spank…”

“Y-yes…? Um, Boss…? Just a moment…!”

Feeling uneasy as Frecia slowly approached me, I tried to struggle to free myself from Gomtaengi’s grip, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t move at all.

Instead, Gomtaengi effortlessly lifted me, laying me face down on his lap. The posture felt like…

“W-wait a second…! Eek!”