Swept up in a flood of emotion, Allen stared blankly at Charlotte.

“Hyu, hyu! So, what exactly does it feel like when your heart’s racing?”

“Um, well… I don’t know how to explain it…”

Prodded by Dorothea, Charlotte dutifully searched for the right words.

“Up until now, I’ve only ever known scary kinds of heart-pounding… but this is warm… and happy, I think.”

“Yessss! That’s perfect! I’m so using that! With this, I’m sure my new work will be approved in no time!”

“I-Is that so? I don’t really understand, but… I’m glad I was able to help.”

Charlotte smiled softly as she said that.

That smile… pierced straight into Allen’s heart.

Even though she has not had a blessed life, she is able to smile wholeheartedly for others. That strength has drawn him to her.

Once he accepted it, his feelings never stopped.

He loved her smile.

He loved her small hands.

He loved her voice.

The time they spend together, the words they casually exchange, the silences they have at times… he love everything about her.

Charlotte said that holding Allen’s hand made her heart race.

Allen felt the exact same way. His heart was pounding so hard, it might burst.

So maybe… Charlotte felt the same way he did?

(There’s no turning back. I have to do this!)

Words like “restraint” or “wait and see” weren’t in Allen Crawford’s dictionary.

He was a man of swift action. Once he made up his mind, he followed through completely.

“Charlotte!”

“Hyaaaah!”

Allen suddenly yelled, making Charlotte’s shoulders jump.

But when she saw the serious expression on his face, she tilted her head slightly, curious.

“Um… what is it?”

“There’s something important I need to tell you. Please, listen.”

Allen searched for the right words.

But in the end, he couldn’t find anything clever to say… so he decided to go for the straight ball.

“Charlotte! I lo—-”

BOOOOOOM!!

His heartfelt confession was cut off by a deafening crash and a cloud of dust.

“Cough, cough…! W-What the–?!”

“Eep!”

Allen quickly shielded Charlotte and looked toward the source of the noise.

A gaping hole had been blown in the wall. Sunlight streamed through and standing there was a man they’d never seen before.

A young man in a black suit with a sullen expression and combed-back black hair.

He bowed politely to Allen and the others, who were dumbfounded.

“I sensed a disturbance and came to investigate. Apologies for the sudden visit.”

“Huh……?”

Allen and Charlotte could only blink in confusion.

However, Dorothea’s reaction was different.

“E-Eeeeek! It appeared!?”

Screaming, she bolted like a rabbit.

“I won’t let you.”

“Gweh?!”

The suited man swiftly circled behind her and struck her with a precise hand chop, dropping her instantly. He then pulled out a rope, seemingly from nowhere and efficiently tied her up. His movements were disturbingly practiced.

It was a clear case of trouble, but Allen just watched without offering any help.

Looking down at Dorothea, who was rolling around like a caterpillar, the young man spoke calmly.

“It’s been a long time, Dorothea-sensei. It’s been thirty years, four months, and ten days.”

“Oh, yeah… yes… it’s been a long time, Yoru-san…”

“I never imagined you’d disappear the day after I pressed you for your manuscript. That was the greatest failure of my career as your editor.”

He shrugged his shoulders exaggeratedly, but his facial muscles didn’t move an inch.