SCMBRN Chapter 13

Kyrie. His backstory, as described in <Looking for a Husband>Candidate, went as follows.

 

He was abandoned by his parents as an infant and was later raised by the Master who would become the Tower Lord.

 

Kyrie’s Master had a rather unorthodox approach to education. That approach was strict gender separation.

 

Elders often tend to be conservative, so maybe that’s not too surprising.

 

Many mages preferred to train in seclusion, tucked away in remote mountains. His Master was that kind of mage.

 

Naturally, Kyrie’s small world, shaped under such a Master, was filled only with men.

 

So when he reached adulthood and left his Master to enter the wider world, it was no wonder he had an unusual concern.

 

“I don’t know how to deal with women…!”

 

He truly didn’t. After all, he could count on one hand the number of women he had ever encountered in his life.

 

And yet out in the world, half the people were women.

 

After thinking until his head hurt, he eventually turned to a senior disciple who was well-versed in the ways of the secular world.

 

That senior, ever so helpful, taught Kyrie everything about how to interact with women from start to finish. Kyrie, newly confident, left the Magic Tower.

 

The major problem? That senior was a notorious flirt.

 

Learning how to deal with women from a womanizer. That was the issue.

 

Kyrie, now a highly sought-after court mage, diligently followed the senior’s teachings.

 

And the result…

 

Goes without saying, doesn’t it.

 

Being kind was fine. The problem was Kyrie was overly kind even to women he had no intention of pursuing.

 

He couldn’t tell where the line was between basic kindness and giving someone the wrong idea.

 

Handsome, capable, and endlessly kind. It was like he was out there advertising, please, someone fall for me.

 

It didn’t take long for rumors to spread. Court Mage Kyrie was said to be one of the biggest flirts in the realm.

 

Eventually, even Kyrie realized something had gone wrong. But by then, his image had become so solid he couldn’t just stop being nice all of a sudden.

 

Above all, he was still deeply uncomfortable around women. He simply couldn’t say no to the opposite sex.

 

Look at him now. He’s watching me like a prey animal eyeing a predator, trembling in place.

 

I softened my voice to put him at ease.

 

“So, putting everything together, it sounds like you’re under a curse.”

 

“Y-Yes, that’s right…”

 

Kyrie stammered as he glanced anxiously at me.

 

His violet eyes darted about wildly.

 

He looked afraid I’d react with something like, How am I supposed to believe something so ridiculous, you pervert?

 

“It’s not an easy thing to believe, I’ll admit. But I can’t imagine someone of your stature, a court mage and the disciple of the Tower Lord, lying about this.”

 

“Then, does that mean…”

 

“Yes, Kyrie. I believe you. It’s a little embarrassing, but I’ll let you use my bed.”

 

Joy spread across Kyrie’s pale face.

 

“Thank you! Thank you so much! You’re unbelievably kind!”

 

He suddenly grabbed my hand, only to jolt and pull away just as quickly.

 

“I-I’m sorry. I got carried away. That was terribly inappropriate…”

 

“It’s fine.”

 

“No, it’s not. What was I thinking, acting like that to a Lady…”

 

I watched his flustered reaction with amusement.

 

He’s so fresh. So innocent~

 

The way he overreacted to just holding hands was almost adorable. Different from Eugen, but cute in his own way.

 

The character everyone thought was a flirt turned out to be pure to the core. What a twist!

 

After Kyrie’s secret was revealed, many readers of Looking for a Husband Candidate, myself included, grew even more fond of him.

 

“By the way,” I said, now slightly curious about how deep my fondness really ran.

 

“What exactly does the voice from your curse say? Just curious.”

 

“T-That, uh…”

 

Kyrie’s face turned red in an instant. Even his ears flushed as he declared dramatically,

 

“I-It’s far too indecent to share with a pure soul such as yourself!”

 

What on earth? Did I leave some scandalous comment in the divine comment section or something?

 

Please don’t make me sound like some shameless pervert. At worst, it was probably something like, Kyrie, come to bed. This noona will teach you everything from start to finish!

 

Though I suppose to Kyrie, even that could fall under the realm of indecency.

 

Satisfied with that reasoning, I led Kyrie to the bed.

 

“It’s late, so go ahead and rest.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Wait, before that!”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Do you have any strange sleep habits? Like… spinning the bed 360 degrees or something?”

 

“None, as far as I know.”

 

“Do you reflexively attack people if they touch you in your sleep?”

 

“I just wake up like normal.”

 

“Phew, that’s a relief.”

 

We almost had another human disaster on our hands.

 

“Now come lie down beside me.”

 

As I lay down first, Kyrie hesitated and glanced at me.

 

“Lady, I swear. I’m not some shameless ingrate. I hold no improper thoughts toward you, not even a speck.”

 

“Ah, right.”

 

“Truly! Absolutely none! I don’t feel that way at all!”

 

“Okay, okay, just get in.”

 

So I’m the one with impure thoughts, huh? Got it…

 

After several reassurances, Kyrie snapped his fingers.

 

His mage robe changed into pajamas in an instant.

 

He changed clothes without showing an inch of skin. Magic really was convenient.

 

Not that I minded. Not at all!

 

“Thank you again for your kindness.”

 

Kyrie slowly walked over and gently lay down.

 

But then…

 

“Um, Kyrie.”

 

“Ah, you can just call me Kyrie.”

 

“Alright, Kyrie.”

 

“What is it, Lady?”

 

“I’m not going to eat you. You can relax.”

 

Kyrie, who was rather built for a mage, curled himself into the farthest corner of the bed like a rolled-up hedgehog.

 

He looked like he might fall off at any second.

 

“No! I’m comfortable like this!”

 

He looked anything but comfortable.

 

Does he hate touching me that much?

 

That stung a little, but I quickly shook the feeling off.

 

Compared to Raynard or Eugen, Kyrie was still a good deal more tolerable.

 

“…Hik.”

 

The only issue was how he kept flinching every time I shifted position.

 

Trying to ease the tension, I struck up a conversation.

 

“You’re a bit different from the image I had in mind.”

 

“Me?”

 

“Yes. I’d heard you were very skilled at dealing with women.”

 

“Rumors and reality often differ.”

 

His voice was filled with awkwardness.

 

“I always try to present myself as the ideal version of what my Master would expect. But somewhere along the way, things went wrong. My reputation isn’t exactly great now.”

 

Where it went wrong? From the start, obviously. He never should have asked that flirt for advice.

 

Still, instead of scolding him, I decided to follow the rules of romance.

 

When a potential love interest shows vulnerability? It’s a prime chance for relationship progress.

 

“Kyrie.”

 

I met his eyes.

 

“You don’t have to force yourself to be someone you’re not.”

 

A gentle smile touched my lips.

 

“I might not know you well, but I can say this much. Kyrie, you’re a good person just as you are.”

 

The words flowed naturally from my mouth.

 

“See? You’ve been so thoughtful this whole time, making sure I don’t feel uncomfortable. So I think it’s okay for you to be a little more at ease.”

 

“…Lady.”

 

Kyrie called me softly.

 

“Yes, Kyrie.”

 

I waited with hopeful anticipation.

 

In typical romance novels, this was the moment when the love interest began to see the heroine in a new light.

 

Even Ayla, the female lead, won Kyrie’s favor by saying something similar.

 

Since I’d entered the world of a romance novel, I figured it wouldn’t be too much to hope for good chemistry with the male leads.

 

Huh?

 

But something was off about Kyrie’s reaction.

 

“I-I see. Thank you for thinking kindly of me.”

 

He averted his gaze with an awkward expression.

 

What was that? This lukewarm response felt odd. According to my romance novel instincts, he should be blushing or deeply moved by now.

 

Instead, Kyrie looked like a new hire on their first day, squirming awkwardly under the flood of self-help-style advice from a manager they’d just met.

 

Then again, maybe this was the realistic reaction. I’d built up a sense of closeness with a character I’d admired, but from Kyrie’s perspective, I was just someone he’d met earlier today.

 

A woman, no less. And one he struggles with!

 

So when someone like that suddenly offers a cascade of praise and life advice, it’s no wonder he didn’t know how to react.

 

Sigh… so the female lead is the female lead, and I’m just me.

 

Feeling the wave of secondhand embarrassment, I swallowed my pride.

 

If I’ve possessed someone, I should get the female lead treatment too. Why is this the only thing that’s realistic!?

 

Being reincarnated into a romance novel isn’t nearly as easy as it sounds.