CHAPTER - 03

After being left alone in the room, an eerie silence filled the air. Ren sat calmly, while Angelica felt tense under his sharp gaze. Time seemed to stand still as they stared at each other, trying to read one another’s thoughts.

Ren decided to break the silence. “Haaah~” Hasegawa Ren let out a long sigh before speaking.

“Let’s start over,” he said in a calm yet firm voice. “My name is Hasegawa Ren, owner of Hasegawa Corp. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Very well,” Angelica replied politely. She then rose from her seat with an elegance befitting her noble status. “I am Angelica De Valentine, first daughter of Duke Valentine’s household.”

Ren greeted her introduction with a warm smile. “A pleasure to meet you, Angelica-san.”

“So, Angelica-san, could you explain… what exactly happened?” He leaned forward slightly, his tone curious yet serious. “Everything… from how you suddenly appeared in my room and so on.”

Ren watched Angelica intently, waiting for an explanation regarding the unexpected incident. His expression was serious, reflecting his interest in the story she was about to share.

“At that time, I was on my way to the Crown Prince’s chamber to deliver a report on our latest project,” Angelica began, trying to recall every detail. “Then, without warning, a blinding light appeared in front of me.”

Ren nodded. “And what happened next?” he asked gently.

“In an instant, I felt as if I were being pulled into another dimension. Everything felt strange and unreal,” Angelica continued, describing the sensation. “I couldn’t control my own body… it felt different from when I use [GATE] to teleport.”

“When I woke up, I was already in your room, Ren.”

“And after you left, I used [GATE] to teleport out of your room.”

Ren absorbed her words carefully. “I can understand how shocking that must have been for you, Angelica-san,” he said empathetically.

However, his mind continued to swirl with troubling questions. “So far, what she’s saying matches the dream I had… The dream I had when I fainted after Angelica-san fell on me. But there’s something slightly different. In my dream… that prince almost killed Angelica-san. And before that… Angelica-san saw him with another woman in his chamber. Did that really happen? Or did Angelica-san choose to forget it?”

A sense of unease settled over Ren. He knew dreams could be reflections of one’s desires or fears, but they could also hold glimpses of the truth. What really happened in that room? And why would Angelica choose to forget it?

“Hm… I see,” Ren murmured, nodding as he processed the information. “There’s one thing that caught my interest from what you just said—[GATE]. Is it some kind of teleportation magic, Angelica-san?”

Angelica nodded, placing a finger on her chin as she carefully formulated her response. “Ah, the magic [GATE] is a short-range teleportation skill that allows an individual or object to move from one location to another within a relatively short distance.”

She explained it enthusiastically, condensing it into a simple explanation:

[GATE] allows users to teleport short distances, meaning they can instantly move from one place to another within a limited range. This ability enables them to quickly evade obstacles or dangers in their surroundings.

The spell is activated quickly, without the need for long preparations or rituals, and it consumes minimal mana. This makes it highly efficient in situations that require swift reactions or emergency evacuations.

Ren pondered for a moment, his eyes gleaming with fascination at the advanced magic he had just learned about.

Angelica smiled, enjoying the amazed look on Ren’s face. “Ah, maybe I should show you an example,” she said. “[GATE].”

The candy that was on the plate just moments ago now appeared in Angelica’s hand.

Ren’s eyes widened in disbelief. “This… this is incredible,” he said in awe. But then his expression shifted as another question popped into his mind. “Wait a minute! How are you able to use magic now? Didn’t your fire magic completely disappear yesterday?”

Angelica’s face turned slightly red. “Ah… that’s probably because of you, Ren-san,” she admitted, a little embarrassed.

Ren narrowed his eyes, trying to grasp what she meant. “What do you mean?”

Angelica shook her head lightly. “I don’t know why, but after we… accidentally fell asleep together yesterday, my mana recovered. However, using magic in this world consumes a lot more mana and mental energy. Even casting basic fire magic takes two to three times more mana than usual.”

Ren took a deep breath, digesting the new information. “So, that’s why you couldn’t use magic yesterday.”

Angelica nodded in agreement. “Yes, I didn’t realize how much energy was needed to use magic in this world. This is an important lesson for me.”

“Alright, let’s set that aside for now,” Ren said, shifting the topic. “So, Angelica-san, what do you plan to do next?”

Angelica took a deep breath, considering her answer seriously. “I… will find a way to return to my world,” she stated firmly.

Ren nodded, understanding her determination.

“Alright. I’ll support you in any way I can. You can stay here for now, at least until you find a way back to your world.”

Angelica smiled warmly, touched by Ren’s offer. “Thank you, Ren-san. I really appreciate it.”

“Hehehe,” Ren chuckled.

A knock on the door suddenly echoed through the living room, breaking the silence that had settled in.

Ren, lost in thought, was pulled back to reality by the sound. He lifted his head and looked toward the door, slightly puzzled.

“Ren-sama, dinner is ready.” It was Masato, one of the loyal servants in his household.

Ren sighed, realizing how much time had passed. He glanced at his smartphone resting on the table and only now noticed how long he had been caught up in conversation with Angelica. They had become so immersed in their discussion that they completely lost track of time.

“Thank you, Masato. I’ll be down soon,” Ren responded as he stood up and walked toward the door.

“Well then, let’s eat, Angelica-san.”

“YES!!” Angelica replied enthusiastically.