A brief silence fell.

Serena reflexively tried to say no, but the other party’s eyes were so firm that she was at a loss for words.

“…But it’s not.”

When she still added a slight comment, Magnus looked at Serena with an expression that said, ‘Then what?’

“Actually, it is.”

She finally gave in.

“I know.”

The other party reacted calmly without even snorting, which hurt her pride a little more.

Serena moved her lips and then sighed.

“That place was a completely different world from here, it was fascinating. Anyway, the master who was with me…”

“Call him a trash bastard.”

“…Huh?”

“Repeat after me.”

Magnus said in a calm but firm voice.

“What…?”

“f*cking trash bastard.”

“Uh… fu… f*cking.”

When Serena couldn’t bring herself to utter such profanity in front of someone else and trailed off, Magnus shook his head.

“f*cking trash bastard.”

“…Fu, trash, uh…”

“f*cking, trash, bastard.”

“…f*cking trash… uh, bastard…”

Only after Serena repeated it properly did Magnus nod.

“Continue.”

He nodded, telling her to start talking again.

Serena blinked and scratched her cheek.

‘Is this right?’

Is this really right?

Anyway, she had to continue the story, so Serena went on.

“That, f*cking trash bastard… was a famous scholar. He knew herbology, alchemy, magical engineering, and could even use magic…”

“…A worthless trash, but it seems he was smart.”

Serena nodded reluctantly.

His words weren’t wrong, but how should she put it… The contempt was so palpable in his eyes that it made Serena flinch.

She let out a short breath.

“Anyway, from the carriage accident until I came back here… that is, until I said I was going to sign the divorce papers with you, I was there.”

“…Do you know why such a thing happened?”

“How could I?”

Serena shook her head.

She opened her mouth, buried in his chest, her forehead pressed against his chest.

“Actually… I want to stop now.”

Magnus’s heart skipped a beat.

“…If you’re talking about the body-switching, as long as you don’t die, it should be fine, right?”

“No, just…”

Serena added to Magnus’s words once again.

“…I just want to quit everything.”

Serena voiced her true feelings for the first time.

It was because of the groundless belief that Magnus would listen to anything.

Magnus silently looks down at Serena.

“…Quit, you say.”

“Honestly, no matter how hard I live, the world won’t change…”

The gloomy reality won’t change anyway, so maybe it would be better to die cleanly than to live buried in depression for a lifetime.

If it’s going to be that kind of world anyway, maybe it’s better to just give up everything.

“…But it is changing.”

Magnus said.

“What’s changing?”

“Your life has changed because I entered it. Isn’t that right?”

“Uh…”

Is this self-consciousness?

Serena momentarily had such a thought.

As she hesitated to answer, Magnus’s brow furrowed. Serena quickly opened her mouth.

“You’re right, it has changed. I didn’t have friends before.”

“…Hmm.”

“I’m glad I became friends with you.”

“…I see.”

Magnus answered, but couldn’t hide the unsettling aftertaste.

“You’re my first friend, so I’m happy.”

“…You know, we’re not just friends, are we?”

“We are friends.”

“No, I love you. And we didn’t get divorced. We’re not just friends.”

Serena blinked her innocent eyes.

Seeing her expression of complete incomprehension, Magnus crossed his arms.

“I want to be lovers rather than friends with you, and I want to continue being spouses rather than lovers.”

“Ah, that’s…”

“I know you refused. But I’m saying I can’t give up.”

Serena fell silent.

She has no right to say anything when the other party says they can’t give up.

If Magnus hadn’t been an important character in the original story, Serena might have fallen in love with him too.

“…May I ask one thing? Then, when we first met after our engagement… was that you, as you are now?”

Hearing that question, Serena thought for a moment and then nodded.

It was all her until just before the carriage accident.

“…I see. I’m sorry about when we were young. I was immature too… I couldn’t treat you kindly.”

“Ah, that’s fine.”

Serena quite enjoyed it too, after all.

“It was comfortable because you didn’t talk to me.”

“……”

Serena said with a bright smile.

For her, she wanted to emphasize that it was okay, but for Magnus, it was somewhat hurtful.

“…Comfortable, you say.”

“Yes, honestly, I didn’t know what to do and I didn’t want to talk much either.”

“…You didn’t want to talk.”

“That’s right, besides, it’s strange for you to be kind to just anyone. Especially to me.”

“…Is it that strange?”

Magnus, who had been stabbed three times by Serena’s words, finally retorted glumly.

“It is. You were originally…”

Serena, who was moving her lips, quickly shut her mouth.

“Originally? Why did you stop mid-sentence?”

“It’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t seem like nothing.”

“Anyway… I am Serena. The person in between wasn’t me. So…”

She spoke with a much brighter face than before.

“I’m sorry for deceiving you. But usually, people don’t believe this kind of talk.”

“That’s right. If it wasn’t you saying it, I wouldn’t have believed it either.”

At Magnus’s words, Serena’s cheeks flushed slightly.

“It’s nice to have someone believe me.”

She said honestly.

Looking at that well-ripened peach-like face with reddened cheeks, he was once again overwhelmed with the urge to kiss her.

‘…What a beast I am.’

He condemned himself.

It was because it felt beastly to shamelessly want her again, even though he had just cornered her.

“Thank you, Magnus.”

Serena offered her thanks freely.

“From now on, if you have any difficulties, tell me. I’ll solve them somehow.”

“No, now I just need to cure the Marchioness and His Majesty the Emperor, and you…”

Serena moved her lips.

“You, do you really not want to meet Lady Celia?”

Serena glanced around carefully. Magnus’s face immediately crumpled.

“I’m sorry.”

Serena quickly responded to that seemingly hurt gaze.

“It was a joke.”

“Don’t make such jokes.”

Magnus knew she had spoken sincerely, but pretended not to know.

“It’s not that I’ve never met Lady Celia.”

“You’ve met her?”

“If you’re simply talking about seeing her face, yes. I often meet her starting from social gatherings to entering the imperial palace.”

“…Oh, really?”

“Yes.”

Serena closed her mouth.

You already had contact? She tilted her head with a puzzled expression.

Serena scratched her cheek.

“Is the reason you keep recommending Lady Celia to me because you hate me?”

“…That’s not it.”

“Or is there a reason related to you going to another world and coming back?”

When the words hit the nail on the head more than expected, I blinked stupidly.

He sighed briefly and rubbed his face.

“Tell me.”

“I can’t tell you.”

“If you don’t tell me, I’m going to get angry. Why don’t you consider how I feel, constantly hearing such things without knowing the reason?”

“Well, that’s…”

Because you’re a character in a novel and everything is already set up that way.

…It’s hard to say that, considering that Serena herself is defined as the ‘villain’ when you think about it.

After a brief contemplation, she slowly opened her mouth.

She thought it would be better to talk about it moderately rather than hiding it and suffering alone.

“…Actually, I can see the future.”

And so, Serena Lavernia decided to sell drugs.