“Pardon?”

“Does Lord Hestein also have feelings for you?”

It seemed Ryan thought Rachel had feelings for Edward.

After hesitating, Rachel opened her mouth to correct the misunderstanding.

“No. I don’t think so. And I think you misunderstood—I don’t have feelings for Edward either.”

“…Is that true?”

Ryan demanded confirmation as if he couldn’t believe Rachel’s words.

“Yes. It’s true. So I’d appreciate if you didn’t misunderstand.”

Rachel answered again. At that, Ryan’s tense expression relaxed.

“That’s a relief.”

Rachel observed his change in expression and hesitantly spoke.

“I rejected you once before, but if you have romantic feelings for me, I must reject you again.”

Right now, Ryan appeared to be jealous of Edward.

Rachel didn’t think this was just her imagination.

First rejected at the banquet, and now rejected a second time before he could even confess—Ryan laughed awkwardly, finding it bitter.

“I’ve been rejected before I could even confess.”

Ryan laughed bitterly. While she would be lying if she said she didn’t feel sorry for him, she had no intention of accepting his feelings with halfhearted emotions. That would be deceiving Ryan.

“Could you not give me even a small chance?”

His voice trembled slightly as if pleading with her.

Rachel sighed softly with a troubled expression and looked at Ryan.

When they met at the banquet, it had been evening so she hadn’t noticed, but his golden hair was remarkably beautiful in the sunlight.

Thinking that rejecting his confession was one thing, but being drawn to his appearance was just a reflexive reaction, she belatedly averted her gaze.

“I’m sorry. But I don’t understand why you suddenly developed such feelings for me.”

Rachel’s main reason for rejecting Ryan was that she thought it impossible for him to truly like her, and secondly, because he had shown no interest in her until now but was suddenly expressing interest.

If it were Duke Bermund, she would understand.

Duke Bermund wanted something Rachel possessed, so his goal was to approach her somehow and steal the necklace.

Therefore, Bermund’s sudden interest in her could easily be seen as an extension of his greed.

But Ryan was different.

He didn’t even know she had the Time Demon Creon.

All Ryan knew was that her magical abilities had improved dramatically.

Was it because of her sudden growth?

If that was his reason for confessing, Rachel would rather decline.

“Are you rejecting me because my feelings lack conviction?”

Rachel nodded in response.

“I admit that from your perspective, I know nothing about you. I haven’t spent as much time with you as Lord Sanchez has, nor am I someone you can rely on like Lord Hestein.”

Ryan acknowledged this while considering what kind of person he could be for Rachel.

“I may not be able to replace them. But because there are things we don’t know about each other, couldn’t we get to know and understand each other?”

“…”

“You wondered why I suddenly have these feelings for you. Yes, let me explain.”

Ryan paused briefly before speaking.

“Lord Sanchez and Lady Hestein went to dance, and you were left alone.”

“That’s right.”

Rachel recalled that moment. She had been exhausted.

Having barely saved Tervan and stopped the endlessly repeating regression, she felt no elation or emotion.

All that remained was the thought that she could finally rest.

“Your expression then wasn’t that of someone returning from victory.”

“That’s…”

“Yes, please continue.”

Rachel reflexively began to speak but then closed her mouth. Ryan, thinking she had something to say, yielded to her.

She hesitated briefly before shaking her head.

“No. It’s nothing.”

When Rachel finally refrained from speaking, Ryan continued.

“I became curious about that expression. Why weren’t you happy? Your magical abilities had improved dramatically, and you’d earned recognition from His Majesty the Emperor.”

Such things held no meaning for Rachel. Having lived through so much time, her heart was no longer moved by such matters.

“Just out of that small curiosity, I approached you, but…”

Ryan recalled that moment and fell silent.

Rachel could guess what he meant without hearing more.

“You don’t need to say more.”

She thought it would only leave her with an uncomfortable feeling if she heard everything.

Ryan, perhaps thinking Rachel understood his feelings, stood still for a moment, looking down at her.

Rachel also stopped walking and looked at him.

“But I still don’t think my mind will change.”

“That’s fine. If I can just be by your side, like a friend.”

“You’ll regret it.”

Rachel pitied Ryan’s decision.

Being just a friend to someone you love and staying by their side was more painful than one might imagine.

She could say this with certainty because she had experienced it herself.

“Even if I regret it, that’s on me. So please, just don’t push me away.”

Ryan pretended to be fine and smiled. Rachel couldn’t bear to look at him because she saw her past self in him.

“I won’t feel guilty about it.”

“I’ll try not to make you feel that way.”

As Rachel spoke while looking at the ground, Ryan replied in an even gentler voice.

Rachel considered what she could say to make Ryan stop, but eventually abandoned the idea of trying to make him give up.

Having experienced it herself, she knew. Such feelings don’t disappear just because someone tells you to give up.

After countless regressions, she eventually gave up on Tervan, but if not for that, Rachel too would not have been able to let go of Tervan easily.

“I should be the one apologizing for burdening you.”

Ryan apologized to Rachel. She raised her head to look at him, then let out a long sigh.

“It’s fine. Let’s go. We can’t just stand here like this.”

Rachel suggested to Ryan. He belatedly began to walk at her words.

The two walked in silence for a while, neither speaking.

The silence stretched on because the path to the Pluret mansion was long.

Ryan glanced sideways to observe Rachel’s profile.

She simply walked forward, quietly gazing ahead.

He wondered if he had said something unnecessary to her, but it was too late to take back words already spoken.

“You don’t need to worry too much about what I said earlier.”

If people could stop worrying just because they were told not to, there would have been no need to bring it up in the first place, but he felt he had to say something.

Rachel nodded as if she understood.

“I’ll try.”

Rachel felt sorry for Ryan, but at the same time, it was somewhat refreshing to have the opportunity to understand Tervan’s position by being in his shoes.

“By the way, may I ask what happened with what I mentioned to you before?”

Rachel drew from her memory to change the subject.

“You mean Duke Bermund?”

Ryan quickly remembered and let out a small groan.

“Regarding that matter, I’m having people investigate before reporting to His Majesty the Emperor. I don’t doubt you, but we can’t corner Duke Bermund based on claims without evidence.”

Ryan answered carefully, worried that Rachel might be offended. Rachel understood his reasoning.

Duke Bermund was an influential figure in the Empire. The tax revenue from his trading company was substantial, and he had supporters, so they couldn’t corner him without evidence.

If they did so and then found no evidence, the problem would only grow larger.

“I understand.”

When Rachel responded without showing any emotion, Ryan looked even more troubled.

If Rachel had denied having such intentions, Ryan would still be wary of Duke Bermund but wouldn’t dig too deeply into the details. There was nothing more dangerous than creating problems where none existed.

But instead of denying it, Rachel agreed.

This meant that as Crown Prince, Ryan had no choice but to carefully investigate Duke Bermund.

“May I ask where you heard about Duke Bermund?”

At Ryan’s question, Rachel paused briefly.

She couldn’t tell him that she had already experienced the future.

“I found out by chance.”

“You found out by chance… such information?”