“Really?”

“Of course. What other reason could there be?”

Rachel realized that Tervan was lying.

The subtle scrunch of his nose, the way he fidgeted with his index finger out of nervousness—Rachel knew all the signs of Tervan lying.

There was nothing about Tervan that Rachel didn’t know. 

She had been his friend for a long time and, as someone who had once loved him, had always watched him closely.

No matter what lies he told in front of her, they were bound to be exposed.

But Rachel remained silent for a moment, facing Tervan’s lie. Then, seemingly accepting it, she nodded.

“I see. That makes sense.”

When Rachel agreed, Tervan let out a small sigh of relief, so faint it was barely noticeable. But Rachel noticed it anyway and chose to act oblivious, smiling softly.

[Are you sure you’re going to let this go?]

‘What’s the point of pushing further? Let it be.’

[Aren’t you curious why he followed you? You never know—maybe he’s only now realizing that he has feelings for you.]

Rachel barely managed to suppress a laugh.

‘That’s impossible. And even if it were true, so what? It’s not like it matters anymore.’

[Doesn’t it make you angry? Think about how much time you wasted saving him, how much pain you endured.]

‘It’s all in the past. I don’t want to think about it anymore.’

[…Sometimes, you seem even less human than I am.]

‘…’

Rachel couldn’t deny it. Whenever she spoke with Creon, there were times when Creon seemed more human than she did. This was one of those times.

“So, are you and His Highness the Crown Prince on first-name terms now?”

“It just happened.”

“It just happened?”

“Yes. Actually, Ryan confessed to me recently.”

“…What?”

“And when I turned him down, he said he wanted to be friends instead. It felt a bit early, but he’s a good person, so I thought it was fine.”

“How can you say he’s a good person when you’ve only known him for such a short time?”

Tervan frowned, looking incredulous.

It hadn’t even been a month. From the time Rachel returned from subjugating the Witch’s Forest, danced with Ryan at the banquet, and to now.

How much could someone truly know about another person in such a short time? How could she confidently say he was a good person?

“Why? Is a month too short?”

“Of course it is. This isn’t like when we were at the academy. Besides, you don’t even know why His Highness approached you, and confessing so suddenly is strange. Don’t you think?”

Tervan pressed her for answers, but to Rachel, his questions felt meaningless.

“And what if it wasn’t just a month?”

“What?”

“What if I’ve known His Highness for much longer and have come to trust him completely? Would that make it okay?”

Tervan opened his mouth to respond but then firmly shut it.

Rachel let out a deep breath, looking at Tervan with tired eyes.

“I probably know His Highness better than you do. And we’re just friends. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”

“But you said he confessed to you.”

“So what? Is it strange to be friends with someone who once confessed?”

“Of course it is!”

“Then what about us?”

“…What?”

“What about you and me? Is it okay for us to be friends because there was no confession between us?”

“That’s…”

“Don’t say it’s different. If anything, you were worse than Ryan.”

Rachel bit her lower lip after finishing her sentence. She hadn’t wanted to bring this up, but if she didn’t resolve it now, this endless cycle would never end.

“Do you know how painful and exhausting it is to maintain a fragile relationship that hinges on the absence of confession?”

“I…”

“I know. I know you didn’t want to ruin our relationship.”

Tervan couldn’t bring himself to interrupt Rachel’s words.

“I felt the same way. I knew that if I confessed, things between you, me, and Viola would fall apart. And you knew how I felt but pretended not to know, didn’t you?”

“…”

Tervan didn’t respond.

Rachel, clearly not expecting an answer, spoke again in a weary tone.

“But while we said nothing, feelings festered and rotted. This kind of relationship isn’t healthy, is it?”

Though her words were critical, Rachel’s tone carried no malice. If anything, it sounded resigned.

Tervan had no rebuttal and remained silent.

Rachel quickly lost interest in the conversation and turned her attention to Erika.

Erika was deeply focused, struggling with the puzzle she had been twisting and turning for some time.

“Erika, I think if you turn the left piece back twice, it might work better.”

“Okay!”

Erika followed Rachel’s suggestion, and part of the puzzle that had been stuck finally fell into place.

Tervan silently watched the two of them.

And only then did he realize how selfish he had been.

“I’m sorry, Rachel.”

At Tervan’s heavy apology, Rachel looked up at him.

“Suddenly?”

“I’ve been selfish all this time.”

Tervan’s voice was thick with regret.

Rachel stared at him briefly before shaking her head.

“There’s no need to apologize.”

“No, I have to. I never considered your feelings. I didn’t realize how much our relationship was hurting you.”

“I said, you don’t need to apologize.”

“What?”

Rachel cut him off, and Tervan looked up at her.

“It’s fine now. I told you, I’ve moved on. I know how you might have taken my words back then, but I’m really okay.”

Rachel shrugged as she spoke.

Whether Tervan believed her or not didn’t matter to Rachel. She hadn’t said it to express her feelings but to stop his words, and that was enough for her.

As she had hoped, Tervan didn’t say anything more to her. Feeling relieved, Rachel turned her attention back to Erika.

“Wow, I solved it!”

After a long time, Erika finally completed the puzzle and held it up with a bright smile.

“Erika, you’re really good at this.”

Rachel smiled warmly, and Erika blushed.

“Right? I’m really good, aren’t I?”

“Yes.”

“What about you, Tervan?”

Hoping for praise, Erika turned to Tervan. Snapping out of his thoughts, Tervan glanced at the puzzle in her hands.

“That’s amazing.”

Tervan offered a brief compliment, and Erika beamed.

“Erika, shall we call it a day and head back?”

“What? Already?”

Rachel took the puzzle from Erika’s hands and handed it back to Tervan.

Tervan hesitated for a moment before taking the puzzle she offered.

“Tervan seems busy, so we can’t keep him forever. Besides, today isn’t the only day. We can come back another time.”

“…Okay.”

Erika reluctantly agreed and stood up.

Rachel followed suit, standing up alongside her.

“Well, Erika and I will get going. Sorry for taking up your time, even if it was just for a bit.”

Holding Erika’s hand, Rachel left the reception room.

Tervan remained behind, staring at the spot where Rachel had been sitting for a long time. Unidentifiable emotions churned inside him.

Eventually, Tervan let out a deep sigh and ran his hands through his hair. Rachel’s words lingered in his mind. But in the end, he accepted them.

If Rachel and Ryan were just friends, he had no reason to interfere. The Rachel he knew would handle it well.

But as he thought about it, Tervan suddenly raised his head. He realized he no longer knew how much he truly understood Rachel. And he wondered if it was even right for him to think this way.

For years, he had prided himself on knowing her well, even being aware of her feelings for him. But now, he doubted that confidence.

He finally understood how much his attitude had hurt her and how oblivious he had been to her pain. He had judged and evaluated her feelings so carelessly, and now, he could feel the weight of his mistakes.

And now, the changed Rachel felt so unfamiliar to him, like a completely different person.

Only then did Tervan finally admit it. He didn’t know Rachel at all.