Rachel’s reflection appeared in Edward’s teal eyes. Rachel stared at Edward for a moment, at a loss for words.

Edward slowly averted his gaze.

“Here comes Viola. I’ll be in my study. See you later.”

“…Alright. I’ll come find you later.”

Edward raised his hand slightly to bid Rachel farewell.

“Sorry, Erika, Rachel! Did I keep you waiting long?”

Viola, who had changed into a bright dress, approached Rachel after passing by Edward.

“Not at all. We didn’t wait long!”

Erika answered before Rachel could. Viola laughed silently, finding Erika adorable.

“So, Erika, you came because you wanted to see me, right?”

“Yes! The academy break is almost over, and my sister is always so busy. She doesn’t play with me! So I told her I wanted to see Viola.”

“Well done. Next time, you can come visit without Rachel. Feel free to come anytime.”

Viola smiled at Erika. Erika nodded vigorously to show she understood.

“I’m sorry, Viola. You must be busy too.”

Rachel carefully apologized as she watched the two of them.

Viola looked at Rachel and shook her head.

“No, it’s fine. I enjoy spending time with Erika too.”

“I like spending time with Viola too!”

“Of course!”

Erika and Viola burst into laughter simultaneously.

Rachel watched the two of them playing together with a pleased expression.

As she did so, she recalled what Edward had said earlier.

‘It can’t be.’

Edward had always been kind to Rachel.

Actually, she couldn’t say he was kind only to her. He was always friendly and kind to everyone he met.

That’s why, even during their academy days, quite a few people fell for his kind demeanor.

So she couldn’t say he was particularly kind only to her.

But it remained an undeniable fact that whenever Rachel went through her most difficult times, Edward was always by her side, offering his shoulder.

When Rachel decided she needed to improve her magic skills to save Tervan, Edward was the first person she sought out.

Edward’s magical abilities were impeccable as a Magic Tower Master candidate, and above all, he was close to Rachel.

When she first approached Edward, Rachel had feared what would happen if he refused.

However, Edward readily agreed to Rachel’s request. And he taught her everything he knew about magic, one by one, as much as he could.

Despite how bothersome it must have been, Edward never refused her requests. Until now, she had only felt gratitude toward him, never pausing to consider anything deeper.

There simply wasn’t time to think about anything else. The only thing that mattered to her was saving Tervan.

Now that she had belatedly achieved that goal, other things slowly began coming into focus.

Was Edward’s reason for helping her simply because he liked her?

Until now, Rachel had thought that might be the case, but after today’s conversation with Edward, she couldn’t hastily draw that conclusion.

[Are you afraid he might love you?]

Creon asked, striking right at Rachel’s core.

Instead of responding immediately, Rachel slowly blinked her eyes as she followed Viola and Erika with her gaze.

‘I’m not afraid.’

Rachel finally answered. Her voice was as calm as before.

[Then?]

‘…I feel sorry.’

Even if Edward did like her, Rachel couldn’t reciprocate his feelings.

When she didn’t know about Edward’s feelings, she could simply be grateful for his kindness and leave it at that, but from the moment she suspected he might like her, she couldn’t dismiss it so easily.

Rachel knew better than anyone how lonely and desolate it felt to bear unrequited feelings alone.

However, just because Rachel knew about his feelings didn’t mean she had an obligation to accept them.

She just needed to draw a clear line.

[Don’t think too hastily. Nothing is certain yet.]

Creon whispered to Rachel.

Indeed, it wasn’t yet confirmed whether his feelings were definite affection.

‘You’re right. I think it’s better to think about it when things become clearer.’

[Yes. Do that.]

Later, when Edward’s feelings became more concrete, she would need to clearly express her position as well.

Having organized her thoughts, Rachel took a sip of the prepared tea. The bitter taste filled her mouth. However, Rachel didn’t find it bitter at all.

Viola and Erika were engrossed in conversation, completely losing track of time. Looking at them now, Viola almost seemed like an older sister to the young girl. This impression was only strengthened by how exceptionally well Erika followed Viola’s lead, making their sisterly dynamic appear natural.

Rachel didn’t feel a hint of jealousy watching them. Rather, she felt deeply grateful to Viola for taking the time to play with Erika and keeping her entertained.

She wished she could play with Erika like Viola did, but it was difficult for her to play with Erika as she used to.

“Viola.”

Around 3 PM, Rachel called out to Viola. Both Erika and Viola turned their attention to Rachel.

“What is it?”

“Would it be alright if I stepped away for a moment?”

“Suddenly? Where are you going?”

“I arranged to borrow some documents from Edward, and he said they’re in his study. I was planning to get them before we leave, but I thought I’d go now.”

“Ah, right. That’s right. For that Tears of Licorice thing?”

“Yes. For that.”

“Alright. Go ahead.”

Only after Viola’s permission did Rachel rise from her seat.

Then, guided by a servant, she arrived at Edward’s study.

Knock, knock. After the sound of knocking ended, Edward’s voice came from inside.

“Come in.”

It was a pleasant baritone.

The servant stepped aside to make it easier for Rachel to enter.

As she walked through the open door, Edward, who had been reading a book at his desk, looked up to see Rachel.

Then he stood up to greet her.

“You’re here already? Are you leaving soon?”

Edward asked Rachel with surprise. Rachel slowly shook her head, denying his words.

“No. I thought Erika might have to wait a long time if I came before leaving, so I just came now. We’ll be leaving soon anyway.”

“I see. Come this way. I have everything prepared.”

Edward pointed to a sofa set up in one corner of the study.

True to his word that he had already prepared, several books were neatly arranged on the table.

After Rachel sat down, Edward also took a seat across from her.

“Here are the books.”

The books Edward handed over were three in total.

They were texts describing ancient magical beasts.

“As you’ll see when you open them, I’ve marked every section where the Tears of Licorice is mentioned. You can read them right away. I’ve reviewed them multiple times just in case, so you won’t waste time.”

As he said, every part related to the Tears of Licorice was marked without exception.

Rachel, who had thought that just borrowing books from Edward would be helpful, was surprised by the unexpected markings and checked the books several times.

“It must have taken you a lot of time.”

“As you know, if there’s one thing I’m confident about, it’s reading books.”

“Edward…”

Edward spoke as if it wasn’t a big deal. Rachel felt grateful to Edward for taking care of her to this extent, but on the other hand, her heart felt heavy.

Rachel, who had picked up the book, pressed her lips together for a moment. Then she slowly turned her gaze toward Edward.

“Go read them, and if there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask me anytime. I’ll tell you.”

Edward, who had interpreted Rachel’s gaze differently, spoke to her in his usual affectionate tone.

Rachel quietly observed him and then spoke with difficulty.

“Edward, by any chance.”

“Yes?”

Edward’s gaze turned to Rachel at her call. Rachel hesitated to speak for a long time, even while looking into his eyes.

“…It’s nothing. Thank you.”

Rachel, who had been about to ask Edward something out of curiosity, kept her question to herself, wondering if she might be making a hasty judgment.

“You’re welcome.”

“Then I’ll be going now. I’ll return the books as soon as I finish reading them.”

“Take your time. I’ve already read them several times.”

“Alright.”

Rachel gave a slight bow to Edward and then headed back to the garden where Erika and Viola were waiting.

“You’re back?”

Viola greeted Rachel as she returned.

“Yes.”

Rachel sat down in the same place she had been sitting before. Then she watched Erika and Viola with complicated feelings.

Even after returning home, her thoughts about Edward would likely keep her mind occupied for a while.