Rachel blinked at Ryan’s unexpected words.

“So you were worried that I might have chosen death.”

“Yes, that’s right. And you have no idea how relieved I felt when you showed me this necklace and denied it.”

“…”

Rachel’s lips parted slightly.

For her, who had chosen to contract with Creon, death meant nothing. It was merely a method for restarting.

But even Rachel hadn’t found it easy to choose death from the beginning.

Naturally, there were times when she feared choosing her own death.

But the pain of losing Tervan was so great that it helped her overcome even the fear of death.

After that, Rachel gradually became numb to the repeated pain of dying.

Moreover, until now, she had never met anyone besides Creon who worried about her this much.

That was only natural.

No one knew that Rachel was experiencing such pain.

This was the result of her resignation, unable to tell others about her situation.

“Anyway, since Rachel has agreed, I’ll take this necklace for verification and return it to you afterward.”

“Please do.”

When Rachel nodded, Ryan carefully put the necklace away. Then suddenly, he looked at her.

“Aren’t you worried?”

“About what?”

“I could take this necklace and switch it with something else. If this necklace truly contained the sealed Creon, that could be dangerous. Don’t you think?”

Ryan maintained a serious expression throughout. Rachel’s defenselessness seemed to concern him.

Rachel suppressed a smile as she looked at him.

“It’s a misunderstanding. I understand why you’d think that, given the similarities in appearance. But it’s not what you think. This is just something I commissioned from a jeweler because I liked the design.”

Rachel answered without hesitation.

“Besides, I don’t think the Crown Prince would stoop to stealing my necklace. You can have much better things, Ryan.”

Even after Rachel finished speaking, Ryan silently gazed at her for a moment. Then he slowly nodded.

“That’s true.”

Ryan replied briefly. He decided to believe her for now. Though he would still have it examined, his burden felt considerably lighter.

“Anyway, I’m relieved to hear you say that. I’ll return it quickly, so please don’t worry about this matter.”

Finally, Ryan smiled comfortably, following Rachel’s lead.

“Do you know how much my heart pounded before coming here to ask you about this?”

Though his voice was playful, Rachel could tell his earlier concern had been genuine.

“Thank you for worrying about me, Ryan.”

“Not at all. I feel pathetic for anxiously fretting and demanding understanding. Please pretend you didn’t hear what I just said.”

“How can I pretend not to have heard something I’ve already heard?”

When Rachel deliberately teased him, Ryan looked troubled before bursting into laughter.

“By the way, I heard yesterday was Countess Hestein’s daughter’s birthday. Is that right?”

“Yes. I attended her ball.”

“I’m disappointed. I thought you might have proposed that I be your partner for a ball you were attending.”

Ryan expressed his disappointment with exaggerated gestures.

“As you know, I was an invited guest. It would have been awkward to designate you as my partner. Besides, you’re the Crown Prince.”

Rachel answered, looking troubled.

Ryan smiled wryly, seeing her flustered by his playful remark.

“It seems my position is always the problem.”

“No, it’s not that… it’s more like…”

“You don’t need to make excuses. Still, I remain disappointed. I wanted to attend a ball with you.”

Ryan let out a small sigh.

“Then next time there’s another ball, let’s go together as partners.”

“Really?”

His face brightened at Rachel’s suggestion.

‘Is it really something to be that happy about?’

Unlike before, Rachel no longer placed much significance on ball attendance, so Ryan’s bright smile felt awkward to her.

Come to think of it, she too once worried about who would be her partner and who she would dance with first at balls.

And the subject of those worries was always Tervan.

“Now I’m wondering if I should host a ball just to become your partner.”

“A ball?”

When Rachel asked with wide eyes, Ryan shrugged.

Though he spoke jokingly, he was secretly considering it. But he kept it to himself, worried that Rachel might dislike the idea.

“Still, it’s nice to have a friend who can visit casually.”

“Feel free to visit often. I can at least serve you tea while you’re here.”

Ryan smiled deeply at Rachel in gratitude.

“I should head back now, though I’m reluctant to leave.”

“By the way, what happened to those attackers from the hunting competition?”

Rachel asked just as Ryan was about to stand up.

He sat back down on the sofa and remained silent. After a while, he finally spoke.

“Actually, that’s why I need to leave. I’ve been trying to discover who was behind it, but it’s impossible to find out. Their memories are completely clean.”

“If their memories were artificially erased… could I visit and check them myself later?”

“You, Rachel?”

“Yes. I have some expertise in magic, after all.”

“True. Since you’re directly involved and also an imperial mage, seeking your assistance in this matter wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

Ryan nodded in understanding.

“I have some urgent matters to attend to now, so would you be available tomorrow?”

“That’s fine. Any time works for me.”

“Then I’ll come back tomorrow.”

As Ryan stood up, Rachel also rose to her feet. She accompanied him to the entrance of the Rose Castle.

Watching Ryan leave in the distance, Rachel tilted her head.

Memory manipulation magic required advanced skill. This meant a high-level mage might be involved.

Duke Bermund could afford to command high-level mages with money, so she still considered him a suspect.

[Rachel.]

It was Creon who called out to Rachel just as she was turning to go back to her study.

Rachel reflexively pulled out the necklace from her pocket.

It was a necklace similar to the one she had given to Ryan.

Strictly speaking, the necklace Rachel had was the genuine article—the real one with the Time Demon Creon sealed inside.

And the necklace Rachel gave to Ryan was a fake she had commissioned from a jeweler.

After checking the necklace, Rachel put it back in her pocket. Then she continued walking to her study as if nothing had happened.

‘Why did you call me?’

[Are you sure this is okay?]

‘Why wouldn’t it be? What are you worried about?’

Rachel asked curtly.

Creon made a groaning sound for a moment.

[Isn’t it funny that he believed you just because you gave him a fake necklace, even after giving so many hints?]

Rachel understood Creon’s doubt.

Even while mentioning the custom-made necklace, she had been tense, wondering if Ryan might challenge her story.

But he had believed her.

‘He might be pretending not to know. The Crown Prince I know is quite perceptive. He might be watching to see how I react.’

[Then aren’t you just inviting suspicion?]

‘What would he do with suspicion? I’m already your contractor.’

Unlike the concerned Creon, Rachel remained calm.

‘Taking the necklace doesn’t terminate the contract. A contract bound by life can’t be broken by such a simple physical procedure. I’m just buying some time. I’m still considering whether to accept Duke Bermund’s proposal.’

[Is there a specific reason you’re considering Duke Bermund’s proposal?]

Rachel nodded at Creon’s question.

‘Duke Bermund’s reactions are too suspicious and don’t make sense. He seems to have some hidden agenda, but I can’t figure out what it is, so I can’t accept his proposal. It feels unsettling. Like I’m being deceived.’

Rachel sat down upon reaching her study. The desk was covered with books she had laid out to read.

‘So I wanted to learn more about the Tears of Licorice quickly or understand how Duke Bermund could act so brazenly…’

Unfortunately, it was difficult to find anything of significant value among the open books.

Rachel neatly stacked the books she had laid out. Then she slowly leaned back against the chair.

‘It seems I need to approach this case differently.’