“What do you mean?”

Edward briefly pondered whether he should share more of his suspicions with Ryan.

Despite Ryan being the Crown Prince, Edward felt no obligation to discuss every minor detail about Rachel with him. Yet he hesitated, knowing he needed more information to resolve his own questions about Rachel.

Could Ryan be trusted? Was he truly asking these questions out of concern for her?

“Before I elaborate further, may I ask what makes Your Highness believe Rachel is connected to Creon?”

“Didn’t I just tell you?”

“Yes, you did, but my doubts remain unresolved.”

Ryan felt frustrated when Edward, who had been about to speak about Rachel, suddenly changed his attitude. Running his hand roughly through his hair, Ryan fixed Edward with an unwavering gaze.

“She warned me to be careful of Duke Bermund.”

“Duke Bermund…?”

“Yes. Rachel said Duke Bermund covets the Time Demon Creon, and his motive is none other than the imperial throne.”

Edward’s eyes widened at Ryan’s words. This was something he hadn’t remotely suspected.

“Initially, I thought the same—that while searching for the Tears of Licorice treasure, she happened to discover Duke Bermund’s scheme. But the more I investigated Creon, the more peculiarities I noticed.”

“Because the Tears of Licorice grants the demon’s wish.”

“Exactly. Isn’t it strange? Why would Rachel need the Tears of Licorice if she hasn’t contracted with the demon? Why does she wear a necklace identical to the Time Demon Creon’s sealing stone?”

Edward shared these same doubts.

“It would make more sense if she were actually Creon’s contractor and searching for the Tears of Licorice for him… Wouldn’t you agree?”

Though his reasons differed, Edward had been thinking along similar lines and couldn’t refute Ryan’s logic. He raised his hands to his face in a gesture of weariness.

If Ryan had reached the same conclusion, perhaps the suspicions Edward had been harboring about Rachel were true.

“My thoughts aren’t much different from yours, Your Highness.”

Edward decided to trust Ryan. Ryan already seemed to suspect that Rachel was Creon’s contractor. If he had been interested in Creon rather than Rachel, he wouldn’t have sought confirmation from Edward this way. There would have been no need to reveal Creon’s existence to someone who might not have known about it.

“Honestly, I didn’t want to believe it. When Rachel showed me her necklace and confirmed it was merely a replica, I felt relieved. However, no matter how I looked at it, there was only one explanation for the changes in Rachel.”

Ryan listened attentively to Edward’s words.

“What changes do you mean?”

“The Rachel we see now is vastly different from the person I knew. Originally, Rachel was bright, cheerful, and honest with her emotions. Her face was always smiling, radiantly—as though the world were filled with joy.”

Ryan found Edward’s words difficult to believe. The Rachel he knew was calm, quiet, and skilled at containing her emotions. Edward’s description was the complete opposite of the Rachel he knew.

Yet Edward didn’t seem to be making things up. Ryan judged this based on Rachel’s deep trust in Edward—the kind of trust that couldn’t be built in a short time, but rather developed through knowing each other over many years.

If Edward’s words were true, then the Rachel that Ryan knew wasn’t her true self. The idea that Edward knew a side of Rachel that he didn’t bothered Ryan greatly, but he understood that his personal feelings weren’t what mattered right now.

Ryan slowly organized his thoughts based on Edward’s words: the sudden improvement in magical ability, the changed personality, and the necklace with the same design as the Time Demon Creon’s sealing stone. He wasn’t foolish enough to miss what these three things suggested.

After massaging his dry eyes and letting out a long sigh, he looked at Edward.

“If Rachel truly has contracted with the Time Demon Creon, what could she possibly want to turn back time for…”

“…”

Edward chose silence in response to Ryan’s muttered question. Though Ryan couldn’t know, Edward, who had watched over Rachel for a long time, seemed to know the answer.

As Edward bit his lower lip and lowered his head, Ryan frowned.

“You seem to know something.”

“It’s merely speculation. We should confirm with Rachel directly.”

“Can you not share your speculation with me?”

“I’m sorry. I’m not certain, and since this concerns Rachel’s private life, I find it difficult to speak about.”

“…”

Edward cut off Ryan’s probing questions. Edward was right—this was Rachel’s personal matter, and asking her directly would be appropriate.

However, Ryan doubted she would speak honestly. After all, hadn’t she already prepared a necklace identical to Creon’s sealing stone to deceive others?

Leaning back against the sofa, Ryan let out a brief sigh.

“Thank you for your time.”

Ryan judged that he had learned all he could from Edward. Through this brief conversation, Edward had also become convinced that Rachel had contracted with Creon. Until now, he had been avoiding seeking confirmation out of fear, but it was no longer time to avoid the truth.

“I’ve kept you long enough. You may go.”

“…Yes.”

After formally bowing to Ryan, Edward left. Ryan ran his hand over his mouth, his mind still crowded with complex thoughts. Slowly, he recalled his encounters with Rachel.

Despite being the guest of honor at the banquet, Rachel had seemed completely joyless. Perhaps she had grown weary of everything.

Repeating time over and over, she may have lost interest in everything and ceased to expect anything from life. Having never experienced such a thing himself, Ryan could hardly imagine what she must be feeling.

* * *

After leaving the reception room, Edward stood still for a moment, looking down at his hand. He could still feel the sensation of holding Rachel’s hand while dancing earlier that day.

With a small sigh, he mentally revisited his conversation with Ryan. If Rachel had truly contracted with Creon, when exactly had she gone back in time?

He thought he knew the answer. The transformation of the once bright and cheerful Rachel into someone cold and calm had occurred after the monster subjugation mission.

When she suddenly announced her participation in the monster subjugation team, Edward had been even more surprised than Viola. Rachel, who had primarily focused on supportive magic, was heading to the life-threatening Witch’s Forest.

He had wanted to dissuade her, but her resolve was firm. She wouldn’t even listen to Viola, her closest friend, so there was no chance she would heed his objections.

‘She must have already gone back in time by then.’

What could have compelled Rachel to reverse time? He didn’t need to think long about it.

‘Tervan Sanchez.’

Rachel’s close friend and the object of her long-unrequited love. Something must have happened to him.

Having reached this conclusion, Edward clenched his fist tightly. He should have joined the monster subjugation team himself. As a Magic Tower Master candidate, he had obligations that prevented him from participating in the long-term mission, and now he regretted that deeply.

If only he had known about her participation a little earlier—

Edward clenched his teeth as his thoughts reached this point. Those who contracted with the Time Demon could reverse time only by sacrificing their own lives. The mere thought that Rachel had chosen death to turn back time was heartbreaking.

‘Didn’t Rachel feel pain?’

Of course she did. In fact, she who had to actually go through with it must have suffered more than he could imagine. Yet she couldn’t have confided in anyone.

Edward found her situation unbearably pitiful and tragic. However, regretting the past now wouldn’t change anything. Rather than dwelling on an irreversible past, he needed to focus on the problems ahead.

If possible, he wanted to prevent Rachel from reversing time again.