Ophelia did not deny those words.

“Yes, that’s true.”

If asked to name the person who best matched love in her life, that person would undoubtedly be Haslen. Ophelia sincerely cherished that young man who resembled spring sunshine and summer leaves.

Haslen was the only one who had said he would pull her out of the mire.

Although it was another man who ultimately plucked her out of Leden, Ophelia had never forgotten the young boy’s promise. It was only natural, as there was no one in the world who could forget the first comfort they received.

Nethefel seemed even more shocked when she said that. He asked in a trembling voice,

“But you can marry another man?”

And before she could say anything, he added,

“You love Haslen, but it’s okay for another man to kiss you, hold your hand, and enter your bed?”

Only then did Ophelia realize that Nethefel was speaking solely in terms of romantic love. She added to prevent her friend from misunderstanding,

“The love I have for Haslen is not that kind of love.”

But Nethefel didn’t seem to understand her words. With a face that had turned pale at some point, he asked in a high-pitched voice,

“Then what is it?”

So Ophelia reflected on her feelings towards Haslen.

Although he had now become Idren, the man who was originally supposed to marry her was Haslen. At one point, Ophelia had lived only looking forward to that.

But that didn’t mean she yearned for him in a romantic way.

Ophelia explained to her friend who could only see the situation from one side,

“Haslen was a really good person. He said he would show me worlds I hadn’t seen, and I loved him for that. Enough to think it would be okay to marry him and do the things you mentioned.”

“……”

“But just because someone is a person you’d be okay giving your body to doesn’t mean it’s the same as wanting to kiss them and share bodies with them.”

She didn’t want to do those things with Haslen.

It was okay because it was Haslen.

After Haslen died, she stopped caring about what happened. Because she started wishing for something more important than happiness.

Soon after, Ophelia felt a slight discomfort. It didn’t seem right to talk about a dead person like this.

Realizing that continuing the conversation would only hurt both of their feelings, she put down the blanket.

“I’ll be going back now.”

Nethefel seemed surprised by her attitude and opened his mouth, but Ophelia did not look back.

As she exited the tent, the red-haired knight standing guard beside it smiled slightly at her.

Averting her gaze from that still unfamiliar smile, Ophelia thought the knight might have heard their conversation.

Even if she didn’t know about Nethefel’s early remark about helping her escape, the voices had gotten louder when talking about love and such, so she had likely heard enough.

Perhaps those words could reach Idren’s ears as well. Unless given separate orders, the knight probably wouldn’t go report it first, but he might ask. Idren had wanted to come along today anyway.

Although he had changed his mind in a day.

But even if those words reached his ears, what did it matter when she hadn’t lied? As Ophelia headed to where the ladder to the small boat was, she said to the knight,

“I’ll be returning now.”

“Understood. I will inform the others to prepare as well.”

And the red-haired knight whispered to her. Please speak comfortably. Aren’t you the one who will soon be wed to His Majesty the King?

Before Ophelia could respond, the knight winked at her and walked off somewhere.

Watching her twilight sunset-like back of the head, Ophelia realized she couldn’t remember the knight’s name. It was unsurprising.

Nethefel appeared just as she was about to descend to the small boat.

Perhaps due to his impatient heart, he ran that short distance and called her name. Ophelia, wait a moment.

“Please wait a moment.”

Moisture seeped into his pleading voice. Ophelia turned around. Nethefel stood there in disheveled attire.

With a face clearly anxious to anyone’s eyes, Ophelia let out a small sigh. She couldn’t tell if she had a talent for making people cry or if the people around her cried easily.

Looking at her nervously, Nethefel said,

“I didn’t mean to say things to anger you.”

“I’m not angry.”

She had been about to get angry, but she had stood up before that, so it wasn’t a lie.

However, Nethefel couldn’t be reassured. He looked down at the ground and rolled his eyes.

“Still… if there’s anything wrong with what I said, please forgive me.”

Huh? Ophelia. I don’t want to be hated by you…

Ophelia looked at her friend clinging to her. Even though all of Idren’s knights and his attendants were watching this scene, Nethefel was speaking without any thought for his pride.

Even if she was briefly annoyed, she couldn’t let her friend’s dignity fall.

To the young man who looked like he might shed tears from his beautiful eyes at any moment, she said,

“I won’t hate you, so don’t worry.”

But Nethefel did not raise his bowed head. His pale face with red ears was a bonus. Ophelia placed a hand on his shoulder. It was to calm her seemingly agitated companion.

She spoke a bit quickly,

“It’s okay. I’m just leaving because it’s time to go back.”

It wasn’t a lie, as they had originally met to dine together.

At that, Nethefel looked at her with wet eyes. He mumbled,

“…Promise me you’ll see my face again.”

“Okay.”

In their previous lives, they often saw each other’s faces. Ophelia readily agreed.

Still anxious, Nethefel grasped her hand that rested on his shoulder. It was a careful touch.

He blinked. Ophelia noticed that he had finally moistened his eyelashes.

Holding her hand like that, Nethefel said,

“I have no one but you.”

“……”

“You know too. Since we were young, the only one who was kind to me… was you.”

I’ve lived on those memories until now. Right? Ophelia…

It sounded almost like a plea. Feeling a sense of déjà vu from those words that seemed blind, Ophelia wondered if Nethefel had said the same thing before.

And she corrected herself. It wasn’t Nethefel.

“Because the reason is too precious to let you know.”

In a room with all the furniture ruined, the man who had looked down at her with dark eyes was someone else.

The one who had spoken with an injured face in the carriage.

“…Did you say it was a mere thing?”

Not long after saying those moan-like words, Idren had shed tears. Ophelia didn’t know why he was crying at the time.

But hearing Nethefel’s words, she felt like she could vaguely understand. She too had taken out and looked at fleeting memories countless times.

That’s when Nethefel drove the point home. At some point holding her hand tightly, he muttered,

“You know how that feels too.”

The Rohos Castle she returned to was somewhat chaotic. Ophelia raised an eyebrow at the strange atmosphere that could be felt even before getting out of the carriage.

She looked out the carriage window. People could be seen busily coming and going. Seeing a few armored knights mixed in, it seemed to be quite a big deal.

As the carriage stopped, the red-haired knight knocked on the door.

“I will assist you in alighting.”

And the knight gently opened the carriage door. Grabbing the hand she extended, Ophelia asked,

“Did something happen at the castle?”

“There seems to have been an accident at the hunting grounds. It appears a beast appeared, but as the hunting grounds are quite a distance from Rohos Castle, you need not worry.”

“The hunting grounds? Who went hunting today?”

At that, the knight tilted her head as if puzzled instead.

“Did His Majesty not tell you? His Majesty went hunting with the Lord of Rohos.”

“What?”

Ophelia furrowed her brow at the unfamiliar story. Idren had never said such a thing to her.

Sensing the situation, the knight quickly added,

“His Majesty is skilled at hunting, so you need not worry too much.”

Ophelia merely closed her mouth and tilted her head slightly. Fortunately, she could soon spot a familiar person in the distance.

Idren, who had been conversing with a woman in front of the castle gate, approached her as soon as he noticed her. The knight must have also seen the man striding over, as she said,

“His Majesty appears to be coming over there.”

No sooner had those words ended than Idren called her name. Ophelia.

And he signaled with his eyes to the knight standing beside her. The knight tactfully released her hand and stepped back.

Taking the place the knight had vacated by her side, Idren leaned his head towards her. He spoke in a small voice,

“I thought you would arrive later than this.”

Ophelia caught a faint scent of musk from him. The ends of his black hair glimmered weakly. It seemed he had washed not long ago.

As the man holding her hand walked towards the castle gate, she asked him,

“What happened?”

And Ophelia realized the woman standing in front of the castle gate looked strangely familiar. A single braid of wheat-colored curly hair fluttered in the wind.

The moment she realized that person was the daughter of the Lord of Rohos, Idren answered in a low voice,

“Taeran Rohos has died.”