“Whatever your feelings may be, you cannot claim any rights over me because of them.”

And Ophelia unconsciously swallowed her breath.

Now the man before her was too unfamiliar. Netepel seemed like a different person wearing the shell of the friend she once knew.

No, in reality he may not be much different. The image Netepel had shown her all this time was probably nothing more than a well-crafted facade.

Ophelia could feel with her whole body that the Netepel she thought was her friend in her previous life also harbored such thoughts inside.

In the past and now, Netepel was never honest with her. In her previous life, he had helped her, but there were other motives behind it.

Ophelia didn’t even want to fathom what those were. If she dug into it, all the time she thought she had built memories with Netepel would become disgusting.

Perhaps those emotions were clearly visible on her face, as Netepel made a hurt expression. He stammered.

“H-how could you do this to me? We’re friends, right? The only ones for each other…”

“Friends?”

It was absurd. Ophelia twisted her lips.

“Just a moment ago, you were saying I should be your lover because you liked me first, before others. And now you’re calling us friends.”

Irritation that had reached its limit rose to the top of her head. At the same time, she felt pathetic for not recognizing such a sophist.

In her previous life, Ophelia had trusted Netepel. She thought they were friends, as he said. Although in a different context from Haslen, he was as precious to her as Haslen was.

She believed that he would value their friendship as much as she did, and would see her for who she was in any situation.

But in reality, he too had only been biding his time, overlaying his desires onto her.

It was chilling to see him pretending to be the victim, looking at her with teary eyes, when he had made her regret every moment she had trusted and given her heart.

Swallowing the emptiness that felt like a hole had been drilled in her chest, Ophelia said.

“If it’s a friendship you only bring out when you need it, I don’t need such a thing, so take it all with you.”

The person Idren met in the corridor leading to Ophelia’s reception room was unexpected.

When he saw Netepel Luntalis with a face as pale as if he had received a shock, Idren was slightly taken aback. It was surprising both that the man’s conversation with Ophelia had ended so quickly, and that he had come out into the corridor with such an uncontrolled expression.

Walking with his pale face looking down as if he hadn’t noticed him, Egelbarmot’s 2nd prince stumbled slightly when they got close. Reflexively catching him, Idren felt a strange displeasure. Frowning at the bewildering sensation, Idren asked.

“Are you alright?”

No matter how unpleasant the person was, he couldn’t let him collapse in his castle’s corridor and cause a scene.

At that, the prince raised his red eyes and slapped his hand away.

“Let go of me.”

He hadn’t intended to hold on for long anyway, but the prince’s behavior was far from polite.

At another time, he might have made a sarcastic comment. But now, the hand that had touched him felt excessively alien.

As Idren looked down at his hand for a moment, about to say something. The prince walked past him with quick steps.

Idren watched for a moment as he walked away, his coat tails fluttering. He then turned his head. This was someone he wouldn’t see again after today anyway.

When he arrived at his original destination, Ophelia’s reception room, Ophelia had her head tilted back with her eyes closed, two tea sets in front of her. It was quite similar to a scene he had seen before.

Realizing once again that her mood was not good, Idren carefully sat down beside her. He called her name in a gentle voice.

“Ophelia.”

At that, Ophelia, who had been frowning, opened her eyes. She glared at the ceiling and said, as if sighing.

“…Why do I have nothing proper?”

To Idren’s ears it might sound like nonsensical rambling, but Ophelia was genuinely curious why she was in such a state.

Her body, her heart, even her human relationships – nothing remained properly in her hands.

Even if she wanted to throw something in irritation, she couldn’t because making something else imperfect when nothing in her hands was perfect in the first place would be even more pathetic.

Mahanas, Netepel. Thinking of the two men who had lingered the longest in her life only to become disappointments and obstacles, Ophelia closed her eyes again.

Sitting beside her and observing, Idren asked.

“…What did the 2nd prince do?”

It was a gentle question, but Ophelia didn’t answer.

From an objective point of view, it was she herself who had ‘done something’. It was she who had cut off a relationship of over ten years – now Ophelia didn’t even want to attach the word friendship to it – in an instant.

Moreover, Idren was also a man who said he loved her. Ophelia thought he was different from Netepel, but she couldn’t be sure if he would accurately understand the displeasure she had felt.

In the midst of this, she realized she was having a strange thought.

Understanding? Was she hoping for understanding from Idren?

Who was he to her?

She didn’t need anyone to understand her actions. Hadn’t she always thought that way?

It was then that words she had once spoken herself came to mind.

“I thought you understood me.”

Wasn’t it she herself who had uttered such weak words?

The fact that she had done something so unbecoming irritated and embarrassed her at the same time. To hide these equally unfamiliar emotions, Ophelia asked in a sharp voice.

“Why did you come?”

Idren’s eyebrows twitched as if surprised by her sudden anger, but he answered without change.

“The assets seized from Nevelga have arrived at the castle. As you said, things like gold coins and silk have been sent to Sianna Nevel, ah, it would be better to call her Lerk now. I came to let you know that.”

He paused for a moment and lowered his head. Ophelia watched the man looking down at his clasped hands.

“I was worried that Egelbarmot’s 2nd prince might bother you too much.”

And Idren turned his body slightly towards her. He glanced up at her instead of raising his head.

“I should have come earlier.”

The golden eyes were sharp at the edges but opened as gently as possible.

Ophelia burst into a hollow laugh at that gaze, which showed not a trace of displeasure.

It was ridiculous yet pitiful that there was someone who would accept her even when she did unreasonable things, and while pitiful it was also irritating. Being concerned was on top of that.

What was this impossibly complex emotion?

After staring at him for a moment, Ophelia frowned. She pushed away the man’s chest that was turned towards her. Anyway, Idren was probably doing this because of that great love of his.

What was that lousy love anyway.

It was ridiculous how she felt comforted by something she didn’t even properly understand.

“Don’t you have any pride?”

Ophelia, who had suddenly snapped, got up from her seat. Idren, who had been watching her back while blinking, stood up as well.

“Where are you going?”

“…To Sianna.”

The answer that came back was somehow softened, for reasons unknown. At any rate, it was clear that her anger had subsided a little.

That should be enough, shouldn’t it? Following the woman who had left him behind out of the room, Idren ordered the knight guarding the door.

“Check if the 2nd prince has completely left the castle.”

Since the day she had testified in the hall, Sianna had not left her room. There was no need to go out.

Life in the castle was as comfortable and enjoyable as wearing well-fitting clothes. Perhaps because it was peace that she had once lost, everything felt even more valuable.

The attitude of the servants had also become subtly softer and friendlier than before, so she didn’t feel lonely either. Wasn’t it important that she had escaped from her father’s house in the first place? There was no way she could feel lonely.

About ten days had passed like that when suddenly all sorts of luxury goods entered her room. From intricately patterned silk clearly imported from the south, to boxes full of glittering gold coins.

Until now, property had always belonged to her father, so it was Sianna’s first time seeing such luxurious things up close.

To her, who was looking around at the dazzling luxury items with round eyes, the servant who brought them said.

“These are items recovered from Nevelga. Her Majesty the Queen has bestowed them upon you.”

Sianna couldn’t believe those words. That this money, this silk was all hers. Lerkga was her mother’s family, whose face she could no longer remember. Sianna remembered that in the hall, the king had said he would take away that family’s property and give it to the queen.

To be honest, the atmosphere had been so scary then that she didn’t remember well the royal decree that had been issued, but seeing these gold coins made her think she had done well to listen to the queen.

It was while she was looking at the gold coins and feeling happy that suddenly a voice was heard from beyond the door.

“Her Majesty the Queen has arrived.”

At those words, Sianna stood up. The door flung open and the queen entered the room, followed by her servants and knights.

Confirming that the queen’s face was still cold, Sianna shrank back a little.

After sweeping her gaze around the room with eyes like a cold sea, the queen asked primly.

“Do you like it?”