People Aren't Meant to Be Fixed! (4 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 169

“Could it be that the reason you’ve been unable to find an answer for so long is because you’ve always thought you were alone?”

Ulrika’s words made me reflect once more, and after a brief moment of introspection, I realized something.

Though I had become far more empathetic to others’ emotions after helping the World Tree reclaim its lost ‘conscience,’ that change hadn’t completely transformed me into someone entirely different.

‘Now that you mention it, that does sound right.’

That didn’t mean Ronowe, Beris, Carlisle, Sasha, or Freyrie—people I’d known and spent time with until now—held no meaning for me. Bonds forged through friendship did exist. I might place all of them within the ordinary category of ‘friends,’ but if asked whether I truly acknowledged them as genuine ‘friends,’ my answer would be ambiguous—because I simply wasn’t at a point where I could give a definite reply.

Honestly, I doubted anyone could easily match the World Tree, Yong Yong, Ulrika, Tommy, or even Jeff and Hecate in my eyes. Though I kept this thought to myself—if Ronowe or Beris knew, they might burst into tears—I had to admit that within the framework of ‘Crown Princess,’ she was undoubtedly a useful and capable ally.

Given that this was how I felt even after improving compared to my past self, the conclusion was obvious: since I hadn’t let anyone—neither ‘Paradise’ nor ‘Darling,’ but the true ‘me’—truly into the deepest parts of my heart, Ulrika’s words would likely prove correct.

Even if someone incredibly diligent, kind, blindly loyal, and understanding stood by my side, it would probably be no different. Even if being with good people eventually made me a better person than I am now.

I might always believe I’m alone.

But wasn’t it naive to assume that simply knowing someone for a long time guaranteed they’d always stay with you? Couldn’t one grow deeply close to someone they’d known only briefly—trusting them enough to bare their very heart—only to be betrayed in the end?

Though I considered myself somewhat adept at human relationships after living for hundreds of years, perhaps I’d grown somewhat jaded through those experiences, unconsciously settling into the belief that I was always alone—and thus instinctively maintaining an inexplicable distance even from the younger ones.

‘My head’s getting a bit tangled.’

I’d immediately agreed with Ulrika’s words, but the deeper I delved into the thought, the more dizzy I became—so I decided to stop thinking about it altogether.

Creeeak—

“I must go now.”

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