My idol and my best friend... are fighting over the same guy.

What kind of absurd drama was this? And to think it was happening in her own life. Linda felt like her world had turned into a complete farce.

That dazzling star on stage, the one she had posters and merchandise of in her own home—Lady Zervanie—was actually interested in Felyn?

Linda hesitated, her finger hovering over Adeline’s name in the communication seal.

What if everything she feared turned out to be true?

But if Lady Zervanie really was interested in Felyn...

Then, as Adeline’s friend, she had a duty to tell her—didn’t she?

In the end, Linda tapped Adeline’s name.

The runes of the seal shimmered to life, glowing silver for a moment before turning green.

The call connected.

“Adeline, Adeline, are you busy right now?”

“Mhm, I’m in the student council office dealing with paperwork. What’s up?”

Her gentle voice came through the seal, as if the wounds from a few days ago had never existed.

“Do you know Lady Zervanie?”

Linda hesitated for a moment, then finally asked.

“Zervanie? Yeah, I know her. Why, do you want her autograph?”

“No, that’s not it. I ran into her at school today. I just wanted to ask… do you know what her relationship with Felyn is?”

There was a long pause on the other end. Linda had no idea what was going on.

Eventually, Adeline’s voice returned.

“She came to the school… to find Felyn?”

“I don’t know if she came specifically for him, but she asked me some things about him. It felt a little strange, so I thought I’d ask you.”

“They... know each other.”

Linda’s heart sank. Things really were heading in the direction she feared most.

Why? Why is even Lady Zervanie falling into Felyn’s clutches? What exactly did you do to him?!

“Adeline… do you want to come see for yourself?”

Surrounded by the sounds of students laughing and chatting, Linda waited anxiously for Adeline’s answer.

If someone she liked were being approached by a powerful rival, Linda knew she’d lose her mind.

No matter what Adeline decided, Linda would understand.

“There’s no need. But thank you, Linda.”

Adeline’s refusal caught her off guard.

“Huh? Oh… okay. Then, do you want me to keep an eye on her for you?”

“It’s fine. Felyn… he should have his own personal space too. I don’t want to intrude or monitor him.”

“But Lady Zervanie, she…”

“I know. But what can I do?”

“What can I do? What right do I have to interfere?”

Linda could almost picture Adeline on the other end of the call, her expression helpless and lonely.

At that same moment, the very Zervanie who had just been standing in front of Linda now wore a similarly forlorn look.

After circling the school building without finding Felyn, she headed to the bike shelter.

Sure enough, she found him there, eating lunch.

But she didn’t call out to him—not out of shyness.

It was because Felyn wasn’t alone.

Beside him sat Viloti Silafiel.

Zervanie had always thought of Viloti as the kind of delicate doll little girls adored. Only, someone had pasted the wrong expression on her face—an aloof, indifferent look.

Now she finally understood. That cold expression was for people who didn’t matter.

But beside Felyn, Viloti’s expression was noticeably more animated.

Hiding behind a tree, Zervanie could only watch Felyn share lunch with another girl.

She couldn’t do anything.

At least she wasn’t spying alone.

Not far from her, she spotted a woman—likely in her thirties—adjusting her glasses while mumbling to herself, “All thanks to me…”

That was definitely a weirdo!

Zervanie instinctively took a few steps away from her.

Thankfully, Felyn and Viloti were only eating and not doing anything else, which eased Zervanie’s heart a little.

If I could form a party with Felyn and go into the dungeon with him…

Would I also get to sit next to him and share a meal like that?

She probably would.

Then I should practice my cooking in the meantime… and when the time comes, I’ll casually say—

“Ah, Felyn, I made something delicious today. Want to try it?”

And Felyn would look surprised and say: “Wow, Zervanie, your cooking is amazing. You’d make a great wife. Should we give it a try?”

...

Clutching her face, Zervanie wore the same dreamy expression as that glasses-wearing teacher.

Her cheeks flushed a deep pink, growing hot.

Or maybe, in the dungeon, they’d encounter a huge crisis.

She would throw herself in front of Felyn to protect him and be gravely injured. She’d never be able to sing again.

She would lie on a hospital bed, watching Felyn sob in guilt and regret.

And she would whisper with a weak smile:

“It’s okay, Felyn. I’m just glad you’re safe. Even if I can’t sing anymore, even if I can’t be a songstress again, I’m content as long as you’re alright.”

Then Felyn would be moved to tears, holding her hand and saying:

“Zervanie! I won’t leave you alone. I’ll take care of you from now on. Let’s get married. I’ll take responsibility.”

Zervanie, fully lost in her fantasy, murmured a soft “Mm” in response to the imaginary proposal.

In any case!

She really, really wanted to go to the dungeon with Felyn!

By the time Zervanie shook herself free from her countless daydreams, the stairs were empty.

Even the slightly creepy teacher had disappeared.

“Oh no—where’d they go?!”

She jumped out from behind the tree and realized Felyn had already finished eating and left with Viloti.

“It’s all my fault! What was I thinking? I should’ve saved those fantasies for when I’m lying in bed tonight! Now I’ve lost him!”

Zervanie ran toward the school building, searching frantically for any sign of Felyn or Viloti.

If she didn’t talk to him about dungeon parties today, what if he found someone else?

Like Adeline.

Or Viloti.

Or that green-eyed beauty who was always near him.

She imagined all the scenes she’d just fantasized—eating with Felyn, lying in a hospital bed—all of them morphing, the heroine’s face turning into their faces.

Zervanie grew even more frantic.

She could not let that happen!

So busy searching, she didn’t notice the staircase at the end of the path.

Her foot slipped.

“Ah!”

To make things worse, as she fell, she felt her hat shift.

Her silver-white hair threatened to spill out like a demon breaking its seal.

If her identity were exposed now, she’d lose every chance at a private moment with Felyn.

Just my luck… she thought bitterly.

More painful than the fall itself was the thought of not getting to see Felyn again.

Completely caught off guard, Zervanie could only watch helplessly as the ground rushed up to meet her.

“You’re always falling down, aren’t you?”

The voice echoed through her mind—familiar and reassuring.

Felyn had caught her.

Her long, silvery hair slipped free from the hat and blossomed in the air, radiant and stunning.

Zervanie felt his arms wrapped tightly around her.

Her lips curled into a soft smile she couldn’t hide.

Let this moment last forever, she thought.

Even if her secret was exposed, it didn’t matter anymore.

(End of Chapter)