Habits aren’t easily changed—especially not in familiar places.

Tonight, both Adelina and Felyn slipped up.

Just as Felyn had instinctively complimented her, Adelina had naturally waited for his attention and care.

But habits like that, between the two of them now, only brought an unbearable awkwardness.

Adelina kept her head down, her bangs hiding her expression.

“Felyn… I’m sorry. I’ve just gotten used to it. That’s not what I meant.”

She gripped the spoon tightly, speaking with her head bowed. She didn’t want Felyn to think she was still that same self-centered girl demanding things from him.

“It’s okay, really. If you ask, I’ll do it. After all, you’re still my client.”

Once again, Felyn subtly reminded her that theirs was nothing more than a contractual relationship.

Hearing his polite but distant words, Adelina sighed silently in her heart.

It felt like their relationship had been reset to what it was at the very beginning—back when they had just signed their contract.

But she didn’t blame him. She had brought this on herself.

The sound of knife and fork tapping on porcelain filled the air.

Neither of them mentioned that matter again, as if it had never happened.

Felyn went on, trying to lighten the mood with a few amusing stories like he always did.

Adelina smiled, but she couldn’t bring herself to truly enjoy it.

Because she could tell—Felyn was deliberately avoiding talking about her.

Even though she had mentally prepared herself, his changed demeanor still stung more than she expected.

It felt like, out of all the girls around him, she was now the furthest away.

Even further than Lady Zervanie.

Earlier at lunch, Linda had told her about Zervanie—and Adelina had been out of sorts all afternoon.

Part of it was jealousy, knowing that Zervanie was staying close to Felyn.

Another part… was the memory of how she had once rushed out to stop him from being alone with Viloti at school.

Thinking back, she realized how foolish she had been back then.

…

Felyn ran into a bit of a dilemma.

The villa was spotless, from top to bottom. Even Adelina’s bedroom was perfectly tidy—clearly cleaned beforehand.

As he came down from the third floor, he found Adelina alone on the couch, hugging a throw pillow.

The lighting in the room had dimmed. Her rose-colored hair almost blended into the shadows.

“Looks like the whole place has been cleaned already.”

Felyn turned on the lights and walked over to Adelina.

The room brightened with his steps, and she slowly lifted her head from her daze.

“I had someone clean it before you came.”

“Then… should I trim the lawn?”

“I had that done too.”

“Laundry? Garbage? Watering the garden? Pest control?”

“No need… I’ve already taken care of everything.”

Adelina lowered her lashes. Hearing Felyn list all those chores made her painfully aware of just how much she had asked of him in the past.

Not only had he served as her emotional punching bag, he’d also cleaned, cooked, and taken care of the entire house—he’d done everything for her.

And now… she couldn’t bear to make him do any of it again.

She didn’t want Felyn to be tired anymore.

“…Do I need to confess my sins to you?”

“Confess…” Adelina echoed the word, recalling all those times Felyn had knelt or sat and apologized to her.

Each session would last at least half an hour.

Thinking of how cautiously he used to try to please her made her heart ache with guilt and shame.

“I did so many awful things to you back then…”

“There’s no need to confess anymore.”

She shook her head, then reached out and took hold of his sleeve.

Right now, she wanted nothing more than to pull him into her arms—just to hug him.

Felyn gently grasped her wrist and removed her hand, avoiding physical contact.

“…Not anymore?”

“Mhm. I’ve let go of that.”

Her voice dimmed as she looked at the space he had just backed away into.

She’d finally moved past that childhood incident. Let go of that long-standing grudge.

Because the gods had granted her a miracle—sending the one she loved right to her side.

With her wish fulfilled, there was no longer any need to cling to that pain.

“…Feels like I don’t have anything to do now,” Felyn said with a sheepish laugh, scratching his cheek.

Having nothing to do was terrifying in its own way—he’d rather clean the house all night than just sit around like this.

“Well, I haven’t made dinner yet… if you’re willing, that is…”

“Willing? I love cooking!”

Adelina watched as he cheerfully turned on the kitchen lights and tied on an apron, moving about the kitchen like it was his own.

By now, the sky outside had gone completely dark. The warm kitchen lights were the only source of illumination in the entire house.

Back then, whenever Felyn cooked, she’d always be in her room upstairs.

He would prepare everything alone, in silence, never once complaining.

Never once.

“…What kind of person was I back then, to put him through all of that…”

She didn’t even know how many times she’d sighed with regret tonight.

Meanwhile, Felyn hummed to himself as he washed the vegetables under the tap.

Adelina’s attitude might have changed, but it wasn’t as bad as he had feared.

Still, it meant no more slacking off. She wouldn't let him handle chores anymore.

Felyn didn’t think too deeply about what Adelina expected from him now, or why she was acting this way.

His job was to take care of the client’s mood. No need to overanalyze.

Besides, their contract would expire in two months.

After that, he wouldn’t see her again.

Then came the sound of footsteps. He turned his head and saw Adelina standing beside him, wearing an apron.

“Adelina? It’s okay—I’ve got this. You don’t have to help.”

“There’s a cooking class at school… I wanted to learn a few things from you. So I can get a perfect score.”

An airtight excuse. Felyn had no way to refute it.

And honestly, being in such close proximity to her like this… was kind of nice.

A delicate, fair-skinned girl in an apron, quietly working at his side.

Even just slicing vegetables, she exuded a soft, gentle charm.

Adelina picked things up quickly. Felyn only had to explain a few techniques before she was already getting the hang of it.

Tonight’s dinner involved Hummet crab—its shell was tough and hard to handle.

Even a genius like Adelina ended up cutting her finger while trying to crack it open.

Blood welled up from her fingertip, trickling down her pale hand and dripping into the sink.

She didn’t scream. She didn’t even frown.

She just stared at the blood on her hand in silence.

“Adelina?! Let me stop the bleeding—!”

For a second, Felyn thought she had some strange obsession—like admiring the beauty of her own wounds.

But before he could react, the healing Seal embedded in her brooch activated on its own.

A soft green light traced across her finger, and the wound visibly closed up.

If not for the few remaining drops of blood in the sink, Felyn would’ve thought he imagined it.

“Adelina… are you okay?”

She was still staring blankly at her fingertip, making Felyn worry she was emotionally shaken.

“…Felyn, when you cooked for me before, you must’ve gotten hurt like this many times, right?”

She gripped her apron tightly. Her eyes shimmered faintly as she looked at him.

“It’s fine, really. It happens. It heals quickly anyway.”

“…But it hurts.”

Her voice trembled, tinged with the verge of tears.

The wound may have healed—but the pain still lingered in her heart.

“Adelina… you don’t need to worry about me.”

Felyn turned back to the sink, calmly rinsing the ingredients.

He knew exactly what she was thinking right now.

“This is how I make my living. So I really don’t think there’s anything to complain about.”

He gently took the crab from her hand and began prying it open with a small knife.

Adelina stood quietly, watching his practiced movements.

She said nothing for a long, long time.

(End of Chapter)