[Reina’s POV]
Originally, I had no intention of handing it over.
It’s embarrassing to admit, but until today, I resented Ike. I resented him thinking that he was a liar, just because I was struggling.
But if he truly wasn’t at fault for what happened, maybe—just maybe—I could forgive him, even if only a little.
It’s true that he broke his promise.
That alone is hard to forgive.
Anna had suddenly disappeared, and Ike—who had told me he wouldn’t be reachable for a week—still hadn’t sent a letter, even after that week had passed.
I kept slipping letters into the magical mailbox, just in case.
Just in case he might read them.
But nothing ever came back.
The mailbox wasn’t broken. It was working fine.
I wanted to go to Akkad myself. But my father refused.
And just like that, I was completely cut off.
In a book I once read, there was a line: “The most terrifying thing for a human is loneliness.”
Not being able to tell anyone how I truly felt—that was a fear more overwhelming than I could have imagined.
The memory of that time, a time I never wanted to relive, still clings to me like a shadow.
It’s why I haven’t been able to live as I used to.
At least… not until Anna returns.
***
[Ike’s POV]
It’s been over an hour since history class began.
Apologies to the professor, but I haven’t been able to concentrate at all.
“The Astraia Empire…”
Why did Anna leave Reina?
What role does Anna play in the original story?
Only those two thoughts ran through my mind.
“Hmm…”
If Anna’s presence didn’t matter, Reina wouldn’t have reacted that way.
If Anna left Reina in the original story, why did she despair at the end?
On the other hand, if Anna didn’t leave Reina in the original story, then… why did she leave now?
Even the tiniest piece of information would help.
Originally, I had a long list of things I wanted to do after arriving at Arcana.
But right now, none of that matters.
First, I need to deal with the situation with Anna.
“The era of chaos has passed, and the era of peace has arrived…”
When I turned my head, I saw Reina silently taking notes.
No one sat near her, but no one seemed to notice—or care.
It was natural for Reina Rogelia to be alone.
Sure, some of the girls from her social circle followed her around. But they weren’t real friends.
That’s why, when I first entered Arcana, my plan was to help Reina open her heart to just one person—anyone.
The first person I had in mind was Sophia, the heroine.
But that opportunity was already slipping away.
‘Haah…’
Nothing seemed to be going according to plan.
I knew my actions would change the future to some extent.
That’s why I tried to be as cautious as possible when it came to anything that could significantly alter it.
But what did I get in return?
Reina was already deeply despondent from the beginning.
And now, it looked like she and Sophia were starting off on even worse terms than in the original story.
‘Haah…’
No matter how much I tried to hold it in, I kept sighing.
“Student Ike? Is something bothering you?”
I had no choice but to stay quiet after being called out by the professor.
***
After class ended, someone approached me—someone I didn’t expect.
“…Miss Sophia?”
“Yes. I’m Sophia Eris, the one you helped in the garden yesterday. Thank you so much for that.”
She bowed her head politely.
“There’s something I’d like to ask you, if that’s all right?”
“…Sure?”
“I want to apologize to her… for what happened yesterday.”
Ah. This is that episode—the first one from the original story.
Even after being hurt by Reina in the garden, Sophia chooses to approach her again. She still wanted to become friends.
There was a deeper reason for pairing her with Reina, the Duke of Rogelia’s daughter, but back then, Sophia had genuinely hoped to grow close to her.
Originally, she went directly to Reina to talk.
But perhaps my intervention yesterday caused a slight deviation in the story.
“Is that okay?”
Sophia looked up at me with sincere eyes.
I wanted Reina to grow closer to Sophia too.
But…
“I’m sorry. I don’t think now is a good time.”
In the original episode, when Sophia visits Reina to apologize, their relationship ends up clashing again.
Reina accepts the apology, but suggests she study etiquette as a response—
Not out of sarcasm, but likely because she thought it wasn’t something Sophia needed to apologize for.
The problem was her tone.
So cold, it was impossible to read her intentions.
If Reina is in that same fragile state now, and Sophia approaches her under the guise of an apology…it could go worse than it did in the original.
I had almost given up hope that the two of them might become friends.
But if things go wrong here, I might not be able to fix it.
“Miss Reina doesn’t seem very well right now. I think it’d be better to wait a little before you apologize.”
“I see…”
Sophia’s face visibly darkened.
“If we try to talk now and end up arguing again, things might only get worse.”
“Okay.”
“Miss Reina didn’t mean it with malice, so don’t take it too hard.”
“It’s fine. I was the one at fault anyway.”
Just as I was finishing comforting Sophia and sending her off—
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to talk about someone behind their back.”
A sudden, cold voice cut through the air like ice.
I turned around slowly.
Reina stood there, staring at me with emotionless, cloudy eyes.
“Young Master Ike. Can we talk for a moment?”
There was no way I could say no.
thanks for the chapter!
Thanks for reading!