Chapter 66

She pursed her lips like she had something to say to me. But considering the place, she held back.

 

I strolled around with Elena clinging to my arm. Evan pointed out any trinket he thought looked nice and asked if I wanted it. I naturally tossed the question to Elena instead. I had more than enough jewelry; it felt right that he buy something for her.

 

Evan said he wanted to repay Elena for helping him and offered to buy her whatever she wanted, but Elena refused, saying she’d rather get a bonus than some accessory.

 

I kept smiling brightly between them. Inside, I was tangled up.

 

Of course it was different. There wasn’t even a speck of love anywhere. At this rate, Elena might as well be Evan’s designated nemesis instead of Piote.

 

“Okay, enough. Stop fighting, both of you.”

 

“The young master is making impossible claims.”

 

“Anyone can see this piece suits her the best.”

 

What made it worse was that they were arguing because of me.

 

‘I’m sure I told Evan to pick something for Elena… so why is everyone handing jewelry to me?’

 

Elena and Piote were seriously choosing as well, so stopping them felt awkward.

 

The merchant must’ve sensed he landed big customers; everything out of his mouth was praise. Elena kept pushing trinkets at me like she was determined to find the perfect match.

 

“The lady’s hair suits pink the best! Haven’t you seen her room? Pink is her favorite!”

 

‘Elena, that’s something my family forced on me.’

 

Beside us, Piote nodded as if it made perfect sense. Evan disagreed immediately.

 

“Lep actually hates pink. Didn’t you know that, Elena?”

 

He mocked her. The ornament Evan held was a hairpiece with small white gems.

 

“It’s pretty.”

 

I stared blankly as he brushed aside a strand of my hair and whispered sweetly. He was openly flirting now, smiling in that sly way that felt like a direct hit.

 

“……”

 

I didn’t have time to hesitate anymore.

 

I signaled Piote with my eyes. He scratched his head like he hated the idea, then cleared his throat loudly to draw attention.

 

“Lep, did you forget the errand? You’d better hurry before it gets late.”

 

“Oh, right!”

 

I acted like someone who had suddenly remembered something important and clapped my hands. I thanked Piote brightly.

 

Evan tilted his head, confused.

 

“Errand?”

 

“When I said I was going out, my mother told me to buy something for her. It’s a personal item, so Piote and I need to go quickly. And it’d be dangerous for Elena alone, so Evan, please stay with her!”

 

He would’ve tried to come with me otherwise, so I used Elena as an excuse to leave them alone together.

 

Elena said she’d be fine, but I insisted that security gets worse during festivals. With a reluctant frown, Evan eventually nodded.

 

“You’re coming back, right?”

 

“Of course! We’ll be quick, so stay nearby!”

 

“How are we supposed to meet again in this crowd? I’ll take Lep, so you stay with Elena,” Piote said.

 

But Evan ignored him and asked me: “If I wait here, you’ll really come back?”

 

His lowered eyes looked faintly sad. Like he was already sure I wouldn’t return.

 

There was only one answer I could give. I would come back—once the red string between Elena and Evan tied.

 

“Of course!”

 

I forced a smile, ignoring the ache in my chest.

 

“Okay. I’ll wait.”

 

Evan smiled. But in a sea of festival joy, his smile wasn’t happy. Not even close.

 

I was the one who suggested leaving first, but seeing his expression made it hard to step away.

 

Piote ended up pulling my hand for me. I kept my head forward, refusing to look back.

 

We wandered aimlessly. We had nowhere to go anyway.

 

On a quiet street, Piote asked, “What now? They’re alone. You going home?”

 

“……”

 

I didn’t answer.

 

The plan had been simple: Elena would run into trouble, Evan would save her, and I’d return afterward. All we needed was time. And I knew when.

 

“At sunset.”

 

In the illustration, the sun was setting behind Evan as he offered Elena a hand.

 

I looked up. The sky was already tinged red. A little more time and night would fall.

 

I found a chair and sat.

 

Their fated meeting was just about to happen. Elena must be having fun, experiencing her first festival.

 

“Ugh, whatever. I’ll find out later…”

 

I rested my chin on my hand and watched the festival. From the quiet back road, every passerby stood out.

 

Family, couples, colorful lights.

 

It felt nice when Evan sought affection from me. But I knew better. Love wasn’t forever. And in this game, I wasn’t meant to end up with anyone.

 

But… was this really what I wanted?

 

I didn’t want to hurt Evan. I wanted him to find the one he truly loved.

 

‘But what if…?’

 

What if my mother and everyone else was right?

 

What if Evan really did like me, and wouldn’t change?

 

I was still afraid of being with someone. Nothing lasted forever.

 

“Hey, buy me something tasty.”

 

“Alright. Come here.”

 

Piote didn’t say anything else. His quiet care made me smile. I laughed brightly, like I could push Evan and Elena out of my mind.

 

“You should at least go check.”

 

“…What?”

 

“You said you’d go back. So go. If you’re busy, make an excuse and go home. You keep looking that way because you’re worried he’ll still be waiting.”

 

Piote wasn’t wrong. Evan would be waiting, miserable.

 

“I’m awful…”

 

“You’re fine. You’ve suffered enough. Evan’s the one who clung to you. And your feelings are your own. Do what you want. Even if your heart changes, that’s okay. Like I said, it’s Evan’s fault he couldn’t win you over.”

 

“How is that Evan’s fault…”

 

He shrugged.

 

After watching the sky deepen into night, I made up my mind.

 

“…I’ll go.”

 

“Good.”

 

Just a glance from afar. I didn’t want to interrupt. Seeing it with my own eyes would settle my heart.

 

I ran for a long time. Even with the crowd, Evan stood out clearly.

 

I laughed at how ridiculous it was and felt like crying too.

 

Why was he waiting like that?

 

“Unbelievable…”

 

He was sitting on a quiet bench, scanning faces. Like a dog abandoned by its owner, waiting with its tail still wagging.

 

I bit my lip. Elena wasn’t there. So he had been waiting alone?

 

He noticed me and lifted his head. His eyes flashed like someone spotting prey.

 

He walked to me without hesitation.

 

“…You took a while.”

 

A short silence fell between us. Neither of us spoke.

 

Evan tilted his head slightly with a sad smile. It felt like he knew exactly why I had left him alone.

 

I had asked him about Elena so many times.

 

He didn’t scold me. He just looked relieved that I came back. He held out his hand.

 

I stared at it… then finally placed mine in his. His silent forgiveness stung. I wished he’d just gotten angry.

 

“Come on. You hardly saw anything.”

 

“…Why… aren’t you asking?”

 

I was the one who broke the silence.

 

I looked straight at him. Evan took a breath, several times, then answered—a quiet, self-mocking tone.

 

“I’m scared.”

 

The simple words made my eyes widen.

 

“That you’d leave. So I pretended not to see. Even if you ran because you were overwhelmed, I would’ve endured it.”

 

I couldn’t argue.

 

He gently took my cold hand.

 

“Why? Why me? Evan, you could find someone better—”

 

“Who decided that?”

 

“What?”

 

Evan let out a soft sigh. He shot back sharply, staring straight at me.