Chapter 120……………………………………..
I woke up to the warm sunlight on my face.
“Mm…”
I stretched as I sat up, only to realize that the clothes I was wearing weren’t pajamas.
Before long, the events from before I fell asleep came rushing back.
Of course—at the end, half-asleep from exhaustion, I had been telling Terrence my story while dozing off…
“So you just fell asleep like that?!”
I scrambled out of bed in a panic.
The plan had been to finish telling him everything, and then—if his feelings hadn’t changed—I was supposed to respond to his confession.
But in reality, I had just kept talking about my story and ended up dozing off, sleeping soundly until morning.
Crazy, absolutely crazy. How bewildered must Terrence have been.
“Laura! I need to rush out right now…”
That was what I shouted as I stepped out of the bedroom.
“Where are you going?”
The person I was about to meet appeared right in front of me.
“Terrence! Why are you here…?”
“I was just thinking things over.”
Terrence pointed sheepishly at the sofa where we had stayed up talking until dawn.
Apparently, he had fallen asleep there.
“Oh, I see. I didn’t know that. I was about to come meet you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. We didn’t finish yesterday’s conversation… and I wanted to apologize again.”
For taking advantage of his innocent goodwill even though I had approached him with a plan and a purpose.
“You don’t need to do that.”
But Terrence spoke firmly.
“If it had gone as in that novel you read, I would have continued suffering from headaches and obsessing over the throne.”
He was right.
In the novel, Terrence, without the medicinal tea or a blessed person like Riena by his side, became emperor and spared no means to obtain the emerald ring.
“Whether or not you had other intentions, Idel, thanks to you I was freed from long suffering. I am grateful.”
“…Are you really okay? You approached me on purpose.”
“I said I’m fine. In fact, I prefer it that way…”
He suddenly stopped speaking.
“No, this… should be discussed later.”
“Huh?”
“After we’ve grown closer.”
‘Grown closer.’ Clearly, he didn’t mean just as friends.
It was now time for me to respond to his confession.
“Terrence, I…”
Since last night, I had been telling him my secret, and all the while I had been wrestling with my feelings.
I did like Terrence. He was someone who, even knowing the full truth, was okay with me.
‘But I’m not sure if this is love.’
I didn’t see him as just another friend like Vineta or Diana.
There had certainly been moments with him that made my heart flutter, and judging by the fact that I hadn’t immediately rejected his confession yesterday, romantic feelings also existed.
“I’m truly grateful for the affection you’ve shown me. But…”
I wasn’t sure if my feelings were strong enough to overcome all the inevitable challenges that would come from being his partner.
Look at me—I’m still hesitating.
If these feelings are only this shallow, then maybe—
“You’re hesitating.”
As if reading my thoughts, Terrence spoke.
“That’s enough for me. If you had no feelings for me, you wouldn’t be hesitating like this.”
“…Sorry for being so indecisive.”
Being this way, even if I rejected his confession, it would likely leave unnecessary doubts or lingering possibilities.
“No, that’s not Idel’s problem—it’s mine.”
Then he said something unexpected.
“It’s probably because I lack charm.”
“Oh, no! Terrence, you’re already more than charming!”
“If that were true, you wouldn’t hesitate and would have chosen me without question.”
“It’s not that…”
“It is that. So, from now on, I’ll hone my charm.”
The conversation was going strangely.
“So that you can hold my hand without worrying about others’ gazes or future misfortunes.”
“Why does it always end up like that…? No, more importantly! Why are you always coming closer?”
Before I knew it, Terrence was so close I could feel his breath.
I slowly stepped back, only to find myself trapped between him and the wall.
With his arms braced on either side of me, preventing any escape, he smiled alluringly.
“I’m tempting you.”
“Tempting me?”
“Yes. To show you my charm.”
“I already know! I know it too well!”
“Really? Look more closely. Don’t you feel something?”
“All I feel is that Terrence is as handsome as ever, and even slightly disheveled after just waking up, it doesn’t diminish his charm.”
‘No, actually… his slightly relaxed morning look even adds a new kind of charm?’
As my mind wandered, I suddenly noticed a scent. Roses?
“There’s a subtle rose scent from Terrence.”
“You noticed.”
“It’s not perfume. What is it?”
“I washed my face with rose water.”
“Rose water?”
“Yes. I asked Jack to get it for me, and he did.”
“Why…?”
“I heard it’s good for the skin.”
I just gaped. Terrence taking care of his skin… it didn’t quite seem like him.
Even in the novel or in reality, I’d never seen him care about his appearance.
“I told you. I’m going to hone my charm from now on.”
“So that’s why rose water?”
“I thought about it at dawn. I remembered hearing it was good for the skin.”
He’d been worrying about that before falling asleep on the sofa?!
Terrence brought my hand to his face.
“How is it? Does my skin feel softer?”
When I didn’t answer, he muttered, “One try isn’t enough,” then declared boldly:
“Look forward to it. I’ll become an even more charming man and tempt you.”
“…Do you really have to?”
“Don’t you want that opportunity at all? Or am I not your type, to the point you couldn’t be tempted even if the world split in two?”
“Not at all!”
“Good. Then I’ll work hard.”
Terrence, smiling cheerfully, adopted a more serious tone.
“Idel, don’t overthink it. I like you, and you don’t dislike me. So I’ll make the effort—nothing more.”
I could offer no further objection.
Thus, Terrence and I were no longer just simple friends—we had become the tempter and the tempted.
For the record, that was Terrence’s declaration.
In truth, I didn’t find his words about tempting me entirely burdensome. Moreover…
“So that you can hold my hand without worrying about others’ gazes or future misfortunes.”
The moment I heard that, I couldn’t help but dream. That perhaps, such a moment could really come.
I didn’t know how our relationship would unfold, but for now, I decided to simply act on my feelings.
I had breakfast with Terrence and told him the story I hadn’t fully shared at dawn.
The past lives of Idel and Riena that I saw at the orphanage. After hearing it, Terrence said:
“You’re a very greedy woman.”
With a face full of displeasure.
“Not only did you take my adoptive home, but you even try to keep me by your side.”
“I’m curious why you’re so obsessed with me. It doesn’t seem to be just about the mine… do you want Idel as a friend in this life too?”
“That’s only for you to know. The important thing is how you’ll deal with her going forward.”
“Honestly, I don’t feel like taking revenge on Riena for losing the chance to get sponsorship from Cassius. After all, I’m not the real Idel.”
I tore off a piece of bread and continued speaking.
“But if Riena keeps trying to take the mine or obstructs me, I can’t just sit by.”
After finishing breakfast, we discussed future plans over tea.
“Your Highness, I’m terribly sorry, but…”
Jack came to Terrence, looking unwell.
“What is it? You said today would be a day of rest.”
Before the grim-faced Terrence, the prince’s aide pleaded.
“Prince Mihail suddenly raised complaints regarding the mine business… we have no way to handle it.”
Terrence sighed and apologized to me.
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine. Go ahead and handle it.”
“Yes. I’ll return as swiftly as possible.”
Shortly after he left, someone arrived at the palace.
“Hello, new sister!”
I blinked in disbelief and asked Riena:
“Did you ask Prince Mihail to do this?”
Until now, I had thought Mihail was simply acting out of spite, but it seemed to be Riena’s plan.
“Oh, what for?”
Riena widened her eyes as if she knew nothing, but I wasn’t buying it.
“Since it’s just the two of us, stop pretending. Stop playing at being family.”
“…Fine. Idel, I’ll do as you say.”
Without prompting, Riena sat on the sofa with a guilty look.
“Sorry, I’ve been wanting to visit you, but Mihail was so deeply disappointed that I spent all my time comforting him.”
“You don’t have to apologize. Don’t come if you don’t want to.”
“Idel! Whatever he whispered to you, we were close friends! You have to trust me!”
I realized Riena believed Terrence was a time-repeater like her, and that I was simply being played.
“Close friends? You call someone you push away and even steal their adoption opportunity a friend?”
Riena stiffened for a moment, then laughed lightly.
“Was it like that? I did that?”
“No, I remembered it.”
I spoke the code only Idel and Riena knew from our previous lives.
“I’m tired of raspberry juice, Riena.”
Riena’s face twisted in response.
