episode_0062

“Ugh, it’s cold.”

“Hold still. Your hair sticks out too much—if I don’t dye it thoroughly, it won’t be hidden properly.”

While Ian was packing for their move to the village, Arin and Millen were a short distance away, dyeing their hair black. Every time the brush, soaked in pitch-black dye, ran through Arin’s hair, her shoulders twitched.

With her eyes closed to avoid getting dye in them, Arin couldn’t see, but already, more than half of her hair had turned black. If someone didn’t know better, they wouldn’t even recognize her as the same person.

Millen wasn’t pleased with how docilely Arin accepted her touch. She had changed too much from when they first met. The Arin of back then would never have allowed her to lay a finger on her.

It was undoubtedly a positive change for Arin as a person, but to Millen, it was an ominous sign. A woman’s intuition—no, she didn’t even need that. The way Arin looked at and acted around the man Millen had marked was so obviously different that anyone could see it.

She didn’t know what had happened between them after Arin regained her memories, but something had happened. The only one oblivious was Ian, who couldn’t even imagine that she might have feelings for him.

‘But that’s only a matter of time.’

Anyone who wasn’t a fool would notice soon enough. And if Ian realized Arin’s feelings—what then?

Ian was a man of loyalty. He wouldn’t abandon her now, pretending not to know her, but if he ended up with the woman he’d been pining for, Millen would be left behind.

Having watched Ian closely all this time, Millen could say with certainty: if those two got together, she’d be relegated to nothing more than a concubine at best.

Fortunately, there was still a chance. Arin hadn’t yet acknowledged her own feelings. If Millen didn’t take preventive measures now, all her efforts would go to waste.

So this wasn’t some cowardly trick. It was a justified act to protect her own rights.

Finishing the dye job and setting the brush down, Millen casually steered the conversation.

“Arin. You said it before, didn’t you? That you hoped things would work out between me and Ian.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I did… But why bring that up now?”

She had said something like that when leaving Felix’s territory. It wasn’t that she was cheering for Millen’s love—she just thought it would be good for Ian to marry someone so devoted to him.

That thought hadn’t changed. Of course, she was grateful to Ian for helping her this far, but Millen’s determination to follow him on a year-long journey just to aid another woman was downright admirable.

Honestly, it might even be called obsession—but even so, where else would you find a woman like her as a friend’s wife? If Ian married Millen, at least he wouldn’t end up like her.

But.

For some reason, she didn’t feel like wishing them well anymore. Imagining the two of them living happily made her chest tighten. That had to be the lingering influence of the other Arin still in her mind.

“Will you help me?”

“…Help you?”

“Yeah. We’re in agreement, right? If things work out between me and Ian, it’s good for both of us.”

“How is that good for me…?”

I don’t care if you two end up together. No—I’d rather you didn’t.

She swallowed those words, but Millen was already narrowing her eyes, glaring at her.

“Hmm, so you’ve been pretending not to care, but now that you might really lose him, you’re showing your true colors?”

“True colors? Are you saying I’ve been toying with Ian?”

“You could see it that way. You push him away, saying you’re not interested, but the moment another woman might take him, suddenly you don’t like it?”

“When did I ever say that?! I don’t care if he sees other women!”

Arin shot to her feet, flaring up—and Millen smirked inwardly before speaking.

“Then just help me.”

“That’s—! Why should I go out of my way to help your love life?!”

“You don’t have to do much. Just keep pushing Ian away like you always do, and leave us alone together. I’ll handle the rest.”

Ugh. She felt like she’d been cornered. This wasn’t just her mood talking. In this kind of woman’s battle, Arin was no match for Millen.

Outmaneuvered, Arin made a conflicted face but eventually nodded. She didn’t like acting according to Millen’s plan, but it was necessary.

She was Riel Frost. She had to. As uncomfortable as it was, she needed to distance herself from Ian—if only to erase the other Arin still lingering in her heart.

“I’ve finished packing. Are you two done here?”

“No, we’re all done!”

The moment Ian appeared, Millen dashed over and clung to him. Ian didn’t push her away like he used to. Their relationship had clearly progressed during the journey.

His feelings still seemed closer to friendship than love, but that could change at any moment. He’d already said he’d stay as Arin’s friend and was trying to let go of his feelings for her.

That empty space in his heart was the perfect opening for Millen to slip into. It might not be long before she achieved the goal she’d dreamed of for so long.

In the end, Millen would win. Arin almost wondered if she could write a book under that title as she struggled to keep her expression from hardening.

Trying to look away from the infuriating sight of Millen, Arin instead locked eyes with Ian. For some reason, he was staring at her blankly, as if transfixed.

His gaze was so direct that she suddenly felt self-conscious and averted her eyes.

“…What?”

Realizing belatedly how openly he’d been staring, Ian also looked away, hiding his slightly reddened face.

“No, it’s just… Black hair suits you pretty well.”

“O-Oh? Thanks…”

She didn’t even know what she was thanking him for.

As the two stood there awkwardly, wiping sweat or smoothing their hair, Millen—whose efforts had just been overshadowed by a single dye job—could only frown in irritation.

Still, she wouldn’t give up. The one who laughed last was the true victor.

—

“Two rooms, then. As for you two… I think I can guess. But, miss, what’s your relationship with them?”

Since Millen was clinging to Ian like a sloth, the question was clearly directed at Arin. The three had stopped at an inn upon entering the village to secure lodging first.

To save money, they’d rented two rooms—one for Arin and Millen to share, and one for Ian.

However, seeing how closely Millen stuck to Ian, the young clerk assumed they were a couple. Unable to hide his hopeful curiosity about Arin being alone, he pressed further.

“Do I really have to explain that?”

“N-No, of course not! It’s just… if you don’t have a partner, I could, uh, keep an eye out for you! You know, a woman staying alone in an inn might face some… dangerous situations…”

His flimsy excuse only grated on her nerves. Ever since her identity had been exposed, no one had dared say such things to her. Naturally, Arin had no patience for men with ulterior motives. Her voice turned sharp.

“How absurd. Do inns these days investigate guests’ personal lives? Why not ask for my family tree while you’re at it?”

Her aggressive tone froze even the people waiting behind them. The clerk gaped like an idiot.

“Uh, I—”

“If you’ve got time for pointless questions, go clean something. Isn’t that your job? If you’re so useless that all you can do is clerk at an inn, at least do that properly.”

The insult, laced with quiet disdain, made the clerk’s face twist. Ignoring him, Arin snatched the keys from his hand and headed upstairs to her room. Behind her, the other two voiced their concerns.

“Ugh, that temper of hers hasn’t changed at all.”

“Was that really necessary? We’re hiding our identities—making enemies won’t help.”

Ian had initially planned to step in, but even he thought she’d gone too far.

“Guys like that don’t get it unless you’re blunt. Better not to give them any ideas.”

Arin knew from years of experience that men like this wouldn’t dare retaliate, no matter how harshly she spoke.

“If you say so… Let’s just drop our bags and head out. We should start gathering supplies for the trip.”

At that, Millen glanced back, clasping her hands together with a fox-like smile. Arin sighed faintly in exasperation.

“Sorry, but count me out. I’ve got something else to do.”

“Something else?”

“It’s been a while since Arin’s been in an outer village. She must have her own things to take care of. Women have… private matters.”

Arin nodded vaguely, snatched her bag from Millen, and headed to her room. Tossing her things aside, she sat on the bed and scanned the interior.

She had agreed to Millen’s request, but she also had her own business to attend to. After hearing Ian and Millen leave, she stepped out a short while later.

Heading down to the first floor where the clerk was, she overheard a group of men gathered around the counter.

“Did you see that guy’s face earlier? Fucking hilarious.”

“Getting shut down by a woman and not even able to talk back—what a loser.”

“Ugh, shut up already!”

The men were gathered around the clerk, laughing and mocking him.

“But damn, even if her temper’s awful, she’s fine though. Couldn’t take my eyes off her.”

“The guy with her was handsome too. No way this idiot stands a chance.”

“Whatever, I’m just jealous. If I were that guy, I’d—”

The clerk mimed grabbing something and thrust his hips into the air. That was when Arin, standing silently at the counter, watched the spectacle unfold.

While his friends broke out in cold sweat, he kept humping the air, laughing like it was the funniest thing.

“Dude, stop—”

“What? It’s fucking funny—”

Only when one of them pointed it out did he notice Arin standing there.

“Uh, hey, I—I’m sorry…”

Even as the clerk stammered an apology, Arin’s icy gaze didn’t waver.

Crude jokes among men weren’t uncommon—Arin had seen plenty even in the male-dominated Magic Tower.

But being the target of that lewdness and seeing it from a third-person perspective…

“I’ll be back later. Have hot water ready.”

Surprisingly, Arin didn’t lash out. She spoke calmly and left.

Except.

“Pathetic.”

She muttered it just loud enough for them to hear.

Humiliated, the clerk’s face turned red, his fists trembling.