Chapter 46: Thielvar

‘Do you know anything about my friend, Kim Yu-won?’

He was asking me about myself. What should I say?

This could be dangerous.

I hadn’t considered the possibility of meeting someone from my first life.

Would it be suspicious if I answered like this, considering my current relationship with Yong-hyun, who is like a younger brother, and the fact that I keep calling him “hyung”? Especially given my changed status.

Moreover, it seems he truly cherishes this relationship.

‘Let’s keep it brief and vague for now.’

Considering Yong-hyun’s personality, if I showed excessive surprise or emotion, it would likely raise his suspicions. I had to respond calmly and naturally.

Let’s pretend I’m just a little surprised.

Maybe I’ll just tilt my head slightly and make a confused expression. And then I’ll say something like…

‘Who is he talking about?’

That should be enough to deflect suspicion for the time being. Besides, there’s no reason to be overly emotional.

I’ll act as if I’m listening intently. If I seem overly invested or disinterested, it would be suspicious. And then…

‘Wait, what is he saying?’

I’ll act a bit more confused. I can also pretend to be deep in thought, trying to recall something.

“I’m sorry… Did you just say Kim Yu-won?”

I looked at him with a confused expression, as if I was trying to remember.

“Yes. Do you know him by any chance?”

I pretended to be surprised while acting like I was searching my memories. In truth, I have been with my former self all along.

“Do you perhaps know him well?”

He asked carefully.

“Perhaps… Was he by any chance Shin-woo’s friend?”

I asked cautiously, trying to elicit more information. There’s no need to rush.

“Yes…”

He seemed slightly disappointed by my response.

“Then do you also know Han Shin-woo?”

I feigned ignorance again. It was important to avoid acting like I knew everything. I had to play the part convincingly.

“Yes, but I didn’t know him that well…”

I pretended to recall something.

“Did you perhaps say that you were also friends with him?”

I asked innocently, as if confirming something I had vaguely remembered.

Maybe he’ll give me more clues. I had to listen carefully.

“Yes… he said that you were his closest friend.”

That touched my heart. A

lthough he didn’t remember me directly, it seemed he remembered that I was precious to him.

“And you were also close friends? You knew him that well?”

I continued to act confused. I had to avoid any actions that would raise his suspicions.

“Yes, incredibly so. You were…”

He trailed off, lost in thought.

“What were you… Did you say Kim Yu-won..?”

I asked again, pretending to struggle with my memory.

“Were you by any chance close?”

He was scrutinizing my every move, trying to gauge my reaction.

I maintained my confused expression and avoided eye contact.

“Shin-woo always said you were like family…”

He said with a slightly sad expression, seemingly immersed in memories.

“Yes, we were very close…”

I spoke vaguely, making sure not to reveal too much. Maybe I should mention something else to divert his attention. For example…

“I haven’t seen him in a while… How is Shin-woo doing?”

That worked.

He shifted his focus and told me about Shin-woo’s current situation.

“He seems to be doing well… He’s currently developing his skills with the help of the Strauss Family. Don’t tell me you haven’t contacted each other?”

He seemed genuinely surprised.

“No. We haven’t been in touch.”

I had to remain calm.

It would be suspicious if I overreacted.

Perhaps pretending to be slightly embarrassed would be more effective.

“You haven’t? That’s a shame… Well, maybe he changed his contact information after awakening his trait. He said you were extremely close, so I thought you’d still be in touch.”

‘Was there such a thing..?’

I tilted my head slightly, feigning ignorance.

He was still closely observing me.

I pretended to be deep in thought, trying to recall something.

“I can’t believe I forgot… That must be it.”

“You really don’t remember? You used to talk about him all the time.”

He continued to probe.

“No. I really can’t remember.”

I denied it again.

It would be dangerous to admit anything at this point.

“Really? Well… anyway, I understand your situation now. It must have been difficult for you after he disappeared.”

‘His disappearance..?’

My heart sank.

He still thought I was someone else.

“Yes. It was.”

It was true. I couldn’t deny that.

“I also felt the same way. You were like a little brother to me. Did you want to ask me anything about him?”

He was genuinely concerned.

“No… I just wanted to know how he was doing.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

I wasn’t lying. I truly wanted to know about my past self.

“If I see him again… please tell him I’m looking for him. And thank you for the tea.”