Chapter 19: On This Day in History

Camuanna’s figure quickly disappeared into the noisy crowd filling the guild hall.

Ryan remained standing where he was, completely still.

What remained in his hand was the warmth of another person’s palm, so different from the coldness he remembered.

It was only when that warmth slipped away that Ryan finally came back to himself.

Sidelika released his hand.

“I’m sorry.”

She looked at Ryan, her eyes filled with remorse.

“Why are you suddenly apologizing?”

Ryan was confused.

He had thought she would be feeling smug after completely winning that exchange, or at the very least tease him a little, as she usually did.

“Because I made a decision for you without asking what you wanted.”

Sidelika met his gaze openly.

There wasn’t the slightest hint of a joke in those emerald eyes.

She was genuinely apologizing to him.

“Maybe… I shouldn’t have interfered in the matter between you two? But it really wasn’t fair to you, and I couldn’t just stand by and watch. If I made you unhappy, I’m sorry.”

Looking at her cautious expression, Ryan’s heart was filled with complicated emotions.

He had been abandoned.

Betrayed.

Pointed at and called a useless piece of trash.

He had experienced all of it, and he could bear it.

But that light, simple “I’m sorry,” and the explanation that she was worried about making him unhappy, unexpectedly caused a crack to appear in the heart he had long since frozen solid.

‘So this is what it feels like to have someone carefully consider your feelings.’

Ryan looked at the sincerity in Sidelika’s apologetic expression.

His throat suddenly felt dry, and for a moment, he didn’t know what to say.

“It’s fine…”

In the end, he could only smile and shake his head.

“Thank you for standing up for me.”

His gratitude was just as genuine.

It would be impossible to say that he felt no resentment toward Camuanna.

He wasn’t a saint, after all.

But there were some things that Ryan’s personality would never allow him to say himself.

Sidelika had simply said all of those things for him.

That was why he had remained silent and let her continue.

“Anyway, considering the result…”

“Not bad.”

Sidelika smiled too.

“Oh, my, oh my~ I just didn’t expect your childhood sweetheart to be such an adorable little girl. Meeting her in person really is different from hearing about her~”

“…”

She had just praised her, and now she was starting again.

“Stop adding fuel to the fire.”

“I’m not~”

Sidelika blinked.

“I just think the way she looks at you doesn’t seem like the way someone looks at an ordinary teammate.”

Ryan didn’t answer.

“Is she… someone very important to you?”

After all that buildup, Sidelika finally asked the question.

Naturally, she had come to this question because she had witnessed the entire exchange between Ryan and Camuanna.

Before meeting her, Sidelika had assumed that the two of them were simply victims of some kind of internal party bullying.

But after their conversation just now, she realized that their relationship was far from ordinary.

Sidelika immediately felt a sense of danger.

Ryan remained silent for a long time after hearing her question.

Only then did he slowly voice what he truly felt.

“We went through a lot together… She was the beginning of all my adventures. She was also the scenery I wanted to see most whenever I looked back. Until one day, when I turned around… I realized she was no longer there.”

“…”

“It’s okay. What’s old has to go before something new can come along, right?”

She took Ryan’s hand again.

“Now, when you look back, you won’t see Camuanna. You’ll see me.”

The meaning behind those words was already quite obvious.

But Ryan apparently didn’t catch it.

He simply took it as another little joke from Sidelika.

“Hey! You two! Are you still not done? How long is this taking?”

Eluvier suddenly emerged from somewhere, a skewer of grilled meat in each hand and her mouth gleaming with grease.

Ryan waved at her.

“You have some nerve saying that. Where did you run off to this time to swindle people?”

“Who says I did?!”

Eluvier looked indignant.

“I came back ages ago! I heard your whole bet just now!”

“Then why didn’t you come over?”

Sidelika looked genuinely confused.

“Ah, well… I saw two jealous people arguing from way over there.”

“Who would dare come over?”

“Shut up!”

Sidelika was beginning to regret asking.

She glared viciously at the blue-haired girl in front of her.

Eluvier timidly shrank her neck and immediately stopped talking.

“Hmph. Let’s go. We should head back.”

Ryan smiled helplessly.

“Since we’ve accepted the bet, there’s no way we’re going to lose.”

Sidelika looked at his profile.

Compared to the exhausted, taciturn young man she had first met, he seemed like a completely different person now.

That confident smile made Sidelika stare for a moment.

In her eyes, Ryan seemed to be glowing at that moment.

Sidelika reached out again.

This time, she didn’t take his hand.

Instead, she slipped her arm through his and leaned her entire body affectionately against him.

The soft warmth through their thin clothes made Ryan’s body instantly stiffen.

“We really should prepare properly.”

“As the party leader, you’re going to have to shoulder the responsibility properly, you know?”

Sidelika tilted her head up, mischievous light shining in her emerald eyes.

“I bet a full five thousand gold coins, after all. That’s all my spending money. If we lose, I’m really going to cry, okay?”

****

Meanwhile, on the other side, Camuanna hurried back to the booth.

She dropped heavily into her seat, picked up her juice, and gulped down a large mouthful.

Camuusia watched her with an amused smile.

“So? Did your little conversation go well?”

“Don’t ask!”

Camuanna slammed her cup down on the table, her cheeks flushed with anger.

“Who is that woman?! How dare she hold Ryan’s hand?! They’ve only known each other for a few days! Seriously… seriously, how shameless!”

“Oh?”

Camuusia’s smile became meaningful.

“So that’s what you’re concerned about.”

“I wasn’t concerned!”

Camuanna’s voice rose several notches.

“I just… I just think he’s been deceived!”

“That’s right! Someone like him was obviously tricked by that vixen!”

“Sweet words! Sugar-coated bullets!”

Camuusia didn’t expose her.

She merely smiled softly.

“So, what did you say to him?”

Camuanna suddenly fell silent.

Then she muttered sullenly.

“I made a bet with him…”

“Anna, Anna…”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Camuusia stood up and reached out to ruffle her little sister’s hair.

“I just think you’re still exactly the same as ever.”

Camuanna irritably slapped her hand away and muttered,

“I’ll definitely win.”

Camuusia didn’t mind.

She turned toward the registration counter.

Ryan happened to be coming out from that direction, and their gazes briefly met across the hall.

Ryan gave her a polite nod before continuing on his way.

Only after Camuusia watched the three of them disappear through the entrance did she slightly furrow her brows.

Then she slowly spoke.

“Orange-gold hair… You don’t see that kind of hair color very often. And Anna, don’t you think that girl looks a little familiar?”

“Hm?”

Camuanna had been too busy thinking about how she was going to argue with Sidelika to pay much attention.

Now that she thought about it carefully, something did indeed seem strange.

“Now that you mention it… I think I’ve seen her somewhere before?”

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