“…Is that even possible?”

Pamela could easily guess that Helena’s words were about Felix. That’s why she had to ask her.

In her common sense, the idea of someone else inhabiting another person’s body was something she had never heard of except in black magic.

Seeing Pamela’s furrowed brow, Helena smiled self-deprecatingly.

“Why don’t you ask him directly?”

“…Ah.”

Pamela finally understood the situation a little.

“So, the one in Felix’s body isn’t the original Felix, but someone else? Since when?”

“Shortly after entering the academy.”

“And you didn’t notice that the person had changed all this time?”

“…”

Helena couldn’t say anything to Pamela’s sharp observation.

This was also part of the reason why Helena was so upset. She hadn’t noticed at all that Felix had become a completely different person.

If she were to make excuses, she had plenty. Because he acted with Felix’s memories and deliberately tried to deceive her.

But there was nothing she could say. After all, all of that was just an excuse.

“So that’s the problem, and now you’re acting like you don’t care what happens?”

“…What else could be the problem?”

For Pamela and others, this might not be a big issue. They were connections made after Felix had become someone else.

But not for Helena. She had known Felix for a very long time, and she thought she liked Felix, not the changed one.

“But you know.”

However, Pamela still looked like she didn’t understand. Seeing her expression, Helena bit her lower lip hard.

She never thought anyone would understand in the first place. What happened to Felix was so unbelievable that even she could hardly believe it.

“You still liked him even after he changed, right?”

“… That’s…”

Again, Helena had nothing to say.

But seeing Pamela’s blank stare, she couldn’t help but say.

“Because he deliberately deceived me. I had no choice but to think he was Felix.”

“…Do you think that makes sense? Even a passing dog would know he can’t lie.”

Felix wasn’t good at lying. The previous Felix and the Lee Shin-woo inside Felix’s body were like that.

Rather than lying, he would deflect, and rather than deflecting, he would awkwardly try to move on. Helena couldn’t not know this fact.

But this was just self-defense. Self-defense to instinctively protect herself.

Otherwise, Helena’s mind couldn’t handle it.

“Anyway.”

Helena cut off Pamela’s words as if she didn’t want to hear anymore.

“I have nothing to do with him now. So, whatever anyone does with him has nothing to do with me.”

“…Really?”

Pamela nodded slightly at Helena’s demeanor.

“If that’s the case…”

Don’t regret it later.

She didn’t dare say the last part to her. The outcome was already obvious anyway.

***

“Delicious…!”

Sylvia, exclaiming since the food arrived, patted her full stomach, and her eyes sparkled again.

Sylvia looked extremely satisfied after devouring the main dish and dessert. I also smiled contentedly, again feeling that the food here was quite good.

Sylvia smiled brightly, not minding others’ gazes, but soon, she noticed something and started sneakily glancing at me.

“Um, Felix?”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Can I go to the bathroom for a moment?”

“…Go ahead.”

After briefly wondering about her furtive behavior, I couldn’t help but smile as I saw her sneakily grab something and stand up.

“Sylvia.”

“Y-yes?”

“Put that down.”

I called out to her after seeing her try to take the bill without me noticing, and Sylvia’s face turned pale as she vigorously shook her head.

“N-no…!”

“I said I’ll pay.”

“But I said I’d treat you first…!”

“Now, now, there are some things you can’t get by throwing a tantrum.”

I tried to admonish Sylvia solemnly and seriously, but she was adamant.

Her desire to treat me was touching, but no matter what, letting Sylvia pay pricked my conscience.

Not because Sylvia was a beautiful woman or a commoner, but as I said earlier, I had treated Helena a few times, so I didn’t think it was right to let Sylvia treat me.

Sighing deeply, I stood up and met Sylvia’s eyes.

“Sylvia.”

“Y-yes…”

“I told you I’d treat you today because I felt sorry. So, I’ll pay.”

“But…”

“If you feel that bad, you can treat me next time.”

In fact, there was no need to fight over who pays.

It’s not like Sylvia and I would never see each other again after today. It was just a matter of one person paying now and the other paying later.

But Sylvia seemed not to have thought that far as she blinked her eyes wide at my words.

“Next time?”

“Yes, next time.”

“O-okay! I’ll pay next time!”

Seeing Sylvia finally relax and hand over the bill, I smiled faintly, finished paying, and stepped outside with Sylvia.

Tilting my head slightly at her inexplicably excited appearance, I remembered our original purpose for coming here and asked her.

“Where should we go now?”

“Huh? Oh, this way!”

Sylvia also seemed to have forgotten our original purpose due to the delicious food and the payment issue. She blinked for a moment at my words, then nodded and led me with confident steps.

Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but be a bit flustered as Sylvia grabbed my arm and dragged me along.

‘… Isn’t she a bit too close?’

As I tried to pull out my arm that was suddenly grabbed and create some distance from Sylvia,

Glare.

Sylvia glared at me, silently telling me to follow her.

‘Why is she acting like this today?’

Honestly, while it might be understandable from Helena, it was a bit surprising to see Sylvia act this way.

It gave off a strong impression that could be misunderstood by anyone watching. Even in Helena’s case, she created such an atmosphere because she originally liked Felix.

Sylvia, who was extremely wary of and careful about contact with men, had likely never done this before.

“Aren’t we a bit too close?”

While Sylvia might consider it the distance between close friends, others could misunderstand, so I carefully asked her.

However, Sylvia answered nonchalantly as if she didn’t mind at all.

“Huh? Is that a problem?”

“…Never mind.”

It felt awkward to see Sylvia, who was usually more sensitive than anyone to others’ eyes and reactions, act like this. Still, knowing she was doing it because she thought we were close, I just shook my head.

Seeing my reaction, her smile grew as if pleased, and she tightened her grip on my arm as we walked.

Anyway, after walking while being held by Sylvia, I looked around and tilted my head.

“Where is this?”

“It’s where I buy the items I need!”

Indeed, the place Sylvia was heading seemed a bit difficult for her to go alone.

We had to walk through a dark alley. Even though she was an academy student, as a non-combat type, it might have been dangerous if she had come alone.

No, if it had been Sylvia, the original protagonist, something would have definitely happened. Thinking about that made my head a bit dizzy.

“Sylvia, have you ever come down this road alone?”

“Um… not often, but a few times?”

“Wow.”

Is this what they call a lack of safety awareness?

I exclaimed, slapping my forehead at Sylvia’s casual words, and she blinked at me with an expression that showed she didn’t understand anything.

“What’s wrong?”

“It seems a bit dangerous for you to come here alone.”

The light didn’t reach here well, and above all, only a few people were around.

Even if it were paradise, there was no need to put oneself into dangerous situations.

Hearing my words, Sylvia looked around momentarily, smiled brightly as if she had thought of something, and took a step closer to me.

“You’re right, now that you mention it, it does seem a bit dangerous…?”

Her expression wasn’t scared, but she approached me slightly as if frightened. I let out a chuckle and put my hand on her head, turning it forward.

“Right, it’s dangerous, so don’t go here alone next time.”

“Does that mean you’ll come with me next time too?!”

“…Well, if I’m not busy?”

There was no reason to refuse, so when I readily accepted Sylvia’s proposal, she laughed and started to walk quickly.

I quietly followed behind her.

Translator’s Corner

To all you Helena: L + Ratio hahhahaofuafnuh.

I know it’s likely she’ll enter the race again later, but let me cook you childhood friend lovers while I can.

-Ruminas