"Eh?"

The smile on Zervanie's face began to freeze. Even the light seemed to slow as it approached her.

Her slender, long fingertips were the first to stiffen in mid-air. Once she understood what Felyn had said, they began to tremble slightly, a heart-wrenching sight.

Zervanie took two steps back, wanting to get further and further away from Felyn. She slammed hard into the wardrobe, making a loud *thump* that even caused Veronica, who was treating Dorothy, to look up at her.

"You're lying, right?" she whispered in a low voice, in complete disbelief.

The illusion Felyn was talking about, what else could it be?

Wasn't it the illusion that the high-level magical beast had created for her?

So Felyn actually already knew her feelings?

This fact made Zervanie's vision go black, and her legs began to feel weak.

If she hadn't been tightly gripping the wardrobe handle, she would have collapsed to the ground just like Dorothy had moments ago.

"That was an illusion, Felyn. It was all fake..."

Under the shocking news, the already flustered Zervanie was still making a final, desperate struggle.

"Don't illusions mess with your self-awareness? Those were all fake words. It probably blurred my memory of you, that's why I said those things and did those things, but actually I..."

Felyn didn't give Zervanie a chance to explain. He shattered her fantasy with a single sentence, "I experienced the same illusion too. I know you were awake from the very beginning."

Hearing this, Zervanie realized any explanation was useless.

Her hand gripped the wardrobe handle tightly. She turned her head to the side, biting her lip hard, trying to keep the tears in her eyes from falling.

But the tears wouldn't stop.

The dark clouds scattered, and a beam of light finally reached Zervanie.

Felyn felt as if he was seeing Zervanie under a spotlight. The sunlight made the glitter on her face sparkle beautifully, making her face even more captivating.

That was the Zervanie on stage, the Zervanie on the posters.

She tried to lift her head, tear tracks already on her face.

Zervanie forced a smile, but the corners of her mouth could never quite curve up perfectly.

"I've been exposed..."

Why now?

Why?

The timing isn't right yet. I wanted to slowly develop things with Felyn. Why on earth?

"That illusion is very powerful, very immersive. How did you manage to realize it was fake at first glance?" Felyn also leaned against the wardrobe, not looking at her face.

"That kind of thing... you just realize it at first glance. After all, after all, it's the boy I like. Even if his appearance is the same, I can feel it with this." Zervanie clutched her chest, speaking intermittently.

Felyn could see the tips of her ears, red through her hair, and the slight trembling of her shoulders.

"Is that so..." he sighed, speaking in a low voice. "You know, Zervanie, I..."

Zervanie tightly tugged on Felyn's sleeve, not letting him say the words. "Felyn, I just did you a favor. Can I ask you to do me a favor too?"

Seeing Zervanie like this, Felyn's lips parted slightly, the words he was about to say forcibly swallowed back down.

"Okay."

Zervanie let out a sigh of relief. She was afraid Felyn wouldn't even give her this chance.

"Those words, can you not say them? Please," she squeezed out these words with all her strength, her shoulder leaning against his, wanting to enjoy one last moment of attachment. "I know what you're going to say. We all know. But please don't say it, okay?"

Felyn didn't shy away from Zervanie's closeness. He fell silent for a long time, thinking about how to respond.

At this moment, Zervanie felt like she was on trial, nervously awaiting the verdict.

"What's the point of this, Zervanie?" Felyn finally spoke.

"It's meaningful. It might not be meaningful to you, but it's very meaningful to me."

"Whether you say it or not, I will continue to like you. But as long as you don't say it, I won't feel so bad in my heart."

Felyn's sleeve was crumpled into a ball by Zervanie's tight grip.

He could smell her fragrance, feel the softness of the girl's body and her heartbeat.

"I don't want this, Zervanie. You've wasted too much time on me."

"No, I haven't, Felyn," she quickly said. "Don't you understand, Felyn? I'm just liking a normal boy from the perspective of a girl, a 19-year-old girl. Why call it a waste of time? Do I have to like a boy who is rich and powerful and can help my career?"

Zervanie continued, "I know what you're thinking. You don't want to delay my future. You want me to have a better life after leaving you, or at least not a much worse one. But... but it's precisely this kind of thinking that makes me like you even more..."

"I haven't delayed my career because of you. Look, aren't I here for the charity performance today? I'm working hard too. I've already walked out of the shadow of you leaving me. I'm fine now. Please, Felyn, let me... let me..."

Let me continue to like you.

Zervanie didn't say this sentence out loud.

The words broke off there. Felyn suddenly felt the world around him become very quiet.

He felt as if he had returned to that illusion again, surrounded by a vast, dazzling white light, with only himself and Zervanie left, leaning against the wardrobe.

Zervanie understood Felyn very well, and Felyn understood Zervanie very well.

None of this was her acting.

"Zervanie, I..."

Zervanie tilted her head up slightly, her sky-blue eyes reflecting Felyn's clear figure.

Her lips parted slightly, accepting Felyn's judgment.

Just then, a rapid vibration interrupted Felyn's words.

It came from Zervanie's pocket.

"Lady Zervanie! The charity performance is about to start! I sent countless messages to your staff but no one replied, so I had to call you directly. I'm so sorry for taking up your time. But could you please come to the backstage now?"

Zervanie, as if grasping a life-saving straw, held the sigil with both hands. "Right away, I'll be right there. Her Highness the Princess is with me too. I'll come over with her."

After hanging up, she immediately took a step forward, leaving Felyn's side.

"Sorry, Felyn, I have something to do now. I have to go."

In the end, the answer Zervanie wanted most was for Felyn to say nothing at all.

As long as she could still stay by Felyn's side, there was still a chance.

As long as Felyn didn't explicitly ask her to stay away, there was still a chance.

Zervanie now only hoped to get along with Felyn as friends, slowly cultivating their feelings, and confessing when the time was right.

She seized this opportunity, left Felyn's side, and prevented him from saying those words.

At this moment, Dorothy on the sofa also slowly regained consciousness, constantly calling out for Big Brother Felyn.

"Your Highness, shall we go together?" Zervanie didn't leave first. She was afraid the awakened Dorothy would do something to Felyn again.

So she wanted to keep Dorothy by her side until the charity performance was over.

"No," the newly awakened Dorothy mumbled discontentedly. "I want to be with Big Brother Felyn."

Just as Zervanie was about to coax Dorothy out, Felyn had already come up behind her.

"Zervanie, you go wait at the door for a bit. I have something to say to Her Highness."

"But..." Zervanie was afraid Dorothy would just sling Felyn over her shoulder and carry him away.

Felyn understood. With the way Dorothy was now, there was no way to avoid her by hiding.

The best way to eliminate fear is to face it.

(End of Chapter)