The World Has Become Kinder to Her

“Frederick, I want to go back. Please take me to the estate,” Lotus said, her voice resolute.

It would have been better to get angry or even hit him, rather than simply turning away, she thought.

“Huh? Oh… alright,” Frederick replied, a bit taken aback.

But just as Lotus was about to walk toward Frederick, Theodore hurriedly grabbed her arm. His usually composed gaze now held only Lotus within it.

“…I was too selfish. I’m sorry, Lotus,” Theodore said softly.

His violet eyes wavered, his brow furrowed, and his voice was uncharacteristically small. 

Frederick, Kenneth, and Salia all blinked in disbelief. The man who usually held the world in his hands, mocking it like a god, now looked like a mere human who had made a mistake.

‘When he apologized to me before, there wasn’t a trace of sincerity!’ Lotus thought.

Theodore William had a talent for aggravating others with his arrogance. He dealt with people in two ways: either hiding behind a meticulously crafted social mask or looking down on them coldly, with an air of superiority. 

To him, even Frederick, who had reached the pinnacle of magic, Kenneth, called the God of the Sword, and Salia, the Spirit King who ruled over the waters of nature, were nothing more than tools. 

At least, Lotus mused, he didn’t bother to hide that arrogance from them. None of them liked being treated as mere tools, but they endured it. Frederick and Kenneth did so out of mutual respect for Theodore’s intellect and their shared goals, while Salia tolerated it due to her rare bond with a contractor. 

What made Theodore especially infuriating, though, was that he was fully aware of their grudging tolerance. 

And yet, here he was, speaking to Lotus as though he had always been prepared to acknowledge his mistakes. He apologized naturally, showing vulnerability—something he detested. He was afraid of Lotus turning her back on him, even though he had never openly admitted any feelings to her.

Despite the unspoken emotions visible in his violet eyes—impatience, longing, and affection—he had never once called it love.

Frederick, his expression sulky, puffed his cheeks slightly as he watched the interaction. “Wow, so that mouth *can* apologize. Should I just tear it apart with a wind blade after all?”

「No! He’s *my* contractor, so if anyone’s going to tear his mouth apart, it’ll be me!」 Salia chimed in, defending Theodore, even though she was bickering with Frederick as usual.

Kenneth sighed softly as he watched their absurd argument unfold.

Lotus turned to face Theodore, her expression a mixture of frustration and contemplation.

“How do you manage to make even your allies hate you?” she asked, her voice laced with exasperation.

“If I don’t wear the right mask, this is the result, as you well know,” Theodore replied, unfazed.

“That’s nothing to be proud of.”

“Well, this is just the way I am. Please understand.”

“That’s the easiest, most cowardly excuse,” Lotus shot back, clearly unimpressed.

“What would you have me do, then?” Theodore asked, his voice steady, but there was a hint of genuine curiosity behind it.

“If you truly want to apologize, then tell me the truth. Why were you in such a bad state that day?” Lotus pressed. She had an uncanny ability to put Theodore in difficult positions, and watching him lose his usual composure was both intriguing and satisfying for Frederick and Salia.

“Unfortunately, I’ll have to delay that answer for now. It’s related to certain restrictions. But if you stay and continue this conversation, I promise I’ll tell you eventually.”

“So, you planned all this from the start?” Lotus muttered under her breath. She could see the strange flicker of pleasure in Theodore’s violet eyes, a pleasure he seemed to take in being understood.

“It makes me happy,” he admitted with a small smile.

Ah, what a difficult man to understand.

Theodore hated when others saw through him, yet at the same time, he wanted them to. His mind was a puzzle of contradictions.

“Then I’ll take my payment for the earlier insult in a different way,” Lotus declared, her voice firm.

Before Theodore could react, Lotus stood on her tiptoes and tugged on his cheek, her fingers grasping his face.

“I wonder if you anticipated this, Theodore,” she whispered, her voice as sweet as honey.

Theodore blinked slowly. She was the only one in this world who understood his twisted nature, the only one with whom he could truly communicate. 

He found himself wondering how he had managed to endure the past year and a half without her.

Theodore couldn’t forgive that demon for taking away the only joy in his life. 

“So refreshing,” he muttered in a slightly deflated tone, reacting to Lotus’s scoff as she sat down on the sofa. Truly, Theodore was as difficult a man as ever, whether in the past or now.

Kenneth and Frederick followed her lead, each taking a seat as well. Salia, who had been watching Lotus closely, clapped her hands.

「You’re impressive, aren’t you? Handling Theodore like that. You’re good at managing mages. I see the talent of a beast tamer in you.」

“A beast tamer?”

「Yes, like a wild beast tamer.」

At that, Theodore, Frederick, and Kenneth exchanged glances, their expressions tinged with something unreadable. A shiver ran down Lotus’s spine, and she shook her head.

“I think you’re misunderstanding something here.”

「I don’t think so. Oh, by the way, I have a question. You were mad after reading Theodore’s letter, weren’t you? Didn’t you think about hitting him at least once?」

“To some extent…”

「See? I was right, Theodore.」

Salia beamed with pride while Theodore responded with indifference.

“Good for you.”

“Are you the Spirit of Water?” Lotus asked.

「Yes. You don’t seem surprised. You already knew Theodore could summon spirits?」

“I found out somehow. Are you a high-ranking spirit?”

「Me? Would you understand if I said Salia?」

“…Spirit King.”

Lotus’s expression darkened. She knew Theodore wasn’t capable of contracting with a Spirit King through normal means.

‘Which means he must have used an abnormal summoning method.’

Theodore wasn’t likely to tell her the truth, but perhaps Salia would. Just as Lotus was about to ask Salia about the summoning method, Theodore approached her with an overly kind voice.

“Would you like some tea, Lotus?”

It was perfect timing, as if he was deliberately steering the conversation away from her question. If it had been just the two of them, she might have lashed out, but with Frederick and Kenneth present, she let it slide.

“Something mild, iced, and fragrant.”

“As you wish.”

Theodore’s tea-making skills were excellent. Though only a year older than her, he seemed to know how to do just about everything. Frederick, watching Theodore’s back with a sulky expression, glared daggers at him.

Frederick had been so focused on dealing with the greater enemy, Gaap, that he had almost forgotten—this man was an enemy too. A rival for a woman’s love.

‘Didn’t he say it wasn’t love, just obsession?’

Every time Frederick or Salia asked, Theodore would dismiss his feelings for Lotus as mere obsession. But seeing how carefully Theodore was attending to her now irritated Frederick to no end. 

If only he hadn’t made that insane remark in the past, telling Lotus she could meet other men, things might not have become so complicated.

‘Past me, just die already!’

His mood soured, Frederick caught sight of Kenneth absentmindedly stroking the hilt of his sword. Unlike Frederick, Kenneth hadn’t said a word of complaint nor shown any change in expression, yet the way his hand moved over his sword was so menacing it looked like he was ready to cut Theodore down at any moment.

What a terrifying man.

Soon, tea was placed in front of everyone, including Salia. The delicate scent of lotus tea, similar to Lotus herself, filled the room. Theodore sat down across from Lotus, cradling his teacup in his hands, and spoke.

“I believe Lotus already holds most of the pieces of the truth. Now, it’s just a matter of putting those pieces together.”

With elegant precision, he sipped his tea and then placed four sheets of paper on the table.

“…So, your idea is a life-or-death question game?” Lotus asked, her voice steady despite the gravity of her words.

Frederick and Kenneth exchanged glances, shocked by the severity of her suggestion.

“Yes. I still don’t have all the pieces myself. They say high risk brings high reward, right? I’ll wager my life on this game, and in return, I want you to wager yours. We’ll each ask three questions.”

To be able to discuss something so bold, so calmly, over tea—there was no one else in the world like the man sitting in front of her.

“Are you insane? If you want to die, do it alone. Don’t drag Loti into this!” Frederick yelled, his face twisting in fury.

Theodore’s expression remained as steady as a well-crafted mask. He had said his piece and now waited quietly for Lotus’s decision.

Kenneth, knowing that no words could sway Theodore, turned his attention to Lotus.

“Will you accept?” he asked, his voice low but resolute. “Without feeling pressured or pushed by those around you—is this what you truly want?”

In the face of that unwavering voice, Lotus felt herself becoming more honest, more open. It was as if she knew that whatever she confessed, it would be understood.

“I’ve always thought pain was terrifying, but not death. That’s why I made the choices I did in my past life, and why I tried to die again after coming back to the past. Life just felt too burdensome, and I was tired of it.”

Her voice, calm and steady, sounded much like Kenneth’s when he spoke of his battles. It was the voice of someone who had survived too much.

“But at the same time, I couldn’t stand the idea of living a life controlled by fear and pride, so I began digging into the mysteries surrounding me. The more I uncovered, the more scared I became, to the point where I wanted to run away. Why am I like this?”

The man who had lived close to death and sought it as much as she did answered quietly.

“Because you want to live.”

“…”

“Fear comes from lingering attachments.”

The moment Kenneth spoke the word “attachments,” Lotus closed her eyes. She could understand, at least in part, what he meant. 

The human heart, much like a plant seeking light, was drawn to the warmth of affection, even when it resisted at first. She had tried to reject it, but she had started to accept the small pieces of affection given to her.

Jane, who always took Lotus’s sharp words with patience.

Hession, who had hired personal knights for her at his own expense.

Kenneth, who understood her feelings and offered her stability, like a vast, calming sea.

Frederick, who hovered protectively around her, even when she pushed him away.

And Theodore, who, despite her protests, had pushed his body to the limit using forbidden magic.

She had told herself that their care was a burden, that it suffocated her, but their love had left a lingering attachment that now anchored her.

“Maybe my desire to keep uncovering the truth comes from a wish to face my life head-on?” Lotus asked softly.

“Yes, Lotus,” Kenneth affirmed.

With a deep breath, Lotus opened her eyes and picked up two of the enchanted papers on the table. A small needle lay beside them, its tip still warm as if it had been heated by fire.

Without hesitation, Lotus pricked her finger, allowing her blood to drip onto the papers that represented the south and east.

“Aren’t you going to start, Theodore?” she asked, her tone prompting him to action.

Theodore chuckled softly at her impatience. He took the needle and, without a word, pricked his own finger, letting his blood seep into the papers for the north and west. His voice was low, almost a whisper as he spoke.

“…The last year and a half has been a dull and miserable time.”

Lotus tilted her head in confusion, not fully understanding his words, but Frederick and Kenneth knew exactly what he was referring to.

“At first, it was confusing. Then, it became a challenge. And after that…”

With a subtle hand gesture, Theodore signaled for Kenneth and Frederick to step back. Though Frederick clearly wasn’t pleased with the situation, he knew there was no interfering once Lotus had agreed to participate. 

Theodore placed the glowing red papers in the four cardinal directions around himself and Lotus—north, south, east, and west—enclosing them both in a transparent, faintly red dome.

This was the arena for their life-or-death exchange, where they would each wager their lives and ask three questions, trading pieces of truth.

“I spent much of that time thinking of ways to hurt him the most. It made the days go by faster,” Theodore said nonchalantly, a sinister smile tugging at his lips. 

“Shall we begin, Lotus?”