I reached out my hand to Noel, but she refused, wanting to lie down a bit longer. Her gaze was now fixed on the sky, drifting beyond me, and a smile graced her lips instead of silence. Looking up at the bright midday sun must be blinding, but that surely wasn’t the case for Noel.

After saying I understood, I turned my back on Noel and walked out of the venue.

As I exited to the cheers of the crowd, my emotions were mixed.

Noel looked relieved after speaking to me, but ultimately, her sigh was one I had to inherit. This slight guilt felt like a heavy stone in my heart, burdening my steps. I couldn’t quite tell if it was the weight of that guilt or if I was genuinely exhausted.

My duel with Noel was satisfying, regardless of the outcome. If I had lost, I would have been upset over not keeping my promise to Elena, but as it stood, it was at least a level I could accept. It was a match where either result would’ve felt normal. The value of my victory here was quite significant, given that.

However, what I gained wasn’t just the sweetness of victory. By defeating Noel, I took on the troubles and emotions she carried. She bore no fault in this matter. Noel had tried her best not to tell me, and it was I who provided the answer.

Ultimately, it was right to have said what I did to Noel. Leaving things as they were would’ve left her with the burden of lingering feelings. Whether or not I declared I would defeat Altair, it was an inevitable issue that had to be resolved someday.

Even though the problem was resolved, my heart wasn’t at ease because I hadn’t considered it until now, and rather than the refreshing feeling I should have gained from defeating Altair, I instead found myself caught in this dilemma. Something I should have faced eventually and yet, it turned out to be now—I was flustered.

Had Altair been the only one to say such things to me, I could have brushed it off casually. After all, at this moment, I didn’t know Altair, and that was a past I was unaware of. But Noel’s feelings were hard to just pass by. It was because I knew her.

Only after hearing Noel’s confession could I understand Altair’s actions, and my head throbbed with the connections of the past to which I was oblivious. Things I hadn’t known before, now I did. What could have caused my relationships to become so tangled in previous iterations? I cursed my past self for not resolving it in advance.

Answering Noel one more time like that was to alleviate it. It was an action for both her and me. Yet, even still, the headache didn’t fade, and what I received was merely the consolation of relieving Noel’s lingering feelings.

The headache subsided only after seeing Elena, who had come to greet me.

The reason I refused Noel’s confession became clear. By looking at her, I realized that my actions weren’t wrong, and the guilt that weighed on my heart slowly ignited the sense of relief that I should have shared with Noel.

I approached Elena with a weary face and leaned against her. Honestly, when Noel was lying down, I too had the urge to flop down onto the spot. Just before my legs gave way, my body met Elena, and she expertly caught me.

“Are you okay?”

Elena’s concerned gaze was directed at me. Seeing her, who only thought of me, made me smile unconsciously. She must have witnessed what had just transpired, but in her eyes now, there was nothing but concern for me.

I replied to her question with a wink to let her know I was fine.

Aside from feeling weak, I had no significant injuries, so it was just a matter of recovering my stamina. Still, the problem remained that I didn’t even have the strength to stand right now. My pride was stripped of even the slightest airs as I completely entrusted myself to Elena. Her embrace was soft and warm.

The gentle lavender scent tickled my nose, lulling me into sleepiness. But given the setting, it wouldn’t do to fall asleep right now. I merely wanted to rest briefly.

“Looks like I shouldn’t speak without thinking… I already feel tired. What should I do?”

Elena smiled brightly at my sigh. Her charming eyes gracefully arched. It seemed she wasn’t amused by my jokes but was relieved that I was okay. I met Elena’s eyes, and much like her, I lifted the corners of my mouth into a smile.

“Already complaining? You said you’d win, right? Reinhardt seems really excited about it too; he was thrilled to see the match between Noel and Damian. I think I’ve seen him smile for the first time in ages!”

“He should understand me if he’s a person.”

Speaking of Reinhardt, I suddenly felt dizzy.

Fair is fair; Reinhardt really needs to face off against Noel. Given how physically draining the continuous matches had been, having Reinhardt duel immediately after Noel felt like climbing a mountain after another mountain. Even if I win all of this, the ending will still be Elena, and just thinking about that left me in utter darkness.

But even while I lamented, a smile remained on my face.

The things I had just said were merely whines. Honestly, I wasn’t too worried about the remaining duels. After all, these fights were purely to showcase the skills between friends. It wasn’t a life-or-death situation; such duels could be likened to a game. The duel with Noel was heavy, but now, there was nothing left for me to stress about.

Now, I could face the Sacred Festival with the mindset of a celebrant enjoying the festivities. The same could be said for Elena and Noel.

When I started to discuss the conversation I had with Noel, Elena shook her head, insisting I didn’t need to share. It seemed she already knew. Since it had all begun in the past, it wasn’t surprising that she knew better than I did.

As I distanced myself from the past by resolving things with Noel, Elena had also been part of that past. Although I had received a clear answer from her, nothing was as certain as the results that were now evident. The relief I saw on Noel’s face mirrored it on Elena too.

It was a disgusting pleasure to realize that the worry that had troubled Elena stemmed from Noel’s feelings for me. Ultimately, her concerns had all originated from me. Knowing this because I was Damian, the villain, filled a long-absent sense of confidence.

Though I cursed my previous self for not knowing the past, now looking at Elena made me want to praise myself instead. I now understood that her infinite affection for me had roots in that past self.

Was this ease born from the relief? Suddenly, for the first time, I became curious about the past I had been avoiding, thinking the present was most important. Yet, I still couldn’t bring myself to ask Elena about it. I had promised to ask her only after the Sacred Festival.

After saying I wanted to talk in a nice place, I snickered at the inner longing to ask now that the situation was stable. There was no need to rush. Still, this time, I maintained a bit of expectation I hadn’t felt before, maintaining a quiet silence.

Despite the reasons behind it, the fact that she loved me and I loved her remained unchanged.

“Elena… I… my head…”

“Huh? What is it?”

“…Nothing.”

Considering how healthy I was, just lying down for a bit had restored some of my strength. Yet, I still couldn’t rise because of Elena’s hand resting on my head.

At some point, Elena’s hand began to dance on my head, and I left it be, seeing that she was enjoying it. I couldn’t be so cruel as to shake off her hand like a mother lulling a child to sleep.

“Hehehe.”

“…..”

Yet, once her hand began to playfully poke my cheek, I too gave in to the urge to move. Perhaps it was because I was showing myself completely vulnerable, but as I leaned into her, her playful spirit ignited, and she started to poke and prod my face.

After a while, it became difficult to resist the urge to retaliate, usually a playful banter in other circumstances, but now, lying down like this, she seemed to be having the time of her life. I quietly watched her, and then turned to kiss the hand that was on my cheek, lingering against it for a long time.

The longer our lips were in contact, the more I felt the warmth of her hand rising. There might have been some enjoyment in doing nothing and just watching, but I couldn’t help but be mischievous when it came to Elena. Sneaking a glance at her face, it was precisely as I expected; her cheeks were flushed red.

Because of that, Elena pinched my cheek hard, but it felt nice.