Before her eyes stood the Hero,
and across from him sat a mysterious woman.
As Eliza watched their interaction,
she felt her already confused mind spiral further into chaos.
Of course, she knew well that the Hero would be sharing sweet moments with that person, Immanuel Mass’s lover.
But right now,
it just had to be the worst timing.
The fact that this unexpected confession from Nyadan was happening right next to her was
like being hit by a dagger she never saw coming.
At that moment…
“Um… Eliza, are you okay?”
The Hero’s voice reached her ears, filled with pure concern as she dropped her glass due to the sudden shock.
Feeling her senses return, Eliza hurriedly replied,
“Ah… Um… I’m… I’m fine…”
Her trembling voice struggled to form a coherent response.
After barely escaping the chaos that clouded her thoughts,
her gaze instinctively shifted to the unfamiliar woman sitting across from the Hero…
the very person she had longed to find.
‘Is this woman… that person? The one who the Hero confessed to and became his lover…’
It was practically the first time in almost a year that she faced that person of concern.
With her blonde hair and translucent skin,
and most critically, a figure so large and beautiful it left Eliza feeling dwarfed in comparison.
As she observed this woman’s stunning appearance,
Eliza felt a wave of insecurity wash over her, and cautiously spoke,
“Um… but Hero, who is that lady? If she’s with you at this time, then it must mean you’re not just friends…”
“Ah… um… well…”
The Hero hesitated at Eliza’s question.
Then, to his surprise, the woman in question spoke calmly with a serene smile on her face, addressing Eliza.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Esther. I’m Ellen’s girlfriend.”
“! Wha… huh…”
The Hero displayed significant surprise at her words.
However, despite his reaction, Esther remained composed as she looked at Eliza.
“I’ve heard about you. You’re Eliza, the Elite Guard serving His Majesty, the Demon King, alongside Ellen, right?”
“Um… yes, that’s me…”
“I see, it’s a pleasure to meet you. You know, Ellen has been quite reluctant to introduce me to his companions, so I’m very glad I can finally meet you.”
“Uh… um…”
Esther spoke freely, utilizing the term “my Ellen” with a bright smile aimed at Eliza.
While there were so many questions Eliza wanted to ask about this woman standing right in front of her,
she found herself completely swept away by Esther’s flowing words, unable to voice even a single proper inquiry.
Moreover, she was still in a state of mental shock.
Feeling like she was being tossed around by the Hero’s lover,
Eliza began to feel a bubbling sensation of something churning inside her,
while being stuck in this lonely place of Immanuel Mass, where she was prompted by Nyadan to come.
However, she now found herself facing an unexpected confession from someone she never anticipated, leading her into a state of intense mental confusion and emotional distress.
Meanwhile, this woman in front of her…
No, during all the time Eliza had been suffering from her unrequited love for the Hero,
this woman had been enjoying sweet moments with him, leading to this very moment they were sharing.
And seeing her openly flaunting her affection for the Hero right in front of Eliza sparked a deep sensation of frustration and anger within her.
‘What the hell is this… after everything I’ve… how much I’ve struggled. The outcome is just… just this? That she’s happily enjoying her time with the Hero in front of me?’
Caught in a starkly pitiful reality, feeling that her efforts had all been meaningless,
Eliza felt a surge of poisonous intention rise up within her as she coldly smiled at this annoying woman.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you too. Actually, I was on a date with my boyfriend, so I didn’t expect to run into you and the Hero like this.”
“A… boyfriend?”
“Uh… huh?”
Esther, who had previously been composed, suddenly lost her cool.
And next to her, Nyadan let out a slightly alarmed voice.
However, at that moment, Eliza’s gaze was solely focused on Esther, who was now displaying a hint of confusion.
Overwhelmed by a deep sense of joy bubbling up in her chest, she unconsciously took hold of Nyadan’s hand and began to speak without hesitation.
“Yes, I’m in a relationship with Nyadan over here. Why? In a world like this, it’s not like there’s a law against same-gender couples, right?”
“Th-that’s… that’s true, but… I can’t believe… how could it be that you and Nyadan…”
The look on Esther’s face morphed into shock as she processed Eliza’s words.
Seeing this, Eliza felt her patience with the jealous feelings she had bottled up until now spill over, and she couldn’t help but display a triumphant smile.
And then…
“Ugh!”
“!!”
With determination, Eliza leaned in and gave Nyadan a deep kiss.
Simultaneously, Esther’s face turned pale, and she began to stagger as if she were about to faint.
“E-Esther?”
The Hero rushed to support her, concern plastered across his face.
Watching him, Eliza, feeling the pent-up emotions she had endured because of this man, spoke in a cold tone as if she might burst into tears.
“Oh dear… it seems that world may have been a bit too shocking for that lady over there. Sorry, Hero. I might have accidentally stunned your girlfriend.”
“Um… uh… I… apologize for the disturbance.”
The Hero looked flustered, apologizing, trying to navigate the awkward atmosphere.
While it was Eliza who had displayed animosity, her actions could still be framed as mere ‘affections related to Nyadan,’ and thus, the Hero had no grounds to blame her.
In this situation, the only thing he could do was to guide the reeling Esther away from the completely shattered mood.
Moments later, once the Hero and Esther vanished from sight,
Eliza sat there feeling engulfed by a wave of emptiness crashing down on her.
‘Ha… ha… what have I done?’
Overcome by the tumult of emotions, Eliza felt a ridiculous realization crushing her.
All she had wanted was to see the irritating expression on that woman’s face twist in shock.
But now, confronted with the depth of her own folly, she found herself deeply regretting her actions.
‘I never expected to waste my first kiss like this… not on someone I love… but to serve as a slap to my lover’s girlfriend…’
Recognizing how absurd her impulsive act had been, Eliza gently ran her fingers over her lips, feeling a torrent of regret swelling inside her.
Then…
“Um… um… Eliza?”
“….Huh?”
At that moment, she heard Nyadan’s voice beside her, and Eliza turned to look at him, her expression blank.
Nyadan appeared flushed, clearly at a loss for what to do with himself.
Watching him, Eliza started to realize the aftershock her actions had stirred within him.
“Does that mean… can I take it that you… accepted my confession?”
“Ah… um… well… uh…”
Nyadan, filled with happiness, looked at her expectantly.
Seeing her friend beaming with joy made it difficult for Eliza to utter the truth against his excitement.
‘Damn… how did it end up like this… if I explain now, it will just sound like I’m some horrible person.’
To be honest, Nyadan’s sudden ‘confession’ was an enormous burden for Eliza.
While she didn’t outright oppose such things and had even experienced some rough patches in the past,
the issue lay in the fact that it was Nyadan, someone she had never imagined it would be.
But at the same time, since she was the closest thing to a friend to her, Eliza couldn’t just hurt her feelings.
‘After all, I’ve already stolen a kiss… I can’t just leave without facing the music…’
Recognizing there was no way out of this,
Eliza forced a smile and said,
“Uh… yeah… um… that’s right…”
“Ah!”
As soon as she completed her statement, Nyadan’s eyes welled with tears of joy.
Seeing that reaction, Eliza felt an overwhelming urge to cry build within her, and she had no choice but to concede.
‘Ah… with this… my love… it’s completely over…’