Page 171

While traveling back, we took a brief break.

I found myself staring at Isabel with a bewildered expression.

It was only natural—Isabel had just said something completely unexpected.

She claimed that I had attacked the Third Princess to protect the Niflheim County.

What kind of insane claim was that?

She was clearly referring to a past incident—the time when Vikamon, alongside the Third Princess, ambushed Lucas in the Demon Dungeon.

That was the event Isabel was talking about.

But why had Isabel misunderstood the situation so badly?

The answer came to me surprisingly quickly.

As I had mentioned before, Niflheim had long-standing ties with the Duke of Robliage.

This was evident through Xenia's reaction.

Their families had been entwined for generations.

And with that history came a web of entangled interests—business ventures, alliances, and personal connections.

It was a bond that couldn't be severed easily.

Even if they wished to cut ties, they would have to sacrifice a part of themselves in the process.

Such was the relationship between Niflheim County and the Duke of Robliage.

Naturally, Niflheim aligned itself with the Third Princess’s faction.

And then, someone bearing the Niflheim name attacked the Third Princess.

Niflheim could not afford to offend the Third Princess’s faction.

They couldn't risk cutting off their own flesh.

Thus, Niflheim was forced to take drastic action—disowning their eldest son.

And that disowned son was none other than me,

Vikamon Niflheim.

But what was the significance of this disownment?

The answer became clear through Niflheim County’s subsequent actions.

Having already cast out their eldest son,

they needed to restore their public image.

And the solution was to present a new heir.

That heir was Xenia Niflheim.

A mage who wielded the power of Constellation Magic,

boasting the bloodline of Zerion.

She was the perfect figure for Niflheim to promote in my place.

With the eldest son gone,

all authority naturally shifted to Xenia.

Despite her young age, she quickly came to hold considerable power within the family.

Moreover, Xenia wielded Constellation Magic.

The Niflheim Count cherished her all the more for it.

Xenia was granted so much authority

that she could practically govern Niflheim County on her own.

Though she refrained from using it,

Xenia had already become the face of the Niflheim family.

So much so that there were people who knew her name

but didn’t even know the Niflheim Count’s.

And now, with her recent contribution to capturing the Mystic Cult,

her influence within the family would only grow stronger.

Now, Xenia had received one crucial piece of information:

The Third Princess, Iris Hysirion, was the Demon Sovereign’s vessel.

Naturally, the Duke of Robliage was involved in this dark scheme.

And what would Xenia choose to do?

The answer was obvious,

no need for lengthy contemplation.

Joining hands with Demon Sovereign meant making the entire world their enemy.

Xenia knew this well.

Of course, she would sever Niflheim’s ties with the Duke of Robliage.

She would safeguard her family

in place of the Count,

who was too blinded by power to make the right decision.

That was the duty Xenia had taken upon herself.

—Or so Isabel believed.

“...Even though your family abandoned you,

you still tried to protect them like this?”

I was momentarily speechless with surprise.

It was nothing but a coincidence of circumstances,

yet Isabel interpreted it as a selfless act of loyalty.

There was no such intention on my part.

Even if that had been Vikamon’s will, it certainly wasn’t mine.

My gaze drifted to the carriage window.

If Xenia were to discover my true identity,

and she misunderstood me the same way Isabel did… what would happen then?

Suddenly, the future felt terrifying.

Receiving hatred would have been preferable.

Being falsely praised felt far more unsettling.

However, Isabel seemed to have taken my silence as a confirmation.

She let out a long sigh.

“You’re still the same, aren’t you? Even back then, and now… Why are you always so self-sacrificing?”

Her words were scolding,

but her eyes were warm as she gazed at me.

For the first time, I realized how much her opinion of me had changed.

It was that elevated opinion of me that had led to this misunderstanding.

“Come to think of it, it was strange. There was no way you would have recklessly attacked the Third Princess and Lucas.”

I couldn't help but wonder what kind of person I had become in Isabel’s eyes.

Once, she had seen me as nothing more than a childhood friend-turned-villain.

Now, she held me in such high regard.

‘Maybe it’s because I always seemed so deliberate around her?’

It appeared that Isabel now believed I moved with intention behind every action.

But this time was different.

There was truly no hidden motive.

How do I even explain this?

My expression grew complicated.

Back then, I hadn’t been Vikamon.

Vikamon was just a man blinded by love.

Even if there had been some ulterior motive,

there was no way for me to confirm it.

Vikamon no longer existed.

The proof was in the empty void I had found when I entered the Soul World.

But at the very least, I felt it was only right to clear up this one misunderstanding.

“Isabel, the reason I attacked Lucas was because of Nikita.”

Back then, Vikamon had feelings for Nikita.

Even if I no longer carried those emotions,

I didn’t want to deny the affection Vikamon once held.

Isabel must have sensed the sincerity in my words,

as she quietly stared at me.

“Iris was merely caught up in it, but my attack on Lucas… that was nothing more than me lashing out.”

To deny it would be to deny Vikamon himself.

And so, I conveyed the truth.

“…”

Isabel remained silent for a moment.

Had I disappointed her?

If so, I could only feel sorry.

“…Is Nikita still safe?”

Come to think of it,

I had never mentioned Nikita’s fate to Isabel before.

She had believed that I had led the boycott group

because of Nikita’s death.

Thus, she had no way of knowing whether Nikita was still alive or not.

“She’s safe.”

Nikita had even told me,

‘Let’s meet again next year.’

Recently, with everything that had happened,

I found myself missing her a little.

Back then, working with Nikita in the student council

had been such a peaceful time.

“Then… do you still like Senior Nikita?”

Isabel knew that I had lost my capacity for love.

Yet, she still asked if I liked Nikita.

Her question made me blink in surprise.

Do I still like Nikita?

If I were to answer simply,

yes, I still liked her.

Even though I no longer felt love,

I still cherished the person she was.

But that was only because I had once held her as my favorite.

With love no longer in my heart,

I wasn’t sure what I felt anymore.

‘Vikamon loved Nikita.’

Just as I had found comfort in Nikita’s presence,

so had Vikamon.

His love for her had been genuine.

"I don't know."

That was all I could say in response.

"Maybe if I manage to reclaim love, I’ll be able to understand."

When I thought of Nikita, a sense of longing stirred within me.

It wasn’t about emotions—it was simply the fact that Nikita was precious to me.

"I see."

Isabel let out a small breath as she said that, then slowly lifted her head.

A radiant smile, bright as the sun, spread across her face.

"In that case, I’ll help you reclaim all the feelings you’ve lost."

Before I knew it, Isabel had stepped closer.

A citrus fragrance drifted from her, filling the space between us.

"If you lose your sorrow, I’ll remind you of the sorrow I once forgot because of you."

The day she lost her brother and Lucas.

That was when she learned what it meant to feel the world shatter in grief.

For her, sorrow was still a deep, lingering scar.

That’s why it would be all too easy for her to show me sorrow.

"If you lose your anger, I’ll remind you of the fury I reclaimed because of you."

The fury she felt as she watched me curse Lucas.

Isabel still vividly remembered the seething wrath from that day.

And it was that fury that gave her the strength to reclaim her life.

No one knew the value of anger better than she did.

"If you lose your love, I’ll show you the love I learned because of you."

And lastly—

The moment she spoke those words, my eyes widened.

Her face had turned even redder than before.

The evening sun wasn’t the reason for the flush on her cheeks.

It was the emotion she held in her heart, now displayed across her face.

She smiled radiantly.

A smile as dazzling and beautiful as the sun itself.

Isabel Luna.

The flower that symbolized her was the sunflower.

A flower that only lifts its head to follow the sun.

Perhaps sunflowers gaze at the sun because they long to become the sun themselves.

And in that moment, Isabel became her own sun.

No longer chasing after someone else’s light—she shone brilliantly on her own.

That was the true essence of Isabel Luna—the main heroine.

"I like you."

She finally confessed the feelings she had been holding in her heart.

"I like you so much I wouldn’t trade it for anything."

Her overwhelming emotions poured out, clear and undeniable.

"So, on the day you finally regain your feelings…"

At some point, Isabel had moved even closer.

I stared at her, unable to look away.

"I’ll confess again, so promise you’ll give me an answer then."

Her lips pressed softly against mine.

The sensation was the gentlest thing I had ever felt, leaving me momentarily lightheaded.

When she pulled away, Isabel’s face was flushed scarlet with embarrassment, but she smiled through it.

The sun had already set, yet she was more radiant than anything in the twilight.

"I hope that at least a little of this reached you."

The love of a sunflower turned into the sun—it was blindingly fierce.