Petro had always been kind to her, but Isia knew all too well that he would never allow her past a certain line in their relationship.

And now, looking at the Affinity and Attraction he showed toward Camilla, she felt certain all over again.

This place...

This world was not where she belonged.

It felt as though even the last scraps of lingering regret and attachment still clinging to her were being shaken loose.

“Let’s go.”

Isia turned away at once.

There was no reason for her to stay here any longer.

And it was about time for her to go back anyway.

“......”

Arsian stood there for a moment, silently watching her walk ahead of him, then he too slowly started moving.

*****

“Brother.”

“What?”

Ravi, buried in a grimoire as usual, showed little reaction to his sister showing up first thing in the morning.

She came to see him like this all the time, chatted about one thing or another, then left.

He assumed today would be no different.

“Can’t you look at me for a second?”

“What?”

But today, something felt a little strange.

She had come into the workshop, said almost nothing, and just stared at him for a while—and now she was suddenly asking him to look at her?

“What? If you have something to say, then say it.”

Even so, Ravi still did not lift his eyes from the grimoire.

He happened to be reading a very important part.

“You know that?”

“Know what?”

“That I liked you a whole lot ever since I was little.”

Ravi, who had been answering her half-heartedly, let out a dry cough and whipped his head around.

“Hey, what kind of nonsense are you spouting first thing in the morning?”

“It’s true.”

Only after Ravi finally looked at her did Isia let out a soft snort of laughter.

“You used to stop Mother sometimes.”

“When did I ever do that?”

“Looks like you don’t remember.”

Rude, cold, blunt Ravi.

He had always been like that, ever since they were young.

Not just to her, either. He was not much different with anyone else.

But still...

Will you stop already? I can’t study with all that noise.

Stop going after her like that. It’s humiliating enough that people in town are talking!

If you’re going to scold her, do it when I’m not here!

Whenever Mother got angrier than usual, or when things felt like they were about to turn more serious than they should, he would sometimes step in and redirect her attention.

You can’t even do this? Give it here. You’re so frustrating.

Sometimes he would grumble that she was obviously going to get scolded for it, then do her work for her instead.

Of course, maybe it had not been solely for her sake.

Maybe he really had stepped in because the noise annoyed him, or because he was embarrassed by the gossip going around town.

But even so, I liked it.

Those small acts of help had felt like a lifeline to Isia.

“What’s with bringing up something from so long ago all of a sudden?”

Ravi clicked his tongue repeatedly, as if he was not comfortable talking about those days.

Even so, he did not look away from her.

“Did something happen again?”

“No.”

“Are you sure nothing happened? Do you know how anxious you make me every time you act like this? I start wondering what kind of trouble you got yourself into this time.”

The smile on Isia’s lips deepened as she watched Ravi grumble.

Thank goodness.

That this was the last version of Ravi she would remember.

Not the Ravi who always looked like he was being chased by something, always on edge, always bristling around Ludville—

but someone who looked more at ease, more settled, than ever before.

That realization filled her with relief.

“Brother.”

“...Why are you calling me like that again with that weird look on your face?”

“Can I hug you just once?”

“What, what? Hey! Did you seriously eat something wro—”

Ravi did not get to finish.

Not with Isia suddenly throwing herself into his arms.

“Tch.”

Startled, he clicked his tongue lightly, then awkwardly patted her back with careful hands.

That stiff, clumsy touch made Isia burst into laughter.

“Brother, you need to live well.”

“Haa.”

Ravi let out a long sigh, as though giving up on trying to understand any of this and resigning himself to letting her do whatever she wanted.

Thump—

“......”

Then she felt it.

That hard, pounding heartbeat.

“Brother.”

“What, what now?”

“Don’t be too startled.”

“What?”

Thump, thump-thump—

“I’m just... a little dizzy, that’s all.”

“What are you talking about?”

Isia looked at Ravi’s face one last time.

Her arms were still wrapped tightly around his waist.

“I’m telling you again—I really did like you a lot.”

“You...”

Thump, thump-thump-thump—

“This time, be happy all the way to the end—”

Thud.

“Hey—hey! Camilla!”

And just like that, Isia slowly closed her eyes.

Be happy. No matter what.

She spoke the words she had not managed to say aloud only to herself.

Chapter. The End of the Eva Church Followers

[So in that world, people don’t use swords in war anymore? Guns? What are those?]

[You said your job was being an actor?]

[No wonder you went around with such a shamelessly thick skin.]

“When have I ever gone around shamelessly thick-skinned?”

Camilla glared at the ghosts gathered snugly around her, especially Perol, the cook ghost.

Good grief. What am I even doing right now...

When she returned to this world and came to her senses again, the first thing she saw was, naturally, the faces of her family full of worry.

Am I not seeing this scene way too often?

Which only meant she had been collapsing and losing consciousness a lot lately, didn’t it?

There was no way the rest of the family had failed to notice that too.

It would be best if you stayed in your room and got some proper rest for a while.

B-But Father... I really don’t hurt anymore.

Listen to your father! How many times has this been now? There is obviously something wrong with you.

The healer said there was nothing wrong. I was just a little tired, that’s all.

Which is exactly why I’m telling you to stay home. If you’re tired, you rest. Don’t move and stay in your room.

......

She had tried asking Ludville for help in dealing with the two of them, who refused to listen to reason, but he had only shaken his head firmly as well.

Damn it.

So even though she had returned, she had not stepped outside once in the past several days.

As a result, she had time to spare—and ghosts sticking to her every waking moment.

[Tell us more about that world.]

[I’m curious too, my lady.]

[What about the food there? Is it any good? Chicken? What’s that?]

The ghosts had already wanted to know more about Camilla’s situation—about how she had lived so long with her soul switched.

And now that they saw her trapped in her room with nothing to do, they took it as the perfect opportunity and kept pestering her to tell them more.

Tap tap.

“Hm?”

Camilla had been spending that unexpected stretch of idle time like that when she turned her head at the small sound tapping at the window.

The instant she saw who was slipping in through it, her face lit up.

“Arsian.”

At her call, Arsian smiled faintly too.

He had known from the sound of her voice alone.

That it was her.

That Camilla had returned, not Isia.

“Did you make it back all right?”

“Yeah.”

After stepping close, Arsian pulled Camilla straight into a tight embrace.

A long sigh of relief escaped him.

I knew she would come back.

She had said she would return.

He had believed she would.

And yet every time he looked at Isia, he had not been able to shake the anxiety twisting inside him.

What if Camilla never comes back?

Could I find a way to go there and look for her?

She said the method for using dimension-travel magic is written in the dragon grimoire. Do I have to steal it?

Thought after thought had risen and fallen without end.

Of course, now that she was back, even the fact that he had entertained thoughts like those had already vanished far into the distance.

“You were doing all right too, weren’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“I told you to be good to Isia.”

Flinch.

Arsian’s body, still wrapped around her, went rigid.

“Isia left behind a letter.”

“...A letter?”

For once, Arsian’s eyes shook restlessly.

I’m leaving her a letter saying Lord Arsian bullied me and made my life miserable.

All of a sudden, Isia’s half-threatening words came back to him.

Damn it.

She really had left a letter...?

“Camilla, that—”

“She said you were very good to her.”

“...What?”

“Thank you.”

“......”

A look of bewilderment crossed Arsian’s face—out of character for him yet again—then quickly disappeared.

“You told me to treat her well.”

The answer came out a little stiffly, and Camilla laughed to herself as she looked at him.

[Would you look at this shameless bastard.]

[Good to her, my foot.]