A Dream, a Confession, and a Heart That Refused to Yield
The request we had received was a simple one—nothing more than to observe the behavior of a mutated crocodile that had begun appearing recently in the swamp within the forest.
To be precise, Lahan was currently at the moment when, through nothing but his own skill, he had been recognized by the Adventurers Guild for two clean and quick jobs completed by just the two of them. His rank had shot upward vertically from F-rank to D-rank as a special case.
Estella had received the same recognition for her own contributions and had advanced from D-rank to C-rank.
“This is just a matter of observing the direction of movement. Sleeping and eating porridge sounds way too easy!”
Estella’s foot slipped on the forest path. Lahan reacted instantly, swinging his sword behind her to steady her.
“You can’t sleep and eat porridge like that. You’ll end up choking.”
“…”
Lahan could almost hear the unspoken question behind her stare: *Was she seriously joking about that just now?*
He met her icy gaze and felt his face heat up. He coughed awkwardly, forcing his eyes to drift away.
They had been walking in near silence. He had decided to loosen the tension with a joke he rarely tried, thinking it would work. But even he thought it was painfully lame. The embarrassment burned.
Just then, as Estella hurried toward the swamp where the mutated croc was said to be lurking, Lahan walking beside her in the forest path suddenly spoke up. He cleared his throat.
“Hey, Lahan. If this request goes smoothly… do you want to go somewhere with me?”
“Hm? Where?”
Lahan tilted his head in genuine confusion at the meaningful tone.
Estella stopped abruptly.
She turned back, met his eyes, and answered simply.
“The place I used to live. The village I grew up in.”
“…You mean the forest where the witches supposedly live?”
“Yeah.”
“Why all of a sudden?”
“…I just felt like I wanted to go there with you for a little while.”
She added, trying to sound casual, “Lately we’ve been stuck doing nothing but requests and haven’t had any real rest. How about it? I’ll show you the place I grew up in, and we can take a short break.”
“Estella, that’s…”
Lahan felt a wave of complicated thoughts crash over him the moment he heard her words.
He had to give an answer. He had to figure out what to say.
“Estella, first—”
“Wait!”
“?”
Before Lahan could continue, Estella cut him off sharply. She suddenly turned her head in one direction, her expression shifting to something rare—serious.
“What is it?”
Lahan asked, puzzled by her reaction.
Estella narrowed her brows, her voice low and tense.
“It’s another witch.”
“Another what?”
“Estella, you broke the rules.”
“!”
A calm female voice echoed through the forest, and suddenly a swarm of butterflies appeared in front of them.
Among the gathered dark purple butterflies, the figure that materialized was none other than the witch Estella had warned about. She wore the same pointed witch’s hat, but that was where the similarities ended.
In one hand she held a luxurious fan, just like a refined English noble lady. Her long violet hair was styled upward with soft frills, and she wore a white dress full of delicate ruffles. Her makeup—rouge on her eyes and soft pink on her lips—made her look like a woman in her late thirties.
The witch closed her red-painted lips and spoke with clear sorrow.
“The Star Witch, Estella. You have broken the rules.”
Lahan felt his stomach drop.
Estella stepped forward calmly and answered the witch.
“I’m guessing you’re talking about the forest rules? I didn’t break any. I was just going to rest for a little bit with my companion. I hadn’t even told her the exact location yet.”
The witch closed her eyes for a moment, then shook her head.
When she opened them again, she spoke to Estella without mercy.
“No. You clearly broke one of the ancient taboos and rules of the witches.”
“So I—”
Before Estella could protest, the witch cut her off.
“It’s not about bringing outsiders into the forest. It’s because you took something from that man that a witch is not allowed to take.”
“!”
Estella’s words caught in her throat.
She had understood the meaning instantly.
She glanced back at Lahan, then swallowed hard.
“……It was because I took his heart.”
The witch nodded in agreement.
“That’s right. I’ve been watching you since the day you left the forest. All this time.”
“…”
The atmosphere grew heavy. Lahan, who had been watching quietly as a third party, finally stepped forward.
He knew he was nothing more than a bystander in their conversation.
But he could not simply disappear.
Because he was the one who had caused the cause—because he was the one who had taken her heart.
The other witch seemed to sense it too. She turned her gaze from Estella directly to him.
Lahan took a deep breath.
“I can be a third party to you. But hearing your words… the cause was me. I feel ashamed even saying this, but I noticed her feelings long ago. I knew… yet I never tried to approach her positively.”
“Lahan, you…”
The words hit Estella like a quiet slap. She stared at him with a dazed expression.
Lahan continued, his voice steady but gentle.
“So please… consider that and show some leniency toward her punishment. Even though the time has been short, I ask this as a fellow companion who stood with her. Please.”
“……Lahan.”
Estella’s voice trembled as she lowered her head.
But Lahan could not back down.
He had received her true love.
He had watched her suffer because of it.
And every single bit of it was his fault.
At that moment—
*Whoosh—*
A soft laugh escaped the witch.
“Puhuhu. It’s good that you’re being honest now, huh? You should have said something sooner. I knew you saw through my feelings.”
“……??”
Question marks floated above Lahan’s head. He had no idea what was happening.
“What are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I mean. Look behind you.”
“?”
Lahan turned.
There was Estella, lips pressed together, head tilted halfway back, desperately trying to hold back her laughter.
“What is this?”
Still confused, Lahan looked between the two witches.
Just as he was starting to ask, Estella finally stopped laughing. She suddenly snapped her fingers with a crisp *clap*.
The other witch, who had been right in front of them moments ago, vanished like smoke.
Lahan stood there, stunned.
Then the realization hit him like a truck.
“…This is insane.”
“Ha ha ha! Haha hah! Sorry! I never imagined it would turn out this serious! I didn’t actually want this result. I guess I got carried away because it was a little too serious. Oops~”
“Ya!!”
That was the first time Lahan had ever shouted at her in earnest.
Estella doubled over with laughter, tears streaming from both eyes, practically running away.
Lahan felt something inside him finally crack—a light, clean snap.
That was when he realized her true intention.
She had tried to confess her feelings to him in the most awkward, ridiculous way possible.
But Lahan felt nothing but complicated emotions.
* * *
“…”
“Ahaha, sorry. Sorry. Just forgive me already. Okay?”
Estella clung to one of Lahan’s arms, pouting and pleading.
“Are you joking right now?”
“No, no! I was just trying to confess my feelings honestly! Where would I have imagined you’d react like this?!”
“…”
“So? Are you not going to forgive me? Huh?”
“You’re giving me goosebumps. Watch your pronunciation. You might actually die if you keep going.”
“Wow, dying? You’re saying some harsh stuff. Yeah?”
“You… you jerk…”
Lahan felt his blood pressure rise so high that he could taste the end of his patience on his tongue.
He was staring the breaking point of his self-control straight in the face.
Estella suddenly released his arm, took a few steps back, and clasped her hands behind her.
“?”
Lahan, who had been walking ahead without looking back, turned toward her.
Their eyes met.
Estella looked at him with a calm, serious expression, the earlier playful tone gone.
“So? You noticed my feelings long ago… yet you kept pushing me away?”
“…”
Lahan’s anger had cooled into something heavier. He had no words for a moment.
She had known.
She had known he was pushing her away because of his own feelings.
“……That’s…”
Estella stood there, unmoving, staring straight at him with a calm face that held secrets only she knew.
She was staring directly into his golden eyes.
Lahan finally opened his tightly closed lips.
His voice came out rough.
“You… you were afraid I might steal your dreams…”
His honest words were heavier than he intended.
*That’s right. Because of you, I might have given up on my dream halfway through.*
That was the truth he had whispered that night to the sleeping Estella in front of her bed.
He had lied to her. Or rather, he had made an excuse.
He had pushed her away to protect his own heart. To hide his honest feelings of affection for her.
He was just as serious about his goals and dreams as she was.
But those dreams had always been separate from his life—merely a process to get through, not something he had cherished since childhood like she had.
That was why he had tried to push her away.
Even knowing her feelings, he had tried to let go.
Yet—
She had been nothing like that.
“You’re saying I stole your dreams? Who? Me? Lahan?”
Estella smiled at the flustered Lahan. It was a simple, gentle smile.
She had seen through what he meant.
She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again.
She looked straight into his eyes and declared with pure pride.
“My dreams are not so shallow that anyone can toy with them.”
“Even if it’s the person I love, the one who loves me, the one I like.”
She took one step forward, closing the distance between them.
“No one can stop me from dreaming.”
Another step.
“Even if my life is just a simple story told by someone else.”
She closed the final gap, stepping right up to him.
“I will definitely make my dreams come true.”
It sounded like she was saying it not just to him, but to herself.
“So don’t push me away.”
“…”
Lahan could only stare back in silence.
He looked into her glistening, lonely eyes as she gazed up at him from below, her chin almost touching his.
He had no words.
No retort.
Nothing.
He simply stared.
That was when Lahan understood exactly who Estella was.
She was someone elegant and noble.
And at the same time, someone pure and foolishly cheerful, with a smile so bright it could light up the darkest forest.
He had only realized it far too late.