In the afternoon, after turning off her communication magic, Sifni sat quietly in a restaurant she had recently grown fond of.
She looked at the dishes she usually loved, but today, she found it hard to summon any interest.
Her mind was completely occupied by the scene from that morning when Colin was chatting with Riamy—a scene she couldn’t shake off.
Although she had anticipated some change in the relationship between Riamy and Colin, she never expected it to be this drastic!
Just look at them now! Their connection was practically written all over their faces!
Sifni now deeply regretted her earlier lax attitude. If she had known it would come to this, she should have been watching them more closely instead of letting her guard down.
As for why she didn’t keep an eye on Colin and Riamy now: who would deliberately make themselves suffer by watching something they already knew would upset them?
So, what should she do now? Did she still have a chance? Could she make Colin change his mind about her?
Deep down, Sifni knew her chances were slim. Colin’s feelings for her had never reached that level. In his heart, not to mention Riamy, even Elinor was probably ahead of her. At best, she might rank just above Lavinia?
Thinking this, Sifni slumped in her chair, deflated. She felt hopeless no matter what she did.
Maybe… it was better to just give up?
That thought suddenly sprang up in her mind, growing until it consumed her entire thoughts.
She hesitated for a moment. Was giving up really the right choice? This was the first time she’d ever felt this way—had this kind of thought—and the first time she could see herself as an ordinary person, not…
Recalling the past, Sifni finally made up her mind.
“Hmph! Fine, then, I’ll give up. I never truly cared anyway! From the start, I only wanted to use him. I shouldn’t have let myself get involved in these feelings! I’m a proud demon—”
Sifni loudly declared her defeat, hoping that the volume of her voice would drown out her emotions.
But she forgot this wasn’t Colin’s mansion; it was a restaurant full of ordinary people.
Her words were overheard by everyone in the store, who immediately turned to her with all kinds of looks. Most were confused, irritated, or even a little angry, but a few seemed to understand her meaning and looked at her with pity.
Under those gazes, Sifni swallowed the words she was about to say next. Her cheeks flushed as she lowered her head, unwilling to meet anyone’s eyes.
She returned to silence, calmly eating at the table, trying to mask her inner turmoil and embarrassment.
Though this calmed most onlookers, a small group remained, watching her with a curious, almost voyeuristic interest, making her restless.
After a while, seeing that Sifni wasn’t going to do anything else interesting, those eyes eventually wandered away in boredom.
Finally, Sifni exhaled in relief. She had almost felt crushed by the awkward atmosphere and wished she could instantly become a demon to avoid enduring those stares.
Once calm again, she paid the bill and left the restaurant. She glanced around cautiously to see if anyone was still hoping to catch more of the spectacle. Finding no one paying attention, she walked onto the street with a sense of relief.
Wandering aimlessly, Sifni didn’t know what to do next. The earlier incident had disrupted her plans, and she couldn’t think of anything to occupy herself with.
Though she had just come off a busy stretch of work and finally had some rest, she realized she hadn’t planned anything and had spent half the day daydreaming in the mansion. Then, hunger had driven her out to eat.
So, she never really had a plan, only this pointless walk.
She tried to think through some matters to pass the time, but the moment she did, the morning scene returned to her mind, forcing her to stop and instead act on instinct.
As she walked, Sifni suddenly found herself in front of a magic item shop.
Looking at the sign, she paused briefly before deciding to enter. She planned to distract herself from thoughts of Colin and Riamy by buying some magical items, hoping to fill the restless hours of her break.
Inside the store, surrounded by a dazzling array of goods, Sifni couldn’t help but feel a small spark of happiness.
So many items—it would take her a long time to pick something out. Perfect. She could use this chance to forget about Colin.
With that thought, she began to browse. She headed straight for an item that immediately caught her eye and examined it carefully, occasionally asking the shopkeeper for more details.
After careful consideration, Sifni was satisfied with the item before her and prepared to call the shopkeeper over to pay.
But just then, a voice she least wanted to hear sounded from behind her.
“Hmm? You like this? Then I’ll pay for it, as a reward for you.”
Colin said this, reaching out to call the shopkeeper over, but Sifni immediately grabbed the hand he was lifting.
Startled, Colin looked at her in confusion, ready to ask what she meant.
Sifni hadn’t noticed when Colin had quietly followed her inside. Her heart was pounding wildly as she recalled her words at the restaurant, a bad feeling creeping up inside her. Could it be… Colin had been there all along?
Seeing her hesitation, Colin spoke first, “Uh, Sifni. What do you mean by this? Can you let go first?”
Hearing Colin’s words, Sifni trembled, then realized he wasn’t talking about the restaurant incident. She quickly withdrew her hand and turned nervously to face him.
Thankfully, Colin’s expression showed no sign of oddity. So, at least during the restaurant episode, he hadn’t been there.
Relieved, Sifni felt a bit more at ease. Seeing Colin still looking puzzled, she finally spoke up.
“Y-You… when?”
Her voice trembled from lingering nervousness, making it a little hard for Colin to catch her words.
“When did you follow me just now?”
“When? Just now, of course. I just got here and saw you buying something inside. I wanted to see what you’d pick before I helped you pay for it.”
Colin explained everything truthfully, and Sifni could see no hint of deception—this had to be the truth.
She finally stopped worrying, though still curious—why would Colin want to pay for her? Could it be that… she still had a chance after all?!