"It's actually this expensive."
Felyn looked at the ordinary badge in his hand that cost 500 crowns.
It really made his heart ache a bit.
Later he'd tell the princess this was a limited edition that he'd run to twenty stores to buy.
Hopefully the generous princess would feel sorry for him and give him 10,000 crowns as compensation for his trouble.
"I can sign it for you. That might make it more meaningful."
Someone beside him suddenly said.
"No thanks. Only if it were Zervanie herself's signature would it be meaningful..."
Why would someone volunteer to sign a badge? Did they think they were Zervanie...
Wait?!
This familiar voice made all the hair on Felyn's body stand up.
"Zervanie!"
Felyn blurted out the name.
Fortunately, his voice was covered by the somewhat noisy music in the store, so no one noticed them.
The Zervanie in front of him wore a beige wide-brimmed hat, the brim pressed down slightly to hide her signature silver-white hair, but a few disobedient strands still fell from the hat's edge.
Today she wore a simple white turtleneck sweater, making her look very soft overall.
Those ice-blue eyes couldn't hide the joy in her heart no matter what, and were now looking at Felyn with some smugness.
The corners of her lips curved up slightly, revealing that sweet smile from the posters that had captivated countless fans.
"Long time no see, Felyn~"
Zervanie was very happy inside.
Hmm, saying no with your mouth, but your body is quite honest.
You actually came to browse my merchandise store—maybe you'll buy all these products and display them by your bedside.
Felyn, you really do still love me.
Felyn coughed twice and quickly steadied himself.
"Why are you here? Do you want to enjoy the feeling of fans screaming for you?"
"Of course not! Why are you saying something so mean? I just happened to be passing by to take a look!"
Zervanie stood on her tiptoes, pouting as she denied it.
She wasn't lying. She had just finished work and happened to come here to check out this newly opened store.
She hadn't expected to hear Felyn's voice soon after entering.
"To run into you even here."
Felyn sighed and put the badge in his hand back on the shelf.
As expected, she had definitely heard his entire conversation with the clerk just now.
Without even thinking, she must now feel in her heart that he still liked her, just burying this feeling for some reason.
Then she'd make up all kinds of storylines—like he had a terminal illness and didn't want to make her sad so he cruelly left, or he felt unworthy of her so he voluntarily withdrew.
Then she'd be moved by herself, constantly pestering him, wanting to marry him, thus tormenting him for life. How terrible.
At this moment, Felyn really wanted to lock himself back in Olivia's room in the contamination treatment area.
In front of Zervanie, even evil gods didn't seem so scary.
Seeing Zervanie in front of him show a confident smile, Felyn knew all his thoughts were correct.
"I saw everything just now. You really are still concerned about my every move in your heart, right? You really still like..."
Felyn patted Zervanie's shoulder, interrupting her words.
"Zervanie, I don't like you. I came here to buy merchandise to please my client, including inquiring about your every move—all to have topics to chat about with my client. My client really likes you, so I had to come here to buy your merchandise."
Felyn had spoken very clearly, and his expression was serious.
But Zervanie clearly hadn't listened.
"I don't think so. The look in your eyes when you were talking about me just now—I only saw heartfelt fanaticism and liking."
"I was acting, putting on a show for the clerk so she'd tell me lots of insider information she knew."
"But you even wrote everything about me in your notebook..."
"I just didn't want to forget. Don't overthink it."
Felyn's series of statements directly interrupted what Zervanie wanted to say.
His statements were too logical, as if he really didn't like her.
She had just been about to say, "I forgive you, you can return to my side and continue satisfying my demands."
How could she say that now!
"Felyn, are you sick?"
Felyn grabbed Zervanie's outstretched hand that wanted to touch his forehead.
"I'm not sick, Miss Zervanie. I don't have any terminal illness either, so this isn't some novel plot where I'm staying away from you because I'm about to die."
Felyn sealed off every possibility for Zervanie completely.
"Miss Zervanie, you're a good person. I'm very grateful for your care during our contract period, but our contract has ended now, so it's best if we don't stay in contact."
"Then why are you still here?"
"I already said—everything I'm doing in this store is because of my client."
Zervanie hadn't listened seriously at all initially. She subconsciously thought Felyn must be lying.
"Client? What client?"
"Just like you before—signing a contract, satisfying her demands, that kind of client."
Felyn actually had other clients??
Zervanie had thought she was the only one.
"You mean... you wanted to learn about me to please your client?"
"Yes!" Felyn knew this sounded a bit like "master's orders," but this was the truth.
In Zervanie's heart, although she didn't think in that direction, you could tell from her surprised expression that she had definitely misunderstood.
I'm actually a tool for Felyn to win over another woman?!
I, Zervanie, the Siveshus Empire's currently most popular songstress, am just a tool for you, Felyn, to please women?
How outrageous!
Zervanie gritted her teeth. She felt that after her contract with Felyn ended, she had inexplicably become much more humble.
All of this was because Felyn didn't love me anymore.
Yes, I admit I was a bit excessive, a bit willful, but I've apologized—what more do you want from me!
Do you want me to kneel and beg you?!
Felyn, you've really made me angry.
I wanted to interact with you as an ordinary person, but now it seems completely unnecessary.
Since that's the case, Felyn, don't blame me for being impolite.
I'll make you fall in love with me again.
I'll make you submit to my charm. I'll make you willingly accept any of my demands.
I'll make you repent before me, cry painfully before me saying "I regret it!"
"Felyn, I understand."
Felyn was somewhat surprised that the Zervanie in front of him wasn't making a big scene.
"Good, but I still want to ask once more—you don't think I like you now, right?"
To prevent any more melodramatic plots from happening later, Felyn asked directly.
"No."
Zervanie gently twisted her clothes with her hand, her expression changing to a pitiful look of someone who had done wrong.
"Felyn, if your client would be happy to hear news about me, would you be willing to learn about me?"
She glanced up at Felyn, but quickly lowered her head again, as if not daring to make eye contact with him.
Felyn stood frozen, wondering what had suddenly gotten into Zervanie—why did she seem to have a screw loose?
"I know I was somewhat willful in the past, but that was all because you gave me a lot of security. I just wanted to act spoiled in front of you."
Zervanie was naturally suited for this line of work. She now looked like a little girlfriend earnestly apologizing to her lover, her careful gaze filled with love.
If Felyn softened his heart now, he'd fall into her trap.
"My willfulness was meant only for Felyn to see, but I didn't expect I went too far. So please forgive me, don't be angry with me~"
Zervanie gently swayed her body, biting her lower lip coquettishly.
She chuckled lightly in her heart. Felyn, you've actually persisted until now without falling in love with me—how interesting.
But this is the end.
"Can we start as friends? I can compensate for the harm I unintentionally caused you in the past. Any request is fine—I just hope you won't hate me anymore. If you hate me, I'll be a bit sad..."
She began using her wrist to wipe away tears flowing from the corners of her eyes.
This kind of crying performance was a skill Felyn still hadn't learned. Even now he could only secretly drop a few drops of eye drops when clients weren't paying attention.
This action made Zervanie's appearance even more moving. Her somewhat thin body trembled slightly from sobbing, making people want to protect her.
Felyn, can you still resist this move?
After failing with Felyn at Saint Andros Academy's seal practice grounds last time, Zervanie had analyzed why Felyn rejected her.
Indeed, apologizing as a lover would make Felyn feel pressured.
But if it was just starting as friends, Felyn would definitely soften, right?
Once Felyn started softening, falling in love with her would just be a matter of time.
"Any request is fine?" Felyn asked.
Zervanie's eyes sparkled—she saw the dawn of victory.
"Yes!" She nodded vigorously.
"Then help me sign this badge."
"Of course no problem! Do you want to put it on your bedside table and look at it every night before sleeping?" Zervanie took the badge, preparing to sign it.
"Put it on the bedside table? Why would I keep it at home? I don't even like you. I'm giving it to my client—she might pay 100,000 crowns for it. This way you've also compensated me, we don't owe each other anything, and we don't need to meet again."
Zervanie's signing hand stopped. She was somewhat confused.
(End of Chapter)