Chapter 524: Clearance 2

Love…

The first time Janica had ever felt that feeling—it was probably through her family.

The way they treated her, the way they protected her, gave her comfort, and always made her feel safe.

The trust, the warmth, the constant little moments of reassurance… all of it shaped what she came to understand as love.

That quiet, dependable kind of love you didn’t need to question.

Even as a child, she recognized it for what it was.

She was born into a noble family—nothing too high in status, just enough to live comfortably.

Still, that never mattered much to her.

What mattered was that she was loved.

Truly and deeply.

A privilege not every family could afford, and one she never took for granted.

That was why Janica always felt blessed.

That wonderful feeling she was surrounded by growing up… it stayed with her.

And over time, she found herself wanting to share it.

To spread that same warmth to those around her, even in small ways.

That was just the kind of person she became.

She remembered one moment in particular.

A memory that clung to her heart more than most.

“Hahaha! Janica, once you grow up, just make sure you live up to the decisions you’ve made, alright?” her father laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “You don’t wanna end up regretting them. Being indecisive will only get you nowhere.”

“What are you even talking about, Papa?” she asked, giggling.

“Hahaha, you’ll understand when you’re older. Just remember Papa’s words, trust me…”

He leaned in a little, lowering his voice like he was about to reveal some grand secret.

“You won’t want to make the same mistake I did—Ow!”

A soft smack landed on his head.

“What are you whispering so sneakily about, hmm?” her mother said, raising an eyebrow.

“I-I was just teaching our dear daughter a valuable life lesson!”

Her mother sighed, though there was a small smile on her lips. “You’re teaching her weird things again, dear. Dinner’s ready. Go ahead and eat.”

“Yes, Mama!” Janica replied with a bright smile.

Back then, she didn’t really get what her father meant. Mistakes? Regrets? She was too young to think that far.

But now…

Now, after meeting Lucas—

When the warmth in her heart started to shift into something more… something unfamiliar yet comforting, something that made her chest tighten whenever he smiled at her or said her name—

That’s when she realized.

This feeling wasn’t like the one she felt from her family.

It was warmer. Stronger. A little scarier, maybe.

But it was still love.

Or… at least, that’s what she believed it to be.

….

“Can we sit here?”

“Sure, bud. Is that alright, Janica?” Kagami turned to her politely.

“…Yes,” Janica replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Riley gave a short nod and calmly pulled the chair next to her, taking his seat.

Janica and Kagami were already facing each other across the table, while Seo quietly slid into the empty chair across from Riley, her expression unreadable as always.

“You sure you want to eat here, bud?” Kagami asked after a moment, eyeing the glances they were getting from every direction. “I thought you’ve been eating somewhere else ever since you built your little… harem.”

He said it casually, but the implication was clear.

Riley didn’t bother looking around to confirm—he already knew.

The stares, the whispers, they were constant. Every time he stepped into a room, the air shifted.

A hot topic, as usual.

“Well,” Riley shrugged, stabbing a piece of food with his fork. “I’ve gotten used to it. Besides, I never really cared about what nonsense people were saying about me.”

“You’re not even going to deny it anymore?” Kagami raised a brow, half-amused.

“I don’t even know what kind of allegations you’re talking about,” Riley said, taking a bite. “But if it’s about the harem thing… yeah, there’s nothing to deny.”

The words left his mouth casually—but the effect was immediate.

The entire cafeteria went quiet for a second.

Forks stopped halfway to mouths, trays froze in midair, even the sound of footsteps seemed to falter.

Students, staff, and even those who had only been side-eyeing their table suddenly turned their attention completely.

It was like someone had paused reality for a breath.

Riley let out a small sigh, not because he was embarrassed—he wasn’t—but because of how openly shameless people could be.

They didn’t even try to hide the fact that they were eavesdropping.

Janica, sitting beside him, looked like someone had hit a pause button on her too.

Her lips parted slightly, eyes stuck on her plate.

Kagami didn’t look all that surprised—he had his suspicions already—but still gave Riley a look that said, Seriously? That blunt?

Then, in a hesitant tone, Janica finally spoke.

“S-So… you’re really going out with Princess Snow and… Miss Rose?”

Riley took another bite of his food, as if the question didn’t carry the weight, it clearly did.

“Yes….”

“Oh… I see.”

Janica’s mind slipped into overdrive as she tried to process what she’d just heard.

She had kind of suspected it — Riley and the two girls were always absurdly close, especially Snow and Rose — but both of them? At the same time?

Wait, wasn’t Snow literally an imperial princess?

And Rose, the daughter of a duke?

How was that even allowed?

Would their relationship survive that kind of setup?

Was it even real love, or something more complicated?

And then there were the rumors — those damn rumors — about Riley having a harem.

Janica had always brushed them off as exaggerated gossip, something people came up with to make sense of Riley’s magnetic presence. But now…

Her eyes drifted to Seo, who was calmly slurping noodles from her bowl, entirely unbothered by the stir of whispers and stares surrounding them.

As if none of this concerned her in the slightest.

Wait… is Seo part of it too? Janica’s eyes widened a fraction.

If that’s true…

Then what about all those other ridiculous rumors?

The ones about Riley’s past, the ones people whispered about behind closed doors?

Were those true too?

Her head buzzed, thoughts swirling too fast to keep up.

Emotions clashed in her chest — confusion, curiosity, maybe even a little jealousy?

It all tangled together, lighting a metaphorical puff of smoke above her head.

Kagami, who had been watching her from the side, let out a small sigh and lightly shook his head. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go.

He had brought Riley here to help smooth over the tension between Janica and Lucas, not to stir up some tangled love web.

He glanced at Riley, his expression unreadable but pointed.

Riley caught the look and gave a small nod.

He understood.

In truth, he hadn’t meant to blurt it out so openly like that — he just wanted to shut up the eavesdropping masses for once.

It was exhausting, having people hang onto his every move like it was some kind of royal drama.

With a quiet sigh, he shifted the conversation before things could spiral any further.

“By the way… where’s Lucas?”

That single question snapped Janica back to reality like a jolt of cold water.

Right — Lucas.

That was what she should be thinking about, not Riley’s complicated love life.

….

Sigh…

I always knew something was off between those two, but I didn’t think it would get bad enough that Kagami would actually call me for help.

But now, looking at Janica… yeah. I kind of get it.

She still looked like her usual self—pretty, composed, normal on the outside—but if you looked closely, you could tell.

There was this dullness in her eyes, like something inside her had dimmed. She was distracted, a little withdrawn.

Not broken, but… off. Like something was weighing on her that she didn’t know how to shake.

And the worst part is… I think I might be part of the reason why.

Their relationship—Lucas and Janica—it’s gotten strained, and I can’t pretend I don’t know how that happened.

After all, it was my clone who probably set the whole damn thing off.

Stirred up things that maybe should’ve stayed buried a little longer.

Pushed them too far, too fast.

Now? They’re civil at best.

Friendly if you’re being generous.

But you can tell—there’s a line between them.

A thin, fragile one.

Like they’re both scared of crossing it, but also terrified of what happens if they don’t.

Which sucks, because those two?

They’re supposed to be together.

Janica already knows how she feels—she’s always known.

And Lucas? He’s dense as hell, but even he’s not going to stay blind to his own heart forever.

Eventually, he’s going to realize what she means to him.

’I’m sure of it.’

They’re the heroine and protagonist of this world.

Their story is supposed to intertwine, not unravel.

But now there’s Evelyn—and I don’t know what the hell she’s trying to pull.

She’s moving pieces in the background, setting something up between them, and I don’t know whether she’s trying to fix things or completely tear them apart.

Should I step in? Or would that just make things worse?

Well whatever was the case I need to be a good friend right now…

“By the way… where’s Lucas?”

To start off let’s find out what there problem lies shall we?

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