Isabelle's straightforward words left Ethan completely speechless. His doubts had already been cracking his decision, and now they all but crumbled.
"Why are you even helping me?" he asked again. "What's your plan?"
"Because I know how much you love Celestia, and you'd put her before your own life. That's exactly why I'm saying all this today-I just want to see her happy," Isabelle said firmly.
"She's been really kind to me, and I don't want her ending up in an unhappy marriage. All we need to do is show her how Jareth really feels."
Her reasoning sounded fair enough, but something about it felt off to Ethan. Maybe he was just overthinking it, but there was a kind of unease in her smile that didn't quite match her words.
"I need some time to think," he finally said, his vo
