“Lingering Love” is a pretty unique Octopath Traveler 2 side story in that you can complete it without really going through any effort or seeing the initial part of the story. That is, if you are the sort of person who will Steal from and Scrutinize any NPC before you actually talk to them, it can be over before it even begins.
In Stormhail, there is a Dismal Woman. If you check her inventory, you’ll see a Treasured Necklace. Now, you can talk to her first. However, since I’m a terrible person, I steal from any side story-giving NPCs before starting the quests. Doing so to get the Treasured Necklace immediately “solves” her problem.
After you’ve stolen or bought the Dismal Woman’s Treasured Necklace, you’re done. You won’t even need to trigger another conversation. She’ll immediately start talking to you and come to a conclusion after your actions.
As a thanks for your efforts(?) there, you’ll get an Alluring Ribbon and 14,000 leaves. The “Lingering Love” Octopath Traveler 2 side story will then end. She’ll also be known as the Rejuvenated Woman from here on out.
Octopath Traveler 2 is available for the Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC. A demo is available.
