Clear, verdant eyes met mine squarely.

‘Ah, I…’

Yet even seeing that firm gaze, somehow I felt he might cry.

In his kind eyes facing me, brimming with redness, in his gentle voice calling my name…

There was a deeper emotion melted in than I had known before, than I had vaguely expected.

‘He’s sincere.’

Then the situation felt somewhat embarrassing.

Of course, I hadn’t forgotten the proposal I received when we reunited.

But at that time, I felt like he was simply proposing a transaction for our mutual needs.

However, the current situation was clearly different from then.

He was speaking of his affection for me like a commoner. His proposal was courtship.

‘I never expected a situation like this.’

At that moment, my emotions, my situation, everything I needed to consider got mixed up.

It was as if someone had poured sand, tangled thread, and grain together and then poured tar over it.

Finding an answer in that chaotic mire was overwhelming.

In my mind, thoughts that couldn’t quite be refined tried to take shape several times already, only to scatter like dust.

‘What…’

Should I say?

I didn’t know what would be good to do.

But even amidst this, there was one thing for certain. The pain that felt like it was squeezing the center of my chest.

I felt sorry for Sergei’s heart.

I was grateful for the feelings he held for me, for confessing that he wanted me again even after 10 years had passed.

So…

I thought I should at least give him an answer now.

I slowly lowered myself and met his eyes.

“Just what kind of situation is this.”

It was then.

Lord Joseph’s cold voice sharply wedged between me and Sergei.

Reflexively, my head turned.

In front of the door, Lord Joseph’s figure was visible, his red eyes flashing chillingly, though I didn’t know when he had arrived.

“It seems I underestimated Lord Sergei too much. I didn’t expect him to commit such an immoral act as proposing to a woman with a fiancé.”

Lord Joseph’s aggressive gaze was fierce.

As if an eerily sharpened blade of ice had risen in the air, even my breathing felt painfully pierced.

Sergei, who had been crouched for a moment, calmly stood up.

“This… is not what it seems, Lord Joseph.”

“If not. Are you saying there’s a problem with my hearing?”

“First, please listen. There was news that Lord Joseph should know as well.”

“Well. What I need to know is probably the fact that Lord Sergei has finally betrayed me.”

“No, it’s not like that…”

“How foolish I’ve been all this time. To miss the biggest enemy right in front of me and only be wary of the Imperial Prince Raphael.”

But Lord Joseph’s ears, which had already lost the light in his red eyes, didn’t seem to listen properly. Thump, thump, he approached with quick steps.

I had to urgently come to my senses. Especially since his indignant gaze was directed entirely at Sergei.

It looked like he might do something.

He’s the person who had proudly told me before that he had killed Carlos Nikolai several times.

“Stop, Lord Joseph. Sergei, please be quiet too!”

I don’t know. The words that burst from my mouth at that moment were quite impulsive.

“If you make the situation any worse, I’ll lock myself up in the mountains alone until I die of old age, forget about marriage or whatever, so do as you please!”

Surprisingly, that childish threat was quite effective.

…It was effective.

But that only temporarily calmed the situation. Nothing had actually changed.

‘Just how long will this cold war state continue?’

A sigh escaped involuntarily from the frustration.

Yes, the two of them are currently engaged in a battle of wills with me in the middle.

In short, on the subject of who will become my next husband.

‘No, is this too much of a leap?’

But when you think about it, this was correct. It’s not even funny. It’s not like I ever said I’d make the winner of a duel my husband.

‘I’ll need to explain in more detail.’

To be precise, after that incident, Lord Joseph stormed out. Then he began to thoroughly ignore me and Sergei.

He’s steadily continuing the work of moving the inheritance, but if I or Sergei try to approach to talk, he instantly vanishes.

The ways of using magic are really varied.

No matter how Sergei made excuses to the empty air, no matter how I shouted for him to please come out, it was useless.

By this point, I couldn’t help but worry about him.

Until the day I returned to Daiern after loading all the inheritance onto the carriage, he didn’t even show his shadow before me.

His pain will worsen like this.

“Are you really leaving so coldly like this, Lieselotte?”

At that time, Nergal looked at me with regretful eyes as I was about to get on the carriage.

“It would be nice if you could stay even just a week longer.”

Well, I understand his feelings.

Especially if I recall the numerous events he said he had prepared for me on the first day.

How could he not be disappointed, having to throw away most of the events he had planned with his meager resources?

Of course, that’s not my circumstance. Wasn’t I someone who originally thought of severing ties with Nergal once?

Ha, the problem is that I’m also quite an indecisive person. When the other party acts so weak, my heart softens unnecessarily.

“I’m worried about my children left in the domain. As you know, brother, they are all still young children who haven’t come of age yet.”

Instead of just coldly rejecting, I carefully explained my reasons. Nergal furrowed his brow.

“Those children, aren’t they already sixteen and fifteen now? They’ll soon have their debutante, at that age they’re grown. You should start letting them be independent…”

“Brother.”

Listening to this, I was starting to get angry. I cut off Nergal’s words with a stern voice.

“If you open your mouth one more time, speaking of my children as if they’re not my own flesh and blood…”

“Ah, aah! No, Lieselotte. That’s not what I meant to say! How could I speak that way about the children you’ve embraced in your heart, at this point?”

“…”

The mouth that was about to say we would have no relationship anymore was hurriedly blocked with an apology.

If it was a misunderstanding, that would be fortunate.

If Nergal was really still regarding my relationship with the children as that of strangers, I was going to regard Nergal as a stranger too.

“Anyway… Yes, it’s regrettable, but then go safely.”

I got on the carriage, receiving Nergal’s send-off.

Still, Nergal had been quite considerate. He not only procured plenty of cargo carriages to load the inheritance, but even assigned personnel to escort.

“Um, Lieselotte.”

Just as I was about to close the carriage door, Nergal called out.

Reflexively turning my head, I saw Nergal with slumped shoulders continuing in a small voice, hesitantly.

“…I’m really sorry. Actually, I wanted to use this opportunity to improve our relationship, but I’m so inept and rough… I’ve been a petty older brother who only received from you and couldn’t properly give back, and that’s always bothered me.”

“…”

“So, if not now, then later, if you ever feel like forgiving me… Even if I’m all old and hunched over, would you be able to come visit with your nieces and nephews?”

Or if not that, he said I could send an invitation.

Nergal said that while dropping his gaze far away.

“Still Lieselotte, it’s the absolute truth that I cherished you.”

…Well.

For a while, I silently stared at Nergal’s slumped shoulders.

As of now, I don’t see a reason why I should take Nergal’s words at face value.

The betrayal Nergal committed against me and his thorough indifference until now are not the kind that can be easily forgiven with just a few words.

But it’s not that I don’t understand Nergal.

I know well how much he wanted to catch grandfather’s eye when he was young.

I can guess how frustrated he must have felt when that failed.

But aren’t understanding and forgiveness different?

I don’t think people can be neatly divided into good and evil.

Everyone sometimes makes good decisions and sometimes makes evil decisions depending on their purpose.

Instead, I strictly distinguish between people who are good to me and people who are evil to me.

And Nergal, regardless of his circumstances, was evil to me.

An evil person who took away my place.

An evil person who treated me like an object and sold me off to Daiern.

An evil person who tried to use my life advantageously for himself, as if it were a spare life.

And even now, that’s how it is. Whatever his true feelings, to my eyes he only looked like a shameless person mentioning my children while wanting to be forgiven.

It seemed like Nergal knew well what words I needed to hear to soften my heart.