Even if the boy, who had run away just by reaching out with a hat, cursed and didn’t appreciate it, it would have been fine. Yet, she foolishly waited for the boy every day.

‘Why so stubborn? How will you live like that in the world?’

Deborah, who was just watching Jen with a hint of resentment, noticed Jen.

Without a hint of annoyance, just happy to see that face.
The conversation, casually shared like an ordinary daily routine, felt so ticklish and sweet.

There was a time when someone witnessed Deborah scolding a colleague.

Deborah refrained from scolding as it seemed to make her uncomfortable, but she couldn’t hide her irritation completely.

Facing the boy who was angry, telling her not to listen to such words again, Deborah brought her clear and delicate face closer and said,

“Did you hold back today?”

It felt like her breath stopped for a moment. Even though the sunlight seemed to be blocked by Deborah, it felt so dazzling.

“Is that important now?”
“Haha.”

Even with the irritated annoyance she reluctantly expressed, Deborah blushed and laughed brightly.

That face was engraved in his mind and never disappeared. He thought of it at any time.

“Someone like you should never have been born!”

He remembered it even when his mother cursed and kicked him or threw things at him.

“Disgusting blond like that imp! I hate the sight of it!”

He even remembered when his mother dyed the boy’s blond hair with cheap hair dye.

Whenever it rained, the boy’s mother, who became more sensitive as usual, worried that the unpleasant blond would be revealed in the rain. She locked the boy in a dark room full of cold air. Even at that time, he remembered.

‘Does he know that fact? I don’t know. It’s better not to know.’

Before meeting Deborah, the boy had been tormented every day.

His mother, who abused him with excessive greed, acting like a noble Duke while denying the fruits of her vile desires, and the world that was doing well without caring about the boy were all terrible.

The brilliant spring that illuminated the world, the summer that gave a brief warmth and then left, the autumn preparing for the cold, and the winter that seemed never-ending—all of them felt like winter.

But after meeting Deborah, spring felt dazzling. Sweat in summer felt annoying.

The boy, who used to be anxious all the time, no longer felt autumn announcing winter as anxious.

If Deborah had stayed with the boy until winter, he might have learned to love winter.

But Deborah left. Without a word, without a promise.

“Deborah.”

He called her name countless times. Jen had been together with her for several months, but he still couldn’t get used to it.

It was unavoidable.

Even if he called for ten years without an answer, how could he be reassured just because he received a few responses? He would probably fall short even if he called for a lifetime.

Returning to the mansion, Duke Viren looked up at the large portrait of the late Duke Viren hanging on the wall of the central staircase leading from the entrance to the second floor.

Although the old man in the portrait had white and wrinkled hair, his gaze resembled Jen, whom he met today.

Perhaps, if there were no beard, Margaret might have felt discomfort when looking at Jen.

“Father. Are you al… alright?”
“Well, it’s just that there were many people at the party, so it felt that way; it’s nothing serious.”

“If that’s the case, then, I’m relieved…”

To Margaret, who still couldn’t shake off her worries, Duke Viren kindly smiled and said,

“I’m sorry if I interrupted your enjoyable time.”

“Oh, no. Um, my father is more important to me.”

Margaret replied with a gentle smile.

Margaret, the only treasure of Duke Viren. Could there be another child so kind in the world?

“Don’t worry and sleep well.”

“Yes, yes. You too, Father.”

As Margaret, who smiled softly, returned to her room, Duke Viren immediately went to the room where the portrait was kept alone.

Shining the lamp directly, Duke Viren carefully examined the dark room. While doing so, he discovered the portrait of the young Duke Viren.

Bright blond hair, sparkling golden eyes, an elegant and manly face.

A man who looked exactly like the one who greeted him today, Jen Baker, was smiling at Duke Viren.

“No…!”

The lamp in Duke Viren’s hand fell to the floor. The sound of breaking glass echoed in the dark room.

The small candle on the floor couldn’t illuminate the high-positioned portrait of the late Duke.

Despite the darkness, Duke Viren seemed to see the face of the late Duke, or rather, Jen.

“Surely you said it wasn’t your child. You even said not to talk nonsense about just the hair color, treating this unique blond as if it were nothing!”

During the time his wife was unwell, the woman who played with him for a while. He couldn’t remember her name or face. She seemed to be laughing mockingly.

“Pretending to love only your wife, pretending to be pure and noble, Duke! Now God will judge you. My child will condemn you, and your daughter will sit in the seat of judgment!”

The chilling laughter of the woman in his mind wouldn’t go away.