While Duke Buin trembled with anxiety, Zen walked slowly down the street, thinking.

Duke Buin. Zen had heard the duke’s name in his drunken mother’s laments and in the voice of Madam Saint, blinded by revenge.

Whenever he heard his name, Zen was reminded of the huge body, fierce face, and unapproachable atmosphere he had seen as a child.

Compared to him, Zen felt like worthless trash……

‘Looking at it now, he’s a coward to a pathetic degree.’

To resort to such threats. It wasn’t even funny.

‘It’s ridiculous that I even considered the possibility for a moment.’

Zen had wondered what he would do if Duke Buin apologized for his wrongdoing.

If he bowed his head and begged for forgiveness, or at least begged not to covet Margaret’s position, what would he do…..

But it was all unnecessary speculation.

‘Duke. I clearly told you not to doubt.’

That was Zen’s sincere intention. But Zen knew. Duke Buin would not be able to dispel his doubts.

His imagination is utterly pathetic.

‘He’ll just see me as a fly coveting his title and family.’

Zen frowned. Madam Saint’s face came to mind.

That pitiful woman who put Zen in this position solely for revenge.

“……”

Madam Saint also thinks Zen will become Duke Buin.

But the man Zen wanted to be was the one by her side, with black hair shining brilliantly in the sunlight.

He wanted to be that man who could see her smile and share conversations and warmth with her.

‘…Still, madam. Don’t worry. I will have revenge. The kind of revenge that will satisfy you.’

Seeing Zen walking with a frown in the darkness, the coachman hurriedly ran over and asked.

“Are you here? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

Zen shook his head and replied.

“I’m tired. Let’s hurry back.”

“Understood.”

Zen got into the carriage and leaned his head against the window. His head felt like it was going to split and somewhere in his heart was in turmoil.

He was extremely tired but couldn’t fall asleep.

‘I miss Deborah.’

Zen thought as he closed his eyes tightly.

“……”

Deborah’s eyes slowly opened. Though it felt like she had slept enough, the world was still dark.

‘What time is it?’

Yawning as she sat up, Deborah checked the clock on the table and frowned.

‘Oh my. 3 AM?’

What an ambiguous time. Deborah laid her head back on the pillow.

‘Sleep, come back to me…..’

Deborah repeated the wish like a spell.

She lay there for about 30 minutes, but the sleep she waited for did not come, only useless thoughts.

What will happen in the future? Does Dia particularly like Zen? What about Zen? Will Zen also come to love Dia specially?

“……”

When would Deborah herself be able to return to that beach?

To that beach that swallowed Charles, who had become a reliable support for Deborah after she left the boy and everyone else 10 years ago.

And when would Deborah…..

“Haa……”

Deborah let out a sigh mixed with laughter and sat up again.

‘Right. There are times like this…..’

Times when you can’t fall asleep, and endless questions with no answers keep coming.

Most of the questions were depressing, and the last question was always ‘When will I die?’

Before meeting Charles, Deborah often wanted to die.

Life was just too hard. Then she met Charles, but lost him. So emptily.

At that time, Deborah really tried to die. An enormous sense of loss pushed her into deep sorrow, and Deborah couldn’t escape from it.

The Bermuda people saved Deborah, who had no strength left to struggle and could only sink into sorrow.

If they hadn’t forcibly lifted Deborah up, washed her with warm water, and put something soft in her mouth, Deborah might have done something dangerous to stop the sorrow.

Now, Deborah wasn’t particularly enduring life. She wasn’t depressed enough to want to die every moment either.

But sometimes, curiosity about the end of life would arise.

After all, she knew that a peaceful daily life could suddenly become unhappy.

If her remaining life was very long and she had to experience such unhappiness again, what would she do? Sometimes that worried her.

‘It seems like there’s no one left to lose though.’

With a bitter smile, Deborah looked out the window and her eyes widened.

‘Snow.’

It was so clear yesterday, but now large snowflakes were slowly falling, reflecting the moonlight. It was truly a beautiful scene.

As if enchanted, Deborah opened the wardrobe to find a coat.

Her hand wandered for a while before grabbing the wheat-colored fur coat Zen had bought her sometime ago.

It was the warmest coat Deborah owned, but it was so precious that she had never really worn it properly.

She didn’t have many occasions to go out anyway.

Buried in the soft fur, Deborah hesitated for a moment at the door.

She was wearing the coat but still in her nightgown underneath – what if she ran into someone? That thought occurred to her.

‘No. Who would I run into at this hour.’

After taking a deep breath, Deborah stepped out. She felt the cold as soon as she entered the hallway.

It would be colder outside the mansion, but that was okay. No matter how cold it was outside, she had a warm room to return to.

‘Ah, it’s cold.’

Stepping into the garden, Deborah looked up at the sky and let the snow fall on her.

She couldn’t understand why her heart was fluttering like this when this wasn’t even the first snow.

‘Will it pile up?’

The snowflakes were quite large, but it didn’t seem like they would accumulate. It wasn’t snowing that heavily after all.

‘Sigh. Come to think of it, I wonder how long it’s been since I’ve leisurely enjoyed the snow like this.’

Deborah headed towards the camellia tree with small steps. The camellias in the snow would be incredibly beautiful.

‘Though it might be hard to see well in the dark.’

But as she approached the camellia tree, Deborah stopped in her tracks. Zen was standing there.

As if he had just returned from going out, snow had piled up on his properly dressed shoulders and head.

To be in such a state when he was so susceptible to cold.

Just as Deborah’s eyes widened in surprise, Zen also seemed surprised as his eyes bulged.

He never thought he would see Deborah here at this hour.

Especially wrapped up in the coat he had bought her.

“…Why are you here at this hour?”

Zen asked slowly.

“I woke up. So I thought I’d take a walk……”

“Did you do this often?”

Zen asked in a voice full of discontent. Could it be that he was displeased that a mere servant was wandering around his mansion as she pleased?

‘No. That’s not it.’

Deborah was certain that Zen was not that kind of person.

He was probably worried that she might fall ill in this cold.

Deborah found it strange that she knew Zen this well.

“No. This is the first time.”

As Deborah shook her head and answered, Zen let out a deep sigh and said.

“It’s cold, why did you come out?”

“Um. Because it was snowing……”

Deborah said with a shrug. After being lost in thought for a moment, Zen slowly opened his lips.

“Do you like snow?”

“Yes. I tend to like it.”

Zen didn’t know Deborah liked snow. Because he hadn’t been with her until it snowed.

“You’re not a child, why do you like snow?”

Zen chuckled and lowered his head as he spoke.

“Oh my. Didn’t you know?”

Zen’s smile disappeared at Deborah’s tone, as if she thought he had known.

As Zen slowly raised his head, Deborah was smiling a smile as clear as the snowflakes.

“You gave me a snow globe as a gift before. So I thought you knew I liked snow.”

“How could I guess from just that?”

“Hehe. Thinking about it again, it does seem difficult.”

Deborah let out a soft laugh. Her pleasant voice slowly colored Zen’s world along with the snow.

“Anyway, let’s go inside first.”

“Hmm. No. I want to stay out a bit longer.”

“Your nose is red, why are you being so stubborn?”

Zen frowned as he saw the tip of Deborah’s white nose turn red. However, Deborah replied without seeming to mind at all.

“Mr. Baker, your face is red too. It’s unfair if only I have to go in.”

Zen didn’t know his face had turned red. Surely it wasn’t like this before he met Deborah.

‘You don’t know.’

Zen clenched his fists tightly. Otherwise, he felt like he might embrace the woman in front of him.

It was always hard to endure, but today it was even harder.

But as he always had, he endured it.

Because if he hugged her now, it felt like Deborah would melt in his arms.

“I don’t want to be a bad guy, so I should go in now.”

Zen said, raising one eyebrow.

“It’s really okay if I stay out a bit longer.”

“That’s enough.”

At Zen’s firm reply, Deborah covered her mouth and laughed.

The two walked side by side. Their appearance seemed as if they were walking in time with the falling snow.

“Um, Mr. Baker. May I ask one impolite question?”

“I’ll decide after I hear it.”

“When did you return?”

“Just now.”

“You must be tired.”

As Deborah replied with an awkward smile, Zen pulled up one corner of his mouth mischievously.

“Not really. I left late in the first place. I was only out for about two hours……”

Deborah thought.

‘The problem isn’t going out, but not sleeping at this hour.’

Suppressing a sigh, Deborah carefully said.

“Um, may I ask one more question?”

“If it’s like the previous question, don’t hesitate to ask from now on. Why do you keep being so cautious about such trivial things……”

Deborah smiled brightly and said.

“Thank you for your kindness. Then Mr. Baker, you’re not going to your office, are you?”

“I’m going to the office, is there a problem?”

Zen looked down at Deborah and asked. At his expression of genuinely not understanding why she was asking, Deborah almost burst out laughing.

“Mr. Baker. You do know what time it is, right?”

“What does the time matter? There’s work piled up.”

Deborah understood perfectly well.

When work piles up, you can’t sleep. And working so busily is how he was able to accumulate this much wealth.

‘I understand. I understand……’

But people shouldn’t live like this.

“If it’s work that can be solved tomorrow morning, why don’t you go to your bedroom?”

Deborah’s tone was careful, but her words themselves were stubborn.

Zen let out a hollow laugh. It was strange how she was so cautious about asking trivial questions, yet so bold in saying things like this.

“I’m not tired.”

“No. You might be fine now because you’re young, but it’ll all come back to you later.”

Zen was dumbfounded. Anyone watching would think Deborah was much older.

“Of course I know.”

“Know what?”

As Zen asked with a frustrated laugh, Deborah replied in a calm voice.

“That no matter how much you take care of your health, people can suddenly leave……”

“……”

“But you should still try to be healthy to live longer.”

Deborah said, looking up at him. Deborah’s tone was quite playful, but at the same time infinitely serious.

Zen reluctantly headed to his bedroom. If he insisted, Deborah would keep thinking about the man who had left first.