Seeing him trembling pitifully, Serpina decided not to delay any longer and resolved to tell the truth.

So, just as she was about to open her mouth.

“I’m sorry.”

He beat her to it.

Oh. Hmm. Ahem.

Having missed her timing, Serpina’s lips fluttered open and closed before she firmly shut them.

She decided to listen to what he had to say first.

After his brief apology, Dante buried his face in his large hands.

“I’m so sorry for everything. I shouldn’t have done that.”

His voice was so pained that it naturally evoked sympathy.

No. This isn’t how it should be.

She had planned to playfully say, “Actually, I don’t have an incurable disease!” and “Oh my! How surprising!”

But the atmosphere had already become as serious as it could be.

After hesitating for a moment, Serpina reached out her hand, intending to pat his shoulder to comfort him.

However, once again, Dante’s words were faster than her actions.

“So, please don’t abandon me.”

Serpina flinched at his voice, which resembled a plea.

… Abandon?

Suddenly, she remembered his family history that she had heard from the noble ladies.

The betrayal of someone he trusted, and his brother’s death because of it.

How Dante must have felt, losing two people at once.

She impulsively grabbed Dante’s cheeks. Then she abruptly stood up.

His head, which had been facing the floor, naturally tilted upwards.

Over his contorted face that had been hidden by his hands, bewilderment was now overlaid.

At the end of their forcibly met gazes was Serpina, speaking resolutely.

“I won’t abandon you.”

Yes. She would not abandon him.

Although she was dreaming of a beautiful farewell, she had no intention of leaving as if running away like in the original story.

She had never once thought of coldly abandoning the pitiful male lead.

“… Will you really not abandon me?”

“Of course. Naturally. Why would I abandon you?”

“You cried. I made you cry.”

“Well, in life, people sometimes cry and sometimes make others cry. Besides, you’re apologizing now, aren’t you? Right? You’re telling me you’re sorry now, correct?”

Nod, nod.

Seeing his head nodding obediently, Serpina smiled gently.

It was a smile as if comforting a child.

“I won’t abandon or leave you over something like that, so don’t worry. And, I think there’s been some misunderstanding between us.”

“… Misunderstanding?”

Yes. A misunderstanding. And a huge one at that.

“I’m not dying.”

“What?”

Serpina couldn’t hold back her laughter at Dante’s incredulous response.

“I’m not terminally ill.”

No matter how she thought about it, it was truly an absurd misunderstanding.

The conversation was short and to the point.

Like the three people before him, Dante repeatedly confirmed the truth and then sat back in his chair like a person who had lost his soul.

Even that was such a new sight that Serpina’s eyes widened in circles.

“So, how do you feel about it?”

Serpina asked playfully, resting her chin on her hand, as Dante’s gaze creakily settled on her.

“How I feel about learning that it was all a misunderstanding.”

The answer didn’t come easily.

This too was an expected reaction, so her mischievous smile deepened.

However, the response that followed was something she hadn’t anticipated at all.

“I’m truly relieved.”

His lips spread neatly, curving upwards, and his breath mixed with exhaustion and relief.

Even his eyes, closing lightly and then opening again.

Although she had seen Dante smile a few times before, this feeling was a first.

It felt as if her heart floated up and then fell down with a thud.

Serpina, who had sharply inhaled, gulped down her tea in an attempt to calm her wildly fluttering heart.

“Ah, it’s hot.”

And she stuck out her tongue.

What a silly sight this must be. A startled Dante quickly handed her some water.

Only after gulping down a good amount of cold water did the pain in her tongue subside and her fluttering heart slowly settled.

Serpina nodded her head vigorously to Dante, who repeatedly asked if she was alright.

As the commotion passed, the atmosphere regained its composure.

Dante, too, had returned to his usual self.

He poured another glass of cold water, pushed it towards Serpina, and spoke.

“And, I apologize again.”

“Pardon?”

“Even if it stemmed from a misunderstanding, I hurt you. I’m truly sorry. It won’t happen again.”

His resolute tone resembled a promise he was making to himself.

Indeed, he’s befitting of a male lead.

Serpina nodded her head, feigning arrogance.

“Well, I’m in a good mood. I’ll forgive you specially. This is special treatment just for you, Duke. It wouldn’t happen for anyone else.”

Serpina extended her hand, offering a handshake.

Dante took her hand.

“I’m honored.”

And so, their brief – or perhaps long – cold war came to an end.

However, Serpina had one more main point left to address.

“Well then, it seems like now is the perfect timing to confess the truth.”

Serpina glanced around, then shrugged her shoulders and continued.

“I’ll make a confession too.”

“A confession?”

“Actually, I heard about your brother at a noble ladies’ gathering before.”

Ah. A low, short sigh broke the silence.

“Hearing about someone’s family matters that could be painful from others’ mouths made me feel a bit guilty. It could be something you didn’t want to talk about.”

“It’s alright. Although everyone tries to keep it hushed, that story has spread so much that there’s no one who doesn’t know about it.”

“Still. Even if it’s a story everyone knows, it doesn’t make it pleasant to hear it being talked about by others.”

Dante blinked slowly at her pointed response.

In fact, her words were right.

Although the story about his brother had already spread as far as it could, it still felt unpleasant to have his brother’s story treated as gossip.

Especially, Julia.

It angered him that his brother’s name was still trailing behind that woman like a tag.

It made him feel that his poor brother, even in death, couldn’t be free from that woman.

“So I want to be fair too.”

‘Fair’?

What did she mean?

“I’ll share some of my story too. This is especially for you, Dante.”

Serpina, her eyes curved, whispered in a low voice as if telling a secret.

“As you probably already know, I was an illegitimate child. When I was young, I lived with my mother and maternal grandmother, but after my mother passed away and my grandmother fell ill, I came to live at my father’s house.”

Tick tick.

Her pale, slender fingers lightly tapped the handle of the teacup.

“I wasn’t even treated as a person in the Count’s household.”

“What do you mean…”

“So I didn’t learn much properly, don’t know much, am weak, and not very noble-like.”

For something she was saying so calmly, it was a heavier story than expected.

Grind.

Instead of Serpina, who continued speaking nonchalantly, it was Dante who clenched his jaw.

His bulging muscles and fiercely flashing gaze spoke of his anger.

But Serpina didn’t notice this.

At some point, her gaze had turned towards the dark window outside, towards some unknown place.

“The funny thing is, when I lived there, I didn’t know I was struggling. It was so natural and familiar that I didn’t even think I was being abused.”

A laugh resembling a sigh escaped her lips.

It suddenly occurred to her that her past was truly horrific.

The Serpina of the original story must have lived in a nightmare her whole life, never knowing anything else.

“Your very birth is a sin.”

She must have lived blaming herself for being born, remembering the Countess who always said that to her.

Oh my. How pitiful.

So, it was a thousand blessings that she no longer lived that way.

Even if she were to divorce Dante and leave now, she had the confidence to live like a human being.

It wasn’t just because she recalled her childhood memories and her previous life.

Yes. This was all because…

“But coming here, surrounded by warm people… I finally learned what peace is.”

It was thanks to the people of the Richter mansion.

It was because there were people who, even thinking I had a terminal illness, were determined to keep quiet for my happiness.

So.

“I’m glad I married you. Really.”

It was the purest sincerity.

At this moment, thoughts of divorce or the original story were far from her mind.

She was glad she married Dante.

No matter what future awaited, she could be certain that marrying him would be the best choice of her life, just for the memories accumulated in her heart so far.

Ah. Of course, it wasn’t my choice, but…

“Me too.”

“… Pardon?”

“I’m truly grateful that you became my wife.”

It was another sincerity matching Serpina’s.

The flickering candlelight seemed to sparkle in Dante’s eyes.

Serpina quietly gazed at that light and smiled silently.

Strange.

Her face felt hot.

Although it had been a while since she recovered from her cold, a belated heat dominated her entire body.

It was truly strange.