Christoph clicked his tongue softly. It seemed he had made another mistake. The problem was, he didn’t know what that mistake was.

He clenched his lips and followed Marianne. He didn’t want to upset her further.

When they arrived at the blue front door, Marianne silently climbed the stairs. She was about to open the front door when she turned her back slowly. Christoph, who was standing still, came into view.

Because of the faint gas lamp behind him, his expression was not entirely visible. Marianne, who had been staring at Christoph as if pondering something, hesitated for a moment before opening the front door.

“Be careful, Christoph.”

“Wait.”

Christoph suddenly spoke, turning her head as she was about to walk away.

With a restless manner, Christoph scratched his chin with dry fingers, as if someone struggling to find the right words. His voice, like sandpaper, came out empty from his throat.

“Could we go in for a cup of tea?”

Marianne looked at him in silence, then slowly raised her gaze to the darkened sky.

“At this hour?”

Christoph secretly let out a sigh of relief. His question wasn’t about whether it was a suitable time for tea. It was simply an answer to the fact that it was late.

With just that, he found a bit more courage. Christoph raised his chin slowly and stared straight at her. He casually showed her the envelope he was holding in his hand.

“It’s Veronica’s case records.”

“…”
Marianne’s gaze fell upon the envelope in his hand. Her pupils moved upward by an inch, meeting his anxious eyes.

“Christoph.”

“…Go ahead.”

Christoph nodded, assessing her reaction. Had he gone too far by using Veronica’s case records as leverage, or had he once again disturbed her emotions, he wondered, looking concerned.

He should have simply handed over the case records and turned away, cleanly and without any fuss. It would have been much more elegant that way.

However, Christoph didn’t want to miss this opportunity. Even if it made him seem petty and fussy, he wanted to spend a little more time with her. He didn’t want to part from her like this.

But it seemed like a foolish choice.

Christoph now pondered whether he should turn back, and he looked at her. Silence stretched on. When he had almost resigned himself, Marianne spoke first.

“Just now, you seemed impatient, like a student trying to show off clumsily, did you know that?”

“…”

In response to her words, Christoph was left speechless. His mouth slightly agape, almost involuntarily. It was because her words, which seemed half like a jest, struck a chord.

Impatiently showing off clumsily like an inept student.

Christoph shrugged as if admitting defeat.

“It’s not much different, Marianne.”

This time, it was Marianne who fell silent. Christoph gazed at her with a bitter smile. Tilted his head slightly and casually brushed his eyebrows, as if in jest.
“I’ve never been so reluctant to part with someone before. It’s the first time I’ve tried so hard to find a way to enter your room.”

“!”

For a moment, Marianne’s eyes widened slightly. Christoph Schneider was someone. Whether it was his lineage, abilities, or personality, he was a man who could easily attract women without saying a word.

Sure, she had been tempted before, but she had never been the one to tempt others. His clumsy behavior was understandable.

Marianne desperately averted her gaze to hide her bewilderment. Otherwise, her pent-up emotions might have spilled over her cheeks.

Her heart fluttered. It felt like the beginning of a new romance.

In truth, there wasn’t a conventional “dating period” between them. They had been college juniors and seniors when he proposed.

She had felt that he paid more attention to her than to others, but that was it. Even she hadn’t expected his proposal.

However, despite all that, it was a proposal she couldn’t bring herself to refuse. She loved Christoph. So she knew how miraculous it was. One in ten thousand odds.

Miracles don’t happen multiple times. So, Marianne nodded her head and reached out her hand without hesitation.

Their marriage proceeded swiftly, and before she knew it, she had become Christoph’s wife.
Yes, perhaps it was natural for both of them to be clumsy. Christoph and Marianne were as awkward and inexperienced as people starting a new relationship.

“…….”

Furthermore, Marianne still loved Christoph. She had no resistance to his charm.

But her strong rationality scolded her for her lingering feelings. It chastised her for making the same mistake again.

As Marianne hesitated, the front door suddenly creaked open.

“!”

Through it, Mrs. List appeared. With her hands on her hips, she raised her voice impatiently.

“Why are you two talking outside for so long? If you have a lot to discuss, come inside and talk. Come on in, Christoph.”

She gestured towards Christoph, but he hesitated, trying to gauge Marianne’s reaction.

Mrs. List gave her a sharp poke in the side and winked at her. At the landlord’s urging, Marianne let out a resigned sigh and finally spoke.

“Come in, Christoph.”