At Mercian’s question, Ruan suddenly made a chilly expression and muttered while clenching his fist.

“I realized it as I entered the shop today. If even one of the many men in the shop catches your fancy, would I truly be able to completely separate him from you?”

Fancy someone? What nonsense is this about me fancying someone!

“Ruan! What on earth are you talking about!”

Even at Mercian’s question, Ruan continued muttering to himself.

“But no matter how much I thought about it, there was no solution. They haven’t done anything to betray your trust and faith like I have. So it’s really childish and petty, but I had no choice. I decided to use the last resort.”

“The last resort?”

“I told you earlier, didn’t I? That the reason my curse was lifted was all thanks to you.”

“You did say that.”

Seeing Mercian looking at him with puzzled eyes, Ruan grasped her hand tightly and said,

“The truth is, before I met you, I was someone without much attachment to life. I just thought it wouldn’t be bad to clean up one piece of trash before dying, so I helped remove the Crown Prince.”

“And?”

“So you must take responsibility for me.”

Mercian made a dumbfounded expression at Ruan’s words.

What is he suddenly saying?

Why should I take responsibility for you?

“What? Why should I take responsibility for Ruan?”

“Since you saved a life that should have already ended, this life naturally belongs to you. So I don’t mind if you use me as a slave, or lock me in prison and beat me until your anger subsides. But please don’t abandon me whom you saved.”

Mercian stared at Ruan in disbelief at his unreasonable demand to take responsibility for him.

Not only did he use me as a sleeping pill and lie about being addicted to me, now he’s saying I should take responsibility because I saved him?

Is he trying to threaten me now?

Mercian was too dumbfounded and bewildered to even feel angry.

By the way, what’s this?

What, is this man sweating from nervousness?

Mercian quietly observed Ruan, who was speaking as if being chased by something, spilling out all the words in his head without filtering them.

When he was at the Duke’s mansion, Ruan was someone who always looked at me with affectionate eyes, maintaining a calm expression without any sign of impatience or anxiety, while looking like he might collapse at any moment due to his terminal illness…

Even that scoundrel Crown Prince feared him.

Now this perfect man, who no longer faces death and possesses all the wealth, honor, and looks one could have in the Empire, was looking at her, now just a commoner no longer of noble status, with such an anxious expression and desperate eyes, even mentioning the phrase ‘last resort’ to gain her forgiveness.

Why is he so desperate to hold onto me?

Is it really because he loves me?

Mercian was angry that Ruan, whom she had trusted second only to her father, had hidden so many lies from her, but on the other hand, she could somewhat understand him.

He must have lived a truly fierce life, discarding emotions in order not to disappoint those who relied on him.

In fact, while the fact that Ruan deceived me is absolutely unforgivable, if I think about it strictly, I gained a lot from this marriage too.

I was able to let go of the lingering attachment I couldn’t release towards my sister and mother, and thanks to Ruan, I became completely free from them.

And I met people who love and accept me just as I am, like family.

Yeah, well, it’s not like I married this man because I was desperately in love with him anyway, it was a contract from the start, so there’s no need to get angry over such trivial things.

If I hadn’t gotten married, I would still be living at the Viscount’s house, receiving not-quite mistreatment from my sister and mother, thinking I was a useless person…

And during my entire stay at the Duke’s mansion, he acknowledged and respected me as his wife, and cherished me just as I was, so as Clea and Charles said, it might be good to give him a chance.

A chance…

Should I give this man a chance if he wants it so badly?

Well, I could pay him back for what he did to me, vent my anger, and if he runs away in the meantime, that can’t be helped, and if he continues to stay by my side…

I’ll have to think about that when the time comes, right?

Mercian quietly looked at Ruan, who was holding her hand.

When she settled in Phenomenon Village, she thought she had completely forgotten about Ruan, but ever since he appeared before her eyes, her heart had been continuously complex and confused.

She honestly couldn’t gauge whether this feeling was simple resentment towards him for deceiving her or something else.

Moreover, after hearing the story from Charles and Clea about Ruan’s condition after she left the Duke’s mansion, hadn’t she been having the ridiculous thought that maybe she left too hastily, forgetting what he had done to her?

Yes, I need to use this opportunity to figure out my true feelings for Ruan as well.

Mercian looked at Ruan as if she had made up her mind and said,

“Before I speak, there are a few things I’m curious about,”

“Ask me anything.”

“First, are you really not hiding anything else from me?”

“Of course not. I just told you everything truthfully. There’s nothing I’m hiding from you anymore. I can swear this on my aunt in the capital.”

Aunt, huh. Well, since he’s even bringing up his aunt, it must be the truth.

“Alright. I’ll believe your words. Next, what’s your reason for wanting to be by my side? Is it because I’m your natural sleeping pill? Or because the joy of eating disappeared when I left? Or is there some other reason I don’t know about?”

“Ah, no. Don’t misunderstand. Sleep has become effective again after taking the healer’s medicine here last time. As for food, although it’s not as much as when you were around, I’m still eating quite a lot. So it’s not because of those things. The reason I want to be by your side is because I love you. I think of you as my last companion and want to get your forgiveness to officially marry you again and spend the rest of my life with you. There are no other reasons besides that.”

Love, huh. And he wants to spend the rest of his life with me?

From a man who said he had almost no emotions before meeting me?

Does this man really know what love is?

“Ruan, what do you think love is?”

“Always wanting to see someone, smiling just by seeing them, feeling like you can do anything when you’re together? And not wanting to share them with anyone else? Isn’t that what it is?”

Haha. Half of that is love and the other half is close to obsession, isn’t it?

“Ruan, when you say you don’t want to share with anyone else, does that mean you’re going to hide me somewhere?”

“No, that’s not it. I mean…”

At Mercian’s words, Ruan seemed struck and couldn’t say anything.

“Ruan, what you’re thinking is half right and half wrong. Of course, it’s true that you feel good and happy when you look at the person you love, but keeping that person only by your side and not showing them to anyone else is obsession.”

“I see. Indeed, I’m a bit weak in everything except war, so please guide me well.”

“So, Ruan, are you saying you want to receive my forgiveness and experience this thing called love with me?”

“No, that’s not it. I already love you.”

No, that’s not love, what you’re doing!

Mercian put her hand to her throbbing head at Ruan’s words and said,

“Alright, Ruan, let’s talk about that love you speak of later. Ruan, if you really want to get a chance for my forgiveness, work at the shop temporarily for a month first. I’ll think about whether to give you a chance or not while watching you work. How about that?”

“That’s fine, my lady.”

“Then from now on, we’re employer and employee, so I’d like you to show me respect.”

“Thank you very much, my lady. I will work hard not to disappoint your expectations.”

“Let’s start by sorting out that ‘my lady’ title. I’m already widowed, so I’m no longer Ruan’s wife. As you know, I’m called Rosalyn here, so Ruan should call me Rosalyn too. Or you can call me boss if you prefer.”

“Rosalyn sounds good. Let’s do that, Rosalyn.”

“Secondly, I’d prefer if the people in this village didn’t know about the relationship between Ruan and me.”

“Then?”

“I’ll handle that, just don’t tell them that we were married.”

Ruan made a slightly gloomy expression at Mercian’s words and replied,

“Ah. I understand.”

“And lastly, don’t scare away the customers in the shop like you did today. Always wear a kind smile.”

“Like this?”

Mercian couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of Ruan making a bizarre smile.

“Hohoho. Ruan, just smile like you usually do when you look at me.”

You want me to smile at those bastards who look at Rosalyn with impure eyes?

“The feeling when I look at Rosalyn normally and when I look at the men who come here is different, but I have to do that?”

As Ruan looked at Mercian nervously, she smiled and replied,

“Of course, Ruan. Now go home and practice smiling in front of the mirror a lot. Understood?”

“Thank you, my lady… I mean, Rosalyn. Then I’ll be going now.”

“Ah, one more thing.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Send all the people from the Duke’s mansion back to the capital.”

“What? Why?”

“You don’t plan to have servants and maids do your laundry and eat food cooked by the chef while seeking my forgiveness, do you?”

“That’s not it, but…”

“So send them all back to the capital so you can do everything on your own. That’s my last condition. Well, if you don’t like it, there’s nothing I can do.”

“No, I’ll send them all back to the capital. I’ll do that.”

“Good. Then come by 8 o’clock tomorrow. Here’s the shop key, make sure to take it with you.”

Two days later.

As promised to Mercian, Chang, Clea, Edward, and even Charles who had insisted on staying until the end, all returned to the Duke’s mansion.

And Ruan was officially hired as an employee at Mercian’s shop.

Mercian introduced Ruan to the villagers as a distant relative who came to work at the shop for a while to learn how to make sandwiches.

At first, the villagers were wary of Ruan, but after hearing Mercian’s explanation, they all welcomed him.

More than two weeks had passed since Ruan started working at Mercian’s shop.

“My goodness, he really seems amazing.”

Zelda muttered, remembering how Ruan had smiled awkwardly and bizarrely for the first few days, now seeing him greeting people with a gentle smile.

“Well, he’s good at everything.”

“Yeah. I never knew this shop could be so clean!”

Ruan, who had agreed to come by 8 am every morning to clean, was coming to the shop before 6 am, using his tall height to thoroughly remove even the old stains on the ceiling, and within a few days, the shop was sparkling as if it had been completely renovated.

“That’s right. He really cleans well too. And I thought he’d have a hard time living alone.”