They did not hold each other for long.

Idren soon adjusted her position so she could lean against the sofa. Only then did Ophelia realize she had ended up being comforted by him.

She had decided not to get attached to him and should have been careful, but forgot. It was because she was completely drained by the events that happened in an instant.

As Ophelia blankly stared somewhere between the ceiling and wall, Idren stood up from his seat.

“Actually, I have something to give you.”

Come to think of it, all this happened while he had gone to fetch something. Ophelia, slumped on the sofa, lowered her eyes. A blue garment entered her field of vision.

She should ask why he gave her this dress too, but after going through a storm-like experience, she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

This is all because of Mahanas. If he had just kept his tongue in check, there would have been no need to show such a side to Idren.

Ophelia vowed to watch her brother die with her own eyes. Last time she had only heard the news of his death, but this time she felt she would only be satisfied if she saw his last breath, even if she had to stand at the execution grounds.

While she was accumulating murderous intent in her fatigue, Idren returned with a wooden box.

The ebony box was somewhat plain and slightly larger than a man’s hand span. Ophelia furrowed her brow at its appearance, which made it difficult to guess its contents.

When Idren stood before her, Ophelia reached out her hand to receive the box from him. But he looked down at her for a moment and shook his head.

“I’ll do it myself.”

Then Idren knelt before her. Surprised, Ophelia straightened her back.

“Why are you kneeling on the floor again?”

Instead of answering, the man opened the box he was holding. Ophelia’s complexion turned pale when she saw what was inside.

Inside the box was a pair of white leather shoes.

The shoes, which seemed to be just the right size for her feet, were beautifully adorned with colorful threads and gold ornaments, but seeing these luxurious shoes, Ophelia first felt perplexed.

And for good reason, isn’t this too similar?

Ophelia asked the man as he took out the white shoes from the box.

“…What does this mean?”

Startled by her voice coming out colder than expected, Ophelia rubbed her face. If even her voice was like this, her expression probably wasn’t normal either.

Fortunately, Idren, with his gaze lowered, didn’t see her change. He spoke gently as usual.

“Actually, I prepared not only the dress but also shoes. However, I wanted to say something separately about the shoes, so I was planning to give them then…”

His voice trailed off, and the exposed neck and ears of the man turned red. Ophelia blinked at this sight of him seemingly embarrassed, which didn’t match the situation.

It was then that the man’s hand touched her ankle.

It was a bit too hot to feel without warning. Startled, Ophelia unconsciously pulled her foot back. At this clear sign of refusal, Idren looked up at her with round eyes.

“Did I do something wrong?”

His wide golden eyes looked docile. Confused, Ophelia slowly looked him up and down.

Judging by how he had prepared the blue dress and white shoes as a set, he clearly knew something, but his reaction didn’t make sense at all. Right now, Idren looked like someone who was clearly flustered to anyone who saw him.

While suspecting that his gift might not have good intentions, Ophelia thought that Idren wasn’t the type of person to pretend to be innocent.

He might snap back crying that it was too much, but Idren wasn’t the type to pressure someone while pretending not to know anything.

Ophelia asked in a slightly softer voice.

“So, why did you prepare these particular clothes and shoes?”

“Ah.”

Idren sighed as if realizing something he hadn’t known before. After moving his lips silently for a moment, he spoke in a small voice.

“Come to think of it, you might not remember.”

“…Remember what?”

“When we first met.”

This is what you were wearing then.

The added words sounded bitter, and it wasn’t just her imagination.

His lowered black eyelashes trembled finely. At a glance, they seemed to be glistening with moisture.

Ophelia’s face grew even paler as she realized that he and she were understanding the situation completely differently. She hurriedly apologized to the man kneeling before her, feeling cowed.

“Oh, um, I didn’t remember so I misunderstood. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s not your fault. It’s me who brought up something from too long ago, something only I knew…”

“No, it’s not!”

If she listened any more, she would really feel like a sinner. Ophelia quickly took off the shoes she was wearing and pushed them aside.

“Here.”

Her white feet were thrust forward. Surprised, Idren raised his head. Ophelia had her eyes tightly shut and was clutching her skirt.

After alternately looking at her furrowed brow, showing slight embarrassment at doing something she didn’t usually do, and her trembling toes, he finally let out a small laugh.

“Alright, thank you.”

And the man cupped her heel with his hand. Ophelia, who had slightly opened her eyes, discovered the smile dripping from the corners of his mouth and frowned.

“Why are you laughing?”

Right after speaking, Ophelia realized she had asked a needless question. He laughed because it was funny, what else could it be?

Even to herself, her actions were laughable. Getting angry on her own, then apologizing and getting nervous. Her face began to heat up.

“I laughed because I’m happy.”

The man, who had already finished tying the laces of one shoe, whispered. His voice, which no longer carried any of the earlier dejection or melancholy, sounded sweet, and Ophelia hesitated. It was a voice she heard every day, but for some reason, it tickled her ears strangely.

Idren put down her left foot and grasped her right ankle. After putting her foot into the remaining shoe, he said,

“I’m not sure if this is appropriate to say in this situation… but I’m enjoying this.”

It was truly the worst thing to say while kneeling and putting shoes on someone else, but for some reason, she couldn’t refute it.

Ophelia really thought there must be something wrong with her head. Otherwise, there was no way those words, which were perfect for being taken advantage of, could sound good to her.

She grumbled to hide her somewhat gloomy thoughts.

“As I’ve said before, your tastes are really strange.”

The agreement came readily. While tying the silk laces of the shoe, Idren nodded.

“Now that I think about it, that might be true.”

Ophelia frowned deeply at those somewhat strange words.

Idren had clearly said he liked her. But if he admitted to having such strange tastes, what did that make her?

She felt like she was being made fun of for no reason. Ophelia pulled her foot away from the man just as he finished tying the laces. Idren smiled good-naturedly even as he watched her hide her foot without a word of thanks.

“…You’re really strange.”

“If you say so, then let it be so.”

“Stop talking nonsense and sit up.”

Idren did as she told him. When he sat beside her and silently took her hand, Ophelia overlooked the act of touching someone else’s body without permission.

Of course, she couldn’t let it slide completely, so she did snap at him.

“You seem to be in a good mood today?”

“What do you mean…?”

“You’ve been avoiding me constantly since returning from the residence. I thought you were trying to give up on me now.”

“…You’ve been holding onto that thought?”

Irritated by the question tinged with pure surprise, Ophelia slapped his hand away. Idren alternately looked at his rejected hand and her, then slowly reached out again.

“It wasn’t that I had any complaints about you, I really did have a lot of work. Related to you… I also had things to think about.”

“Like what?”

Instead of answering, Idren pulled her hand towards him and fiddled with it. As Ophelia was about to ask again, feeling frustrated, he spoke.

“First, let’s hear what you wanted to say. Didn’t you say earlier that you had something to say?”

“Never mind about that. It’s already resolved.”

Idren hadn’t sent those clothes with her first fiancé in mind, he just wanted to talk about his own memories. The uneasy feeling she had been harboring disappeared once she realized this.

Realizing he could no longer avoid it, Idren moved his lips a few times before starting.

“It’s a somewhat heavy topic, but actually, I knew that you still don’t want to live.”

The weight of the words instantly pressed down on the room. Idren felt the hand intertwined with his stiffen in an instant.

He lowered his gaze. The open black wooden box and the silk that had been wrapping the shoes came into view.

Am I making a mistake in speaking now?

Such a thought suddenly occurred to him, but once spoken, words couldn’t be taken back.

Besides, wasn’t this something that needed to be said eventually?

Of course, for something like that, it was words that would have no effect on Ophelia. Idren knew that only he would be hurt by what he was about to say.

Even though he knew this clearly, it was difficult to breathe as if his throat was being choked. He slightly lifted the corners of his mouth to hide his stinging nose.

“The reason I acted as if I didn’t know, even though I did, was out of the selfish hope that you might do as I wish if I did so.”

And even now, he wanted to be selfish. He wanted to cling to the woman, smiling as if he didn’t know.

But that would only lead to being abandoned again.

He had to discard methods that had failed once. Idren barely managed to clear his blocked throat.

“But that’s just my perspective, and it must have been burdensome for you. So I won’t do that anymore.”