The man who stood up from his seat extended his hand politely towards the stern-faced supervisor.

“I apologize for the late introduction. My name is Cassian Blanchet.”

Even just standing, the man with his tall stature was intimidating by his mere presence.

The supervisor stared at the man’s hand without taking it, then reluctantly grasped it.

The man added with a gentle smile towards him.

“I heard you were an old friend of my father’s.”

The supervisor’s face visibly stiffened in an instant.

“That was long ago. If you’re sponsoring because of that, it would be better to stop now.”

Old friend.

The supervisor’s expression wasn’t very pleasant, as if something had happened between the two in the past.

Seeming to sense this as well, the man nodded slightly.

“I see. But as I mentioned, this sponsorship is for my own sake.”

“…”

“It has nothing to do with my father, so I hope there are no misunderstandings.”

The man adding such kind words was indeed worthy of being called the heir to the Blanchet family, known for their benevolence and compassion.

“That’s good then.”

The supervisor gave a slight bow and turned away.

I followed behind him, dazed and almost fleeing.

The whole time following the supervisor, I felt the man’s intense gaze burning into me.

It wasn’t until the door behind us closed that I escaped that gaze.

Only then did I let out a long breath.

On the way to the carriage, the supervisor kept alternating between looking down at the business card and staring into space.

Though he didn’t sigh, his expression somehow seemed that way.

Judging by the past tense, I vaguely guessed that he and the man’s father were no longer on good terms.

“Supervisor, don’t worry.”

“Who said I was worried? Ahem.”

The supervisor quickly returned to his usual expression.

Though he couldn’t quite erase the bitterness from his face.

Still, this much was an excellent outcome.

In the end, the man agreed to take on this sponsorship issue and even signed a contract.

There shouldn’t be any problems.

Only then did my body relax, tension releasing as the sky came into view.

The sun, resembling that man’s red eyes, filled the clear sky.

The man’s words about simply bestowing kindness float like clouds.

It didn’t suit the man at all.

He was certainly not the type to act so rashly for such a simple reason.

It would have been more convincing if he’d said he was helping because the supervisor was an old friend of Duke Blanchet.

No matter how I mulled it over, I couldn’t understand what the man had said.

To find the person he loves, he said.

The man’s gaze that had been fixed on me wavers.

Even those eyes that had seemed about to grab me.

Leaning against the window, I quietly watch the woman leave.

The image is vivid – the supervisor questioning everything with wariness and the fidgeting woman beside him.

Whether trying to buy a woman’s heart is terribly selfish or excessively considerate.

Ah, the more I think about it, the more it seems foolish.

Especially recalling the woman’s frightened emerald eyes.

In truth, there’s no need to buy your heart.

That trivial heart could be easily bought with money.

With just that medicine, with just this sponsorship money, it could be easily bought, so how ridiculous it is to let go of that thread.

How foolish is this moment of me undoing your leash with my own hands, when I should be throwing it to you one by one only after you come begging and wailing.

And yet, because you looked so pretty building sandcastles before those waves.

Deceived by your smile as you confessed, albeit falsely, while playing a truth game.

Because what I bought seems like just an empty shell, not your heart.

So here I am again, foolishly volunteering as a sponsor like an idiot.

Standing at this unknowable crossroads, wandering and once again opening the door to the woman’s visit.

Standing before the final door reached after opening countless doors in the woman’s heart.

In the end, coming all this way and opening that door with my own hands again, I have expectations.

The delusional expectation that your choice might still be me…

Have I really gone mad?

Completely forgetting the fact that woman nearly stabbed me in the back, I’m back to square one.

Humans never change.

Just as flowers that bloom brightly in spring wither away when winter comes as if they never existed.

Like the winter that always returns, humans are bound to return to their original state.

The woman who couldn’t grasp everything always tried desperately to stab me in the back.

Now that you have everything, what choice will you make this time?

“Why are you helping?”

Tiobe’s voice breaks the thick silence that had settled over the space.

“What do you mean?”

“I honestly thought you would never give the project sponsorship. Didn’t you want to keep that person by your side?”

“…”

Taking the silence as affirmation, Tiobe continued to express doubts.

“I heard that once the sponsorship issue is resolved, that project will soon end.”

“That’s good.”

“This is no time for such idle talk, my lord. Once that ends and you give all the medicine for her mother…”

Tiobe hesitated, unable to finish the sentence.

Cassian burst out laughing at the prolonged silence.

“Does it look that way to you too?”

“Pardon?”

“Does it seem like that woman will disappear once she finishes what she needs to do?”

“That’s…”

Tiobe’s eyes rolled around.

A faint smile appeared on Cassian’s lips as he watched.

He lowered the hand that had been rolling the teacup and set it down with a ‘clack’.

Afterwards, his expressionless face revealed no flow of emotions.

Tiobe, feeling he may have overstepped, closed his mouth and quietly gazed at his lord.

Cassian chuckled and muttered casually as he lit a fire.

“I suppose so.”

A crooked smile spread across Cassian’s lips.

Watching that precarious expression, Tiobe added.

“It’s just… you’re making very different decisions than usual.”

The large hand that picked up the approved documents pulled out the crude contract nestled among them.

The neat clauses wavered in his red eyes.

Clauses perfectly tilted to one side.

How foolish this contract is, with its utterly unsatisfactory profit model.

The contract that should always feign benevolence while hiding meticulous calculations behind it, yet the phrases unsuitable even for charity work are simply laughable.

Nevertheless, I must know.

What choice will that woman who has everything make?

What end will this time-limited relationship of barely a few months meet?

“Sometimes people do that. Do useless things.”

The sound of tapping the pen nib rang loudly through the space.

“Do you know why they do such things even knowing they’ll regret it?”

“…What is it?”

The red eyes slowly lifted.

The precarious shadow-filled gaze fluctuated with vivid red.

Somehow, Tiobe felt his lord was truly living for the first time.

As if his previous gaze had been completely dead, Cassian’s gaze now held brighter colors than ever before.

“It’s because they’re full of desire. Their eyes are so rolled back they can’t see anything.”

“Is this the timing where I should try to stop you?”

“If they’d listen when stopped, their eyes aren’t rolled back.”

Cassian’s eyes curved gently.

Turning away from Tiobe, who was looking at him as if asking what he meant, Cassian gazed blankly out the window.

The contract in his hand was now crumpled by his grip.

Yes. In the end, this nonsensical good deed has only a pitch-black purpose.

How fitting of the noble yet filthy Blanchet bloodline – I must now acknowledge it.

Didn’t that supervisor ask why I was bestowing such kindness?

When I said that unconditional kindness is not kindness, it was all true.

But thinking about it now, it’s all lies.

Because this absurd contract is not actually kindness.

These documents hiding a black heart are delivered concealing poison.

Everything will be overturned and shaken depending on your heart’s response to this mere piece of paper.

But with these conditions, don’t I deserve at least that much of an answer?

Whether I’m just a past lover to you.

Or if I was a being meant to remain an eternal season.

I should at least know that much to give a fitting response.

The contract changed everything.

The vice-director of the magic tower applauded at the sponsorship amount, but upon seeing the sponsor’s name, he became frantic and devoted himself to the project.

The magic tower’s interior moved faster than ever before.

The impact of the Blanchet name alone was this enormous.

Everyone poured in effort day and night, trying to catch the eye of the undisputed next duke.

The schedule was increasingly pushed forward and the project gradually raced towards its end.

Unlike when he had been pestering about the sponsorship issue, the vice-director now received reports with an unprecedentedly bright face.

“Truly, it’s a perfect report no matter when I look at it.”

After hesitating briefly at the drastically changed attitude, I gently smiled and bowed.

“Thank you.”

He made an awkward expression, then lowered his head and subtly added.