“Didn’t you say that the master only showed his face to the madam, not extending his hand? When the madam first entered this mansion. That’s because the master didn’t want the madam to die in the mansion. Even if it’s outside the fence, not inside the mansion. Usually, showing one’s face is enough to make people run away on their own, so he deliberately took that step. If it’s like that for humans, then for Oliver, who has been ignored for so long……”

As Yuan’s expression became concerning, Hena tightly held her hand.

“I know you’ve grown very fond of Oliver, madam. I have too, since we’ve been together for a long time. We can’t tell the master or let him die in the mansion, but we can be by his side.”

Yuan nodded mechanically, but she couldn’t hide her growing sadness.

Oliver’s pulse was now slowing day by day.

Yuan stopped cleaning the annex, which was now about one-third clean, and focused all her attention on caring for Oliver.

Fortunately, the painkillers seemed to be working well, as Oliver’s groaning had decreased significantly even when Yuan wasn’t around.

The problem now was that no matter how much pain Yuan absorbed, Oliver couldn’t eat or drink anything, let alone take medicine.

On the other hand.

In stark contrast to the urgent and sad situation in the west annex, the atmosphere between Yuan and Clard was quite peaceful.

The reason for the relative peace between the former imperial couple was simple.

At night they slept soundly, and during the day, Clard’s condition had improved enough that he could gradually attend to matters he had been putting off for 10 years, as the aftereffects had subsided.

His skin, which had been blackish-brown on one side, was now closer to caramel in color.

Since he rarely looked in the mirror, only the butler and Lancelot, who saw him daily, were repeatedly surprised and couldn’t hide their excitement.

‘It’s so peaceful now, should I bring up Oliver?’

Hena said she had heard rumors from the survivors on that night when this mansion burned down. They said Oliver had been badly injured trying to save the Apolini princess.

Regardless of whether it was true or not, Oliver had never met the master since that day, so it was pitiful either way.

‘Since that day when His Highness lost his grandmother, Lady Margaret, the Apolini princess, and the knights he had been close with since childhood, he extremely disliked anyone dying in this mansion.’

There were no exceptions, whether it was a critically ill patient or a mouse caught in a trap on the verge of death.

Clard Yufris sent them all out of the mansion. That’s how he lived for the past 10 years.

‘Don’t cross the line.’

At the voice brushing past her mind, Yuan’s parting lips closed tightly.

What had she answered to that face speaking so calmly without even getting angry.

……There was no need to think about it. She must have said, “Yes.”

“Why are you fidgeting like a puppy that needs to pee?”

“Pardon?”

“You keep picking at your hangnails.”

Yuan was startled and looked down at her thumb.

The wound that had improved since coming to the Black Mansion had reopened.

‘What am I so afraid of?’

When she was intimidated seeing the tremendous number of patients gathered in the adjacent room.

When Louise, sent on an errand by her uncle, didn’t return until late.

When Louise left the mansion with two large suitcases and didn’t return for a year.

She recalled the past days when she trembled with anxiety in Count Kompani’s carriage after boldly declaring she neither wanted to die nor live here.

Then Clard’s face, always with drooping eyelids and indifferent eyes.

Just as I’ve found my place in this mansion, is there a place for me in that man’s eyes?

‘If I talk about Oliver again, will he throw me out?’

For some reason, she felt he might hurt her, but not throw her out.

Whether out of necessity or something else.

At that moment.

Clard’s hand, which had unconsciously reached out to Yuan as she picked at her hangnails, stopped.

“Oliver−!”

Hena’s shrill scream cut through the sound of rain that had been tapping on the window and flowed into the bedroom.

Yuan held her breath and stood up abruptly.

Pushing aside the curtains that let in the hazy sky light and rubbing the foggy window vigorously with her hand, Oliver came into view.

Noticeably weakened and frail, Oliver was staggering through the rain, heading somewhere.

It was in the direction of the iron gate fence at the entrance of the mansion.

“Your Highness.”

Yuan called out to Clard, holding back her nose from tingling and her lips from twisting.

“Your Highness. Oliver is in a lot of pain.”

An awkwardly heavy silence.

“They say he’s an old dog, so it wouldn’t be strange if he died right now.”

“……”

“Do you know? Oliver always lies down facing the direction of Your Highness’s bedroom.”

Seeing Oliver trying to leave, almost dragging one hind leg, her nose ached painfully.

“He cries, going ‘Pii-ii, pii-ii.’ Even if I give him delicious treats, it’s only momentary. Recently, he doesn’t even eat that and just endlessly waits for Your Highness.”

A sorrowful voice shattered Clard’s bedroom piece by piece.

“Oliver is trying to leave the mansion now.”

At these words that sounded like an accusation, Clard finally rose from the rocking chair and stood beside her.

The sunlight, soaked in dark clouds, faintly illuminated him.

His lowered purple eyes resembled the waves of night beginning to surge into this mansion.

Clard, who had been staring at it until Oliver reached the iron fence, finally opened his mouth very slowly.

“That fellow doesn’t want to show me his death.”

A dry, subdued voice.

Perfectly opposite to Yuan’s somewhat agitated reaction.

“The other one I brought with him did the same. I always worried about and cared for him when he was sick, but one day he disappeared. Later, he was found in my mother’s dressing room. He had died with his face buried in the skirt of a dress my mother often wore.”

Unlike his eyes that sparkled beautifully even on a cloudy day, what was inside them was just a desolate desert.

He had a face like the dawn sun, but inside it seemed empty, filled with dry and thorny bushes.

Yuan felt as if it was piercing her as well.

“There are deaths like that too.”

Clard answered her in a low voice.

A voice that melted into the ear incomparably sweetly.

A voice opposite to his frozen expression.

Surprisingly, it was words that seemed to comfort Yuan while he himself was the owner.

The subject and object had been reversed.

It should have been Clard who was sad, and it should have been her comforting him with such words.

Yuan wanted to retort with the rising feeling of rebellion.

Couldn’t he hug him just once?

If you don’t keep around those you don’t like, if you do like them, can’t you hug them and be affectionate?

Even until the very last moment. No matter how deep and painful that wound is. She wanted to shout and ask if he was sure he wouldn’t regret it later.

Finally, when Oliver passed through the iron fence, and Clard ultimately did not go out.

Yuan finally prepared to leave this mansion to search for Oliver.

She didn’t need Clard’s permission.

The path to the chapel felt too long and cold today.

Oliver was panting in Hena’s arms.

Hena cried the whole way to the chapel, holding Oliver tightly.

“A special meal, I made a special meal−.”

Ralph, who always wanted to feed Yuan the best despite their poor circumstances, was the one who had firmly refused to make a special meal for the dog, saying there was no food for a dog just a few days ago.

While delivering snacks to Yuan when she was busy cleaning, as soon as this kind dog wagged its tail at him, Chef Ralph made a special meal, saving even from his own food.

The snacks soon grew to include not only Yuan and Oliver’s portions, but also Hena’s, who always hovered around, and Hile’s, who came to research medicines.

Even so, it was just dried meat saved throughout last year, fruits regularly sent by Duke Lev.

Just thin porridge made from grains offered as meager taxes.

“I made a special meal, why can’t he eat it……”

Ralph said sadly, sniffling. Mr. Mazarin, who had driven the carriage, patted the bear-like Ralph’s shoulder.

Yuan spoke in a worried voice to those who had followed her.

“I think this might be too much. Actually, I left without His Highness’s permission, so you all might get scolded by the butler.”

“Sniff. It doesn’t matter! I saw the butler pretending not to know and turning a blind eye!”

Mr. Mazarin turned to Yuan, ignoring Chef Ralph who was crying out while sniffling.

“More importantly, what are you planning to do, madam?”

“I think I’m right, so I don’t mind getting scolded.”

Yuan answered resolutely while touching her reddened eyes.

Chef Ralph looked proud, as if looking at a daughter he had raised, even while sniffling.

“But why did this fellow never cross the fence of the west annex until now?”

“Sniff. He must have gone to find a place to die.”

As Mr. Mazarin with his kind expression narrowed his eyes, Chef Ralph opened his eyes wide as if to say, don’t you know that?

“Our house used to keep many dogs in the old days. Among them, there were a couple of dogs who didn’t want to show their dying appearance to their owner, so they hid to die. It was quite amazing.”

“I’ll listen to the chef’s old story. We’ll go fetch some water from the well, as the butler might take issue with us.”

Yuan wanted to hear more of Chef Ralph’s story, but she quietly nodded at the calm Mr. Mazarin’s words.

“I hope you have a farewell without regrets, madam.”

While Mr. Mazarin and Chef Ralph were busy fetching water, Hena began digging a small hole next to Yuan.

As the ground was still frozen, Hena briefly placed Oliver, whom she had been holding tightly, on her lap and dug the ground with the trowel she had brought.

This was right next to the chapel, in the public cemetery.

Yuan’s elder sister, Louise Peliesse, was buried next to Oliver’s grave site.

Yuan willingly gave a part of Louise’s place to Oliver.