The kiss that had continued in the unusually quiet darkness of winter ended shortly after the sound of a door opening was heard in the distance.

Probably, Barhan had returned.

As the silence where even the faint ticking of a clock might sound like a fierce cry was broken, Aden slowly rose.

He opened his closed eyes. In the moonlight that had returned after the clouds cleared, he saw Ludmila’s face, pale as if bleached white.

The redness of her lips stood out even more, surely not just because of the moonlight.

Beautiful.

The feeling he had when she appeared before him asking him to kill her husband was still valid now.

He clearly remembered how foolish and ridiculous he had been in the past, convinced that she would have no selfish intentions.

Like her appearance that day, holding her breath as she boarded the carriage heading to Habertz to survive, passing through the mountains.

He wanted to possess her. An undeniable feeling surged like a wave. He couldn’t push it away.

He wished he could be like a child throwing a tantrum to buy a toy. It seemed like she could be his right away if he just reached out, but…

Ludmila, she was trying to leave him.

This too was an undeniable truth.

It was not just his problem alone, but the result of numerous obstacles surrounding her.

That also meant that if those obstacles could be removed, she could stay here as much as she wanted.

As his thoughts became clearer, judgment was made and this led to one conclusion.

Aden no longer turned away. He faced that answer.

Although he knew it was dangerous and reckless, still, for you, Ludmila.

You would try to stop me, saying not to do such a thing, that it’s dangerous. So his decision had to be secretive and quiet.

Everything had to end beneath the subtle surface, like the deep silence of this night.

When it’s over and you know everything. Will you be happy then?

He didn’t know. Aden could only vaguely hope that the consequences of his unilateral decision wouldn’t be bad.

But at the same time, he realized how cowardly and selfish he was.

A sense of self-loathing also washed over him for not being able to let go of anything of his own while claiming to want her.

If he really loved her and wanted to keep her by his side, he could just follow her across the frozen land.

Even with such a simple answer, Aden had no choice but to take a long detour.

It couldn’t be helped. Not because he was reluctant, but because there were things he couldn’t give up.

The numerous lives, duties, and honor he shouldered. The responsibility he had to bear as the leader of his race. He couldn’t throw all of those things away.

Aden was at a crossroads.

Acknowledging that, he could finally understand Ludmila’s choice.

The reason why she was trying to leave him, to disappear from this country as if fleeing to a far-off place. Ludmila must be at a crossroads too.

Aden felt a deep sense of guilt. At times like this, regret always accompanied it.

I should have accepted your proposal then.

The inescapable truth and fragments of the past that couldn’t be traversed without looking back sharply cut into his skin.

Like her back where deep scars were embedded. He too calmly accepts the wounds and blood that cover his body.

Ludmila.

For your… happiness.

The man who had calmly swallowed those brief inner thoughts smiled as if nothing was wrong.

He hid his true feelings in the oncoming darkness. Into a deep darkness where no one could peer into.

It was the evening two days before the hunting competition when Kedilen received the report.

The butler came to find him while he was practicing with a rifle modified for clay shooting in preparation for the hunting festival.

Along with the report that someone urgently wanted to meet him.

Kedilen, who had been looking at the butler who interrupted his training with slightly frowning eyes after taking off the goggles he was wearing, jerked his chin.

Then he put the goggles back on.

After the butler who had heard the answer retreated and some time passed, a middle-aged man with quite a large build appeared.

With a bang−! sound, a disc shot into the sky. Kedilen pulled the trigger of the rifle he had been shouldering.

A rough bang−! sound rang out, but unfortunately, the bullet did not pierce the disc.

Kedilen, who had been looking at the disc weakly moving away with irritated eyes, let out a deep sigh.

Kedilen, who handed over the smoking rifle to the caretaker, turned his body.

Kedilen, who waved his hand to dismiss the butler and those around him, took off his goggles and approached the man.

A face that seemed somehow familiar.

Realizing that this was not a person he didn’t know, Kedilen’s eyes slowly rolled up and down before he spoke.

“Who are you?”

“Ah… I’m the facility manager in charge of repairing the functions and facilities of the mansion.”

Hearing the flustered man’s explanation, Kedilen opened his mouth softly. Only then could he recall who this man was.

At the same time, he realized why he couldn’t recall the man’s identity as soon as he saw his face.

The internal affairs of the mansion were entirely the mistress’s responsibility. Kedilen didn’t want to interfere with the work that Ludmila was in charge of.

No, there was no need to.

Knowing his own obsessive-compulsive need for perfection, no matter how much care Ludmila took, it was never satisfactory, which eventually led to him losing interest.

Ludmila. If only you had done it properly, I wouldn’t have recognized this man’s face at all.

In the end, with the criticism of his wife that he reached at the end of his thoughts, Kedilen put his hands behind his back.

“So. What’s the reason you wanted to see me?”

He was on edge due to the hunting competition that would be held in two days.

He didn’t even know what Jeffrey was thinking.

He couldn’t afford to spend time on a man like this while not knowing what that cunning crown prince might do.

In response to his words that sought to get straight to the point, the manager rolled his eyes and carefully opened his mouth.

“It’s… it’s related to the Marchioness.”

“…What did you say?”

The mention of the Marchioness from the mouth of that large man caught Kedilen’s attention.

“The Marchioness had ordered facility management before. She said she wanted to refurbish the facilities in the mansion before the Marquis noticed.”

“And?”

It wasn’t particularly special for Ludmila to order facility management as the mistress of the mansion.

He could feel his interest, which had risen sharply at the man’s words, rapidly cooling.

Seeing the change in tone and expression becoming indifferent, the manager, as if realizing his mistake, immediately continued speaking.

“There was a bit of a problem there.”

“What kind of problem?”

“The cord connecting the chandelier was cut.”

“Doesn’t it sometimes get worn out or break when carrying heavy things?”

“Yes, that’s right. However, in this case, it was cut by something sharp.”

“…Cut?”

Kedilen, who had been looking at the forest beyond with a dry face, turned his head at the strange word.

The manager nodded his head repeatedly.

“Moreover, there were three or four knife marks like this on other cords. It was very dangerous, as if it could break at any moment with just a slight impact.”

“……”

“I reported this to the Marchioness at the time. The Marchioness ordered repairs, so I’ve done the repairs for now, but thinking about it again, there are some questionable parts.”

“What points?”

The interest that had been scattered became a complete blade reaching the manager.

The manager flinched at the eerily sharp eyes, but thinking he might be cut if he hesitated to speak, he quickly opened his mouth.

“The Marchioness told me not to tell the Marquis about this. It’s a principle to submit a report after repairing facilities and detailing the areas that had issues. But the Marchioness prevented me from submitting this. She even added that she would tell the Marquis directly.”

Of course, it was the first time he had heard this story.

Kedilen’s eyes rolled sideways as he rubbed his chin and furrowed his brow.

“…But where can you find anything questionable in that story? Although the mistress’s decision is a bit strange, it’s at an understandable level. It’s not incomprehensible.”

“Yes, that’s right. But recently, while proceeding with facility organization, I went to check on that chandelier again, remembering it… and the cord was broken again. It wasn’t just one or two places.”

The manager took out reports from the bag he was carrying and held them out.

There were two reports in total. The one previously given to Ludmila and the recent one.

“Starting from the entrance, to the desk in the study that the Marchioness frequently used, the dining room, and from the office to the Marchioness’s room, a total of 8 chandeliers were all the same.”

“……”

“The difference is, while the previous ones had knife marks that seemed old with rope wear progressing, these new ones were clean. It’s because we changed all the cords when the Marchioness mentioned it before.”

“That means……”

Kedilen, who was flipping through the report, frowned and raised his head.

“Does it mean these happened after the maintenance was completed?”

“Yes, that’s right. Blatantly, the chandelier cords were cut only in places where the Marchioness went or stayed. If I may be so bold, I wanted to see you urgently in case someone was trying to harm the Marchioness.”

Kedilen, who was quickly flipping through the two reports, warned the manager not to talk about this anywhere else before sending him away.

Sitting in a folding chair and slowly flipping through the report again, Kedilen’s eyes narrowed.

As time passed and now that Ludmila had left, he finally admitted that he too had oppressed his wife and acted coercively, but he never had the intention of trying to kill Ludmila.

However, as the days went by, his actions became more intense, and if Ludmila hadn’t left, he thought it wouldn’t be strange if he caused an accident with his own hands.

He never intended to deliberately cause trouble. After all, even though he didn’t treat her well, he knew that Ludmila was an important person to him.

If. If this is really true and someone in the mansion deceived his and Ludmila’s eyes and did such a thing, how many people could there be who could do such a thing?

The butler? The head maid? The two people who had served the family since his father’s time couldn’t do such a thing.

Then what’s left is a retainer. And someone who can interfere in such private matters.

As his thoughts reached that point, Kedilen’s eyes slowly widened.

“Ferington……”

The name that came to mind at that one conclusion was enough to make Kedilen immersed in anger.