Ludmila retraced her memories. Had she ever asked Aden to kill her husband Kedilen after returning from death?

She recalled various conversations with him, but she could be certain there were absolutely none.

From the beginning, she hadn’t even thought of making such a request to him after returning, so there was no possibility she had uttered such words even by mistake.

Rather, if anything, it was Aden who had brought it up first.

As darkness fell completely, a deep silence settled.

Even the blowing wind calmed, and in the stillness where only intermittent breaths could be heard, Ludmila’s eyes shook violently like a buoy caught in waves.

She couldn’t understand all of his actions since coming back to life.

The Aden she met before dying had refused her proposal.

That’s why she couldn’t think of approaching that man again and asking for help first. But Aden got involved again.

As if he didn’t care even when pushed away in resignation. There were times of bewilderment and suspicion.

But the uniqueness of a situation that defies time was rare in itself, so it wasn’t easy to think that someone other than herself shared it.

Moreover, the fact that it was Aden confused her.

“…How did you.”

A voice close to sobbing flowed out.

Fear that comes from an incomprehensible situation also frosted her complexion.

Aden stared blankly at Ludmila like that and lowered the gun that had lost its meaning.

“Aden. What are you hiding from me?”

“…”

“Tell me. How on earth do you know that?”

The voice that escaped painfully from tightly closed lips flowed through the forest that had fallen eerily quiet.

Aden silently looked at the red eyes fixed on him, then noticed Kedilen trying to sneak away and aimed the gun again.

Startled, Kedilen fell to the ground, and Aden’s lips curved crookedly as he stared intently at that sight.

“I should have just killed him then.”

His eyes rose diagonally to meet Ludmila’s.

“If I had, we wouldn’t have come down this complicated path.”

“Aden…?”

“Step aside, Ludmila.”

Aden narrowed his eyes, gripping the shouldered gun tightly.

“That request you boldly made when you came in and opened the door that day. I’ll grant it.”

‘Please kill my husband.’

Ludmila let out a low sigh as she recalled her past statement that vividly echoed in her ears.

Benjamin, you were right. I guess it was destined to end up like this. Aden frowned in frustration.

This man must die. And Ludmila also wants to kill her husband.

The decision based on those two facts ultimately led to the current standoff.

He clearly thought Ludmila would be pleased if he did this.

No, even if she didn’t like it, he thought she would accept it as righteous revenge and the only way to stay here.

He didn’t think Ludmila would dislike it that much either. But look. Who is she standing in front of the gun to protect now?

“Step aside.”

His heart ached. He clearly thought they were looking at the same place and walking the same path.

That Ludmila would want to be with him too.

That’s why he didn’t harbor any worries or concerns about taking the risk of killing this man.

He just repeated that he must be killed, nothing more.

Suddenly, he recalled his past resolution that he wouldn’t harbor any personal feelings for Ludmila when bringing her.

At the same time, Benjamin’s mocking voice asking if he could really quietly let her go when the time came also came to mind.

In the end, it was all a lie.

From the day she first opened the door to the reception room until the day Aden had to cry in the rain in front of the tombstone. It was all a series of regrets.

Always late, regretful, and lamenting. He sighs with remorse and vows not to do it again next time, but that vow doesn’t bear fruit.

Even today was the same. If he had killed Kedilen right away instead of being arrogant, Ludmila wouldn’t have noticed all this.

Then he would have already killed him and gone back.

But after enjoying a moment of leisure, the situation ended up in a mess.

Two months. The short time he spent with Ludmila seemed to shatter into fragments and scatter on the floor.

It pained his heart to see the woman who was once an enemy and hated enough to want to kill, now sending hostile glances at him while shielding her husband.

Why?

Aden asked the question, but no answer came. In the end, he would regret it this time too.

“You can’t kill Kedilen.”

“Why not? Did you suddenly have a change of heart about going back to that man? Oh, did you perhaps receive an apology? That he won’t do it again so come back. To think that anger could be forgiven with a few words of apology.”

“Aden.”

“Or did you miss the glamorous life in the capital? Well, you used to enter high society every day, wearing dresses made of the finest fabrics and drinking the best tea while having elegant conversations, so you might miss it. Habertz has no decent jewelry and not a single tea leaf to satisfy you.”

He knew she wasn’t a worldly or greedy person.

He also knew she wasn’t someone who valued a few pieces of jewelry and dresses. But if he admitted that, the remaining answer would be even more miserable.

Because it was cruel that Ludmila, whom he thought had the same feelings as him, still chose her husband despite everything.

Aden had no choice but to turn away from the truth.

“You know it’s not like that.”

“Seeing you defend a man you once hated enough to want to kill, it doesn’t seem quite that way.”

“Aden…”

“Why on earth!”

Aden, who had been trying to sublimate his suppressed anger into mockery, finally raised his voice at the quiet voice calling his name.

Ludmila flinched at the loud voice that woke the forest.

Aden bit his lip hard at Ludmila’s eyes full of fear, which he was seeing for the first time.

Is greed a word used when desiring something that doesn’t fit one’s station?

A sense of helplessness appeared on Aden’s face at the thought that she was a person too good for him to have.

What exactly was he lacking compared to that man? He couldn’t understand, but he had to.

Ludmila had chosen, and he had no right to stand in the way of that.

“…Why on earth did you choose that man.”

“I didn’t choose, Aden. I just don’t want you to kill this man.”

He was very curious about the reason she didn’t want him killed.

Why? Wasn’t he the husband you wanted to kill? Then kill him. Just turn around and shoot, and it’s over. Then everything will go back to normal. But, why?

“If I ask why, will you answer?”

It was time to hear the answer he didn’t want to hear. Aden lowered the gun helplessly.

The sigh of relief hovering around Ludmila’s lips seemed to stab him like a sharp needle.

In the end, his greed hurt him. It was sharpened more keenly than any sword and slashed his body.

Amid a sigh mixed with remorse, Ludmila nodded.

“I didn’t choose Kedilen. This isn’t a choice…”

Ludmila, who was continuing her words, trailed off for a moment before raising her head.

As clearly as the will fully contained in those clear eyes, Ludmila opened her mouth firmly.

“I…”

Bang-!

The gunshot rang out before Ludmila could finish her sentence.

At the sharp noise that echoed through the forest, Ludmila’s mouth closed and Kedilen’s body flinched. She thought Aden had shot, but his gun barrel was quiet.

Ludmila frowned at Aden’s somehow strange expression, wondering what had happened.

Slowly, very slowly. The man who had stood like a mountain crumbled.

The moment he fell to his knees, a second gunshot rang out, and at the same time Aden’s body wavered like a spring before collapsing to the ground.

“Aden…?”

It didn’t take long to realize what had happened.

Ludmila, who was slowly walking towards Aden, lowered her gaze at the splashing sound when she reached him. It was blood seeping out onto the floor.

“Why is this… Aden, Aden? Aden, wake up. Aden…!”

Ludmila held his body and called out repeatedly as if sobbing.

Only her voice crying out echoed pitifully through the quiet forest.

“Aden, please wake…”

Just as Ludmila, holding back tears, was about to lift Aden, a firm hand rose and grasped her wrist.

“…Run away, Ludmila. It’s dangerous…”

That was the end. The joy that came from the fact that Aden wasn’t dead yet disappeared in an instant.

Like a lamp losing its light, his eyes slowly fading, his hand that had been holding her wrist fell with a thud.

At the same time, Kedilen, who had followed, grabbed Ludmila and lifted her up.

Kedilen forcibly embraced Ludmila, who was struggling not to be separated from Aden after coming to her senses, and dragged her away.

It was difficult for her frail body to overcome the strength of a sturdy man, and she gradually moved away from Aden.

Only screams flowed from Ludmila’s mouth, unable to hear Kedilen’s voice telling her to calm down. On a night when darkness had fallen deeply.

The beast was caught just as the moon was rising.