“Lady Ludmila said that although it’s not quite finished yet, it’s sufficient in this state, so she asked me to deliver it if you couldn’t give it to him.”

“…This to me.”

Aden, who was muttering softly while biting his lip, frowned. His Adam’s apple bobbed.

For a moment, he thought his chest was tingling. But seeing how his breathing became so rough, this was discomfort.

Although he said he respected Ludmila’s choice, in the end, it was self-deception.

That’s why, even though he tried to ignore it, worries about what consequences Ludmila’s choice would bring, or whether there might be problems with her well-being, chased him every day.

But Ludmila had ultimately chosen her path, and now what remained was himself.

Since he hadn’t died, he had to make the one who shot him pay a fitting price.

Only the fact that Ludmila still haunted his eyes weighed on his heart.

Aden caressed the painting. As the stiff texture brushed his fingertips, he bit the corner of his lip. Was this the painting she said she’d give him?

“Where should I hang this painting…”

“Cover it with cloth again.”

“Pardon?”

Salom asked in surprise, but Aden turned away without answering.

Leaving behind Salom’s bewildered gaze, Aden left the room and entered Ludmila’s empty room.

A desolate space with only traces of her stay remaining. Aden, who crossed to the window, opened it and looked down.

The white plum blossoms, now faded, were spread out like a white carpet covering the ground.

Aden, who had been gazing intently at that scenery, turned around and looked around the room.

In that room where not even her scent remained, Aden covered his face with his palm.

A deep sigh flowed out like parched earth, stealing the air.

In that space, Aden realized the identity of the unfamiliar but meaningless emotion.

“I should empty this room too.”

It was loneliness.

Kedilen’s press conference was conducted officially.

All morning and daily newspapers focused on stories about Kedilen and the Erdi Marquis family, centering on Ludmila, the missing mistress of the house.

The explanation for the numerous rumors that had been causing a commotion so far proceeded very smoothly.

Ludmila ran away not because of him, but because her life was threatened, and it happened because she misunderstood him.

Along with the explanation that the assault photos were also related to that threat, he revealed the true culprit.

Baron Ferington.

Kedilen, who said that his aide had orchestrated all of this and that he was currently detained and charged, announced that Ludmila had returned and was resting.

The press conference ended with him saying that they, having cleared up the misunderstanding, were trying to return to the past, so he asked for much consideration.

As the articles went out, the situation changed 180 degrees as Kedilen had predicted.

Public opinion and recognition that had been plummeting to the bottom began to recover again, and even sympathetic public opinion was added, coloring him in an even more brilliant light.

Due to such influence, the business that had been hesitating took off again.

As money was being made, inevitably, those who had cut off contact first came back and reached out their hands.

The way they easily changed their attitudes like flipping their palms was ridiculous, but for Kedilen, who had been expecting such things, there was no reason not to accept them.

One week.

In just one week, Kedilen was regaining his past glory.

He was invited to numerous places, received apologies, and letters and gifts declaring themselves his eternal allies also poured in.

Kedilen was satisfied with the rapidly rising image of the Erdi Marquis family, just as quickly as it had collapsed, and at the same time acknowledged it.

That all of this was because his wife had returned.

The fact that Ludmila was the key component that completed him.

Now that he knew this, he had no intention of letting her go. He had to grasp Ludmila in his hand and hold her tight so she couldn’t escape.

To do that, it wasn’t that difficult to swallow his pride and accommodate everything to her.

“Did you sleep well?”

However, Ludmila showed no change during the two weeks she had been in his hands.

Confined in the room, she repeatedly looked out the window silently, thinking about something, sighed, and fell asleep again.

A living doll. No, the sight of a living being moving, if it could be called living, was quite displeasing to Kedilen.

It seemed like she should just give up now and adapt to this life, but what was so sad and hard about it?

He wondered if that life in the highlands was sweet enough to give up everything in the capital.

If not that, then did Aden, that man, satisfy her so much? At the thought that he might have crushed his wife with that huge body, the veins in his temples popped out.

“The weather is nice, isn’t it about time to start taking walks? I said you could go outside.”

After announcing that Ludmila was alive, he had opened the locked doors of the mansion and accepted people’s visits.

In that regard, he wished she would walk around and show herself a bit, but Ludmila remained silent and didn’t move.

This time too, faced with returning silence, Kedilen furrowed his brow, let out a small sigh, and turned his head.

“You are the rightful mistress of the Erdi Marquis family and my wife. You’re living like this under the excuse of poor health, but you can’t live like this forever.”

To Kedilen, Ludmila was an indispensable element.

To succeed, he needed not only his own efforts but also the influence of social circles.

The one who proved this was none other than Ludmila, so he hoped she would get up as soon as possible.

It was then that Ludmila, who had been looking out the window with dry eyes, turned her head to look at Kedilen.

Ludmila, who had been silently watching Kedilen as he smiled, smoothing out his furrowed brow, turned her body completely.

“Lu…”

“Divorce me.”

Kedilen’s face crumpled at the unexpected statement.

Ludmila lowered her chin as she met his shaking eyes, as if unsure of what he had just heard.

“Even sitting here, there are things I hear and see. You’ve already regained almost everything you lost and have grasped many things. And you’ll gain even more in the future. Isn’t this enough?”

“…Look, Ludmila. You’re right, but that’s difficult.”

“No, it’s not difficult. You’re a man who’s more interested in power and money than me.”

Kedilen didn’t bother to deny it because it wasn’t wrong.

If he cherished and loved her like his life, he could lie as much as he wanted, but realistically it was difficult. To him, love was something without form.

“The money and power you cherish so much. I’ll bring them to you, so when the time comes, divorce me.”

Kedilen bit his lip as he watched her boldly looking at him and making an audacious proposal.

Kedilen, who ran his hand through his hair, quietly sighed.

“What are you going to do if I divorce you? The duke is already dead. Even if I give you a divorce, there’s nothing you can do.”

“…”

“Wake up, Ludmila! It’s all over! All you can do is play the role of mistress here. I won’t look down on you like before, so settle down here…”

“You were right.”

“…What?”

Ludmila’s voice cut in as Kedilen was shouting in frustration.

Kedilen frowned and looked at her, and Ludmila calmly raised her head. Kedilen’s lips parted at her serene eyes, pitiful enough to be sorrowful.

“It’s all my fault. Aden died because of what I did.”

“…”

“So I shouldn’t be sitting here. Pretending to be a marquise’s wife after killing an innocent man is not a forgivable act. So, Kedilen. Let me go. I’ll give you what you want, so divorce me.”

It was almost unbelievable that this was the Ludmila he knew from the past, calmly telling him what she wanted.

Just two months. In those two months, Ludmila had changed.

The woman who was obedient and accepted his words as if they were divine was nowhere to be found.

Thinking that it was all because of that man, Aden, Kedilen gritted his teeth and glared at Ludmila with ominous eyes.

“Is that so? Then I’ll give you a divorce. Instead, have a child.”

“…What did you say?”

“I said, have a child to continue my family line. If you do that much, even if I divorce you, it will divert people’s attention, and even though it’s not even half, it’s still royalty, right? The nephew of the crown prince who will become emperor, that should be enough compensation.”

“Now…”

Kedilen curled his lips at the sight of Ludmila shaking her head at the absurd thought. Ludmila was a good woman.

Her attitude of thoroughly taking responsibility for her role would be valid for her child too.

It was a statement thrown knowing that she wouldn’t be the kind of woman to give birth to a child and run away, and this was accurate.

Kedilen, who had been staring intently at the perplexed Ludmila, quietly smiled.

“If not that, don’t even bring up divorce. I have no intention of letting you go.”

“Kedilen.”

“I have an appointment, so I’ll be back. Take a walk or something today.”

Kedilen, who had ruthlessly cut off Ludmila’s call, turned and left the room.

In the room left behind after he left, only silence lingered.