It felt like I was just dreaming.

The sound ringing in my ears was an auditory hallucination, and the scenery before my eyes was an illusion.

I thought I was simply intoxicated by a cheap fantasy created by the soft moonlight.

But as the approaching sound grew louder and the face filling my vision became infinitely clearer, I became certain this was no illusion.

Aden.

The man I had longed for even in my dreams. That man was approaching me. There was no time to think about how he was alive or how he came here.

I just stared blankly, as if entranced by a scene that could be mistaken for an illusion.

Aden’s gaze, which had been looking out the window in silence, returned when there were two windows between the two of them.

Aden, who had stopped at the soft silver light with a lattice pattern, silently stared at Ludmila.

As his beautiful and alluring golden eyes met hers, an even stronger certainty washed over her.

“Aden……”

Her voice flowed as her mouth opened, as if her blocked breath had burst.

As the sound of breathing breaking the silence and a voice close to sobbing rang out, Aden’s feet, which had been standing still, moved forward.

With the sound of shoes echoing again, Aden, who had melted into the silver light, stopped once more, leaving just one last window between them.

Ludmila bit her lip at the sight of Aden looking down at her without a single wound.

As they got closer, the fragments she had thought were illusions washed away.

In the end, Ludmila took a step towards Aden, her feet that had been stopped.

“It’s been a long time.”

It was at that moment that the dry voice fell.

As Ludmila’s foot, which had not yet fully stepped forward, touched the ground weakly, Aden approached her with a calm face.

His face, which had melted into the moonlight of the last window, was pale with silver, and his eyes were cool.

At the cold eyes that felt intentionally heartless, Ludmila sensed that something was wrong.

These were not the eyes of the man she knew. The joy of meeting him, whom she thought was dead, was torn apart by his dry gaze.

His golden eyes, which just stared at her like a lighthouse beacon, were blurred like sea mist in the moonlight, making her feel desolate.

Something had changed.

Realizing this was not the man she knew, her mouth wouldn’t open.

She clearly needed to say something, but nothing came out. All she could do was silently look at Aden.

But he approached.

As always, he approached first, coming to her who was innocently rolling her eyes, not knowing anything, and smiling at her.

“You’re alive……”

“It seems something urgent has happened to the Marquis on my way here. It looks like an urgent matter, shouldn’t you hurry to your husband?”

“……Aden?”

“I have business to attend to, so I’ll be going now. I hope nothing serious has happened.”

Aden, who offered comfort with a businesslike consideration and voice, left a short bow and moved his steps.

Aden, who slipped past her side, left only the scent of deep grasslands.

Ludmila, who had turned her body, silently watched him disappear into the darkness.

As she watched his back, still like a vast prairie, Ludmila felt a deep sense of relief amidst the pain. Aden is alive.

The joy brought by that one fact lifted her from the sadness and despair of the past.

But at the moment she reached the end of that joy, she realized once again.

In the end, you are moving away.

The smile he used to give when she knew nothing was gone, and what came when she learned everything was a cold farewell.

She knew. This was the best way to settle the relationship between him and herself.

His loyalty, which he had kept because of his promise to her, was now gone, and though she didn’t want it, she had regained her place.

Perhaps she could continue her married life with the changed Kedilen like this.

The one who tried to kill her was gone, and if her tormenting husband had changed, she might gladly live as a marchioness.

And Aden.

He would solve the financial difficulties that had troubled his family and lead the revival of Habertz. He might meet a new woman without any flaws, have children, and live a happy time.

So, it was right for us to part here. She knew it was the perfect time.

“I have something to say.”

But she didn’t want to draw the line like this. She didn’t want a farewell that left only misunderstandings, even if she couldn’t receive forgiveness from him.

The receding footsteps stopped in the darkness. Ludmila, who exhaled a sigh mixed with regret, stepped directly into the silver moonlight herself.

A sad smirk appeared on her lips as she realized that their situation had reversed.

The man who had tried to shield her in darkness had thrown himself into the light, and finally, injured by that light, he had hidden back into the darkness.

“That wasn’t a lie.”

When she didn’t know what to say first, what came out was the truth.

Ludmila stared only at the back he had allowed her, biting her lip.

“It was my sincere wish that you wouldn’t get hurt. I hoped you wouldn’t throw yourself into a dangerous situation, covered in blood, just for me alone.”

That was the whole truth. The truth that had stopped Aden, that had stopped him. But the man who had aimed a gun for her sake had no way of knowing this.

Thinking he had been betrayed, he just stared at her with blank eyes. So she had to let him know.

“I didn’t betray you.”

That my choice was solely for your sake.

When Ludmila’s words, spilled out like confessing the truth to a priest, came to an end, a moment of silence passed.

Ludmila, who was about to take a step towards Aden while biting her lip, hesitated at the sound of a long sigh.

Aden turned around in the darkness.

Just like when he had stayed in the deep dark forest, Aden quietly looked at Ludmila.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Aden, who left those words with cold eyes, turned his body and walked away again.

Ludmila, who had been endlessly following his footsteps until the man who had been going in and out between darkness and light finally disappeared from view, could realize while standing still in the darkness.

She had believed that just wanting you to know was the truth, but in the end, that wasn’t all.

The deep regret for the deception she had used to fool herself just flowed out of her mouth and scattered as a sigh.

When she opened the door and entered, the situation in the lounge had somewhat settled down.

Most of the noisy people had already left.

Ludmila approached the remaining doctor and silently looked at the sleeping Kedilen before turning her head.

“How is his condition?”

“On the surface, he looks like he’s just sleeping, but hearing that he suddenly collapsed, it seems there might be some other factor. We’ll need to conduct a thorough examination, but can we prepare to transport him right away?”

Ludmila nodded briefly to the doctor who had lowered his stethoscope, giving permission, and then took a step back.

“I’ll stay here and keep watch until then, so the rest of you can go. It’s enough that you’ve brought Kedilen this far.”

The doctor and the people who had transported Kedilen, who remained in the room, bowed to Ludmila, who had bent her waist in greeting, offered brief words of comfort, and then turned away.

Not long after, when all the remaining people had left, silence fell over the room.

Ludmila, who had been staring blankly at the closed door, turned to look at the sleeping Kedilen.

The sight of her defenseless husband caught her eye.

The man she had wanted to kill so badly, and had to kill. The man she now had no choice but to kill.

Numerous incidents caused by him flashed across his face.

Ludmila, who had taken a short breath, took out a vial of poison and mixed it with water.

As she intently watched the poison dispersing in the clear water, Ludmila suddenly wondered what meaning this act held.

She had wanted to kill this man for revenge because Aden had died.

But Aden hadn’t died; he had survived. Then, was there a reason for her to kill this man?

Confusion arose. The firm resolve that had solidified crumbled the moment she met Aden.

It was so disheartening that she even felt empty at the thought that this resolve could crumble so easily.

At the same time, a sense of hopelessness came over her.

Aden had ultimately left her, and she had lost even the goal of revenge that she had set up to mourn his death.

Then what was left for her? As her thoughts reached that point, the motion of mixing the poison became even more intense.

The eyes that had lost their way regained their vigor. Ludmila approached Kedilen, holding the glass of poisoned water.

With a face more resolute than ever, she grabbed Kedilen’s chin and pulled it down.

And she slowly brought the glass of poisoned water to his parting lips.

There was no trace of worry, sympathy, or fear about the fact that she was trying to poison someone on her face.

It was a monotonous appearance that only seemed to convey the thought of wanting to give water to her husband.

Finally, the glass held by Ludmila came close to Kedilen’s parted lips.

Slowly, very slowly. Just as the glass touched Kedilen’s lips.

The calmly closed eyelids pushed up, revealing his eyes.

Ludmila’s body jerked in surprise, and Kedilen’s hand, not missing that moment, chased after and grabbed her wrist.