I snatched the pendant from the old butler’s hand and quickly turned around.

‘What should I do? Of all people to run into…’

Without wearing the pendant, I currently looked like ‘Larien’.

“Young lady, it is you, our young lady, isn’t it?”

The old butler’s voice trembled, mixed with confusion and joy.

“Young lady. Do you know how heartbroken I was when I heard you were gone? When I saw a child who looked just like you earlier, I thought I was seeing things in my old age.”

“…”

“You were alive…”

I heard murmurs from people sitting in nearby seats.

People were alternating glances between me and the old butler, trying to deduce what was happening.

Their gazes reached me and I felt suffocated.

‘I need to get back to the private compartment quickly.’

I pressed hard against my throbbing chest.

But there was one thing I needed to resolve first.

The old butler was already certain it was me. Even though he had quit working when I was very young, he recognized me immediately after all this time.

I couldn’t deny it to the old butler now.

Moreover, if I didn’t tie up loose ends properly, the Duke Belaste might find out.

“Follow me.”

I took the old butler to an empty compartment. We were about to have a conversation that would be dangerous if overheard.

“Old butler.”

“…Yes, young lady.”

I spoke in as calm a voice as possible. I barely managed to cut away the strange, messy emotions welling up.

“Don’t tell anyone that you saw me here, or that I’m alive. No matter who it is.”

“If Duke Hana knew that you were living like this, unable to settle in one place and wandering around, he would be heartbroken…”

The old butler tried to persuade me.

Perhaps because I was dressed comfortably for long-distance train travel.

He seemed to think I was wandering around without a proper place to settle.

There was no need to deny it.

Telling the truth would only reveal information about living as Countess Boston, Diane.

“He misses you very much. He truly regrets not treating you well…”

Moreover, from what he was saying, it seemed he was still in regular contact with Duke Belaste.

‘He misses me and regrets, huh.’

The old butler wasn’t making up lies. At Ayla’s wedding, and at the imperial palace, Duke Belaste had told me.

‘That he wasn’t angry at her, but at himself for not being a proper father.’

That he regretted not loving me in my childhood, he had said.

‘That’s right. It’s not that they couldn’t find the body because the fire was too intense, but that he thought I hadn’t died in the first place.’

He also said he thought I was alive.

‘So if you’re hiding somewhere, please let me meet you. No, please tell her to come back. Tell her father is waiting…’

That he would be waiting for my return…

But it was just disgusting regret, and clumsy deception at best.

“Then tell him this. I will never return.”

“…”

“Old butler. Think about it. How many people would willingly go back to the most terrifying place they wanted to escape from?”

Hearing those words, the old butler no longer tried to hold me back. He just stood still, not moving.

‘He won’t tell Duke Belaste he saw me.’

The oppressive silence was uncomfortable, so I moved towards the private compartment.

“Young lady, did you find your pendant…?”

Mary, who had been looking around, approached and asked me.

“…Yes. Let’s go in.”

I didn’t have the energy to tell her I had met the old butler and been asked to return.

“What kind of place is Madelburg? Shu Shu is so excited and nervous since it’s her first time.”

I flinched as I was entering the private compartment.

Blanche wasn’t alone. She was in the middle of a conversation with someone.

“Blanche!”

I was anxious in case a stranger had come to be with Blanche.

‘I shouldn’t have left Blanche alone…’

When I hurriedly entered the compartment, drawing the curtain, Blanche waved her hand.

“Mom, you’re back?”

Silver hair like moonlight, red eyes where the sun had melted.

“…Jade?”

Jade was sitting in front of Blanche.

“Why… are you here?”

I suppressed my anxiety that Blanche had been with a stranger.

Come to think of it, Blanche was originally very shy with strangers.

Especially after the kidnapping incident.

If it had really been a stranger, she wouldn’t have been so comfortable in front of them.

Still, I was dumbfounded. How did he know I was on this train and come here?

‘Could it be that when Blanche said she smelled something earlier, it was Jade?’

I sighed, at a loss for words to Jade who had secretly followed me here when I had come to avoid him.

“Mary! Shu Shu wants to go look outside, let’s go!”

“B-Blanche?”

“Mom and Dad. This time, make up properly without fighting! Okay? Please stop fighting! Shu Shu will come back to check if you’ve made up.”

Blanche hopped down from her seat and pushed Mary’s back as she left the compartment.

She winked as she left, telling us to make up.

‘…She says she’ll check if we’ve made up.’

Blanche had deliberately left to make us reconcile, so I couldn’t send him away.

But I still had disappointment lingering in my heart to make up with Jade.

It was awkward sitting face to face in the narrow space, so I just scratched at the innocent window.

“Larien. I’m sorry.”

At that moment, Jade’s lips quivered as he clenched his hands tightly.

“Jade. Do you know what you’re sorry for? You’re not just saying sorry to try and improve my mood, are you?”

Even though I knew I shouldn’t, I retorted sharply.

‘I think I’m being too sensitive right now.’

I wasn’t in a good mood after meeting the old butler and hearing about Duke Belaste.

“Jade. Let’s talk again later-”

“…I was wrong.”

Jade, who grabbed me as I was about to stand up and leave, lowered his head.

He pressed his forehead against the back of my hand and nuzzled it.

“I’m sorry for deceiving you. I should have explained properly when you asked, but I was scared and couldn’t speak…”

“Jade.”

As if asking for forgiveness just once, Jade continued speaking.

“I liked that you took care of me. Spending time with me constantly, caring about me… I liked it so much that I didn’t want to say I could see again.”

His appearance, unable to even grasp my wrist tightly, seemed pitiful.

“I thought if you found out, you would go back… I didn’t intend to deceive you completely. I was going to tell you. I just kept putting it off, thinking it would be okay for a little while longer.”

My hurt feelings dissipated instantly at his explanation that he hadn’t deliberately withheld the information.

‘He didn’t tell me because he liked being with me…?’

So it wasn’t that he saw me as an outsider and didn’t tell me.

“Don’t leave. I won’t ask you to stay with me all the time. I’ll only come to see you when you want, so please…”

“…Leave?”

“You’re going to live in Madelburg, right? I won’t do it again. Please, forgive me just this once.”

Though I felt sorry for Jade who looked quite serious, a smile formed on my lips.

‘He came rushing after me thinking I was leaving?’

I tried my hardest to maintain a stern expression.

“Let’s go back, Larien.”

“Jade. I think you’ve been misunderstanding something…”

“I, I can’t be without you.”

In the end, I burst out laughing.

“Larien…?”

Finally seeing me clutching my stomach in laughter, Jade raised his head and stared at me. His eyes showed he didn’t understand.

I was suddenly happy. I hadn’t known if there would be another day when he would look at me properly, making eye contact like this while we talked.

“Why are you laughing?”

“It’s funny. Jade, I think you’re seriously mistaken about something, but I’m Countess Boston. Where would I go?”

He furrowed his brows, not looking convinced.

“I was going to Lekah, but there was no ship at the Venice port so I was going to Madelburg to catch one.”

“…”

“And you always ask to be forgiven just once? It’s always the same.”

Jade, realizing his misunderstanding, blushed and couldn’t close his mouth.

“No, but, you said earlier at the train station. That it would be better not to see me after going.”

“Well, I was planning to stay in Lekah for a while to sort out my thoughts without seeing you.”

Jade lowered his head again and rubbed his temples.

He looked thoroughly embarrassed. I forcefully pulled down the corners of my mouth, knowing I would have done the same.

‘Now that I know why he did it, I’m not even angry anymore… Rather, it’s admirable how he immediately chased after me when he thought I was leaving.’

In the distant future, if Jade and I are still together then.

‘Just like now, Jade will ask to be forgiven just once when he does something wrong, and I’ll be like this.’

I envisioned a future where I would keep forgiving him while saying I won’t next time.

Then I saw Blanche peeking her face through the curtains.

“Mom, Dad, did you make up? If not, I’ll go out with Mary again.”

“No, we made up. You don’t have to go out. Come sit here.”

I smiled brightly at Blanche, patting the seat beside me.

Blanche ran over right away, but instead of sitting next to me, she sat on Jade’s lap.

“Dad, Dad. Did you really make up with Mom?”

“…Yes.”

It was both touching and heartbreaking how she deliberately tried to create a chance for us to reconcile.

‘She was hiding in the chair earlier when I fought with Jade.’

I vowed not to fight anymore, if only for Blanche’s sake.

“Hehe, Shu Shu always wants Mom and Dad to be together! Happy without anything bad happening!”