She was holding on so tightly that, not only were there red marks on her arm, but it seemed as though blood would ooze from her nails.

“I did wrong. It’s all my fault. So please…….”

Johan bit his lip tightly, trying to calm Estelle.

“Estelle, come to your senses. We’re here.”

Estelle was in no state to understand his words.

But he couldn’t let her body suffer like this.

Johan painfully detached Estelle’s hand.

‘What on earth is this—’

Estelle’s eyes turned red, and tears flowed. The terrified Estelle brought her hands together and begged.

“I won’t say it hurts. So just this one time…….”

“Estelle!”

Crash! Thunder struck again.

“Kyaaaa—!”

Estelle shook her body violently and screamed.

“No! It hurts! I’m sorry it hurts! But, but……!”

Estelle’s thrashing foot hit again under the bed, and it swelled up red.

It seemed to be the thunder that was the problem.

Johan drew the curtains to block the view outside, muffling the sound.

Yet Estelle still couldn’t breathe properly. She was still terrified, as if something was choking her.

And she mumbled something.

But her pronunciation was so slurred that he couldn’t understand her.

“Estelle.”

Johan carefully grabbed Estelle’s cheeks so that she would look at his face. There was no color in her face.

‘She can’t breathe properly.’

Johan pressed his lips to hers and breathed into her. Estelle was gradually calmed by the warm influx of air.

“Are you okay now?”

Once her body’s trembling stopped, Johan examined Estelle again.

Estelle had fallen asleep once more.

‘It’s like a lie what just happened.’

The only proof that it wasn’t a nightmare but reality was Estelle’s swollen ankle where she had collided with the bed.

Johan looked at Estelle’s ankle. The foot of the girl who had barely escaped out of the bed was terribly distorted.

He bandaged Estelle’s ankle and held the sleeping Estelle in his arms.

He buried his face in her nape and held her close. If he let go even a little, it seemed she would crumble.

“It’s okay, Estelle.”

Johan whispered continuously to her, although she could not hear him.

“I’m here. I’m here right now.”

His throat boiled with anger and sorrow.

‘It’s not just neglect.’

He didn’t know what had happened to Estelle. But.

‘It can’t be just neglect.’

(This is a time separator.)

I was having a vivid dream.

In my dream, I knelt like a sinner.

“How will you handle this imposter?”

“Trying to take the Saint’s place, no less. Such audacity.”

The woman sitting in the shining chair carefully licked her pale pink lips.

“Don’t be too harsh. She must have had her reasons too.”

Golden hair curled like flowing sunlight, mysterious blue eyes.
With skin as smooth as porcelain and a kind and compassionate smile, she looked like a pure and innocent beauty, as if she was drawn.

I had only seen her in portraits, but I knew who she was at once.

It was Estelle.

‘Hadn’t Estelle died?’

To say she was dead, she looked healthy.

Beside Estelle, there were familiar men who seemed to be protecting her.

“Estelle, you are too kind.”

The crown prince, lending his shoulder to the delicate Estelle.

“Yes, Lady Estelle. That wicked woman not only impersonated you but also tried to harm you.”

Liandro, standing with one hand holding a sword to protect Estelle, and the other hand gently holding Estelle’s noble hand.

“But still…….”

Around me, many followers of Estelle had appeared. The followers threw stones at me.

“Disappear, fake!”

“You vile and ugly wicked woman who doesn’t know her place!”

Estelle looked at me sharply and lowered her long eyelashes.

“Stop it, everyone. I’ve already forgiven her.”

Then Liandro spoke sternly.

“But a sinner is a sinner. Even if Lady Estelle forgives, we cannot refrain from punishing the sinner.”

“Yes, Estelle. Your gentle heart is beautiful, but there are things in the world that must be handled in an ugly way.”

“Ah…….”

Estelle, who had been looking at me sadly, smiled brightly.

“Johan! You’ve come to me!”

Suddenly, beside me, there was a tall man whose face was not visible.

“I knew my faith was not wrong. You finally accept me as your real wife.”

Estelle looked at me, putting her arms through the man’s, with a sense of superiority.

Her dominant gaze swept over me.

With a twitch of her thick lips, Estelle flicked her splendid golden hair and turned away.

(This is a time delimiter.)

I opened my eyes in a flash.

‘What kind of dream was this?’

My chest felt stifled, like it was being pressed down. I clenched my fists and caught my breath.

‘Why did Estelle appear in my dream?’

Of course, it wasn’t the first time I had dreamt of Estelle.

‘But I haven’t had a dream of Estelle like this since I left Libertan.’

The dreams of Estelle in Libertan were not like this.

Usually, Estelle would torment me, order the Duke and Duchess of Libertan to punish me, and I would cry as she wanted. That was the dream.

‘Estelle is already dead.’

If Estelle had been alive, there would have been no need to adopt me from Libertan in the first place.

I spoke to the trees.

[Dash]I had a really strange dream.

[Dash]What was the dream about?

[Dash]A dream where Estelle came back to life and drove me away. Dead people can’t come back…….

A bitter smile brushed my lips as I thought of Estelle.

[Dash]I’ve lived my life trapped in the shadow of the dead Estelle.

[Dash]Poor child…

[Dash]It’s okay. It doesn’t matter anymore.

The Duchy of Blanchet may see me as a ‘target for revenge,’ but they recognize me as ‘Estelle Libertan.’

[Dash]So this is really…….

Then I saw the bandaged ankle.

‘It doesn’t hurt, does it?’

When I unwrapped the bandage, there was a bruise. When did I hurt it again?

I sighed deeply.

‘I’ve gotten into a needless misunderstanding again.’

I remembered falling asleep with Johan last night.

‘I need to ask Johan what happened when he comes.’

As if he knew he was being summoned, Johan burst in.

“Johan. What happened last night[Dash]”

Fresh from a shower, he was drying his wet hair with one towel and wearing another long towel below.

A straight spine and broad shoulders. An elegant and firm body that excited desire just by looking.

‘How can there be a man like that?’

I couldn’t believe he was real. Unconsciously, I swallowed.

“Jo, Johan. Why did you come without even changing?”

“I didn’t want to be apart from Estelle even for a moment.”

Johan dried his hair and smiled, the corner of his mouth rising.

“Today, I will examine you in my lab for treatment. Don’t worry; it’s not painful.”

“Okay.”

I quickly nodded my head.

“So change your clothes and come.”
The name “요한” is not provided in the given character list, so I’ll translate the passage without adjusting for this name.

Yohan’s splendid body kept flickering before my eyes, and my reason did not function.

I tried to look away, but when I tried to take my eyes off, they did not move, and I kept stealing glances at what was wrapped in the long towel below.

“I think I need to wash too. In the meantime, Yohan can get ready.”

“Ah, right.”

Yohan nodded as if he had just realized.

“You’ll need to wash. Then I’ll wash you.”

“What?”

“You can go just like that without putting on clothes this time.”

Suddenly it’s too presumptuous!

“There’s nothing to be too surprised about.”

Yohan tilted his head to me as he sat on the bed. His moist lips caught my eye.

“Look all you want. You can, after all.”

“Why, why?”

“Because everything of mine is yours, anyway.”

Yohan whispered languidly in my ear.

“Now I have to watch you as I wash you.”

My whole body tensed tightly.

‘I have to say no.’

I couldn’t reject his big hand that wrapped around mine, holding the bed. Yohan’s hot temperature fueled the desire within me.

I swallowed my saliva and asked.

“Are you really mine?”

Then Yohan’s red eyes shone with joy.