“…Don’t lie.”

Damion’s voice trembled. Even though he thought it was nonsense, deep down in his heart, he knew. That Amor’s words were true.

Fury frosted over Damion’s eyes.

From the beginning, he didn’t believe in a god who would make such a life-and-death contract. He was amazed at his own stupidity for being captivated by the hope that he could return life to Ansi.

Damion grabbed Amor’s arm tightly. Even while looking at his brightly shining eyes, Amor was just smiling peacefully. Damion recited with a stiff face.

“Save Ansi.”

He let out a low voice, suppressing and excluding the surging emotions. He wanted to strangle Amor’s neck if he could.

But those things were of no use.

It was Amor’s power that saved Damion and killed Ansi. If so, she should be able to revive her as well.

Last time, she said there was no way as long as the contract with Lubelsa was maintained, but Amor would have to find a way. Damion was confident that he would cling to her until she came up with an answer.

“I don’t mind dying. So save Ansi.”

Amor raised one eyebrow. Then she opened her mouth.

“When the war is over, you will become a hero. You’ve locked up Kardian with a good reason, and you will also have the Orphe dukedom that you so wanted to have.”

Amor recited the things Damion de Orphe had aimed for all his life in a divine voice.

Her every word tickled and subtly climbed up Damion like a snake. And it tightened him firmly so he could never escape.

Those who heard the voice of god could not cover their ears. They had to accept and think about what it meant as it was.

So at least to Damion right now, the success that he could grasp just by reaching out his hand, the guaranteed happiness would be clearly visible in front of his eyes.

No one could ignore it. They couldn’t help but waver.

Then, what about… the man in front of her eyes?

Amor smiled with her eyes closed.

“Right now, you have everything. Even if you lose it all, do you want to save Ansi?”

“Yes.”

There was no hesitation felt from Damion. He was determined and only looking at Ansi’s life squarely.

Amor raised the corners of her mouth as if she found it interesting.

And then she told him a truth.

“The moment death comes, the contract I made with that child ends. And at that moment… she can become the subject of a new contract.”

A new contract.

At those words, a light of hope flashed in Damion’s eyes.

It meant that at the moment the contract that took Ansi’s life ended, she could be revived with a new contract.

“The condition is, I just have to die, right?”

“No.”

Amor shook her head. She took a step back.

“It’s not fun to bet on lives anymore.”

“Then?”

“I’ll bet on memories and emotions.”

Damion’s brow narrowed. Amor continued.

“I’ll revive Ansi. But in return, that child will never love Orphe.”

“That means…”

“The feeling of love for Damion de Orphe will disappear from Ansi. Even the small memories that could make love bloom again will disappear without a trace. Memories will be reconstructed for plausibility. In the direction of hating you.”

The moments he had with Ansi flashed through Damion’s mind. From the stiff face when they first met, to the increasingly relaxed expressions. And finally, the shy face whispering that she loved him.

They were feelings that no one knew, only Damion himself knew.

Those things will disappear.

And be replaced with hatred.

Damion, who had been pondering the meaning of it for a while, soon calmly nodded his head.

“…It’s rather fortunate. Let’s make the contract.”

“Fortunate? I thought you would find receiving a disgusted gaze from Ansi more painful than losing your life.”

“That’s right. If I receive such a gaze again, I might want to die.”

Damion was self-deprecating.

However, it was still fortunate for Ansi. This was much better.

“If Ansi loses all feelings for me, she won’t be sad or distressed no matter what happens to me.”

The only thing that hung on destroying the Orphe dukedom with Kardian. It was the fact that Ansi would have to see him disappear with them.

But if this contract is concluded, Ansi will not be greatly moved even if she sees Damion’s death.

It was rather fortunate.

“Then let’s make the contract.”

Amor held out her right hand as if shaking hands. Damion grabbed that hand. A burning sensation spread in his hand, but he gripped Amor’s hand tightly.

“The moment the contract with Lubelsa applied to Ansi ends, the contract with you will take effect.”

Amor smiled satisfactorily. At that moment, the door on the first floor opened and a strong wind blew in. Amor turned into a smoke with colorful lights and scattered with the wind.

Damion, who had been staring at the spot where Amor disappeared, raised his palm and stared at it. A faint heart shape was engraved there. It was a trace of the contract.

On an autumn day when the sky was unusually brightly shining. In the Belgader Empire, one news spread quickly on the dawn.

It was that Lezen had expressed his intention to surrender.

Lezen, who had even lost the northern Chelsha helplessly, judged that there was no chance of winning if they fought any more. The soldiers were exhausted, and the countries that had allied with Lezen also decided to withdraw their troops.

In this situation, Lezen made a decision a little earlier than expected.

Thus, the war that was long if long and short if short, ended after several months.

People came out from all regions of Belgader and waved flags to signify victory.

The streets were filled with cheers and songs of joy. People who had come down to safer areas below hurried to prepare to return to their hometowns.

And at the same time… Ansi opened her eyes.

“Ansi!”

Dehl was startled and called Ansi. She slowly blinked her eyes, frowned, and sat up.

“I’m stiff…”

“You, can, can you get up? Are you really, really okay?”

“Yeah. I’m a little dizzy, but I’m fine.”

As she said, Ansi really looked fine. After frowning her brows as if she had a momentary dizziness, her usual straight and blunt face appeared when she relaxed.

Dehl’s legs weakened and he plopped down on a chair. He covered his face with both hands and laughed in dismay.

“Thank goodness…”

“Was I very unwell?”

“No. I knew you would wake up. I had a feeling…”

“Dehl, are you crying?”

“No. It’s not like that…”

Dehl bowed his head deeply and wiped his welled-up tears.

Honestly, he thought Ansi wouldn’t wake up. Even last night, the fact that he really had to let her go weighed heavily on him.

Last night, Ansi, who was suffering from a high fever, almost stopped breathing. The doctor did his best to save Ansi, but there was no sign of her waking up at all.

Sophia kept calling Ansi’s name and wailing. But Ansi’s life was rapidly fading away. Dehl had a hunch. No matter what more they did, they couldn’t save Ansi.

However, a miracle happened.

It was the moment they thought Ansi’s breath had stopped.

At Sophia’s words, Dehl hurriedly looked at Ansi’s hand. As she said, Ansi twitched her hand again. Her brow, which had seemed so peaceful that it was frightening, was also slightly furrowed.

The doctor said Ansi’s pulse had returned to normal. He also said it was a miraculous thing that he couldn’t explain.

Her consciousness had not yet returned, but Dehl felt that Ansi would open her eyes at any moment.

So until dawn broke, Dehl waited for Ansi to wake up.

And right now, Ansi had really woken up.

“Where’s Mother?”

“She went to talk to the doctor for a moment. And Colonel Orphe… will be here soon. Lezen declared their surrender at dawn. I heard he can’t come because he has a lot to deal with because of that.”

Dehl found the reason why Damion, who seemed to be running to her at any moment, had not come yet in the end of the war. So he made an excuse to Ansi, though he didn’t know why he was defending him.

But Ansi’s reaction was different from what he expected.

“Colonel Orphe?”

Ansi frowned. Then she said.

“Why is he coming here?”

“…He was very worried about you. You wanted to see him too.”

“What are you talking about, Dehl? Why are you acting like I liked the man from the Orphes?”

Dehl’s face hardened. Ansi wasn’t joking. Dehl was at a loss for words at the dissatisfied emotion filled in her expression.

After examining her face for a long time, Dehl asked carefully.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. I’m sick of the Orphes. I clearly told you how much I wanted to bring them down. But why are you saying that?”