Staring into Rain’s pain-filled eyes looking at me was quite enjoyable. That woman probably doesn’t know how much those blue eyes swirling with anger stir the blood. So I end up going against his mood and saying everything I want to say every time.

Until now there was no justification, but now she has done something she should be held responsible for. Even someone like her shouldn’t run away without paying back such inflated debt.

Now Geris will grab Rain Arel by the hair and drag her here. Then as I warned before, she will end up being sold off somewhere.

It was regrettable to no longer see such an interesting woman. So if she begs and pleads while being brought here, I may consider giving her some time and returning.

Feed her good food, let her get some fresh air… Perhaps when she glimpses hope that she may not have to go back. I could show the consideration of returning here timed to that moment.

“If you give the order, right now…”

“There’s no need for that, Geris.”

“Pardon?”

A stupid sound rang out.

The moneylender yawned as if tired.

“I said there’s no need.”

“But, the money still…”

“It’s all paid back.”

That can’t be. Just last month there was still quite a sum remaining. Paying it all back in one month didn’t make sense. Clearly this dull-witted moneylender must be mistaken.

“Aside from the initial interest added to the principal, I had notified of a new interest policy. She still hasn’t paid all of that…”

“How many times do I have to repeat myself? Don’t touch that woman, absolutely not.”

The moneylender frowned deeply. Geris’s face hardened.

This lender was not mistaken.

Rain Arel, that woman, had really paid back all the money.

How? By what means?

The obvious questions struck Geris’s head violently. But what resounded even more in his mind was.

‘We’re not going after Rain Arel anymore?’

It was disappointment from the anticlimactic ending he faced unprepared.

Where is such a thing?

Geris’s face twisted as he left the room.

“Where is it to leave without saying goodbye, Rain…”

Geris’s head throbbed.

Primal anger and obsession without reason or basis rose up as heat.

“Welcome back, my lady.”

Simon greeted Ansi warmly as she got out of the carriage. Today she had insisted on going along when told she would go out alone, but surprisingly she was allowed to go by herself.

It wasn’t uncommon for noble ladies to go out alone in this country of Belgader.

However, Ansi knew well how bad her own reputation was. As well as the discontent and anxiety of the people associated with her.

To the people serving Damion de Orfe as master, Ansi’s reputation would be bad at best, if not worse.

After all, wasn’t she a woman who suddenly appeared claiming to be the mistress of the house? At least in this house, it would be natural to be wary of her.

So she thought they would stick close as surveillance rather than serving, but…

“Where did you go today? Oh! Did you hear about the Enpalso Bridge collapsing? I heard that, get this, a hundred people and twenty horses fell from there! My lady, please don’t ever go that way. You understand, right?”

Simon poured out words with a worried face. Ansi stared off into the distance for a moment, feeling bewildered.

“…There were no casualties.”

“Oh my, really? Wait, my lady! You didn’t go there, did you?”

Simon’s eyes widened as she jumped. Seeing her intense reaction, the thought that she might not have been under surveillance quickly faded from Ansi’s mind.

“I just happened to pass by.”

“Oh no, you’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”

“I only saw it in passing after the bridge had already collapsed and been cordoned off. And I’m telling you there were no casualties.”

“Well that’s a relief then…”

Simon let out a sigh of relief. Ansi asked naturally, hiding her somehow strange feeling.

“Would there be any spare frames in the mansion?”

“Frames? There should be a few. Shall I hang that painting in your room, my lady?”

Simon pointed at the painting Ansi was holding.

“No, it’s not to hang in my room.”

Simon’s eyes sparkled brightly at the answer. She came up with a guess Ansi hadn’t even considered.

“Ah! It’s for a gift!”

“A gift?”

“The master’s birthday is in ten days, isn’t it?”

“Ah…”

Ansi’s mouth opened slightly. Damion’s birthday? That was information she hadn’t known at all.

And this was also an opportunity.

Wasn’t it a good excuse to meet the people of Orfe?

At the banquet, the Duke and Duchess of Orfe only made an appearance before leaving. They exchanged formal greetings with Ansi, but there was no other interaction.

Naturally, it seemed they didn’t take a liking to her.

It wasn’t unexpected.

How much of a headache they must have had watching their youngest son insist on marrying an unsuitable woman, chasing after the emotion called love. She could imagine how they would think of Ansi.

But she couldn’t just sit idle like this. She needed to use his birthday as an excuse to arrange a family gathering. That way, she had to firmly establish that she had become a member of the Orfe family.

“Just find a frame that fits well.”

Ansi headed to her room with the painting. There was still plenty of time until Damion returned from the company, so she thought she’d try interpreting this painting in the meantime.

Damion arrived at the mansion not long after Ansi had arrived.

His footsteps heading to the second floor were more hurried than usual. The sound of his long legs striding echoed in the obstacle-free corridor.

His destination was not his room, but Ansi’s room.

Ansi’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked at him entering after knocking.

“You’re early.”

Early?

In Damion’s opinion, he had not arrived early at all. If anything, he was rather late. He had originally planned to come right after finishing the meeting, but there were a few things he had to take care of, so it took longer than expected.

Even then, he had rushed through about half of it. He couldn’t help it with the image of the woman who had turned so pale this morning lingering in his eyes.

But now this woman was acting as if nothing had happened, with a normal face. Moreover, with eyes as if asking why he was here already…

No, why was he having such an unseemly thought?

“Are you feeling alright?”

“Yes.”

Ansi answered nonchalantly.

Is she really alright? Damion examined her complexion. Was she just pretending to be fine, or does losing some lifespan not immediately affect one’s health?

“If you’re not feeling well, please tell me.”

“Do I look sick?”

She was the same as always. Seeing her treating him with an unchanged face, it seemed there really was no immediate problem.

However, he couldn’t feel at ease. Rather, it felt like a huge rock was pressing down on his chest.

Why isn’t she showing it?

According to Count Rubellsa, one knows instinctively. The fact that one is carving away at oneself to save the other.

But why is this woman not saying anything after saving him like that?

“…Is there anything you want to say to me?”

“Hmm…”

The woman fell into thought.

Damion waited for her answer. He himself didn’t know why he had asked the question.

In truth, from his position, it was better if she didn’t say anything. While pretending to love her, he couldn’t stop a woman who was carving away at herself for his sake.

The scenario if she did would be even more difficult than now. To make Ansi save him despite that, he would have to pour out even more affection than now.

“Did you have a good day?”

Ansi asked after contemplating. Like an affectionate couple. Like a wife welcoming her husband home from an outing.

And as if nothing had happened.

“…I was worried you might have had a nightmare and fallen ill.”

In the end, he too answered as if nothing had happened, just like her.

“Thank you for worrying. I’m perfectly fine.”

Ansi smiled as if it was silly. At that sight, Damion’s heart beat faster.

Worry, she said. Only upon hearing those words did he realize he had truly been worried about her.

It was ridiculous.

What good would it do to worry about her visible health condition when he was the main culprit who had stolen her lifespan?

In the end, Damion decided to erase the thought.

It wasn’t right to judge this situation with petty moral standards and conscience at this point.

Until Ansi herself talked about that power, he knew nothing. So he had to receive the benefits of that power nonchalantly.

That was right.

“This.”

Damion lifted a large paper bag up to near his face. A question mark appeared in Ansi’s eyes as if asking what on earth it was.

Damion took out a box from the paper bag. As he opened the lid of the box, twenty-five tarts inside revealed themselves.

Those with various creams and toppings added on top of golden-brown tart shells were aesthetically very harmonious and excellent. It was the result of him personally selecting each tart to fill the box to maximize visual satisfaction.

“They say it’s a famous shop, so I thought you might like it.”

As the sweet yet savory butter scent wafted out, saliva reflexively formed in Ansi’s mouth.

Seeing Ansi unable to take her eyes off the tarts, Damion’s expression softened.

It seems this bribe is to her liking. For her to show this much reaction to mere tarts when she had dry reactions to other gifts. It was truly a gift with great cost-effectiveness.

He gestured to the tarts with his chin, holding back a smile.

“Try one now.”