Damion did not know where else she might have gone.

He hurriedly looked around a square near the cemetery. An umbrella was useless, only getting in the way. Finally, he began running with the umbrella closed.

Anxiety seemed to be eating away at his entire body.

Should I not have spoken so directly? Did I hurt her under the pretext of revealing the truth?

I should have watched over her at home. If she disliked being in the same space as me, I should have left instead.

It was maddening. The fact that I don’t know where she is couldn’t be more frightening.

Why did I so politely offer compensation and divorce? My arrogance from earlier now seemed utterly ridiculous.

In truth, the thought of divorcing her had not crossed my mind at all. If my current self exists by shortening Ansi’s lifespan, I had an obligation to make her remaining time the happiest and most joyful.

She had to be the happiest woman by his side.

“Ansi, where are you……”

His mouth went dry. As he looked to the side, muttering with a distorted face.

Bump, he collided with someone.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry.”

The woman bowed her head. Her face was hidden by a brightly colored umbrella. But it wasn’t Ansi. Damion gave a perfunctory bow and passed her by.

“Excuse me, are you perhaps Lord Damion?”

A question was heard from behind. Damion felt a sudden fatigue. He didn’t have time to waste here when he should be focusing solely on finding Ansi.

“No, I’m not.”

Damion started striding away again. However, he hesitated at the words heard from behind.

“I saw your wife getting on a shared carriage.”

Damion whirled around.

“Heading east towards Lace. There’s a church at the last stop, a good place to shelter from the rain.”

“Who are you?”

“Is that important? Finding your wife quickly is what matters.”

The woman let out a laugh, then turned and walked away. The colorful umbrella gradually receded into the distance.

Whether her words were true or not was uncertain, but he had nothing to lose. Damion started the car towards the last stop of the shared carriage.

Ansi rubbed her arms. The cold had seeped into her body due to her rain-soaked indoor clothes. It was fortunate to have a place like this to shelter from the rain.

“Hah……”

She sighed, slumping against the wall. She didn’t quite remember how she got here. She had taken a carriage, but only realized she had no money when she reached the last stop.

It was fortunate that she had her hair tied up. The gruff-looking driver who had been fuming suddenly brightened up when he accepted the jeweled hair tie. It was probably worth at least 50 times the shared carriage fare, so his reaction was understandable.

‘How should I get back?’

The cold rain cleared her mind.

I should have listened to Simon. If I had brought a jacket, I could have sold it. Once the rain stops, should I try to sell my shoes after drying them? How ridiculous will that man think I am when he sees me return barefoot?

Her circling thoughts inevitably led back to Damion de Orphe, that man.

In truth, she had been thinking about him the entire way here.

Objectively speaking, Ansi had no reason to be sad. That was what was strange. Clearly there was no reason to be sad, yet why was she?

At that moment, a flash of light illuminated the dark church. A few seconds later, a thunderclap that shook her entire body followed. Ansi, startled, hugged her knees tightly.

“It’s okay.”

Ansi murmured softly. Her voice was buried beneath the sound of the rain.

“I understand you.”

She spoke louder on purpose. It was words meant for Damion. Since she couldn’t say them sincerely, she had to practice like this.

“I can’t divorce you.”

Yes, that was the one thing that couldn’t happen. Although Damion might feel there’s no need for her now, having saved his life twice. She had to cling to Damion.

How could she do it?

All she knew about that man was that he was enough of a romantic to rush into marriage after falling in love at first sight.

“I like you.”

Uttering those words made her feel strange.

It’s not sincere.

However, despite not being sincere.

“I like you.”

Just saying those words was enough to make an unidentifiable emotion well up to her throat.

A man who shared the same thread as Ansi in having suffered at Kardian’s hands. Not receiving family love, betrayed by those he trusted. A man who would use Ansi to try and take Orphe.

He, whose goal was Orphe itself, and she, whose goal was to destroy Orphe. They truly stood at opposite ends.

Thunder struck again. She covered both ears.

“I like you, Damion.”

It was just practice. Not sincere. Practice to reassure that selfish man. Nonsense uttered while covering her ears to hide that they stood at opposite ends.

“I hate you. But… I want to see you.”

She knew no one was listening. That’s why she could say these words.

“Strange, isn’t it? I think I’m going crazy too. I came all the way here not wanting to see you, but now I wish you would appear before me……”

At that moment, her body was strongly pulled. With a thud, she fell forward into the man’s arms. A jacket was draped over her shoulders. His scent clung to the clothes.

Lightning flashed again.

Ansi raised her head and stared blankly at the man’s face.

The man, drenched and pale, was looking at her with a distorted expression.

“……I like you.”

Ansi uttered the words she had practiced.

With a loud thunderclap, Damion hugged her tightly and whispered.

“I like you, Ansi.”

Ansi’s eyes wavered. To be so helplessly swayed by words she had heard countless times, it was almost ridiculous. Perhaps because her senses were heightened in the darkness, the man’s voice ringing in her ears seemed even more vivid as it imprinted in her mind.

“Earlier you asked if I married you because I liked you? That’s not it. As you said, I’m a selfish and hypocritical bastard.”

Damion tightened his grip on Ansi. Only then did she realize. His body was trembling slightly.

“But if you ask how I feel now, the answer is different. I like you. I didn’t know it would turn out like this. That’s why I used you and hurt you. I know how you must think of me. Even this close contact might be uncomfortable for you. But still……”

Damion hesitated for a moment. But as if he could no longer bear it, he buried his face deeply in Ansi’s shoulder.

“Nevertheless, if what you just said is true, if you hate me but want to see me, let’s go back together……”

Ansi closed her eyes. And she asked the man who was trembling, waiting for her answer.

“You said your life’s purpose had changed. What is it now?”

“……You.”

Ansi’s eyelids fluttered.

“You don’t need to do anything for me. Just live peacefully like this.”

“……Okay.”

Ansi hugged him back. Damion’s body twitched. It seemed he hadn’t expected an answer.

“Saving Damion was my choice. Whether you knew it or not, regardless. I wanted to save you, so I did. Me.”

“It can’t happen again.”

“From now on, you won’t face life-threatening situations. So repay me by staying with me for a long time.”

“……Thank you. We’ll surely be happy.”

Ansi patted Damion’s back.

Happiness, huh. How could that be possible?

You were just like me. Just as I used you, you were using me too.

Just as my heart is still bent on revenge, who can say you’re not uttering these sweet words to use me?

So I should smile at you too. Just as you did to me.

“Let’s be happy, us.”

Ansi smiled brightly, like someone who knew nothing. She hid her deep-rooted distrust and leaned into him.

On the other hand, she had such thoughts. What if I really didn’t know anything? If I didn’t know your brother killed my father. If you didn’t know about the special power Rubel Saga possessed.

Could we still have been together?

Tears fell from her eyes.

She had been running too leisurely until now. From tomorrow, she had to become busier.

So for today, she decided to forget everything for a moment.

Kardian, who had been expecting news of Damion’s death all day, couldn’t hide his disappointment. He asked the one who reported that Damion had returned home safely.

“Is that woman being kept well?”

“Yes.”

“Dispose of her.”

He had learned that the company meeting was scheduled there through Nancy, one of the secretarial staff. She was someone Kardian had planted in Damion’s company.

It was a shame to discard her like this, but she wasn’t a crucial talent, so it was fine. She hadn’t been able to bring important information due to her limited position, so he had been planning to get rid of her soon anyway.

“On your way out, call Bekishi for me.”

“As you wish.”

As the subordinate left, Kardian turned on the record player. Classical music filled the room loudly. Shortly after, Bekishi entered.

Bekishi slightly furrowed her brow at the loud music in the room. Seeing this, Kardian’s eyebrows raised subtly.