“Damion is different from Kardian. I told you that yesterday, too. He’s someone who tried to save us…”

“Even so, Orphe, Ansi.”

“That man doesn’t like Orphe. It’s the same with Kardian. He hates Kardian as much as we do. He was sincere with me, too. He said he could give up everything for me, that man.”

“Then he should have been there when I came to get you. He should have been the one to save you, not me.”

“That’s…”

“If I could, I’d ruin Orphe even if it meant dedicating my body. But knowing that you made that decision first just makes me feel miserable. Just thinking about you spending months alone inside Orphe makes me feel like I’m going to die of pity for you.”

Derl’s face contorted in pain. Ansi shook her head.

“I… was fine.”

“No, you weren’t fine. If you saw your expression when we met again yesterday, you wouldn’t be able to say that.”

“Derl.”

“I’m holding back, Ansi. I’m trying every minute and second to suppress the urge to overturn everything. For you, mother, and myself. Because I know it would be better for our future to pretend none of it happened and just look forward.”

“…”

“So you endure it too, Ansi. No matter how well your former husband treated you, in the end, he’s an Orphe. That fact doesn’t change.”

Derl was adamant.

His animosity towards Damion was not something that could be broken by Ansi’s persuasion.

It wasn’t that she didn’t understand at all.

When Ansi first met Damion, she wanted to kill him just for having the Orphe name.

Perhaps if she hadn’t been with him, if they had lived as strangers… Even now, the man named Damion de Orphe would have been an object of hatred along with Kardian.

So for Derl, who didn’t know Damion, it was no wonder he disliked him so much.

“…Okay. I understand what you mean.”

In the end, Ansi backed down. Derl turned his head and replied.

“…Thank you.”

She quietly entered the room. Leaning against the closed door, she blankly stared into the air.

In fact, having run away like this, she had expected it would be difficult to call Damion. So she had asked Roma, too. If she could meet Damion, to tell him that she was doing well.

Now, the request she had made to Roma was the only way to reach Damion.

She wouldn’t be able to meet Damion directly. But just hearing a farewell message… she thought it would give her peace of mind.

After all, time with Ansi was poison to Damion, too. Having decided to divorce and leave each other, it was something they shouldn’t do to hear each other’s voices now. It was an unnecessary desire.

It was just that she regretted not being able to properly say goodbye, so there were lingering feelings.

But if even this was not allowed for her…

Ansi closed her eyes and swallowed deeply.

The one suffering was Ansi alone, and if so, enduring this situation was also her role.

“He’s marching without rest again today.”

Hofri, sitting on the club building’s terrace, exhaled cigar smoke mixed with a sigh. His gaze was fixed on the revolutionaries crossing the street with flags.

Henet, sitting across from Hofri, replied without taking his eyes off the newspaper.

“They can’t stop the protests until they achieve what they want.”

“What do they want?”

“Equal opportunities.”

“Aren’t opportunities open to everyone?”

“They wouldn’t be protesting if they thought so, would they?”

“Ugh… it’s difficult.”

Hofri frowned and shook his head. With that expression, he leaned forward towards Henet and asked.

“Henet, have you heard anything about Damion?”

“Well.”

Henet shook his head. Hofri pursed his lips in dissatisfaction and leaned back on the sofa. However, the conversation didn’t end there. Men gathered on the terrace over the interesting topic.

One of them cautiously asked, looking around.

“So… is there no one here who knows why Damion got divorced?”

At this, the men who had been quietly listening began to speak one by one.

“It must be the woman’s fault, as expected. I didn’t like that woman from the beginning.”

“But Damion seemed to like her, didn’t he? I thought they were well-suited.”

“Could it be because of that incident? With the Viscountess.”

“Ah, when the Viscountess died and Damion was there…”

Speculations about Damion’s divorce were crossing the line. Henet frowned. He was about to open his mouth to interrupt the conversation.

“Now, let’s not do this among ourselves. The reason for the divorce, Damion will tell us when he comes to the club later.”

Hofri cut off the flow of conversation. It was unexpected for someone who loved gossip. At his words, people also nodded their heads, clearing their throats.

“I’ll be going now.”

Henet stood up from his seat. He had no intention of speculating or commenting arbitrarily about Damion’s divorce, but it seemed he was reaching his limit in just watching Damion like this.

The room was filled with the smell of strong alcohol.

“Damion.”

Henet called out to Damion, searching for him with his eyes. Soon spotting Damion, he moved his steps.

He was sprawled on the sofa. In front of him, empty bottles were lined up in abundance. They were quite high-proof liquors. Just looking at them made his stomach churn, and he drank all this?

Henet frowned with frustration.

“Stop moping and come out.”

His voice echoed in the quiet room.

Damion slowly opened his eyes. Staring at Henet with hollow eyes, Damion sat up. Then he reached out his hand and grabbed a bottle with alcohol remaining.

As Damion tried to bring it to his mouth, Henet snatched the bottle from his hand.

“If you’re going to be like this, why did you get divorced? Even if your wife was leaving, you should have held onto her and clung to her. You should have stopped her, vowing to make her happy.”

“…”

At Henet’s words, Damion, who had been looking down and blankly staring into the air, let out a hollow laugh. He chuckled and lowered his head. Henet narrowed his eyes. Damion’s laughter subsided, and he spat out an answer.

“I did hold onto her, but she wasn’t happy. This was the only choice left.”

“…So, are you going to keep being like this?”

Damion picked up another bottle. Henet just watched as Damion chugged down the liquor. As their eyes met, Damion shrugged as if telling him not to worry.

“From tomorrow, I’ll live busily. More diligently than anyone. I have a promise with that woman.”

Damion brought the bottle to his lips again.

Henet’s eyes wavered.

Damion didn’t seem like a drunk person.

However… he didn’t look normal at all, either.

What was at the end of his gaze? He gave an eerie impression, smiling and drinking.

Henet couldn’t fathom what Damion was thinking.

But this was clear.

Ansi was a much bigger presence to Damion than he thought. And that Damion’s days ahead would be even harder than before.

The white breath escaping from small lips scattered into the air. Ansi buttoned up her black coat. Then she took out the gloves she had put in her pocket and put them on her hands. They were knitted by herself.

It had already been several months since she came here.

Winter naturally came with the passage of time. It didn’t snow much in southern Marel. However, the wind blew quite piercingly.

In the large bag on her back, dozens of gloves of similar shape were packed. They were all the results of knitting done by her and Sofia.

Knitting was quite excellent as a means of livelihood.

At first, she sold a little through a merchant at a market held every week, but as the patterns made by Sofia became popular among people, the number of merchants wanting to stock them increased.

In fact, money wasn’t urgent. There was quite a bit of money that Ansi had entrusted to Roma before to allow Sofia to live in the south.

Even without working fiercely, it was enough for the three of them to make a living for several years.

However, that didn’t mean they were affluent, so if they could fill their wallets now, they couldn’t miss the opportunity. With this, Ansi and Sofia were constantly producing results every day.

But that wasn’t the only reason they were working so hard on this.

Knitting helped kill and reduce thoughts.

It was more so because, unlike dishwashing or cleaning, knitting was an unfamiliar task to Ansi, so she had to concentrate. Moving her hands all day with Sofia, the day would end.

Such a daily life was necessary for Ansi.

〈I couldn’t meet your husband, but I met those planted by your husband and conveyed your news. The response came immediately the next day.〉

〈…What did Damion say?〉

〈He said he understands. And I received cash. The amount is enormous. Enough that you don’t have to work.〉

〈Didn’t he say anything else?〉

〈No. There was nothing else like that.〉

Roma said that in response to Ansi’s news, Damion didn’t convey any words other than that he understood. Not even to take care…or anything else.

That was that man’s answer.