The grand light hall of the capital. The luxurious hall was filled with majestic music. The music that reached the ceiling produced a magnificent sound with its large reverberation.

Those invited to the party strolled through the hall with a mixture of superiority and excitement on their faces. Some threw flirtatious glances at those they liked, while others gathered in groups of three or five to gossip.

A group of young men was no exception. As they boasted about their knowledge, their conversations, which poured out various gossip they each knew, eventually reached Orphe.

“Ah, isn’t there such a rumor? The rumor that the relationship between His Majesty and Duke Kardian is not ordinary. It seems there have been quite a few troubles lately.”

“Right. Honestly, everyone who knows already knows… But the real power was with Duke Orphe, wasn’t it? But if the two split, whose side should we take?”

“Hey, be careful what you say. Of course, we have to follow His Majesty in this matter.”

Recently, rumors had been subtly spreading that Emperor Rudcaos was showing signs of going in a different direction from Kardian de Orphe.

However, the men gossiping here had never actually seen the emperor or the duke, so there was no way to know if the rumors were true.

It was an interesting piece of gossip, but not something to be discussed further in a public place. Thus, the topic shifted to a matter that was more directly related to their own well-being.

“I heard the situation with Regen has been unusual lately. I hope there won’t be a war.”

“When Duke Orphe was there, I felt reassured… It would have been nice if he had stayed in the military.”

“If a war breaks out, he will probably return to the military, right?”

“But then we will all be drafted too.”

Although they spoke in a joking manner, it was not entirely baseless. The men let out a sigh.

That’s when it happened.

“Oh, speak of the devil and he shall appear.”

One man’s eyes widened. A tall man in a well-fitted, dark robe entered alone.

In an instant, everyone’s attention was poured on Damion. Numerous people hovered around him, trying to strike up a conversation.

The controversy that had surrounded him last year had long been forgotten in everyone’s minds.

Even the fact that he had gotten divorced, and the rumors that he had been so crazy for a while afterward that he was unable to live a normal life.

This was partly because the image Damion had built up since then was so solid, but also because he possessed such a charming appearance that when actually faced with him, nothing else came to mind.

His unique calmness also played a part. Even amidst the gazes filled with admiration, longing, and excitement, Damion remained composed.

In any case, now, as the son of Duke Orphe and the younger brother of the duke, Damion was contributing greatly to elevating the prestige of Orphe.

“Lord Damion.”

A woman called out to Damion.

Lorelei, the daughter of Baron. A woman who was regarded as the best prospective bride at the moment, with her beautiful appearance and good family status.

People’s attention was focused on them, whether they knew it or not. The woman who had spoken approached Damion with a smile.

“Do you happen to have time next week? Some good tea leaves have arrived. I would like to serve you tea.”

The people watching them held their breath. It was a clear expression of interest. There was no reason for anyone to refuse. Lorelei had even been invited to the Orphe family’s dining events and country house several times.

However, Damion lowered his eyebrows as if troubled.

“I have business all next week.”

Damion turned away without hesitation and walked off. Lorelei lowered her eyes, her disappointment evident on her face.

Everyone sighed at her desolation, but Damion paid no attention to her.

Having tea with Lorelei was not at all meaningful to Damion. He did not want to deliberately create unnecessary meetings. Besides, it was no lie that he had business next week.

Next week was his mother’s anniversary.

For the first time in a long while… Damion was thinking of visiting Marelle in the south, where he had lived as a child.

The blowing wind gently swayed Damion’s neatly combed hair. The wind, laden with the scent of the sea and flowers, was slightly damp and sweet.

Damion placed flowers in front of the tombstone. His mother’s spacious and well-maintained grave was one of the best spots in this cemetery.

A sneer graced Damion’s lips.

Considering how shabby the place where his mother had lived while she was alive, how ironic it was that the place she stayed after death was so magnificent.

Moreover, the one who had prepared this spot was the very person who had caused his mother’s death.

It was a story as cliched as it was sensational.

Damion’s mother, Lisel, was a maid who worked for the Orphe ducal family.

Damion was born between a master and a maid. From the beginning, he was an existence that should not have been and a birth that could not be welcomed by anyone.

This was not simply because he was a bastard child.

The bigger problem was that there was not a shred of love between his father and mother.

Duke Orphe, Basilov, had forced himself on Lisel, and Lisel had run away to her hometown of Marelle. But unfortunately, she realized that Damion had been conceived in her womb.

Lisel gave birth to Damion alone and raised him in Marelle.

To Damion, Lisel was his everything. But to Lisel, Damion was not just an object that brought happiness. To her, Damion was a beloved son, but at the same time, a trigger that brought back unpleasant memories.

Lisel often avoided Damion. Damion tried to be a good child to receive her love. He strived not to lose her affectionate gaze because he liked it so much.

To Damion, who was like that, his father, whom he met for the first time, was an existence that he couldn’t help but have his heart stolen by.

Basilov came to find Lisel in Marelle simply because he had discovered an old portrait sketch he had drawn of her.

When Lisel found out that he had appeared in the village, she avoided him. But the young Damion slipped out of the house out of curiosity. And he caught Basilov’s eye.

Basilov was convinced. With flaxen hair and violet eyes, this child who was the spitting image of him was undoubtedly his child.

〈What is your mother’s name?〉

〈It’s Lisel! It’s a pretty name, isn’t it?〉

Damion cheerfully told the man who was curious about his mother her name.

Basilov appeared before Lisel with Damion.

〈Lisel, who said you could raise my child alone?〉

〈He is not your child, Duke.〉

〈That’s a lie. The child was conceived that night.〉

〈Let go…!〉

〈I missed you so much, Lisel. Tell me. You actually missed me too, didn’t you?〉

Basilov tried to force himself on Lisel again.

Lisel, who had barely escaped from him, took her own life.

At that time, Damion did not know why his mother had died. He simply followed his father, who told him to come with him amidst the confusion, to the ducal castle.

But as time passed and he became more perceptive, he came to understand the situation. And how wrong his existence was.

The duchess could not be friendly to Damion, who was akin to her husband’s wrongdoing. No one took care of Damion except for Elma. In the end, Damion became Kardian’s plaything.

He should not have been born in the first place.

He spent his days with such thoughts.

Until he met that woman, Ansi.

Damion, who had been staring at the tombstone for a long time, turned his body.

He now knew how greedy it was to hope for someone else to love him when even his own mother could not fully love him.

And that some memories bring both happiness and misery.

The sea of Marelle was unusually clear and transparent compared to other places. Although he had nothing, the scenery here alone made the young Damion happy every day. But at the same time, that sea also evoked another memory.

Damion’s car sped toward the beach.

He wanted to see the sea in his memories properly.

Two sets of footprints extended along the white sandy beach following the transparent sea.

Derlie lowered his gaze and stared at his younger sister. Ansi was looking at the sea. But it was questionable whether it was really the sea that was reflected in her eyes.

Derlie cleared his throat and casually asked a question.

“I heard Lady Marinda holds a social gathering once a week. Don’t you go to such places?”

“Not interested. Even if a foreigner like me attends, they won’t be pleased either.”

Ansi answered without hesitation.

Derlie let out a deep sigh. In fact, Lady Marinda had asked Derlie to persuade Ansi to attend, saying that she kept refusing. But his sister did not seem likely to listen.

“Ansi, it’s already been half a year since we came to Marelle.”

Marelle was a safe and peaceful place to live. The people were not harsh and had a rather warm atmosphere. Moreover, because they were not very interested in outside news, no one recognized Ansi and Derlie.

So now was the time to settle down.

Not as Ansi and Derlie, but as Daisy and Luke.

However, Ansi still gave the impression that she was staying here temporarily.

She did not form relationships with others beyond what was necessary, nor did she make efforts to find special enjoyment. Her days were monotonous. To the point where Derlie, who watched over her, felt frustrated.

After a brief pause, Derlie posed a question.

“Ansi. You… don’t still have lingering feelings, do you?”

“About what?”

For Damion Orphe.

Whether those hollow eyes of yours, always focused on somewhere unknown, were directed at that man. And whether you wanted to return to him again.

The anxiety that always lingered in Derlie’s heart reared its head again.

That’s when it happened.

Derlie’s brows narrowed. His steps slowed.

Far away on the sandy beach, the figure of a familiar man was seen.