episode_0003

Aria could not hide her confused emotions, and barely moved her trembling lips.

“Why are you here… .”

“I’m the one who found you lying in the mansion. By the way, this is my family’s mansion.”

Eugene blurted out the words calmly, then pulled a chair from the room next to the bed and sat down.

Aria flinched at the sudden action.

“I’m sorry for moving without permission. But when I visited you, your condition was so critical that there was nothing I could do.”

“That’s not the problem. Don’t you know? I can’t leave that mansion without permission. If I get caught… .”

Because the punishment he received before included expulsion and being confined to Count Floris’s mansion for the rest of his life.

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’ve already finished talking to the royal family.”

“What did you say…?”

His casual remarks only added to the confusion.

Are you saying that you ended up doing something like that without even knowing it?

… No, the fundamental question wasn’t even resolved in the first place.

That’s why I couldn’t help but ask in a voice that didn’t hide my wariness.

“We already ended a long time ago. I don’t know why you brought me here, but… there’s nothing more you can give me.”

It is a shameful declaration, no different from confessing to someone who was nothing more than the one you abandoned that you have fallen so low.

Those words were said with the intention of being laughed at.

“I didn’t do it with any particular hopes, so there’s no need to be so cautious.”

“What is that…?”

“But if I had to find a reason… Well, let’s just say it’s because I’m still feeling old.”

Eugene just answered calmly. It didn’t make sense, but I couldn’t say anything in return.

If he hadn’t come looking for her, she might have been a cold corpse on a dusty bed by now.

His physical condition was precarious before he lost consciousness to that extent.

“I know you have a lot of questions, but for now, focus on recovering. It’s not too late to relieve stress later.”

With that, Eugene seemed to have finished what he wanted to say, pushed back his chair, got up, and walked away from the bed she was lying on.

But soon he paused for a moment, then suddenly turned towards her and said while straightening up the blanket that had been torn up in her sleep.

“Let’s sleep a little longer. I’ll tell the kitchen to prepare some easy-to-digest food so that you can eat something light when you wake up.”

Aria, who had no choice but to accept the sudden action, couldn’t hide her feelings of bewilderment.

The touch of his hands, which I could feel even through the blanket, was so careful and affectionate that I couldn’t get used to it.

Since she was expelled from the academy, no one had shown her such a small kindness.

Feeling an inexplicable tingling in her chest, she was able to observe Eugene’s face in more detail than before, as she was physically closer to him than she had been before.

Among them, what particularly caught my eye was.

“… How did it turn out like that?”

Words slipped out without me noticing. For a moment I thought I had made a mistake, but I couldn’t take back what had already been said.

Just as he was about to leave the room after finishing making the blanket, he tilted his head to the side at the random question that came his way.

“That scar on your face.”

Eugene had a scar across his entire face that he had never had before.

In addition, the scars, large and small, that had become more evident since the time of his engagement seemed to show how many dangers he had crossed.

“Ah.”

It might have been a rude question to ask, since I had never contacted him before and had never even thought of looking for him.

Far from showing any sign of displeasure, he answered in a calm, pleasant voice.

“Well, I mean, I’ve had a lot of things happen to me in the meantime.”

Eugene wiped away the scar across his face with a bitter expression, then left the room after saying those meaningful words.

‘… That’s right.’

Just as she, who was once brilliant, is now in this situation, perhaps he too has been through many things in places she doesn’t know about.

‘Five years, it’s been that long since we last saw each other. Maybe that’s to be expected.’

Aria, who had been thinking that far, was able to realize one fact that she had been overlooking.

I’ve been spending a lot of time alone, and I’ve been out of my mind since I met Eugene, so I just realized it now.

“Ah… .”

After being cursed, her parents, her older brother, her family servants, and even those she considered friends and those who tried to reach out to her to try to hold on to them.

They all showed various reactions when they saw her hideously transformed appearance.

It would have been better if they had at least shown sympathy, but among those people, there were some who couldn’t control their expressions and openly made faces.

I knew that her beauty was a big part of the reason they approached me and tried to get close to me.

I don’t think that’s wrong, because I’ve also lived my life taking advantage of people like that.

One, even though I know and acknowledge that fact.

I couldn’t help but feel miserable and wishful thinking that I would rather die than see even the slightest reaction or negative emotion they showed.

The reason I didn’t end this miserable life on my own was simply because I didn’t want to end my life because of the emotions displayed by those who were now nothing more than strangers… .

It was because of the little bit of pride she had left after losing everything.

However, Eugene was different. Although our meeting was brief…

He didn’t touch on sensitive topics or comfort her carelessly.

He didn’t even look at me with pitying eyes or frown.

He had treated her indifferently ever since they had met again.

He approached her in the same manner as before their relationship had become strained, no different from before.

‘I don’t know, Eugene. What are you thinking?’

One thing is clear.

I was there and felt a little bit saved by his attitude.

***

It’s already been half a year since I started this strange life of recovery with my ex-fiancé, Eugene.

Also, that seemingly short yet long time was enough to change their awkward relationship even a little.

“The weather is nice today. Let’s go for a walk in the garden.”

A wheelchair that he made himself for her, who couldn’t move properly on her own because she felt suffocated being cooped up in her room.

They took a leisurely stroll through the garden, riding on the success that was possible thanks to not giving up despite several failures.

Since when? I felt comfortable with Eugene’s presence pushing me from behind.

I closed my eyes and completely surrendered myself to his power, smelling the flowers. This made me feel like the sadness in my heart was going away a little.

‘good night.’

During the day, the time spent walking with Eugene like this had become the most precious time in her daily life.

In fact, when I needed help when I wasn’t with him, I had no choice but to get help from the servants working at the mansion… .

Among those who had served for a long time, there were some who still remembered the couple’s broken engagement.

It wasn’t like they were specifically harassing her or ignoring her, but… she couldn’t help but notice the coldness that was subtly displayed.

Eugene also seemed to know that, and he tried to spend even just a little bit of time with her every single day.

If possible, so that he can personally help her.

In fact, because of the peaceful atmosphere of this mansion, there were times when I forgot about it for a moment, but many countries, including the Empire, were still at war with the Demon King.

Almost every place on the continent was treated as a battlefield.

This is also why when he first reunited with Eugene, his armor was covered in blood and flesh.

As the head of the Northern Grand Duke’s family, he had to be responsible for the front lines, and he had just recently returned from fighting on the battlefield.

Nevertheless, Eugene forced himself to make time for her every day.

Even though he must have been exhausted from the repeated battles that took place day and night, he would have wanted to rest.

“Do you want something else to eat? I’ll tell the kitchen.”

While I was worried about Eugene, I was also very happy about his efforts, actions, and the small considerations he showed me now.

… But the more this happened, the more anxiety there was about the size of the situation growing.

‘Why are you doing this to me?’

She wasn’t stupid. She prided herself on being smart. That’s why she was able to objectively understand what she had done so far.

I was aware that I had committed an act of rudeness towards him that I would never have forgiven if their positions had been opposite.

“Coolook!”

At that moment, my chest tightened and I coughed out a pain that made it difficult to breathe.

There was dark red blood in the cough… but it wasn’t particularly surprising anymore.

Even though she had been recuperating at this mansion for quite some time, her condition somehow continued to worsen with each passing day.

Despite receiving care, eating well, and getting plenty of rest, the curse that was eating away at her body only worsened with time.

“… Are you okay?”

As her cough subsided somewhat, Eugene, who had been holding the wheelchair handles, came over to her.

He took a handkerchief out of his bosom with a worried question and carefully wiped her bloody mouth.

‘… You’ve also developed a habit of carrying a handkerchief because of me. It’s a cute habit that doesn’t match your size.’

I should have gotten used to it by now, but for some reason my cheeks felt hot.

“It’s a little bit windy. Should we call it a day and go back?”

Deep down, I knew that Eugene’s actions toward her had no special purpose or affection.

The fact that this is a charity and a good deed that he does out of a sense of duty, despite being a very kind person.

“… Yeah.”

For some reason, that fact struck me as sad, even though I had no right to do so.

‘If only I hadn’t accepted the breakup back then… No, if only I had faced you properly before then.’

Would things between us be different now?

Since some time ago, I have been trying hard to erase the questions that have been constantly floating around in my head.

Because belated regrets that cannot be undone are just sad.