Chapter 63

“Lepina!”

 

“Father?”

 

“I heard you went to House Weiss with dissolution papers! What on earth is that supposed to mean!”

 

“It means exactly what it sounds like. It’s time to break off the engagement, so I brought the papers.”

 

At that, Father somehow misunderstood and began fuming.

 

“So you’re saying now that he’s done using you, he’s done with you!!”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“I knew it! My daughter was being used—!”

 

Just when Father’s voice began rising in outrage, Mother appeared and clamped a hand over his mouth. Unlike Piote, Father had never trained his body, so he was helpless in the face of Mother’s ruthless grip. She swiftly subdued him, then looked at me calmly and asked: “Sweetheart, come outside and talk with me for a moment. Just a few days ago you two were stuck to each other like you were about to get married, and suddenly you’ve changed your mind? Last time you were so happy you finally found ingredients for the antidote—even got kidnapped over it!”

 

Her face looked calm, but she was clearly worked up too; the last line was practically a scolding. She’d even convinced herself that the duke and duchess must have said something to me.

 

I hurried to deny everything and confessed everything I’d been thinking to my grilling parents. Mother finally exhaled in relief, and Father nodded as if to say, “Of course, of course.”

 

“Lep, well done. That boy was clearly rotten from the start—”

 

“Dear, please stop talking for a moment. So, did you break off the engagement?”

 

“No. Evan got angry instead.”

 

The dissolution papers had been ripped to shreds and were now scattered all over the floor. Mother nodded as if she’d expected it. I tilted my head, confused.

 

‘Why do I rack my brain and get nowhere while everyone else seems to understand immediately? Well… except Father, obviously.’

 

Eventually my curiosity won, and I asked: “Mother. Why do you think Evan refused the breakup?”

 

“Well, obviously, Lepina, you’re so beau—”

 

Her hand shot out and silenced Father again. Then she looked at me with the expression of someone wondering whether she had raised her child incorrectly. Resting her chin on her hand, she spoke slowly: “Sweetheart, what did you just say? You told him your reasons for wanting to end things. But do you really think Evan was thinking what you assumed he was?”

 

I listened. She had a point. I had never heard Evan’s thoughts directly.

 

“It’s true you gave him a life with an expiration date. But taking responsibility afterward—that was your decision. You spent a long time caring for him. Spent a lot of time together. Isn’t that enough for love to grow?”

 

“…What?”

 

She spoke with a serious face, and I blinked at her, stunned. Seeing my expression, she quickly added: “Do you… truly dislike Evan?”

 

I shook my head firmly.

 

“But Evan is much better than someone like me—”

 

Mother’s brow furrowed.

 

“Lepina… I don’t know what you’re thinking, but please choose the path that will make you happy. If there is someone you want to share your future with, you’re allowed to hold onto him.”

 

“…Yes, I understand.”

 

“And from what I can see, Evan has always been unwavering.”

 

“……”

 

I couldn’t answer. Because, deep down, I had sensed it too. That was why I brought the breakup papers sooner than I’d planned.

 

He kept showing me signs, and I kept ignoring them.

 

Still… what if he was like a child who suddenly has a new sibling—afraid of losing his mother’s attention? Maybe Evan felt the same. Maybe he was scared because we had been together for so long.

 

If it was simply attachment—if we were more like family… Then it made sense. We were always comfortable. And love, to me, is a shallow thing… Something that burns bright but then goes cold like tossing a bucket of water onto a flame.

 

So I would wait. For his and Elena’s fated encounter. When that time comes, he will surely change.

 

‘But if… even then he doesn’t…’

 

What would I do then?

 

***

 

Evan clenched his fists. He forced down the rising anger and sorrow so Lepina wouldn’t notice. A long breath escaped him. He glared at the shredded breakup papers on the floor like they were mortal enemies.

 

Burning them into ash wouldn’t be enough. He gathered the torn pieces into his hand one by one and tossed them into the bin.

 

As the pieces fell, Lepina’s recent actions replayed in his mind.

 

Thinking about it, she had always been like that. Even when she was right beside him, he never felt completely secure. Maybe he sensed it instinctively—she was someone who could leave easily.

 

So he had begged for affection. Wanted her to stay. Used every trick and excuse to keep her attention.

 

He coughed blood on purpose, collapsed, clutched his chest—anything to make her turn back. And when she did, he welcomed her with a bright smile. She stayed because of that smile.

 

‘Is it because I’ve changed?’

 

No. She likes the past him, and the present him too. Reading people’s hearts was something he excelled at.

 

She liked him. He knew her expressions weren’t lies. But her heart wasn’t with him. More precisely: she liked him, but didn’t give her heart to him.

 

Why?

 

He always had questions—but without asking, he could never know. Evan bit his lip, his sigh trembling.

 

He’d been preparing the foundation for his future. Yet Lepina had pushed annulment papers at him as if none of it mattered.

 

What had gone wrong? The only explanation he could think of was that he had recovered from his illness. Why did she keep trying to link him with Elena? Was he a burden to her? A weight she carried only until he got better?

 

“Impossible.”

 

He had never planned to let her go.

 

The door opened, and Evan opened his eyes. Perio stood in the doorway with an awkward smile, fidgeting nervously.

 

“J-just… calm down.”

 

“I am perfectly calm.”

 

Perio swallowed hard. He couldn’t bring himself to call it nonsense. Evan’s purple eyes glowed ominously. It was bad enough to make Elena come running, worried about Perio.

 

Perio rubbed his forehead. He knew Lepina could be odd, but he didn’t think she’d cause this kind of disaster.

 

He wondered—did she really want to break off the engagement? If so… then what were all those years of devotion?

 

“I-I heard… Lepina asked for a breakup…”

 

“…Yes. She did.”

 

“L-Lepina worried over you so much. She must have a reason.”

 

“Don’t recite what everyone already knows. I’m irritated enough.”

 

A heavy killing intent prowled around his feet.

 

After a moment of thought, Evan forced a gentle smile. Perio grew even more alarmed. The smile was wrong—too light, too brittle—while his eyes remained cold.

 

The cheerful grin and the icy gaze clashed, amplifying the loneliness beneath. Perio swallowed again.

 

“I will use any means necessary to keep her. After all… that’s what I’ve been working for.”

 

“…Don’t cause trouble.”

 

But Lepina practically vanished—no letters, no meetings. The mood in the mansion sank lower and lower.

 

***

 

I went to my sanctuary—a place full of fresh grass and the smell of earth. Normally, I would be heading to Evan right now. But after being rejected so firmly, I didn’t have the courage.

 

I also needed time to think.

 

“He likes me… He doesn’t like me…”

 

I stared at the poisonous plants without touching them. They reminded me of Evan.

 

I wanted to reach out. But I was afraid of handling something deadly. Yet I still watched. That’s what he was to me… Something I feared getting close to, afraid my feelings would deepen.

 

It was during that thought that I first met Evan—not the Evan of this world, but the Evan of that world.

 

“Ughhh!!”

 

I scratched my head in frustration. Pat, who had been admiring his lily-of-the-valley with bliss, immediately scooped it into his arms and backed away as if I were a threat. But when I just stared blankly into the air, he grew concerned.

 

“Miss, did something happen?”

 

“Yes. Well…”

 

My posture drooped like a wilted plant.

 

“Pat, what do you think?”

 

“…?”

 

“Do you think Evan likes me?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Too firm. I had no retort. Hugging my knees, I buried my face.

 

“I like him too… but I mean liking in the romantic sense. A man liking a woman.”

 

Do I like Evan as a man? I’d never seriously considered it. Sure, I sometimes blushed… but that was the joy of a fan, right…?

 

“I thought you liked each other…”

 

Pat murmured, startled.

 

With even Pat saying that, I had nothing left to say. I sighed. Then Pat suddenly spoke.

 

“Miss, are you scared? Your eyes look like someone afraid to touch a poisonous plant.”

 

“……”

 

I went speechless. If I had to choose, he was right. I was scared of getting closer… scared of the pain if we ever parted.

 

“When you like someone… you just like them.”

 

“There are complicated problems.”

 

“I get that. But—stop hurting my children!!”

 

“…Huh?”

 

My hand stopped at Pat’s words. And I looked down. Countless poisonous herb petals were piled up beneath me. Only a pathetic name tag was left on the flowerpot where the flower had bloomed.