Chapter 4

It was a time when the pouring of beatings was over and she was soothing her agitated mind.
 
“Oh, by the way, I have some more news for you.”
 
Russell turned his gaze back to Aneta, as if a thought had suddenly occurred to him.
 
“Lady Adenauer’s former office has been taken over by Vernon for some time now.”
 
Vernon Kainer. He would soon appear alongside Chris Deven as a secondary couple.
 
He was Aneta’s cousin, a close friend of Carlos, and a person who helped Erez.
 
“I see.”
 
Aneta didn’t seem to mind that the man who was so closely intertwined with the main characters had taken her office.
 
She didn’t think deeply about it since offices could always be changed. She wasn’t particularly close to Vernon, so she didn’t feel like complaining to him about it when they met.
 
“Then where should I go now?”
 
“Carlos will guide you. Since there’s still some time before the ceremony starts, you can rest there until then.”
 
Russell spoke as if he had prepared these words in advance. Even his smile seemed insincere.
 
“What are you doing? Hurry up and go out.”
 
What kind of charade was this? She was quite reluctant, but it was impossible to think about it.
 
In the end, Aneta had to comply.
 
As she followed Carlos out, she swallowed a sigh, remembering the law of this world that the Emperor’s word is absolute.
 
Carlos’ pace was always steady. It had naturally become rigid as he adjusted to Aneta.
 
However, even that behavior was about to change. Eres, who was smaller and had a narrower stride than Aneta.
 
Until they reached the administrative building where the palace was located, their lips remained tightly sealed.
 
It was Aneta who broke the thick silence.
 
She turned to him as they walked down the hallway, pausing at one point.
 
“Have we arrived?”
 
“Yes, here we are.”
 
“Thanks for showing me around. Well, you can go back now to your office. I know you are quite busy.”
 
Aneta bowed and walked past him as if there was nothing more to say.
 
As she reached out to open the door, a firm hand wrapped around hers.
 
“What are you doing?”
 
“I’m coming in with you.”
 
“Why?”
 
“Because this is my office too.”
 
“Your office? You can’t be serious?”
 
“That’s true.”
 
Carlos gently removed her hand from the doorknob and reached out with his other hand to open the door.
 
“It’s a place where you and I will be sharing.”
 
“…….”
 
“Let’s go inside. We can’t just stand here like this forever.”
 
Aneta frowned, but soon nodded. It seemed better to follow his lead.
 
As she stepped through the open door and peered inside, she saw desks, one in front of each wall, just as he had said.
 
One of the two desks facing each other was new, with the same design as the one she’d been using.
 
“I hope this is a joke.”
 
“Sit down. Standing for too long will hurt your legs.”
 
Carlos pretended not to hear her sigh and offered her a seat, then turned away to make tea.
 
Aneta sat down on the couch and looked down at the table. A vase in the middle held her favorite flowers.
 
She looked up from the vase when he sat down across from her and placed a mug of tea in front of her.
 
“Ibicos tea? ”
 
The color and aroma of the brew were familiar to her. Her expression relaxed as she took a sip of her favorite tea.
 
“I see your tastes have changed. I thought you said you didn’t like this.”
 
“I’ve grown to like it.”
 
Taking the teacup, Aneta savored the flavor on the tip of her tongue. The consistency of the tea and the cup were to her liking.
 
“It’s my favorite tea.”
 
“…….”
 
Carlos stared at Aneta, who gave up on replying. She often chose silence when it came to matters related to him.
 
“Go on with what you were saying.”
 
It wasn’t uncommon for her to follow up on her silence with a comment. Like right now.
 
Although it wasn’t her usual behavior, she always seemed to be like this. Carlos found it quite frustrating.
‘Why is she only like that with me?  ’ With the tea still in his throat, he swallowed the words that had risen to the tip of his tongue.
“Why do we have to share an office?”
 
“You don’t like it?”
 
“Regardless of whether I like it or not, we’re divorced. I’m your ex-wife, and you’re my ex-husband. It’s weird to shove us in the same place.”
 
“I asked His Majesty for this. Because I want to be with you.”
 
The wall was torn down, and the two spaces were combined into one. As a result, there were no empty offices left.
 
Her expression softened for a moment at his next words, then hardened again.
 
“I told you. I don’t want a relationship out of necessity.”
 
“I remember, so let’s start over. I can stay with you as a friend.”
 
The word she hadn’t expected to hear from his lips sank in with a resonance she couldn’t quite place.
 
“Your words have kept me up all night, so I want you to know that I didn’t say this lightly.”
 
True to his word, Carlos’s expression showed much anguish.
 
Unable to ignore it, Aneta’s hands tightened.
 
“Why are you doing this now? We had a clean divorce.”
 
Her knuckles turned white.
 
“You would have used the contract to divorce me even if I refused. If I had been forced to divorce, I wouldn’t have paid attention to the day I didn’t keep my promise, and I wouldn’t have been able to even get a chance like this.”
 
Carlos only wanted to show his sincerity and tell her the truth, so he kept his word.  
 
Because positive relationships always start with trust and are built on trust,.
 
“So you took a step back to take a chance?”
 
“Yes. But you left without understanding my feelings.”
 
Carlos felt the emotions of that time resurfacing. Sadness and emptiness formed an invisible figure that squeezed his heart tightly.
 
“Aneta, I will not wait any longer. Remember, this is a warning.”
 
After taking a moment to compose himself, he stared intently with a resolve not to retreat any further.
 
“Because even if you try to push me away, I’ll keep coming.”
 
*** *.
 
The glory of Azure Sky, the Duke of Baltimor.
 
The glory of Otherworld, the Duke of Adenauer.
 
The glory of Doppelganger, the Duke of Raphaeli
 
The glory of Penetration, the Duke of Lopelac.
 
The glory of Observation, the Duke of Clorin.
 
The glory of Protection, the Duke of Hetchen.
 
And the nameless one.
 
It was an event that occurred once every three years when the heads of the seven noble families gathered in one place, and more than half of the 7 Glories of the Families were present.
 
It was always Duke Clorin’s honor to lead such a momentous and weighty event.
 
If the events that occurred during the Sacred Era, when the Glory of Observation awakened and recorded true history, were documented, they would become part of the empire’s history after receiving the emperor’s full approval.
 
Therefore, the ceremony was always conducted in a solemn atmosphere, but today was a bit different.
 
The sudden news that had dropped like lightning would be revealed at this gathering today. The minds of the heads were unsettled by this fact.
 
“Is it really the owner of the Nameless?”
 
“The Glory of Observation will soon prove it.”
 
Duke Hetchen and Duke Clorin’s conversation reflected the complexity of their feelings, which neither of them hesitated to express, as it was not something that they needed to hide between themselves.
 
“Would you like a drink?”
 
However, there was someone who did not join in with the atmosphere. It was Teresa, the Duchess of Raphaeli, known as the hero of the battlefield.
 
“Thank you.”
 
Aneta didn’t refuse the glass offered by one of her few acquaintances.
 
“Everyone seems troubled for some reason.”
 
The woman speaking so eloquently appeared to find the current situation quite intriguing, fitting for someone who possessed a curious nature. The relaxed demeanor on her lips was not feigned.
 
Seeing the raw emotion in her eyes, Aneta spoke up.
 
“The appearance of an unfamiliar entity is usually how it goes. Once it’s revealed that it’s the owner of anonymity, everyone will welcome them warmly.”
 
The confusion is short-lived. Teresa nodded in agreement with Aneta’s words.
 
“Now the youngest owner of the Glory will be the Marquis Bauter.”
 
“I suppose so.”
 
“Doesn’t it remind you of the past? You became a part of the Glory as soon as you became an adult, just like that man.”
 
“Not really. I don’t want to recall my past.”
 
Aneta took a sip of her wine, her face grim. Then she realized something was wrong and set her glass down quickly.
 
“But wait, did you just say ‘man’?”
 
Was it because she put it down too quickly or because she got distracted by the door opening while speaking? The glass that had been placed on the edge of the table lost its balance and crashed to the floor.
 
Sharp shards ricocheted wildly, but no one asked if she was okay. The sound of the explosion echoed through the hall, and at the same time, the main event of the day was revealed.
 
The heads of families all observed the person who was presumed to be Erez Bauter. Even Aneta, who had carelessly forgotten about the broken glass shards at her feet, was captivated.
 
With flowing pink hair that seemed to melt at a touch and an appearance reminiscent of a genderless fairy, it was a depiction matching Erez from the original story, yet he was a man.
 
The protruding Adam’s apple beneath his neck confirmed his gender, while the luxurious necklace hanging below proved that he was indeed Erez.
 
Seeing him change gender after his first appearance confused Aneta. She began to doubt whether this was truly the world she knew.
 
As Aneta was momentarily lost in thought, another person hurriedly entered the room. It was Carlos who followed Erez inside.
 
Upon noticing Aneta’s pale face and the mess on the floor, Carlos swiftly moved towards her with concern in his eyes.
 
Although Erez reached out belatedly to grab his arm, all he felt brushing against his hand was the wind.
 
“Aneta.”
 
At the sound of his voice calling her name with a worried expression, Aneta snapped back to reality.
 
She could feel his warmth as his arms embraced her waist like a support. The tumultuous emotions seemed to calm down gradually.
 
“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
 
“I’m fine.”
 
Aneta replied as he gently touched her chilled fingertips. However, Carlos wasn’t satisfied, and he carefully examined her condition.
 
Though there were stains on her dress, there were no injuries.
 
“Hah. Thank goodness.”
 
Having confirmed it with his own eyes, Carlos finally breathed a sigh of relief. The next thing he did was to remove his jacket.
 
“Put this on.”
 
Carlos didn’t give her a chance to refuse as he carefully draped the jacket around her.
 
As Aneta looked down at the jacket wrapped around her waist, she thought of Erez again. When she shifted her gaze to where he was, she saw a refreshing smile.
 
The meaning of the surprise contained within that smile was clear.
 
‘Why are you here? ’
 
The questioning look on his face made her realize this. She, no. He knows.
 
Aneta Adenauer was not supposed to be here.