Yujin replied in a low, subdued voice.

“You must have been really fed up with your family.”

“It was more than just being fed up. I wouldn’t hate a complete stranger as much.”

Yujin pressed his lips tightly together. He had told her that family ties were inevitable, so he could only imagine how upset she must have been. She must have agonized over her decision to send her family to prison.

Yujin felt too ashamed to look up, feeling sorry for Titiana. Unaware of Yujin’s feelings, the warden pounded his chest with his fist and said, “Anyway, I’ll make sure to tell the judge to give Robi a harsh sentence so he never sees the outside of a prison again. Don’t worry.”

Clearly, he couldn’t imagine that Titiana and Yujin were closely connected, and he believed Robi had wronged Yujin.

Despite the warden’s assurance, Yujin couldn’t respond immediately.

‘It’s so easy for me…’

For Yujin, it was so simple to remove the family that had tormented her all her life from her side. Yet, she wouldn’t appreciate anything he did.

Yujin sighed.

‘I just don’t understand.’

Their different backgrounds and ways of thinking made it difficult for him to keep pace with her. Yujin found himself at a loss, experiencing confusion for the first time in his life.

“Is there anything else you need?”

The warden, interpreting Yujin’s sigh as dissatisfaction, asked cautiously.

After a moment of thought, Yujin asked about something Titiana had previously inquired about regarding her father.

“Do you have a list of outsiders who have come to this city?”

It was a clue about the person who had informed him of her location.

***

Once I calmed myself, I left Yuri in the hotel room and slowly strolled through the hotel garden. Being back in my hometown, memories from the past bubbled up like soap bubbles.

I shook my head.

‘What’s the use of thinking about it more? The die is already cast, so I have to stay strong.

If I start feeling weak now and hope for leniency, it would have been better not to report it at all. I kept trying to steady my wavering resolve.

Once I had sorted out my thoughts, I saw a pair of black shoes in front of me. When I looked up, Yujin was standing there.

“Can we talk for a moment?”

I looked at him with a dry gaze for a moment before nodding slightly. Yujin showed me a piece of paper.

“I’ve secured a list of those who came here under the orders of Princess Sabina and leaked information about you.”

His ability to take action was impressive. It was something he could easily do as the Count of Esrenche.

Still, I could feel his goodwill. He must have looked into it for my sake.

“Count.”

The problem was that I no longer wanted to receive any kind of favor from him.

I called out to him, intending to speak harshly, but realizing it was my own emotional issue, I sighed and closed my mouth. Yujin’s eyebrows furrowed.

“The fact that you’re addressing me formally again means we’re growing apart, doesn’t it?”

I shook my head. He wasn’t a bad person, just someone distant and impossible to get close to.

“We couldn’t get close from the start. We think too differently.”

“But you need this list, don’t you?”

“I’d be grateful if you gave it to me.”

“Then why don’t you ask me for it?”

I raised my head to meet Yujin’s gaze. His blue eyes were as turbulent as a stormy night sea.

“You know, don’t you? If you use Esrenche’s power, you could easily get revenge or anything else. So why don’t you ask me for help?”

Was he trying to provoke me, or was he genuinely clueless?

I replied in a voice mixed with a sigh.

“Because I’m not that kind of person. I don’t want to rely on power, and my life is my own, so I’ll handle it myself.”

To my response, Yujin just twitched his chin.

‘He must have nothing to say.’

If I were more honest, I might admit even he doesn’t know why he’s wasting time on me here.

‘To him, I’m probably just Yuri’s business partner or a strange woman disliked by Princess Sabina.’

Thinking that way, I could understand why he was unusually involved in my affairs.

‘He must feel indebted because of Princess Sabina.’

I clenched my fist. Even if it was true, it wasn’t pleasant to have to speak harshly.

‘I hope I don’t find myself in such an awkward situation again.’

I deliberately spoke in a colder voice.

“Thanks for your concern because of Princess Sabina. But she only lit the fuse, this is my family matter. To you, what I’m doing might seem trivial, but not everyone in this world can live as easily as you do.”

After saying this much, he would probably step back from my affairs.

I hoped he would return to the capital as soon as possible. As I crossed my arms, Yujin spoke in a voice filled with suppressed emotion.

“…I didn’t get it easily.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m not someone who can easily obtain everything I desire.”

It seemed my words had been too harsh. I brushed my hair back and began to speak.

“Of course, I understand. What I meant was…”

But before I could finish, he interrupted loudly.

“Titiana, you won’t even allow me a nickname!”

“What?”

“I was the first to call you Titi.”

“Hold on a second. What are you talking about?”

In terms of timing or anything else, he couldn’t have called me Titi before Yuri did.

The first person to call me ‘Titi,’ aside from my mother, was just one person.

[“I’ll call you that, your nickname.”]

It was Master.

Just as I was about to ask him what he meant, he suddenly collapsed to the floor, curling up like he was in pain.

“Ugh!”

When Yujin suddenly clutched his head in agony, I knelt down in surprise and held him.

“Yujin, are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“No, I’ve been having frequent headaches lately…”

A moment later, I remembered that he was diagnosed with a terminal condition in the near future. I couldn’t help but lash out.

“I told you to get a check-up! You didn’t listen to me, did you?”

“I did get checked. The doctor said there was nothing wrong.”

“Don’t lie! You’re in pain! That doctor is a quack, so go see another one.”

You could die soon!

Even as Yujin was suffering, he turned to look at me.

“How can you be so sure? Like someone who knows the future.”

“Well…”

It was a sharp observation. I was indeed speaking with knowledge of the future.

“That…”

Caught off guard, I couldn’t respond and just opened and closed my mouth. Then a large hand gripped my shoulder supportively. At that moment, a very welcome voice interjected between us.

“I’ll take care of Yujin, Titi.”

“Yuri.”

Since I hadn’t returned for a long time, Yuri had come out to find me.

Yuri grabbed Yujin’s arm, trying to help him up. But Yujin shook off his arm and spoke curtly.

“Leave me alone.”

At his words, Yuri twisted his lips into a mocking smile.

“Do you think I’m like you? Leaving a sick person behind?”

“…”

Their gazes clashed coldly.

Yuri glared at Yujin. It was the first time I had seen such an expression on him since meeting Yuri. It was as if old resentment was creeping up between the cracks of a broken heart.

Yuri spoke in a cold voice.

“I could have died that day.”

What flowed from his lips was dark resentment. Yujin, sweating coldly, replied.

“I didn’t know. I just fetched what Princess Sabina asked for without question.”

It was somewhat of an irresponsible excuse, but my heart leaned toward understanding him.

‘Princess Sabina isn’t someone who operates within the normal range of human behavior.’

The past Yuri had told me about was more shocking than I had imagined. Even if I were Yujin, I wouldn’t have been able to foresee it.

But Yuri didn’t see it that way. Yuri pressed Yujin with a sharp tone.

“You must have wanted to remain ignorant. There’s no way Sabina didn’t tell you.”

“You know it too, right? Father’s last will.”

“That ridiculous will to grant Sabina whatever she wants?”

It was the first time Yuri, who usually smiled and hid his emotions well, showed his true feelings so openly.