When people get too angry, their emotions become uncontrollable and they cry.

When it goes beyond what can be resolved by shouting and raising voices, tears flow profusely.

Plop, plop, tears fell.

F*ck, it’s so unfair.

Perhaps because I recalled too much, what was meant to be just a few drops of tears ended up blurring my vision and choking my words.

“H-Hey, Serena.”

Magnus, unusually, couldn’t hide his bewilderment and ended up calling her name with a trembling voice.

“Hic, sniff. A-Actually, I should just drink poison and die writhing in pain, bleeding all over while repenting for the sins I’ve committed until now. No, that would be better. What’s the point of someone like me living? Waaah, after, sniff, causing so much, waaah, suffering to… sniff, so many people…… If I live well and comfortably, sniff, what would that… hic.”

As I spoke, I felt sad about my life which I lived like a fool.

I seemed to have gotten too immersed in the emotions.

But, thinking about 18 years of slavery, it’s impossible not to be depressed.

In my previous life, even 12 years of slavery was made into a movie.

If 12 years was enough for a movie, I was a slave for 18 years, yet there’s not even an autobiography, let alone a movie.

“Waaah, someone like me should just die…”

Serena, overcome with sorrow, said while crying.

“N-No… Why are you being so extreme? S-Stop crying.”

Magnus realized that Serena Lavernia was telling the truth.

If such heartfelt emotions weren’t genuine, this would truly be an unforgivable deception.

‘She must have felt so lonely, unfair, and isolated…’

He felt the deep self-blame and resentment in her cries.

And the fact that the end of that resentment was directed at herself.

‘…Right, she was someone who listened so well to others’ stories, she must have had a lot on her mind in her own way.’

Although there were quite a few serious issues that couldn’t be easily overlooked, at least no one had died yet.

It hadn’t reached the absolute worst-case scenario.

‘She attempted murder, but didn’t actually kill anyone…’

Magnus, without anyone telling him to, made up reasons to convince himself.

He had always been particularly weak to Serena Lavernia since childhood.

It was partly because she truly had no interest in him, and also because when he first swallowed his pride and spoke to her, she was the only one who listened to his story with such sparkling eyes.

‘At least the final memory won’t be the worst.’

Although this marital relationship couldn’t be maintained, if she had decided to change her mind and live well, he wanted to support her.

“…That’s enough. If you regret it, that’s enough. My siblings are safe, so you don’t need to worry anymore.”

Magnus realized that he had quite a long-standing resentment towards her, but he also realized that it melted away faster and easier than he thought.

‘…I wanted to hear an apology.’

What he had been waiting for, while thinking ‘just a little more’, was perhaps waiting for her to return to how she used to be.

They can’t go back to how things were before.

He doesn’t want to go back to how things were before either.

Even if he accepts the apology, what she had done wasn’t something that could be easily forgiven in the first place.

Nevertheless, the reason Magnus accepted the apology so easily was that he too had finally gained the courage to end his relationship with her.

“I’ll accept your apology.”

At those words, Serena’s tears, which had been flowing with sorrow, suddenly stopped.

Because she had achieved the result she desired.

The sense of injustice and sadness disappeared in an instant. Was it because a rosy future flashed for a moment?

Magnus carefully pulled her arm to help her up.

Serena, no longer having the heart to remain kneeling, stood up obediently.

“So, don’t think about dying, but think about living. If you live while atoning, many people will gather around you.”

‘…I don’t want that though.’

Serena thought, blinking her eyes.

However, she wasn’t stupid enough to ruin the situation that was going well, so she didn’t say it out loud.

The well-built sand castle crumbled in an instant. She was now a bit drained of energy.

‘One thing resolved.’

Now one thing left.

“Thank you. I hope you find a good woman soon too.”

Soon he would, though.

Within a year, the Crown Prince would hold his wedding ceremony.

“I’ll be going now.”

She no longer had any business with Magnus.

She hoped she wouldn’t have any business with him in the future either.

Magnus was certainly handsome, so if she looked at him for too long, she might be tempted to try something she shouldn’t.

“Pamel, guide me to my room.”

“Ah, y-yes.”

Pamel hesitated.

Whether to offer a handkerchief or not.

Serena Lavernia’s eyes were bloodshot, and the area under her eyes was flushed red.

Even from afar, even lying down, even rolling around, it was obvious she had been crying.

“……”

But Pamel was a bit scared.

Because for the past 10 years, she had been so fierce that it was hard to believe she had just apologized.

Moreover, hadn’t she told him to retire and disappear soon because he was old?

He was worried that if he spoke to her, he might unintentionally offend her.

After much deliberation, Pamel couldn’t bring himself to offer the handkerchief until they reached the room.

Pamel despaired inwardly.

He had failed as a butler.

* * *

“This rabbit doll……”

What could it be?

A chill ran down Serena Lavernia’s spine.

It was her seventh day of living in the main mansion after apologizing to him.

Serena had been living a very peaceful and luxurious, happy daily life in the house of the richest person in the empire, excluding the imperial family.

However, this morning was a bit eerie.

When she woke up in her room in the main mansion, there was a rabbit doll on the bed.

Right where she could see it as soon as she turned her head at the headboard.

Naturally, I had never bought a rabbit doll, nor had I asked for one.

‘What is this?’

Is it a trap?

Or a surveillance device?

‘…It doesn’t seem like it.’

It was a hunch.

The jet-black rabbit doll had button eyes.

The black rabbit doll was hugging a notebook in its arms, and it also had a pencil slung over its back like a quiver.

And I had seen this thing a few times before.

To be precise, I saw it once when I had the carriage accident, and once after I died.

And also when I first opened my eyes here in the annex.

“This bastard……”

No matter how I look at it, my instincts are screaming that I need to tear it apart and kill it.

Serena reached out and grabbed the rabbit doll’s ears and legs. It was so she could tear it in half.

Just as Serena was about to apply force to her hands.

Poke–!

“Ow!”

The sharp lead of the pencil that had suddenly spun around was poking Serena’s arm repeatedly.

“……”

Did it move on its own?

Thwack thwack thwack!

No, it didn’t.

“……”

The rabbit was holding the pencil like a sword in one hand, stabbing her, and swinging a sketchbook wildly in the other hand.

“…Ah, is this a dream?”

Serena threw the rabbit doll she was holding far away and lay down on the bed.

Must be lack of sleep.

Let’s just sleep.

Just as Serena closed her eyes and covered herself with the blanket.

Poke, poke poke, poke.

Something kept pricking her cheek sharply. Serena didn’t open her eyes.

She doesn’t like being bothered.

She didn’t want to cause more trouble than necessary.

And her instincts were screaming that this would be the most troublesome thing in the world.

Of course, she had no intention of getting involved in it.

So she decided to just sleep.

Poke poke, poke poke poke poke poke, poke poke poke, poke.

And she really fell asleep after about 10 minutes.

As if she didn’t care whether something was poking her or not.

In extreme situations, no, in any situation, being able to sleep was one of the special abilities of a research assistant.

That’s right.

Thick nerves are an essential passive skill for a research assistant with a wicked professor.

She was an excellent research assistant and of course, had already mastered such passives long ago.

Poke poke poke.

Despite having no expression with button eyes and a mouth drawn with thread, the rabbit doll seemed very flustered.

The snow-white stitches of the black rabbit doll, which seemed to have been meticulously made by someone, were very dense and sturdy.

Poke poke poke!

Poke poke!

Poke poke poke poke poke poke poke poke poke poke poke poke!

Despite being poked continuously, Serena, who had started breathing heavily, only exhaled.

Thump thump!

The cotton-stuffed rabbit doll kicked the bed with its hind legs.

What kind of human is this!

The black rabbit was flustered.

The black rabbit flipped through the notebook it was holding in one hand, drew a [;;;] shape, and waved it back and forth above Serena’s closed eyes.

Of course, Serena didn’t wake up.