Gael wandered endlessly. Sometimes he found himself in a forest, other times in a shabby alleyway, and occasionally even at a gravesite.

His mind had deteriorated to the point where he had forgotten what he was even searching for. No one had imprisoned him, yet Gael felt that he needed to “escape” from this fate.

As he roamed, Gael realized that the emptiness he had felt throughout his life was nothing compared to what he was experiencing now. The fact that no one was waiting for him or worried about him paralyzed his thoughts.

‘The pain is unbearable.’

Several days had passed since he last took painkillers, and Gael was now enduring excruciating agony. Without any clear destination in mind, he recklessly used magic, landing in the middle of a desolate forest.

‘Ronae…’

Gael, who had forgotten even his own identity, suddenly recalled the name he had longed for as he breathed in the cool forest air. As the resentment, hatred, and contempt that had consumed his heart peeled away, all that remained was longing.

He reached out, hoping that an illusion of Ronae would appear. If it wasn’t real, it would be kinder. He wouldn’t have to see the cold, nightmarish version of Ronae that haunted his thoughts.

“Gael.”

But instead of Ronae, a stranger appeared before him. No, on closer inspection, Gael thought he might have seen this man somewhere before.

“I told you before, didn’t I? Killing is wrong.”

The man’s words were strange, and Gael waved his hand dismissively, not wanting to listen. But the man persisted, reprimanding him.

“When we met before, I told you that killing is wrong. It’s something that should never be done.”

Met before? Gael, who had been avoiding the man, slowly raised his head to study his face. Then he remembered who he resembled.

“Baron Bartram?”

Gael gasped in shock, his breath quickening. The man looked down at him with a sorrowful expression.

“When we crossed paths in that village, you let me go. Wasn’t it because you knew what your father and I had done?”

“Shut up! I… I don’t know anything about that.”

No, he did know. That’s why he hadn’t brought him to Ronae when he found him. He didn’t want her to bear such a heavy truth.

“When the truth of the Count’s family is fully revealed, the world will know that your father and I murdered members of the Duke of Marsden’s family.”

“I said shut up!”

Gael threw dried leaves at the baron, but since he was nothing more than a hallucination, the man didn’t flinch.

“You knew it too. That’s why you felt such inferiority towards Troy Marsden. Despite the Count’s family doing everything in its power to bring down the Duke’s house, that one man restored it to its former glory.”

Gael fell silent at the man’s pointed remark.

As the baron said, Gael’s father had wanted the Marsden family to fall. No matter how much power they accumulated, as long as the Duke’s family remained strong, the Count’s family could never lead the nobility.

So his father had begun dabbling in dark magic. Initially, he only trained his subordinates, but soon he became enthralled by the power and began learning it himself. One day, years later, he was found dead in a sea of blood, as though he had been murdered.

“What’s done is done, and it can’t be undone. But you can stop here. If you admit your sins and accept them, I can help you pass away peacefully.”

“Don’t make me laugh.”

Though the baron’s plea was pitiful, Gael sneered.

“You? Help me pass away peacefully? Aren’t you in hell yourself? Are you trying to drag me down with you?”

“Gael…”

“I’ll never die! Why should I, when those bastards are still alive? And especially when Ronae is still with them? Do you think I’ll just stand by and let her be happy without me?”

The baron’s form began to fade, his expression turning faint as he disappeared.

“Go to hell, you worm. I’ll never let Ronae live happily without me.”

“In the end, you’re following your father’s path.”

With those final words, the baron vanished like smoke.

Gael spat in the direction where the baron had disappeared and let out a twisted smile.

“Yes, in the end, this was always our fate. Now shut up and watch how deep your daughter falls into misery trying to escape me!”

***

Bay’s funeral concluded with many paying their respects. Olivia had Bay laid to rest in the marchioness’s family cemetery, ensuring that he would always be near the comrades he cherished. It was a bold move, as burying someone outside the family in the family’s plot was unprecedented, and it became a subject of widespread discussion.

While the rigid old aristocrats criticized her, most people respected her decision. Among the rising nobles, many of whom were former knights, she even gained support.

Moreover, after her achievements in the war and the exposure of Gael’s crimes, Olivia’s status had risen to new heights. Some speculated that the emperor might even bestow a new title upon her.

“Buddy, you need to get up.”

But the heroine of these events was not doing well. After Bay’s funeral, Olivia fell ill with a high fever and became bedridden. Marsden stayed by her side, nursing her.

Had things gone as planned, Olivia and Marsden would have accounted for all their right and wrong deeds, receiving either punishment or rewards from Hellebore. Most importantly, Olivia had uncovered the identity of her killer, and as some had speculated, she likely wouldn’t have lost her title but rather been awarded a new one. If only she hadn’t been lying unconscious for days on end.

“There’s nothing wrong with her, aside from the fever. The patient is simply refusing to wake up.”

“Are you saying she’s retreating from reality?”

Marsden couldn’t deny that it made sense, but he couldn’t shake his anxiety.

“Your Majesty, I’ll accept any punishment, but please delay judgment on me until the Marchioness wakes up.”

So Marsden pleaded with Hellebore. He was willing to lose even the Marsden name and die nameless if only he could stay by Olivia’s side until she woke up.

Hellebore pondered for a moment before raising a hand in concession.

“You should be grateful for having such a good friend.”

Marsden was able to stay by Olivia’s side solely thanks to Hellebore’s generosity.

As he cared for her, Marsden also began to slowly calm his own mind.

She often had a tendency to fall severely ill before making a major decision. And when she awoke, she would charge relentlessly toward her goals, like an unbridled wild horse.

“I’ll just think of it as you taking a short break. Don’t make me wait too long, okay? I’m scared.”

Marsden wiped the cold sweat from Olivia’s forehead with a fresh cloth.

“You used to say that, didn’t you? That everyone hated you, that you felt like someone unworthy of love. But wake up and see. Everyone’s worried about you, waiting for you. There are so many people who love you. Though, of course, I love you the most.”

Marsden added playfully, but the corners of his eyes were still red, like someone holding back fear.

“I wonder how it would be if the late Marquis were still alive. He had red hair like yours and a bold personality. I don’t remember much because I was only three or four at the time… but I do remember him saying how much he’d love to have a child just like himself.”

In a hazy memory, Marsden saw the late Marquis with his red hair blowing in the wind, patting his head.

“And then he’d say that because he was too hasty, he wished the child would have a gentle and kind nature like his husband.”

Marsden continued as he held Olivia’s hand.

“As you know, Sir Graham gave up his own family name to join the Charbert household for your mother’s sake. He was always so kind to me…”

Marsden trailed off, lowering his gaze. Now that he thought about it, Olivia truly did resemble her parents a lot. She had inherited both her mother’s strength and her father’s kindness. When she was born, there wasn’t a single person who wasn’t overjoyed.

“Anyway… if the late Marquis were alive, I think he’d say something like this: ‘You are Iris Charbert’s daughter—strong, wise, and capable of admitting your own weaknesses without shame. You’re someone amazing who pushes forward despite it all.’”

“Your mother will always be by your side as you walk your path.”

Marsden added the last part, then pressed his forehead against the back of Olivia’s hand. He prayed like that, truly and sincerely, hoping Iris would wake Olivia soon.

“Wow…”

And in that moment, as if in a dream, a voice echoed above his head.

“You just sounded exactly like my mom. Did you secretly meet her somewhere?”

When Marsden lifted his head, a pair of eyes, warm as the sun, were gazing down at him.

“Marsden.”

“…”

“Come here.”

Marsden immediately embraced Olivia. When he felt the warmth in her arms, everything seemed to finally fall back into place.

TL NOTE: Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories