Richmond Port was at least half a day’s walk from where Gael was. So he dragged a vulnerable-looking coachman off his carriage and climbed aboard. If he traveled at full speed, he could reach Ronae before she left.

As he raced toward the port, Gael recalled the moment Ronae first confessed her pregnancy.

“Gael, I’m pregnant.”

“So what?”

“I swear it’s your child. I…”

“Of course it is. If you were carrying another man’s child after using such a twisted spell, you’d be out of your mind.”

Gael forced down a strange surge of joy he felt in his heart, possibly due to the spell. He didn’t want to show any signs of happiness that the woman, who had used a spell to manipulate his feelings, was carrying his child.

Now, too late to change anything, Gael wondered if things might have been different had he reacted differently back then. If he had shown her even a little forgiveness and compassion and held her close, would she still be by his side now?

But Gael didn’t want to forgive Ronae. He had gone to such lengths to win Olivia’s heart, only for Ronae to ruin everything. He hated her for it. He wanted her to live a life of misery, never even dreaming of happiness.

“You said you couldn’t live without me.”

Ronae had willingly chosen to stay by his side, even if it meant being unhappy. She had said she would accept whatever misery he gave her.

“Killing just one person…”

Even though she claimed to love him so much, she had turned her back on him just because he had killed a woman who had become an obstacle in her life. Gael couldn’t forgive Ronae’s shallow heart.

‘It had all been going so well. If only you had stayed by my side and helped me, everything would have gone according to plan.’

Gael, barely clinging to consciousness, glanced around. The horse was galloping so fast that everything around him was a blur, but he could see a hint of blue in the distance. The salty scent of the sea confirmed it.

“Live together, die together.”

Gael knew he didn’t have much time left, but he was so focused on his goal that he didn’t care. He sped toward the port, determined to reach Ronae before it was too late.

As Gael neared the port, he spotted a small vessel that confirmed the rumor that the ship was set to depart at 2 PM. He didn’t know the exact time Ronae would arrive, but he was certain she would soon board that ship and leave him behind.

If he couldn’t stop her from boarding, he would do whatever it took to destroy the ship. Watching her die was preferable to watching her disappear from his life.

“Gael, could you name the baby?”

“Name it whatever you like. I don’t care if you name it after an animal or a plant.”

Gael had reached a steep slope on the road. Though increasing the speed was dangerous, Gael didn’t hesitate to whip the horses harder, causing them to cry out in pain.

Richmond Port, which he hadn’t visited in a long time, was wide open and beautiful. But Gael noticed neither the sea nor the oddly quiet atmosphere of the harbor.

“Gael, can you stay with me tonight? I had a terrifying dream.”

“I can’t believe you’re serious. Do you think someone will actually kill you just because you had a nightmare?”

Gael dismounted and looked around. He could feel the presence of people, but there wasn’t a soul in sight. Just as the strangeness of the situation began to dawn on him, a figure appeared in his blurry vision.

“…Ronae…?”

The person wore a black robe pulled low, but Gael could recognize Ronae’s pink hair anywhere. She stood with her hands clasped, watching him as if she’d been waiting for him.

“I knew it. You’d never leave me.”

She must have regretted everything and was now planning to leave with him. Gael smiled and began walking toward her.

“You can’t live without me, right?”

It must have been an elaborate deception to help them escape together. She was clever enough to come up with such a plan, which was why she had clung to him all this time.

“Ronae, I’m not feeling well. Could you…”

He extended his hand, expecting her to support him, but Ronae didn’t move. Something was wrong. Why wasn’t she showing any sign of happiness?

‘No…’

Panic set in as Gael quickly scanned the harbor.

There was no one there. No dockworkers loading cargo, no passengers boarding, no staff checking tickets. No one but her.

“Ronae?”

Gael called her name, but Ronae remained silent. He staggered toward her, dragging his feet, trying to confirm she wasn’t a hallucination.

“Gael, Gael, over here!”

Suddenly, a familiar voice called out from behind him.

“It’s only been a few days, but it feels like it’s been forever. How have you been? Have you been on a world tour or something?”

There stood Olivia, her hair neatly tied back.

“I swear, telling someone like you to get your act together is as pointless as it gets. Where’ve you been rolling around? Even a dog out of a mud pit would be cleaner than you.”

Olivia’s energy, something Gael lacked, made him furious.

“What are you doing here? Get lost before I kill you again.”

“What are you talking about? In your condition, I should be the one worrying about taking your head.”

“If you attack me, you’ll…”

“I know, I’ll get hurt too.”

Despite knowing this, Olivia was completely unfazed. She held a sword casually behind her back and gave him a once-over.

“So, what’s your plan?”

“What?!”

“Ronae’s right there. What do you plan to do with her now that you’ve come all this way?”

Gael’s eyes darted between Ronae and Olivia.

“Let’s be honest, the answer is obvious. You’re here to stop Ronae from leaving, right? If you couldn’t prevent her departure, you’d blow up the ship or something. I’m not sure if such a spell exists, though.”

“That’s none of your business.”

“If Ronae had chosen you again, maybe you’d have run away together, right? But look at her now. What do you see?”

Ronae stood still, hands clasped, unmoving as if she were merely observing the situation.

It’s a trap. Gael’s face contorted as the truth hit him.

“This can’t be happening.”

Gael began to laugh maniacally, pointing a finger at Ronae.

“You can’t do this to me. Have you forgotten everything I’ve done for you? I did everything to protect ‘us’! While you were sitting there crying, I was running around trying to protect both of us!”

Ronae said nothing, only lowering her head slightly and turning as if to leave. Gael screamed at the top of his lungs.

“I should’ve killed you a long time ago, you leech! You’re worse than vermin! You think using the baby as an excuse will save you? I’ll kill you with my own hands!”

Gael began chanting a spell, ready to turn Ronae into a statue and keep her by his side forever, just like he did with Bay.

But instead, Gael collapsed to the ground, unable to cast the spell. Blood poured from his mouth, and he felt as if his insides were burning. He writhed in agony.

“Someone… someone… help…”

“I told you, there was no need for us to do anything.”

Olivia spoke to someone in the shadows, and Marsden, who had been hiding, revealed himself.

“Still, I didn’t expect your prediction to be so accurate. I thought we might have to knock him out if things got dangerous.”

“Even that would’ve been too good for him.”

Olivia walked past the convulsing Gael and approached the figure in the robe.

“You did well, Lottie.”

Lottie?

Gael, barely able to lift his head while coughing up blood, finally recognized the person beneath the robe. It wasn’t Ronae—it was Lottie.

“Phew, that was terrifying.”

Lottie took a deep breath, as if relieved.

“Even in that state, he’s still a killer. I understand.”

“Lottie… Bartram, you…?”

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