Furrowing her brow, Catherine looked up at Saul. She couldn’t understand where this conversation was heading. Why was he suddenly mentioning his sins? But as usual, Saul offered no explanation.

Instead, he slowly lowered himself and knelt before Catherine. When the startled Catherine tried to lower herself as well, Saul tightened his grip on her hand and shook his head as she hesitated, awkwardly half-standing.

He drew Catherine’s hand to him and pressed his lips against her knuckles. His cold breath shattered against her skin, clinging like frost on a winter windowpane. Saul’s kiss resembled less a gentleman’s reverence for a lady and more the devotion of a priest who had worshipped God for many years. Suddenly, Saul whispered.

“Catherine, I wish to truly ask for your forgiveness now.”

His voice pooled at her feet as he bowed his head. Nevertheless, Saul’s plea for forgiveness rang with strange clarity. Please stand up, Saul. Catherine anxiously curled her captured fingertips. Let’s talk after you stand up. She gripped Saul’s hand and pulled, but he remained immovable. Saul. Even as she called his name again, he didn’t budge.

“I wish to withdraw our agreement.”

At those softly uttered words, Catherine froze. Her face instantly turned pale. Before it’s too late, I want to correct my mistake… Saul continued, but Catherine barely heard him. His words seemed to fade into the distance, and before he could finish, she blurted out without thinking.

“Are you saying… you no longer need me?”

After speaking, Catherine flinched and covered her mouth. Then she felt wounded by her own words. Noticing Catherine’s distress, Saul raised his head. He gazed at her with those cool blue eyes. Their eyes met.

“Catherine?”

Catherine quickly turned away, but Saul’s voice clearly revealed his confusion. Looking up at Catherine from his lowered position, Saul seemed to realize from the brief glimpse of her eyes that she was hurt. He spoke with urgency.

“That’s not it. I deceived you and—”

“I forgive you.”

Catherine replied with an equally anxious tone that failed to hide her agitation. Catherine. Saul called her name in a reproachful manner, but Catherine quickly shook her head. She didn’t want to hear any more.

Catherine simply couldn’t accept his proposal to withdraw their agreement. Their agreement was the only thread connecting them. They were husband and wife, but there was no love between them. There were no political reasons either.

Deep trust? There was no chance for that to develop. Their relationship existed solely because Saul needed Catherine, for that reason alone.

Everything began with Saul. He was the one who looked into Catherine’s heart and, regardless of his motives, gave her a reason to live. To Catherine, he was her only person. Among those who coveted her and took away even the smallest things she possessed, he was the only one who gave her what she needed most in her life. Catherine couldn’t help but love him…

So even if Saul had committed some sin against her, Catherine didn’t mind. It didn’t matter if his sin was unforgivable. Had Saul not spoken to her, she would have perished on that bridge last autumn. Even if Saul had deceived her, it was Catherine herself who decided to take his hand instead of choosing death.

But if Saul no longer wanted her, if he no longer needed her… their relationship would collapse. If Saul, who didn’t love Catherine, didn’t even need her anymore, there was no reason for her to stay by his side. Catherine had momentarily forgotten that their relationship was based on such a fragile connection, simply because she was so glad that Saul had returned to her…

“You were my reason.”

At those words, Saul faltered. Catherine’s voice escaped, suppressed and hopelessly broken.

“Only you recognized me and gave me what I needed. How could you do this? How could you now… how…”

With each word, her voice grew more tearful, and Saul froze. Catherine stepped back. Without warning, tears filled her vision and instantly fell onto his knuckles.

“Catherine.”

Saul called her name with a stiff, cracking voice. Catherine didn’t answer. Saul pulled at her hand, but for the first time, Catherine pushed his hand away. Their intertwined hands brushed past each other and separated.

“Stay with your sin instead.”

Ask for my forgiveness until you’re satisfied. I will forgive you as many times as needed… Staggering back another step, Catherine looked at Saul with her tear-stained face.

“I will never withdraw it.”

Because if we withdraw our agreement, you will surely leave me… Unable to voice these thoughts aloud, Catherine swallowed them and turned away from Saul, who was reaching out to her. Then she ran toward the faint light.

“Catherine!”

Hearing him rise to follow her, Catherine quickened her pace.

“…will you?”

From somewhere ahead, Catherine faintly heard someone’s voice. Though unclear, it sounded somehow familiar. The light was seeping through from very close by, through a half-open doorway. That’s where the voice was coming from too.

“My lady, wait!”

“…we agreed to kill… we must.”

Two voices, indistinguishable from each other, intertwined from front and back.

Catherine ran toward the gap where light was leaking through. And at the same time, she opened her eyes. The voices that had been faint and blurry suddenly became clear.

“We’ll do it without Catherine knowing.”

Her heart sank. In an instant, her mind went blank from the shock of ice-cold water pouring over her head. Her entire body felt chilled. She didn’t even hear what followed. Catherine reflexively opened her mouth. Moving those stiffly frozen lips, she asked in a cold tone.

“What exactly are you planning to do behind my back?”

***

【Each Person’s Reason】

Three pairs of eyes collided.

One gaze was sharp and cutting, while the other two were clearly flustered. Like dirty water poured out after washing dried blood, the thick darkness was suddenly covered with an eerie silence.

From outside, separated by a thin window, long, gaunt shadows stretched across the thick carpet. They tangled and moved about. Like beckoning gestures, or intertwining pulls… The sound of their movements faintly seeped through the window.

The commotion coloring the deep silence spread distantly. Catherine’s gaze, which had been fixed on the two people, blinked. Slowly once. Then again. After a brief moment, she blinked more rapidly.

With each blink, ripples formed in her deep green eyes, like water striders skipping across unfrozen water. Light gradually entered her eyes, which had been staring, focused on some distant place.

Her tightly closed lips parted vacantly. About to say something, her upper lip curled slightly inward before stopping. Her eyelids moved up and down once more.

Ah… A low moan escaped her. Her fingers, which had been resting near her knees, went limp, and her shoulders, which had been tensed, slowly sank. Catherine exhaled blankly. Her breath passing between her teeth was quiet.

And then there was no movement. She sat motionless, completely entranced.

“…Catherine?”

David’s voice, calling her name as he carefully stepped forward, rose gently like tea leaves floating in hot water being slowly poured. At the same time, Catherine’s half-raised body tilted limply to the side.

“Catherine!”

David cried out in alarm as he saw Catherine collapse, her head resting against the backrest. The sound of someone rushing over filled the room. Catherine exhaled vacantly. Through her jet-black hair cascading wildly across her vision, she glimpsed a flickering figure before closing her eyes.

For a moment, she thought it was Saul speaking. Saying he would do as he pleased again… Catherine frowned, turning her head to press down on her throbbing temples. A low, suppressed sound escaped through her clenched teeth.

Her head ached. She felt completely drained, exhausted like someone who had stood for hours on a shadeless hill during the hottest summer day, unable to breathe. Catherine allowed herself to be pulled along by the gentle hands carefully gripping her shoulders.

Suddenly, a dark red light fell across her eyes. Catherine winced. But soon, seeing it buried in the shadow of someone approaching, she opened her squinted eyes. The reddish-golden hair seemed to flicker like burning straw.

“…”

Suddenly, David, who was about to speak, hesitated. Something in his manner suggested he had seen something he shouldn’t have. Each time he blinked unnaturally, his gaze darted here and there, desperately trying to stitch the empty air.

David’s hands on Catherine’s shoulders were loose. Catherine pushed him away with a long sigh. Then she covered her face with her hands. As she was about to wipe downward, she paused at the moisture pooling in her palms. She blinked slowly.

The tips of her eyelashes brushing against her palms were damp. Following that texture, she dropped her hands, pushing away. Her fingertips were wet. Ha. A hollow laugh escaped her.