The carriage carrying Lumiere arrived at Karl’s villa.

‘I’m late. Karl will be waiting.’

Lumiere hurriedly got out of the carriage and walked across the lobby.

The dark atmosphere of what seemed like an abandoned palace no longer felt eerie to her.

Rather, she felt a sense of freedom, that she could move more lightly since there were few people around.

Since that day, Lumiere had visited the palace almost every day without fail.

When she arrived, Karl would simply hold her and laze around.

He would show her world maps and talk about places they wanted to visit, or discuss Berhe or Cissus Island.

Sometimes the two would design the house where they would live together in the future.

To Lumiere, Karl seemed to be steeling his heart before the upcoming ‘big event.’

Soon, the storm Karl had instigated would sweep in.

To build up that storm and sweep through the things he had planned, he needed to conserve his strength.

Lumiere clenched her fist.

She too now stood in the middle of that ‘play.’

Karl worried she might get hurt, but Lumiere wasn’t afraid at all.

She didn’t mind getting hurt or broken.

To finally settle the unjust past she had forgotten all this time, she needed to become stronger.

Lumiere was just about to climb the circular staircase after crossing the lobby with hurried steps when,

“I heard Maria had you paint the king’s portrait……”

Her steps halted abruptly at the chilling voice.

“So it was true.”

Lumiere slowly raised her gaze.

At the top of the stairs, she saw well-polished shoes reflecting light.

Their owner wore gray trousers and a dark coat, with a shirt with the collar turned up and a blue silk cravat tied in a full knot inside.

Landers Tartien.

Lumiere stared at him with cold eyes.

The young duke’s eyes flashed with displeasure at her direct gaze and lack of greeting, despite being a commoner.

He let out a small laugh, slowly descended the stairs, and stood before her.

The smell of leather gloves wafted over.

Without hesitation, the hand with the prosthetic lifted her chin.

“Your eyes have changed. I see hostility toward me.”

His voice sent chills down her spine as it reached her ears.

Lumiere didn’t hide the ‘hostility’ he mentioned and stared straight at him.

Landers asked with certainty.

“……Your memory has returned, hasn’t it?”

Instead of answering, Lumiere slapped his hand away and said.

“Don’t touch me carelessly. Your hands give me goosebumps. You already know very well why, so I won’t bother explaining.”

Despite Lumiere’s cold response, Landers merely smiled.

Lumiere found it even more disgusting.

His attitude thoroughly looked down on her, suggesting he could trample her to death at any time, daring her to crawl up further.

‘……After stealing from me. How dare you.’

When murderous intent flashed in Lumiere’s eyes, he asked in a whisper.

“Do you want to kill me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“……Hahahahaha!”

Landers laughed as if amused, then caressed her cheek.

‘This bastard……!’

She desperately wanted to use the self-defense techniques she had learned from the twins.

Or she wanted to push Landers Tartien down the stairs.

It would be so satisfying to see him tumble down and crash onto the floor.

But this was the royal palace, and causing trouble here would not be good for Karl.

Moreover, this man with a build as good as Karl’s probably wouldn’t be pushed down the stairs by someone like her.

“It was Karl Winger who set fire to the greenhouse, wasn’t it?”

“……”

“And he must have also taken the pharmacist. Well, we won’t just sit here and take it. Tell your lovely lover this: the Tartiens won’t just sit back and be victimized.”

Landers smiled faintly and walked past her down the stairs.

At that moment, Lumiere turned to look at him and said,

“You were a very timid boy when you were young.”

Landers turned to look at her, seemingly asking what she meant.

Lumiere spoke in an elegant voice, looking down at him like someone who had always looked down on him.

“At a certain party, you followed a boy around. Like a shadow, without saying a word.”

Landers’ eyes narrowed.

He glared at her, his eyes narrowed as if searching for the past she mentioned.

His trembling eyes seemed to be wandering somewhere in the past.

“You were a very timid boy who clearly wanted to be friends with that sparkling boy. So much that you deliberately rolled down the stairs to get his attention.”

“……!”

Landers’ eyes widened in alarm.

“What are you…… How do you……”

“There are no eternal secrets in this world. You’ll soon find out too……”

Lumiere smiled, took out a handkerchief from her pocket, and wiped her cheek and chin where his hand had touched.

Then, as if it were something filthy, she picked it up with just her fingertips and threw it on the floor.

Landers Tartien’s face contorted.

Lumiere smiled pointedly, gave him a formal greeting, then turned around sharply and went up the stairs.

She felt his sharp gaze on the back of her head, but she didn’t care.

Yes, glare at me all you want from down there, Landers Tartien.

I will someday choke the life out of you.

Just as you did to me.

* * *

“Ahahahahahaha!!”

Karl burst into loud laughter, clearly delighted when he heard Lumiere’s story.

“Did I perhaps provoke him too much?”

She worried that threatening him might come back to haunt them with unintended consequences.

Karl embraced her waist, kissed her cheek, and whispered.

“It’s fine. You did well, Lumiere. Very well. That’s the way my wild Philia should be.”

“……Are you teasing me now?”

“Not at all? I’m just glad to see that wild Philia still remains inside you.”

“Don’t call me by that name. It feels so strange now that it makes me itch.”

“Whether you’re Philia Buchanan or Lumiere Lashantia, it doesn’t matter to me. My twilight, my red-haired muse.”

Karl lifted her up and kissed her several times.

Lumiere thought he was teasing her and pushed him away, pinching his lips a few times, but soon surrendered to his persistent courtship and accepted him.

“But will it really be okay? It seems like Landers is preparing something too……”

“It doesn’t matter. We’ll just prepare to stop him.”

“……But.”

“Shh— Stop mentioning that filthy name and give me a kiss.”

Lumiere held Karl’s handsome face and whispered with genuine concern.

“You know, Karl. I think you’ve become a bit frustrated being confined in here.”

“I’m always like this when I see you.”

“……Well, that’s true, but…”

“So comfort this poor man. I wait for you all day. On days when you don’t come, it feels like the day never ends.”

“Stop pretending to be pitiful. You’re not pitiful at all.”

Despite her words, Lumiere wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him the kisses he wanted.

He seemed content just having her by his side, holding her and rolling around for a while.

Today would pass again without him picking up a brush even once, with only the half-finished fake portrait hanging up.

Lumiere hugged her pitiful lover tightly and rolled around with him, then told him about the poster.

“That’s a good idea. Do as you wish.”

Hearing his answer, Lumiere thought,

‘Wouldn’t Karl agree to anything I bring up?’

She briefly considered making some outrageous request, but quickly abandoned the idea.

If he actually agreed, it would be troublesome for both her and Chris.

“But how long will you be unable to leave? That person, your substitute…… Isn’t he recovering?”

Karl looked at the sky through the window in response to Lumiere’s question.

Time that moved unbearably slowly when he was alone passed in an instant when she was with him.

“I’ve kept him for too long. By now, he must be hoping we’ll let him go.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“We need to hurry. I feel too sorry to send him off like this……”

For that to happen, it was much better if the Tartien side kept plotting something.

The more they did, the more they would be tripping themselves up.

And very appropriately, Tartien raided the Cissus Opera House.