“With that huge body holding a shovel, all the passing kids were crying in fear. He was already being treated like a serial killer in that village. He might have been dishonorably discharged… but what a sight for someone who was in the Imperial Navy. Tsk tsk….”

“That’s a funny rumor. There wouldn’t be a criminal who openly carries a weapon like that.”

“Yes, it was funny. When I went there, he had a shovel in one hand and flowers in the other. But no one tried to see the flowers. You know how rumors work—people only see what they want to see and then gossip.”

“That’s true.”

“Anyway, I wish he would stop planting flowers now…. Stubborn man. He clearly doesn’t know the words ‘give up.'”

“Why should he give up? Isn’t it a rather wholesome hobby?”

“That’s true, but…. Actually, the flowers he plants die unusually easily. That’s why he keeps buying seedlings so tediously.”

“Flowers are naturally difficult to grow.”

“No! That’s not what I mean. The flowers he grows all die at some point. Not just one or two wilting, but all of them! All at once!”

“Did he use the wrong fertilizer? Since the sea is nearby, tell him to check if it’s the influence of seawater. It could be the effect of salt. Or it could simply be poor soil where flowers can’t grow in the first place.”

“…Let’s drop it.”

Herman, who had been making a disgusted expression at the practical reasons listed by his adopted son, soon sighed and said.

“Sigh, no, you’re right. It’s probably because of such reasons. But he… thinks it’s because Chloe hasn’t forgiven him.”

“…What does flowers dying easily have to do with a dead person?”

Dominic narrowed his eyes like someone who had just heard about a juggling grasshopper. To him, it sounded that bizarre.

Herman, looking at him, said with a grave expression,

“He thinks the dead Chloe is showing that she won’t forgive him even from the afterlife.”

“……”

‘…So he was indeed mentally ill.’

Even his adoptive father’s mental state seemed somewhat questionable for mentioning such things quite seriously. And Herman, who easily read Dominic’s inner thoughts, continued.

“Don’t make that face. I understand them…. I wonder how desperate they must be to think like that.”

“Them?”

“Yes. Emily has been saying it since before too. That her mother seems to resent her father a lot even after death….”

“……”

* * *

Dominic had actually thought it was Emily’s doing. The woman who burned her dead mother’s letters and photos, and even damaged paintings—couldn’t she have killed those flowers too?

But he was told that even after Emily left the mansion, the flowers Walter planted withered every time. All at once, as if cursed by some evil energy….

‘After experiencing unbelievable situations, I find myself wondering if it might really have been a curse from the dead.’

In reality, it was probably due to other practical reasons as he had guessed earlier. But now that the compass moving on its own and the woman possessed by strange things had become his daily life, he could naturally entertain such amusing suppositions.

‘Not a good sign.’

Therefore, Dominic consciously scattered these groundless thoughts and soon said to the woman full of expectation.

“I’ll send a letter to my father. As I mentioned before, due to his illness, we can’t expect a quick reply.”

* * *

And contrary to Dominic’s expectations, the reply to the letter sent to the Vicenti mansion arrived surprisingly quickly.

Herman Vicenti was very pleased with the news that Dominic would be staying at May’s mansion for a while. Since it was a letter written by his butler on his behalf, he didn’t express it directly, but….

…He said he would like you to come back to the mansion together.

Judging by his withdrawal of the intention not to increase the number of funeral guests, his thoughts seemed to have gone quite far. Of course, now Dominic didn’t intend to blindly ignore what his adoptive father wanted, such as the possibility of developing a relationship with May….

No, rather, he was quite willing to show him the scene he had always wanted to see before he died… but even so, his adoptive father’s excitement always seemed excessive. After briefly clicking his tongue at this, Dominic went up to the second floor where May’s room was located.

He wanted to be the first to deliver the news to the woman who was impatiently pacing, guessing what kind of flowers they might be. With his imagination-lacking mind, he had even pictured her smiling while holding bright coral-colored flowers.

“Ah…!”

However, what greeted Dominic was the woman’s high-pitched cry of pleasure from beyond the door. His eyes narrowed reflexively as he saw the door that wasn’t fully closed.

“Johan, ungh, Johan….”

The woman’s voice desperately calling another man’s name.

“…Ha, won’t you sit on my face?”

Dominic’s brow furrowed intensely at the man’s voice that followed.

“Hmm? My lady likes it when I lick her cl*t, don’t you…?”

“B-but… hng… unng….”

After hearing the sticky s*xual talk followed by sobbing moans, Dominic turned his steps back with an irritated face.

His fairly good mood plummeted to the ground in an instant.

How could that possibly be seen as an act to extinguish a dangerous fire…. Anyone would see it as satisfying personal desires. Such rebellious thoughts arose, but lately, he was in no position to criticize Johan’s actions.

Half of the blotchy marks coloring the woman’s body had been made by him.

‘Both that man and I are exploiting the situation all the same.’

While hoping that nothing would go wrong with her was the priority, self-interest followed very closely as the second priority. That’s why he desired her excessively each time their bodies joined.

The more that happened, naturally, the harder it became to ignore the ‘other party.’ Just as Johan had said, there was no way one could enjoy seeing the woman they liked sleeping with another man.

As a result, even while retreating from that unavoidable situation that they had ‘agreed not to interfere with,’ his mind kept turning.

Along with the wish that only he could be with May, he found himself devising ways to detach that leech-like man. And that was probably the same for that man too.

From the beginning, the non-aggression treaty between Johan and Dominic had been in a state where only a rickety fence barely existed, even now when they had become somewhat accustomed to ignoring each other.

In other words, it meant that the facade would easily crumble the moment either one of them stepped out of line.

Moreover, May was currently in a situation where her somewhat detached mental state prevented her from easily noticing others’ affection toward her. Not only that, but since physical intimacy had become normal for her, she didn’t attach much significance to skinship.

She received the s*xual tension from the men toward her and their intense desire, yet thought it was all a product of kindness and help.

It was exasperating, but May couldn’t be blamed. He could only hope that her mind and body would return to normal as soon as possible.

In any case, that situation made him feel more impatient. As their bodies intertwined, his feelings were growing one-sidedly.

Though Dominic outwardly acted more composed than Johan, when faced with situations like just now, he realized his composure was merely an act.

‘…I don’t know when that damn thing will disappear.’

Sincerely, if he had to witness such scenes much longer, his patience would run out.

With his brow still furrowed, Dominic went out, deliberately trying to recall the name of the flowers written in the letter rather than May’s moans of pleasure. In this situation, idly waiting would be foolish.

Regardless of his feelings, making her tremble with pleasure right now wasn’t something to be considered competition.

…He would gift her flowers.

It wasn’t the most creative way to win a woman’s favor… but adding May’s circumstances that Johan didn’t know about would make it quite a plausible gift.

At least his competitor wouldn’t know what flowers Walter Prieto had received from Chloe.