“Sometimes I wonder if I’m just imagining things.”

At a loss for words, Jürgen couldn’t give her any answer. Once, he had forced her to swallow her lips telling her not to misunderstand, and poured out words that pierced her heart.

It was a mistake committed under the delusion that everything would return to its place if only he kept Diez at a distance from him.

In the end, his actions only left deep wounds in Diez’s heart without resolving anything. Gripped by guilt and helplessness he had never felt before in his life, he said,

“I regret…… everything I did that hurt your feelings.”

No answer came from her right away. Even if she had no intention whatsoever of forgiving him, Jürgen had to accept it all.

He still loved Diez. His desire to cherish her would never be erased for the rest of his life. But he had no intention of forcing anything. He didn’t have the right to.

All Jürgen could do was apologize to her endlessly. Whether she accepted it or not, he had to apologize for his wrongdoings.

Diez had no obligation to forgive him, but she certainly had the right to receive an apology from him.

“I was afraid, more than anything, that my affection for you would end up hurting you. Even when I wanted to cherish you, whenever you opened your heart to me and got closer, fear took over. Fear that I might not be able to push you away in the end and take you in my arms. Fear that I might hurt you that way.”

“……”

“You must have been going through a lot already…… I was thoughtless about the wounds you would suffer. It’s all my fault. I won’t say anything if you hate me. But there’s one thing I want to make clear. That there wasn’t a single moment when I didn’t adore you.”

After seemingly contemplating his words for a moment, Diez soon asked.

“Then does that mean I don’t have to doubt anymore? That you really are a kind person?”

It wasn’t easy to answer such a question. Did he dare deserve such an excessive evaluation from Diez?

Jürgen had never thought of himself as a kind person. He was only afraid and despised himself for gradually becoming like his father.

Especially after reading the journal his father had left behind……

“I am not a kind person.”

“Is that so?”

“The expression ‘kind’ wasn’t made for someone like me.”

He knew full well that Diez was living with trauma from the late Duke, yet he stroked his c*ck while having vile fantasies. He didn’t have the slightest intention of hurting Diez’s feelings, but his belief still hadn’t changed.

That he was a man who should keep his distance from Diez.

“But you came to me like this and even apologized.”

“I only did what I obviously should have done. That can’t be called kindness.”

“But didn’t you give me the villa and allow me to have time to myself because you wanted me to live peacefully?”

“That……”

He sincerely wanted Diez’s life to be peaceful. He had no intention of denying that fact. But that was all he wanted; he had no intention of coveting Diez’s heart.

……At least, that’s how he had to discipline himself. That’s what Jürgen believed.

When he couldn’t continue speaking, Diez spoke first.

“It’s true that I’ve been hurt many times because of you. Hiding in my bedroom and crying wasn’t enough to heal my wounded heart. Sometimes I even wanted to die.”

The blood drained from Jürgen’s face at the mention of thoughts of death. Had she been thinking that way even before trying to hang herself?

Because of none other than him……

“Life at the Duke’s mansion was so painful it was hard to endure. But after you came, I could still have hope. Because you showed me kindness I dared not expect. After being sold to the ducal family, my thought was that now the whole world would be against me. The world that had been so peaceful and warm to me.”

And fortunately, Diez’s prediction did not miss the mark. As soon as the news spread that she had been sold to the Klaus mansion, the world that had been trying to win her favor turned cold and even hostile toward her.

The lady who had been the most precious in the world fell overnight to a status worse than a piece of newspaper rolling on the street.

Still, Diez could endure it. Though it was hard enough to make her cry silently every night, it was because she thought she had at least protected her parents.

The fact that the Schleicher couple was still well meant that there was still a world for her to return to someday.

She endured like that for five years. If fate really exists, perhaps it wanted to reward her for enduring well. Shortly after completing five years, the late Duke who had wielded the whip against her died.

And the one who replaced him was Jürgen.

He was a man quite different from his father. The kindness Jürgen conveyed restored what Diez had been gradually losing.

Hope.

“I thought no one would ever care about my well-being again. I had fallen into a position where I couldn’t expect such things long ago. Actually, it’s still the same now. When even my parents abandoned me and left…… I thought no one remained by my side. That’s why I tried to die. When I thought I was completely alone…… I couldn’t bear it.”

The man who appeared before Diez when she had resolved to die was the same man who had once tried to inflict deep wounds on her heart. The image of Jürgen desperately trying to save her while showing tears seemed to flash before her eyes again.

“When you said you cherished me, was that really true?”

“You may not believe me…… but I’ve never lied about that.”

“That fact seems to give me some comfort.”

She said.

“It means there’s still at least one person left who will listen to my story.”

Of course, Jürgen was confident he could give much more back to Diez. But he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Even speaking a single word in front of her required caution. This was a first for Jürgen. Feeling so small in front of someone.

“Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve told you why I asked for the summer villa.”

“……Was there a special reason?”

“Our family once had a large villa too. I had always wished to stay at a villa alone without my parents, but Father would never allow it. He said he absolutely couldn’t let me sleep alone somewhere else.”

It was a simple wish, and one she had quickly abandoned. But what was the reason she wanted to fulfill it now?

“I just thought. Until now, I’ve lived for my family, but I don’t need to do that anymore. So wouldn’t it be nice to do whatever I want to my heart’s content? The first thing that came to mind was having a villa all to myself.”

Listening quietly to Diez’s words, Jürgen suddenly realized. Though he dared not covet her heart, there were still many things he could do for her.

Even if Diez eventually left his side, he intended to do many things for her until the end. So at this moment, there was only one thing he needed to say to her.

“Is there nothing else you want to do besides using the villa alone?”

“It would be a lie to say there isn’t. But……”

“I’ll help you do everything you want.”

Feeling his nape somehow heating up, Jürgen said,

“There’s nothing I can’t do for you.”

Diez’s gaze turned toward him again. Meeting her eyes, he felt like a boy about to make a clumsy confession of love.

“I don’t intend to demand anything in return from you. I just want to help. To help you fulfill all the wishes you couldn’t achieve before. So, what I want to say is…… I’ll make sure all your wishes come true, so would you consider staying by my side at least until you’ve done everything you wanted to do?”

He had never felt this way before. Now not just his nape but his entire face felt hot. He didn’t want to appear awkward in front of her, but it was already too late. Jürgen tried not to imagine how foolish he must look in Diez’s eyes.

Even in the midst of this, he found himself pathetically worried about something beyond his station. What if Diez rejected his offer……

“Will you really grant anything?”

Fortunately, his proposal seemed quite appealing to her. Jürgen nodded and promised.

“I’ll help with any wish to the best of my ability.”

“Then…… perhaps.”

By now, Diez’s face had also turned rosy. Could the fact that she would be able to do everything she wanted have made her so excited?

Looking down at Diez caught up in happy contemplation, Jürgen’s feelings also settled into tranquility. He would never go back on his promise. His only goal was to continue seeing her look this happy.

Jürgen calmly waited for her to decide on her first wish. How many seconds had passed? Soon, Diez, having made up her mind, gave him a look quite different from before.