“A lover?”

“…As far as I know, we never broke up. Does leaving behind a single letter count as a breakup?”

“What exactly was our relationship…?”

Anne couldn’t grasp the nature of their connection.

“You took my first everything, and now you say we’re over? Anne, be honest. Do you really not love me? Hmm?”

Anne’s pupils trembled as she fought to keep her composure.

Truthfully, she wanted nothing more than to grab his hand and admit her feelings.

That she loved him and just wanted to be with him.

“When you disappeared, I thought I’d die. I drowned myself in alcohol, day after day. It was the only way I could cope with the reality of you being gone.”

“…….”

“I’m not a kind man by nature. Normally, I would’ve kidnapped you and kept you by my side. I almost did.”

No way.

Anne shook her head in disbelief.

“Don’t say such things. Evan, you’re kind to everyone. That’s why even in the field hospital…”

Evan had always been someone who wished for Anne’s happiness unconditionally.

Simply because she resembled a past lover, Evan did everything for Anne.

He freed her from the relentless violence of the Evian family.

Even after that, as Anne continued to encounter Evan, she eventually lost her heart to him. From that moment on, Evan became everything in Anne’s world.

It was likely around that time that she was mentally prepared to settle down in this world.

Evan hugged Anne tightly.

Like a little lamb throwing a tantrum, he rubbed his lips against her shoulder.

“I don’t have the courage or confidence to follow you my entire life. Anne, would you please stay by my side?”

Anne’s eyes gradually grew moist at Evan’s desperate words.

She wondered why, on earth, he would go to such lengths for her.

This time, she had put him in danger.

‘Aren’t I a bad fate for you?’

She thought this, too, was a relationship that would be easily severed.

One of those relationships that would end if they stopped seeing each other for a little while.

For Anne, or rather, Ba-wool, trusting human relationships was akin to grabbing onto a nearly broken lifeline.

In a world where everything was weighed by whether it was beneficial, Ba-wool was always alone.

Those bad memories consumed her every day.

When she had even the slightest pure-hearted hope of a child, she once fantasized that someone who would endlessly support her might appear someday.

But when that fantasy became reality, Anne kept running away.

She just couldn’t muster the courage.

She was afraid it would turn out to be a fleeting dream.

“Why, why would you go to such lengths for me? My, my feelings…”

“I must have been too demanding, Anne.”

When Anne started to choke up as if she might cry any second, Evan gently patted her. The roughened palms from his hard life tenderly caressed her, stirring Anne’s heart.

Evan gazed out the window. It was late evening, and the wind was blowing hard, scattering the leaves. Evan picked up a robe from the side and draped it over Anne’s shoulders.

“Evan.”

“Let’s talk later.”

With Anne’s luggage in one hand, Evan extended his hand to her. Pretending not to notice, she took it.

They arrived in front of the house after a fast carriage ride.

Evan asked the coachman to carry the luggage and then lifted Anne into his arms. She seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, perhaps from accumulated fatigue.

“Your Grace is my sister… alright?”

“She’s just asleep.”

Anton let out a sigh of relief and looked at Evan. The duke also looked exhausted. As he led the way to his sister’s room, Anton spoke.

“…Thank you for protecting my sister.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Evan’s casual response allowed Anton to finally relax. They entered Anne’s room together.

“You can lay her here. She’s not ill, is she?”

“No. It’s just simple fatigue.”

After laying Anne on the bed and carefully covering her with a blanket, Evan took off his coat and asked Anton, who was still lingering nearby.

“I already knew she was your sister. Why didn’t you come to see her?”

Anton realized that Evan was talking about the time in the field hospital.

“She seemed to be living well without me. And to be honest, after seeing how well Your Grace treated her, I thought it might be better if she became a mistress. Although I don’t want that now since she wouldn’t want it…”

One of Evan’s eyebrows twitched. He had no intention of taking a mistress, but the word “mistress” kept coming out of these siblings’ mouths, leaving him dumbfounded.

Evan recalled the time before he had regressed when he had investigated Anne. Back then, she had a man she had once lived with. But in the information he gathered after the regression, there was no mention of this.

Perhaps back then, Anton had no intention of entangling his sister with the arrogant duke.

Even so, giving the duke false information was audacious. If he had known it was false at the time, he might not have let it slide.

“I have no intention of making your sister a mistress. If she’s by my side, she’ll be the Duchess.”

“…Do you really mean that?”

“I don’t say things lightly.”

Anton smiled in relief and looked at his sleeping sister with affection. He knew instinctively.

‘Sister, you’re going to leave here soon.’

It had been a brief encounter that felt as fleeting as a moment, but he was satisfied. He had carved a precious memory—something he thought he’d never have—deep into his heart.

“Sister will probably want to go back. She always seemed to long for it.”

“I know.”

Evan smiled faintly, recalling Anne’s sleep-talking during the carriage ride home, where she mumbled, “I want to go back, Evan,” as if she didn’t even realize it.

He wished she would just come out and say she wanted to leave.

“Brother, please take care of my sister.”

Evan chuckled at the unexpected term of endearment.

“Yeah, me too.”

After Anton left, Evan pulled a chair over to the bedside and sat down. Watching Anne sleep was the only time he felt at peace.

However, as time passed, Anne’s condition began to change.

“Nnngh… No…”

Evan, startled, grabbed Anne’s shoulders.

Just a moment ago, she had been peacefully asleep, so what kind of dream was she having to make her cry and suffer like this?

“Why… are you so sad?”

***

Anne was watching all the scenes rapidly unfold before her eyes.

These were things she didn’t know—events from before the regression.

Could these be the true events? It made more sense than a commander born into a noble family treating her kindly from the first meeting rather than expecting her, a newly grown adult, to do nothing but menial tasks.

But the outcome was horrifying.

Evan could die.

The enemy already knew all the information!

This can’t be happening.

It had all been resolved. Where was Howard? Why wasn’t Howard here?

I have to go!

Anne rode her horse without hesitation. At the end, she found Evan and let out a sigh of relief.

She was glad.

Even if she couldn’t save others, she could at least save Evan.

Anne sensed the familiar musk of Evan from behind.

“Johannes, His Highness the Crown Prince’s aide…you know him right?”

“…I do.”

“I saw him exchanging Imperial information with someone who appears to be an enemy”

It’s the same. It’s true that Conor Johannes traded Mechat…

“Suddenly, my suspicion that you might die has turned to certainty.”

“Anne. If you go back, you’re going to be punished, money and all.”

How could I just stand by? I can’t ignore you.

“Oh, you’ll never do that, I saved your life.”

Thank goodness. Really.

“About that, Anne.”

Bang—

Ah, I’ve been hit. I’m hurt.

…Thank goodness.

“Anne?”

“Anne, answer me. This isn’t what I think, right?”

“Anne, don’t talk. I’ll take you to a nearby village for treatment. Just don’t close your eyes and hold on, okay?”

“I want you to forget about the unfortunate death you left behind, because I’ll carry all those feelings with me….”

Please, just live. For tomorrow…

“Stop talking. I might get angry if you say more.”

“I loved you. Please, just keep going without looking back.”

I loved you, Evan.

TL NOTE: Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories