Ines’s hands tensed as she watched Carlos smile the moment their eyes met. His expression showed he had already known she was here.

Ines quietly bit her lip. Her suspicions had been correct after all.

The moment he found her, he must have already discovered everything about her activities over the past two years. That she was living in the village with Greta under the name Lena, and that she had come to the Mareina martial arts tournament as medical staff.

Carlos’s appearance made Ines acutely aware that she was in his grasp. Even if she had packed her bags and fled in the night, it would have been useless. Perhaps he had already assigned people to watch her.

Ines lowered her head at the reality that she could never escape from Carlos.

‘And I thought he would at least grant my last request.’

It had been a foolish delusion. If he were the type to let her go just because she asked, he wouldn’t have come all this way.

‘How naive I was to feel relieved just because he didn’t look for me for a few days.’

He had simply been taking his time, confident that he had already caught his fish.

Suddenly she felt pathetic. In contrast to Ines’s instantly dampened mood, the manager’s excited voice echoed through the arena. She raised her head again to look at Carlos.

“Now, this is our pride of Mareina, the arena! Speaking of this arena…”

The manager explained the arena to Carlos. Carlos, as if trying to match the manager’s pace, shifted his gaze to where the manager was pointing.

‘What exactly is he planning?’

If he wanted to force her back, he had more than enough opportunity to do so already. However, he showed no signs of being coercive. Moreover, he had gone to the trouble of visiting the martial arts tournament.

Just as Ines was trying to figure out Carlos’s intentions, Jade approached her side, wiping sweat from his hand as if taking a break from warming up in the arena.

“Do you know who that man behind the manager is, Lena?”

“…No, not at all.”

“Looking at his clothes, he seems like a nobleman. Or maybe a sponsor?”

“Who knows.”

Despite her indifferent responses, Jade continued chattering.

“I heard there are many nobles and merchants who sponsor the martial arts tournament. Seeing how politely the manager is treating him, he must have sponsored a huge amount. He looks so young though. How can someone that young have so much money?”

Ines, who had been quietly listening to Jade’s words, let out a short sigh. It was uncomfortable discussing Carlos.

So, to change the subject, she handed Jade the handkerchief from her chest.

“Jade, take this.”

Jade blinked as he unexpectedly received the handkerchief. She muttered in an indifferent voice.

“You’re sweating too much.”

“Th-thanks.”

Unaware of Ines’s true feelings, Jade’s face turned as red as a ripe apple at the fact that she had shown concern for him. He had long forgotten about Carlos’s existence.

As Ines inwardly sighed while watching the now-quiet Jade, she raised her head again. Once more, her eyes met Carlos’s, who had been looking at her.

The difference from before was that his eyes had grown darker. Ines, involuntarily shuddering, averted her gaze.

Unable to bear the discomfort, Ines finally moved to leave, but Jade caught her.

“Where are you going?”

“The air feels a bit stuffy with so many people. I’m going outside for a short walk.”

“Then I’ll come with…”

“No, I’ll just get some fresh air alone.”

Leaving behind a disappointed Jade, Ines headed straight outside.

As she left the arena, fresh air filled her lungs. It felt like her stifled mind was clearing somewhat.

As her head finally began to clear, Ines organized her thoughts.

Though she hadn’t recognized him at first, the man behind Carlos earlier was someone she knew well. Jeremy was his name? He was Carlos’s knight whom she had seen at the palace.

Herman had always been by his side, but…

‘What exactly happened?’

She had thought that if Herman had told him she was alive, he would naturally have come with him. Just as Ines’s thoughts were becoming complicated.

“Ines.”

A familiar voice called her name. She didn’t need to turn around to know who it belonged to. She clenched her fist tightly before releasing it.

It was something she would have to face eventually.

Taking a short breath as if preparing herself mentally, Ines turned around.

“…Carlos.”

Once he knew she was alive. The moment he appeared here again. She had expected this conversation would come. Unlike when she first met him in the market and her body trembled with shock, this time she spoke in a calm voice.

“You came already knowing everything, didn’t you? What name I’m living under, why I’m here at the martial arts tournament.”

Instead of denying her words, Carlos explained why he was at the arena.

“I thought it would be better to meet naturally here than suddenly showing up at your lodgings. If I came to your lodgings, I was afraid you would… be scared first.”

At those words, Ines inwardly scoffed. Should she thank him for his consideration? Not wanting to engage in this meaningless banter any longer, she went straight to the point.

“So what’s your plan now? After appearing naturally so I wouldn’t be scared, do you plan to force me back to the capital?”

“No, Ines. I just…”

Shaking his head as if denying her words, Carlos continued.

“I wanted to ask for your forgiveness.”

“…Forgiveness?”

Ines’s face contorted as if she had heard something bizarre.

Regardless of her reaction, Carlos began to bring out the words he had prepared one by one. Though he had many things to apologize to Ines for, he first brought up what had weighed most heavily on his mind.

“I heard… you had healing powers.”

At those words, Ines’s body flinched. She hadn’t expected Carlos to talk about her healing powers at all.

“That because of it, there were absurd rumors about you and the Marquis’s son…”

Carlos couldn’t meet Ines’s eyes due to his guilt. At his continued confession, she wore a dejected expression.

‘Ah, so that’s what it was.’

Carlos must have learned everything, including how Herman had helped her escape in exchange for healing Hailey. That’s why Herman wasn’t by Carlos’s side now.

Having grasped the situation, Ines let out a hollow laugh.

“You’re quite good at believing your subjects’ words. When I told you, you didn’t even pretend to believe.”

At Ines’s sharp response, Carlos fell silent. Shamefully, he had nothing to say even with ten mouths.

“I told you countless times already. But you were the one who ignored it…”

“I know. I know how much pain my actions caused you. That you were so tormented you had to pretend to be dead and leave. I know that being by my side was… so horrible that you were willing to live with burn scars for the rest of your life. But Ines…”

He gazed at Ines with desperate eyes.

“I can’t live without you.”

They were eyes that seemed about to spill tears.

“I’m not really living even though I’m alive. The whole world seems colorless and tasteless, life has lost its meaning.”

The only reason he had managed to endure these two years was because of the hope that he might meet Ines again. The hope that if he didn’t waste this last chance given to him, he could dream of a happy future with Ines had led him here.

The reason he hadn’t neglected state affairs was because he wanted to give Ines a better environment when she returned. So during the two years without Ines, he worked to strengthen royal authority and strived to make Tezever more prosperous so that the position of queen where she would stand wouldn’t be shameful.

All of this was for Ines. But just imagining that Ines might not choose to stay by his side made him feel lost again.

“So please, Ines…”

Carlos knelt before her. It was his desperate attempt not to lose Ines.

“Give me one last chance.”

“…”

“You don’t have to forgive me yet. Just… give me the chance to live by your side, apologizing to you for the rest of my life.”

Ines quietly gazed at the man kneeling before her, pleading.

Strangely, her heart was very calm. It was a different reaction from when they first met, when her heart had pounded as if it would burst.

‘If only you had said these words a little earlier.’

Then perhaps our child, Llewellyn, and everyone could have been happy.

But everything precious to her was already gone. Ines had no intention of forgiving Carlos.

“It’s too late, Carlos.”

Ines’s heart had grown cold that day two years ago.

“I will never return to your side.”

With those words, Ines coldly walked past Carlos.