The place Ines left felt desolate. With each fading footstep, it felt as if someone was trampling his body.

Left alone, he lowered his head. He had expected this much already.

“It wouldn’t end with just one apology.”

He knew she wouldn’t forgive him easily. If a few words could have earned her forgiveness, she wouldn’t have run away in the first place.

But expecting the blade didn’t make the wound hurt any less.

Each word Ines had spoken cut sharply into his heart.

“If only I had asked for forgiveness a little sooner…”

If he had realized his mistakes earlier, things might have been a bit better. Meaningless regret weighed heavily on his shoulders.

“Haa…”

Carlos let out a heavy sigh as he struggled to his feet.

Standing straight, he steeled his resolve once again. She had been in such pain that she was prepared to endure being burned. She was a woman who had silently endured having her ability exploited by nobles.

Compared to what Ines had been through, this was nothing. He couldn’t let himself be discouraged by just a few rejections.

Having strengthened his resolve, Carlos began walking.

As he turned the corner to return to the arena, he caught sight of a man with Ines in the distance. It was the same man who had been talking with Ines earlier.

“I was worried when you didn’t come back, so I came looking for you. Besides, you don’t look well. Are you feeling sick somewhere?”

As he spoke, the man placed his hand on Ines’s forehead. Ines gently removed his hand and replied.

“I’m just tired, that’s all. It’s nothing. Let’s go inside. Greta will be waiting.”

The two of them entering the arena together looked quite intimate.

It was natural that she would have made new connections as time had passed. It wasn’t strange for her to have a man of similar age by her side. However…

Watching them, Carlos clenched his fist.

* * *

Time flew by quickly, and another two days passed. Since meeting Carlos, Ines hadn’t been able to sleep peacefully even for a moment. Sometimes she even had nightmares.

Today too, having spent a sleepless night, Ines stood by the window, feeling the sea breeze while reminiscing about past events.

‘Give me the chance to live by your side, apologizing to you for the rest of my life.’

“Last chance…”

Though she had dismissed it coldly then, it was natural that Carlos bothered her. He was once a man she had loved enough to give everything to. As a result of giving everything without reserve, she had been reduced to black ashes.

But perhaps some ember had remained unextinguished within those ashes? The image of that man, who had always been domineering and arrogant toward her, kneeling and pleading, was still vivid in her mind.

Ines shook her head as if she didn’t want to think about it anymore. This situation was too exhausting. She had finally found peace, but with Carlos’s appearance alone, that hard-won tranquility was threatening to shatter.

Just as Ines was letting out a heavy sigh from her troubled heart, there was suddenly a knock at the door. Greta, sitting on the couch, muttered.

“Must be Jade coming.”

Looking at the clock, it was almost time for them to go to the arena together.

Only four days remained until the martial arts tournament. Because of this, Jade had been going to the training grounds every day, saying he couldn’t lose his edge. Naturally, Ines accompanied him in her capacity as medical staff, to be prepared in case of any injuries during practice.

“I’ll get it.”

Setting aside her worries for the moment, Ines quickly moved to open the door. However, the person at the door wasn’t Jade. It was a well-dressed middle-aged man.

Seeing the stranger, Ines asked warily.

“Who are you?”

“Are you Miss Lena?”

Ines nodded reluctantly at the man who knew her name.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“A gift has been delivered for Miss Lena.”

“A gift?”

A gift out of nowhere? Who would send her a gift?

As Ines blinked in confusion, the man gave a signal, and people carrying large and small boxes began entering her room one after another.

“What is all this…”

Even Greta stood up, surprised by the gift boxes that suddenly filled the room.

“Who, who sent all this?”

“I don’t know that myself. I’m just making the delivery. Well then…”

“No, you can’t just leave these here… Wait!”

Before she could question him further, the man left as if his job was done.

“What in the world is going on?”

Greta muttered, looking at the boxes piled up in the room.

Running her fingers through her hair in bewilderment, Ines approached the flower basket that had been placed last. On top of the bouquet was a four-leaf clover attached to a white paper.

“Carlos…”

Though there was no name or even initials of the sender, Ines’s face rapidly hardened. She had realized who was behind this.

“Ines. Who was that person who just left… What is all this?”

Jade, who had just arrived, couldn’t hide his confusion at the sight of the room. Greta was already opening the gift boxes, exclaiming in amazement.

“My goodness… Look at these things, Lena.”

They were all sorts of magnificent jewels and dresses. Ines knew the value of these things well. Ordinary people would struggle to afford even one of these dresses in their lifetime.

“Who sent these? Ines?”

Jade looked at Ines with uneasy eyes. Ines grabbed the nearest jewelry box and headed outside the lodgings.

“Wait, wait! Where are you going! Ines…!”

After briefly hesitating, Jade hurriedly followed after Ines.

After traversing through the center of Mareina for quite some time, finally, Ines stopped at the most luxurious inn in the city. This high-end establishment, where only nobles and wealthy merchants could stay, was the most likely place where Carlos would be.

And her guess proved correct. She encountered Carlos just as he was leaving the inn.

Though surprised by Ines’s unexpected appearance, Carlos’s expression softened, seemingly pleased that she had come to find him.

“Ines, how did you… Could it be that you came to see me?”

“More precisely, I came to confront you, not to see you.”

Though Ines’s voice was sharp, Carlos seemed unconcerned. He tilted his body slightly and gestured to guide her.

“Then, let’s go inside first…”

“We’re not on terms to sit down and have a friendly chat. What I want to say isn’t that kind of conversation either.”

With that, she handed him the box she was carrying.

“Today, a pile of boxes like this arrived at my lodgings. You sent them, didn’t you?”

Carlos stared at the box Ines held out before meeting her eyes.

“They arrived earlier than expected. Do you like them? I chose them to match your taste. Though I was disappointed that the selection wasn’t as good as in the capital, still…”

“Ha, Carlos.”

Ines continued with an irritated voice.

“Did you really think I would be happy to receive these?”

“I just…”

Avoiding her eyes, Carlos muttered.

“I don’t think I ever gave you proper gifts…”

Even the necklace he had prepared wasn’t given to her directly. He had just handed it to a maid to throw away, yet Ines had cherished it and never took it off.

The necklace that had burned black along with the corpse continued to weigh on his mind. That’s why when he met Ines, he wanted to give her gifts generously, including a necklace like that one.

But Ines, unaware of his feelings, pushed the box back to him.

“I don’t need things like this. Have someone take them all back today. I trust you weren’t childish enough to think I would change my mind over mere gifts like these.”

With those words, Ines turned away coldly. Carlos desperately grabbed her wrist.

“Wait, Ines…”

But she forcefully shook off Carlos’s hand. Living with Greta and learning the life of common people had made Ines tougher than she was two years ago.

“Don’t be pathetic, Carlos. This kind of behavior won’t change anything between us.”

“…”

At her cold voice, Carlos could no longer hold Ines back.

Ines moved to leave the inn, crossing through the door. As she did, Carlos’s eyes met with Jade’s, who had been waiting for her in front of the door.

“…”

“…”

Though brief, an inexplicable tension passed between the two men. And Jeremy, who had been watching this entire situation, carefully asked.

“Your Majesty… are you alright?”

Carlos, staring at the empty space where the two had disappeared, quietly asked.

“Who was that man who just left with Ines?”

“Pardon? Ah, you mean the one with brown hair and green eyes?”

“Yes, who is he?”

“He’s a young man from the same village as Her Majesty the Queen. He came as the village representative for this martial arts tournament.”

The village representative, he said. Then that meant Ines had come as his medical staff. No wonder their interactions had seemed so natural.

“He’s irritating.”

Carlos’s face crumpled as he recalled what had just happened.