It was a dark night, illuminated only by the faint moonlight.

Penelope stood on the balcony of a first-class hotel suite, gazing down at the boundless ocean.

One wrong step would end her life in an instant.

It was reminiscent of the day her husband and friend had pushed her into the sea in an attempt to kill her.

But Penelope was no longer afraid of the midnight waters.

Not now.

Not with the man beside her, who seemed to be carved from the darkness of the night itself.

She slowly closed her eyes, the memory of the miracle that had just unfolded on these same waters washing over her once more.

“A round of applause for Penelope Utterback, the finest violinist!”
“Brava, brava, Penelope!”

The image of the cheering audience remained etched in her memory.

She hadn’t even had an official debut yet, and here she was performing in front of some of the world’s most prominent figures.

Performing on the grand stage of the luxurious passenger ship, the Iris, was incredible.

For a woman who had been so cruelly discarded and broken beyond repair, the world that had opened up to her today felt nothing short of miraculous.

Step, step.

The sound of someone approaching echoed quietly.

Penelope opened her eyes, still savouring the moment, and saw the man who had helped her achieve both her dream and her revenge:

—the Duke of Blade Gunner.

Even in the darkness, he had found her instantly and was walking towards her without hesitation.

“Are you satisfied now, Countess Utterback, the violinist?”

His deep, low voice carried a playful tone, but it was far from light. The wine glass beside them trembled faintly from its resonance.

Penelope wasn’t sure whether to feel more joy for regaining the title of “violinist” or “Utterback”—both of which had been returned to her by Blade.

As if reading her thoughts, Blade extended his hand.

He was always like this. He had accepted the absurd proposal she once made and became her steadfast pillar.

“Tell me—how does it feel to have taken the place of the woman who stole your husband?”

“Tonight was truly the best. I couldn’t have come this far without you, Your Grace.”

“The Countess acknowledges me? What an honor for a mere contract partner.”

Blade replied with a smirk as he brought Penelope’s hand to his lips.

The moment his lips brushed her skin, she held her breath, terrified that her racing heartbeat might give her away.

It was just the back of her hand — nothing more. And yet, a burning heat spread through her entire body.

Perhaps the fire she had seen flickering in his eyes had found its way into her veins.

There was his striking face, his noble birth, the wealth and power he carried so effortlessly, and the tenderness he displayed with surprising sweetness from time to time.

Blade Gunner was the very embodiment of the princes from the fairy tales her parents had read to her as a child.

So how could her heart not flutter like this?

For this moment, at least, the betrayal by her husband and friend, and the scorn and mockery she had endured, felt like distant echoes.

Their relationship may have begun as a contract, but somewhere along the way, her heart had stopped pretending. Her feelings had become real.

‘Why are you always so kind… to someone like me?’

As a divorced woman with scars, she felt she had no right to become a burden to someone who had shown her nothing but kindness.

However, the thought of leaving, and spending the rest of her life with only a few scattered memories, was unbearable.

She couldn’t bear it.

‘I know… I know you had a first love. I know she’ll always be in your heart. But even so, I want to be by your side.’

This unbearable jealousy towards the woman he still loved made her suffer.

“What are you thinking, standing there in front of your fiancé like that?”

Blade’s eyes were fixed on her.

Penelope met his gaze and forced a small smile.

“Your Grace, do you remember the day we first met?”

“Of course. Though you may have forgotten, I remember it vividly.”

Penelope shook her head.

“No, I remember everything you said that day.”

“If you’ll be my dance partner tonight, I’ll invest this amount in Gunner Trade.”

“Are you trying to buy a night with me? Then I suppose this note is your price.”

Looking back now, it was such a bold, shameless proposal.

“If you’ll be my patron, I’ll perform more beautifully than anyone else on your stage. Let my glory become your honour — let it serve as vengeance against our enemies.”

She knew how laughable her proposal must have seemed, but she had to put it out there.

Back then, Penelope had only one thought: to reclaim the life that had been stolen from her.

Yet even now, she didn’t regret choosing him that day.

After losing her husband to her best friend, she thought she would never love again.

But it was Blade who revived the emotion she’d nearly lost forever.

Without this beautiful feeling, even revenge would have felt meaningless.

“You probably have no idea how terrified I was that day, all because of you, Your Grace.”

“More than when a woman barged in trying to buy a night with me?”

The two of them let out soft chuckles at the same time.

“Are you still afraid of me?”

“How do you see me now?”

“Now….”

The heat in Blade’s voice made Penelope’s heart sink.

Even though she knew he loved someone else, was he really asking her to reveal her feelings? Whether he realised it or not, it was a cruel question.

Trying to hide her unease with an awkward smile, Penelope changed the subject.

“More than that, I’m curious. Why did you agree to meet me in the first place? To be honest, the deal I offered didn’t benefit you at all. It was entirely in my favour.”

“You asked me to be your patron. If I were what you needed, I would give myself to you. So go on, Penelope. Stand tall with me at your back.”

“Would you rather crawl through the dirt or roll across my bed?”

He told her that she could use him as her lover to help her get revenge.

As a result, Penelope became the cherished mistress of the most powerful man in the Kingdom of Etron.

Thanks to him, she had reclaimed her violin, her family name, and a degree of happiness.

But what about Blade? He had gained nothing in return.

He was known for being shrewd and calculating — surely he must have noticed how one-sided their arrangement was?

So why had he continued to give without ever asking for anything in return?

“Do you really want to know?”

For a moment, something raw and unguarded flashed in Blade’s eyes.

Though the sea around them was calm, Penelope could see crashing waves in his gaze.

She couldn’t tell if it was his eyes trembling or her own heart.

And in that moment, the illusion swept her away—

Back to that night on the ocean.

Back to where it all began.

Back to the night she died aboard the Iris.

“When I said I’d do anything for you…”

The words that followed from Blade’s lips marked the end of the story that had begun on that glittering, ill-fated ship.

They were the final chapter in the story that had begun on that glittering, ill-fated ship.

Penelope had once been a helpless orphan, trapped and exploited within the confines of an orphanage.

Recognising her talent for the violin, the director exploited it to curry favour with nobles and secure generous donations.

Confined to a basement and forced to practise endlessly, Penelope’s world was cold, dark and cruel.

It was the Count and Countess of Utterback who saved her.

“Our little angel, we were destined to be your parents even before you were born.”

Though their bond was forged through adoption, the love they shared was real — unshakable, warm and true.

But the joy granted to the Utterback family was heartbreakingly brief.