Chapter 51
Aaron Odillia, on his way from the workshop to the mansion, heard a strange scream. It was a sound he knew very well, as someone who practically lived in the smithy.
It was the scream of someone who had been stabbed by something.
Following the sound, he saw a man he didn’t recognize stepping on the spikes in the moat and entering through the aerial door.
He watched the scene for a moment before turning back. Returning to the workshop.
The one who had opened the aerial door was his younger sister’s personal maid, Natalie, so the man who had let out the faint scream was likely either his brother-in-law, whom he barely remembered, or one of his companions.
To have arrived here in just four days, he must be quite obsessed with Marie. What on earth was Father so dissatisfied with that he was so desperate to tear apart a couple who were getting along just fine?
Aaron thought deeply but couldn’t find an answer, so he turned his thoughts to the weapon he was currently developing. ‘When something doesn’t go well, think about what you like’—that was his favorite saying.
However, given the seriousness of the situation, his thoughts inevitably returned to Marie. Neither Kalik, who had endured memory loss, nor Marie, who had stubbornly held on, was to blame for this mess. All of it was their father’s doing.
Albrecht had always been prone to misunderstandings and exaggerations. He claimed it was because he had a vivid imagination and wasn’t exaggerating but rather “creating,” but to others, it just seemed like he had a strong tendency to interpret things in his favor. In short, he was extremely self-centered.
In truth, there was no need to overthink things. By simply opening the door and letting his sister and her husband leave, the situation could be resolved. Escael would then strengthen its defenses, and his father wouldn’t be foolish enough to try again.
But doing so wouldn’t break the cycle. All the siblings were thinking the same thing:
Do we really have to live like this, estranged from each other, over such trivial matters?
Only their father remained oblivious.
So, whether it ended in ruin or resolution, it was better to settle things here and now. Even if someone ended up bleeding, their father needed to learn his lesson.
Thus, Aaron pretended not to notice, ensuring his sister and her husband could enjoy their heartfelt reunion without interference near the mansion.
***
Albrecht’s encounter with Kalik was no coincidence but rather part of Kalik’s plan—and Natalie’s scheme.
She had deliberately withheld the timing of Albrecht’s arrival, ensuring that the two men would cross paths. However, out of some sense of conscience, she made sure it wasn’t while Kalik and Marie were lying in bed together but rather when they were fully dressed and sitting in chairs, discussing their future.
“You, you bastard!”
Albrecht stormed in, his face as red as a cooked lobster, flailing wildly. The room, which had just been tidied up, became a mess again.
Marie, frustrated by her wasted effort, jumped up with a broom in hand, while Kalik, worried she might strike her father, greeted him with the utmost courtesy. His bow was so disciplined and flawless that anyone watching might think he was the model son-in-law.
Meanwhile, Albrecht’s behavior was unmistakably that of a villain.
“How dare you—while I was away, the two of you… the two of you…!”
He couldn’t even finish his sentence.
Marie, observing her father’s silent yet chaotic outburst, experienced firsthand what it meant to witness “quiet noise.” Though he made no sound, the sheer presence of his large frame flailing about made the room feel deafeningly loud. She was so overwhelmed that she nearly told him, “Lower your voice.”
“I’m not getting a divorce.”
She boldly declared to her father, who was flailing like a butterfly struggling to emerge from its cocoon.
Kalik, who was holding Marie’s hand, subtly let go, worried that it might provoke Albrecht further. Provocation is something you do when you want to fight your opponent.
What he wanted most in this situation was a conversation.
“Father-in-law.”
Albrecht, who had been raging, froze. Creak, creak. It sounded like the rusty hinges of a door. With movements as slow and awkward as if his joints were rusted, he turned his head and pretended not to hear.
“What did you say?”
“Father-in-law. I believe we need to have a conversation.”
“You…”
But Marie was faster. She knew her father’s patterns well enough to predict exactly when and how he would yell, so she acted preemptively.
“Ugh!”
Albrecht doubled over, clutching his chest. His adorable youngest daughter had struck him in the stomach with a club wrapped in cloth.
“Don’t yell. He says he wants to talk.”
“Urgh… Then this…”
So yelling isn’t allowed, but beating up your father in front of your husband is?
Overwhelmed by Marie’s intensity, Albrecht became meek. Through quick judgment, he realized that in this situation, there was no solution other than to have a conversation. And to avoid getting hit again, he had no choice but to comply.
“Sit down.”
When Albrecht pointed to the sofa, Kalik finally greeted him politely and sat down.
“Why are you so formal with your greetings?”
“Father.”
“Why are you so sharp-tongued today…”
Marie was already on her husband’s side. She didn’t explicitly say she was on Escael’s side because of her pride, but she lumped it under “husband.” Truthfully, though, she wanted to scold him harshly as a traitor.
What infuriated him even more than his daughter’s unfamiliar attitude was the sight of the two sitting side by side.
His anger, which had nearly subsided, reignited.
So, after three years of mistreatment, three months of getting along makes everything fine now?
“You said you wanted to talk.”
The reason he couldn’t calm down was likely because he hadn’t yet seen enough sincerity to be moved.
So.
“Let’s hear it.”
***
Natalie and Dawson were waiting outside the building. While they wanted to give the couple some privacy, the bigger reason was that they didn’t want to get caught up in the commotion.
Their job was to assist, so they didn’t know how to spend the sudden free time and ended up staying together.
Of course, Natalie wasn’t doing anything sentimental; her gaze was sharp, keeping a close watch on Dawson to ensure he didn’t act out of line. She followed his every move, glaring at him.
Then, hearing a strange noise coming from an open window, her eyes widened.
“What does it matter that his memory has returned? What significance does that have?”
The two of them, as if on cue, shoved each other aside and rushed into the building.
To be honest, even Albrecht had realized long ago that he was screwed. No matter how meticulous a plan you make, it rarely goes as expected once it starts—this was a truth he had learned through life. But if it turned out that his assumptions were wrong, then the entire genre of the story changed.
If you stripped away the family ties, Marie and Kalik were just like any other young couple you’d find on the street. A couple who clashed and collided over their differences, sometimes seemingly incompatible, yet somehow finding ways to compromise and adjust to each other.
Perhaps because of this, Albrecht had fallen into a strange dilemma after hearing that Kalik’s memory had returned long ago. It wasn’t worry that he might have done something wrong, but rather a brief reflection on timing.
Had I acted too quickly?
Maybe I should’ve waited a little longer.
This thought weighed most heavily on him when Kalik, despite having regained his memory, said he still loved Marie.
He had almost blurted out, “Why are you telling me this now?” out of frustration. But at this point, what difference did it make?
Throughout the conversation, Kalik never lost his composure. He explained everything clearly, without adding or omitting anything, speaking only the truth and expressing his feelings with sincerity. Even when every sentence was followed by a question, he never once got angry.
Moreover, his speech was crafted in a way that neither belittled himself nor insulted Albrecht, making it impossible to lash out at him. In short, his explanations and reasoning were flawless.
So, by the end of the conversation, Albrecht was left with two choices: either stubbornly stick to his stance or grudgingly step back and plan for the future.
The ideal scenario would have been for him to step back with a wise remark like, “If you’re happy, then I have no choice.” But unfortunately, Albrecht’s pride was sky-high. And his deeply ingrained habit of saving face, honed since his school days, kicked in, pushing him to charge forward.
And it did so with a vengeance.
“Time that has passed cannot be compensated for with anything.”
“I understand. That’s why I’ll love her even more…”
“Enough!”
‘My ears are going to burst from all this love talk!’
Albrecht grabbed his hair, breathing heavily. The hot breath rising from his throat heated his entire face. His stomach churned, and his chest felt tight—unbearably uncomfortable and ominous.
No matter what he did, it felt like everything was slipping out of his hands. Or perhaps it had never been in his hands to begin with.
They say the goddess of opportunity is bald, but that’s just the lament of those who’ve at least seen her.
What Albrecht had been staring at all this time was likely just a shiny egg-shaped head that looked like hers.
Then, suddenly, he became fixated on the idea of God.