4.5

Bang! Bang! Bang!  

Just as dinner was about to end, loud knocking echoed through the mansion. A servant opened the door to find a towering man standing before him. The man’s cold and intimidating presence made the servant shrink back as he asked,  

“Wh-who might you be, my lord?”  

“I heard that Lady Larisa Lochrain is here. Is she inside?”  

“Ah, um, but who might you be…?”  

“Tell them it’s Ainsley.”  

There was no way the servant didn’t recognize the name of the renowned Ducal House. Alarmed, the servant ran inside. Pavel remained standing in place, waiting for someone to return.  

Soon, a man and a woman, both appearing to be of considerable age, rushed out with the servant. Their faces were pale as they hurriedly approached Pavel, almost stumbling over themselves.  

“A-Ah, no! Duke Ainsley!”  

“It is an honor to meet you for the first time, Your Grace.”  

The two were the Viscount and Viscountess of Goth. They looked utterly bewildered, unable to comprehend why Duke Ainsley had arrived alone, without an entourage, riding only a single horse, and at such a late hour.  

Pavel, however, exercised patience and asked again,  

“Is Lady Larisa Lochrain here?”  

“Ah, yes, if you mean Lady Lochrain, she is here. We were just enjoying some after-dinner drinks together. Oh dear, please don’t stay out here; come inside.”  

“You there, guide His Grace to the drawing room. Your Grace, I will bring Lady Larisa to you right away.” 

The Viscountess said, smiling warmly.  

Pavel stared at the two for a moment before following the servant to the drawing room. Left behind, the Viscount and Viscountess exchanged uneasy glances and whispered to each other in hushed tones.  

“Wasn’t it over?”  

“Lady Larisa said it was!”  

“Ah, this is troublesome. What if we end up offending him?”  

“Surely, if we just explain it was a simple social gathering, it’ll be fine, won’t it?”  

“For now, just hurry and bring Larisa Lochrain here. Did you see his eyes? If we make him wait any longer, he might just tear our house apart.”  

“Oh my, oh my. I understand.”  

The Viscountess hurried to the dining room, where Larisa was laughing and enjoying drinks with her friends and the Viscount’s sons. Approaching her with a forced smile, the Viscountess leaned in and whispered,  

“Lady Larisa, I think you need to step out for a moment.”  

“What? Why? What’s going on?”  

“Let’s talk outside first, shall we?”  

Noticing the Viscountess nervously glancing around, seemingly eager to remove her from the room, Larisa realized what was happening. She placed her glass down and stood up.  

“Excuse me for a moment.”

She said, gracefully excusing herself from the table.  

Walking out of the dining room with elegant steps, Larisa was followed closely by the Viscountess, who whispered,  

“Duke Ainsley is here.”  

“I see.”  

“Are you alright? If you need any help, just say the word.”  

“Thank you for your concern, Madame. But the Duke won’t do anything bad, so there’s no need to worry.”  

‘I’ll be the one doing something bad from now on.’ 

Keeping that thought to herself, Larisa opened the door to the drawing room.  

Inside, Pavel, his face haggard from a day of hard riding, was pacing back and forth, unable to sit down. The moment he saw Larisa, his eyes lit up. The Viscountess, both anxious and curious, glanced at the two before quietly closing the door behind her.  

Pavel quickly approached Larisa and held her hands tightly.  

“Larisa. I missed you.”  

“I trust you returned safely?”  

“Yes. I tried to come back as quickly as possible. But when I heard you weren’t in the capital… I came to find you.”  

“I’ll be returning in a few days.”  

Larisa’s indifferent tone and refusal to meet his gaze made Pavel feel like his heart was sinking. He had ridden all day, imagining her smiling and warmly welcoming him. But now…  

It felt as though his worst nightmare, one he had only imagined, had materialized before his eyes.  

Struggling to steady his trembling lips, Pavel asked Larisa,  

“Do you need to stay here much longer? If it’s alright, would you return with me?”  

“At this hour? At night? Without a carriage?”  

“I’ll ask the Viscount to lend us a carriage. If it’s too late today, then tomorrow morning—could you come with me?”  

“Oh, come on. I just came out to have some fun, so why are you making such a fuss? And could you at least make some sense? How am I supposed to explain suddenly leaving like this?”  

At Larisa’s irritated words, Pavel fell silent.  

She glanced at him briefly, then crossed her arms and turned her body away.  

“You could’ve just waited in the capital. Things were going so well here, you know. Seriously.”  

“……”  

Seeing Pavel remain silent, Larisa snapped at him again.  

“What, am I not allowed to go out and enjoy myself with my friends? Is it really necessary to make things so suffocating for me, right after you return? I mean, coming here so late at night, only to say we should go back—what is that even supposed to mean?”  

“…Larisa.”  

Pavel bit his lip as a sudden realization swept over him. What he had thought could never happen seemed to shatter into pieces beneath his feet. Gently, he turned Larisa to face him, his hands cautious, and asked,  

“Are you truly refusing to return with me?”  

“I told you, I’ll be back in the capital in a few days.”  

“…Am I no longer necessary to you?”  

At those words, Larisa finally looked at Pavel. Her deep blue eyes glimmered darkly. She let out a short laugh and brushed off Pavel’s hands, which had been holding her arms.  

“Well, maybe you aren’t.”  

“Why? Suddenly? What’s the reason?”  

“Do I need a reason? Sometimes, things just happen.”  

Her indifferent response made Pavel feel as though his chest was being torn apart. As he stood there, his face filled with pain, Larisa delivered even crueler words.  

“You said you’d step aside cleanly if someone else came along, didn’t you? Isn’t that what you promised?”  

“……”  

“You don’t have to, though. But I’ve been having some fun here. It’s been a while since I’ve met someone who wasn’t too naive or overly pliant. Oh, Pavel, if you’re okay with it, you can stay the way you’ve always been. But I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mind me meeting Ed from time to time. Actually, it’s not just Ed; there’s been a rather interesting gathering lately…”  

“So, Larisa, I’m no longer of any use to you.”  

Pavel’s voice came out dry, his gaze wandering aimlessly. Watching him, pale and wounded by her words, Larisa felt her chest tighten as though being squeezed.  

But she reminded herself not to waver. She had already decided. After all, this man was destined to end up with another woman—a member of the royal family, no less. It was better to leave him before being abandoned herself. 

Larisa steeled herself and spoke even more harshly.  

“When did I ever say you weren’t needed?”  

“It seems the time has come to fulfill the promise we made at the beginning.”  

His willingness to leave so easily irritated her. Raising her eyebrows sharply, Larisa pressed him further.  

“Yes, let’s call it that. Pavel, I’m tired of being with just one person. It’s suffocating, having someone look only at me all the time. That’s why.”  

“……”  

“So let’s end this, shall we?”  

Pavel didn’t respond. He didn’t say a word. He simply stared at Larisa, his expression blank. Feeling frustrated, Larisa raised her voice slightly.  

“Are you even listening to me?”  

“Could you reconsider, just once more?”  

“What did you say?”  

“I love you, Larisa. Please, don’t abandon me.”  

He took something out from his chest pocket and carefully slipped it onto Larisa’s finger. Larisa stared silently at the ring now on her hand.  

Why now, of all times?  

A storm of emotions churned within her. 

Did he really not know about the rumors surrounding him and the Princess? Why did he choose this moment to offer me such a thing? Was this some kind of ploy to lure me in, only to abandon me later?  

But Larisa swallowed all those questions. It felt pathetic to even ask. Why should she be the one desperate for love?  

It was his fault for making her feel so insecure. Acting as though she was the only one for him, pouring all his affection on her—only for her to wonder if, behind her back, he was weighing her against the Princess. It was all Pavel Ainsley’s fault.  

She didn’t want to feel anxious by his side.  

He was the one who had taught her what affection was in the first place.  

Quietly, Larisa removed the ring from her finger. It had been in his possession for so long that its warmth lingered.  

She returned the ring to Pavel’s hand.  

“It’s too late now.”  

“Larisa… please…”  

“You knew what kind of person I was from the start, didn’t you? You knew, and yet you were the one who asked me to be with you.”  

Tears welled up in Pavel’s eyes. Larisa hated that she wanted to wipe them away.  

In a cold voice, she gave him her final words.  

“Take care on your way back. I won’t see you off.”  

She turned her back on him. But after only a few steps, she felt his hand grab hers. Before she could react, she was pulled into his arms with a sudden, sharp movement.  

Pavel buried his face in her shoulder, sobbing and gasping for air.  

“Even if you call me a liar, I don’t care. Even if there’s… someone else, I don’t care. Just please… let me stay by your side.”  

“…Pavel.” 

“I can’t live without you. I just… can’t…”  

Larisa sighed, still held in his embrace without resistance.  

“Pavel, you’ll survive without me.”  

“Larisa…”  

“There’s someone else out there who suits you better.”  

Someone like Princess Alicia, for instance. 

Larisa swallowed those words and pushed Pavel away. This time, he didn’t try to hold her back. His arms fell limply at his sides.  

The tears streaming down his face made him look utterly miserable. Who had ever seen this proud and steadfast man completely break down like this? Larisa felt relieved that she was the only one who had witnessed it. She didn’t want anyone else to see him like this.  

Without saying another word, she turned away. This time, Pavel didn’t try to stop her.  

After leaving the drawing room and closing the door behind her, Larisa shut her eyes tightly. She felt an overwhelming urge to scream and throw something, anything. But this wasn’t the place for that.  

She composed herself and returned to the dining room as if nothing had happened. Smiling at the curious faces around her, she sat down and finished the after-dinner drink left in her glass.  

Not long after, she quietly left the Viscount’s mansion, just as a horse had arrived earlier.  

News of Larisa and Pavel’s breakup spread quickly throughout the capital. People closely watched their next moves. Larisa seemed to be enjoying herself, attending parties and basking in the attention of various men. Pavel, on the other hand, appeared to have returned to the disciplined and ascetic lifestyle he had led when he was nicknamed the “Monastic Knight.”  

However, what people failed to notice was that Larisa no longer pursued romantic relationships with any man, and Pavel refrained from any kind of personal interaction.  

To others, it simply seemed like nothing had changed for either of them.