Only then did everything fall into place.

Why he hadn’t come for so long even after the rain had stopped, why he had never given her any explanation.

Everything.

“…Don’t worry.”

The lips that had always hesitated, afraid of saying the wrong thing, now parted with quiet ease.

“I won’t do anything to stand in the way of the two of you.”

“You’ll really do that?”

Ariella’s face brightened instantly, a radiant smile spreading across her lips.

“Everything is already prepared, but Delphi keeps delaying the decision because he’s worried about you. If you cooperate, I’m sure he’ll change his mind.”

Perhaps because Ilenia had agreed so readily, Ariella began to speak more freely, even without prompting.

Following the death of their child, Ilenia’s position had become unstable.

Previously, there had at least been an heir, making divorce unthinkable.

Now, however, public opinion seemed to be leaning in that direction.

There were whispers too, never spoken about openly, yet impossible to ignore.

Rumors circulated about her mental state.

Some rumors even hinted at a s*icide attempt.

Once they began, the words poured out without restraint.

“Oh, and don’t worry about life after the divorce. The Calante family will support you generously.”

“It’s alright.”

“Take it while it’s offered. Pride doesn’t make life any easier, you know?”

Ilenia shook her head firmly.

“I appreciate the offer, but I truly don’t need it.”

“Well, if that’s what you want.”

Ariella shrugged, seemingly unwilling to pursue the matter any further.

Her attention soon drifted elsewhere.

As her mood improved, her teacup was refilled twice more.

By the time she had finished her fourth cup, she finally stood up.

“Well then, I’ll be going. Please do speak well of me to Delphius.”

Ilenia even waved her off as she left. Only after the door closed did she slowly turn back, leaning her body against the wooden surface.

‘This is right.’

‘Yes… this is enough.’

She was a woman who couldn’t protect her own child.

It was time to let go of the luxury and comfort that had never suited her.

Too weak to go back to her bedroom, Ilenia slumped into a chair in the living room.

The teacups that had been left behind were cold by now, but their faint fragrance lingered in the air.

Without Ariella’s laughter and lively voice, the room was filled with a strange, suffocating silence.

The ticking of the clock. The soft rustle of the wind stirring the curtains ordinary sounds flooded her senses, overwhelming her.

Cold.

Without realizing it, Ilenia wrapped her arms around herself and curled up.

‘Why is it so cold?

Summer is already near.

I should light a fire.

Where is the firewood?

Where is Delphius?

Our child…

At least the child should be warm…

Dong— Dong—’

The clock struck the hour.

At that moment, she lifted her head.

The piercing cries of a child that had once filled her mind had long since faded.

Only then did Ilenia lower her gaze to her hands.

The skin beneath her nails, which had only just begun to heal, had been torn open again and was stained with fresh blood.

Her hands, which had once been neat and delicate, now looked worse than those of a laborer at the height of the harvest season.

Ilenia pressed both hands tightly against her throbbing temples.

Everything had been wrong from the beginning.

Like buttons fastened incorrectly from the outset.

From the moment she wanted something beyond her station, her fate was sealed.

And even now, she couldn’t bear the fact that Delphius still occupied her thoughts.

She had once been happy in the warmth and comfort he provided. Of course, there had been hardships. But they had seemed insignificant when she looked at him.

His gentle gaze was reserved only for her.

That smile was so beautiful that she could do nothing but stare.

Deceived by that illusion, Ilenia had fallen in love with her husband.

Her first love.

Tears slipped from beneath her fingers, which were covering her eyes.

They came just as fiercely as her love for him had been deep, blurring her vision.

Through all the pain and endurance, there had been only one reason she had held on.

And now, she had to let it go. She had to erase that feeling and walk away. From a man who had never shown her his true self.

From someone she had believed she had opened her heart to, yet who had never truly seen her.

From Delphius, who had never really looked at her.

***

Much later, her sobbing finally stopped.

She covered her flushed ears with her hair.

She pulled her hat down low to hide her swollen, tear-streaked eyes.

This made her look somewhat presentable.

She put on a pair of gloves to hide the dried blood on her hands, and stepped outside.

“Milady, where are you going?”

An unfamiliar maid stopped her.

On the day Delphius arrived, every maid in the house had been replaced.

The ones she had only just begun to recognize had disappeared, and strangers now filled the small house.

He hadn’t said anything outright, but she understood.

He knew she had run out without saying goodbye.

Replacing the maids who had failed to stop her was his way of saying as much.

That was his answer.

It was a warning: Never do such a thing again.

He turned the household upside down to make that point clear.

Then he left.

He never came back.

“I’m just stepping out for a bit.”

“You shouldn’t go out alone without saying anything. It will only take a moment—please let me come with you.”

The maid, visibly uneasy, stepped in front of her again.

“I’m only going just outside the house. It’s hardly a grand outing that requires an escort.”

“Even so, going alone is a bit…”

“Did Delphius say I’m not allowed?”

“…!”

The maid, who had been blocking her so firmly, turned pale. Her lowered hands clenched tightly together.

“That I’m not allowed to go out alone, no matter what?”

“Th-that’s…”

Ilenia smiled faintly.

“How much were you paid?”

“Milady, it’s not like that—”

“You and I—if we both pretend not to notice, that’s enough, isn’t it?”

“I’m sorry, milady. I cannot do that.”

“If you won’t let me, then I’ll do as I please.”

“Milady, please—just reconsider—”

Their drawn-out standoff continued until the sound of knocking broke through between them.

“I’ve come to deliver something.”

A familiar voice.

The tone of someone she had resolved never to see again echoed from beyond the door.

“There shouldn’t be anything to receive.”

“Well…”

A faint chuckle lingered at the end of his words.

“It was delivered properly. I no longer have any use for it.”

“Lady Lukehardt.”

At the concern in his voice, her chest tightened without her realizing.

Ilenia pushed her gloved hands deeper into the folds of her skirt.

“…Are you truly planning to stop everything? I heard you’ve even ended my mother’s treatment.”

Ilenia remained silent.

With her hat pulled low, her face was hidden from view.

Unable to bear it, Raymond lowered his head slightly to look at her but she turned away completely.

“Yes. I’m stopping.”

“May I ask why?”

The silence that followed was similar to that during their consultations.

Whenever she couldn’t bring herself to say something, Ilenia remained silent.

Ilenia chose silence.

Rather than letting the emotions tangled in her chest spill out, she buried them deeper, locking them away.

And that only made it hurt more.

Her unhappiness, each time he was confronted with the remnants of her joyless past, a quiet surge of pity rose within him that he couldn’t bring himself to suppress.

“…There is no one who shouldn’t be allowed to be happy.”

“……”

“God gives those who repent their sins another chance. I don’t believe it’s something people have the right to take away.”

“Unfortunately… I don’t think I’ll ever be given that chance.”

“Milady.”

“I haven’t repented for my sins.”

How could she?

Every night, she fell asleep longing for her child. Rather than praying for her child’s peace, she selfishly begged to see her in her dreams, even if only once. What kind of mother does that make her?

How could someone like her ever be forgiven?

The faint curve of her lips appeared once, then again, and again.

“Will you take me to the sea?”

“…What?”

Startled, Raymond finally met her gaze and hurriedly replied,

“If that’s the case, once the weather gets a little cooler—”

“Right now.”

She cut him off.

Her voice was firm.

“I want to see the sea—right now.”

Her reddened eyes met his directly.

It was a resolve she had never shown before.

And yet, for some reason, that firmness looked, to him, like a silent plea—

‘Please tell me not to go.’

“In that case… shall we just buy what we need along the way?”

“…What?”

“Even if we manage to get a carriage right now, we’ll only be able to buy night train tickets. It would be best to pick up a blanket or something to cover yourself with.”

“What are you saying…?”

“You can call me Raymond, like before.”

“……”

“If we happen to get separated during the trip, you should at least be able to call my name.”

And just like that, he started thinking out loud about the route to the train station and what she would need for the long journey ahead.

How should he arrange the carriage?

He spoke as if he were going to take her to the sea right then and there.

No —

He would.

If she asked, he would take her hand and accompany her all the way to the station.

That was the kind of person he was.

Someone warm.

He could care for a stranger in need and treat them with quiet, unwavering kindness.

He was too good to be dragged into something as reckless and trivial as her impulsive decision.

And precisely because of that, she couldn’t let him become part of it.

“…No.”

Her voice softened.

“I spoke out of turn.”

“But I truly—”

“Please… forget you heard anything.”

“…Lady Lukehardt.”

“Marlenda is no longer my doctor. So I would appreciate it if you didn’t come to see me like this anymore.”

At that moment, Raymond’s eyes trembled violently.