Assisi’s story came as a shock to me. I knew right from the beginning that Assisi was continually trying to be in the dark, but I never imagined it to be so severe. I knew there was something huge, but it wasn’t something I could’ve guessed.

  Parental abuse.

  How the hell did the scars on the little child’s body manage to stay even after the child grew up?

  I shuddered at the thought of it, but I didn’t say anything since I could only pity Assisi.

  True, I was useless and incompetent. I could do nothing for Assisi.

  I really was useless to anyone.

  However, my thoughts drifted over to dad.

  “Anyway, it is love-hate.”


  It seemed like ‘love’ had gone somewhere while ‘hate’ stayed.

  With a sigh, I spent my last night in Bureti. As I watched the sunset, the story Assisi said the day before popped into my head.

  My first meeting with Assisi came into my mind.

  Yeah, well, compared to those days, he seemed a lot more human.

  “Miss Ria.”


  “Uh, Ahin.”


  When I was returning to my room, I smiled when I saw Ahin. He greeted me with a light smile.

  “Heading back to your room?”


  “Yes, I was just about to go back.”


  “After Uprichit, you’ll be leaving, right?”


  He was asking if I was heading back to Agrigient. I nodded without even thinking.

  “I guess you would.”


  “Yes.”


  Somehow, I noticed that Ahin was trying to mask his expression. Ahin approached me.

  “If you go……”


  I looked into Ahin’s eyes.

  “I will never get to see you again.”


  A strange feeling overflowed in me. His gaze made me nervous.

  “Yes, well, I guess so.”


  Probably, it was a natural step to stay in the palace for a long time.

  Silence spread around us.

  I wanted to smile, but for some reason, I couldn’t.

  “Will you marry me?”


  Huh? Huh!? What did I just hear?

  “What?”


  Ahin smiled as I questioned him back. Meanwhile, the window of the corridor shimmered with starlight.

  What did the guy just say?

  “To be honest.”


  “.……?”


  “I don’t want you to go.”


  Suddenly, my body felt weak.

  He didn’t want me to leave. What did that even mean?

  “When I first saw you in Lorlan, I thought I must have been dreaming. There was no way you would be there.”


  Ahin looked at me with prying eyes as if ensuring if I was real. With a faint longingness in his eyes, for the first time, I felt confused.

  “I always feel it. You are just too far from me.”


  Ahin kissed me on my forehead. I held my breath, not knowing what to do.

  “Goodnight.”


  Ahin walked away; I couldn’t move.

  What was it? What did it mean? Really! What did he do?

  “What to do!”


  Confused, I placed both my hands on my cheeks. I rethought what had just happened.

  I mean, I needed to know.

  Did I just get proposed to? Really? For real? And an honest one? Really! Realllly!

  In the end, he smiled, but he didn’t seem like the kind of man who would just throw around the word marriage nonchalantly.

  Oh, no. I had to get to my room right away. I had to calm down. My nerves would relax after resting. Yes, I would!

  At that moment, I turned to find another man who made me go stiff.

  “H-Havel!”


  Shocked, I gasped while calling his name. Havel seemed angry, like he wanted to kill someone.

  “To be out with a man all alone on such a night.”


  “Then, what are you?”


  ‘Isn’t he a man too?’


  There was no way he wasn’t a man. I, for sure, knew that he was probably the manliest one I knew.

  Havel raised his eyebrows and grabbed my wrist while pushing my back against the wall.

  Woah, wait!

  ‘What kind of situation is this?’ A sense of crisis rushed over me. Why was I feeling like that?!

  I wanted to rebel against him, but when I looked into Havel’s eyes, I couldn’t speak. His fiery dark red eyes seemed to gaze into my soul; no, he wanted to catch me as his prey.

  I would not be discovered as a corpse tomorrow, right?

  I didn’t know what to answer as he touched me, not to mention the blush which crept onto my cheek and my trembling hands.

  It would be better if I would rather talk.

  No, no. I should just let this go.

  After seeing Havel like that, I didn’t think I could do anything. Whatever.

  “Fine.”


  How much time passed in silence?

  Suddenly, Havel’s expression calmed. His anger and the pressure disappeared while I was stunned. He immediately patted my head before walking away.

  “Go to sleep.”


  Sleep. Havel went away while I stood in the corridor alone, sigh……

  I think it was wrong to fall asleep after what happened.