Ian reached out to catch Selena, as she seemed on the verge of collapsing. However, his action proved unnecessary.

Selena did not collapse.

As if something was holding her up, she stood there in an awkward stance.

Before Ian could fully grasp the situation, a warm breeze reached him.

“What’s going on here?”

Ian stiffly turned his head at the voice coming from behind. The green eyes he met were filled with burning anger.

* * *

Shortly after Selena and Ian left.

‘Go after them.’

‘What?’

Aiden frowned at the softly whispered order.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders as Aiden expressed his annoyance without hiding it.

Like watching a grown-up foal. That’s what Lucas thought as he gestured toward Selena and Ian.

‘Something seems off. Just follow them.’

Aiden’s eyes also followed the departing pair.

‘Even if they’re hiding something, if it’s Miss’ decision…’

Lucas cut off Aiden’s musing.

‘She seemed unwell, didn’t she?’

‘…I noticed that, too.’

Her thin back, weak gait, and subtly tensed lips during the meal. How could he not notice? But he pretended not to. It wasn’t like her to tolerate being asked if she’s sick in a crowded place.

Perhaps Priest Ian accompanied her for that reason.

‘Looks like she’s having trouble digesting. Priest Ian is with her, so she should be fine.’

‘Is that really all?’

Was that the only reason?

A shadow fell over Lucas’ eyes. The figure of the woman leaving reminded him of his mother. His mother had been frail since his childhood and always tried to hide her pain from her young son.

Oddly, memories of those times kept resurfacing.

Lucas sighed deeply and the sound escaped unintentionally.

Aiden quickly glanced at Lucas at the sound.

The Miss’ figure was blurred in his dark eyes.

A deep sigh and shadowed eyes.

Aiden licked his dry lips. Whether it was due to Lucas’ urging or his own growing unease, he felt restless.

He detested the idea of following someone, especially his Miss.

Such a petty act, yet the unease that had arisen wouldn’t easily subside.

‘Aiden, you are really… consistent.’

Occasionally, there were moments like this. When her pale face lingered in his mind.

A thudding heart, so intense it felt like it was shaking.

And then her faint voice would come to mind.

During those moments, he felt incredibly anxious and longed to see her face.

Aiden stood up. To the onlookers’ gazes, he maintained a calm smile and spoke.

‘It might be dangerous for just the two of them, I’ll go after them. I am the Miss’ escort, after all.’

His pretextual statement was met only with Lucas’ relaxed laughter.

Facing Lucas’ teasing expression, Aiden exhaled deeply and began to walk.

And so, the current situation unfolded.

“Aiden.”

“Priest Ian. What’s going on here?”

Ian’s gaze was unstable, flickering down repeatedly as he moved in panic.

Following Ian’s shaking gaze, a pool of red on the ground was evident to Aiden.

Aiden abruptly stopped as he took in the sight. Ian attempted to hide the pool too late. Aiden had already seen everything.

“A… Aiden?”

Aiden’s hair fluttered slightly, not due to the winter breeze, but from the hot wind emanating from him.

He remained silent, his fingers trembling slightly as if frozen.

“Miss…”

His voice was tinged with a sob.

As Aiden staggered forward, Ian stepped back, obscuring Selena from view. Aiden’s furrowed brows fixed Ian with an intense stare.

“Step aside.”

“I can’t.”

“Priest, I….don’t understand what’s going on here. Please, step aside.”

Ian shook his head.

Neither could he bear to look at Aiden’s tearful eyes nor face Selena lying on the ground with blood trickling from her mouth… He could only stare at the ground.

“Priest.”

Aiden’s voice was biting as he addressed Ian.

“The Lady….wished for it to be a secret.”

That was cruel. That answer was even more cruel. She wanted it to be a secret. He couldn’t tell him.

The situation… was not fit for revelation.

The pool of blood, the Miss with blood on her lips, eyes closed, and the Priest blocking the view to keep her secret.

Aiden had lived a tumultuous life. He knew this situation was bad. No, it was more than bad. It was terrible.

Aiden lifted his head and looked at the blue sky between the dense trees. He tried to hold back his tears by looking up, but it was in vain as they streamed down his face.

“…..That pool of blood doesn’t seem like something that should be kept a secret…”

“….When the trip is over, she said she would speak of it herself. She asked me with such earnestness.”

Aiden’s lips quivered and then sealed shut.

Ten years had passed since he entered the Duke’s residence.

Almost half his life. To him, the Miss was pain and anger and at the same time, joy, and happiness.

His first experience of love.

The only person who had ever inspired that emotion in him.

In a life filled with darkness and unease, the Miss was his light and color.

Yes, she was his life, his one and only… Miss.

She asked earnestly. How could he pry into her secret?

Aiden roughly wiped his face and clasped his hands together like in a prayer.

The vibration of his trembling hands was clear. After looking at his shaking hands, he nodded. This meant he wouldn’t ask any further.

Ian gave a small thank you.

Both men remained silent for a moment.

Aiden wiped away his tears and walked past Ian, who didn’t try to stop him further.

Aiden wiped Selena’s blood stained lips. His handkerchief was dyed red.

“I’ll carry her. To the others, we can say it was just a case of overeating.”

“Thank you, Aiden.”

Aiden didn’t respond to Ian’s gratitude. He just lifted Selena into his arms silently. As he turned, he noticed a faint wrinkle on her forehead, even when she was asleep.

With lips pressed tightly together, Aiden reached out to the traces Selena had left behind. The wind harshly scattered the dirt, covering the remnants.

As he began to walk, his posture was upright, his gaze fixed forward. Without any sign of trembling or redness in his eyes.

Quietly carrying the peacefully sleeping Selena… he walked.

* * *

Where am I…? Through half-open eyelids, I saw the unfamiliar ceiling. No, not entirely unfamiliar.

It was the same room I had slept in last night. The house in the capital, my room.

Ah, I’m so thirsty.

My throat felt heavy and sore… as if it was blocked. Then I remembered vomiting blood, watching the pool of blood form before my vision blurred.

Blood? Right, I vomited blood and collapsed, but what happened after that?

I tried to sit up, and my head started pounding.

I gripped my temples so intensely, but the pain didn’t go away. I couldn’t dismiss it as just a headache from high blood pressure.

“Haa.”

A breath like a sigh escaped me.

Blinking slowly, I gave up on the headache subsiding and got up from the bed.

And then I stopped.

There was a man standing with his back to the door. His eyes were fixed on me.

In the dark shadows, his face seemed as precarious as a flickering candle flame.

A red light was cast over his face, was it from the candlelight, or tear stains?

“Aiden.”

Aiden didn’t respond. He just looked at me with those guilt-ridden eyes I had seen once before.

Why are you looking at me like that? As if you’re the one who’s guilty… Questions that I wanted to ask swirled in my throat.

“To the others…. I’ve explained that you collapsed from indigestion.”

__