“Why don’t you hate me?”

When those words came out of Edward’s mouth, Ania’s eyes blinked rapidly, momentarily unable to comprehend what she had heard.

She looked up at Edward, confused, and only then did she see his eyes.
They resembled the frail branches of winter, trembling as the wind passed.

She had always understood the deep emotions reflected in those eyes, but this time, she couldn’t read them at all.

Ania couldn’t find the words to say and merely pursed her lips.

There was no reason to hate him.

Edward hadn’t wronged her, nor had he broken any promises.

“Why…”

That was all Ania managed to utter.

Her body felt drained of energy.

Looking at Ania in such a state, Edward gazed at her with intense longing.

“Because I hate you, and seeing you fills me with uncontrollable rage.”
“You… don’t love me anymore.”

Edward grasped Ania’s shoulders.

“Because… I hate you to death.”
“Yeah.”

Ania nodded faintly, smiling.

“You can hate me. I understand completely.

Even though it’s not my fault, that’s all you can conclude.
No matter how I try to explain the twisted situation, it will only sound like excuses.

However, Ania never had a moment where she hated Edward.

Even if that man bound her in such a way that she could never escape, even if he used her as a means to his own success, Ania’s heart would remain unchanged.

“You can hate me.”

With a slight smile, Ania nodded.

The seething hatred,
The icy condemnation,
They were all feelings for Ania and would always be for her.
So she could only be happy.

“But I will never hate you, Edward.”

If that man didn’t exist,
Living would have no meaning.
For the young Ania, who once wished for death,
Edward was life itself.

Though she had lived forgetting for many years, from the time she matured, that man was always the one who made Ania want to live.

She had no reason to hate Edward.
Edward was as essential as life itself.

“If there is one thing you should believe, it is this.”

Looking at Ania’s smile mixed with tears, Edward gritted his teeth.

Not hate, but not love either.

Upon hearing those words, everything became clear.
The reason why this woman left him and why, even after leaving, she came back.

Obsession.

She was just a tiny goldfish floating in a bowl, hoping for her owner’s love, but she only received food.
She knew how miserable it was, yet she couldn’t break free.

It was a futile hope. For a moment, he entertained the idea that perhaps she still loved him.

Despite begging so harshly, he considered the reason she approached him again as pure love.

“I don’t hate you, Edward….”

A fiery passion rose in Edward’s heart.

With narrowed eyes, he stared fiercely at Ania.

“Even if I hate you enough to kill you?”
“Yes.”
“Even if I take away everything you love?”
“Yes.”
“Even if I insult and trample upon your family?”
“Yes.”

Spewing out sharp words, Ania still nodded.

“Even if… I kill you?”

Finally spitting out the words he had deeply swallowed inside, Edward’s face was suddenly closer to Ania’s as if he was about to devour her.

His pupils were sparkling like flames, and Ania stared deeply without averting her gaze.

When their eyes met, the surroundings fell into a tranquil silence as if only the two of them remained in the world.

Ania looked into Edward’s eyes,
To see what was hidden within.

After a long while of silently gazing at each other, Ania’s lips curled up slightly.

“I have no reason to hate you.”

Ania smiled brightly as she spoke. A single tear trickled down from her eyes.

“Even in death.”

Life without you is a life that is not worth living. Even if you kill me, I won’t resent you.

Even though that sentiment was love, they couldn’t understand each other’s feelings.

Realizing it was love, their hearts had broken for two years.

Like a ceramic piece that fell off the shelf and shattered into countless fragments…

The emotions that had turned into numerous shards were scattered so widely that it was unclear where to begin putting them back together.

The hearts of the two standing in the same place were heading in completely different directions.

Just like that divergence, as if suddenly, the rain falling from the sky turned into tiny snowflakes.

The delicate and tiny snowflakes melted as they touched their heads and skin.

Smiling silently, Ania wiped away the tears drying on her eyelids and turned away.

“Edward.”
“…….”
“The words I said in the Tower weren’t lies. I sent you letters every day.”

Edward silently watched Ania’s back.

Ania turned slightly.

Her feather-like hair cascaded softly.

“Every day, I sent out a letter with a heart willing to wait forever.”
“Are you asking me to believe that?”
“Yeah.”
“As if.”

Ania smiled bitterly and then pressed herself against Edward’s body.

Ania’s blue eyes looked up at him.

“Edward. I…”

With those words, Ania burst into laughter.

“Haha…”

Her pure laughter echoed vividly in Edward’s ears.

“I’m going to abandon the Brontë family.”
“What?”
“Exactly like I said. My father was the one who made me approach you at the Bronte estate, with your money as the objective.”
“…?”
“So I’m going to abandon them.”

Ania looked up at the sky.
Snowflakes fell.
They touched her face.
And melted.

The warmth of her cheeks meeting the cold snowflakes cooled down.

“Don’t talk nonsense.”
“Why do you think that?”
“You can’t do that.”
“I can.”

Ania’s hand touched Edward’s cheek.

“What a petty family we are…”

Compared to losing that man for a lifetime, anything else was insignificant.
Ania conveyed that message with her gaze.

Edward’s pupils trembled.

“…What do you want?”
“I want you.”
“What do you want from me by abandoning even your family? To possess and toy with me?”

His eyes narrowed.

Passersby hurriedly rushed elsewhere, avoiding eye contact,
While Edward and Ania stood still like rocks in the middle of the stream.

Ania watched the passing people and remembered.

Among so many people, the reason why this person alone seemed special.

It was love.
Despite Edward’s desperate denial, it was love.
Ania couldn’t deny the possessiveness akin to obsession, but she believed that obsession was also a form of love.

So it was love.

“What do you–”

As soon as he spoke those words, Ania collapsed as if all strength had left her.

Perhaps it was because she had been standing in the cold for so long,
But just as suddenly, warm and sturdy arms caught Ania and lifted her.

She weakly raised her head.
The man wore a bewildered expression at his own actions.

But Ania wasn’t.

‘He loves me.’

He may think it’s hatred, but it’s love.

Of course, it wasn’t as deep as Ania’s love for him.
It was still like a seed buried in the soil,
But with care and love, it will sprout.
It will grow stems and eventually blooms flowers.

Ania smiled.

“Love me.”
“……”

Supported by Edward’s strong arms, Ania raised her head and looked straight into the lovely man’s eyes.

Now, it didn’t matter what happened.

“Please love me.”

No matter how broken it was,
No matter how irreversibly it had collapsed,
Even if it meant trying to change the past…

“Love me, please…”

Ania had the confidence to do anything.

Because she loved this man who was in such a sorry state.
Because this man so desperately wanted her to love him.

Ania slowly wrapped her arms tightly around Edward’s body.

“It’s okay if you hate me.”

The warmth emanating from his body felt comforting.

“I’ll do anything you want.”

Even though he had erected walls of hatred,
He couldn’t resist when she embraced him.

“I’ll do whatever you want.”

Even in the scorching heat of burning seasons,
She stood tall like a goldenglow, even in the freezing cold,
She couldn’t possibly give up this man whom she loved.

“So, Edward.”

If she could receive this man’s love,
Ania felt like she could do anything.

She couldn’t even remember how she managed to endure these two years.

“Let’s get married. Again.”

In the place where the man known as the Empire’s Sun met his death,
Ania died and was reborn once again.

Author’s Note (Author’s Postscript)

Finally, we’ve reached this point… Thank you for waiting so long.