Anyway, all those words ultimately meant that they loved each other.

If they could have compromised and reached an agreement like normal lovers, it would have been better.

‘…Unfortunately, they couldn’t do that.’

Because he loved her, Dad tried to take Mom and us to a ‘proper place.’

Mom, because she loved us, didn’t want to have anything to do with him anymore and said she couldn’t raise the kids in that ‘den of demons.’

The two of them fought like that, quietly. Without bending their opinions at all.

The argument ended only after Eciel, who had lost interest in the prepared dessert, turned her head towards our parents.

Without convincing each other or making one submit.

It was just a temporary ceasefire for now. A new conflict would surely arise. And depending on the outcome, the fate of the two would be decided.

***

“The children?”

“They are touring the mansion. They should be in the garden by now.”

“In the garden? I can’t see them…”

Charlotte’s gaze naturally turned towards the window facing the garden. The man got up and walked to the window.

As he pulled the window open, a faint but lively voice could be heard from the distance.

“Claire, again! Do it again!”

What did she do?

As soon as the mind inadvertently wondered, the answer appeared.

The wind rustled, and waves swayed.

Starting from brushing the hair, it ran far away, passing through all the  flowers in the garden and the body, collecting falling  flower petals naturally.

She ran.

To the little child standing at the destination.

The wind, full of colorful  flower petals, enveloped the small body of the child. The platinum hair fluttered in the air like a golden thread woven with  flowers.

In the sunny May spring, the child who rose on the wind seemed like a little fairy casting magic.

“Can’t you lift me up there higher?”

“No.”

Although her fairy rejected any further magic beyond that.

“…They’re having fun.”

He glanced back at Charlotte, smiling unconsciously.

Charlotte wasn’t smiling.

It must have been invisible to her, as he slowly turned her head sideways, but she slowly shook her head.

“I’ve said everything I need to say.”

“Charlotte.”

“I’ll leave tomorrow morning.”

The declaration that came from the woman’s lips was not surprising at all.

Even though he had expected it, the feeling of comfort and peace vanished in an instant. The man quietly looked into her cold eyes and asked.

“Where are you going?”

“To my house where I used to live. With the children. To a place where I’ll never meet you again.”

An even more selfish attitude because of her dictatorial nature.

Charlotte hadn’t changed at all.

From the habit of scratching her temple when something troubled her to her ability to ruin things quickly whenever she felt even a little happy.

Even her strong insistence, not avoiding eye contact and abruptly ending her words.

“I don’t want to go back; I don’t want to be reinstated. I’m grateful for your efforts, but please withdraw now and return your name back to the record. Evan will surely do that much for you.”

The man’s eyes narrowed delicately.

Eyes with deep and clear purple pupils. They sparkled with a cold light, almost seductive at first glance.

“Is that the best you can do for me?”

“It may not be the best for you, but it’s the best for me.”

“And the children?”

“The children have grown up not knowing that you’re their father. And there’s a fatal flaw that their mother is a sinner. You can physically protect the children, but you can’t protect them from emotional wounds.”

A quiet and chilly voice.

“Even though I swore to Fermata and made everyone believe that you were Tara, you never believed in me.”

“….”

Cold words, cold tone, perfect truth. But in all of that, there was a deep-seated frustration that seeped through. A tasteless bitterness filled Charlotte’s mouth.

When Charlotte hesitated for the first time, the man whispered.

“We’ve fought enough and have been far apart enough. Don’t you think so?”

“I thought I said sorry.”

“Don’t say such heartless things if you don’t really feel sorry.”

It fell silent for a moment. The woman asked slowly as if rewinding his words.

“Heartless?”

“If you’re really sorry, you wouldn’t act like this.”

The voice was filled with anger and frustration more than coldness.

“Did you expect sympathy?”

A brief laugh. Not because it was funny, but because the words shocked him.

“You know. How much I suffered and how much I agonized. You saw everything next to me.”

Vivid memories of suppressed wounds and despair emerged from the abyss.

His voice was more filled with anguish than anger.

As Charlotte desperately tried to hide the fragmented regrets, they punctured her sentences.

If you wanted to maintain decorum, you had to pretend not to know, and if you wanted to appear gentlemanly, you had to keep your mouth shut.

But Charlotte and he weren’t like that.

There was no chance it could happen. They were like the two extremes of hell from the beginning, so what difference would it make if they behaved politely?

So, he unabashedly pointed out her exposed weaknesses.

“Is that so? Would a truly sorry person behave like you?”

“I don’t understand why I lived with you.”

‘Living with someone like you who knew nothing about me.’

How could she say that? Rather than a criticism, this short lament was almost fatal to him.

But it was bearable. It wasn’t the first or second time he heard this.

Ashel muttered quietly.

“Be honest, Charlotte. You just want to escape from the greatest sin you’ve committed.”

“…What?”

The heated argument reached its extreme. Lightning and thunder-like words struck.

“Why would a sinner be so bold to the victim? Because you want to behave as you please with me just because you love me. Even though you feel sorry and suffer for other people, your pride comes first with me.”

“….”

“Forget about using the children as an excuse and be honest. You’re just conveniently fleeing now. You’re suffering from guilt for falling in love with me, and from the countless traces of sin you’ll face when you come back.”

And then silence fell. A sort of resignation.

Like striking the iron countless times to remove impurities when refining it… He, too, relentlessly hammered Charlotte to bring out this moment.

He tapped into Charlotte’s closed heart to make her speak of love and tapped into her vulnerabilities to make her speak of her wounds.

And now, extracting warmth from the strong silence.

In the end, Charlotte opened her mouth in the hazy silence, where it was uncertain what would come out.

“You’re sharp, very. You know me better than I know myself.”

Undoubtedly, it was a sarcastic tone…

Her distinctively arrogant demeanor gradually faded, sounding weak until it almost disappeared.

The man’s chilly gaze softened slightly.

But his voice remained coldly firm.

“Claire and Eciel must return to the capital.”

“Yes, the traitor’s bloodline should be where we can be easily controlled. Wouldn’t that be more convenient for you?”

“And I want to put the children in the family genealogy.”

The woman who had sarcastically mocked him paused.

“…I really thought it was impossible, but did you include survival as well as status in the amnesty …?”

“That is your rightful position, but if you are expelled from nobility and become a commoner, the legitimate inheritance of titles and property for our children will not be recognized.”

Even though it was based on thorough rationality, it was more emotionally logical.

That word shook Charlotte’s heart. The sharp thoughts dulled, and the cold response softened.

In the end, what came out of her mouth was a meaningless retort.

“I didn’t know I was pregnant.”

“I was determined to find you. And once I found you, if you happened to have children, I had to ensure inheritance rights for those children.”

The man’s answer was calm.

Despite being sharp and rational, his voice was transparent enough to clearly reveal the affection within.

Charlotte sighed slowly. As if tired of it.

He didn’t care at all.

“And the children are already here.”

Charlotte had no words left to say.

“I will do everything I can to protect you and the children. I can even swear to Fermata again if needed.”

“…Don’t make such scary remarks, even in your dreams.”

“Please come back.”

Charlotte sighed again, weakly pleading.

“Can you give me some time to think?”

He didn’t try to force the woman who had retreated to that extent to speak up again, pressuring her for the desired answer.

He just calmly and gently suggested.

“Then how about staying here together for the time being?”

“I’ll do that. You can also get to know the children… If you truly want to live together, learn how to speak kindly.”

This time, he remained silent.

Charlotte lowered her voice and earnestly pleaded.

“If you make such crazy remarks again, you won’t see the children’s faces anymore.”

…It was more of a threat than earnest pleading, but the man didn’t refute it at all.

Instead, a slightly awkward voice flowed out.

“I’m saying this because I don’t know much, but what do the children like?”

“Eciel likes anything other children like. Pretty clothes, delicious snacks, fairy tales that end with ‘They lived happily ever after,’ things like that. Anything you can provide.”