Damion’s judgment was clouded by his desire not to disturb the current peace. Regardless of Kardian’s true intentions, Damion thought it would all become meaningless if he left for a place out of sight.

However, until then, it was necessary to draw a line between Ansi and Kardian. No, it was right to keep her from getting closer to anyone from Orphe. Whoever it was, they had to stay out of sight if they might stimulate her desire for revenge.

“I have something to say,” Damion said, looking straight at Ansi. She nodded as if to tell him to speak.

“No more… I mean, until we leave, no one from Orphe will come to this house.”

“…Is it because of me?”

“It’s for both of us. In fact, I’m not on good terms with the duke and duchess or the marquis. We were a family only in name. This is the reason I wanted to have Orphe.”

Damion’s lifelong resolve to act as a close-knit family in front of Ansi was now useless. So he calmly confessed his situation.

Ansi’s eyes wavered.

But it wasn’t a reaction to hearing this for the first time.

Ansi, who had been looking down with a brief sadness, reached out. Her slender hand gently rested on the back of Damion’s hand. As if to comfort him, Ansi slowly stroked the back of his hand.

“I know. What Kardian did to you. And the fact that the duke and duchess neglected you.”

“…I see.”

“So while you were asleep, I said a few words blaming those two. I’m sorry for interfering in your business.”

Ah. Damion let out a low gasp.

No wonder they didn’t visit until he was discharged. He thought they would come even for show, but they never did, which was surprising. He didn’t know there was such a story behind it.

“Were you in a lot of pain?” Ansi asked quietly, raising her head. Those words instantly pierced Damion’s heart.

“I’m fine now. Because I have you.”

Ansi was the one who blamed and resented them on behalf of Damion, who had never been able to properly turn his back on them.

With just this woman, Damion could fill all the emptiness in his heart. It was possible to end the terrible thirst.

So he hoped that her transparent and deep blue eyes contained only himself. For that, Damion could do anything.

“I like you.”

The words came out without him realizing it. After saying it, his chest ached. To the point where it was hard to look her in the eye.

“I like you too, Damion.”

The moment he heard Ansi’s answer, Damion pulled her into his arms.

Happiness did not spread gently. It hit him like a huge wave. An emotion so overwhelming that he couldn’t breathe, Damion willingly accepted it. He felt like he could die happily holding her like this. As long as she was in front of his eyes, he could abandon everything else.

The greed piled up layer by layer, not knowing the limit, and now it was too high to handle.

He wanted to be aware of only each other without the interference of anything else. He felt the need to prepare a place to leave with Ansi more quickly.

Ansi sat still, staring at the huge night sky hanging on the wall of the room. She repeated the process of moving her gaze along the arrangement of the stars, drawing and redrawing constellations.

Then Ansi moved her steps unsteadily and brought her hand to the painting. The rough canvas touched her fingertips.

The shepherd.

The color of that star protecting the family seemed a little cloudy.

The image of Damion smiling happily at her came to mind. She didn’t want to hurt him. She didn’t want to see that man’s distorted face again.

‘I have to tell Damion the real reason Kardian came to see me.’

Let’s tell him when he gets back today. Ansi repeated to herself over and over again.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Soon, Simon entered the room. She was holding a small wrapped box in her hand.

“My lady, someone sent this to you from somewhere. It seems to be a gift, but there is no sender written on it.”

Ansi’s eyes wavered. She had a feeling she knew who sent it. She hurriedly took the box from Simon’s hand and unwrapped it.

“Ah…”

Ansi sighed with a trembling voice as she opened the box.

“My lady, are you all right? What is it?”

“…It’s okay. I need a moment to think alone. Can you give me some space?”

“Yes.”

As soon as the door closed after Simon left, Ansi, who had been trying to compose herself, checked the box again.

Inside the box was Derl’s military tag.

Derl de Rubelsa. With trembling hands, she took out the military tag with her brother’s name on it and hurriedly checked the back.

“Please…”

Ansi slowly moved the military tag under the light, looking for something. Soon her hand stopped.

A conversation she once had with Derl, who had come home on leave, came to mind.

“There’s a flaw on the back here.”

“Yeah. It got scratched somehow.”

“Shouldn’t you get it replaced?”

“Why bother? It’s better and clearer that it’s mine.”

Derl’s words were right. They could make a military tag with his name, but it would be difficult to imitate this small flaw without knowing of its existence.

Ansi curled up, tightly grasping the military tag.

“Ugh…”

A groan mixed with anguish and hope flowed out. Ansi took a deep breath to suppress the boiling inside. Her bloodshot eyes welled up with tears.

The military tag, for which no trace was found on the battlefield, had returned here. Ansi didn’t know how Kardian had obtained it, but this military tag was definitely Derl’s. At least this was genuine without a doubt.

A great upheaval overtook Ansi.

Of course, this wasn’t proof that Derl was alive. Maybe he just happened to find the military tag and sent it to her.

But the possibility that he might be alive raised its head.

If Derl was really alive…

The thought that her brother’s lifeline might still be in the hands of the enemy was too terrible for Ansi. But she couldn’t let go of the hope that had risen.

For now, she had to meet Kardian again.

Entering an alley next to a lively square bustling with countless people and walking one block revealed a street with a completely different atmosphere from the square. It was a pleasure district filled with taverns and gambling dens.

Kardian liked that gap. It was also fun to watch how those who walked with the utmost nobility in that square crawled on the ground here.

And there was another place here that piqued Kardian’s interest.

“You’ve arrived.”

The manager greeted Kardian, who got out of the carriage and entered the exclusive passageway. The place he visited was an ordinary gambling den. However, this building had a secret.

Kardian went straight down to the basement without stopping anywhere else. His golden eyes, filled with a pleasant look, were full of delight as he moved his steps.

The place he arrived at after descending the stairs was bright despite being underground. Walking along the corridor covered with a luxurious carpet, Kardian had a satisfied smile as he looked at the row of doors.

The place was not much different from the corridor of a typical mansion. The only differences were that the elaborately decorated doors were all iron doors, and the small windows at the foot were blocked by sturdy bars.

This was a kind of prison Kardian had created. It was used to hold people who could be used as cards when making deals with someone, and those who needed consideration on how to dispose of them.

In fact, rather than saying they were imprisoned, it was more correct to say they were being taken care of. Kardian managed this basement with that mindset. Although the inside of the rooms was a bit narrow, they were equipped with everything from beds to tables and chairs, so there was no lack, and the meals were also excellent.

“You bastard! What are you doing, hurry up and release me!”

At that moment, an angry shout was heard from one of the rooms. Kardian’s eyebrows rose. The face was not visible because the window was on the floor. The manager beside him whispered.

“It’s Viscount Leon.”

“Ah, was he still here? Dispose of him. Clean it up thoroughly.”

Kardian moved again. How stupid it was not to be grateful for living in such a good environment and shortening one’s life.

The place where Kardian stopped was a room at the end of the corridor. Uniquely, the window here was at eye level, not at the foot.

When he shone the light through the iron bars, the inside was clearly visible. On the bed, a man sitting with shackles on his ankles raised his head.

With his hair neatly arranged, he gave a different impression from when he was first seen. But the blue eyes were exactly the same as Ansi’s.

Since he was said to be deaf, a room with a view was provided. Kardian wouldn’t have done that for an ordinary person, but he gave special treatment because he was Ansi’s elder brother.

“Lord Derl.”

At Kardian’s call, Derl got up and walked towards him.

Although he couldn’t hear, he could understand speech by looking at the mouth shape, so simple communication was possible. Derl, who was walking, couldn’t come all the way due to the shackles and stopped halfway.

“Since it’s an unofficial repatriation, I hope you understand that you still have to stay here. Your sister is waiting, so I’ll let you out soon.”

Kardian spoke kindly. The manager quickly wrote on a piece of paper and brought it to the window. After reading the text, Derl lowered his head.

“…Thank you.”

Seeing Derl de Rubelsa’s reaction, Kardian came to a conclusion.

He doesn’t know about the armistice agreement made between Belgader and Parma.

Or he doesn’t know that Kardian told Count Rubelsa the false information that no agreement was reached.