It was a dark night without a single ray of light.

“I’m here.”

The man put down all of the things he was holding in his hands and turned to the woman sitting by the window. The room was pitch black without a ray of light, not even the moonlight.

“Sorry for being late.”

The man lit the candle. The man’s figure was revealed when the candle subtly lit the room. It’s been quite a while since he had returned home, so the man’s appearance was terrifying and untidy.

“Is everything okay?”

The man stood next to the woman sitting next to the curtained window.

“I saw her.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“Cersinia.”

At the woman’s words, the house quickly fell into silence. Surprised, the man’s face was stained with embarrassment. He frowned for a few minutes, wanting to say something but never said a word. The eyes of the woman next to him were so creepy. He was afraid of those eyes that were burning with hatred.

“She seems to be living well.”

The woman giggled and began to laugh creepily about what she thought was funny.

“Hahahaha!”

Her laughter lasted several minutes. The man stood silently next to the woman the whole time. Closing his eyes tightly, he hoped this moment would be over. He desperately hoped that those words had never come out.

“No, you can’t.”

The woman who stopped laughing for a moment stood up from her seat. She tapped the man’s shoulder with an indescribable expression. The corner of her lips rosein a spine-chilling smile, giving the man goosebumps.

“I’m going to take it all from her.”

Her venomous voice made the man’s heart sink.

“I’m just letting you know.”

After saying that, the woman leisurely left the room. There was an old-looking piece of paper laying where the woman was sitting. The paper was full of phrases such as curses, directed to one specific person.

* * *

“…”

Cersinia was dazed. She couldn’t figure out what was going on with his confession.

‘I allowed him to be greedy, and he confessed…’

Her mind went blank due to the unexpected declaration. Ben neither asked nor urged for an answer, but he was only staring at Cersinia softly. She hurriedly opened her mouth as if she had something to say.

“I think I like you too.”

Being embarrassed, her voice cracked. She wanted to hide in a mouse hole.

“Is that so?”

‘Does Ben really know what I meant that I like him as a friend?’

However, she was not confident that she would give him the answer he wanted, so she cowardly avoided his gaze.

“Cersinia.”

She had no choice but to turn her head again to the voice that was calling her. Their trembling eyes looked at each other. Each of them was thinking about different things. Ben glanced at her confusedly, then gently stretched his hand out to her face.

“Your wound.”

His hand carefully brushed the hair that covered her eyebrows. Cersinia, startled by his touch, trembled in surprise.

“It has healed.”

Her wound had faded so much that it could not be noticed unless you looked closely.

“That’s a relief.”“Since the doctor came to look after me every day.”

The wound almost disappeared thanks to the care of the doctor, who came every day to treat her.

“Please tell the doctor that he doesn’t have to come because I’m okay now. When I ask him to stop coming, he told me that he couldn’t because of your order.”

Cersinia complained. She never overslept because the doctor stopped by so early that she didn’t need an alarm to wake her up in the morning.

“Now that your wound looks it’s healing, I’ll tell the doctor to stop by once a week.”

He had a small smile playing on his lips as he looked at her grunt and spat out her displeasure.

“No, can the doctor not come at all?”

“Still, the doctor needs to check your physical condition regularly.”

“I’m really okay.”

Even without regular check-ups, she had a strong physical condition. She ate and rested so well that it was almost impossible for her to collapse.

“It’s the only way I’ll feel relieved.”

She couldn’t turn him down when he had such a serious expression. Cersinia eventually nodded in the end. She has been weak for Ben’s expression since a long time ago.

“All right.”

“It’s late at night.”

Ben got up from his seat and took a step. His confession was still scattered in the air, but he decided not to rush in conveying his sincerity. What matters is that someday, Cersinia would know all his true feelings.

“I won’t disturb your sleep.”

He smiled brightly at her, just like someone who didn’t get hurt from his confession being ignored just before. He didn’t want to instill guilt in her for nothing. Cersinia will definitely be worried if she sees him hurt.

“Cersinia.”

“Yes?”

At the sudden call, Cersinia abruptly turned. She was so surprised that she felt like her heart almost jumped out of her mouth.

“I’d like to have breakfast together.”

“Okay… let’s do that.”

Cersinia nodded, awe written all over her expression at his unpredictable words. He said something else, but she couldn’t hear it well because of the sound of her heart, which was too loud.

“Then I’ll see you in the morning.”

Ben left the room with a smile. The door closed with a click, and Cersinia, who was left alone, collapsed on the bed.

“Haa…”

Her body then lost all of its strength as if she had exhausted all her energy. She stared blankly at the ceiling. Her heart was still pounding. Her neck was burning, and her cheeks heated as her heart rate was twice faster than usual.

“What’s wrong with you…Pull yourself together.”

There was no way it could be stopped with just one sentence.

“…”

“Uh…”

Cersinia eventually buried her face in both of her hands.

‘A sudden confession?’

‘Why did he suddenly say it?’

She wanted to cry. She didn’t know how to face and treat Ben in the future.

“I like you.”

“I like you so much.”Once again, his voice echoed in her heart. Cersinia pulled her hair out and rolled over the bed. The aftermath he left behind was so great, just like a bomb. He threw a bomb into her heart and turned her calm heart into a tsunami. Her heart was tickling. That night, Cersinia couldn’t sleep a wink.

* * *

“Lady Cersinia, did you not sleep?”

Verne asked, looking at Cersinia, who was sitting on the bed with a blank expression. Dark circles, which didn’t normally appear, were also under her eyes, and her skin looked a little dry.

“No, I slept well.”

While saying so, Cersinia blinked slowly. She stayed up all night, and her eyelids were heavy.

“Last night, Master returned. Master said he will have breakfast together with lady Cersinia when you wake up.”

At Verne’s words, Cersinia’s mind went blank. She hasn’t even sorted out her mind yet, but she has already promised to have breakfast together with him. She has to face him right now. Cersinia quickly laid in bed and tucked the blanket over her head.

“I am sick… No, say that I’m still sleeping!”

“Pardon? You’re not going to eat with Master?” Verne asked while bewildered.

“I’m so sleepy that I think I will wake up in the afternoon.”

“But, Master… All right, I will tell Master.”

Verne tried to convince Cersinia but soon backed down. She wanted Cersinia to eat with her master. However, seeing her avoid him openly like this, would backfire if Verne keeps pushing it.

“Then I’ll go out. Rest well, Lady.”

Verne, who closed the door, sighed with regret. As soon as her master returned to the mansion, he sought out Cersinia. In other words, it was like saying that he missed Cersinia. But Verne had to now convey her refusal. It made her feel uncomfortable. Unlike when she came to Cersinia, Verne’s steps on the way back to her master weakened greatly.

* * *

“Huu~”

Cersinia lowered the blanket and let out a long sigh after Verne left her room. She knew she was a coward, but she couldn’t help it. She knew it wasn’t wise to dodge like this, but she didn’t have the courage to face Ben. She tossed and turned on the bed because of her uneased mind.

She had never been more desperate for May’s chatter than today. If May talked excitedly next to her, these complicated thoughts would not come to her mind, and she would be able to breathe for a moment. But for some reason, it has been difficult for her to see May it was as if she had a boyfriend.

“Since when…”

‘When did his feelings start?’

‘Since when did Ben have such feelings?’

‘When he reappeared after 3 years? When he stayed at my house for a while because of the rain? Or when we were together 3 years ago…?’

“I really don’t know.”

Her gloomy voice subsided. Her heart had been tingling since last night. There will come a day when she has to answer him at some point.

‘What will happen to me if I refuse his confession?’

‘Will I be inferior to others?’

Her mind was in complete chaos. It felt like everything was messed up in her head. She didn’t have any idea what to organize first.

“Why did Ben confess all of a sudden?”

‘No, this is too much.’

She was so upset that she blamed him. She didn’t know what he meant before, but it was her who encouraged him to be greedy. Cersinia lay still on her bed for a long time. She wanted to go to the garden and organize her thoughts as she usually does, but since she said she was going to sleep, she couldn’t even leave her room. If she goes out, Ben will find out that she lied, and then he will notice that she is blatantly avoiding him.

As Cersinia pulled her hair, as if she was trying to pull herself out of the hole she had dug, she remembered his face when he was confessing and his smile under the moonlight. His smile became an intense afterimage that remained in her heart for a very long time. Even though it’s already morning, she can’t stop thinking about it.

“Why are you smiling like that?”

‘If he smiled like that, it would make me feel weird…’

Cersinia pulled a pillow into her arms with the squishy feeling.