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Chapter 31

In the original—

「 After the accident, Cassion, who now had mana, ran straight through the thick grass field of the forest.

His body, which had yet to recover, was wracked with pain, but he couldn’t stop.

There was no time.

If it was the Leo that he knew, he would go to the scene of the incident leading a group behind him.

To get rid of him perfectly.

If Cassion gets caught, he’ll die. Even if he was caught now with mana, he would still die.

When Cassion still couldn’t use mana, Leo was already antsy because he couldn’t kill Cassion, but if he knew now that his older brother could use mana, Cassion would surely disappear without a trace.

Cassion ran through the foliage, gritting his teeth.

He could feel the galloping of horses from afar.

But when he looked back, there was nothing there.

What was it, this hallucination that he couldn’t ever seem to shake off, keeping him on his feet.

Cassion was exhausted as he gasped and shed tears. He couldn’t tell what those tears were for.

Joy, perhaps, or sadness about only now being able to wield mana.

Without having the time to feel those emotions, he just urged his legs forward—to live.

It was a terribly lonely way to survive.

Just as it always was. 」

* * *

Rattle.

The carriage rattled lightly as it ran over stones.

At the same time, the head of the woman sleeping against the carriage window was also shaken.

As the carriage quivered, silver hair could also be seen trembling.

The woman’s tightly closed eyes were scrunched up.

Just as her forehead was wrinkled, it was clear that she was feeling uncomfortable.

It was as if she was about to wake up. Mmm… She moaned in her sleep, but she soon regained a peaceful expression as she slept more.

‘What on earth are you dreaming about?’

Opposite her was Cassion, who smiled faintly as he watched the sleeping Rosetta.

However, the corners of his lips that slightly rose soon hardened awkwardly the moment she spoke in her sleep.

“Survive, Cassion…”

Furtively, through a small gap between her lips, she murmured.

Cassion stared blankly in surprise at Rosetta, then he stiffly turned his head.

The sight of a verdant green summer flashed through the open curtains.

He looked out the window for no reason, and with his eyes directed outside, he swept a hand through his hair.

‘Ah.’

It was different from usual. He was used to long hair being caught through his fingers, but his hair was now cut short enough that it would quickly pass through his hand.

This was due to the haircut he had before the carriage departed.

With a subtle awkwardness, he recalled again where he was now heading.

He forgot for a while because he was just staring at the person who fell asleep.

Right now, he was on his way to the Valentine estate.

And he had since abandoned the name ‘Cassion’.

’For you to survive, Cassion must stay dead for the time being.’

Rosetta said this as she handed him a piece of paper with something written on it.

It was someone’s personal information.

It was the identity he would have to assume in the future.

Where he was born, how old he was.

His habits and hobbies.

Family relationship, friends.

Special memories of the past and his current situation.

On the document that listed someone’s life, the two syllables of the unfamiliar name could be seen.

‘Maxwell.’

This was the name he received in turn for abandoning the name ‘Cassion’.

But this was not the only thing done to hide his identity.

He was wearing an earring that changed his hair and eye color.

The downside to this was that he could never lose this earring, but it was the first time that Cassion, who lived in the Carter Duchy, had seen himself like this.

His black hair had turned into a dark blue color that was reminiscent of the night sky, and his red eyes, which was the symbol of the Carter family, had been changed to black eyes.

His hair had previously been long enough to cover his eyes, but it was now cut short enough to clearly reveal the shape of his eyes.

At this point, if he were to look at a mirror at first glance, he would still be surprised because of his unfamiliar appearance.

Cassion swept a hand through his hair stiffly once more.

As expected, it was awkward.

However, if he did it more often to get used to it, the awkwardness gradually disappeared.

The short hair under the touch of his fingers, the black gaze reflected against the glass window.

And the new sensation flowing within his body…

‘Maxwell.’

Even the name couldn’t be said without his mouth twitching.

Leaning against the window, Cassion smiled silently.

Funnily enough, all these unfamiliar things felt safer than those that were familiar to him.

Through thinly curved eyes, his gaze smoothly headed towards Rosetta.

The most unfamiliar yet, strangely, the most reassuring being.

The carriage gradually slowed down.

“We’ll be arriving soon, Milady.”

The loud voice of the coachman came from outside the window.

And Rosetta’s eyelashes quivered.

As her eyelids slowly showed her eyes, they looked like two full moons on a midsummer night.

“Maxwell?”

Rosetta, who just woke up, unhesitatingly called the unfamiliar name.

Then, Cassion also nodded without hesitation.

Ah, it’s finally started.

* * *

“Young Duke, the Princess has just arrived.”

Sitting in front of a desk that he hadn’t left all night, Damian’s hand stopped moving.

His eyes were closed for a moment because of a headache, but they soon headed towards the butler as he mentioned the news.

After the silence that stretched between them, there was a brief question asked.

“And her condition?”

“I don’t believe she had been hurt anywhere.”

“…Alright.”

Following the calm voice was a light sigh of relief.

He was so nervous that she left without even a single knight to escort her.

However, when she said that she wished to spend time ‘alone’ with such an exhausted face, he couldn’t refuse her request.

He was nothing but a sinner in front of Rosetta.

’I’m sorry.’

And she only limped away from the apology that he uttered fleetingly. Something that lingered, affection, yearning.

It was a back that seemed to move away without leaving anything behind.

Her appearance back then was his doing. His brief apology, just ‘I’m sorry’, was evidence of his crime.

A large hand swept over his face.

Calluses were felt over that hand.

It was cold.

And.

Revolting.

The incident with Katie was only a few days ago.

When Rosetta collapsed to the floor covered with blood, Katie knelt down in front of him and claimed her innocence.

To be honest, he didn’t know what to believe.

Perhaps Rosetta was lying. Perhaps this was all orchestrated.

Without Alicia appearing right then, he was unsure whether he would have locked up Katie in the dungeon.

Even at this moment.

And it must have been noticed by Rosetta as well.

She had asked him who he believed now, and this was proof enough that she knew.

‘I’m sorry.’

It was proof enough when she did not look back at his belated apology.

How much pain did this memory give Rosetta? He couldn’t even imagine it.

As a matter of fact, he lived all his life avoiding her. For him, Rosetta herself symbolized the uncomfortable truth.

He avoided her because he was afraid of resentment or hatred, and whenever he faced her, he couldn’t hide his discomfort.

Even though he knew this would hurt Rosetta, he turned a blind eye in order for himself not to get hurt.

But to top it all off—he tried once again to turn a blind eye to her even at the most crucial moment.

‘Absolutely revolting.’

A terrible sense of guilt was strangling him.

He hated her without realizing it even when his mother told him not to hate the innocent child, and now, questions arose whether he should have or should not have done so.

It was too late, these questions.

He realized all these while looking at Rosetta, who no longer looked back.

“Where’s Rosetta?”

“The Lady is in the guest room right now.”

“Not her room, but the guest room. Why?”

Damian brows furrowed at the unexpected answer.

However, the next answer made him even more perplexed.

“That is, the Lady brought a person—a man—home.”

* * *

“Sister.”

After hearing a short knock, Rosetta opened the door and there, Alicia appeared with a timid yet cheerful voice.

Entering the guest room, Alicia’s eyes widened as she glanced inside.

“Alicia.”

When Rosetta called her name, Alicia quickly approached her and grabbed her arm, whispering.

“I heard that Sister came back today, so… I came to see you, but…”

Her eyes were still wide as she looked into the room.

She expected that there would be at most just Rosetta or a few maids with her, but she was surprised to see that there were more people than she thought.

And lying on the bed was Cassion, and there was a doctor examining him.

Some maids and attendants were carrying medicines and soaked towels.

Alicia glanced towards Cassion, curious about the stranger she was seeing for the first time.

“Sister, who is that person? He looks like he’s hurt… Did Sister bring him here?”

Rosetta simply smiled and nodded at the whisper that flowed into her ear.

Somehow, it felt like she had to answer in the same hushed tone, Rosetta leaned forward slightly and whispered.

“Yes, I brought him here.”

“Why?”

The wide eyes simply blinked and asked for the reason. After that, as soon as Rosetta was about to answer—

Again, another character appeared with the sound of a knock.

That character strode into the open door, and Rosetta locked eyes with him. Instantly, the air was charged with an awkward, uncomfortable air.

“Brother.”

The first one to call him was Alicia.

With her arm still linked with Rosetta’s, Alicia waved to him with the same hand, and Rosetta’s body moved along as well.

Rosetta curtsied quietly and greeted Damian.

“I’ve returned, Brother.”

Her voice rang clearly amidst the slightly noisy room.

When she gently curved her eyes into a smile, Damian’s narrow eyes hardened.

Evidently, it was the face of a sinner who was struggling with guilt.