* * *
I had no idea how I even made it back to my room.
Apologies and blessings. What a pathetic set of thoughts I’d been clinging to.
‘There was nothing left to sort out. Nothing left to worry about.’
I swept what few valuables I had into a bag. My head was spinning, but any lingering attachment had already vanished.
‘How ridiculous I must have looked!’
I felt a twinge of guilt toward Count and Countess Kleene, but I couldn’t bear to spend even another minute under the same roof as those two. Once I’d decided, the rest came easily.
Finally, I grabbed Pepe and shoved him into the bag. He let out a muffled shriek.
「Umphumph! Yvonne! Why are you putting me in here?!」
“We’re leaving this house. Just stay in the bag for a little while.”
「W-Wait! Even dolls have rights—umph!」
I stuffed the loudly complaining Pepe in with my money, then left behind a short letter.
I’ve realized that Emil already has someone he truly loves. I’m glad we discovered our engagement wasn’t right before the ceremony ever happened. I sincerely wish Emil and Rossiane happiness.
Even as I walked away, writing that much about Emil and Rossiane was my own petty way of getting revenge, born from the smallness of my heart.
‘I hope their relationship gets found out, and Emil gets a proper scolding from the Count and Countess.’
If I’d been deceived, then the Count and Countess had been deceived as well.
‘If only they had told me the truth from the beginning…’
I shook my head, casting off the last lingering traces of attachment.
After being thoroughly betrayed by the two of them, the only revenge I could manage was silently fleeing to the capital. It was a pitiful thought.
I wanted to curse them all out, to scream everything I had bottled up—but I held back for the sake of the Count and Countess. It was the least I could do to repay the couple who had raised me all these years.
Take care, all of you.
With that closing line, I finished the letter. Then I picked out the plainest, most worn set of clothes I owned.
Finally, I hugged the overstuffed bag with Pepe inside tightly to my chest.
‘Yes, I still have Pepe. Even if things don’t work out with Miss Rowan, I’ll be fine. My sewing skills aren’t half bad—at the very least, I can make a living stitching for others.’
I was leaving the estate I had lived in all my life. I was scared—but at the same time, my heart pounded with anticipation.
If I gave in to fear now, I’d end up living the same life I saw in that vision. But I had already made my choice: I was going to leave.
‘I will seize happiness with my own two hands.’
It’s only one life. I refuse to walk into misery of my own accord like some foolish girl.
After giving one last look around the room I had lived in for over a decade, I slipped out through the back door at dawn. Despite the weight of my decision, stepping outside was as easy as brushing away a feather.
‘Is it just me, or does the air outside feel different from inside the count’s estate?’
I took a deep breath. In the cold morning air, a white puff of breath rose like a cloud.
The streets were quiet and empty. I stood there for a long moment, unmoving. Wherever I went from here, it would be my own footsteps that carved the path forward.
I had to choose my direction now.
‘But would the tavern even be open this early? Where am I supposed to go?’
Not knowing where to turn, I stood still in the street, dazed. That’s when it happened.
“Hey.”
“Wha—?!”
A low, deep voice startled me so badly I literally jumped in place and let out a squeal.
「Wh-What?! What is it?!」
“Shh!”
Inside my bag, Pepe squirmed in protest—but thankfully, not loud enough to draw any real attention.
Hugging my bag tightly to my chest, I turned with sharp caution toward the direction the voice had come from.
There stood a man with slightly messy black hair—it hadn’t been long since we’d last seen each other.
“You—why are you here?”
“Dante.”
“Sorry?”
To my question about why he was here, I received a strange answer. Blinking in confusion, I watched as he replied in a curt tone.
“My name. It’s not ‘you,’ it’s Dante.”
“Ah… um… it suits you.”
It wasn’t just flattery—his name really did match him. Strong, concise, and firm—just like him.
I was expecting something like James or Caleb…
But “Dante” had a sharper edge than any name I’d imagined, and I’d never heard it before around here.
He walked toward me with casual ease and said,
“You said I could come with you.”
His name, his face, his entire demeanor—everything about him was sharp and stoic. Yet the words that came out of his mouth were unexpectedly gentle.
‘But I turned him down, didn’t I?’
He was still a stranger—so why was he being so kind to me? Maybe it was because I’d just been burned by Emil, but I couldn’t help finding everything suspicious. I asked warily,
“So… you were waiting out here this whole time?”
“Where else would I wait?”
“You were waiting for me?”
“What do you mean? Was I supposed to be waiting for someone else?”
That serious, unsmiling face told me everything. He had been waiting for me.
But I still couldn’t quite trust him, so I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.
“You didn’t believe me when I said I was staying at Count Kleene’s estate, right? So you followed me to check if I was just some shady girl?”
“What kind of person do you think I am?”
“I think you’re suspicious.”
At my blunt reply, Dante let out a dry chuckle.
“And here I thought you believed I was a good person.”
“When did I ever say that…?”
Just as I was about to argue back, a memory from the night before surfaced—one I had completely forgotten.
〈… You’re a good person.〉
〈I’m not a good person. It’s just that you’re crying so much, it’s impossible to have a conversation. That’s all.〉
〈That’s what makes you a good person.〉
‘Ugh. Alcohol is terrifying. I talked to a stranger like that, really?
“I just complained… right? I didn’t do anything weird, did I?”
The thought made my stomach twist, but I quickly brushed it off.
‘Whatever. He already saw me sobbing and sniffling like a mess. What could possibly be more embarrassing than that?’
Letting go of my suspicion, I managed a sheepish smile.
“Sorry. I think I was just on edge. Thanks for coming to get me. I was actually kind of frozen, not sure where to go.”
“Just take the thanks.”
Dante said, casually brushing off my apology. His words were gentle, yet delivered with a matter-of-fact tone. As I blinked at him in surprise, his large hand reached out and snatched my bag as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Ah!”
“That’s all your luggage?”
“Yes! It’s not much, right? I can carry it myself, though…”
“It’s not heavy. Let someone else do it.”
To be honest, it wasn’t the weight that bothered me—it was Pepe inside the bag. Flustered, I scurried after Dante like I was chasing my own belongings.
The silence between us made my nerves stir once more.
‘If Dante keeps holding the bag like this, I won’t even be able to run if something happens. Maybe I should ask for it back, just in case.’
It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him, but more that I’d come to realize there was nothing in this world I could rely on completely anymore. I bit my lip.
‘Okay. I’ll just ask to carry it myself.’
I had just opened my mouth to speak when Dante beat me to it.
“So, how did things go with your fiancé?”
The question hit me like a slap. I clenched my fists, brimming with fury.
“T-That guy! I walked in and there he was, completely naked, sleeping with my friend! And he was calling her ‘Rossie’ like it was some sweet nickname I’d never even heard before…”
I muttered a curse I wasn’t even used to, only to bite my tongue mid-sentence. Dante, who had been striding ahead, suddenly stopped in his tracks. I ended up bumping into what might’ve been his back, and quickly rubbed my forehead with the palm of my hand before looking up.
His thick eyebrows curved upward ever so slightly. And then, in a flat, detached voice, he said,
“Want me to punch him for you?”
‘Ah… I think I’m starting to understand what kind of person this man is.’
With the build of a bear and thick arms, he looked intimidating enough to scare off anyone just by standing still. But every word he said was simple, straightforward—and somehow, for me.
Just the fact that someone I’d only just met was willing to stand by my side made my heart feel a little lighter. I lifted my chin and replied boldly,
“That’s something his parents should do. I’ll be fine. I’ve realized we were never a good match to begin with.”
I expected Dante to nod in agreement, but instead, he fell oddly quiet. For some reason, that silence didn’t feel awkward at all.
‘Was I too cheerful? Or maybe I sounded too flippant about a broken engagement?’
As I scratched my cheek awkwardly, wondering if I’d come across as careless, Dante finally replied in a slow, low voice:
“…You’re way too good for him.”
I blinked. Dante had said it so plainly, then quickly turned his head away. Without another word, he started walking again, his long strides brisk and deliberate.
It took me a moment to catch up, both to his pace and to the realization blooming inside me.
So, he’s embarrassed.
