Chapter 17
The longer their eyes met, the harder it became to suppress the emotions she had buried so carefully — they kept rising to the surface like rough splinters.
That couldn’t happen.
“My husband said we should have a meal together sometime.”
It had slipped out without much thought, but it turned out to be a perfectly fitting topic.
“Your husband…”
Eugene echoed her words and leaned lazily back on the sofa.
Even though their eyes were nearly level, it somehow felt as if he were looking down at her.
“When are you free? He said he owes you quite a bit and wants to treat you properly.”
“Are you getting along well with your husband?”
Eugene’s crooked smile accompanied the question.
Her hand, halfway to picking up a cookie, froze midair.
It was such an unexpected question that she couldn’t hide her surprise.
She glanced at him, trying to figure out his intent.
Those calm violet eyes quietly reflected her image.
Why?
That was the first thought that came to her.
Why, Eugene — why are you curious about my marriage?
The question stung a little.
Perhaps it was because he’d seen her at her lowest, humiliated and vulnerable that day.
Feigning composure, she took a bite of the cookie.
But while she chewed, her mind worked busily, searching for a proper answer.
Eugene waited silently, eyes fixed on her, patient as ever.
“Why?”
Even after swallowing the soggy bite, she couldn’t come up with another answer.
“Why do you want to know?”
Her voice came out a little sharper than intended.
Eugene tilted his head, eyes deepening as he studied her.
“Well…”
He slowly straightened from his relaxed pose.
Leaning slightly over the table, he reached out and took the cookie piece from her hand.
“Yeah. Why am I curious?”
He brought the same cookie she’d bitten into to his mouth and took a bite.
Each crunch echoed in the quiet room.
The sweetness she had just tasted was now being savored by him.
For a brief moment, he looked lost in thought — and that gaze awakened the emotions she had struggled so hard to bury.
Thud — her heart plunged again.
“Strangely, I find myself wondering if you’re happy,” Eugene said after a pause.
“If your husband treats you well.”
He looked at her directly again, his mouth curved in that faint, crooked smile.
“……”
Her words stuck in her throat.
No — this wasn’t right. She wasn’t the little girl who had once loved him. She was Hayden’s wife now.
Reminding herself of that, she straightened her back and lifted her chin.
“My husband and I are doing well. I’m happy.”
Eugene’s brow twitched, displeasure flickering openly across his face.
“What’s wrong? Were you hoping I’d say I’m miserable?”
“Impressive, Winter.”
The compliment came out of nowhere, dripping with irony.
Before she could decipher his tone, he continued,
“To think that little girl who used to cry over everything grew into a lady who can still call herself happy — even after being treated like that.”
He chuckled quietly, easily dragging up the memory she’d wanted to erase.
The humiliation of that day burned hot in her chest again.
Still, she forced a gentle smile and looked him straight in the eye.
“No wonder you’re still unmarried, Eugene. Judging relationships based only on shallow glimpses — that’s your problem.”
His brow furrowed at that.
Seeing the crack in his composure gave her confidence.
She lifted her coffee cup with deliberate calm.
“And judging by how you treat ladies, I doubt you’ve ever been in love yourself.”
Eugene’s lips pressed tightly together.
She knew she’d hit below the belt, but the petty victory thrilled her all the same — whether it was because he had no rebuttal or because she’d managed to hurt him, she couldn’t tell.
With a mischievous smile, she lifted her chin and met his gaze.
“My husband and I care for each other deeply, so don’t worry about us, Eugene.”
He laughed softly, as if amused by her bravado.
His violet eyes said plainly that he didn’t believe a word of it.
“I should get going,” she said briskly. “My husband’s probably waiting for me.”
It wasn’t running away — just a strategic retreat.
Eugene, still lounging in that casual, tilted pose, looked up at her.
He gave a small nod.
“Take care, Winter.”
“……”
“If you can, try not to be too happy.”
A faint, teasing smile lingered on his lips.
She bit down on her rising emotions and walked past him toward the elevator.
Sunlight flooded through the window of his office — the highest sunlight in all of Edenfail.
“Oh, by the way,” she called out just as the doors began to close,
“I don’t like sweets anymore.”
As if warning him that his tenderness wasn’t kindness at all.
The doors shut, cutting off the warm light.
She hurried away, wanting distance — from him, from the sweetness that still lingered on her tongue.
Only then did she remember: the handkerchief she’d meant to return to him was still tucked in the corner of her bag.
Eugene stared quietly at the space she had just left.
Childish.
He felt ridiculous.
He picked up a cigarette from the table, held it between his lips — but didn’t light it.
Even long after the elevator carrying Winter had reached the first floor, the office still smelled faintly of her — sweet and soft, like her presence.
For someone with such a small, delicate frame, she managed to fill an entire room with her scent.
“‘We care for each other deeply,’ huh.”
The words echoed in his mind, grating for no good reason.
Probably because of her attitude.
The way she’d lifted her chin — completely unaware of how it looked.
A frightened kitten puffing up its fur to hide its weakness.
Did that make him the cruel man toying with it?
Eugene didn’t understand himself anymore.
There shouldn’t have been any old feelings left, and yet he wanted to provoke that little kitten again and again.
The sweetness of the cookie turned bitter in his throat.
Maybe if he’d never seen her again, he could’ve ignored her completely.
That day, when he found Winter abandoned and alone in the Imperial Palace —
he had felt relief. No, joy.
The tears streaming down her pale cheeks, the defiant words from her trembling lips, the hurt in her eyes — all of it had thrilled him in a dark, inexplicable way.
That was all it was — a small amusement, a passing pleasure.
A nostalgic indulgence stirred by the past.
So, really,
he thought bitterly,
if I want you again now, it’s entirely your fault.
He stood and walked to the tall window.
The panoramic view of Edenfail spread beneath him.
Across the Jello River stood a white building that caught his eye.
A faint smile curved his lips.
It was all just a game — teasing the sharp little kitten.
After all, he’d lived a long, disciplined life. Maybe a bit of mischief wasn’t such a sin.
As the golden sunset washed over the center of Edenfail, Eugene thought so to himself.
The world had changed in many ways, but winter was still a difficult season.
Even nobles and the wealthy couldn’t escape the chill that crept through every seam and collar.
The mansion bustled with final preparations for the coming cold.
Last winter had been miserable due to poor planning, so this time Winter’s nerves were on edge.
Hayden, so much like his mother Melinda, couldn’t stand the cold.
Winter checked the new radiator she had installed at great expense.
When it began running, the strange metal coils grew warm and exhaled a steady heat.
“Please don’t hold your hands too close, my lady,” Victor warned nervously.
“You could burn yourself.”
Winter smiled with satisfaction at the gentle warmth spreading through the room.
“Have you checked that the other radiators around the estate are working properly?”
“Yes, my lady. Everyone’s learned how to use them, and they heat well.”
“And the firewood stockpile?”
“All secured.”
Soon the entire house began to feel cozy.
It seemed this winter would be far less harsh than the last.
The money had been well spent.
After finishing the inspection, Winter returned to her room.
On the large desk waited a stack of papers Victor had prepared — a schedule of upcoming social events based on the invitations that had arrived.
With the season nearly over, there wasn’t much: a few tea parties, reading salons, and music gatherings.
“Will you be attending any of these, my lady?”
“Hmm… I think I should go to the Dazallen Count’s gathering. And…”
As she skimmed the list, something at the end of the month caught her eye.
[Edenfail Grand Theatre – Play Performance]
It was Chloe’s performance.
She remembered her friend’s bright face as she’d announced that she had landed the lead role.
(To be continued…)
