Chapter 105
“Live Like That“
Hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Elena, who had been sitting by the window arranging flowers in a vase, didn’t even turn her head when Heidi burst through the door.
“Heidi, how many times have I told you not to run in the house…?”
“I-I’m sorry, Mother. I just… I rushed because I heard you had returned.”
Heidi, breathless, managed to explain. Elena finally glanced at her, then gave a small nod as if telling her to speak.
Heidi, watching her mother place lavender in a golden vase, asked carefully:
“Mother… did you hear that Father left the house with Sir Arthur?”
Elena raised her brows slightly, puzzled by the strange question. She hummed thoughtfully, then answered casually:
“I didn’t know. As you know, I’ve been away for the past month.”
“……”
“No wonder the house felt unusually quiet. So it was because Edwin was away.”
“……”
“But your father is the head of House Elliana, so of course—”
“Mother!”
Elena jumped at Heidi’s sharp voice. Only then did she notice how pale and gaunt her daughter looked.
“Heidi? What’s wrong with your face…”
“Father must have gone with Sir Arthur to find that woman.”
“…That woman?”
“Anna Piace.”
“….”
“Surely you won’t tell me you don’t know that name, Mother.”
At her daughter’s biting tone, Elena’s face stiffened. She glanced toward the door that hadn’t fully shut and spoke quietly:
“Come inside, Heidi.”
“……”
“There are many eyes and ears in this house.”
Heidi bit her lip, noticing the servants peeking from the end of the corridor. She stepped inside, slamming the door shut so hard the sound echoed, though her anger didn’t ease.
Elena set the flowers down and looked at her daughter seated before her.
“Something must have happened while I was away. You’ve grown so haggard.”
“……”
“If I had known, I never would have left.”
“It’s already done, Mother.”
“……”
“What matters now is Father. I need to discuss it with you.”
Her sharp tone silenced Elena. Never had her daughter felt so unfamiliar.
Ignoring her mother’s unease, Heidi’s eyes turned cold.
“I already know that the woman Father loved all his life is the Marchioness of Piace.”
“….”
“He married you without love. And though she was already married to the Marquess, he never let her go from his heart.”
Heidi bit her lip hard, fighting her anger, then met Elena’s eyes.
“Mother, are you truly alright with that?”
“I don’t understand the question.”
“With the fact that Father still loves the Marchioness.”
Elena held her gaze for a long moment, then finally sighed and spoke.
“Heidi, since you’ve already guessed as much… I’ll tell you. It doesn’t trouble me.”
“….”
“Just as your father doesn’t love me, I don’t love him either.”
At those words, Heidi’s fists clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white.
She had expected it, but hearing her mother admit it aloud hurt more than she thought.
Heidi’s reddening eyes glared at Elena.
“I hate it.”
“Heidi…”
“I hate that Father’s heart belongs to another woman. I hate that he still hasn’t let her go.”
Her voice rose with emotion.
“How can you say it doesn’t trouble you? Don’t lie. How could it possibly not matter?”
“……”
“Father never loved you, not even once. How could that ever be okay?”
“Heidi, I…”
“I won’t live like you, Mother.”
Elena froze, unable to respond.
Heidi’s bloodshot eyes fixed on her as she continued.
“Thank you, Mother. Thanks to you, I’ve realized something.”
“….”
“If I do nothing, then I’ll end up living just like you.”
“Heidi, what are you saying—!”
“Mother, I won’t let another woman steal the love that should be mine.”
“….”
“And if that woman is Rebellia Piace, then all the more so.”
“Elena’s eyes widened. “Rebellia Piace? Why are you suddenly mentioning that girl’s name—!”
Heidi cut her off, pushing back her chair as she stood.
She looked straight at her shocked mother and said:
“Since you’ve admitted it yourself, you won’t be divorcing Father now, will you?”
“….”
“Then please, Mother—keep living like that.”
“….”
“So that Heidi Elliana won’t be pitied as the poor child raised by parents who never loved each other.”
With that, Heidi strode to the door without hesitation.
But when she opened it, she froze—standing right there was a man.
“…I think I need an explanation for what I just heard.”
“D-Delphian…”
“Heidi.”
Delphian’s golden eyes, sharp and blazing, pierced straight through her.
There was no escape.
The first thing Edwin did upon returning to the two-story house in Raymond was remove the wooden boards covering the windows.
For the first time in ten years, moonlight poured freely through the window.
Under that silver light, Edwin looked down at Anna’s peacefully sleeping face and ran a trembling hand over his own.
‘E-Edwin? How… how are you here…?’
He could still see her wide, shocked eyes from when they met again in the forest. Even when he closed his eyes, the image wouldn’t leave him.
It had been such a close call.
If he had arrived even a little later, he might never have seen those beloved red eyes again. The thought made his stomach twist painfully, though he hadn’t eaten anything.
‘It’s alright. From now on, I’ll protect Anna. From now on, it will be me…’
Just imagining what Anna had suffered over the past ten years tormented Edwin, eating away at his mind.
Shaking himself from those dark thoughts, he suddenly raised his head when he heard her faint voice.
“…dwin.”
“Ah, Anna? You’re awake?”
Anna’s head moved in a small nod.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Edwin sat closer and spoke gently.
“The carriage should arrive by tomorrow morning. Since your health is poor, they said moving you with magic would be too dangerous.”
“……”
“You know, don’t you? You don’t have any mana at all.”
“……”
“So it’s safer to travel by carriage rather than force mana into you to move.”
As he explained, Edwin’s words trailed off when he saw Anna’s calm eyes fixed on him.
Her voice came soft but firm.
“Edwin.”
“Yes, Anna?”
“…Thank you for today.”
“…No, Anna. I didn’t really do anything—”
“That’s why… you should go back to Adeli now.”
The quiet but steady words froze Edwin where he sat.
Anna continued, her tone unwavering.
“Your family is waiting for you.”
“……”
“The one you need to protect now isn’t me. You know that better than anyone.”
“Anna, I—!”
His voice rose without thinking, but when he met her steady red eyes, he fell silent.
Those eyes… held no feelings for him anymore.
And in that emptiness, Edwin understood.
Their story had already ended.
He could no longer say a single word.
