Chapter 60

“You were right, Enoch.”

…

“It would’ve been fine if I had just stopped loving them…”

Enoch bit his lip.
But I was fine.
I was just stating something I’d finally realized.
So why did Enoch look like he was in pain?

You were right. You, Enoch Haynes—calm, clever, unlike me. You were right all along.

“Florence.”

“You told me not to cling to them. That they’d never love me, and getting hurt wasn’t worth it…”

“I just didn’t want you to be hurt anymore.”

“…”

“Look at me, Florence.”

“…”

“What hurts me most is that you can’t even cry.”

But I can’t cry.
I just… can’t.
Enoch pulled me into his arms. I quietly held my breath as he held me.

Everyone in the Seymour mansion hated me.

They didn’t hit me or starve me.
No one cursed at me directly.
From the outside, my life looked perfect.
I ate luxurious meals every day, wore silk pajamas, and slept in a bed with feather-stuffed blankets. I could have anything I asked for. I lacked nothing.

Except one thing—people. The one thing I truly longed for was never given to me.

The one thing missing… was a human touch.

And yet, they said Florence Love Seymour was greedy. That she pestered her busy family for attention, begged to be loved, threw tantrums when ignored. The servants whispered behind my back whenever I caused a scene.

People are always sensitive to the moods of the powerful.
Even if Father didn’t say a word, they could tell he disliked me.

The only one who truly cared for me… was the one I envied most: Enoch Haynes.

“Look at you. You only have Father’s support because you need a guardian.”

“If that’s all it is, then go live with some other relative. If there’s no one, I’ll—”

“Did Blake tell you to come? To get me to say I’ll leave on my own?”

“Florence.”

Enoch was strange.
He never seemed intimidated. He treated Grace and Blake like equals.
When his composed face hardened and he called my name in that low voice, he felt older than me—though he was only three years older. That bruised my pride, so I picked fights with him more.

“No matter what you say, I’m not giving up.”

And deep down, I knew it too.
They didn’t need me.
My absence made them better people.
To my beloved family, I was nothing more than a stain.

You took our mother from us. If you hadn’t been born, we could’ve been happy.

Grace told me this again and again.

“Just looking at you makes me sick.”

More than Blake’s words, it was his contemptuous, disgusted eyes that hurt most.

Enoch doesn’t know…

Even though he was just a supported commoner, the family still acted differently around him. I hated that too.

I knew they didn’t need me.
I knew they hated me.
And yet, I couldn’t give up so easily.

Because I had to keep Grandma’s last wish.

Grandma—the only person who ever truly loved me.

“My poor baby, my granddaughter…”

Her rough hand brushed my cheek. Her pity came through the warmth of her touch.
Even though she always looked stern to others, she sometimes cried in front of me.
I didn’t mind her tears.
It hurt to see her cry, but if she was crying for me, then part of me was glad.

“Don’t cry, Grandma. I’m okay.”

“Wretched people… what did this little one ever do to deserve such coldness…?”

“I’m really okay…”

“You’ve done nothing wrong, Florence.”

…Nothing wrong?

Really?

Did I really do nothing wrong to Father, Grace, or Blake?

They just loved my mother deeply.
And I… I was the one who took her away from them.
Because I was born, a precious life was lost.
When I was younger, I believed that was the truth.
I thought it really was my fault.

Because of me, someone great died. I stole someone precious from my family. It was all my fault.

I was born, and everything started going wrong.

Just thinking about it made it hard to breathe.
I’d open my mouth, but the air wouldn’t go down my throat.
I didn’t even realize that was despair at the time.

“No, no, Florence. That’s not true.”

Grandma always told me I wasn’t to blame.
That they just didn’t realize it yet.
That one day, they’d regret their sins.

“Forgive them, Florence. Please forgive them… I’m sorry, a hundred times. My son turned out this way because of me. Blame me instead.”

It made no sense.
Did she truly believe I could blame her?

She stroked my cheek, pulled me into her arms, and cried softly.

“My poor, precious child…”

“No, Grandma. I’m not pitiful. I have you. That’s enough for me…”

“…Grandma?”

Maybe even then… she knew her end was near.
She didn’t answer—she just held me tighter.
It was in her arms that I learned the warmth of a real family.
How comforting a person’s body heat, weight, and presence could be.

So this is what it feels like—to be loved by family.

I wanted to stay in that warmth forever.
If Grandma’s arms felt this good… how amazing would it feel to be held by Father?

I had no idea she’d pass away within ten days.

The doctor said nothing could be done.
No priest, no mage, no doctor could stop aging.
And she had no will to live, either.

No one came.
Grace and Blake were away at school.
Father was supposedly on his way—but it seemed he wouldn’t make it in time.

In the end, I was the only one with her in her final moments.

Grandma stayed calm, even near death.
Her breath was shallow, her chest moved faintly, but she held her grace and dignity.
Her gray hair was perfectly arranged. Her calm eyes stared forward.

That was the kind of person she was—always poised and strong.

To be loved by someone like her… I was lucky. That was the one blessing of my life.

Her eyes lowered and looked at me.
I held her hand and met her gaze.
Her cold eyes softened.
She could no longer lift her hand, so I leaned in and pressed my cheek against her palm.

“Florence, my flower…”

“Yes, Grandma. I’m here.”

“I’m sorry, my dear…”

…

“Please forgive them. Be the first to forgive them. They aren’t monsters. My children simply lost their minds in pain. They’ll regret it soon, I know it…”

…

My children.

“Forgive them, Florence…”

“…Okay.”

“Promise me… that you’ll save them. That you’ll love them. Can you promise that?”

Her grip on my hand was surprisingly strong.
Her gentle eyes… now held something chilling.

I barely managed to answer.

“…Okay…”

“Thank you…”

She smiled brightly.

I tried to smile back, but I couldn’t.

I was crying too much.

My knees gave way. I collapsed to the ground.

The doctor rushed to her side.

I was pushed away.

You’ve done nothing wrong, my one and only flower.

They shouldn’t hate you, and yet…

They’re committing a sin. They’ll regret it.

My children aren’t monsters. Please don’t let them go too far.

Forgive them, Florence.

They are your blood.

They need you.

Don’t give up.

I couldn’t give up.
I couldn’t stop.
I only had Grandma.
And now, even she was gone.

She asked me to take care of them.
So I had to be strong.
I had to keep going.

Disgusting.

Why do you keep clinging to us? I told you to stay away!

You give me the creeps. Get lost already!

A young boy’s voice—full of fear.

That was my oldest memory… of Blake.