Chapter 15
The One Who Abandoned the Child There
The man’s purple eyes, for some reason, resembled the night sky. Ansi, who had been staring at them, suddenly felt embarrassed and shifted her gaze to the ground.
“On a floor like this?”
“It was in even worse condition than this.”
It was hard to believe that someone with such a noble appearance could have done something like that. But knowing what she did about Damion d’Orphet, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
“Please don’t suggest we lie down together here.”
At her genuine concern, Damion let out a small laugh. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to have such intentions.
“Instead, could you tell me what that star is, if you know it? I’ve been curious for a long time.”
Ansi followed the direction of his pointing finger and looked up at the sky. Among the many stars, one shone especially bright.
“That’s Arcturus. It means ‘Guardian of the Bear’ and is the brightest star in the constellation Boötes.”
“Do you like stars?”
“A little.”
“So the shepherd’s livestock are bears?”
“No, the bear he guards isn’t livestock. It’s his mother. She angered a god and was turned into a bear. The shepherd watches over her in the sky forever.”
At those words, Damion’s eyes narrowed. He asked quietly,
“If someone becomes a creature beyond recognition and eventually dies and disappears, are they still family?”
“Yes, I think that’s what family is. What about you, Sir Damion?”
Ansi looked directly at him as she asked.
If family meant the same to him too…
Ansi watched the lips of the man soaked in darkness. Eventually, they parted.
“I’m glad that’s what you believe. I also think I could give my life for my family.”
Ansi’s gaze trembled. He didn’t even know what kind of person his brother was or what he had done to her, yet he could say he would give his life for his family. Such a carefree young master.
Yes, this man was indeed someone Ansi had to despise.
He was the villain who deserved to be thrown into the flames with the witch.
Biting the inside of her lip hard, she forced a smile and replied,
“I feel the same, Sir.”
“It’s about time you dropped the formality. Just call me Damion, Ansi.”
“…Damion.”
The man smiled brightly. Seeing that happiness on his moonlit face, Ansi felt disgusted and filthy inside.
Two emotions tangled chaotically within her.
Hatred—for being the brother of her enemy.
And guilt—for deceiving an innocent man who knew nothing.
Neither was a pleasant feeling.
And yet…
Ansi had a feeling.
No matter how their story ended, she would never forget this downpour of stars and the maze of memories.
Don’t scream, Mion.
A soft boyish voice rang in Damion’s head.
Nngh…
Damion groaned painfully through clenched lips. Drip, drip. Something landed on his arm as excruciating pain overwhelmed him.
You’re doing well. I knew you were a good boy, Mion.
The boy chuckled. Damion, who had been squeezing his eyes shut, opened them and spoke. Tears streamed down his cheeks.
Brother, stop…
The voice that came out was that of a whimpering child. Hardened wax drops clung to his arm. In front of him, the boy with wheat-colored hair—Cardian—looked at him with cold, dead eyes.
I told you not to speak. Why don’t you listen?
S-Sorry…
Bad children need to be punished.
Cardian, speaking as if scolding him, suddenly pressed the burning candle against Damion’s arm.
Aaargh!
Damion screamed. The pain of fire and wax touching his skin was something he’d never forget. As he screamed and shook his arm madly, Cardian burst into laughter.
Then it happened. The door slammed open. The Duchess, Marianne, rushed in with a few others, startled by the screams.
What’s going on?
Mion must’ve been playing with the candle and dropped it. Were you surprised, Mion?
Cardian calmly replied and pulled down Damion’s rolled-up sleeve.
N-No! My brother pressed the candle on my arm, so—
I don’t understand what you mean, Mion. I was trying to stop you, remember?
No! Mother, no!
Damion ran toward Marianne as if falling over. Now that an adult had come to save him from his brother, he thought he would be okay.
Look!
Damion raised his painful arm and reached to pull up his sleeve.
But Marianne gently grabbed his hand and stopped him. Her gaze moved from the extinguished candle on the floor to Damion’s hand, and then to Cardian’s golden eyes, wide as he stared at her.
After a moment’s silence, she swallowed and spoke.
Damion, lying is bad.
She held his small hand tightly to stop him from pulling up his sleeve.
That day, Damion realized.
Like the children trapped in the gingerbread house in fairy tales, there were no adults who would come to save him here.
Because the ones who left the child in the gingerbread house… were the child’s own parents.
He had to escape the villain’s hand by himself.
Without anyone’s help—on his own.
“Ugh… ugh…”
The boy who once cried alone in a dark room had grown into the man he was now. But the darkness still remained.
He couldn’t breathe. Damion clutched at his throat and gasped. He didn’t know how to breathe, his chest felt tight, and as he inhaled frantically—he let out a scream.
The door burst open at the sound.
“Master! Master!”
Someone shook him awake. At the urgent touch, Damion’s eyes flew open.
“Haah…!”
He exhaled a huge breath and panted heavily. His body was drenched in cold sweat.
Head maid Elma gently rubbed his back over and over.
“You had a nightmare. It’s okay.”
Damion, whose bloodshot eyes had been staring into space, finally calmed down.
“…I’m okay now. Thank you.”
A cracked voice slipped from his lips. Elma gave him a sympathetic look and then left the room.
She had watched over Damion since he was eight, when he first entered the Orphet household. She had even followed him to his new home after his discharge.
He’d seemed better recently, but it looked like the nightmares had returned.
“Poor young master…”
Elma sighed bitterly in front of the closed door and turned away.
She decided to relay the Duke’s summons—who had ordered Damion to come to the mansion as soon as he woke—after he had eaten breakfast and composed himself.
She could only hope the young lady chosen as his bride would become the family Damion never had.
“Rain! Open the door, sweetie!”
Ansi frowned at the loud knocking from early morning.
Her body felt heavy—and no wonder. After returning from last night’s ball, it had already been morning by the time she removed the dress the man had gifted her and got ready for bed.
“Ansi, I think Lady Roma is here.”
Seeing Sofia wake up with startled eyes, Ansi finally rose.
When she opened the door, Roma tried to enter immediately. Ansi blocked her.
“No matter whose house it is, you shouldn’t barge in. I paid for this room.”
Since she hadn’t yet found a house in the capital, Ansi had decided to stay at Roma’s home for a few days. It was the safest and most reasonable option at a good price.
She had considered coming to the capital alone, but couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Sofia alone in the southern house where Geris might show up.
Fortunately, Roma’s house was quite comfortable.
The only issue—its owner was far too talkative.
“What on earth is this? This picture in Morning Noblesse—this is you, isn’t it?”
Roma held up a gossip magazine and looked back and forth between the black-and-white illustration and Ansi. Her eyes soon landed on the distinct design of the dress hanging nearby.
“I knew it! It is you!”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“My goodness, how could this happen? I was so shocked I spilled my coffee, and now my heart’s racing! Rain! No, I’ll call you Ansi now. That’s okay, right?”
“Please do. I won’t be using the name ‘Rain’ anymore.”
“I get the gist now. Don’t worry. You know I’m discreet, right?”
Ansi nodded.
Despite being a chatterbox, Roma was trustworthy—she didn’t gossip carelessly. That was a principle she had developed through her work handling sensitive requests from countless clients.
“Well, that’s all I needed to know. Fascinating stuff.”
“Yes, have a good rest.”
“The fountain pen sold. Here, the payment.”
Roma handed her a thick stack of money. Judging by the size, it had sold for quite a high price.
So much for calling it ‘a day’s worth of survival money.’ He hadn’t treated it that lightly after all. Remembering the man’s arrogant words, Ansi let out a small, involuntary laugh.
“What? Were you expecting more?”
“No. It’s more than I thought.”
“Go buy something nice to eat with your mother. More importantly… aren’t you glad you went out that day?”
That day? Ah.
Ansi realized what Roma meant. After all, it was by stepping in for Miss Larwill that she had ended up meeting Damion d’Orphet again.
He was the one who had given her the opportunity to take that big first step toward revenge. Ansi bowed her head sincerely to Roma.
“Thank you.”
“Oh, please! I didn’t tell you that to get thanked!”
Even so, Roma left, laughing joyfully as she slammed the door shut.
Ansi lay back down on the bed.
One step.
She had truly taken one step forward.
Holding that fact close to her heart, Ansi closed her eyes once more.
The light hitting the crystal chandelier on the high ceiling rained down below. It was as if the house was welcoming the man who had just arrived.
Walking calmly through the light, Damion headed straight for the dining room.
Though the door was already open, he knocked out of courtesy.
Marianne, who had been smiling as she used her fork, froze. Her hand slammed the fork down, and her face flushed red.
