“Huh….”

Today was an exhausting and irritating day.

Kiries roughly untied his tie and threw it on the table. He frowned when he could still smell the strong perfume.

Ever since he started doing business with Count La Chapelle, he encountered Haney more often. Every time, he was fed up with the touch that grasped his arm and the perfume that pierced his nose.

“I don’t understand.”

Anyway, brainless things bother people because they are useless and greedy.

Restraining his irritation, he laid down on the sofa and closed his eyes for a while.

‘When I wake up, I’ll check how the business is going, find out if that man is really a Schaden, and…’

As he was organizing today’s work in his head before he went to sleep, a white face flashed into his mind.

[Yes! It was truly wonderful!]

It was a smile that Kiries hadn’t seen in a long time. He didn’t know how long it had been since he saw such a bright smile. Eclette always forced her lips up, but after the ballet performance, her eyes folded and she laughed.

‘Did you like it so much?’

In fact, he couldn’t feel any emotion while watching the ballet performance. For Kiries, it was just some movement of people, nothing more. But Eclette was happy with a blushing face.

When he was wondering where he would take Eclette next time, he heard a knock from the door.

“Come in.”

Kiries got up with a shallow sigh after lying on the sofa for a long time.

Zero, who entered the office, saw Kiries’ slightly bloodshot eyes and asked,

“Are you sleeping?”

“What’s going on?”

Kiries unbuttoned his shirt and asked Zero, who was putting documents, which stated how the business was going, on his desk, replied.

“According to the report, it is proven that he is Schaden.”

The day Redwood said that he was Schaden, Kiries asked Zero to find out if he really was Schaden. He thought it would take quite some time to find out. However, the report was unexpectedly fast.

“Who found out about it?”

“Hugh reported.”

“Hugh?”

Hugh was the reason why Eclette was forced to stay in Anatolia.

‘Something’s weird….’

Strangely, he couldn’t dispel his doubts.

Kiries, who was slowly sweeping his chin, told Zero, who was standing in front of him.

“Investigate it yourself again.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kiries was about to lie on the couch again when,

“Oh, and another thing.”

Kires said as if he had forgotten. Zero, who was going to go out, looked back.

“See what else there is besides Swan Lake.”

“Yes, sir.”

When he closed his eyes again, Eclette’s smile still lingered in his head.

‘I want to see it one more time. Your smiling face.’

*               *               *

“Red eyes. It’s disgusting.”

“It must be the devil’s child.”

“Go away, you monster!”

“It’s sinister. We have to get rid of that demon!”

“We have to kill the devil!”

“Die, devil!”

“Devil!”

Everyone pointed their fingers at him and suddenly, they took an aggressive stance with sharp weapons in their hands.

Kiries quickly covered his eyes.

‘No, I’m not a devil.’

But people’s shouts grew louder, and the distance quickly narrowed.

“Mr. Kiries.”

“Let’s kill the devil!”

“Kill the devil!”

“It’s the Devil!”

“Devil!”

He began to choke as if the glances around him were strangling him. There was no way to escape because they were surrounding him.

‘Am I going to die like this….?’

If he moved even a little, he would be stabbed with the knife they were holding.

‘I just wanted to live a normal life.’

Was that too greedy?

His fear in his heart began to gradually turn into resentment. He didn’t understand why he wasn’t allowed to have a normal life like everyone else.

‘I don’t want to die like this. No, I want to kill them all.’

At that moment, a familiar face was seen among the people staring at him. Two eyes with different colors and distinctive silver hair. And….

“Mr. Kiries!”

His eyes opened to the voice calling his name. Kiries coughed continuously, breathing fast.

“Are you all right?”

She handed Kiries some water because he was losing his senses. But it didn’t reach Kiries’ ears.

‘Was it a dream?’

It was so vivid that he couldn’t tell if it was a dream or reality. He still felt trapped in a dream.

Then, he found a white hand on top of his hand. Only then did Kiries realize that his hands were shaking. The tremor stopped slowly as if calmed by the small warmth.

‘Eclette….’

The person who called his name in his dream, and the one who ran towards him, certainly….

Something came up in his heart as he faced Eclette’s worried eyes. Kiries almost impulsively hugged the woman who was in front of him.

He could feel Eclette shivering in surprise for a moment.

“Did you wake me up….?”

He woke up and his voice cracked. Kiries didn’t mean to lose his temper, but because he was angry, his tone of voice came with a sharp tone.

Eclette, who was held quietly in his arms, said cautiously.

“Yes, you seem to be in a lot of pain…”

At that word, Kiries slowly released Eclette. It was the same face he saw in his dream. But the expression was different.

‘What kind of expression did you have at that time….’

Kiries woke up even before her hands reached him, so he couldn’t remember. He looked sad and distressed at the same time.

‘I had a nasty dream.’

Kiries annoyedly swept his hair. The old memories that he had been trying so hard to erase, came back in his dreams as if they were eating him.

A horrible nightmare.

At the end of the nightmare, Eclette was always there.

After calming down to a certain extent, Kiries drank the water that was placed on the table.

“What brings you here?”

“How long have you been proactive?”

It sounded as if she had something to do and asked to be released. Kiries asked, suppressing his irritation.

“Why?”

“I really want to go out tomorrow.”

As he expected, he wasn’t wrong. Kiries looked at her as if to tell him what was the reason, but Eclette only avoided his gaze.

“Where?”

“……”

“Eclette, if you want anything, you have to say it right away.”

“Tomorrow is the anniversary….”

“……”

Kiries was able to figure out who Eclette was reffering to without her telling him.

At this time of year, Eclette always went to Leila’s grave with Hugh. Kiries nodded with a shallow sigh.

“Do what you need to do.”

“Yes.”

Eclette was worried about what to do if he said no, but her face brightened up upon hearing his answer. She continued,

“And….”

“……”

“No, nothing.”

When there was nothing more to do, Eclette left the office as Kiries beckoned her to go out. She felt the gaze following the back of her head, but she didn’t look back. As soon as Eclette closed the door, she leaned against the wall and let out the sigh that she had been holding back.

“Haa….”

His expression, suffering in a cold sweat, still lingered in front of her eyes. She had never seen such a face before and it stuck in her head.

[Don’t go….]

While having a nightmare, the voice clinging to her as if hanging on. Even though she knew it wasn’t directed at her, Eclette couldn’t just stand looking at Kiries.

So, Eclette reached out carefully and woke him up. As soon as Kiries woke up, he hugged her. It was a quick warm hug.

[Did you wake me up….?]

His voice was sharp, but she knew it was faintly trembling. That’s when Eclette first found out. That Kiries is also someone who can suffer.

But he doesn’t know other people’s pain.

“I’m going crazy….”

She couldn’t believe she felt sorry for him.

Eclette returned to her room with a self-help smile.

*                    *                    *

“Good morning!”

The next morning, Eclette, wearing a black dress with a white neck collar, ran into Hugh standing in front. As soon as their eyes meet, Hugh smiled wide and said hello in response to her greeting in.

“Were you waiting long?”

“I just got here.”

“You look happy.”

“Of course. You and I were too busy to see each other.”

Walking side by side, Eclette pulled Hugh’s sleeve.

“Why? What did you leave behind?”

“No matter how busy you are, keep your clothes neat. It will become wrinkled.”

Eclette, who had been scolded by him, spreaded out Hugh’s wrinkled neck collar and arrange his messy brown hair

“Eclette.”

“Yes?”

“Eclette….”

There was a sad light on the face that always looked playful. It was Leila who took care of Hugh whenever he didn’t dress properly. Immediately, Eclette reached out and hugged Hugh’s neck.

“It’s all right, Hugh. I’ve got your back.”

Eclette hugged his neck a little tighter. Although they did not share blood, Eclette and Hugh were like family. They only had each other now.

Hugh, who quietly buried his face in Eclette’s shoulder, raised his head.

“Yes, you should only trust this older brother.”

“What are you suddenly talking about? And why are you my older brother?”

Eclette replied as if it was absurd. She couldn’t understand why he was always talking about being older when he was the same age as her.

“Naturally, it’s because I’m taller than you.”

“No thanks.”

Hugh seemed to be feeling better and relaxed. Only then did Eclette smile and continue on their way to Leila’s grave.

“But it’s hard to see your face these days.”

“Because of probation.”

Hugh, who nodded at her natural tone like flowing water, expressed doubts.

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“How did you get out for today’s”

“I got permission.”

“‘Permission’?”

Hugh replied crookedly to the words. With a clear look on his face, Eclette grabbed Hugh’s forearm.

“I’m fine.”

“…….”

“It’s all right, isn’t it?

Hugh’s expression remained unchanged despite her smiling face. There was no way he didn’t know it was a smile to reassure him.

“Don’t say it’s okay. I’m more upset that it’s okay.”

“Okay, I won’t.”

“Just trust this older brother.”

“Stop that brother’s tone of voice of yours.”

They stopped by a flower shop while they were squabbling. Eclette, looking around at various flowers, stood in front of a pile of lilies.

“A bunch of lilies, please.”

Lilies were also Leila’s favorite flower. So she chose a lily again this time.

“There’s a lot of people buying lilies today.”

The florist said, wrapping the lilies well in a wrapper.

“Really?”

“Someone bought it a little while ago.”

Accepting a well-packed bouquet of lilies, Eclette said thank you and left the flower shop with Hugh.

“What shall we do after seeing her?”

“Let’s eat. I’m hungry.”

“Shall we go to the restaurant we used to go to often?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

The flower shop wasn’t far from the cemetery, so they were able to get there quickly. Before entering, she encountered an unexpected person.

“Zero? What are you doing here?”

When Eclette opened her eyes round with a surprised look, he replied indifferently.

“I’ve got something to do.”

She didn’t know that his hair was this bright blonde. Zero nodded lightly and quickly left.

After looking at his back strangely, Eclette went to Leila’s grave. There was a lily on it.

“They were here again today.”

“I know.”

Whenever the anniversary comes, someone left a lily on Leila’s grave first. They could run into each other, but they never have..

‘Who is it….’

Eclette tilted her head, placing the lillies in her arms next to her.

At that moment, there was a person passing through on her head, but it didn’t make sense so she laughed.

“No way….”