Chapter 6

Aileen made Sera swear—again and again—not to tell her family what had happened today. Only after securing that promise did she retreat to her room.

She tossed the ruby necklace onto the table with a soft clink and sat there, staring at it blankly.

From the vivid crimson glow of the gem, a distant yet dazzling memory rose unbidden.

—

“What’s the occasion for this gift?”

“No reason.”

Carlisle had replied curtly, eyes fixed on his empty teacup as if it was nothing.

Aileen had pressed her lips together to hide a grin, trying not to laugh as she accepted the gift he handed her.

Carlisle had often come to see her bearing gifts—on days with no meaning, no anniversary, no cause.
At first, she had been flustered by the randomness, but over time it became one of their cherished routines.

—

“What is it this time, an amethyst bracelet?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s beautiful… When did you buy it? I had no idea.”

“It reminded me of you.”

“Come to think of it, most of your gifts have amethysts. Is it your favorite stone? Should we make our wedding bands out of them too?”

“…They look like your eyes. That’s why. But I’d like anything, as long as it’s what you want.”

—

He had answered her rapid-fire questions without a second’s hesitation.
His deep blue eyes, no longer resting on the teacup, had turned directly toward her.

It had been her who had blushed and looked away, embarrassed by her own forwardness.

Those were the days. When she could feel Carlisle’s love in the most unexpected moments.
When even his silence felt warm.

But now, those precious moments—those intimate memories—would belong to Judith.

The emotionless gaze. The arm that had once wrapped around her now shielding someone else.
The face that had calmly told her it was over.

Everything about him still felt painfully vivid. And yet… like a dream she couldn’t wake up from.

The more time passed, the brighter the old memories became—until they hurt.

“I suppose… it’s finally time to send the annulment,” Aileen whispered.

She walked to her desk and took out the document from the drawer where she’d kept it hidden for days. Her eyes slowly scanned the creased, half-wrinkled page.

Even now, it felt foreign in her hands.

After a long hesitation, she unfolded it.

Rustle.

The soft sound of the paper creasing broke the silence.
And then—she saw it. The handwriting.

Count Carlisle Avergue hereby requests the annulment of his engagement to Lady Aileen Revart. The grounds for this decision are as follows…

Seeing it in writing made it all the more real—and far colder than she’d imagined.

Unconsciously, Aileen bit the inside of her cheek.

…due to Carlisle Avergue’s infidelity, and his decision to end all future ties with the aforementioned fiancée in order to build a life with another.

“…Ah.”

She finally understood why her parents had been so furious.
The reason was written in cruel, bare-faced detail.

Aileen’s lips trembled slightly.

Carlisle had already signed. His name stood clear and decisive beside the request.
Only one blank space remained—hers.

She set the paper down like it burned her and moved to the next: the compensation agreement.

One villa in Serins, owned by Count Avergue… a vineyard in the western Grett region…

The list went on.

Carlisle had climbed to where he was by his own merit. He had earned each of these assets through victory after victory.
Aileen had studied his finances in preparation for their marriage, so she knew—this was no small portion of his estate.

“Is this what he thinks is fair compensation?”

As if these things could replace what she had lost.

She let out a bitter laugh. The only thing she had ever wanted from him… was now forever out of reach.

She remembered his voice, not so long ago:

“As soon as the annulment is finalized, I’ll begin preparing for my engagement to Judith.”

If she signed and returned this, if she agreed to the terms—he and Judith would be free to begin their new life.

Her chest ached as though something was eating it from the inside.

Engaged. Married. A child…

A family that had never existed in any of the futures she had imagined.

Her mind drifted back to the very first time she had met Judith—when Carlisle had introduced them during their academy days.

“Judith, this is my friend—Aileen Revart.”

His calm navy eyes had briefly met hers—before turning to Judith.
She remembered the word “friend”, the way Judith naturally slipped her hand into his arm,
and the gaze he turned toward her instead of Aileen.

Each of those small moments had carved long, jagged cracks in her chest.

She never thought she would find herself reliving that same pain now—older, more deeply in love, and far more shattered.

An unexpected encounter—and Carlisle, standing beside Judith, not her.

Looking back, Aileen couldn’t help but think that maybe… maybe Judith suited him better.
Maybe that’s why they cheated.
A dry, self-deprecating laugh slipped from her lips.

From the way Carlisle acted today, it was clear: he truly cared for Judith—and for their unborn child.
It felt as though Aileen had been just a smear on an otherwise perfect painting.

So perhaps it was time to let go—gracefully.

Slowly, Aileen lifted her hand and took hold of the quill pen. Her signature filled the only remaining blank on the annulment papers—slightly shaky, but resolute.

She stared at the document for a long time, her eyes swimming with conflicting emotions, before calling for Sera.

“Sera, please send this to the Avergue estate.”

“My lady…”

Realizing what she had just been handed, Sera’s face twisted, her voice caught in her throat.

“He doesn’t want me anymore. What choice do I have?” Aileen said quietly. “I can’t live clinging to an empty shell.”

Those words struck a nerve. Sera responded, this time with a sharp, angry tone.

“Can’t we at least delay it a little? I’m too angry to let them have what they want so easily.”

“…”

“If it were me, I wouldn’t give in to those monsters. Not without a fight!”

“…”

“It’s not like the sky will fall if we wait a bit longer. Let them sit in their guilt a while longer!”

Aileen paused, watching Sera huff in frustration.

Truthfully, she didn’t want to send it either.
Not now. Not ever.

She had tried to keep that pitiful feeling locked away, but… if it really was okay to wait, even just a little longer—

“…Do you really think I can?” she murmured.

“Of course! It’s only been a short time. You don’t have to give in right away.”

Her family seemed to agree.
The Duke and Ashite had both demanded she wring more from Carlisle in compensation, enraged on her behalf.

And so, after much thought, Aileen tucked the annulment papers deep into her desk drawer again.

Time moved quickly after that horrible encounter. Aileen tried desperately to forget the reality she’d been forced to accept.

She even returned to sword practice—a blade she hadn’t touched since the engagement ended—pushing her body to exhaustion to silence her thoughts.

But the memories of eight long years were persistent.

Whenever she closed her eyes, warmth came rushing back. And when night fell, so did silence—and with it, dreams tangled with memories and nightmares.

Even so, she managed to keep her mind intact thanks to one small hope:

That with time, the pain in her chest—once sharp like a blade—was becoming duller.
That she could bury the image of Carlisle she had treasured in a deep pit within her heart… and slowly, slowly cover it with earth.

If she kept going, maybe one day… he’d be gone completely.

“Are you really going?”

Sera looked worried as she finished fixing Aileen’s hair and adjusted her final accessories.

Aileen smiled softly and nodded. “I’ll be fine, Sera.”

“If you say so…”

With her maid still hesitant behind her, Aileen stood and left the estate.
Her dress shimmered like stardust scattered across the night sky with every step she took.

Today was her dear friend Retta’s wedding.
Originally, she would have attended with Carlisle by her side—but that was no longer possible.

“At least I’m here with your amazing big brother,” Ashite said with a grin.

“I suppose that’s true.”

“You don’t sound very impressed. That hurts.”

“I feel incredibly safe. Happy now?”

Ashite, who had known Retta since childhood as well, had willingly offered to escort her.

With the Duke’s famously short-tempered son at her side, no other noble would dare speak out of turn.

The two of them climbed into the carriage and set off toward Retta’s manor.

“You finally look like yourself again.”

Ashite spoke gruffly, glancing over at her as the carriage rattled along the road.

“I thought I was going to die from secondhand embarrassment watching you mope around like that.”

“Ah.”

“Seriously, I never want to see that pathetic version of you again. Starting tomorrow, you’re coming to training with me every morning.”

“…You missed bullying me that much?”

He simply shrugged and turned to look out the window. Beneath his sharp nose, his pale skin looked nearly translucent in the morning light.

It had been weeks since Aileen had missed even a single day of morning sword drills. Maybe it really was time to return to routine—to life.

She steadied her beating heart and readied herself as the carriage began to slow.

“Let’s go.”

Ashite stepped down first and offered his hand. Aileen placed hers over his, letting him help her descend.

They entered the manor, adorned with bright yellow flowers in full bloom.

Please, she thought silently, let there be no trouble today.