Chapter 132
‘I don’t want to send her away.’
When the next day came, seeing Sasha tightly holding Reilly’s hand and looking up at her, Kirine felt something welling up inside her. Though it was a necessary choice for Sasha’s sake, she felt emotional before they’d even begun.
Ares seemed to share her feelings, biting his lip hard beside her.
“Sigh, how are we supposed to leave comfortably when you’re looking at us with such regretful faces?”
Only when Reilly clicked her tongue while looking between the two did Kirine belatedly try to control her expression, kneeling halfway down to caress Sasha’s cheek.
“Mom and Dad will come get you soon, so be good with Auntie.”
“Okay. I’ll be good with Auntie, so come back quickly.”
Reassuringly, Sasha clenched her fists, telling them not to worry. Watching her quietly, Ares also nodded solemnly.
After saying their final goodbyes and sending Sasha off, Kirine and Ares let out deep sighs as if on cue.
“Let’s definitely end this for good this time.”
“That’s what I want.”
They decided to start over from the beginning. From the house where that woman had lived, to the place where Kirine had been held captive, to the white mansion where Ares had been imprisoned as a child.
Thinking they might have missed some traces, they searched and investigated every place connected to that woman. But as expected, they found nothing.
Though they had anticipated it wouldn’t be easy, they couldn’t help feeling deflated by the complete lack of clues.
‘It’s already been three days.’
With no progress, they were starting to feel anxious. Though they tried not to show it, it became increasingly difficult to hide their frustration and complicated feelings.
As if sensing these inner thoughts, Ares patted Kirine’s shoulder.
“Don’t be too impatient. We knew this would happen.”
“Well, yes, but still.”
After letting out an irritated sigh, Kirine found Ares’s unusually calm attitude strange.
“Why are you so composed?”
It felt odd that the person who should be more anxious appeared rather peaceful.
When she looked up at him as if asking for an explanation, Ares stroked his chin with a troubled expression.
“I have a feeling.”
“What kind of feeling?”
When she asked, not understanding why he was suddenly acting like someone who’d received divine inspiration, Ares answered calmly.
“Like we’ll meet that woman soon, I suppose?”
“…”
Just as Kirine was about to scold him for saying something crazy, she spoke sarcastically:
“Did you receive a revelation?”
“Well… my guess should be right.”
Ares, who had lowered his eyes as if lost in thought for a moment, spoke gravely.
“She went to the trouble of sending a warning letter, so I’m guessing she’ll appear soon since we’re ignoring it and staying together.”
That was as good as saying she would come to kill Kirine.
***
Eventually, the two returned to the white mansion. Though they had already seen everything, they came back at Ares’s suggestion to look once more.
“Is there really any reason to come here again?”
When she asked, unable to understand no matter how she thought about it, Ares answered as if it were obvious.
“Because this was her most cherished place.”
Especially considering the white roses she had grown in front of the mansion, no place was more special than this.
“It’s also a meaningful place.”
Ares casually surveyed the area where the garden had been. But Kirine, following behind him, showed clear reluctance.
“But you… this makes you uncomfortable.”
While it might have been precious to that woman, for Ares it was the place he most wanted to forget, where he didn’t want to spend even a second.
It was more worrying to see him walking around such a place with an unbothered expression.
“I’ll look around alone instead, you should—”
“How can I know what might happen if I leave you alone?”
Ares cut off Kirine before she could finish.
“There’s no point in splitting up. So let’s search together.”
“I’m saying this because I’m worried about you.”
Kirine didn’t want to search separately from Ares either. She was concerned because of what this place meant to him.
She couldn’t help but worry about how difficult it must be for him to set foot in a place where he had been imprisoned for months.
“But you’re beside me.”
Ares grabbed Kirine’s wrist, saying she was worrying unnecessarily.
“I’m fine when you’re here.”
“…”
“Just stay by my side like before.”
He turned forward and continued walking, saying it was fine. Though he was practically dragging her along, the warmth of his grip on her wrist was clear and gentle.
“Well, if you say so…”
Kirine muttered as if giving in and grasped Ares’s hand back.
‘Time really has passed.’
In the village, the white mansion had been described as temple-like. From the mansion itself to the white roses in the garden, everything was so white that children used to say angels lived there.
But now the mansion walls were crumbling and looked ready to collapse at any moment, and the once well-maintained white rose garden had long since withered into an ugly state.
‘Not a trace of its former appearance remains.’
Who would dare say angels had lived in such a place now?
Even while walking hand in hand with Ares, she found it hard to shake off her complicated feelings.
‘Will that woman really come here again…’
Though she thought no one who wasn’t insane would come here, Ares seemed to think differently as he continued looking around.
“Ares.”
As they finished inspecting the garden and entered the mansion, there was an unpleasant creaking sound of a door scraping against the floor, making her wince.
“Let’s go now.”
No matter how they looked, it seemed they wouldn’t find any clues or traces here. They had already checked this place three or four times without encountering that woman, so wouldn’t it save time to go somewhere else?
“We’ve seen enough.”
Just as Kirine pulled on Ares’s hand, saying they shouldn’t waste any more time—
Creeak.
The sound of a door opening upstairs echoed through the mansion.
Hearing this, Ares’s head naturally turned toward the upper floor. As he immediately moved to climb the stairs, Kirine squeezed his hand.
“Ares.”
As their eyes met, Kirine called his name carefully.
Her face was tense with an ominous feeling.
Understanding immediately, Ares pressed his lips together for a moment, took a deep breath, and carefully ascended the stairs.
