C62
"That day, when the sun disappeared, and darkness arrived, raindrops began to fall.
Leandro stood there in the rain even after I left. With shoulders drooped in helplessness.
After having dinner with Diana's family and playing cards, I was surprised to return to my room late in the day and see that.
"Well, he's still doing that."
As the room I stayed in was near the back door, I could catch a glimpse of Leandro through the window. He stood there as if trapped in his place, endlessly staring at the ambassador's residence.
It was yesterday when Ambassador Leok used all formal and informal methods to get rid of the journalists wandering around the mansion like a pack of wildcats. Thanks to this, Leandro, who was doing this alone, stood out.
"Ugh, that stinks."
Do you think my heart will soften if you act like the male protagonist of a romantic novel?
"It just gives me goosebumps."
Stay like that for the rest of your life, and I'll see if I come out. I'm sure I won't even blink even if he gets seriously sick from too much rain.
Sigh.
I vigorously closed the curtains and lay on the bed in my comfortable pajamas. At times like this, it was best to fall asleep quickly.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
I must have fallen asleep, but a strange noise mixed with the sound of rain disturbed my sleep.
"...what?"
Sleep quickly slipped away. It was the sound of something small and sharp hitting the window.
"Ah, this guy."
Did he go crazy because he was in the rain for too long? Why is he making a fuss throwing stones at other people's windows?
At this moment, if someone asked me to name the two things I hate most in the world, I would answer without hesitation. The first is Leandro, and the second is anyone who wakes me up.
I was very upset and opened the curtains and the window. Even if that meant waking up everyone in the neighborhood, I would end up showering him with curses.
"Hey! This is..."
Starting from profanity, all kinds of flashy insults were about to come out of my throat.
"Tay?"
Although he wore the same robe, the person outside the wall was Terence, not Leandro. There was no way I couldn't distinguish them.
After checking my face, Terence slightly removed the hood from his robe. As expected, it was Terence.
"Hey, what's happening?"
I tried to shout loudly without realizing it, but I choked my voice for fear of being seen. I didn't know, but I had to be careful since these days were an important time.
Terence pointed to himself, then to the wall and to me. In general terms, it seemed to mean whether it was okay to climb the wall and reach where I was.
"It's okay."
While making a big circle with both arms, Terence's body, surrounded by dark red energy, floated. He landed on the tree right in front of the window in a familiar position, as if he had flown many times.
"What happened?"
I thought it must have been urgent for Terence to come to see me like this in the middle of the night.
"Did I wake you up by any chance?"
However, the other person was actually more relaxed than expected. No, I couldn't say he was relaxed, although I could feel a subtle sense of excitement on his face.
"It's okay. I wasn't sleeping deeply; I was just in and out of sleep."
"I'm sorry. I received news that I want to tell you as soon as possible."
"Did something big happen?"
"If by something important, you mean significant, it could be."
"What is it?"
He scratched his embarrassed cheek, then cleared his throat.
"Congratulations on your divorce, Ethel."
At that sweet voice, I made a dumbfounded expression for a moment.
"...What?"
"In reality, I just came back from the temple. I had to pass by there for some other matter and happened to find out."
"Has my divorce been approved?"
"Yes. It's late, so the official announcement won't be until tomorrow morning."
"Ah... well."
"Ethel?"
"What can I say, I really don't feel anything."
I finally divorced. I was no longer Leandro's wife or Ethel Cassius. It was finally the end of a difficult relationship.
Gradually, my heart began to warm, and a sense of euphoria spread throughout my body. Naturally, a loud sound came out of my mouth.
"Whoa! I'm divorced! Heh..."
Immediately, I covered my mouth. I was so happy that for a moment, I forgot about the current situation. I must be careful, careful.
Hehe. Still, there was no way to stop the laughter that came out. I smiled and looked at Terence.
"Did you come here on purpose to tell me this?"
Terence raised the corners of his mouth.
"I wanted to tell you the good news as soon as possible, and more than anyone, I wanted to be the first to congratulate you."
"The first?"
Only then did I notice Terence's hair and clothes. He was soaked, probably because he had been walking in the rain.
"Why do you have to do this?"
I asked immediately.
"No, it's not that I don't like it. I feel like you're too kind to me..."
This is what I have felt since the trial. We were able to turn the trial in our favor because he brought the head butler. It really helped me a lot.
"But what about me?"
Am I useful enough to him to make it worthwhile? Was it necessary to exert so much effort and use the power of the royal family, which had side effects?
He previously explained that it was because I gave him the recipe for the medicinal tea, but for some reason, it seemed a bit excessive to me. Getting his cooperation in exchange for a recipe was ultimately a transaction.
"Terence's attitude is quite emotional right now. No, maybe even before...."
A wild guess crossed my mind. It really doesn't make sense, but it was an assumption that could help me understand this situation immediately.
At that moment, Terence, who was looking at me without understanding, opened his mouth.
"Because you're my comrade."
What a strange attitude.
"Since you're my comrade, isn't it natural to want to take care of you?"
"Ah... Because we're comrades."
"Moreover, Ethel is the first friend I've had in a long time."
Friend? That was a new word that appeared for the first time between Terence and me.
"It's a pity, but I haven't had many people to call friends. Jack, who acts as my assistant, is my closest friend, but his duty is to serve me."
That was briefly mentioned in 'Return and Walk on a Path of Flowers.' As expected, he belonged to the dark and evil side, so he felt lonely and didn't even have a friend to share his feelings with.
"The others in the Marquis's residence are similar. There were people who could never be at my level, and for some reason, I changed people frequently, except for a very small number of individuals."
Because you never know who might have been planted by the empress or her family. The novel portrayed Terence as a patient with strong suspicion, but this was entirely natural.
"I met some people hiding my identity and going out, but it was difficult to have a lasting relationship while lying. In fact, I have never had a private conversation with Vinetta."
"It usually takes time to make friends."
Terence was especially wary of anyone who discovered his true identity, and Vinetta was naturally straightforward.
"But you and I are collaborators without distinction between superior and subordinate. Moreover, we met by chance; neither Ethel nor I intentionally approached each other."
He extended his arms like a theater actor.
"Isn't it fascinating? The fact that you happened to meet someone who could help you, and you also possessed that incredible medicine."
"Haha, that's right. It's so impressive..."
That's not a coincidence. I knew his identity from the beginning and approached him under the pretext of a coincidence.
"Isn't this a fateful destiny?"
When I saw Terence with shining eyes, my conscience stirred a little.
"Well, that's right. It's really amazing."
"Would it be impolite of me to consider you my friend for this reason?"
"Of course not. It goes without saying that we are friends."
Feeling a wave of guilt, I decided to quickly end this topic. However, the doubts I had were somewhat resolved.
"Now that I think about it, Terence didn't have friends."
There were scenes where he temporarily cooperated with other villains as underworld agents, but their relationship was described as superficial, with no one knowing when they would turn against each other. There was also no emotional exchange.
On the other hand, I met him before he turned dark. We also had some honest conversations. Above all, although this was far from the truth, I believed that our relationship arose purely by coincidence.
Hmm, I see. Friends. Not bad. No, it's fine. When I think about it, I also felt comfortable treating him as a friend at some point.
By the way...
"I'm very self-aware."
I felt incredibly embarrassed.
I thought that maybe Terence was in love with me as a member of the opposite sex.
Well, that can't be. There was no way the villain, who didn't even have the slightest interest in Liena, who was pursued by most men her age, would like me.
Anyway, I'm glad. If my illusion was real, I wouldn't know how to reject him. He's a good guy and suits me.
"I'm done with things like dating and marriage..."
I rushed into marriage expecting things that could tickle me, and this is what happened. I made a decision as I prepared for the divorce. I plan to live single from now on.
I did my best to hide my embarrassment and opened my mouth as if nothing had happened.
"Then you'll catch a cold. Please come in. I'll bring you a towel. I'll ask if there's clothing for you to change into..."
Terence's body suddenly stiffened.
"It's okay. The rain has stopped now."
"Oh, right."
"I have another schedule tomorrow morning, so I guess I'll have to leave now."
"You better go quickly and get some rest."
He prepared to jump from the tree and then asked me.
"How is life here?"
"Excellent. Everyone is very nice."
"It's a relief. Feel free to invite your friends too. It was difficult to do that when you were in my villa."
Because it was a secret villa, there were many restrictions on life.
"Oh, I didn't feel frustrated at all. In fact, it was nice and comfortable because no one came to visit us."
"...So I guess I sent you for no reason?"
"What? What did you say?"
He muttered something, but the sound was so low that I couldn't hear it well.
"I'm just talking to myself. I really need to go."
"Thank you. Thanks to Tay, I can sleep comfortably."
Until a few hours ago, I was depressed because of Leandro.
"If you really appreciate it, could you grant me my only wish?"
What, a wish?