Chapter 50
Serenity
That woman might’ve been speaking politely, but in the end, her message was the same as all the others—mind your own business.
A cold smile crept onto Kardian’s lips.
What had he even done to cause such an uproar?
He hadn’t harmed them in any way. Sure, he’d tried to kill Damion on the battlefield, but that had failed, hadn’t it?
In the end, Damion had returned to the capital and turned into a rather entertaining piece of noble gossip. One could argue Kardian had actually steered his life in a better direction.
Anshi was the same. He had nudged her father’s downfall—only slightly—and no one even knew he was involved. Besides, she’d grown closer to Damion afterward and even ended up marrying him. So that, too, had worked out for the better.
So why did they look at him like he’d tormented them?
Kardian stared straight at Anshi, gaze sharp and penetrating.
Her blue eyes shimmered with a brazenness that bordered on ridiculous. That defiant look she gave him—protecting Damion—was both amusing and irritating to Kardian.
And then… curiosity struck him.
What would it feel like—not to face that defiant gaze—but to have it beside him?
The room was bathed in the glow of sunset. The documents Damion had brought back from the capital were stained a dusky red before he realized how much time had passed.
He raised his head and stared blankly out the window. The color Anshi disliked filled the sky, and of course, thoughts of her came flooding back. A tight, suffocating pressure clenched his chest. His expression darkened.
Just then—click—the door opened.
Ah. Damion quickly composed his face.
“Did you enjoy your walk?”
His lips curved into a gentle smile. He set the papers down and walked lightly toward Anshi.
“Yes. What about you, Damion? What did you do today?”
“I spent the whole day reading documents. I’ve got a backlog to get through, even on break.”
He motioned with his eyes toward the table behind him. In truth, he’d visited Kardian at the annex—but he had no intention of telling her that.
Anshi simply nodded.
“The weather was nice. The estate is beautiful. It would’ve been a shame to stay indoors all day.”
“And yet, you left me all alone on such a lovely day.”
“Oh…”
Damion shrugged playfully, then smiled with crinkled eyes at her flustered sigh.
“Then spend tomorrow with me, Anshi.”
All the emotions he had felt today—all the turmoil—he hid them behind that smile.
He truly believed that if they spent time together tomorrow, everything would feel normal again, as if by magic. Perhaps all this unease had come from being alone, digging himself into a mental hole. Maybe being with her would ground him, bring him back to reality.
Just like last night—when he’d confessed to being a bastard child so easily it almost felt meaningless. Things that needed to be said would be said, and what needed to be hidden would remain hidden.
Even now, his mind felt lighter than before. Just being in her presence had that effect.
“Alright.”
Anshi answered stiffly. But the conversation didn’t feel over. She kept looking at him thoughtfully, as if pondering something important.
He couldn’t tell exactly where her gaze landed. Was she looking at his face? His head?
Her expression gradually turned serious. She raised her hand and moved it awkwardly in the air. It was clear—she was thinking hard, and it had to do with him.
Was there something on his head?
His face flushed. Damion ran a hand through his hair casually, pretending to fix it, and then checked his fingers—nothing.
Still, Anshi continued staring at his head.
“…Is something wrong?”
Finally, Damion asked.
As if his question pulled the trigger, Anshi stopped moving her hand. Instead, she tugged on his sleeve.
Without a word, Damion followed as she led him across the room.
“Sit down.”
She stopped in front of the sofa. Damion sat, puzzled, expecting her to sit beside him—but she remained standing. He leaned forward, confused.
“What’s going—”
He never finished the sentence.
Anshi pulled him into an embrace. Her body smelled faintly of flowers—sweet, delicate, and sensually intoxicating.
Damion froze.
Anshi began to stroke the back of his head. Her touch was clumsy and stiff, but also slow and gentle.
From the crown of his head to the tips of his toes, a tingling sensation cascaded downward. It was as if he were drunk—swept up in a powerful tide of emotion.
It was overwhelming. Her sudden action, and even more so, how much comfort he took from it.
“Anshi… what are you doing?”
He forced a smile. He had to hide the emotion rising in him. The fact that he responded so eagerly—like he’d been waiting for this—made him feel pathetic. What if she thought he was pathetic, too? What if she’d seen his lowest point—without him even realizing it?
“It’s strange. Do I make you uncomfortable, Damion?”
“No, not uncomfortable… just…”
“Your body’s really tense. I meant this to be calming.”
“…Did I look anxious?”
“No. You’re your usual self. But after what I heard yesterday… I just… wanted to do this since then. You know, sometimes, even without a reason or any particular event, being held like this can bring peace. And if I can offer that to you, then I’d like to.”
Even without a reason. Even if nothing happened.
…So that’s how it is.
So this is what ordinary families do—hold each other sometimes, just for comfort. With no reason at all, only to bring serenity.
The last time Damion was held and stroked like this was when he was very young—by his mother. He couldn’t even remember what it had felt like anymore.
He closed his eyes. Anshi’s arms and her touch were warm and gentle.
So this is what it feels like, to be held like this.
Like floating inside a cloud… giddy and soft and safe.
The feeling went far beyond “serenity.”
“…It’s peaceful.”
As if trying to lock this overwhelming sensation within the bounds of a word, Damion spoke softly and let himself relax under her touch.
Anshi lowered her gaze. As she continued to stroke his hair, her movements gradually grew smoother and softer.
This was something Sophia used to do for her often—hold her and stroke her head like this.
She had told Damion there was no reason, but in truth, that was a lie. She was simply trying to comfort the little boy who must have been hurt by Kardian—who was likely still hiding those wounds even now.
But she couldn’t bring herself to say, “You must’ve had a hard time.”
She couldn’t reveal that she now knew about his relationship with Kardian. That she understood what kind of treatment he’d received from the Orphe dukes.
If she did, he would probably cut all ties with Kardian and the duke’s couple.
And pretending to be affectionate with them while knowing all that—it wouldn’t be right. It was better to feign ignorance.
“I can’t use Damion to establish connections with the duke or Kardian. But…”
There were no other options either.
So she would have to work twice as hard to enter the center of Orphe.
Anshi de Orphe—who knew nothing.
Who had no idea her father had been killed by that household.
Who would give everything to Orphe without hesitation.
That was the only way.
Half a day of contemplation was more than enough.
Her resolve was that firm.
This strange emotion she felt for Damion—was not part of the plan.
Their time in Sobelvio was short.
They had only planned to stay a week before returning to the capital. And now that Anshi knew about Damion’s family situation, she couldn’t insist on staying longer.
A few days had passed since their return.
As Anshi walked through the plaza, her brows furrowed.
“The capital is definitely hotter than the north.”
It was clearly summer now. The sunlight bore down intensely, and her wide-brimmed hat, while shading her, also trapped the heat.
“Maybe I should just take it off…”
She was mulling it over when she stepped into an alley.
Suddenly, her hat was snatched off her head. Not by her own will.
Startled, Anshi looked up at the person in front of her.
“Rein.”
“…!”
Her expression froze. Her face went pale. She felt as though all the blood had drained from her body.
“So it is you. I couldn’t find a single trace of ‘Rein’ in the capital… Thought you’d slipped away. But look at this—we were bound to meet again, huh? Huh?”
Garis looked delighted, like he was greeting an old friend. But his eyes—there was something chilling in them.
“Garis… what are you doing here?”
Her question came out stiff and strained.
“What am I doing here? That’s your greeting after all this time, Rein?”
His face slowly darkened. Then he lifted the corners of his mouth into a twisted grin. His body trembled slightly with an eerie laugh.
A primal sense of danger surged through Anshi. She slowly stepped back, then turned to run.
“Where do you think—!”
“Ack!”
But Garis grabbed a fistful of her hair.
Pain exploded in her skull, dizzying her. She turned back, her eyes blazing with fear and rage.
“Tell me, Rein. Why did you run away?”
Garis leaned in, face inches from hers, and asked.
