Chapter 45
Commoners didn’t exchange engagement rings.
These must have been meant for marriage.
So then… had Marsha once been married?
But there was no mark on her ring finger.
Had it been a brief marriage, cut short?
Or… was it that she’d never divorced, and the man had simply vanished, leaving nothing behind but his ring?
Claudio couldn’t know the full truth, but one thing was certain—the owner of that ring had been someone deeply precious to Marsha.
That’s why she carried such a heavy thing so carefully around her neck.
His mind grew tangled.
It was like solving a riddle he was certain he knew the answer to, only to find himself proven wrong.
A strange, stinging sense of defeat churned in his chest.
He hadn’t been mistaken in thinking Marsha was searching for family—after all, a husband was family too.
And yet… Why did it feel so wrong?
So filthy, as though some great mistake had been made?
Why.
The question kept echoing in his mind, but no plausible answer came.
Only the boiling of his insides, hotter and hotter.
Meanwhile, Marsha’s hands were clasped tightly in Berry’s small palms.
“Mom says she’s really thankful for the gift. If you’ve got time, she’d love to have some tea with you.”
“Ah…”
It hadn’t been anything worth a proper thank-you. Still, it would be rude to refuse such an invitation.
But if she went for tea, it would easily run past lunchtime.
Marsha decided she should explain the situation to Claudio before leaving.
And then it struck her—the rings!
Her hand flew to her bare throat.
She had left them behind.
If Claudio found them… that would be a problem.
“Could you wait just a moment? I’ll go tell him first.”
Berry, who had been fretting that she might refuse, brightened instantly.
“Mm! Take your time!”
Marsha hurried back inside, her footsteps quick and light.
“Why the rush back?”
Claudio, perched casually on the table, tilted his head.
Marsha blinked in surprise.
A moment ago, he’d been sitting in a chair—had he been in her room just now?
“Well… Berry’s mother invited me over. I think I’ll have to step out for a while…”
She glanced at him carefully as she spoke.
If he’d seen the necklace and the rings, surely he’d be asking questions by now. But he stayed silent.
…So he didn’t notice?
Relief welled up inside her—until he asked,
“Did you come back just to let me know?”
“It seemed like I might be a bit late.”
As Marsha started toward her room, Claudio’s voice stopped her.
“And where are you going?”
She froze, then forced a calm reply.
“My neck feels a little bare… I thought I might wear a scarf.”
“…”
His brow arched, and his lips twisted into a faint smile.
But it wasn’t warm.
It was cool—too cool.
Marsha, uneasy at the expression, asked quietly,
“…Why do you look at me like that?”
“No. I just thought you were going back to put on the pin I gave you.”
“Oh… I figured it might feel too dressed up if I wore it right away…”
Marsha fumbled out an excuse, her words trailing awkwardly.
Claudio let out a short laugh, then murmured under his breath, voice low and unhurried.
“I was only teasing. The forest paths are still cold. Better to dress warmly.”
She nodded quickly and slipped into the room.
The rings still hung from the chain, safely hidden.
Thank goodness.
Hastily, she slipped the necklace back around her neck and wound a slightly frayed ivory scarf loosely over it.
It looked rather silly, but she had little choice.
Not only did it excuse her trip to the room, but it was the only way to hide the necklace.
When she came out again, Claudio’s gaze went straight to her throat.
Marsha lifted a hand toward her scarf, asking cautiously,
“Does it look that strange?”
“Not too strange.”
His reply was casual, his head tilted slightly to one side.
Hm…?
She blinked.
Somehow, Claudio seemed… off. He wasn’t acting much differently than usual, but the mood around him felt heavier.
I must be imagining it…
Not wanting to keep Berry waiting any longer, Marsha started toward the door—only for Claudio’s voice to cut through the air, stripped of its usual warmth.
“There’s something I want to ask you.”
Startled, Marsha fidgeted with her scarf.
“What is it?”
“You…”
Before he could finish, Claudio suddenly strode past her and threw the window wide open.
“W-what are you doing?” she asked, startled.
Leaning out, he scanned the area intently.
A rabbit, frightened by the noise, bolted from the bushes, its white tail flashing as it disappeared. With a long sigh, Claudio straightened.
“…Nothing. I must’ve misheard.”
When he turned back, Marsha was staring at him, wide-eyed—like the very rabbit that had just fled.
“…Be careful out there,” he murmured softly, sunlight at his back.
“And the question you wanted to ask?” she pressed.
“I forgot.”
He lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug.
What…?
Though unsettled, Marsha couldn’t make Berry wait any longer.
“Then, I’ll be going.”
She left with a quick farewell.
Claudio watched her go, his hand curling loosely into a fist.
It’s not too late to ask when she returns.
There was no need to keep her back now, no reason to stop her from leaving.
That impulsive moment when he’d wanted to—
How unlike me.
A wry smile tugged at his lips, heavy with self-reproach as his brows furrowed.
But Claudio was wrong.
What was truly like him was asking directly, without hesitation, the instant a question formed.
Yet he no longer had the clarity to see what made him himself.
At that very moment, in the forest just behind Marsha’s house, James was clutching his chest, trying to calm his racing heart.
Damn it, what the hell just happened?
Yesterday, full of bravado, James had strutted into the gambling den—only to be thrown out penniless by morning.
He could’ve sworn his luck was good!
Shit.
If Wilford finds out, he’ll kill me for real this time!
Right then, his stomach let out a thunderous growl.
Clutching his empty belly, James hesitated before deciding to head toward the inn.
He figured he could sneak a meal and have the cost added to his tab without Wilford noticing.
But the moment he stepped into the inn’s first-floor tavern, his blood ran cold—there was Wilford, leaning against the bar with a scowl on his face.
Why the hell is he up this early?
The man never wakes before noon!
James jerked his head away in a panic—and froze.
At a window-side table sat another man, the very one James had swindled, gnashing his teeth as he nursed a drink.
Why is he here too?!
If either of them saw him, he was done for.
Not metaphorically—literally dead.
Damn it all!
He bolted out of the inn and ducked into a narrow, deserted alley, breath coming fast and ragged.
I’ve got to get out of Sedem.
Now.
The farther, the faster, the better.
But running away took money, and with nothing in his pockets, he wouldn’t even make it past the forest.
Where the hell am I supposed to get cash…?
His sluggish brain churned, and then suddenly, a face flashed before his eyes.
Marsha…!
If she was still buying information brokers’ services, she must’ve saved up a decent stash.
Breaking into that secluded house in the middle of nowhere?
Child’s play.
And she’s bound to still be living alone…!
James’s lips curled into a sly grin.
Glancing around to make sure the coast was clear, he began heading toward Marsha’s place.
Hunger gnawed at him with every step, but he pushed on.
As long as he reached her house, everything would work out.
Finally…
When her cottage came into view, James pressed himself against the wall, heart pounding with anticipation.
Carefully, he peeked toward the window.
And there she was—Marsha, fastening a scarf around her neck.
James swallowed hard.
