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Chapter 10
Click.
The faint sound of the door opening woke him.
Who’s out at this hour?
Remaining alert, Elliots glanced out the window.
In the still-dark yard, Annette was carefully loosening the saddle of her bicycle.
She moved so cautiously that he almost felt guilty for watching her.
He looked at the clock.
It wasn’t even six yet.
So she’s really leaving this early. Why am I even… bothered over a woman who’d run away over something so trivial…?
Resting an arm across his forehead, Elliots let out a dry laugh.
The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.
Reflecting on his own mistake from the night before, he closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep.
It was nearly noon when Elliots woke again.
It had been a long time since he’d slept so deeply.
He stretched lazily, savoring the rare feeling of peace. For this brief moment, he forgot entirely about how close he’d come to dying—or all the suffering that had followed.
After lingering in bed for a while, he finally got up.
Annette wasn’t in the living room.
He checked the bathroom and looked outside, but there was no sign of her.
Stepping outdoors, he searched around the house.
Nothing.
Did she leave that early and still hasn’t come back?
Giving up, he returned inside and absentmindedly sat at the dining table.
Feels… empty.
Annette wasn’t there.
Thinking back, she hadn’t been absent from this house even once over the past few days.
The unfamiliar emptiness made him frown slightly.
Then he noticed a note lying on the table.
I’m starting work again today.
The coffee is on the second shelf of the cabinet. Your meal is already on the table—just warm it up a little before eating.
And don’t forget to take your medicine.
So that’s where she went.
He held the note in his hand, staring at it for a long time.
After causing all that chaos last night… she really ran away.
He could easily picture Annette at dawn, cheeks bright red as she wrote the note.
Slowly sipping his coffee, his thoughts naturally drifted back to the previous night.
He’d kept teasing her simply because it was amusing how easily she blushed at even the most obvious flirtation.
She seemed surprisingly slow to catch on, yet still tried so hard to act composed.
That, too, had entertained him.
But last night…
The moment he saw the tears glistening in her eyes—so completely at odds with the words she was saying—something inside him shifted.
There she was, kneeling on the floor, looking up at him with pleading eyes.
Was she asking me to save her… or to ruin her?
“Um… I should probably go—”
She’d looked at him with those moist, inviting eyes…
…and then said she was leaving.
As if I’d let that happen.
Looking down at the innocent country girl in his hands, he willingly discarded the promise he’d made only a couple of days ago—not to touch her.
If that’s what you want… gladly.
Drawn in by the desperate look in her eyes, he captured her lips with his.
Her beautiful blue eyes flew wide open.
Her entire body trembled before going completely rigid.
Close your eyes, Annette.
He tried to tell her with nothing but his gaze.
Then—
“Hic.”
Annette’s eyes grew even wider.
Her face turned such a deep shade of red that it was almost painful to watch.
She quickly clapped both hands over her mouth.
“Oh… oh no… Wh-what do I do…? Hic.”
Completely flustered, she fumbled helplessly before finally turning and running out into the living room.
Elliots remained sitting on the edge of the bed, stunned.
He was just as bewildered as she was.
What… was that?
She can’t seriously be this inexperienced…?
A disbelieving laugh escaped him.
But before long, the smile faded.
He gathered his thoughts.
At first, he’d assumed she was just a little country girl.
She was petite, with such a youthful face that he’d initially guessed she was only fifteen or sixteen.
After watching her for several days, he’d realized she was older than that.
Still…
She’d seemed like nothing more than an ordinary country girl.
When he’d realized she lived completely alone in this isolated place, where hardly anyone ever passed by, he’d naturally assumed there had to be some reason.
Perhaps there were men who occasionally came carrying money, spent the night, and left by morning.
He hadn’t found any evidence of that in the house, of course.
Back in the Empire, he’d known women with innocent faces before.
Women who lured men to ruin through flawless performances of vulnerability and sweetness.
He’d thought Annette might be one of them.
But after spending several days watching her…
She was different.
Smarter than he’d expected.
Far more lovable than he’d imagined.
And now…
Elliots found himself regretting his own overconfidence.
He’d believed she was innocent.
He just hadn’t imagined she could be this innocent.
He had absolutely no intention of getting close to a woman for whom even a single kiss would become a life-changing event.
He didn’t want to carry that kind of guilt.
The jokes end here.
Even after accomplishing so much that day, it was still only eight o’clock.
The nun, completely oblivious to everything weighing on Annette’s mind, had practically pushed her out of the convent, insisting she go home and rest.
With no choice, Annette left.
As she reluctantly pedaled toward home, she remembered Karen saying she’d come back with her.
That’s right. Maybe I can bring Karen home with me. It’ll be less awkward that way.
Feeling relieved, she turned her bicycle toward the shop where Karen worked.
Unfortunately, Karen had to stay late.
After receiving Annette’s earlier note saying she was busy, Karen had volunteered for overtime, though she looked disappointed they couldn’t go together.
Maybe I should ask Karl…
The thought disappeared almost immediately.
Karl worked tirelessly to save money for tuition, then spent every evening studying in the library.
She couldn’t ask him for something so pointless.
Why does the road home feel so much shorter today?
She rode past the riverside path, which somehow seemed much shorter than usual.
Soon, the house came into view.
It was completely dark.
He must already be asleep.
Relieved, she arrived home.
She secured her bicycle and quietly opened the door.
Then she stepped inside.
Standing in the pitch-black living room, she stared at the bedroom door.
He’s asleep… thank goodness.
She stood there for quite some time.
Just as she reached for the doorknob, she changed her mind.
Instead, she felt along the wall and switched on the light.
“Eek!”
She turned her head—
—and froze.
Elliots was sitting on the sofa directly across from her.
The shock nearly made her collapse.
“You’re late.”
She’d only ever seen him sitting on the bed or at the dining table.
The thought that he might be sitting on the sofa had never even crossed her mind.
“I… I went back to work today. There was a lot to catch up on.”
Trying to calm her racing heart, she answered awkwardly.
Has he been sitting there watching me this whole time? In the dark?
Remembering how she’d hesitated outside his bedroom door moments ago, she couldn’t help feeling a little wronged.
Especially imagining him silently watching the entire thing.
“Did you eat? And your medicine—”
“I did. All of it.”
Annette searched for something—anything—to ease the uncomfortable silence.
Just then, Elliots stood.
She flinched.
Looking at him now, she was struck once again by how tall and handsome he was.
He walked toward her.
Her heart skipped.
But…
He passed right by her and headed straight for the bedroom.
Watching him go, Annette let out a long sigh.
She couldn’t even tell whether it was relief or disappointment.
Without turning around, Elliots spoke.
“You’re late. Get some rest.”
“Huh?”
“Good night, Annette.”
I thought… he’d at least tease me a little.
“Ah… yes. Good night, Elliots.”
Unlike yesterday, he seemed strangely cold.
Just as he was about to close the bedroom door, he spoke once more.
“Annette.”
She looked up.
“You’ll be able to sleep comfortably again soon. I’ll be leaving before long.”
For a moment, she simply stood there, frozen.
“I… I see…”
All of a sudden?
She wanted to follow him inside and ask what had happened.
But somehow…
She couldn’t.
The cold expression he’d worn just moments ago stopped her.
Feeling an inexplicable emptiness settle inside her, Annette slowly sat down on the sofa where Elliots had been sitting and remained there in silence for a long time.
