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Chapter 04 …
Christine, who had been momentarily dazed, quickly snapped back to her senses and called out to him.
“You… you are—”
Seimon turned slightly to look at Christine. His expression didn’t seem particularly pleased.
No, it was more like his eyes were not quite normal—slightly off, as if something inside him had shifted.
Christine swallowed hard and asked again.
“How did you find this place?”
“You always ask only that.”
With a faint scoff, Seimon stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets, tilted his head slightly in a crooked manner, and looked coldly at Riet.
“What exactly are you doing?”
“I, I’m not doing anything… and why are you picking a fight—seriously.”
Riet tried to push back in a small voice, though the oppressive presence of the suddenly appearing man was overwhelming.
As Seimon widened his eyes and stepped forward, Christine quickly stopped him.
“Seimon, don’t do this.”
“What did I do?”
She had never seen him use violence, but she could clearly feel the anger in his gaze, so she blocked him instinctively.
‘But why is he even here, getting angry at Riet?’
While she was confused, people who noticed the disturbance turned their heads and began whispering.
“Isn’t that man the Director of Chester’s Dayrte?”
“No way. Someone like that wouldn’t come here.”
He was wearing a deep navy suit, his black hair neatly swept back to reveal his forehead. He looked striking.
With his handsome face and distinct presence, it was natural that he attracted attention wherever he went.
People murmured that he looked familiar from somewhere.
He was now only glaring at Riet, but his gaze looked dangerously like he might cause an incident at any moment.
Christine stood up and grabbed his arm.
“Seimon, let’s go.”
But no matter how much she pulled, Seimon didn’t budge.
“Seimon, let’s leave quickly!”
“Christine, you—”
Seimon leaned forward, gripping the edge of the table, keeping his eyes fixed on Riet as he spoke in a low voice to her.
“Are you really being dragged around by such a pathetic man and even getting sexually harassed? Are you satisfied with a life like this?”
Christine’s face flushed red.
She was angry at being criticized, but at the same time, she felt painfully aware of how miserable she looked.
She turned her head sharply away.
“Whether I’m pathetic or not, it’s my life. It’s none of your business.”
“‘Your business’?”
Seimon’s jaw tightened.
“Yes. We’re strangers.”
Christine spoke calmly, but her throat trembled.
The words were hers, yet why did her chest hurt so much?
“Fine. I know. We are strangers. But—”
His eyes turned cold. After a brief silence, Seimon shifted his gaze to Riet.
“Then answer me. Is this my business or not?”
“P-pardon?”
“Answer.”
Riet blinked, then stammered under Seimon’s terrifying gaze.
“Y-yes… it seems… it is your business…”
“…Haah.”
Christine felt secondhand embarrassment at how weak Riet was against the strong and bold.
This is insane, seriously.
She covered her face with her hand in embarrassment.
“So it is my business.”
“Then get lost.”
Seimon gestured toward the door with his chin.
Riet scrambled out of the pub in panic.
Watching him leave, Seimon let out a scoff.
“So your date ran off without even paying. And you got harassed on top of that. Has the princess lowered her standards that much…?”
“I wasn’t on a date with Riet, Seimon.”
Christine rubbed her forehead and glared at him.
“Seriously. Don’t misunderstand. It’s unpleasant.”
“Misunderstand? Anyone would think you two were about to end up in bed.”
“Excuse me?”
His words were too vulgar.
Before she could even respond, Seimon grabbed her hand and pulled her.
The heat of his hand made her nearly gasp.
“What are you doing?”
“Let’s go home. Do you know what time it is? And you’re pregnant.”
She instinctively looked at the clock. It wasn’t even 9:30 yet.
Christine frowned at how he treated her like a child.
“I’m an adult. I don’t need your permission for everything. I take responsibility for myself.”
“Oh? So you were helplessly clinging to a filthy man?”
“……Mr. Dayrte, are you done speaking now?”
As their standoff continued, Seimon’s secretary Andrew quietly stepped in.
“Please come out first. Everyone is watching.”
At that, Christine looked around. Only then did she realize the entire place had gone silent.
Her face burned red.
She had never argued with Seimon like this before. Why was she acting so childish?
Embarrassed, she muttered softly.
“Let’s just go.”
“I told you that from the beginning.”
Seimon smugly led her out, and Christine felt unfairly wronged.
Before leaving, Seimon turned and nodded.
“Andrew. Pay.”
Unlike Riet, Seimon never forgot to pay.
Ashratt Hotel
‘Where… is this?’
At some point, Christine found herself inside Seimon’s black sedan, arriving at the most luxurious and well-known hotel in the area—the Ashratt Hotel.
Under the darkness, elegant lights illuminated the hotel garden.
Christine sighed while looking at the extravagant building.
“Why did you bring me here?”
“This is where I stay. Someone like me should stay in a place like this, don’t you think?”
Seimon skillfully deflected the question.
Christine pressed her temple.
She was exhausted.
“I’m going home.”
“Wait.”
As she reached for the car door, Seimon’s voice stopped her.
“I need to talk to you.”
“Talk?”
“Yes. It’s important.”
His expression was serious. He didn’t seem to be lying. After a moment of hesitation, Christine nodded.
“Go ahead.”
“Not here in the car.”
He tilted his head slightly and smiled.
“I’m not so heartless toward a pregnant woman. It’s cramped and uncomfortable. Let’s go inside and talk.”
It was nonsense.
“Seimon… forget it.”
Today had been exhausting physically and mentally.
She got out of the car, planning to take a taxi home.
“Please, Christine.”
His voice came from behind her.
It sounded slightly shaken.
She turned around and met his eyes glowing faintly in the dark.
“What is there to ‘please’ about?”
“Me.”
Seimon answered briefly, then continued.
“They said I’m going to die soon.”
“…?”
It was impossible to believe.
Then Christine let out a dry laugh.
“Die? You? Hah.”
Seimon kept his expression blank, barely concealing the storm inside him.
Even he had thought it was a joke at first. But as days passed, that “joke” became a terrifying truth tightening around his neck.
Even now, he couldn’t believe death had come this close.
But he couldn’t break down in front of Christine. Not in front of her.
Seimon steadied his voice and spoke coldly.
“My father doesn’t know yet.”
Christine’s eyes wavered.
What?
So even Duke Duran Dayrte doesn’t know… but he told me first? Why?
No—more importantly, dying?
“What do you mean…?”
“My life is on a time limit.”
Time limit.
She understood the meaning, but her mind went blank as if it had another meaning entirely.
Her fingertips turned cold.
Seimon… dying? Not just a divorce separation, but disappearing from the world?
Christine’s eyes shook like reeds in a storm.
“Why…?”
Her trembling voice barely escaped.
But Seimon said nothing more.
She looked at him silently for a moment.
He still looked composed. Handsome. Impossibly intact.
Not the face of someone fading away.
And that made it even more terrifying.
Because it might be real.
