WAV 12

And I met Ethan’s gaze. He was staring at me with a strange expression I couldn’t quite read.

“…Ah, seriously.”

I had gotten scared on my own, thinking he was about to hit me.

Remembering how overly sensitive I had been just now, I bit my lip.

As I hurriedly looked away to pretend nothing was wrong, I finally noticed the hand he was holding out in front of me.

A pure white glove, showing his neat and obsessive personality.

On top of it lay a single, very small yellow flower petal.

“This is…”

It was clearly the one he had just taken out of my hair.

For a moment, my mind went blank.

“He wasn’t trying to hit me… he was removing this?”

Well, with so many people watching, there was no way Ethan would raise his hand at me unless he had lost his mind.

Even so, I felt pathetic for shrinking back like that.

“Habits really are scary.”

I swallowed a sigh and looked down at the petal on his glove.

Then it hit me—Ethan had done something kind. Something that didn’t suit him.

“Why all of a sudden…?”

I raised my head and looked at him in confusion.

His face was as cold as ever, showing not a single trace of emotion.

Still, I knew he hadn’t removed the petal out of kindness. He had been picking fights with me all this time.

“Is he saying I’m as annoying as this petal? That I look sloppy? Or is he testing whether I really lost my memory again?”

Thinking of the kind of things he might be assuming, I muttered softly,

“…Thank you.”

At that moment, Ethan said something unexpected.

“Who brought flowers into the house?”

With a chilling expression, he swept his gaze over the servants standing nearby.

Then he spoke coldly to the butler.

“Butler. Have you still failed to properly teach the staff about their master’s special conditions?”

“Y-Young Master, that’s not it…!”

The butler’s face turned pale.

Startled by Ethan’s sudden reaction, I quickly stepped in before someone innocent got blamed.

“It’s not the servants’ fault.”

“Then did you roll around in a flower garden yourself? While struggling to breathe?”

“No, that’s not it…”

Why was he reacting so sharply?

This was the same man who wouldn’t have cared whether Edith lived or died.

Looking at him strangely, I explained,

“It couldn’t be helped. Young Marquis Leandro suddenly scattered flower petals with his ability.”

“Vincent Leandro… used his ability in front of you?”

“Yes, but I don’t know why—ah, ah, achoo!”

At that moment, my nose tingled and I sneezed before I could stop it.

“….”

I turned my head away, but unfortunately, some spit must have sprayed out. Ethan’s face twisted in disgust.

Seeing him close his eyes tightly, embarrassment flooded me.

With my face burning red, I hurriedly said,

“Um…! I’m sorry, but may I go upstairs first? I don’t feel very well.”

“…Go ahead.”

The moment he gave permission, I rushed past him and ran up the stairs.

“Ugh… why did I have to sneeze right then? So embarrassing!”

No matter how much we were like enemies, he was still one of the male leads.

And I had sprayed spit on him—like a spray bottle!

I had unintentionally done something terrible to Ethan.

But by the time I reached the second floor, my embarrassment began to fade.

“Huff… huff… Serves him right, doesn’t it?”

I glanced down the long staircase and muttered.

Thinking about it again, it wasn’t that embarrassing.

Wasn’t he the one who stood by and did nothing until Edith died in the end?

Compared to that, a few drops of spit on his face were nothing.

Just then—

I suddenly felt someone staring at me so intensely it almost stung.

When I turned my head, I saw Vincent walking out into the lobby.

“…!”

Even from a distance, our eyes met exactly.

Since when had he been watching?

He was standing there with his head tilted up, staring straight at me on the second floor.

“Ugh!”

I shuddered and quickly turned away as if I hadn’t seen him.

—

“Go find Llewellyn and get purified. Or go home and isolate yourself. Don’t stand here causing trouble.”

“How annoying.”

—

Anyway, Vincent had just heard something from me that could easily feel like an insult.

If we met again now, it would only be awkward.

“…Maybe I shouldn’t have said it like that?”

Thinking back on our conversation, I felt a slight regret.

I had spoken carelessly in the heat of the moment. Now that I thought about it, I was the one at a disadvantage.

What if he held a grudge and used his ability on me?

“Should I go apologize and pretend to be friendly?”

I hesitated, then let out a deep sigh and shook my head.

“Does that even make sense…?”

I hadn’t wanted things to turn this bad, but sooner or later we would have had to clash.

The Edith Blake he used to know—

The foolish girl who liked him blindly and didn’t know what to do—

That girl didn’t exist anymore.

“Ha… playing the villain is so exhausting…”

Feeling my energy drain, I trudged toward Edith’s room—no, my room now.

Behind me, Ethan’s voice faded into the distance as he gave orders.

“…Where is Yusa? Find her and bring her to the second floor…”

Beyond the second-floor hallway, Vincent stared intently at the place where Edith had disappeared.

Then he lowered his head and looked forward.

“Brother.”

Ethan, who had been asking the butler about the healer’s whereabouts, looked at the man approaching him.

“Did she hit her head?”

“….”

“They say she nearly died. Has our Edith completely lost her mind? She says she doesn’t know who I am. Does that make sense? Ha!”

Vincent let out a sharp, mocking laugh.

Ethan frowned slightly and warned quietly,

“Watch your mouth. What are you all standing around for?”

At his gesture, the servants quickly dispersed.

After a moment of thought, Vincent tilted his head.

“I don’t think she saw herself falling…”

“….”

“Did you see it, brother?”

“Why did you come here?”

Instead of answering the foolish question, Ethan asked one of his own.

Vincent grumbled in disbelief.

“Why else? Of course I came to look for Llewellyn.”

“Llewellyn isn’t here.”

“What? Then where is she?”

“I don’t know. I searched around Tollen, thinking she might have gone for purification, but I couldn’t find her.”

“Then Llewellyn’s disappearance… really wasn’t Edith’s doing?”

Vincent’s gentle, puppy-like eyes widened.

Seeing how shocked he looked, Ethan let out a quiet sigh.

“I know what you’re worried about, but it’s true that she woke from a coma yesterday. The Duke and I saw it with our own eyes.”

“….”

“And as she claims, her amnesia… after seeing her today, it doesn’t seem to be a lie.”

“Amnesia?”

All expression disappeared from Vincent’s face.

He repeated the word as if hearing it for the first time.

“She really has amnesia? She’s not just lying to get out of trouble?”

“….”

“You don’t remember either, brother?”

“…She didn’t even recognize the Duke.”

Ethan avoided Vincent’s eyes for a moment as he answered quietly.

His tone sounded almost defensive, but Vincent didn’t notice.

“Then… then why didn’t she react at all when I used my ability? She has amnesia. She should have forgotten what an awakened person even is…!”

“She has already met a healer. And something like that could easily be explained by the servants.”

The young marquis, who had been pressing him with questions, finally fell silent.

A heavy silence, almost like death, settled over the two men.

After a while, Ethan frowned and looked at Vincent.

“And you. Why did you suddenly show up and do something like that?”

“What did I do?”

“Did you forget how severe her pollen allergy is?”

Even without saying her name, it was clear who he meant.

At the same time, Vincent’s golden eyes shook as if struck.

“It’s a sensitive time. Don’t come here and cause unnecessary problems.”

Ethan glanced at the servants moving around, clearly displeased.

Who knew which loose-tongued person might spread rumors about what happened today?

The Duke was already in a bad mood because his daughter had nearly died. It would not help if he found out about this too.

“….”

Vincent opened his mouth to respond, then closed it again.

After repeating this for a while, he finally forced out the question that had been bothering him.

“…You’re right.”

“….”

“Why would I…”

“….”

“…forget something like that, brother?