'Are you crazy...?'
Karina was so embarrassed for a moment that she almost bit her tongue.
'What did I just say?'
She was so embarrassed as to why she blurted out those words. She wanted to take back what she had said.
"..."
Jeremiah stared at Karina with a stern expression. His gaze was persistent, but he showed no sign of responding. A long, desolate silence fell.
"..."
Karina couldn't run away right away because of her swollen feet. Her eyes wandered aimlessly through the air, and she was covered in cold sweat. She felt suffocated by the awkwardness and embarrassment. He slowly got up and took off the half-mask that was on Karina's face.
"Ah.."
By the way, I was wearing a mask.
'I had my face covered, but they somehow found me in all the chaos.'
She was just thinking about that, and then he finally opened his mouth.
“No.”
A deep, low-pitched voice was heard.
"Absolutely not. It's not like I feel sympathy."
He repeated the same answer once more as if to emphasize it.
'Not sympathy?"
Karina felt strange for a moment at that answer.
'Then why?'
Why on earth do you keep confusing me like this? Or am I still so stupid that I can't let go of my false expectations and illusions?
'Surely, you still have feelings for her?
Karina secretly swallowed a bitter smile. Jeremiah leaned closer to her and turned her gaze, which she was trying to avoid, to meet his eyes. As if he was holding her tightly so she wouldn't run away.
"..."
Karina blinked her eyes several times and then reluctantly looked at him.
"Why...do you keep thinking that way?"
His expression as he spoke was serious.
His emotions felt quite obvious when Karina saw him up close. It seemed like he was suppressing his anger. He even seemed a little displeased, and on the other hand, he seemed sad and wronged.
'What does he have to complain about?'
Karina has no idea at that time.
"Is it because of that memory?"
She muttered softly as if talking to herself.
'Memory?'
Karina didn't immediately understand the topic that was suddenly thrown out without any explanation.
"There was something I wanted to ask anyway."
A serious atmosphere flowed.
'What are you trying to ask me?'
Karina swallowed dry saliva.
"When I was on the magic tower, I entered your consciousness."
Karina's eyes widened as she heard his next words.
"I saw it in there."
"...!"
When the incident at the top of the tower was brought up, her body tensed reflexively. However, since the topic had already been brought up, she thought she should make it clear.
"Is that why you're pushing me away?"
"Why do you think so?"
Karina held her breath and asked directly, hiding her nervous expression.
"What did you see in my consciousness?"
Her voice trembled faintly.
"That..."
Jeremiah kept his mouth shut and lowered his gaze as if he didn't want to talk. But then he opened his mouth again with a firm look in his eyes as if he had made up his mind about something.
"You looked despised and ignored by your servants."
"..."
"And my sister and I... didn't seem to believe you."
It took him quite a while to finish that one sentence.
'He really saw my past memories.'
Karina wasn't flustered. She had already expected this part to happen. This in itself wasn't a big surprise. However.
'It doesn't matter how far you see or how much you see.'
She waited calmly as if telling him to finish speaking. But he only moved his lips a few more times. That was the end of his words.
"Is that all you saw?"
The tone was calm, without any change in pitch.
"What does it mean?"
Jeremiah looked puzzled at Karina's question.
"I mean, literally. I'm asking if that was the only memory you had of me seeing in my consciousness."
There was no emotion in it at all.
"..."
Jeremiah was a little taken aback by her meaningful question, but he soon realized what she meant.
"...!"
As soon as he realized it, he felt a chill and his heart sank. For a moment, his mind went blank and all thoughts stopped.
"Is that all? Then there's more..."
He was so shocked that he couldn't speak properly. The sight he had seen in her consciousness came to mind. Countless lights floating in the pitch-black darkness came to mind.
'Could it be... that each and every one of them... was really such a terrible pain?'
He clenched his fists. Sweat formed on his palms from the tension...
"Yes. Let's stop this story here."
Karina turned her head away as if she had no intention of continuing the conversation. It also seemed as if she didn't want to hear the answer.
"For a moment..!"
Jeremiah grabbed Karina urgently.
"Are you saying there's more? Is there more than what I saw...?"
He asked, barely able to control his trembling voice.
"What does my answer mean?"
She answered calmly with an expressionless face. She looked calm, but for some reason, she seemed extremely tired. Jeremiah was even more speechless at that sight. He forced open his tight throat and squeezed out words.
"Karina, I don't know why you have such memories."
She had to say it clearly.
"No."
Right now.
"What was in that memory. Wasn't me."
***
"..."
'It's not me...'
Karina frowned. She couldn't hide her expression of disbelief. It was natural. The memories she had were of things that really happened in the past. Jeremiah denied it in a desperate voice as if he had read her mind.
"No, really. There's no way I would treat you that... that cruelly."
She could sense a sense of urgency and impatience.
"How on earth can I get you to believe me?"
"..."
"Just say the word. I'll do whatever you want."
"..."
Karina didn't respond at all. No, she couldn't find the right words to say. It seemed like she was going to burst out laughing at any moment, out of place in the situation.
"Phew."
Karina sighed with an annoyed expression. His words sounded very funny. No. They didn't even sound like words at all. Even if he claimed that the past and the present were different people. After all, he was Jeremiah who had ignored and abandoned her in the past. Even if he acted a little differently than before.
'It's no use saying no now!'
It was an absolute fact that could not be overturned with a single word. The memories of the past were engraved on her soul. They were clearly engraved like scars that would never be erased. But she decided not to pay much attention to them.
'I won't be held back by the past.'
Karina steeled her mind and heart.
'I almost acted stupid again.'
There was no need to be buried in past memories, but she didn't intend to repeat the same foolish actions by being caught up in foolish obsessions like that time. The contempt, the shunning, and the cold treatment she received back then were enough. Even if he threw her a few warm points now, the wounds she received wouldn't go away.
'It's all useless.'
No more meaningless emotional exhaustion was a given. Her fluttering heart calmed down. However, the more she calmed down, the more anxious Jeremiah became. He was troubled by Karina's reaction, which seemed to not listen to him at all. He felt as if his insides were burning black.
"You don't believe me."
"Because it's hard to believe."
Her voice was firm as she answered.
"Yes. Well then."
Jeremiah's eyes flickered with a slightly dangerous feeling. Then, he made a determined expression as if he had made up his mind about something, and then he suddenly hugged Karina.
"What are you doing...?!"
Before she could say anything, Jeremiah quickly walked off somewhere. He soon arrived at a carriage rental shop.
"Bring me the best and fastest carriage. As fast as you can."
Jeremiah quickly rented a large and good carriage. He hired a skilled coachman and immediately set off with Karina in the carriage. It was as if there was a set destination. The carriage was comfortable, but Karina's state of mind was not.
"Where are you going?"
"I will go prove my words."
Jeremiah answered immediately but did not tell where he was going.
"...?"
His words were ambiguous.
'How can you prove anything? And is this something that can be proven in the first place?'
Karina had many questions, but there were no answers. Even though she didn't feel like it, she decided to follow him obediently for now. Anyway, after a while, the carriage carrying the two arrived at the destination. Karina, who got out of the carriage with Jeremiah's support, paused for a moment.
'Uh?'
A huge, pure white, dome-shaped exterior came into view.
"This is..."
It was the ossuary where the remains of Karina's mother and nanny were enshrined.
***
At that moment, the imperial doctor who had returned from the Grand Duke's household to the palace met with the Emperor.
"Are you here?"
The Emperor, who looked uneasy, greeted him. Next to the Emperor was another person with a bad expression. It was Marquis Millainer, who was very upset after being kicked out by Jeremiah. It seemed that he had rushed to the palace as soon as he was kicked out of the Grand Duke's house.
"Yeah. How was it when you went there yourself?"
The Emperor skipped all unnecessary greetings and got straight to the point. The imperial doctor also began reporting accordingly.
"The Grand Duke was away, so I couldn't meet him in person."
"You didn't meet?"
The Emperor narrowed his eyes.
"As soon as he rescued the Grand Duchess from the Cursed Forest, he ignored the imperial command and went to the Magic Tower. This time, he left his post again."
He raised his eyebrows diagonally and furrowed his brows. The palace doctor nodded and continued his report as if he was trying to understand.
"Although I haven't met him yet, I spoke with his adjutant and it seemed like the Grand Duke was in good condition. It seems like his trip to the Magic Tower with the Grand Duchess wasn't just for medical treatment."
"I see."
The Emperor added, rubbing his chin with his hand.
"But since the Grand Duchess said she was sick, he could have gone because of the child."
'To cure my wife.'
It was a hypothesis he hadn't thought about, but he was intrigued when he heard that Marquis Milliner was kicked out of the Grand Duchy.
Karina Milliner. She was the only daughter of Marquis Milliner, who supported him, and she was made into the Grand Duchess because she was thought to be a good means of tying up Jeremiah. However, contrary to his expectations, she was determined to get a divorce, and it was really bothering him. There was no need to keep someone who wouldn't listen to him alive.
'I was thinking of checking to see if there was any use left before disposing of it.'
He was lucky.
'I think I found that bastard's new weakness.'
The Emperor smirked, one corner of his mouth raised. It was an unexpected windfall. He thought that God was on his side. A malicious look appeared in his eyes and then disappeared.
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