Chapter 5 – She Hadn’t Died (2)

Terio’s anger indeed had subsided slowly during the course of one year after Melissa’s death as she had predicted. And he also started behaving like a gentleman once again, neither friendly nor harsh. However, he was a changed man. He became a person that was tough to approach and only gave people as much respect as they deserved.

Seeing the light fading from his blue eyes with each day Melissa’s gone, Goyo at last realized that everything had become irreversible. There was nothing left she could do.

There was nothing left for Goyo Alte. She had lost her family, her relative, and even her lover, Terio Alte, who was her only friend since childhood.

If only she had some sort of dreams or goals to aim for, she might feel better. However, there was nothing Goyo wanted to achieve. Goyo Alte was an empty shell of a woman.

There were some days when she felt that it would be good for her to simply stop breathing. And the only reason why Goyo didn’t hang herself in spite of her weariness and desolate life was the sense of responsibility she had as the matriarch of the Alte Family.

Besides, although Goyo herself knew that neither her marriage nor Melissa’s death was her fault, she was unable to stand strong when she heard Terio repeatedly blaming her. No one could. Thus, no matter how firm her faith was that it was not her fault, it began to falter.

Furthermore, she had no allies as Alte’s people hated Goyo to their bones.

For them, Goyo was like a witch who made their beloved master suffer. And sometimes the pointed gaze they gave her was more piercing than Terio’s glare. They didn’t say anything, but their gaze was enough.

So, in the end, her original belief that she was not responsible with the changes in Terio started to waver. Instead, the thought that it might be indirectly her fault started to permeate her mind. Thus, even if she originally thought she was innocent, she began to question whether they had the right to force her to death like this.

And even though it was not as much as Goyo, she bet Terio also thought the same as her.

After all, he married a woman he didn’t love just because she was his childhood friend. And he had to watch as the woman he loved married another man and died at the hand of that same man.

Goyo could guess in her mind about what Terio felt.

For Goyo, aside from whether she was guilty or not, she had a guilty conscience. She couldn’t bring herself to escape even if her life was overwhelming with tragedy. Not even when she had to stay together with Terio, who had the leading role to those tragedies.

The marriage with Terio was her choice, not anyone else. She had to be responsible for the consequences of insisting on a choice that other people didn’t approve of.

Besides, Goyo was sure that the reason why she was still alive even though all other Rubiet people had died was thanks to Alte. So, she had the responsibility to make sure that outsiders wouldn’t talk rubbish when she died.

Goyo murmured habitually.

Bear with it. Hang on. I’m sure someday, when the time is right, Terio Alte will find another love. I only need to hang on until then.

And fortunately, Terio’s new spring came sooner than expected.

She just knew that he had a new lover since his frozen expression melted away like spring had come. He looked alive and not dead as usual. Furthermore, the time he returned to the mansion was getting later and later.

Seeing the people whispering behind her back about Terio’s secret lover, Goyo finally knew that the moment she wanted had come.

Although he had crushed her broken heart once again, she felt some joy in it, and some part of her even rejoiced at her imminent freedom.

And with the least consideration she had left, Goyo did not hang herself or jump out of the window.

She picked a more secretive and private way. That way, there would be no bad rumors about how Mrs. Alte chose to suicide because of Terio’s affair. So, she planned to make it look like an accident. A so-called accidental death. In this way, he could mourn and receive condolence from others without being burdened. And it would also pave the path to let the new duchess enter the household without difficulty.

Yes, just like the story of her father with Mrs.Kazel.

“Miss, are you awake?”

All she wanted was that, but the world was so cold-hearted to Goyo.

Because, as soon as she opened her eyelids, which she didn’t want to open in the first place, the shadow of the dim person became cleared. And the figure that came to her eyes was someone she had never expected. Stunned, Goyo stared blankly at that person and whispered.

“Annie…?”

“Oh my God, your voice was cracking! Here, drink some water first.”

Wasn’t Annie dead? Goyo was sure that on the day of Rubiet’s extermination, all the people who worked at the house were also killed.

The crime pinned on Rubiet Household was treason, and not any other crime. There was supposed to be nowhere for anyone to escape. Not even for those workers who were not blood related with Rubiet. After all, the knights didn’t know what they had seen or inadvertently helped in, so they should have killed everyone without any exception.

Goyo hid her shock and rose up from her bed with her hand to support her back calmly. And as the warm water trickled down her throat, a pain she didn’t feel before arose sharply, making her cough a few times. Seeing this, Annie, who was the one providing the water for Goyo, immediately approached near to her and patted her back in a soothing manner.

“Are you all right, Miss?”

“… What’s going on?”

Are you alive? Even so, why are you in the Alte’s residence?

However, the sound of the door opening prevented her from voicing out the uncontrollable questions she harbored in mind ever since she opened her eyes.