I said carefully while massaging my fingers. 

“Your past life wasn’t bad. There were many people who respected and liked Lucian, and you were recognized by His Majesty. Don’t you want to go back to that time?” 

This is my last struggle. 

I wanted to somehow persuade Lucian. 

I wanted him to return to his former self. 

But Lucian replied with a cold face. 

“Not at all.” 

“……” 

“Nia. I’ve been abandoned since I was born. People used to curse, point fingers, mock, and hit me. The person who saved me that day was Miss Estelle.” 

Estelle said, holding the hand of the wounded young Lucian.

[Lucian, you’re not a cursed child. You are kind and warm-hearted. People will love you when they know who you really are.] 

Lucian said with downcast eyes. 

“That’s why I tried. I tried not to do anything that people didn’t like, and I took the lead and volunteered to do the most dangerous jobs. Miss Estelle was right. People didn’t call me a monster the way they used to.” 

The best knight of the empire, Kardien. 

He won the emperor’s trust, the nobles’ favor, and the soldiers’ respect.

Of course, not everyone’s opinion of him changed. 

There were still people who despised Lucian for his red eyes. 

Lucian did not mind them. Although they did ignore him every time, they were never hostile towards him.

This is because Estelle taught him that such hatred and anger would do him nothing. 

“But that wasn’t my intention.” 

Lucian said with a neat smile. 

“I wanted to kill all those who offended me.” 

“….!” 

Those frightening words sent a chill over me. 

Lucian’s hand touched my face. When his cold hand came in contact with me, my shoulders flinched. 

But, not noticing my fright, he continued in a sweet voice.

“That’s why I like how it is now, Nia. Because I can do everything I want without anyone looking in.” 

Seeing Lucian speak with his eyes lowered gave me goosebumps all over my back. 

The unrealistically beautiful man spoke of such unrealistic desires. 

I felt frustrated from this.

“I had no idea you had such thoughts, Lucian.” 

I and Lucian turned our heads at the same time to the bright voice.

It was Estelle who appeared in the garden.

Lucian squinted his eyes. He didn’t seem to recognize her at first glance because of her short brown hair. 

After a while, Lucian said, with furrowed eyebrows. 

“Miss Estelle? …..How can you be here?” 

“That’s not important right now.” 

“No. It’s very important to me. This is a place where only Nia and I can exist.” 

What Lucian meant was clear. 

It doesn’t matter if the person was Estelle, even she was an uninvited guest.

Instead of expressing her disappointment, Estelle looked sad.

“Did Miss Nia agree to that?” 

“……”

“Answer me, Lucian.” 

Lucian murmured with a dark face instead of answering her. 

“I knew you’d say such useless things if  you were here. So I didn’t want you to come here…”

As soon as Estelle stepped towards us, Lucian’s eyes glowed fiercely. 

He looked wary as if he just saw an enemy break into his nest. 

Lucian said, tightening the hand that was holding my waist.

“Don’t come near us. If you come even a step closer, I’ll tear that smug mouth of yours apart.”

“That’s very mean of you.” 

“I’ve warned you.” 

Lucian’s unusual words made my heart beat quicker. 

I had wondered what he would do to Estelle in his yandere form.

But looking at Lucian now, it doesn’t seem like he’ll go easy on her even if it’s Estelle.

When I reached out to him to stop him. 

Estelle said, with lowered eyes.

“You deserve a scolding for that, Lucian.” 

At that moment, a white light rose over the intricate patterns engraved on the ground. 

Because I was next to Lucian, I could feel the strength of the light. To me, the light just felt warm.

But it didn’t feel like that to Lucian. 

“Argh!” 

Lucian, trapped in the light, screamed with a painful face and collapsed. 

Lucian groaned on the floor, as if he was having a heart attack. 

I brought a hand over my mouth seeing him like that.

I knew what the barrier does because I had read the original novel, but it was shocking to see him suffer in front of me. 

He was like a beast caught in a trap.

I couldn’t help but tremble at the terrible sight, and Estelle approached me. 

“Don’t worry, Miss Nia. It’s just suppressing Lucian’s power. It won’t harm Lucian. It might feel a bit tormenting for him but…” 

“B-but…” 

Estelle grabbed my shoulder and shook her head. 

The only emotion left on the young girl’s face was sternness.

Estelle walked over to Lucian, who was groaning and trembling. 

She told Lucian. 

“It’s a barrier made from God’s power. With the power of the devil in full bloom, you will be in so much pain that you can’t even breathe.” 

“This is nothing…!” 

Lucian tried to move his body. However, the more he tried, the stronger the light suppressed him, making it more painful. 

“Ackk!” 

Estelle comforted Lucian who was screaming as if he had been stabbed. 

“The more you struggle, the more painful it will be, so stay calm. If I find a way to get rid of the devil’s power, I’ll come back here and release it.” 

Estelle reached out to me. 

“Let’s go, Miss Nia.” 

“…!” 

Lucian’s eyes widened at her words. 

“No.” 

“……”

“No, Nia. No. Don’t go.”

The moment I heard his desperate voice, my heart almost gave away.

I wanted to hold his hand and save him. 

I wanted to be with him. 

But… 

“I’ll… kill them. The saintess, the marquis, and everyone else in this world. Then there’ll be no reason for you to leave. Right?” 

As he said those disturbing words, I was more certain of this.

The current Lucian cannot be with me. 

I grabbed Estelle’s hand. 

With eyes filled with tears. 

Listening to the cries of the man I loved. 

* * * 

Thump, thump. 

I turned my head at the sound of raindrops knocking on the window. 

Looking at the raindrops on the window, I frowned. 

‘I didn’t bring an umbrella.’

I regretted ignoring Anne’s request to take the umbrella just in case. 

‘But the sun was so bright in the morning. What fickle weather today.’

I stood in front of a library looking at the rain and crossed my arms. 

‘Should I wait until the rain stops?’

How long do I have to wait?

‘Would it be better to pay a passerby and ask them to get me an umbrella?’

When the noble lady thought of an unconventional way to overcome the situation. 

“Nia.” 

Lucian appeared with a dark purple umbrella. 

I was shocked by his sudden appearance. 

Is it magic or just me fantasizing? 

No. 

I’m sure it’s my boyfriend. 

I blinked and asked. 

“How can Lucian appear with such impeccable timing? Did you learn the skill of ‘appearing with impeccable timing’ that only the male lead has?” 

Lucian replied with a bright voice. 

“You said you were going to the library today. And it suddenly rained in the afternoon. I was worried that Nia might not have an umbrella.” 

Then his eyes were bent gently. 

“It’s a good thing I came.” 

“……” 

His smile, combined with the raining background, looked very beautiful.

I stared blankly at Lucian and muttered. 

“You said you were busy…”

Is Lucian aware of how he looks right now? 

His hair looked frizzy and jostled up, and his face, which had always been calm and collected, was reddish all over.

Above all, the ends of his pants and shoes, which had always been neat, were soaked. 

Just as it shows how fast he ran here.

I approached Lucian, feeling my heart flutter. 

Lucian positioned the umbrella over me with a happy face. 

My eyes looked over his body. 

My gaze landed on Lucian’s other shoulder. Unlike me, who was perfectly protected from the rain, his shoulders were terribly wet. 

Noticing that, I put my shoulder next to his wet shoulder. 

However, Lucian avoided me, as if it was a sin to touch a woman’s shoulder. 

‘How innocent.’

Frustrated, I chose the standard method instead of trying to connect our shoulders. 

Lucian’s shoulder jumped when I wrapped my arm around his arm. 

Like an egg in a heated frying pan. 

I said, shamelessly, as I saw him flinch.

“I like to cross arms as I walk with my boyfriend. Especially on rainy days.” 

“……!”

“Can we do that, Lucian?” 

Lucian nodded with a face that looked like it would burst if you tapped him with a finger.

“I-I like it too. A-Actually, I think we ought to do that in a relationship.” 

In response to the cute reaction, I burst into laughter and clung to him. 

Combining into one shadow in the rain, we continued talking. 

“By the way, this purple umbrella… is it Lucian’s umbrella?” 

“Yes.” 

“You have a surprising fancy umbrella. It’s too fancy for a gentleman to use.” 

“….I like fancy things.” 

“Aha.” 

That’s why you like me. 

Thinking that, I giggled. 

Then I whispered. 

“But why did my boyfriend, who is considerate enough to bring an umbrella for me, bring only one umbrella?” 

Was that too mischievous? 

Lucian’s face eventually bursted. 

Looking at Lucian fumbling as if he was about to burst into tears, I couldn’t hold it in and kissed him on the cheek.

Cute. Adorable.

So adorable.

“Pernia. It’s not very pleasant to hear my daughter say such cute things at this age.” 

“…..!”

My eyes widened at the voice which sounded rough, unlike Lucian’s voice. 

It was not Lucian, who was blushing and acting shy as I held onto with two hands, but it was my father.