Chapter 37
37
Dana stared blankly at him.
‘You’re back.’
She had heard that he had returned after finishing a naval battle against barbarians who had encroached upon their territorial waters.
She had only heard the news and hadn’t run into him once, until now…
“You’ve gotten even prettier since I last saw you, Dana.”
But why was he talking to her with such feigned intimacy?
What was the last conversation they had right before he left for the campaign?
“Your compensation complex is suffocating.”
“Did someone tie you up and force you to stay?”
Right. He had spat out those words.
And yet, his brazenness in speaking to her as if nothing had happened was astounding.
Dana glared at him before turning away without a word.
Then, she stopped immediately.
“…….”
Her hair and back were damp.
Lumie had splashed water from the fountain toward her.
When she looked back, as expected, Lumie was grinning playfully, flicking his fingers to spray more water from the fountain.
“……Just what,”
Dana wiped the water from her face and glared at him coldly.
“do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m getting your attention.”
Lumie swept back his wet silver hair and gave a thin smile.
“Don’t ignore me, Dana. My heart aches every time you slight me.”
Dana was seized by a violent impulse to push him into the fountain.
Because he was so exactly the same.
‘Are you playing a joke on me right now?’
Acting as if everything is fine, just like before?
After saying those kinds of things to me?
“Then you shouldn’t have done things that deserve to be ignored.”
Dana retorted icily and turned around. Immediately.
Splash!
“…….”
Drip, drip. Dana slowly looked back at him, her back completely soaked.
“I told you not to ignore me.”
Lumie dipped his fingers into the fountain with a smiling face. Dana snapped at him fiercely.
“What is wrong with you?”
“As you can see, I’ve made you wet.”
“I’m asking why on earth you’re doing this!”
“Because you were trying to just walk away.”
Lumie let out a smile that was like a sigh.
“I hate being ignored.”
In that moment, Dana realized for certain.
‘This man hates me.’
Back then, when she had returned after confirming the infidelity of Raios and Alice.
When Lumie had defended Alice, she thought he was simply taking his sister’s side.
She thought he was belittling her just to protect his sister.
But that wasn’t it.
‘This has nothing to do with Alice.’
Lumie Winzer hates her.
Otherwise, there was no reason for him to pick a fight like this.
“Why…….”
Why does he hate me?
Since when has he hated me?
If he hates me, why did he stop me when I tried to leave?
Was it a joke to him, like it was for Noah?
If so, why did he hide those feelings until now? Why is he showing them only now?
“…….”
She wanted to ask. But she couldn’t let a single word out of her mouth. She couldn’t find the strength in the tip of her tongue.
There was no drive, no motivation.
‘I don’t need to know.’
Yes, there was no need to know.
It was a world she would leave anyway. A person she would part with anyway. Why should she care about that man’s inner circumstances?
‘But I can’t just let an insult like this slide.’
Dana strode toward him and shoved his shoulder with all her might.
The moment Lumie teetered backward.
“……!”
A powerful force pulled her.
Lumie had dragged her down with him!
Splash!
Dana struggled while collapsed in the fountain along with Lumie.
In the process, the tip of her nose slammed into his chest.
‘Ow!’
How could a chest be this hard! Her nose stung, and tears welled in her eyes.
“Let go of me!”
“Ahaha!”
What exactly was so funny? Lumie laughed while sitting drenched in the fountain.
Dana barely managed to crawl out of the fountain and glared at Lumie.
The moonlight falling over her soaked clothes revealed her pale skin vividly.
And Lumie was staring intently at her bedraggled state. Quite ungentlemanly.
“You think this is funny? I don’t.”
“Ah, it’s fine. I find it funny.”
“You certainly have a nasty temperament. Why did you hide it until now?”
“I wasn’t particularly hiding it.”
“You jerk……”
“You’re the one who’s a bitch.”
What?
What did he just say?
When she glared at him in disbelief, Lumie gave a crooked smile and sneered.
“I came back alive after a pretty dangerous battle, and you show no sign of being glad, no sign of worry, and you don’t even ask if I’m hurt anywhere. Isn’t that a bit much?”
“…….”
“I’m hurt, Dana.”
What is he even talking about……?
No, wait a minute.
‘Why am I even listening to this?’
Suddenly finding it absurd, Dana stopped responding and turned away sharply.
Fortunately, Lumie didn’t splash water on her this time.
‘I’m an idiot. I’m a fool.’
Anger was embedded in her brisk footsteps.
To think she had followed such a sociopath, considering him a good cousin! It wasn’t as if she’d been walking around with her eyes on the soles of her feet!
But…….
He really had been a good brother.
In the past, he was.
When she thought of Lumie, she was filled with memories of bursting into laughter.
His pranks, his jokes, all those trivial, lighthearted stories.
She had liked all of it.
She even liked how he would occasionally give her serious advice. Hadn’t he listened to her relationship troubles regarding Raios numerous times?
They had been close enough that she could pour her heart out to him.
In fact, the first person she had confessed the fact of her possession to was Lumie…….
“I don’t care who you are.”
Back then, Lumie had held her warmly.
“I love the you who laughed and chatted with me. Whether you are Danae Winzer or not, that doesn’t matter to me.”
Because Lumie had said that to her.
Because of that, she was able to find the courage to confess to others as well.
To think that the person who had been so much on her side……
‘No. Calm down.’
Dana took deep breaths as she walked like a storm.
‘Don’t get swept away. All my energy must be spent on getting my hands on the Sacred Artifact.’
As she thought that, her turbulent heart gradually settled.
‘Right, I need to manage my condition for tomorrow.’
Hadn’t she agreed to have a meal with Viego tomorrow? He was bound to talk about the matter of the Winzer Bank checks.
It was a very important meeting.
She had to appear like a person decent enough to be made the Vice Family Head.
“Goodnight, Dana.”
She made an effort to ignore the voice heard from behind.
“I heard you resolved the matter with Litton Bank.”
The next day, Viego spoke his first words as they began their meal.
“But you were excessively bellicose. You completely trampled on the Marquis of Litton’s pride and made an enemy of him.”
“That’s right.”
“Viscount Manus described your methods as crude.”
“Naturally, people tend to fear those who are crude.”
Dana smiled as she neatly sliced her steak with a knife.
“No one fears a fragile human being, Brother. Isn’t that so?”
She stabbed a piece of steak with her silver fork and put it in her mouth. After chewing and swallowing lightly, she smiled.
“I will be the one to take the blame and the finger-pointing. So, when there’s a need to be strong and crude, leave it to me.”
She could do anything. No matter what it was, no matter the role.
‘As long as I can leave this world quickly.’
As long as she could obtain that damn Vice Family Head’s ring, as long as she could get her hands on the Sacred Artifact.
Truly, she was prepared to do anything.
Perhaps it was because she had run into Lumie yesterday. Dana found the air of this world even harder to endure.
‘If I delay any longer, I feel like I might lose it and cut off Karl’s finger myself.’
So, she intended to win over Viego Winzer’s heart with all her might.
“Brother. I will become Winzer’s shield.”
At that, Viego’s smooth lips curved into an arc.
Ah. He’s smiling.
“You?”
Though it was a smirk.
“I’ll do all the dirty work. You’ve already seen what I’m capable of, Brother.”
“You’re becoming quite arrogant after being helpful a mere two times.”
“Then I’ll prove myself further.”
Dana smiled brightly as she looked at Viego’s expressionless face.
“Order me to do anything. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Dana spoke in a soft, gentler voice than ever before.
“I want to continue living in the Winzer family, assisting you, Brother, for a long time to come.”
Unlike before, spitting out such lies felt like nothing.
She felt like there had been a shred of lingering attachment or hesitation last time.
Now, she was surprisingly calm. As if some part of her heart had been worn away.
“So, please? Brother.”
Dana could be certain that the end of her trailing voice sounded sweet.
“…….”
However, no answer came.
In the silence, Viego lifted his wine glass. Unusually, he was wetting his lips with wine since the morning.
Then, he spoke.
“Have you heard the news from the Winter Territory?”
