Chapter 36
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The Male and Female Leads Broke Up - Episode 36
The night sky was brimming with stars.
"Wow, how beautiful."
Though my heart was turbulent, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the breathtaking celestial tapestry unfolding before me.
I had witnessed countless night skies during my travels.
Among them all, the one I'd seen from the Seaside of Ulita, the coastal city, was incomparably the most exquisite.
'Will I ever see it again?'
Could I return to that place someday?
At that time, it had felt as though I would never return, so I'd tried desperately to etch every detail into my memory—but now I realized there was no reason I couldn't go back.
If I had the will, I could go anywhere.
With will alone, I could do anything.
The thought lifted the suffocating weight from my chest, if only slightly.
That was when it happened.
As I stood mesmerized by the glittering night sky, I heard the sound of a door opening behind me.
'Hmm?'
Someone was attempting to enter the Terrace.
I considered turning around, but then thought that if they realized someone was here, they would simply leave—so I kept my gaze fixed on the night sky.
The sound of the door closing reached my ears.
'They've gone.'
I assumed they had closed the door and departed, but then I heard footsteps gradually approaching me.
The Terrace wasn't particularly spacious, so they would surely notice my presence immediately. There was no way they hadn't seen me.
'What is this?'
Irritated by their audacious intrusion despite knowing someone was here, I turned around to give them a sharp piece of my mind before sending them away.
Standing there was someone I had no desire to face, not even for a single second.
"My lady."
It was Cain Maxius.
The moment I saw Cain Maxius, I stared at him with an expression of utter bewilderment.
"What exactly are you doing right now?"
A cold, sharp edge crept into my voice unbidden.
"I have something to say to you, my lady."
Something to say?
What could possibly be left for us to discuss that he keeps insisting on this?
"I have nothing to say to you, Duke."
"My lady."
Cain Maxius called me again in his characteristically low, emotionless voice.
"I simply wish to have a quiet conversation with you."
He'd said the same thing when he came to my home—that he wanted to talk with me. What on earth was he trying to say?
Not that I had any desire to hear it.
I had no reason whatsoever to listen to this man.
"Your Grace."
I straightened my posture as I addressed him.
I refused to show even a trace of emotion before Cain Maxius.
"As I mentioned when you visited my home, I don't understand why I should engage in private conversation with you. Our relationship ended two years ago. And of course, you bear full responsibility for everything that happened."
I continued, my voice firm and resolute.
"We are no longer people who can face each other and speak with such ease. Though admittedly, we never were comfortable with each other from the beginning."
Belita and Cain Maxius.
Cain Maxius and Belita.
It had always been a relationship where one side yielded distinctly to the other.
Belita had wanted Cain Maxius's affection, but Cain Maxius never even looked at Belita.
And that relationship had ended with his betrayal.
"I find you deeply uncomfortable, Your Grace. If it's not an official setting, I don't even wish to be in the same space as you."
Cain Maxius's expression twisted slightly.
"Does that mean you no longer have any feelings for me?"
Did he actually believe I still harbored affection for him?
Truly?
I was so taken aback that words escaped me, but I refused to let him see such a reaction.
So I composed my expression once more and answered him.
"That's correct. None whatsoever."
How could I have feelings that never existed in the first place?
After my response, silence fell between us.
We both stood there, staring at each other without uttering a word.
It was like a staring contest.
"I cannot believe it."
After quite some time, Cain Maxius finally spoke.
"Pardon?"
It was an utterly unexpected and absurd thing to say.
"You claim your feelings changed in such a short time, when you harbored affection for me for over a decade. I simply cannot believe it."
Cain Maxius continued spouting incomprehensible words without pause.
I'd known he was shameless and self-centered, but I never realized he could sink this low.
At his continued nonsense, I let out an involuntary laugh.
"Let's start over."
What is this...?
"What did you just say?"
I asked, wondering if I'd misheard him.
"I said we should start over."
"What do you mean?"
"From now on, I will focus only on the Young Lady. So our relationship—"
"Your Grace."
I cut off his words quickly.
I could no longer sit and listen passively.
"Why are you doing this to me?"
I genuinely wanted to know.
Why was he suddenly treating me this way? Why was he stirring up this pointless situation now? I was desperately curious.
But did I really need to understand his reasons right now?
It was a meaningless question.
All I needed to do was sever this man from my life cleanly and completely.
"Is this truly all you amount to?"
To do that, responding emotionally would not serve me well.
From what I could see in his words and demeanor, he seemed to believe that if he suggested we start anew, I would simply agree, wagging my tail like a dog without a second thought.
Fury rose to the crown of my head at how he dared treat me—Belita—in such a manner, but I forced myself to compose my emotions as much as possible.
'I need to act. I need to perform.'
I had just returned after soothing the pain of heartbreak.
And now this man stood before me, spouting nonsense about starting over.
I no longer held any affection for this man.
So I had to drive him away.
With that resolve, the words I needed to hurl at him came flooding into my mind all at once.
"Your Grace asked me to break the engagement, and I consented through tears. Do you know what I felt in that moment? Of course you don't. Because you don't understand, you dare show me this behavior now."
"...."
"And I returned after two years. Two years was not a short time—it was an agonizingly long and difficult period for me to put my heart in order."
"So now—"
"No, there is no 'now.' There is nothing left between Your Grace and me. So please stop here, lest I become even more disappointed in you."
You mean nothing to me anymore.
Silence settled over the Terrace for a moment.
"I shall take my leave."
I thought he understood enough by now, and I turned to go.
Until then, he had simply stared at me without saying a word.
"Young Lady."
And just as I was about to take my first step, Cain Maxius called out to me again.
"I will wait. I will wait for as long as it takes until you return to me."
Ha, really.
A bitter laugh escaped me at his words from behind.
I had tried not to ask, but I supposed I had to.
"Is it because of the diamond mines?"
"What do you mean?"
"I asked if you're doing this because of the diamond mines you gave me as alimony."
Of course, even if I answered yes, I had no intention of returning it whatsoever—but I could think of no other reason why Cain Maxius would say such a thing.
Yet if I said no, wouldn't that be far too strange?
Yes, if those words—that he harbored feelings for me and that was why—came from his lips, I truly felt I would despise him.
"No."
"No?"
"That is correct. Only after breaking the engagement with the lady did I come to understand the magnitude of the affection she had given me. That is why I wish to begin anew."
And he offered the answer I had never wished to hear.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org