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1.

The moment she saw Siwoo, Sophia Avenega, Amelia’s close friend whom he hadn’t met for a while, immediately bowed her head as deep as she could to apologize.

Bowing her head repeatedly, she also uttered her gratitude for his effort to stop Amelia. She also mentioned that she’d make sure to compensate for the wrongs that she had committed in the future.

Considering that his actions were part of the reason why Amelia went on a rampage, Siwoo didn’t really have anything to say about it.

Although, seeing Head Professor Sophia trying to take responsibility was nice.

“I won’t interrupt your reunion any further, so please go ahead. But, I do want you to know that I’m truly sorry for all the troubles...”

“It’s all okay. See you next time.”

He bid his goodbye with a nod, then he strode out of the corner.

“...”

“...”

And there she was, Amelia, silently sitting on the chair.

Her beautiful figure took out all of his attention that he failed to notice the chains binding her ankles.

She looked exactly the same as he remembered.

Siwoo stared at Amelia.

Amelia stared back at him.

A heavy silence hung between them.

The time that had stopped between the two of them had started to flow again, that was for sure.

Awkwardness and unfamiliarity lingered between the two, just like a frozen valley that had just melted when spring came.

But, like ice that melted over time, such feelings could probably disappear over time.

Although, whether they could return to their previous relationship or not, Siwoo still didn’t know the answer.

In truth, he didn’t even know what he was thinking, insisting on coming here.

He didn’t know what kind of words he could offer to comfort her—who had suffered from the same pain over and over again. Hell, he didn’t even know if he had the right to comfort her.

But, if he were to stay silent, nothing would change.

Whether it was to resolve their misunderstanding, or to reconcile, at the end of the day, they still had to talk to each other.

“So, um...”

“So, um...”

To his surprise, Amelia seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Her delicate shoulders trembling, the exact same words as Siwoo flowed out of Amelia’s mouth.

“Y-You can go first, please.”

“Y-You can go first...”

Once again, it happened.

“...”

“...”

It was a quite familiar situation.

Siwoo had once experienced this a while ago, back when Amelia took him as her exclusive slave and she suddenly started to treat him kindly.

Suddenly, Amelia reached out, her movements stiff like a doll whose joint hadn’t been properly oiled.

She took Siwoo’s left hand with her thin, trembling hands.

Carefully, and cautiously, she caressed it, just like a devout Christian after taking the hand of the pope.

She then clenched her teeth and asked in a low voice.

“Siwoo, is your arm okay?”

Her voice came out cold.

Extremely businesslike, similar to how she used to talk back before they lived together in that old cabin.

Even Amelia herself was wide-eyed, surprised that her voice came out like that.

She didn’t mean to use that kind of tone.

All she wanted to do was to suppress her voice as much as possible so that he couldn’t hear the tremble in her voice.

“Yes, it’s okay. What about you, Ms. Amelia? Are you okay?”

“I am. Don’t worry.”

Amelia let go of Siwoo’s hand.

From her action, it was as if she was trying to distance herself from him.

At the very least, it was the complete opposite of a warm embrace of a reunion

In the past, Siwoo might’ve misunderstood her and distanced himself from her in response.

But, Amelia wasn’t trying to distance herself, nor was she growing to dislike or hate her.

She was still feeling guilty about Siwoo’s arm, and she still wasn’t sure if he was still holding a grudge from what happened between them in the past. This was why she couldn’t feel completely happy about this reunion.

Fortunately, now Siwoo could tell the implications behind her actions and understood what she was feeling.

“Ms. Amelia.”

Siwoo pulled up a chair and sat down in front of her.

At the same time, Amelia tilted her head down.

Siwoo could hear her soft breathing start to turn erratic.

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m so—!”

She was about to shout out her apology, but seeing how Siwoo managed to finish his first, she jolted her head upwards.

Below her golden locks that flowed like golden thread, dewdrops could be seen, gathered in her eyes.

She was late.

Amelia wanted to speak up first, but here she was.

Cowardly waiting for him to say something.

Even though she had resolved herself, telling herself to be brave just this one time.

“...I’m the one who has to apologize...for hurting...you...Siwoo...”

Amelia continued, her pent-up emotions exploded.

“I’m sorry...for bothering you... I didn’t know...that I made your life hard... I even...acted as if you didn’t go through that suffering... I-I really...don’t want you...to suffer...or get hurt...”

Before this, she actually had tried to choose her words carefully countless times.

But now, words of apology, things that she wanted to say, her trying to correct all the misunderstandings, and more words of apology...

All of them poured out uncontrollably like a dam burst, and everything came out messily.

Her erratic breathing didn’t do her any favor either, making it harder to make out her words.

In truth, Siwoo couldn’t understand much of what she was saying either.

But, if there was one thing that he knew.

It was that Amelia wasn’t someone who could lay out her emotions in such a situation.

Thanks to her years of solitary life, she was unable to convey her feelings with words.

Instead, it was through her distressed expression, her eyes, her tears, her gestures that made him want to hug and comfort her, and the way she tugged at the hem of her own clothes that her feelings were clearly conveyed.

“I know, Ms. Amelia. I know everything.”

Siwoo’s voice was so soft and tender, as if he was trying to calm down an alert herbivore.

He didn’t want her to be afraid of him.

Back when he first regained his memories, he was unable to hear Amelia out properly.

At that moment, he felt a sense of betrayal and anger. When Amelia tried to cling to him, he pushed her away. He treated all her kindness with disgust, and passed them off as nothing.

Indeed, Amelia wasn’t the only one who had run away.

Back then, overwhelmed with emotions, Siwoo too, had turned his back on her.

If one of them had the maturity and composure to start a proper conversation with each other, none of this would’ve happened.

Had he at least listened to her properly back then, things wouldn’t have developed in this way.

He couldn’t help but think, ‘If back then, I had said these words to her, what would happen?’.

“I’ll wait for you, so please, say what you want to say.”

He caressed the back of her hand, which was wet from her tears that had fallen.

“I won’t leave you alone, nor will I close my ears and run away.”

Siwoo got up.

Startled, Amelia stared at him, wondering what he was going to do.

Meanwhile, he just carefully stretched out his arms, before wrapping them around her.

He nestled her small, round head, in his arms.

Back when he was a slave, he always thought that Amelia was bigger than him.

Of course, he wasn’t talking about her body size—she had always been small, after all—but rather her cold and overbearing attitude which had unknowingly made him feel intimidated.

But now, she was so small in his eyes.

So small and weak, that it was unthinkable that she had endured and suffered all alone.

“Let’s have a proper talk with each other, alright?”

2.

Amelia dug even further into Siwoo’s arms.

Even when their bodies couldn’t be any closer, she still grabbed onto Siwoo’s collar with her trembling fingertips and rubbed her cheeks against his chest until it was covered with tear stains.

Meanwhile, Siwoo just waited for her crying her heart out, all while holding onto her shoulders tightly.

Even after all that, Amelia was still unable to express her feelings clearly.

Due to her crying, her cheeks and nose were flushed red, she kept on repeating what she had already said. Sometimes, she even jumped around the topics, making things even more confusing.

As Amelia kept on blaming herself for her clumsiness and cluelessness towards her own heart, Siwoo easily forgave her.

He also told her about his feelings back during their fall out, and blamed his immaturity for causing it to happen in the first place.

Amelia wasn’t the only one who had run away, he wanted to get that point across.

After all, back then, he was also the one who turned his back on her and refused to hear any explanation from her.

Then, he told her that he saw her memories.

That he got to know what kind of life she had lived, and what kind of wound she had suffered.

He also told her that what she had taken in from the note he left couldn’t be any further than the truth.

Then, he told her the reason why he didn’t go look for her; because he thought that she had given up on him after reading that note.

Because he thought that if he were to go look for her, she’d refuse to meet him.

He told her everything.

Who knows how much time had passed since they started.

At one point, Amelia’s body, which had been staying stiff in his arms, loosened like a sugar cube inside a cup of coffee.

“...”

A comfortable silence fell among them.

After they were done sharing everything they wanted to share with each other, what remained was warmth, as soft as wool.

At that moment, Amelia looked up at Siwoo.

“Siwoo.”

“Yes?”

“...”

As if she had encountered an utopia that she had only ever dreamed of, as if she had seen a mirage that would disappear if she were to touch it.

Amelia’s delicate fingertips lightly touched his cheek.

After biting her lips several times anxiously, she finally came out with her question.

“You don’t...hate me...?”

“Yes.”

“Even after I tormented you? Made your life miserable? Threw unreasonable tasks at you? ...Even after I tricked you to forgive me when you lost your memories...?”

This question actually came up several times throughout their conversation.

The fact that she still asked it again showed how anxious she was to hear his answer to the question.

“I didn’t read the note you left me... I even made you lose your arm... You still don’t hate me...?”

Siwoo straightened her bangs that were tangled with tears.

Their current position...

Was close enough for him to count the number of her eyelashes, and see her pink lips clearly.

And just like that, Siwoo found out the best way to ease her anxiety.

“...”

“...”

Their eyes met as they held their breathings.

Amelia quickly locked her clear blue eyes behind her eyelids.

However, that didn’t stop her body from trembling.

Her body quickly turned stiff again. She pulled on Siwoo’s collar, her eyelashes quivered endlessly.

They both could feel each others’ heartbeat from their touching skin.

At that moment, they knew what each other wanted.

A kiss.

An act of exchanging one’s breath.

The best way to express one’s affection and trust.

Slowly, the two of them closed their eyes, and drew closer like a snowflake falling on a quiet night.

Then, the moment when their lips gently covered each other’s.

-Screeech!

Like a startled flock of crows, Amelia and Siwoo quickly got away from each other.

The sound of the door to the dungeon being opened echoed, followed by the voice of two people talking as they went down the stairs.

Amelia, with a flushed face, sat upright on her chair, all stiff, while Siwoo, feeling all awkward, let out a few series of coughs.

“Oh, you’re awake, Siwoo? How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling well, thanks to you. Thank you.”

It was Countess Kohav and Albireo, visiting the dungeon this late at night.

As for why, they were here to continue the interrogation.

Since witches didn’t need sleep, and everyone wanted this case to be over quickly, this had been going on for two whole days. Literally.

“Haa...”

Albireo looked back and forth at Siwoo and Amelia, then she let out a sigh, as if she understood what was going on.

“We will now continue our interrogation of Baroness Marigold. Unrelated personnel, please leave the vicinity at once.”

Countess Kohav tilted her head, confused at the strange atmosphere going on between Siwoo and Amelia, but she soon gave out her cool-headed verdict.