Chapter 0

“Count, these are the flowers your wife sent you.”

The man raised his head at the butler’s words. His long, red hair was scattered across the desk. He rubbed the cigarette he was smoking into the ashtray to put it out, and answered the butler.

“She is doing something useless, too.”

“What should I do?”

He looked at the fireplace, which was quietly burning on the wall. At his will, the butler threw the bouquet of flowers into the fireplace.

The dried flowers burnt and disappeared with a small sound.

“There is news these days that Madame’s actions are suspicious.”

“Should I even care about that?”

“I’m sorry. It seems like she has contact with the duke or the imperial family……”

“She’s a useless woman abandoned by her family. The Emperor is in a hurry, but he’s not stupid enough to borrow a woman’s hand.”

“I see.”

The man began to read the paperwork again with a cold face. The butler nodded lightly at his words, answered him, and handed him some more papers.

“Ah, these days, the priest is visiting the annex. Maybe there’s a problem with the madam.”

“John.”

A low voice softly filled the office.

“Don’t report anything related to that woman.”

“I’ll be careful.”

“I’m nauseous.”

The woman standing outside the door in a faded dress began to slowly walk away.

Through the cracks in the closed door, their voices leaked out. The more she listened to their words, the more she couldn’t bear it.

‘Like that. He never really loved me.’

She squeezed her heart that was beating too fast. She couldn’t listen to the words any longer. She forced herself to persevere so as not to fall.

There was no one by her side. She took the infinitely heavy steps alone, slowly and slowly.

‘I feel like my stomach is turning over with every step I take.’

With one hand, she covered the nosebleed, which began to flow slowly. A drop or two of blood started dripping from her nose on her worn-out dress.

‘The world is still the same.’

She stood in the hallway connecting the annex and the main building, looking out.

In the estate down there, colorful lights were waving as preparations for the festival were in full swing. Whatever she did, it was clear that the world would not change. This was a fact she already knew, but her heart ached.

“I’m blessed.”

“Oh, that can’t be true…..”

“For others, this festival is the most important, but…”

“….”

“Not to me, because it’s the day you were born into this world.”

“Thank you…..”

“Happy Birthday. you.”

She closed her eyes for a moment and remembered his sweet words. At his sweet words, how much did she weep? How many days filled with tears of joy.

On the night before the holy festival, families and lovers gather to give thanks for the bond and pray together. And, her birthday.

She knew he would never love her for the rest of his life, but she would love him for the rest of her life. It was clear that her love for him would only end when she died.

However, her heart was beating faster than ever, perhaps because of the fact that she saw him through the door gap or because of the curse.

“I hate you, I really hate you.”

At that moment, she said the words that would never reach him. Soft tears fell from her eyes.

“You’ll regret it.”

It was a stupid word. She knew it herself. She could say this in his absence, but she knew she would end up repeating the words ‘I love you’ when she was by his side.

This was a curse placed on Yuri. It was a terrible curse that would not be resolved even if she died.