When My Enemies Began to Regret

“Yes?”

“Wow, why didn’t I think of that?”

“Hold on.”

“Could it work with Ganimede too…?”

“Snap out of it. Yours is in a necklace.”

Not being treated as if she were crazy was a relief, though the situation wasn’t exactly pleasant. Fanora slapped Carl’s shoulder with her palm as she contemplated, then explained the form of Io. It was a very thin and small ring.

“I couldn’t do it again if I tried. That it didn’t get infected is just sheer luck. Please don’t do anything dangerous!”

“Lady Fanora, you’ve been doing such dangerous things without me knowing…”

“I-I’m living quietly now.”

Carl narrowed his eyes in concern over her audacity, then eventually pulled his lips into a gentle smile. “You promised. To live quietly and safely.”

“…”

“You can’t leave before me.”

Because then I’d have to die too.

He made a veiled threat involving someone’s life. Fanora couldn’t refuse, considering this threat as a petty promise.

* * *

It was the next day at 11 AM. A tired-looking woman went out. All the food stored for winter had been used up, so she went to buy new supplies.

She climbed the hill, arms full of large cheese and spring greens. Then, the familiar small cabin came into view.

“I’m back.” She opened the shabby wooden door, greeting the man who had been waiting for her brightly. It seemed like a peaceful routine, but what followed nearly made her foam at the mouth.

“Welcome back!”

“Carl!”

Their high voices crossed in the air.

Carl wondered why she was calling his name with such anger, but it was because of the book he was holding.

“What are you looking at!”

In his hand was a manuscript of ‘Dangerous Love.’ Because they were running out of money, they had sorted out some items to sell that morning, and this notebook had come out as well. She regretted not putting it away after returning. Approaching him briskly, she scolded him.

“Ah, sorry. I saw handwriting that looked like Lady Fanora’s, so without thinking…”

“T-this is a diary. You shouldn’t look at it carelessly.”

“…?”

In her panic, she blurted out a prepared lie, but it was fine. Fortunately, the notebook was coded in her own encryption. The contents would not have been exposed.

Fanora calmed down and snatched the notebook from his hands. But then, Carl’s next words made her heart drop.

“It’s not a diary, is it? That’s why I kept reading.”

“!?”

“Isn’t it… talking about Vasago?”

She had blindly trusted her encryption method. After all, the terrible handwriting could be seen as neurotic scribbling from afar.

In her life, no one had ever been able to decipher her terrible handwriting. Even before her regression, there were times when letters were returned because they couldn’t be read.

“You… can read this?”

But now… She began to sweat profusely while Carl’s response was calm.

“I’ve received letters written by Lady Fanora several times. If I concentrate, I can read it.” Carl smiled evenly, adding that he could only recognize a few words because the ink was smeared in parts. “What’s written in it that you’d lie and hide?”

Carl was intrigued by the script written in her notebook. However, Fanora did not reveal the truth. No, she could not reveal the truth.

“It’s nothing you’d be happy to know.”

Everything they’ve experienced was scripted. Every decision you thought was yours was just dialogue, and they might just be puppets in a script. How could she say such a thing to this faithful man?

“I can’t tell you this.”

“…”

“No matter how close we are… There’s at least one secret you can’t tell anyone, right?”

She decided to keep the secret of the midnight novel to herself but felt guilty for keeping silent from someone who trusted her like Carl.

“…Well, it’s not like you’re hiding anything from me.”

Carl instinctively nodded. He had already revealed all his weaknesses and flaws, and he felt he would tell her the truth if she asked. Then, he realized the contradiction in his thoughts.

“I do… have something I’ve been hiding.”

“You’re not lying to comfort me, are you?”

“No.”

As Carl remembered the secret he had forgotten, his expression became strange.

He stiffened as if afraid, his smile disappearing. Fanora put down the book and examined his condition. “Are you okay?”

“…”

“If it’s a difficult secret to share, leave it be.”

Hearing her kind voice, Carl’s face grew sadder.

“…”

After staring at the ground, he seemed to make up his mind and looked up. “I need to tell Lady Fanora what I’ve been hiding.”

“?”

“I think it’s time to tell you.”

The red-haired man closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath, appearing unusually tense.

“Before I say it… can you promise me something?”

“What promise?”

“That you won’t hate me after I tell you…”

Deciding to reveal the secret right then and there, he asked for her promise.

“Please.”

But he was a bit scared. He wasn’t worried about social condemnation or the wrath of the dead, but one thing had frightened him for a long time. He feared disappointing her or that she would be angry for ruining her plans.

“…”

Fanora looked up at him, stiffening her shoulders, then slowly grabbed his hand.

“I swear by the Mother Goddess. Tell me.”

How could someone capable of such cruel revenge be like this? Knowing he was a devout follower of the Mother Goddess, she offered a more solid promise than ever before.

Carl looked down at her with a wavering gaze. “Lady Fanora, I actually killed Aloken.”

His voice was shaky as he confessed. However, Fanora’s response was almost shocking.

“I had a feeling it was something like that.”

“Yes?!”

“I was worried over nothing. So it was about this?”

He had never been nervous, even when charging into enemy lines with a spear, but this confession had been squeezed out with difficulty.

She ended the situation in a very light tone. “I’ve always suspected you since you revealed that you’re the owner of Ganimede. It became clear when the marchioness mentioned Aloken’s death during our escape.”

“

!?”

“Such a memory. Anyway, why would I hate you over this?”

“…”

“It’s a dead man’s due.”

Fanora revealed she had suspected him of being the killer of her enemy long before.

The usually silent man then spoke in a low voice. “After the duke’s funeral… Lady Fanora said you felt empty because there was no one left for revenge…”

“Carl?”

“I was sure you’d resent me for ruining your plans…”

Realizing she didn’t despise him, he felt as if all strength had left his body. Relief washed over him, bringing tears to his eyes. He felt partly unjust. Carl eventually fell silent with a blank expression, and Fanora looked at his moist eyes in surprise.

“Are you crying?”

Was he that afraid of her hatred?

Witnessing his reaction, Fanora felt a complex mix of emotions. For the first time, someone’s sadness brought her joy.

She gently wiped his eyes with her dry hand. Then, as if to stop his tears, she lightly jokes. “In Kasius, they say a beautiful person could make you cry. Now I see why such phrases exist.”

“…”

“Making someone cry isn’t as bad as I thought.”

Despite expecting a sullen response to her sarcastic remark, Carl simply hugged her. Fanora hugged him back tightly.

Burying her face in his shoulder, Fanora quietly thought. Having witnessed this, she couldn’t kill him even if he betrays her in the future. The outcome was decided. Fanora once again surrendered to affection.

“…Carl, I bought your favorite cookies from the village below today. Shall we have tea and eat them together?”

After settling their emotions, they spent a leisurely afternoon together. And a few hours later, As the sun began to set, they decided to have dinner.

Carl was in charge of cooking. Recently, she prepared breakfast, and he took care of dinner, a routine that had become their norm.

After months of dry, preserved food, today’s meal was a luxury. Fanora reached for the soup first, satisfied even with the commoner’s meal after a hard winter.

“It’s delicious! This is the difference skill makes.”

She was in a good mood from the day’s events, smiling as she continued to eat.

“I could never match your skill, no matter how hard I try.”

“You flatter me too much.”

“What they say in Kasius is true: Andras excels in everything they do.”

Watching her smile became Carl’s new joy in life. He paused his meal to just watch Fanora.

The couple shared a harmonious moment, a picturesque scene, but this peace was short-lived.

“I’ll clean up, Carl.”

“I have nothing else to do, so I’ll help.”

“No. You always end up doing everything when you try to help.”

Their life together hadn’t even reached a year, practically newlyweds. They playfully argued over who would do the dishes and shyly shared affectionate touches.

“…

”

“…

”

Like a greeting, what started with a simple peck quickly deepened their relationship. Fanora had to pay the price for the day’s events in this process.

* * *