Lingering Feelings

‘It would probably contain useless things like clothes or accessories.’
After all, her dressing room was already overflowing with such things.
Perhaps that’s why she was even more resentful that Theron Cox was sending a message of apology in such a simple and unremarkable way.
Gwendolyn looked down at the gift box with pitying eyes before handing it to the maid as if to dispose of it and continued, “And my lady, a letter just came from the Pianist Association. It contains a request to hurry up with your decision about studying abroad, the prize for winning the competition.”
Selene took the letter Gwendolyn handed her and checked it.
As she had said, there was a request to inform them of her intention to study abroad by next month.
“What are you going to do?”
Gwendolyn asked cautiously.
Selene turned her gaze to Gwendolyn.
“What do you want me to do, Gwen?”
“Of course, I want you to stay in the empire, my lady, but I will respect whatever decision you make.”
Gwendolyn’s gentle answer made Selene ponder even more.
When she recalled the fact that Theron Cox had deceived her and approached her, she wanted to inform the competition organizers that she would be leaving to study abroad as early as tomorrow.
But strangely, her hand, which was supposed to be writing the letter, would stiffen as soon as she held the pen and wouldn’t move.
Selene thought about it.
What was holding her back like this?
Was it her grandmother, who had talked about the responsibility of the ducal family, or Evelyn, who would cry until her eyes were swollen for a while if she left, or Gwendolyn, who would have a lonely face like now?
While naturally excluding Theron from all of them, Selene found herself unconsciously staring at the maid who was leaving with the gift box.
Realizing this, she immediately turned her gaze away.
“I should go. In the first place, I wanted to win the international competition to study abroad.”
Selene finally answered that way.
Thinking rationally, there was no reason for her to have any lingering feelings here anymore.
According to what she had heard from Evelyn after the competition, her uncle had acted on his own in conspiring with Theron Cox, but her grandmother had also known about it in advance.
And yet, she had not said a word to her.
Her grandmother, while warning her not to trust her uncle, had just watched without telling her exactly what was going on.
Selene found such a grandmother to be as uncomfortable as her uncle.
‘Still, not as much as my uncle.’
Even when Evelyn had declared she would be staying at a hotel for a while and had left home, her uncle had not taken any action.
She didn’t want to ask or question her uncle now about why he had ordered Theron to do such a thing.
It was just that, unlike before, her uncle felt creepy.
Because while he was nonchalantly comforting her at her parents’ grave, he had been trying so hard to steal the ducal title from behind.
She detested people who were different on the outside and inside.
So, instead of having to face a disagreeable person and talk about this and that, it would be neat to just go and study abroad.
“Gwen, bring me some stationery.”
Selene, having finally made up her mind, planned to write a letter to the association today, informing them of her intention to study abroad.
As Gwendolyn brought her the stationery, Selene filled in the short content on the spot.
Selene, who had folded the letter, put it in an envelope and even finished the wax sealing herself.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been out, so I’ll go and mail the letter myself at the post office.”
Lately, she had been a little lazy with her piano practice, so Selene had plenty of time.
However, Gwendolyn had a troubled look on her face.
“It’s good to get some fresh air with a light outing after a long time, but outside…”
Even at her trailing words, Selene sensed what Gwendolyn wanted to say.
“Are you saying Theron Cox is loitering outside like a stalker?”
“…Yes.”
Selene knew it too.
That Theron Cox was not just sending gifts and letters daily, but was also waiting for her in front of the ducal estate’s main gate like a dog guarding the house after he finished his work.
And since it was the weekend today, it was obvious he would be doing that all day.
However, the reason Selene had not gone out for a while was not because she was reluctant to run into Theron.
It was simply because there was no reason to go outside the main gate.
Even if they ran into each other because she had something to do, she could just ignore him, and if he bothered her by talking to her, she was ready to call the police at any time.
“It’s fine. There’s no reason for me to avoid that man.”
‘In fact, it’s a good thing.’
‘Because today, I have something to tell Theron clearly.’
Selene, holding a parasol, left the mansion with a hardened expression, holding the letter.

Theron, who had pulled himself together to win back Selene’s heart, had made a few resolutions.
First, not to be discouraged, no matter what happened.
Second, to take a very, very long view.
If it were something that could be resolved after just a few attempts, there would have been no reason for him to have lived like a corpse all this time.
In this way, Theron, with his heart armed with an iron will, consistently sent gifts and wrote letters to Selene.
There was a 98 percent chance that Selene would just order her maid to throw them away without even checking them, but every time that scene was imagined, he would recall his second resolution, ‘to take a very, very long view’.
Because this was just a small effort.
So, Theron carried out his second plan, waiting for Selene near the ducal estate.
Of course, he had to work, so he did it most of the time outside of work.
However, Selene, like a unicorn of the social world, had not shown a single hair all this time.
The wall of the mansion connected to the main gate felt so high, and Theron, who was loitering nearby, felt like a prisoner looking beyond the prison.
‘Should I consider it a relief that Selene’s servant hasn’t reported me yet?’
Theron had even anticipated such a worst-case scenario.
Just as the front of the ducal estate’s main gate was starting to feel like his own home because he had stayed there so much, the main gate suddenly opened with a creak.
‘Is it the maid coming out to throw away the trash again?’
But where he looked, there was Selene, who had appeared like a noble unicorn, and Theron had to close and open his eyes several times.
It was Selene.
Not the Selene Ashcombe he had only seen in his dreams, but the real Selene.
Theron, pathetically, felt like he was about to cry and stood still for a moment.
The distant time had already flown far away, and in his chest, only the excitement and Selene’s pretty face, which seemed to be shining, remained.
‘…How can she be so pretty? Look at how her features are so delicately arranged in that small face. It’s certain that no artist could create a more perfect sculpture than that.’
However, the pinkish feelings that were blooming softly subsided the moment he met Selene’s cold eyes.
Suddenly, her nickname, ‘The Forbidden Fruit’, came to mind.
If he were to rashly take even a single bite, he might collapse on the spot.
“Ah, I was just taking a walk around here…”
“…”
“…is of course not true. As you know, I’ve been waiting for you to come out here for the past few days.”
Theron, who was contemplating what would seem less worse, hurriedly confessed the truth as he saw Selene’s eyes grow even colder.
Although he had armed himself with the thought that he would not be hurt even if she ignored him and walked past, surprisingly, Selene stopped in front of him.
At the sight of Selene after a long time, Theron felt as if his heart would explode.
He felt like a boy facing his tender first love.
“What’s different now that you’ve met me?”
Of course, at Selene’s cold tone, his rapidly beating heart quickly froze.
“I wasn’t waiting in anticipation of anything.”
“Then?”
“I just… wanted to see you.”
“You’ve said that before.”
Theron’s breath would catch whenever Selene spoke as if she doubted his heart more than anything.
Even though he knew it was his own fault, he couldn’t help this rising feeling of despair.
“Selene. What can I do to make you believe me?”
Theron asked, genuinely wanting to know.
Even though he knew there was no way Selene would kindly give him the answer.
However, Selene, as if she had decided something, opened her eyes clearly and looked at Theron.
“There is no such way, Theron Cox. There is no way to restore a broken trust. And there is no need to.”
“…What do you mean?”
Just as an uneasy premonition was slowly blooming in his heart, a very cruel answer came back from Selene.
“I’m going to study abroad soon.”