A Vast Swamp created by lies

That was a vast swamp created by lies.
A terrible swamp where one flails in anxiety, but nothing comes within reach.
At times like these, Theron wanted to go back to the day he accepted Colonel Orlando Ashcombe’s proposal and stop himself.
‘What I thought I had found was not a money pit, but a beckoning fire pit.’
There was never such a thing as a money pit that would easily hand him a fortune, but why hadn’t he realized it then, even after seeing the company he had built by slaving away like a dog?
A frustrated sigh welled up.
Nevertheless, Theron did not remain listless.
If there was something that had changed from before, it was that he no longer lay on the sofa and drank himself silly because of Selene.
He had to move and find an alternative.
It was the feeling that he didn’t want to widen the gap with Selene any further.
‘I have to become a better person, a person who is not ashamed to be with her.’
Theron checked his wristwatch.
It was about time to leave.
But before getting into the car, a technician who had come to remove the wires from the lampposts beforehand was loitering on the street, so Theron paused for a moment.
After a moment of thought, Theron spoke.
“Do you know there’s a bird’s nest up there?”
The technician’s head turned upwards.
“Ah, I see.”
“There seem to be chicks in it, so please move the nest if you can. It must have been hard to build.”
As the sound of the chicks chirping was heard from above, the technician nodded.
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
Theron, having heard the answer, got into the car.
Although he was not an animal lover, he hoped that at least that bird would protect its nest well, unlike him, who was left with a relationship that would crumble.
However, as the car got closer to the hospital, Theron gradually erased the bird that was on the lamppost in front of the mansion from his mind.
Because today was a momentous day.
So much so that he had come to this hospital where his biological mother was, even though it was not the consultation period.
Theron, who got out of the car, buttoned his unbuttoned jacket and went up the stairs leading to the hospital room, which he could never get used to.
Thud.
Although a person had opened the door and entered the hospital room without permission, not a single sign of life was felt.
This hospital room was lifeless, even though spring had come.
That was one of the countless reasons why Theron didn’t visit Rosina.
When he came here, he felt as if he were also being dyed in a gray light.
“…”
Theron looked at his biological mother, who was lying in bed as if dead, with an expressionless face.
As he had expected, a heavy pressure pressed down on his chest.
He once imagined that if he looked at her like this, his biological mother would suddenly open her eyes and strangle him, just like his father had.
‘There’s no way. All this woman could do was cry while that man who called himself her husband swung his fists.’
Theron scattered his thoughts.
He couldn’t waste time meaninglessly today, as he had not come to see his biological mother out of obligation, nor to resent her.
Theron, who was gazing at the closed-eyed Rosina, slowly opened his mouth.
“You must be curious why I’ve come so suddenly today.”
His locked voice came out with difficulty.
“Even though I’ve left you in this hospital for five years, I only came once during the guardian consultation period.”
Theron sat on the edge of the bed and clasped his hands between his legs.
“The reason I’ve come here on my own accord is because I have something to tell you.”
“…”
“That vineyard I said I would repay you with for my life, I think I have to give it up.”
It was a deal that would make anyone laugh.
To declare to a person in a vegetative state, who couldn’t say a word, that he would repay her with a vineyard, and then to cancel it.
Even knowing that, Theron was serious at this moment.
“By giving up that vineyard, I’ll be tormented by the afterimage of you being hit by a car in my place for the rest of my life, but I can’t live without that woman, Selene Ashcombe, anymore.”
“…”
“It’s just that something more important has come up. Everything is relative, isn’t it? Just like it was more important for you not to be hit by your trash-like husband than to protect your young self.”
Perhaps this was the last excuse.
As much as he had planned to make Selene Ashcombe a divorcee and receive half of her fortune, repaying that debt with a vineyard was a desperate matter for him.
So, of course, he hadn’t expected to have to correct his words about repaying this debt.
“I’m not saying I’ll pretend not to know the value of my life. I’ll repay you with something else when the time comes.”
Although nothing came to mind right now, Theron had said so for now.
He had felt it as he was being dragged like a dog before the situation of having to confess the truth to Selene.
There is nothing you can avoid and pretend not to know for the rest of your life.
Although you might be able to avoid it for now, it would come back as a boomerang someday.
In this way, Theron was tormented daily in the uncertainty of whether Selene would forgive him.
It was no different until just before he came here today.
But one thing was certain: Selene had become so important to him that he would cling to that uncertainty, that he would bet everything on it.
He had never imagined a future life without her, but this was an instinctive feeling.
He could not go back to his former life without Selene.
So, he would not do anything he would regret later.
The same went for repaying this woman for his life.
He would have to find another way somehow.
“If you were awake, I believe you would understand me. Since I went through hell to buy that vineyard, you can understand this much, can’t you?”
Theron hesitated for a moment before taking out a cigarette from his pocket, putting it in his mouth, and lighting it.
He didn’t want to smoke, but the feeling of his mouth constantly drying was not good.
“Isn’t that right?”
Hooo.
Through the hazy smoke, Rosina’s closed eyelids twitched slightly.

The international competition was a month away.
The forgotten tension was slowly stimulating Selene’s peripheral nerves.
Still, if there was something different from before, it was that the reason for her tension was not simply because her life as a pianist was at stake in this result.
Selene intended to gauge how much she had changed by playing ‘The Age of Love and Romance’ well.
It was not just about her skills, but about herself as a person.
A few days ago, as she was engrossed in playing the piano, Gwendolyn’s past words had suddenly pierced her heart.

“The piano will never leave you, right?”

‘Yes, perhaps that’s why I ran away to the piano.’
‘Because I didn’t want to feel the sadness of losing someone again, like when my parents left.’
‘If I didn’t give my heart to people, I wouldn’t have to go through that again.’
She could now understand those words, which hadn’t resonated with her much at the time.
So, if she had broken out of her shell, she would naturally have a much broader understanding of this piece, and her sound would have improved.
The competition was the stage to prove that growth.
The moment she steeled her heart, reminding herself of that.
Knock, knock.
Just then, a knock was heard.
‘The owner of this knock is probably Theron.’
A faint sense of welcome appeared in the eyes of Selene’s expressionless face.
Although Theron had not yet told her what he was so deeply worried about, it was not a big problem for Selene.
Lately, she just enjoyed seeing him.
“A bouquet made of spring flowers, although it’s a bit late.”
As soon as she opened the door, Theron held out a lush bouquet in front of Selene.
It had been a long time since Theron had visited the ducal estate, so the vase had been empty for a long time.
Selene had been gauging how long it had been since her last meeting with Theron by looking at the empty vase that caught her eye during her piano practice.
The longer the vase was empty, the longer Selene would think of Theron.
Selene took the bouquet.
“I’ll put it in a vase.”
“Ah, just a moment.”
Theron grabbed Selene’s hand as she was about to turn around and pressed his lips to the back of her hand.
“Just because we’re speaking comfortably doesn’t mean we should act casually too.”
At Theron’s sly action, Selene’s heart beat gently.
Of course, unfortunately, no change was revealed in Selene’s motionless expression.
“Shall we take a walk? The sky looks clear.”
Theron did not answer Selene’s suggestion right away.
He just looked out the window for a moment.
“No, there’s no need for that. You must be busy with the competition just around the corner. I don’t intend to take up much of your time, so I’ll just look at your face for a while and go.”
Theron said that and led Selene to the sunny window of the piano room.
It wasn’t that long ago that Theron had been fidgeting in front of the piano, but he was leading Selene as if it were his own house.
Perhaps that’s why this moment felt so new to Selene.
The two sat on the windowsill, looking at each other.
As if they had the same thought, Theron smiled and said, “It’s amazing. Around this time last year, I couldn’t even imagine looking at you like this.”