Episode 3

“Aydin Bert…”

Russelin called Aydin’s name in a voice that was unsettlingly low, a tone filled with simmering anger. Her sharp gaze held something different than usual, though she didn’t quite notice it herself.

“…Russelin.”

When Aydin spoke her name with his usual harsh tone, Russelin simply stared at him without replying. Aydin had taken everything she was supposed to have and locked her away in his shadow. Now that she had finally realized this, she had only taken her first step toward breaking free from that shadow.

‘Let me save you.’

Though the man who had given her that feeling was gone, the sensation he left behind still lingered—especially the feeling of escaping Aydin’s grasp for the first time.

‘Do you think I’ll be so easily defeated in this life as well?’

As her dulled senses sharpened, Russelin no longer felt the urge to run away from Aydin.

“…I’ve been waiting for you.”

Russelin grasped Aydin’s cruel hand herself. Yes, it wasn’t the right time yet. In her current state, she couldn’t escape Aydin Bert. She needed to find a way to completely break free from him.

“You’re the one who will save me.”

Just like how Aydin had deceived her while hiding his true intentions, she would play along for now, staying by his side.

“You… waited for me?”

Aydin’s voice wavered with a dangerous edge. But it was only a brief moment before he coldly took her hand with the same chilling touch that matched his temperament. Yes, in the end, her fate hadn’t changed.

“Take me away.”

Yet the Russelin who now faced this reality was slowly changing.

“Let’s return… to Bert Manor.”

In the end, Russelin walked back to the place where her death had been sealed, but this time, she did it to completely sever herself from Aydin.

* * *

‘May you receive that cursed love in full, Russelin Lavrenti.’

The hateful voice echoed in her mind constantly. Even if she had begged for it to end, it was futile.

‘…Save me.’

Please, someone.

Russelin forced her barely moving hand to reach out. The moment her fingertips touched something, she awoke from her bitter nightmare. When she finally opened her eyes, the familiar ceiling greeted her.

“Bert Manor…”

The place where all her nightmares began and ended. A place she had once thought of as her sanctuary now filled her with dread. Yet, instead of panicking, she felt an unexpected calmness wash over her. This was her chance—a chance to reclaim the life that had crumbled in their hands.

‘This time, I won’t die so easily.’

Back then, when her only sanctuary turned into a place of torment, she did nothing. She didn’t act—not because she couldn’t, but because, at the time, she believed it was the only thing she could do. But now, she had no intention of waiting passively.

“Ugh… ugh…”

However, despite her newfound resolve, a deep, gnawing pain crept through her, making her groan softly. That pain revealed her lingering weakness…

“You’re finally awake.”

“…Aydin.”

Even Russelin’s voice trembled slightly as she called his name. However, there was something different this time.

‘So, you confessed love to me while keeping Celia in your arms…’

Perhaps the reason for the trembling wasn’t fear anymore. Russelin suppressed the growing resentment toward Aydin, pushing back the memory of the sensation of being pierced by a blade. Not yet. She couldn’t act yet. If she wanted to reclaim what was lost and take revenge on those who destroyed her life, she had to be patient.

“…I’m glad.”

“What?”

“That it was you who saved me.”

She had to deceive Aydin Bert first. To bring him down, she would have to pretend to love him, to cling to him.

“I was scared… that it might have been a dream, that you saved me.”

“What, were you waiting for someone else to show up?”

Russelin hid her sharp resolve, looking up at Aydin with feigned softness in her eyes. But Aydin, always cynical, didn’t accept even that, pushing her further with mocking words.

“No one but me would take in a half-baked priestess. Understand that?”

“…I know. You’re the only one who can truly save me.”

“Ha, you say that looking like this?”

She fed him the words he wanted to hear, words that pandered to his twisted sense of ownership. But even Russelin’s attempt at showing harmlessness only stirred Aydin’s cruel instincts. He suddenly moved closer, grabbing her thin wrist roughly.

“Kiss me.”

“…What?”

Russelin’s mind had resolved to pretend to love him, but her instincts reacted honestly, making her freeze. Aydin easily read the surprise on her face, pressing her even more aggressively.

“I said, kiss me.”

“…What do you mean?”

“I can’t trust the truth that comes out of those deceitful lips.”

“…”

“I need to check for myself.”

Aydin growled menacingly, closing in on Russelin.

“Don’t even think about backing away.”

His movements were frantic, as if he were desperate for something.

“A-Aydin…!”

She needed to escape. She couldn’t let herself be swept up by him anymore. But despite her resolve, her body instinctively froze under his grip, leaving her completely at his mercy. As Aydin drew closer, Russelin’s hands reflexively pushed against his chest. At that moment, Aydin suddenly stopped his advance.

“…Damn it.”

Instead, she heard him curse under his breath, his voice thick with restrained emotion. When Russelin finally opened her eyes, she was met with a glare filled with raw anger.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Aydin’s intense emotions hit Russelin like a wave, though she didn’t fully understand the reason behind them. Her silence seemed to aggravate him further, and he grabbed her shoulders roughly.

“Answer me, Russelin.”

“Ah—Aydin…!”

“Why do I sense another’s magic coming from you?”

Russelin finally understood why Aydin was so furious. Even though he neglected her, Aydin despised the idea of her being involved with anyone else. The presence of another’s magic infuriated him. Whenever such a thing happened—though Russelin was often unaware of how it occurred—Aydin would torment her relentlessly, forcing her to endure his wrath.

“Answer me properly. You don’t want to see me lose control right now, do you?”

“…Aydin.”

“With such strong magic running through you, you better not say you don’t know anything.”

However, this time was different.

Even as Aydin continued his aggressive questioning, Russelin remained unshaken. There was a figure that lingered in her thoughts, steadying her in this moment.

‘You’ll regret reaching out to help me.’

‘Even if I regret it, I would still save you.’

…Was the magic from that man still with her?

She hadn’t realized just how strong it was. That fleeting memory, like a moment of impulsive defiance, had faded quickly from her mind.

No—she had tried to forget. After all, both she and that man had only held onto each other out of a shared impulse. Even if it hadn’t been, there would be no chance of meeting him again. But her mistake was not properly purging his magic from herself.

“When did you start keeping secrets from me?”

“That’s not what this is…”

Backing down now would mean surrendering to the recurring nightmare she feared. So, as Aydin’s harsh interrogation continued, Russelin forced herself to remain composed.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Aydin.”

“What?”

Aydin furrowed his brow at her unexpected answer, but Russelin’s gaze sharpened, revealing her inner determination.

“Weren’t you the one who saved me that day?”

“…Russelin, you…”

“Are you saying that even the feelings I have for you now are a lie?”

Russelin’s tone was genuinely curious, as though she truly wanted to understand. Aydin, unusually, didn’t respond. Watching him hesitate, Russelin mocked him inwardly.

In her previous life, she had genuinely believed she loved him, only to be cruelly deceived and used by him. This time, she would use his misguided perception to her advantage. She gently placed her hand on top of his, the one gripping her shoulder, her touch soft and pitiful.

“If even you doubt me, then who am I supposed to trust?”

“…”

“I’ve only just decided to stay by your side…”

Her touch seemed as fragile as her words, as though it might slip away at any moment.

“Russelin, you…”

Unable to respond, Aydin abruptly turned and stormed out of the room, leaving Russelin alone. As she watched his retreating figure, she finally let her strength wane and collapsed into a seat, the tension leaving her body. Yet, a faint smile curled at her lips.

The first step hadn’t gone badly at all.

* * *

Russelin sat quietly in her bedroom, just as she had always done. Before becoming part of the Bert family and even after, this single room had been the only place granted to her.

“It just shows how small and weak my standing was.”

There had been times when she’d looked at the triumphant Celia and felt bitter, but now, she saw it as a blessing in disguise. It meant she could leave this place more easily. Russelin took a deep breath, calming her nerves, and turned her gaze to the papers spread out on the small table before her.