The World Has Become Kinder to Her

As Lotus leaned halfway out the window, the cold night breeze made her skin shiver. Her lips trembled as fear slowly crept over her.  

‘It will hurt a lot if I fall from here, right? Will the pain be brief since I’ll die quickly?’  

A voice inside her mind whispered softly to her hesitant heart.  

‘Humans die anyway. If you die now, you’ll suffer less. But if you wait, you’ll only endure more pain before death finally comes.’  

That whisper steadied Lotus’ wavering resolve. Her thin white nightgown fluttered in the wind, and the chilly air quickly made her arms and legs cold. It felt as if the God of Death was approaching, just like when she had jumped into the Venuth River.  

With sweat-covered hands, Lotus gripped her dress and shut her eyes tightly before throwing herself over the railing.  

As her body sliced through the cold air, she was overwhelmed by primal fear, her entire being recoiling in terror. Just then, she felt someone’s arms wrap around her.  

“Kyaah!”  

It was only then that a scream burst from her lips. The man who caught her midair spoke in a slightly startled voice.  

“If you scream like that in the middle of the night, it’s going to cause me some trouble.”  

The voice was familiar. Lotus opened her eyes and found herself staring into silver eyes, glowing like the moon in the night sky.  

“Fr-Frederick! Why are you here…?”  

“Oh, you’re calling me by name? I love it, keep going.”  

His playful response made Lotus realize her mistake. Shocked by the unexpected turn of events, she had called him by his name, just like she had in the past when they were lovers.  

“I was startled and made an error, my apologies, Lord Abran.”  

“Hey now, once you call me by my name, there’s no taking it back.”  

“I’m sorry.”  

“And talk casually with me. From now on, I’m going to speak in informal language anyway.”  

“I can’t do that, but feel free to speak as you like, my lord.”  

“You’re firm, huh? I’d prefer if you called me Frederick, or even Frick. Ah, if you don’t call me Frederick or Frick, I might just drop you here.”  

Frederick’s voice was smug, but Lotus answered calmly.  

“Go ahead, then. I was already falling. You’re the one who interfered, my lord.”  

Frederick fell silent. For some reason, he seemed unsettled by her words. His silver eyes flickered, as if reflecting the moonlight.  

“You’re right. I did interfere.”  

“…”  

“I was going to scold you, ask why you jumped, but I forgot. You felt too good in my arms.”  

“Do you really have the right to scold me? We….”  

We aren’t anything to each other anymore.  

Lotus spoke softly, her words barely audible, but in the stillness of the night, they echoed clearly.  

Frederick shrugged and carried her back inside her bedroom, gently placing her on the soft bed.  

“A relationship can be made,” he said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement, but there was bitterness behind it that made Lotus pause.  

The Frederick she knew had always been arrogant, sly, befitting the heir to the Abran Duchy and one of the most powerful mages on the continent.  

“What kind of relationship could we possibly need?”  

Her roundabout rejection only made Frederick smile.  

The way his eyes crinkled and his lips curled reminded her of an old, mischievous fox—seductive and wicked beyond measure.  

“I want a deeper, no, a much deeper relationship with you.”

Frederick gently tucked Lotus’ hair behind her ear as he whispered to her.  

Was it because her body remembered his voice and touch? A strange mix of eeriness and sensuality coursed down Lotus’ spine.  

**Bang! Bang!**  

Suddenly, a loud knocking came from the door.  

“Lotus! Lotus! Are you okay? What’s going on?”  

“Hession, if you can open the door, just do it.”  

From the voices and conversation, it seemed the Marquis Estelle and Hession were both standing outside.  

Before Lotus could react, the doorknob broke off, and the door creaked open.  

Everything happened so quickly that she couldn’t utter a single word.  

The two men stormed into the room, and what they saw was Frederick with his hand on Lotus’ hair. Both Hession and the Marquis glared furiously.  

“You—you scoundrel!”  

“Lord Abran! What are you doing in my sister’s room at this hour?”  

Both their faces turned red with anger. Frederick, ever the smooth talker, quickly regained his composure, a sly smile forming on his lips.  

Lotus found it hard to follow the rapid changes in their expressions.  

“Haha, well, you see, it just sort of happened….”  

“What? It *just sort of* happened?”  

Lotus hadn’t realized it before, but Hession seemed quite hot-tempered—or perhaps he had always had a particular dislike for Frederick. Without hesitation, he stormed over and grabbed Frederick by the collar. Watching this unfold, Lotus quietly interjected.  

“…Brother, Father, what brings you here at this hour?”  

“We heard a scream near your room and came to check on you.”  

Hession, still glaring at Frederick with a murderous look, answered curtly.  

Though Frederick, with his magical prowess, could have easily shrugged off Hession, he simply allowed himself to be held, oddly compliant.  

Instead, he mouthed silently to Lotus, pleading for help. Naturally, Lotus pretended not to notice.  

“What did this bastard—no, what did Lord Abran do to you?” Hession’s voice dripped with venom.  

Lotus blinked, saying nothing. She was trying to gauge the sincerity of Hession’s words and behavior, but to them, her silence made it seem like she was too frightened and intimidated by Frederick’s status to speak.  

The two men had both seen glimpses of Lotus’ past with Frederick through their dreams—memories of her being manipulated by him—and it stirred something painful and protective within them.  

“Don’t be afraid, just tell us the truth,” the Marquis added, his tone stern.  

Sensing the rising tension, Frederick tried harder, exaggerating his mouthing to Lotus for assistance. She couldn’t help but think how absurd this entire situation felt, like some farcical comedy.  

‘Now even dying has become difficult. First Frederick shows up out of nowhere, and now these two…’  

As her thoughts simmered, anger began to bubble up within her. From head to toe, a rebellious feeling surged through her. Biting her lip slightly, Lotus spoke in a calm, expressionless tone.  

“Lord Abran suddenly appeared and acted against my will.”  

Now, let’s see how this situation unfolds.  

She wondered just how far Hession and the Marquis would go, pretending for the sake of their illegitimate sister and daughter.  

And what was Frederick’s true reason for being here? Feeling mischievous like a devil, Lotus lowered her eyes slightly, relishing the chaos.  

Frederick’s jaw dropped at her words. While she hadn’t lied, the way she phrased it left plenty of room for misunderstanding.  

Hession’s grip on Frederick’s collar tightened, and the Marquis’ lips quivered with barely restrained fury.  

The Marquis’ face grew even redder as he spoke, his voice thick with anger.  

“Lord Abran, have you lost your mind? You sneak into a noble lady’s room, trusting in the power of your family, to commit such an atrocious act?”  

“N-no! That’s not it, Marquis! I think you’re misunderstanding…!”

“Misunderstanding? Then explain why you’re here, at the Marquisate, and especially in my daughter’s room at this hour,” the Marquis demanded.  

“Well, I mean… I was lingering nearby because I wanted to see Lotus, but…” Frederick stammered, his explanation trailing off. His half-hearted response only worsened the situation.  

The Marquis and Hession’s already sharp gazes now regarded him with even more contempt, as if they were staring at a shameless criminal.  

Lotus frowned as she watched this unfold.  

‘What is this man doing? What’s going on with him?’  

Saying he wanted to see her was nothing but a flimsy excuse, like the reckless impulse of a young man.  

He could have easily gotten out of this situation by simply mentioning that he had stopped her suicide attempt, but Frederick remained silent, leaving his explanation incomplete.  

‘He’s not keeping quiet for my sake, so what is this about? Is he planning to negotiate or make some kind of deal with me later using this incident?’  

Frederick’s behavior puzzled her, but what baffled her even more was the Marquis and Hession’s exaggerated reaction. For an act meant to display her “value” to others, their performance seemed a bit over the top.  

“Am I to understand that you trespassed into the Marquisate and threatened my sister?” Hession asked, and when Frederick didn’t offer a better explanation, Hession swung his fist toward him.  

“Wait!”  

Had Lotus not spoken up, Frederick would have been sent flying by Hession’s punch.  

“If you hit him, it’ll create a conflict between the Marquisate and the Abran Duchy,” Lotus said calmly.  

“Don’t worry about that, Lotus. He disrespected you first,” Hession responded, still glaring at Frederick.  

‘He’s not doing this out of genuine concern for me,’ Lotus thought. If either the Marquis or Hession had truly cared about her even a little, they wouldn’t have treated her the way they had in the past.  

‘Ah, they’re worried about the *Estelle family’s honor,* aren’t they?’  

That damned honor. Though pushing this situation to its breaking point and watching it explode wasn’t the worst idea, it would certainly cause her more trouble.  

Lotus realized she had to mediate this. She didn’t want Frederick using this as leverage for any future dealings either.  

“You should stop now,” she said.  

“Lotus!” Hession called, not quite understanding.  

Mixing 90% truth with 10% falsehood, Lotus decided to diffuse the situation. She didn’t want the truth to bind her actions later.  

“I opened the window for some fresh air and ended up falling. Lord Abran happened to appear and caught me.”  

“You said he acted against your will! Are you defending him out of fear of the Abran family?” Hession pressed, still not convinced.  

Lotus shook her head.  

“He insisted on carrying me back to my room even after I told him I was fine. Honestly, I don’t see any difference between the Abran and Estelle families. Why would I bother lying?”  

Her words carried a hidden barb. She was subtly implying that being at home in the Marquisate was no less stifling than dealing with a powerful outsider like Frederick.  

Hession, caught off guard, remained silent. But the Marquis, more experienced and shrewder, didn’t let up on Frederick.  

“Even if what you say is true, Lotus, this is still a problem. After all, Lord Abran himself admitted he was wandering around the estate because he wanted to see you. What kind of irresponsible behavior is that?”  

“Hmm, is that really an issue from your perspective, Father? If, by any chance, Lord Abran were interested in me, wouldn’t that be a good thing for the Estelle family? You’d finally be able to marry off your troublesome daughter to a prestigious family.”  

“Lo-Lotus!” the Marquis stammered, shocked.  

“Well, unless he’s considering me as a mistress, in which case that would certainly be problematic.”  

After finishing her statement, Lotus leisurely scanned the faces of the three men as if admiring a painting.  

Hession looked pale, and the Marquis appeared completely speechless. Seeing their dumbfounded expressions gave her a small sense of satisfaction.