âIâd rather go out.â
Anne, who belatedly realized that she had taken her anger out on someone who didnât know anything, uttered the words annoyedly and left her room.
Today, as always, the place where she headed was the lakeside. The long-awaited spring is running toward its end, and the days are getting hotter. Perhaps because of this, or because she was pregnant, a fever kept running through her body.
She originally did not suffer from the heat, but her pregnant body was struggling with the late spring unlike usual. So, she was thinking of soaking her feet in the lake while sitting on a loose stone.
Under Emilyâs care, Anne carefully sat down on a flat stone. Splashing the water on her legs with her hand made her feel refreshed. She even dipped her feet in the water, and the cold water washed away the heat.
âAnne.â
Hearing a voice suddenly calling her name, Anne turned around to see the silver hair sparkling in the light. It was Luciel smiling wide with curled eyes.
At that moment, the words he had told her in her previous life rang in her ears.
âDaymond brought in a guest. The blizzard stopped, why are you still not leaving?â
âYes. There is that person too. Why didnât I think of that?â
In her previous life, Luciel existed too. She felt a sudden sense of displeasure at the thought that the two of them would have played with her. Anne stayed silent despite him greeting her, fixing her eyes only on her leg.
âLong time no see. Miss Anne. How have you been?â
Luciel sat right next to her, pretending to be friendly. He grinned as he rolled up his pants and sat in position as she did.
âWho is giving our Anne such a hard time?â
Anne quietly looked back at him. It was funny that a man who had hated her in her previous life was pretending to be friendly now.
âI know that face is fake. You donât have to do that anymore, so do what you normally do.â
âAnne⦠Youâve gotten a little weird.â
Anneâs tone was colder than usual, it made Luciel tilt his head.
âIâm telling you to throw your mask away.â
âAnne, this is my real self.â
Luciel glanced at her. Anne snorted at his sly look.
âYou used to do that to me before. No one here welcomes me, so I have to leave as soon as possible.â
Lucielâs eyes, which had been finely curled, changed into straight lines. The eyes that seemed to judge her face were busy rolling. Then he put his hand on his chin coming to a realization.
âAnne, you remember.â
âYes, Luciel. I even remembered everything you said to me. It must have been fun. You must have remembered from the beginning.â
âOh dear. I didnât know you would even think of me⦠Did you tell Daymond too?â
She thought it would be a big surprise to him, but Lucielâs complexion was the same and he didnât look surprised at all. As if he knew that one day this day would come.
âNot yet.â
âI thought you would run right away⦠Iâm surprised. Anne, how far do you remember?â
He asked, peering slowly into her eyes with his narrowed gaze. Anne, dissatisfied with his attitude, turned her head away.
âEverything!â
A slight change was engraved in Lucielâs silver eyes, who smiled brightly in the sun.
âThen you canât stay still like this. You must have something to do.â
âYouâre just having fun with this situation.â
Seeing him wanting her to do something right now, made Anne furious. Then, Luciel showed a disappointed expression.
âI feel sad when you say that. I really like the current Anne. The former Anne⦠You know what? She was a weak human woman who cried often.â
Through Lucielâs mouth, the word âhumanâ came to her very strangely.
âThen you understand that my anger is justified.â
âAnne, that woman is not Anne.â
He innocently said that she was completely different from her previous life, but he replied as if he couldnât understand why Anne was in a bad mood.
âWho are you? What do you want to do?â
Anne asked directly. His existence, then and now, was something she had not yet understood. Who was he to tell her this and that?
Luciel bared his teeth and smiled brightly, stretching the corners of his lips.
âI was and still am nobody. Let me just say that I have a lot of interest in Anne and Daymond.â
âHa⦠Even if I donât want that attention, youâll keep meddling.â
âAnne, letâs say youâre right.â
Luciel, who had a smile as clean as it was innocent, soon shook his feet in the water and burst out laughing like a child. Even Anne, who was looking at him with anxious eyes, smiled brightly.