Seraphina had secretly swapped the birthday gift I had prepared for my supervisor with a broken clock.

She even sabotaged my research.

Every time I suffered humiliation, Seraphina scolded me for being petty.

She claimed making me and my parents drink toad eggs was for Alaric’s sake.

But after I mocked Alaric, he dragged me, stripped me bare, and threw me into a giant iron vat filled with poisonous toads.

By the time I was rushed to the hospital, my body was swollen from poisoning.

I was unrecognizable.

Yet Seraphina still defended him.

“Alaric handled all those toads without a scratch—only you had a problem. How dramatic.

“You can’t blame Alaric.

“I’ve already told everyone it was your own fault for being so reckless.”

In that instant, my disappointment in Seraphina reached its peak.

After my parents finished their procedure, they were utterly weak.

I insisted they go home and rest.

But no sooner had they left than a video call came through.

When I answered, my father trembled violently, unable to speak a word.

My mother clutched her chest, tears streaming down her face.

Our home had been turned into a funeral parlor, draped in wreaths and white silk.

At the center hung a black-and-white photograph of my parents.

Alaric motioned to the bodyguards, and they began playing a funeral march for my parents.

Seraphina stood to the side, smiling indulgently at Alaric.

I shook with rage and yelled at the screen.

“Are you insane?”

Hearing my voice, Seraphina approached, clearly displeased.

“What’s with all the shouting? Alaric is performing, don’t interrupt him!”

I ground my teeth.

“You let Alaric treat my parents like this, and you tell me not to interfere?”

Seraphina defended herself with absolute confidence.

“Oh come on, Alaric was just practicing in advance.

“Consider yourself lucky. If Alaric hadn’t been feeling guilty and wanted to make amends, your parents wouldn’t even have had a chance to witness their own funeral.”

She had gone completely mad.

Anger filled my body.

“Take down the funeral setup immediately!”

Seraphina refused.

“No way,” she said.

“Alaric and the others worked so hard putting them up.

“Besides, it’s not even over yet. Why should we tear it down?

“Behave yourself for the next few days. Stop bothering Alaric.

“And maybe I’ll be there at the wedding.”

Alaric wrapped his arms around Seraphina from behind and kissed her cheek.

“Didn’t you say you wanted a little thrill? Do you think doing it here counts as thrilling?”

Seraphina flushed and hung up immediately.

For a moment, my mind went blank.

They had no shame left.

The phone rang again.

I answered mechanically.

“Mr. Blackwood, the welcome display for the wedding is ready. Would you like to see it?”

I forced a smile.

“Change the bride’s picture. I’ll send a new one.”

After hanging up, I ignored the nurse and left the hospital.

I couldn’t let my parents be bullied like this.

Back at the villa, my parents leaned on each other, struggling to stand at the doorway.

From the living room came the unmistakable sounds of Seraphina and Alaric’s lovemaking.

…

I kicked the door open.

The two of them scrambled up, clutching at their clothes to cover themselves.

Seraphina caught sight of me, a flicker of guilt crossing her eyes, but it vanished almost immediately.

“You just had surgery. How did you get out already?”

Alaric wrapped his arms possessively around Seraphina from behind, smirking as if daring me to stop them.

“I’m not done yet,” he said with relish.

“You really picked the worst possible moment to come back.

“But you were discharged so quickly. Were you actually fine? Were you just exaggerating?”

I grabbed the ashtray from the table and hurled it at Alaric’s head.

Seraphina instinctively pulled his head into her arms and took the blow for him.

“Is this ever going to end?

“I already told you I’d marry you. Why do you keep picking on Alaric?”

Once, when Seraphina and I were kidnapped, she had held me the same way, fearless, taking a knife for me.

But now, the person she protected had become someone else, a man who didn’t even need her protection.

I looked at the scar on her shoulder, already faded with time, and completely let go of my feelings for her.

After all these years, it had been nothing but my one-sided devotion.

“Alaric, you’ve protected me so many times. I finally get to protect you this once.”

Their cloying intimacy made my stomach churn.

“Get out of my house,” I said through clenched teeth.

Alaric laughed and rummaged through a pile of clothes, pulling out the property deed.

“This villa is mine now. If anyone’s leaving, it’s you.”

He told Seraphina to get dressed and called the other bodyguards inside, then ordered them to throw out everything that belonged to my parents and me.

My gaze snapped toward Seraphina.

She frowned slightly.

“It’s because you kept making a scene and made Alaric suffer.

“I used this villa to compensate him.

“You’re not short on places to live. Don’t be so stingy.”

“You seem to have forgotten why I gave you this villa in the first place…And how I gave it to you.”

The villa held every happy memory I had of home.

When I proposed, I gave it to Seraphina, wanting to offer her the most precious thing I owned.

I had wanted us to continue filling this house with happiness together.

Only then did Seraphina seem to remember the words I had once said to her.

She looked uneasy and opened her mouth to explain, but nothing came out.

Alaric put on another show of feigned concern.

“Does this villa mean that much to you? Sorry, I didn’t know. Well, consider it yours now.”

I didn’t want it anymore.

The place I had once called home had already been defiled by Alaric and Seraphina.

I no longer wished to be entangled with Seraphina.

I turned to leave but Seraphina chased after me.

“By the way, on the wedding day, I’m going to hold a marriage ceremony with Alaric first.

“When he saved me before, I promised to give myself to him. Promises can’t be broken.

“Don’t worry. It’s just for show. I’ll still marry you.”

I wasn’t going to marry her anyway.

Seraphina frowned.

“Don’t you have anything to say?”

I answered honestly, my tone sincere.

“Then I wish you a long and happy marriage, and many children.”

Seraphina looked unsettled.

“In any case, don’t cause a scene at the wedding.”

Alaric grinned as if he had won a battle, his tone dripping with mockery.

“I didn’t expect you to be so generous, letting me have your wife and the wedding.

“In return, I’ll make sure the wedding is spectacularly grand.”

I nodded and forced a smile.

“Fine. I’ve got a special program planned too. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”