After reclaiming the northern front, the tide of the war had dramatically turned.
The loss of countless knights and the death or capture of most commanders had tipped the scales.
And now.
Through the crack in the door, Charlotte’s figure came into view.
Knees drawn to her chest, shoulders hunched, her face slightly buried as she gazed blankly into space—she seemed lost in thought.
On the way here, what weighed most on my mind wasn’t the wounds inflicted by the war, nor what lay ahead—it was Charlotte’s well-being.
Though she tried hard not to show it,
To Yujin’s eyes, who knew her inner struggles, she often seemed to be suppressing something.
Her energy was clearly drained.
She didn’t appear to have recovered from the shock of recent events.
Perhaps that was why.
Charlotte had stubbornly insisted on staying here.
Rumor had it she refused to leave the infirmary, saying, “There’s someone I must stay with.”
“The Mark of the Hero,” they called it.
From an outsider’s fragmented perspective, it might seem like a tremendous blessing.
But to the one who bore it, it could sometimes feel like a curse.
Heightened senses left her perpetually on edge, and it dulled her emotions, eroding her humanity.
“I’ve reached the point where killing someone with my own hands doesn’t even faze me anymore.”
Those words, spoken with hollow eyes, still lingered in Yujin’s memory.
She hadn’t always been like this.
She wasn’t supposed to be like this.
Yujin couldn’t even begin to imagine how much she had suffered from the changes the Hero’s Mark had forced upon her daily life.
In a way, it was admirable.
Even as her spirit was gradually worn down, the fact that she had endured this long without breaking was proof that Charlotte’s resilience far surpassed that of an ordinary person.
Yujin swept his bangs back briefly.
Regardless, when Charlotte was like this, she needed someone by her side.
In this life, he wouldn’t let her change.
And so, he opened the door and stepped inside.
Carrying a tray piled high with her favorite apple pie.
With a soft click, the door opened, and Charlotte—who had been clutching her chest—turned her gaze toward him.
“What are you doing all alone?”
“I, uh—”
Beaming as he entered, Yujin watched as Charlotte’s face flushed a vivid red, her flustered expression unmistakable.
“What was I doing? Well… It’s just… Every time I see your face, my heart gets so loud that I need to… sort out my thoughts a little.”
“You’re not feeling unwell, are you?”
“It’s not exactly painful… Hmm, no. It doesn’t hinder me physically.”
When the plate was suddenly placed before her, Charlotte tilted her head slightly, as if puzzled.
On the table sat a freshly baked apple pie, steam still rising from its golden, flaky crust.
Between the crisp layers, sweet apple filling oozed out, releasing a faint, spiced aroma.
A silver fork pierced the surface, the crust crumbling softly to reveal sticky caramel and cinnamon-laced apple slices beneath.
“This is…?”
For a moment, Charlotte’s doubtful expression visibly softened, color returning to her face.
Realizing this, she quickly schooled her features.
Yujin chuckled and handed her the fork.
“Go ahead. I made it myself.”
“…Really?”
He already knew why she loved this.
Despite her demeanor, she was barely twenty—and had a notorious sweet tooth.
“Well then… I won’t hold back.”
Soon, Charlotte began eating the apple pie.
Even the way she ate was beautiful.
From her unusually long eyelashes,
To the way she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, Â
Revealing the elegant curve of her neck—it was mesmerizing. Â
Just as Yujin thought she was pausing to dab her lips, Charlotte slowly opened her eyes.
“You keep staring… Is there something you want to say?
I’m not sharing this. It’s rare to have a moment alone with you… Besides, it’s… really delicious.”
Charlotte whispered the last part, as if her conscience pricked her.
She hesitantly slid a slice of pie toward him.
Accepting it, their eyes met.
“…Even in the morning, your eyes are beautiful.”
“…”
“Actually… they’re so beautiful I couldn’t help but keep looking.”
“I was completely entranced,” he added.
At that,
Whoosh—
Heat rushed to Charlotte’s face.
Her breath hitched as emotions surged within her.
Charlotte abruptly set down her fork.
“What kind of nonsense—”
“I’m sorry for staring while you ate. But I just couldn’t help it.”
He stepped closer, resting a hand near her eyes.
“Why do people dislike these? They’re so beautiful, I could lose myself just looking at them.”
“…”
Charlotte’s eyes widened like lanterns as she stared fixedly at Yujin.
The frantic pounding of her heart was almost audible at this proximity.
Her gaze was a tangle of complex emotions.
It wasn’t hard to guess why he had suddenly brought apple pie.
“More lies. My eyes are cursed—”
“…Were you lonely?”
“I mean… I don’t know if it was intentional, but… if so…”
But the words that followed made Charlotte’s eyes waver again.
Loneliness, isolation, despair—these were emotions she had long grown accustomed to.
A lump formed in her throat.
Breaking the silence, Yujin reached out first.
But unlike before, his hand enveloped Charlotte’s cold fingers with warmth.
There was no time to hesitate—their hands overlapped.
“…Eek.”
Whoosh—
Charlotte’s face burned crimson.
The soft, warm sensation startled her, and she yanked her hand back.
Still unfamiliar with such emotions, she instinctively recoiled.
Then, flustered, she began to stammer excuses.
“Ah! I-It’s not that I dislike it… It’s just…”
At that moment, Yujin spoke.
“I asked because I was worried.”
“…”
This person—outwardly acting as if nothing was wrong, but the faint crease between his brows and the subtle narrowing of his eyes betrayed how embarrassed he really was.
“Why… would my loneliness be your concern?”
“…”
If she asked that, well…
“Because I couldn’t ignore it…—”
“…”
“To be more precise… I missed you.”
Instantly, Charlotte’s lips pressed together, her fists clenching.
Had he overstepped?
But when she spoke again, her voice was unexpectedly gentle.
“I-Is that so.”
She sounded unbearably embarrassed.
///
Bathed in his endless warmth, Charlotte couldn’t bring herself to say anything.
“I’ll take my leave now, so as not to disturb your meal.”
As he withdrew, the room fell completely silent.
The spacious infirmary was now empty, leaving Charlotte utterly alone.
And in the quiet of the room…
Staring at the fragrant apple pie, Charlotte slumped into her seat.
She gazed blankly at the plate.
—One moment, two moments, three moments.
How much time had passed?
After what felt like an eternity, Charlotte’s still hand began to move sluggishly.
Slowly, she reached for the dessert she had once loved.
Bite by bite, she ate, gradually grounding herself in reality.
Tomorrow, she will have to return to her family.
No longer able to fight, with no means to prove herself through the Mark, and no one left to look after her.
The thought hollowed out her chest, a surge of frustration welling up inside.
One spoonful of worry, two of irritation, three of doubt.
Though her hands moved out of habit, she tasted nothing.
It was the same apple pie as always, no different in flavor.
But with each bite, the weight of her emotions grew too tangled to savor it.
The slowly dawning burden crushed her inexperienced senses entirely.
“…”
Surviving was a relief.
But how could she face her family now?
She kept throwing the question at herself.
Forcing down the food, Charlotte suddenly realized she couldn’t eat any more.
Her mouth was full, her throat clogged.
Like her emotions, it was suffocating—too much to bear.
As her throat tightened, heat pricked at her eyes, tears spilling over.
Everything she had held back came flooding out—though it was only a fraction of what she felt.
Charlotte shook her head, trying to shake off the tears.
But no matter how much she tried, the streams wouldn’t stop—one, then two, trailing down her cheeks.
She held her breath for a moment before exhaling sharply, tucking her hair behind her ears.
At the same time, her upper body lurched forward.
Even as she did, the tears continued to fall, leaving tracks along her jawline.
Then—
Knock knock.
“Pardon me.”
“…”
Instinctively, Charlotte turned away, wiping her tears.
Her expression remained composed, but the traces of her tears were undeniable.
Yet he smiled as if nothing was wrong.
“…”
“I won’t ask what happened.”
“…Fine.”
“What’s your favorite flower?”
“Why would you—”
“Just curious. I didn’t know that about you yet.”
“…Lisianthus. The meaning—”
“Unchanging love.”
“?”
“I love that flower too, so I know. What a coincidence.”
“…”
Charlotte blinked.
His gentle gaze and light questions felt like they were slowly healing her wounds.
An awkward silence lingered for a while.
Charlotte was still trying to calm her wildly pounding heart.
It was louder now than before.
The sensation of his hand holding hers, their eyes meeting—it was vivid.
The heat still lingered.
An emotion that would take dozens of lines to describe with the Mark.
Since the war began, Charlotte had avoided even casual contact with others—she despised people that much.
But there was one exception.
In fact, she had stubbornly refused to leave the infirmary, waiting impatiently, itching to go outside whenever she could.
By any measure, it was a special treatment.
Charlotte glanced sidelong at Yujin, now seated beside her.
A man of the Ehrenheit family.
Some spoke of the Ehrenheit like this:
“Aren’t the Ehrenheit just full of artificial people?”
“In the end, they’re no different from their black-hearted patriarch.”
She had heard such rumors.
That the people of the Ehrenheit family were emotionless, monstrous.
But he was different.
Kind, gentle… someone who knew how to care for others.
And… kind.
Even if it was special treatment.
Before she realized it, Charlotte was staring blankly at Yujin.
‘Could it be… that this man truly… likes me?’
“Hey, Yujin… There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask. Just one thing… Would that be alright?”
“Of course. Ask me anything.”
“…What do you think of the Hero?”
Yujin tilted his head.
An unexpected question.
“It’s fine if you have a negative opinion. But… what I really want to talk about is the Mark.”
“….”
Charlotte placed a hand over her chest.
“I was born with the Hero’s Mark. Believe it or not… that’s your choice. But I wanted to tell you this much.”
“I believe you. Whatever you say.”
“You don’t have to go that far—”
“You can keep going.”
“…What I want to say is this. After the Hero’s Mark fully awakened… I grew averse to emotions. My senses became so sharp that… I became hypersensitive to feelings too.”
Yujin nodded as if he understood her pain.
“Of course… Most of the emotions I received were unpleasant ones. Being acutely aware of negative emotions is undoubtedly painful and exhausting, but…”
Charlotte trailed off, as if remembering someone, then set down her fork and met Yujin’s eyes.
“If I could feel this way about someone truly precious to me for the first time… If I could share these emotions… I think that would be nice.”
Fidgeting with the fork, she suddenly grabbed Yujin’s hand and smiled faintly.
“With you… I’d really like to share them.”
As if admitting her greed.
Having mustered her courage, she held his gaze.
It was simple.
The emotions she had hated—she didn’t even want to speak of them.
But if there was someone she loved… She wanted to share them.
And that person was the man before her.
“…It would be nice.”