Chapter 22: 23

She couldn’t remember what had happened since then. She spent her time doing what John told her to do. Now, she was attending Peter’s funeral.

“Is he really dead?”

“Goodness.”

“What do you think? With the alchemist dead…”

Of course, they weren’t worried about Juno. They were concerned about the alchemist’s death and the consequences. Many eyes were interested in Juno.

“Then does that make her head of the family?”

“Yes! She’s now the family head of House Sergien!”

A woman who was sold to an alchemist and lived in seclusion for two years. The main character of this exciting story was a marquis’s daughter who was kicked out by a mistress. The tremendous wealth and legacy of her alchemist family under Juno’s name were worth people’s attention. Juno ignored them. She didn’t care what they saw. In the past, she used to try not to care; however, she was now indifferent to what they said. She wouldn’t be hurt by their words. What they know me as shall disappear. Juno will become Juno Sergien, the alchemist. As she stared at the coffin, John approached her.

“My lady, all the guests are gone.”

Juno looked around. No one was there. She nodded. “I see.”

“He’ll be buried like everyone else.” House Sergien had a cemetery near the mansion. “Would you like a moment alone?”

She appreciated John’s consideration. “Yes.”

Peter Sergien lay inside the coffin. An old man who was her husband, teacher, and family. Juno touched the coffin lid. It’s cold. She could feel it through her black lace gloves. Juno smiled bitterly. She refused to believe it at first, so she tried to listen for a heartbeat and checked to see if he was breathing. After confirming it, she accepted that he died. She didn’t want to open the coffin again.

“I’ve bothered you many times, so I won’t do it again.”

If she opened the coffin now, she would’ve stared at him for a while. She should send him off like this. Despite Peter leaving her, Juno wasn’t alone. Yes, I’m not alone.

She had the dolls and everything else in the mansion. Peter had given so much, so it was time to let him go. Just as she had to let go of her mother, Nereus, he too must…

“Juno.”

Juno’s eyes widened. Her heart, which had been quiet, was thrown into great turmoil. She slowly turned her head toward the voice she hadn’t heard in a long time. Yes, this was a funeral that others attended, which meant he could also appear.

“…Jupiter.”

The bags under his eyes, sharper chin, and how he had gotten slightly taller were noticeable, yet the most noticeable change was the gloominess around him. Examining his appearance without realizing it, Juno stopped thinking.

Meanwhile, Jupiter bit his lip as if he didn’t know what to say. “…How have you been?”

Unable to wait for him to stop a few steps away from her, Juno approached him. “What about you?”

“I’m all right.”

Unbelievable. She had heard about it only once when there was a sudden visit from the royal family. Nusrion was dead, and Lilith had a daughter. Juno wondered if she should’ve contacted him when Nusrion died; however, considering she was the legitimate daughter of the marquis… I didn’t even send a letter for two years.

Hiding her guilt, she said, “I heard Nusrion passed away.”

“Mm-hmm.” He was unfazed, but Jupiter was always good at hiding his emotions.

Juno reached for his hand, and he let her hold it. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“It’s not so bad.”

Juno felt sorry for him since she enjoyed the past two years. She had a happy and fulfilling time. She often thought of him, but there were other things on her mind. “As for me, I’m fine. He wasn’t a bad person.”

“…Really?”

Juno carefully interlaced her fingers with Jupiter’s. “He was like a grandfather to me.”

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“…Didn’t a lot of things happen?”

Her heart ached; she understood the emotions contained in his question. “I don’t know what you mean.” A lot of things happened, but Jupiter was the only one who was worried about her. With her other hand, Juno touched his cheek. “It wouldn’t be fair to say everything’s fine. Regardless, there’s nothing you should be concerned about.”

“Are you certain?” Jupiter leaned his face into her palm. His gaze was persistent.

Without averting her eyes, Juno nodded. “I was curious about why he married me. Nothing happened.”

“And then?” Jupiter smiled.

Juno glanced at the coffin. “He was nice.”

“Why did he close off the mansion?”

Too much had happened to tell him now. Then, Juno noticed someone approaching them. She took her hand off Jupiter’s face.

“My lady?” John’s gaze flickered between Jupiter and her.

Juno gave him a nod, and John left. Only then did she remember where she was. Are you insane, Juno Sergien? Unlike when she willingly denied her attraction to Jupiter in the past, she casually touched him. I knew I shouldn’t have done it then. It’s still the case now. She must not show how she feels about Jupiter, for his own sake.

It took a while to suppress her emotions. “I’ll send a letter. We’ll talk then.”

Jupiter, who noticed Juno had tried to put some distance between them, glanced in the direction that John left in. “Will you actually keep in touch?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

There’s no way he doesn’t know what I’m thinking. Juno forced herself to smile. “I’m sorry, but we can’t…” She was happy to see him again, and she felt lonely when she was staring at the coffin that she couldn’t help but reach out to Jupiter. However, she shouldn’t have done it. “I don’t know if you’re already married or engaged.”

When Juno heard of Nusrion’s death, she wanted to contact him so much that she tried not to hear any more news from the outside world. It was possible Jupiter already got married or engaged.

“I’m not,” he said.

Part of her was happy he wasn’t, and she tried to hide that joy. “It’s not good for us to meet like this. I’m doing it for your sake.” As she averted her gaze, she heard an unusually cold laugh from Jupiter.

He grabbed her left hand and began to slowly remove her glove. “Don’t push me away for my sake. If I were to tell you the number of times I imagined the worst-case scenario, will you change your mind?”

“Jupiter.” Once again, she felt a deep sense of guilt.

He whispered, “If I could win your heart by pretending to be pitiful, I would do it.” After taking off her glove, he pulled Juno’s hand closer to his face. “I would cry and gain your sympathy. However…”  His warm breath tickled her hand; his lips brushed against her skin before he gently kissed her palm.

Juno felt a shiver down her spine. The walls around her heart began to crumble.

“You’d be sad.” His blue eyes never looked away. “I want you to be happy, Juno.”

She nodded without realizing it.

Jupiter softly chuckled. “And you are my happiness.” Those were sweet, sweet words, but his gaze was still sharp. Slowly blinking, Jupiter raised the corners of his mouth as if he were in the middle of enduring something. With his picturesque smile, he leaned his face into her palm again. They were almost in the same position as before, but the mood had completely changed.

Juno trembled. His skin is rough. The change she purposefully ignored was in front of her eyes. Jupiter slowly let go of her other hand.

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It’s… Juno carefully looked at his face. The hollow cheeks, the gloominess. She couldn’t push him away. No, she didn’t want to push him away. Once I get something, I can’t help but be greedy.

She used to dislike her father because of his greed. He had a family. He became a marquis, so it was fine to give up on love. Juno thought he should give up on love because he already had a wife and daughter. Yet she was following in his footsteps. In the end, I’m the same.

Juno inherited a family legacy that was better than House Trish’s. She became an alchemist. John, Hebe, and the dolls in the mansions were like family to her. She lacked nothing, but she refused to let go of the man she couldn’t have. I thought experiencing it once was enough.

Again and again, she had to smother the flame of desire. She managed to put it out and move on, but the fire returned and was ready to burn once more because of this one encounter. It would not go out again. Jupiter, who noticed that flame, grinned.

It was not a beautiful yet pretentious smile, but a twisted, sincere one.

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