Vol.2 Epilogue

Not too long ago.

“Do you like olives?”

It was a tedious affair. The celebration marked some milestone for a young noble whose name Rochshan Owin couldn’t even recall. He was merely stifling his yawns to secure a trade agreement with the boy’s father, not the boy himself. Dressed impeccably in a waistcoat, tie, and a long-tailed jacket tailored from the finest velvet, Rochshan looked every bit the textbook gentleman as he offered an elegant smile to the woman who had mustered the courage to approach him.

“Yes, I like them.”

Because it wouldn’t matter in the slightest if they ceased to exist.

“Have you heard the latest song by the vocalist Olanchet?” she asked. “What did you think of it?”

“I thought it was wonderful.”

I could live the rest of my life without ever hearing it.

“Oh my, we share the exact same taste,” she cooed. “How about it? Would you join me for the next…”

“I would love to, provided you allow me the honor of signing your dance card first.”

Beaming, she offered him the lace-trimmed card. A quick glance at the procession of names—all scions of prestigious families—revealed she was a lady whose social currency was currently soaring. Her confident expression, forged by countless suitors, practically declared: Even you will become my captive. Rochshan merely offered a hollow, polite smile.

“The honor is mine, my lady.”

“Your Grace, please, tell me honestly,” she pressed. “Weren’t you waiting for me to speak to you? You are happy to dance with me, aren’t you?”

“I am.”

I wouldn’t care if someone like you vanished from the earth this very evening.

Rochshan Owin’s tongue was bound by a curse. It was a cruel hex that ensured the moment he expressed genuine affection, the object of his desire would vanish like a mirage. Having writhed in the agonizing throes of loss time and time again, he had learned to shield his heart by speaking in reverses.

Consequently, the word “like” fell from his lips with meaningless ease. Things that held no interest for him. Things he held no love for. Things that could disappear at any moment without leaving a void. He could “like” them as much as he pleased.

And that was precisely why he could never bring himself to like Kyle Blackburn.