After awhile, the news after Elze's wrongdoings quieted down and life reverted back to normal.

I was given more rewards for my efforts in bringing a Witch to justice. On top of that, the mansion that Elze and Teacher kidnapped me in was given to me by Elze's uncle. I made use of the space by converting it into an orphanage like I said I would.

It was a big investment. I could no longer remain anonymous in my charitable actions. As a result, my manor was swamped with marriage proposals everyday asking for the hand of the kind woman in love with children.

I found the newfound attention quite troublesome and readied myself for my overseas trip without interruptions once more.

On my last night here, I went back to the pub where I first met Sheze to relive one of my happiest memories with him.

At the bar, there was one lonesome man who kept the seat beside him empty in a place bustling with people.

"Why are you here when you can't drink?" I asked as I took the seat right next to Sheze.

"I may have drank a lot, but I never encountered such a realistic daydream before," Sheze said absentmindedly.

Pokey...poke...poke.

I decided to poke his soft cheeks to help him confirm that I was definitely real.

"Does it get more real than this?" I asked with a wide smile on my face.

Should I have worn men's clothing if he thought I looked too fake to be real?

"Lilian? What are you doing here?" Sheze asked as he lifted his head and widened his eyes.

"I am leaving on my ship tomorrow and wanted to drink here one last time," I said as I ordered a beer for myself.

"Why must you appear now looking so pretty?" Sheze asked as he dropped his head back onto the table.

I replaced his drink with water.

"You are wasted," I said worriedly.

"I did not even drink that much...It is more surprising how someone as small as you can drink so much?" Sheze asked.

"How can someone as large as you be so weak with alcohol?" I asked teasingly.

I remember the words of our first meeting like it was just yesterday...

Sheze took water cup I gave him earlier and drank it.

"What are you doing out here by yourself? Did someone break your heart?" I asked.

"...Yeah, she broke my heart to a million pieces and has the gall to sit next to me like nothing ever happened," Sheze said crisply.

I smiled awkwardly after his remark.

"How are you feeling after Elze left?" I asked as I tried to change the topic.

Sheze seemed to sober up immediately after I mentioned Elze's name.

"Frustrated....I wish I could have lopped her head off myself," Sheze said coldly.

"...Did you not care for her?" I asked curiously.

"I had been chasing after that Witch for a long time but was never able to catch a look of her face. That elusive Witch was Elze Kruger," Sheze explained in a sober tone.

"...You got to stay near a full fledged woman and even live with her for quite awhile," I said with a slightly sore tone.

"Not according to my will. I have never once found her charming. She was not my type and always seemed fake. If that was not all, that damn Witch tried using a charm potion to seduce me shamelessly without knowing that I have a high resilience to magic potions. If not for orders to continue investigating her to get evidence on her suspicious activities, I would never had gotten close to her,". Sheze said.

I had the vague idea that Sheze was being ordered to stay beside Elze by some higher power.

"How lucky...The person you were investigating happened to be an acquaintance of mine. You used me to get to Elze," I said coldly.

"I had to pretend to be on her side. I am sorry for everything...I made you suffer," Sheze apologetically.

Sheze was just performing his duties. I cannot blame him for following orders, but I cannot seem to forgive him for making me think that he hated me too.

Then again, it was me who hurt him first by breaking up with him...

"I am not sorry for anything," I said coldly.

"Lilian..."

"In the end, it all worked out for you. Congratulations," I said.

I thought you and Elze were meant to be...It turns out that you were just trying to find a reason to kill her.

He took to his convictions more than trying to makeup with his own lover...

"So many people die from the greed of Witches...Something like Witches should not exist," Sheze said coldly.

I trembled a bit when I heard Sheze say that with such a cold look on his face.

I could only think that this is Sheze's true nature...a cold and ruthless man who is able to kill a woman or child without any hesitation.

"...What would you do if I was a Witch?" I asked Sheze.

Only Witches are able to make potions. Even if I used Elze's blood as a catalyst, I would not have been able to make a potion without having the capability of a Witch myself.

"...I would be ordered to kill you," Sheze said bluntly.

Ah, that was the answer I expected from someone whom I knew too well from reading about in the novel...

He who had trained himself for most of his life ridding the country of unneeded people along with the most terrible form of monsters called Witches...

"That kind of answer suits someone like you," I said with a smile. I put money down and stood up to leave. "Drinks are on me. Farewell, Duke [and also my first love]."

As I was leaving, Sheze grabbed me by my wrist and stopped me from leaving.

"Is this really goodbye?" Sheze asked without turning around.

I did not have the heart to shake him off.

"...Yes," I answered frigidly.

Sheze suddenly stood up and turned around as he brought me to his strong embrace.

"Please do not go...I should have stopped you from leaving the first time. When you said that you could not come to love me, I was really hurt and decided to let you go because I wanted you to be happy. That was completely stupid of me. If I have to come out here every night because I missed you, I should have never let you go in the first place even if you came to hate me!" Sheze said as he tightened his hold over me.

Alcohol is such a dangerous drink. For the indifferent Sheze to say such things that are unsuitable for him must have taken a lot of effort...

"Being with me will only make you miserable. It has been that way for all the people I have known," I said as I grabbed his clothes. "That is why it is better for me to leave now."

On top of that, you will have to kill me when you find out that I am one of those greedy Witches you hate so much...

"All I think about is myself. I am a selfish man. I let you go before because I did not want you to hate me. Now, I am asking you to indulge my selfishness again," Sheze said as he began trembling as he held me tightly in his arms. "I have never begged before but will beg if I have to just to stop you from leaving...Just don't go...Don't go anywhere I can't see you when you mean so much to me, Lilian."

There was no reason for me to come all the way out here to have a drink. I am such a dishonest person in that regard.

I came here hoping a little that I could see him, and maybe deep down...I wanted him to stop me from leaving.

This man used me, but I also wanted to use him for my own heart and give him a second chance because everyone deserves a second chance.

Even though Teacher had hurt me even after I forgave him before, I did not want that one example to be the template for the rest of my relationships with everyone else.

I did not want to stay as someone could not forgive and forget but rather be someone who could still forgive and believe in the good will of others.

I brought my arms up around his body and hugged him tightly.

The End...

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