Inside the dishwashing room, the only sound was the quiet rush /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ of water.

Tears continued to fall from the corners of the girl’s eyes, her blushing cheeks resembling a ripened apple.

A weeping beauty, pitiful enough to evoke sympathy.

Seeing Shali like this, Muen’s heart involuntarily skipped a beat.

“Muen... could you reconsider? Please?”

Shali clutched her fingers tightly, her voice nervous once again.

It felt like invisible ripples were spreading outward. Even Muen’s resolve wavered.

Shali was so cute. So gentle and domestic. She could make delicious desserts and meals. Her figure was amazing.

If someone like her became a partner, she would be... absolutely perfect, right?

So maybe I should just—

“Smack—”

A crisp sound rang out.

Shali flinched in surprise and instinctively stepped back, startled as she looked at Muen.

“What the hell kind of lowlife am I turning into?!”

Muen had just slapped himself across the face, snapping himself back to reality, his voice tight with gritted teeth.

“Eating what’s in the bowl while staring at what’s in the pot? No. Even if I’m a bastard, I’ll be a bastard with principles.”

A bastard without principles—what’s the difference between that and some sea king who thinks with his lower half?

Was he really the type of creature who lusted after a girl’s body like that?

“So, I’m sorry, Shali. I can’t say yes.”

Muen refused again, sincerely—only this time, he bowed even lower, and his tone grew softer and more careful.

To be rejected twice in just two minutes by the same person...For a girl who had mustered this much courage, it was a brutally cruel outcome no matter how you looked at it.

Muen felt so ashamed he wanted to throw a sack over his own head and take a brutal beating.

Seriously, why the hell did I have to be this good-looking? If I were just a little more average, I wouldn’t keep getting into this crap.

“I... I see.”

Hearing Muen’s final answer, Shali’s face crumbled into sheer heartbreak.

She took a deep breath, seemingly trying to force her tears back in, but they just flowed harder.

“No... it’s not Muen’s fault. I just... assumed too much.”

She looked just like one of those hopeless losers in a drama who couldn’t accept a failed confession, forcing out a smile even uglier than crying, while slowly stepping away—

Then spun around and ran.

Only to nearly crash into a soft embrace.

“Oh my, now what have I walked in on?”

Anna-sunbae stood in the doorway at some unknown point, watching Muen with a half-playful, half-scolding gaze.

“Truly impressive, junior. It’s only been a few minutes and you’ve already broken another girl’s heart?”

“If I had said yes, that’s when I’d be trash,” Muen said with a bitter smile. Clearly, he’d expected her to show up.

“Well, fair enough.”

Anna nodded in agreement. Then, lowering her gaze, she pulled out a handkerchief and began gently wiping the tears from Shali’s face. As she did, something sparkled faintly in her fingers.

“Don’t be upset, junior. Let’s not waste our breath on a scumbag.”

“You’re still calling me a scumbag, aren’t you?!”

“Huh?”

Anna ignored his protest, and as she dabbed Shali’s cheeks, she paused with a slight look of surprise.

“Shali, you’re so cute. Why cover it all up with these ugly black-rimmed glasses? A girl should know how to dress herself up a little. Who knows—maybe for certain scumbags, things would’ve turned out differently.”

“Hey! Sunbae!”

“I know a shop that custom-makes glasses for girls. Want me to introduce you?”

As she spoke, Anna reached for Shali’s black-rimmed glasses, intending to clean them, since they were now so fogged with tears they were nearly useless.

Snap.

Shali suddenly grabbed Anna’s hand.

Her head was bowed, expression hidden.

“No need, Sunbae. I appreciate the thought.”

“But—”

Anna frowned slightly at the grip on her wrist.

Before she could say anything else, Shali suddenly rushed past her, into the kitchen, and slammed the door behind her with a loud bang.

From within, rhythmic chopping began. Through her sniffles, Shali spoke in a low voice:

“Sorry. Please don’t worry about me. I just... need a moment alone.”

Soon after, muffled sobs came from behind the door, impossible to suppress. It sounded heartbreakingly raw.

“You really are a sinner, junior.”

Listening to the crying, Anna sighed, casting Muen a long, meaningful glance.

Muen said nothing. He could only manage a bitter smile. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

“So... should we go?”

He asked cautiously.

It felt irresponsible to leave like this, but staying would only make things more awkward.

Better to give her space to be alone.

“...Fine,” Anna nodded.

They had accomplished what they came for anyway.

Still, just before leaving, she couldn’t help but give the closed kitchen door one last lingering glance.

“Something... feels off.”

She glanced at her wrist. The spot where Shali had grabbed her was flushed red, an angry handprint marking her pale skin.

“Junior.”

“Yeah?”

“Is Shali’s martial rank... high?”

“I dunno. She’s always been pretty unremarkable. But she takes the martial arts classes, so she can’t be that weak.”

“I see...”

Anna withdrew her gaze, letting the thought fade.

Because that tearful expression from earlier—no matter how you looked at it—there’s no way anyone could fake that level of grief.

She was probably just overthinking it.

....

....

Even after Muen and Anna had left, Shali remained in the kitchen, still crying.

Her tears just kept falling, as if they’d never dry up.

She was so, so heartbroken.

She liked Muen so much. So why... why did he still reject her in the end?

Was it because she wasn’t pretty enough?

Yeah. Compared to that maid girl in the frilly uniform, or to Anna-sunbae... She couldn’t hold a candle to either of them.

She wasn’t beautiful. She didn’t know how to dress herself up. And she always wore those ugly black-rimmed glasses.

Muen... he probably never could’ve liked someone like her.

“Ah... that’s right.”

Mentioning the glasses seemed to jog her memory.

“I almost forgot. When there’s no one else around... I have to take them off.”

And so, she removed the black-rimmed glasses—now soaked and useless, too blurry to see anything.

The crying stopped completely.

Like a ripple of unseen darkness spreading out, the air around her shifted. Suddenly cold. Like nightfall.

She stared down at herself in the overflowing sink.

Stared at the reflection—of someone who seemed entirely different. Someone with a twisted smile creeping across their lips.

“...Ahhh. Why did it fail?”

“The mental suggestion worked so well last time... Otherwise, Muen wouldn’t have just happened to find this place.”

“What a shame. He’s the Duke’s son. If I could’ve controlled him, the plan would’ve made huge strides.”

“But—”

Shali didn’t seem disappointed.

Instead, her mouth curled into a manic grin.

So wide it nearly reached her ears. Like a serpent baring its fangs.

“This is actually a stroke of luck. All that searching before came up empty. I was even almost caught by that silver-haired woman...”

She looked down at her hands.

The memory of touching that woman’s pale hands still lingered on her skin. Shali pressed her palms together in a reverent prayer, tears now replaced with awe.

“As I thought, oh Great Moon—It is you who are guiding me.”

“In that case, I won’t fail your expectations. I will bring your lost divine heir before your throne.”

“Isn’t that right, Daddy?”

In the corner of the kitchen, a silent man raised and lowered a kitchen knife over and over.

Like a machine, repeating the same motion.

On the cutting board in front of him, a warped shadow writhed without a sound—then was butchered, like fish meat, into pieces.

He picked up a chunk and put it in his mouth.

Chewed.

Though it was only a shadow, it made a noise like flesh and bone being crushed.

After a moment, he grinned, showing teeth black as coal.

“Tasty.”