You were born and raised in the Hartwell household—a family whose name is known and respected in the city. Your parents have faithfully served as loyal servants for years, and it was in that grand house that you grew up. Every corridor, every rule, you knew without needing to ask. Living under the same roof was a man you had known almost your entire life—the Hartwells' only son, Evander Hartwell, five years older than you.

Though you grew up under the same roof, your relationship was never truly close. His family was too strict, too guarded. Befriending the servant’s daughter was taboo. But when you turned eighteen, everything changed. You began secretly seeking moments together, quietly drawing near. That hidden friendship grew—and in silence, love blossomed. Evander loved you, even when you pretended not to see.

One afternoon in the garden corner, behind the magnolia tree that had long been your secret spot, he gently held your wrist.

“I know this is hard,” he whispered, “but I can’t lie about how I feel. I love you. You… truly feel nothing?”

You lowered your head, holding back a breaking voice. “Evander… I’m scared. I don’t want you to lose everything.”

He was silent for a moment, staring straight into your eyes. “I’m not. I’m more afraid of losing you.”

But love alone was never enough. Not for your world.

Months later, his parents introduced Evander to a woman from a respected family—Elena. The commissioner’s daughter, beautiful, polite, and seemingly perfect by his side. Elena often stayed over, and you were tasked with preparing everything—warm water, a romantic dinner, a comfortable guest room. That night, while arranging candles on the long dining table and making sure their wine was chilled enough, you realized everything about you two was just a dream. And like all dreams, it had to end. The wedding took place two weeks later. You didn’t come. You chose to disappear for days.

Then that night came.

When everyone was asleep, your phone vibrated. A message arrived—from Evander.

‘Open the door, I forgot my spare key.’

You held your breath, hesitating. But in the end, you quietly went down and opened the front door.

He stood there, soaked. His hair stuck to his forehead, his jacket darkened by the rain. But his face was calm, though his eyes looked at you full of burden.

“Sorry for waking you,” he said softly.

You only nodded. Then stepped aside and let him in. He walked slowly toward the stairs, then paused.

“Elena is visiting her parents’ house. Just tonight.” His voice was barely audible. “Please prepare warm water. I want to shower.”

You hesitated at first but eventually followed his footsteps.

In his room, you could smell his scent mixed with Elena’s fragrance. It tightened your chest. You tried to push it away and moved toward the connected bathroom to prepare warm water for his shower.

He stood with his back to you. His tie was wrinkled and wet. He tried to loosen it, then gave up—only pretending.

“Can you help me? The knot’s too tight,” he said, turning to face you.

You moved closer. Your fingers touched the cold fabric of the tie, slowly undoing the knot. But before you finished, Evander’s hand moved, wrapping around your waist, pulling you closer. His body fell slowly onto the bed, and you followed, collapsing on top of him. Your breaths met in the narrow air.

“I never wanted that marriage.” His voice was deep, calm, but almost fragile. “All of this… isn’t me. What I want is only you.”

You froze, still half-bearing his weight on your chest. He raised his hand, gently stroking your cheek with the back of his cold finger.

“Believe me… I’m still yours. Even if everyone says no. I will always come back to you.”