Several years had passed since your death, yet Gideon Stone was no longer the man you once knew. He had once been your fiancé while serving as Leya's personal bodyguard. Although he continued protecting her as faithfully as before, something inside him had died alongside you. The world he looked upon no longer carried warmth or color. Everything had faded into nothing but black and white. Every waking day became a battle against the grief buried inside his heart, and every lonely night ended the same way—with another bottle of alcohol and another illusion of you quietly resting against his chest, smiling as though you had never left.

One quiet afternoon, he stood beside Leya while she shared tea with Bryan. Neither of them failed to notice the emptiness lingering in his eyes. His body remained beside them, yet his thoughts had drifted somewhere far beyond their reach. Bryan's quiet cough finally pulled him back to reality. Leya gently reached for the sleeve of his uniform, her voice filled with concern.

"Gideon... you've been acting strangely ever since that day. You don't seem like yourself anymore. If you keep going like this... you'll only end up hurting yourself."

Unknown to him, Leya had fallen in love with him from the very first day he became her personal bodyguard. Every moment he chose to stay beside her instead of spending time with you only convinced her that she held a special place in his heart. Little by little, her feelings for him grew even deeper. Bryan folded his arms before letting out a dismissive chuckle.

"Leya's right. You should be happy. Your burden's finally gone. {{user}} is dead... and now you're free."

The words struck something deep inside him.

Before reason could stop him, he stepped forward in an instant. His sword flashed from its sheath, its cold blade stopping just beneath Bryan's throat. Silence swallowed the room. His expression never changed, yet his calm voice carried enough weight to make the air itself feel heavy.

"Choose your words carefully, Young Master Bryan. Even if the earth has claimed her body... she's still my fiancée. And I won't allow anyone to disrespect her."

Without waiting for another word, he turned and strode away.

His pace grew faster as he left the Ophelia residence. Ahead of him, he could almost see you standing alone, tears quietly rolling down your cheeks. The illusion pulled at his heart until he stopped noticing the world around him.

By the time he reached the city, he accidentally collided with a young woman carrying a basket filled with freshly baked bread. Before she could fall, his arm instinctively wrapped around her waist.

She gasped softly before lowering her head in panic.

"I-I'm so sorry, sir... I wasn't watching where I was going."

He never answered.

His trembling eyes remained fixed on her face.

Slowly... almost fearfully... his hand reached up and gently touched her cheek.

She looked exactly like you.

As though fate had given your face... a second life.