Chapter 45: Love is a constant feeling of indebtedness

“So, Anna, don’t you think you owe me an explanation?”

Ophelia sat atop a simple chair woven from green vines, legs crossed, her toes swaying gently in the breeze.

Her gaze carried a hint of scrutiny as it swept over Anna and Miss Lydia.

Especially Miss Lydia. Ophelia’s eyes seemed to linger almost exclusively on her.

Anna knelt in front of Ophelia, unconsciously straightening her back.

Suddenly, she felt as though she’d been caught sneaking a snack.

That’s not right—she was innocent.

Nothing had happened between her and Miss Lydia.

“Ophelia… I—”

Before Anna could finish, Ophelia’s pointed toe lifted her chin.

Ophelia showed no sign of stopping.

On the contrary, her toe pressed ever more firmly, forcing Anna to tilt her face upward—making it impossible for her to speak properly.

“Enough already, Young Lady.”

Miss Lydia leaned against a tree, raising an eyebrow, clearly unwilling to indulge Ophelia’s overbearing behavior.

She wasn’t Anna—she had no reason to bow and scrape to this woman.

“You’re my sister’s beloved, aren’t you? Then show her some proper respect.”

She stepped forward with the confidence of a knight, coming to stand at Anna’s side.

“Sister? How affectionate.”

Ophelia curled her lip, easing up a little with her toe.

“You really did find yourself a good Younger Sister, Anna.”

Her toe brushed Anna’s jawline like a feather. The cool, supple leather of her short boots seemed to touch straight at Anna’s heart.

“Miss Lydia.”

Anna called out softly.

“Miss Lydia, is it? I told you before—mind your own business.”

Ophelia snorted coldly.

Her gaze flicked over Anna’s lowered eyes and brows. She let her crossed legs drop and instead sat properly, legs together, as primly as a lady… though who she was trying to impress was anyone’s guess.

“Someone else’s business? She’s my sister!”

Miss Lydia stepped forward, locking eyes with Ophelia.

“I refuse to recognize someone like you as my sister’s Wife!”

Wife.

Ophelia was struck dumb, while Anna’s lips curved upward. Miss Lydia opened her mouth, then suddenly realized what a strange thing she’d just said.

Sister’s Wife?

No matter how you put it, it defied all common sense.

But love between women… wasn’t exactly ordinary in the first place, was it?

Ophelia’s cheeks flushed red in surprise.

As if to hide her embarrassment, she hurriedly covered her face with both hands. When she glanced at Anna, all the interrogation in her eyes had vanished—

Only bashfulness remained.

“Um… so you’re Miss Lydia, right? You really have a good eye.”

Ophelia’s mood changed faster than turning a page in a book.

She almost seemed ready to hum with satisfaction.

“Huh? Don’t tell me you and Sister… aren’t Wife and Wife?”

Anna lowered her head, as if Miss Lydia had hit the nail on the head, while Ophelia’s eyes glittered with excitement.

“Yes, yes, exactly! Ah, what a huge misunderstanding.”

Ophelia jumped down from her vine chair, striding past Miss Lydia.

She studied this Younger Sister Anna had somehow brought back from who-knows-where.

“As expected of Anna’s Younger Sister—your judgment is spot-on. It was my fault before, for being too harsh. As your sister, I apologize.”

She took Miss Lydia’s hand and gave it a gentle shake.

Miss Lydia had no idea what she’d done to make this villainess’s attitude change so drastically.

But if her tone softened… maybe that wasn’t a bad thing?

“Lydia, you really are…”

Anna wearily held her forehead.

This was exactly the classic trope: a natural foil for the prideful tsundere.

When prickly Ophelia faced someone as guileless as Miss Lydia—a girl as innocent as a rabbit—she was utterly helpless.

“Ophelia, you’ve seen it for yourself—nothing happened between me and Miss Lydia.”

Anna snuck a glance at Miss Lydia’s profile.

Really nothing? She believed she was innocent. As for Miss Lydia… she could pretend not to know.

“Is that so? Looks like I misjudged you, Anna.”

Ophelia cupped Anna’s face tenderly.

“So, Anna, be honest with me—why did you bring your Younger Sister to a place like this?”

Her face suddenly drew close to Anna’s.

Anna turned her head away, unable to bring herself to say it was for money.

She was strapped for cash, saving up to buy that Pair of Rings.

She wanted to surprise Ophelia, but how could she confess that before it was a reality?

So Anna chose to say nothing.

“If you won’t speak, how am I to believe you’re innocent?”

Ophelia pressed on relentlessly.

But no matter what, Anna refused to give the real reason.

“Stop interrogating Sister! She did it because…”

Miss Lydia glanced at Anna, hesitated for a moment, and then resolved to speak on Anna’s behalf.

She couldn’t stand to watch her sister be wronged any longer.

“She did it to buy that Pair of Rings!”

Anna tried to stop her, reaching out with her hand and opening her mouth, but in the end she just nodded in resignation.

“Rings?”

Ophelia searched her memory carefully.

What sort of Ring could make Anna sneak around behind her back, even taking on dangerous jobs to save up?

After some thought, Ophelia could only think of one possibility: that Pair of Rings in the jewelry store, unearthed from the Scarborough Ruins.

One red, one blue, exquisitely crafted—a legendary token of love from the Count and Countess.

“Anna…”

Why was Anna so fixated on that Pair of Rings?

“Why…”

“Because… back at Neuschwanstein, didn’t you say, ‘I do,’ Ophelia?”

A trace of guilt flickered across Anna’s face.

“I just feel… I should put the Ring on your finger myself.”

Suddenly, Ophelia’s throat felt tight.

She thought Anna was silly.

She herself hadn’t cared about these things at all, so Anna didn’t need to feel indebted over something like this.

But she opened her mouth and said nothing.

For love always brings a sense of indebtedness. How could she find fault with someone who loved her?

That would only trample on true affection.

And Ophelia had no desire to be that kind of heartless person.

“Anna…”

Ophelia cupped Anna’s face, then leaned in, pressing a loving kiss to the corner of Anna’s lips.

She felt that only by doing something could she truly express her feelings.

“You could have told me… We could have worked on it together.”

Ophelia traced her lips along Anna’s neck.

Her touch was gentle but wild, like nibbling little bites.

“But… I’m the one who took you from the castle.”

“And I’m the one who dragged you out of the royal capital, Anna.”

Ophelia cupped Anna’s face again.

“Responsibility goes both ways, Anna. Let’s shoulder it together.”

With that, her kisses fell once more, as if making a vow, as if engraving a mark.

From forehead to the tip of the nose, from nose to chin, from chin to the side of the neck, from neck to collarbone.

At last, Ophelia’s lips came to rest above Anna’s chest.

She kissed softly, right above Anna’s Heart.