Judy's POV:
That was how much I needed the Martin family's assurance and perhaps the Martin family, in turn, only valued my outer shell: the reputation of the Obsidian Hollow beauty queen, talent and looks intact, born of a Marquis, a status noble enough to step through their doors without costing them face.
Unfortunately… I was still wrong.
The corner of my lips lifted into a faint, self-mocking smile. Once again, memories from my previous life surfaced things others might not resent, yet I resented on their behalf. Every time I recalled them, the suffering I had endured rose up again, reminding me to stay calm and clear-headed, not to let myself slip back into obsession or madness as I once had.
Nick sat right beside me. Ever since we got into the car, those deep, bright black eyes of his had barely left me for even a moment. He cleared his throat softly, but I didn't react. He frowned, deliberately coughed again, and I still only lowered my gaze, letting myself sink into my own thoughts. Only then did Nick slowly realize an unpleasant truth, he seemed to have been… pushed to the sidelines by me.
In the end, unable to hold it in any longer, he called out in frustration.
"Judy!"
"…Hm?" I looked up, the emotions from moments ago still lingering in my eyes.
That small, fragile sorrow struck straight into Nick's heart. Instantly, he connected my unusual state with that "guard dog" we had just encountered. A feeling called jealousy clamped down on his chest like a massive stone, making it hard for him to breathe. He wanted to tear it apart, to smash it to pieces but he had no choice but to force the madness down and hide it beneath a veneer of strained calm.
Only a beast driven into a corner would have eyes like that desperate yet stubborn, pouring all its feelings into every single glance.
But the body is always more honest than reason. No matter how hard he restrained himself, that overly heated gaze betrayed the truth he most wanted to conceal.
I froze unconsciously. That strange, unfamiliar yet powerful sensation appeared again for the second time that day. Instinctively, I called out,
"Nick?"
"Sister… were you thinking about that young man just now?" His voice was low and hoarse, thick with restraint, as if trying to suppress his unwillingness to accept it.
"Ah, yes. I was thinking about him." I nodded slowly, not noticing anything amiss. Half my mind was still trapped in unpleasant memories; the other half sighed at the thought that in this world, the only person who could see through me at a glance… was Nick.
This reborn life truly wasn't a loss at all, I could protect my family, and I had a younger brother like Nick. That alone was wonderful.
How many men in this world were both upright and gentle like Nick? I had once thought that if my future husband could resemble him even a little, then married life wouldn't be unbearably harsh.
I had walked through darkness, seen with my own eyes the ugliest corners of humanity, yet I still couldn't bear to abandon my longing for the light. There was only one thing just one, that I no longer had the courage to fully believe in: romantic love. Between reason and hope, I chose to stand on the boundary, neither daring to step forward nor to retreat completely.
Nick lowered his gaze, his fingers brushing lightly against the Poignard at his waist, his voice low and unreadable. "If you were thinking about him… then why did you refuse him earlier? If I had known how you felt, I wouldn't have stopped him."
No. If he had known earlier, he would have chased after him and killed that man again.
Nick tilted his head and looked out the car window, the corner of his lips lifting into a cold smile.
"Sister wasn't thinking about him. Sister was just wondering why he said those things," I murmured. "He shouldn't have known me… and he shouldn't have said things like that to me…"
It was unimaginable.
Nick turned back immediately, his eyes lighting up as he pressed urgently,
"Then you don't like him?"
"I don't like him. I just… can't figure it out." I didn't take his question to heart. Nick asked jealousy-laced questions like this almost every day, if I overthought each one, I'd be exhausted to death.
Still, I noticed his mood darken visibly. I lifted my hand slightly, making a very small beckoning gesture.
Nick moved closer at once, crouching beside me, tilting his head near like a little wolf pup that had been left behind, waiting to be soothed. When I placed my hand on his hair, he let out a soft, satisfied breath and instinctively rubbed his head against my palm, so gentle it melted my heart.
I laughed. "And you still say you're not like a puppy? You're exactly the same."
He frowned, his voice small but indignant. "I'm very different from it. I can hug Sister, but it can't. I can also...."
He stopped abruptly.
"Also what?" I hadn't heard clearly.
Nick thought for a second, then swallowed the words back, shaking his head.
"Nothing."
His ears reddened, and he settled down, resting his head on my lap, closing his eyes as I stroked his hair, thick, soft, flowing beneath my fingers like silk. The sensation was so pleasant it made me a little dizzy.
"So what exactly is it…" I was still trying to reason out Idris's behavior.
Nick, on the other hand, didn't spare such matters a thought. Who that man was, why he came, for what reason, none of it mattered. The only things circling in Nick's mind were these:
Did that man intend to take Judy from him? Had he caught her attention? Would she remember him?
If the answer was yes, Nick wouldn't hesitate to send that man as far away as possible. If not, he would remain as obedient as he was now.
"…Or should I try giving it one chance to verify?" I whispered, considering the feasibility.
Trying once meant… meeting again.
Nick's eyes darkened instantly. His face tightened, his jaw clenching hard, like a wolf seeing someone touch its mate pure instinct screaming to tear out the enemy's throat.
Kill.
…
Near five in the afternoon, the car stopped in front of a famous cosmetics boutique in Obsidian Hollow. As usual, Nick got out first and carefully helped me down. Gita stood to the side with her head lowered, long accustomed to this. As long as Nick was present, no one else was allowed to touch me.
The Johnston household servants were used to it; outsiders, however, couldn't help but cast curious looks.
I stepped out of the car, moving gracefully into the store. Nick followed close behind.
Not far away, two women also got out of a car. They glanced at each other, one frowned, the other's eyes flashed with disdain.
"Let's go in too." The woman in yellow spoke, unconsciously twisting her handkerchief between slender fingers, the small motion betraying her hidden unease.
Inside the shop, crystal lights were adjusted to a gentle brightness, spilling over walnut floors polished to a watery sheen. Long glass display cases were arranged neatly in rows, each one a "miniature galaxy," where jewelry reflected light into countless glittering shards like scattered stars. A faint scent of sandalwood and bergamot drifted through the air, luxurious yet warm.
Staff in soft beige uniforms bow-collared blouses and pencil skirts approached and bowed, smiling professionally. "Welcome, Miss Johnston. Young Master. Please let us know if you need any assistance."
I smiled back, my fingers gliding lightly over the glass. Beneath it, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces lay on black and cream velvet, all glowing under the lights as if bathed in quiet moonlight.
A pair of teardrop-shaped silver earrings caught my eye. The moonstone within shimmered pale blue as I tilted my wrist, as if carrying the breath of a summer night.
I held them up before Nick. "Nick, are these pretty?"
He didn't look at the earrings at all, his gaze was fixed solely on me, so direct there was nowhere to hide, so close it made me forget to breathe, and so hot it felt as if the entire space around me were being scorched.
"Pretty."
I frowned slightly but said nothing, lifting a delicate triple-layered necklace next, each tier set with a tiny opal like dewdrops.
"And this one?"
"Pretty."
"…Nick."
I laughed aloud, helpless yet amused. "You haven't even looked properly, how do you know it's pretty?"
His gaze didn't shift, stubborn and straightforward enough to make my skin heat up.
"Judy is pretty."
I felt my heart stumble a beat. My ears burned instantly, and I turned away to hide it. "Your tongue… is getting smoother by the day."
Soft piano symphony music filled the shop, lending his voice an inexplicably magnetic depth. Afraid he'd get bored standing around, I whispered,
"Or should you go wait in the car first?"
Nick lifted his head lazily, as if the idea of leaving me were the most absurd thing in the world. "No need. I'll stay with you."
Then he picked up a delicate silver charm bracelet, each tiny charm a miniature symbol of good fortune four-leaf clovers, moons, flowers. He placed it on my wrist, tilted his head to examine it seriously… then clicked his tongue.
Doesn't suit you. He set it back immediately.
I couldn't help laughing at his blatant disapproval and continued along the display cases. The pieces I chose today all had unusual colors: pale lavender, amber-gold, olive green shimmering like moss under water, soft pastel orange like sunset.
Nick stood beside me, watching each item I picked up and put back. Then he frowned slightly, his voice low.
"Are you buying gifts for someone, Judy?"
I turned to him and nodded. "Yes. I'm buying them for Leah and Jesse."
Nick paused, like someone who had just uncovered a great secret. "No wonder you're choosing colors you don't usually like or know how to use."
After saying that, he withdrew his gaze, as if all the items had lost their meaning because they weren't for me. An indifference that was very… Nick. An indifference that only appeared when something had nothing to do with me.
I narrowed my eyes and smiled.
Under the lights, jewelry sparkled, people came and went, yet in that moment it felt as if only the two of us existed in the shop: him standing behind me, silent yet unmistakable, like a loyal wolf's shadow never straying a step, never relaxing for a second.
Another staff member brought over a new tray of jewelry and bowed.
"Miss, you may like this design, it suits a cool, refined temperament."
I leaned in to look, while Nick tilted his head from behind me, the distance so close that if I turned even slightly, I would bump into his chest.
His gaze, reflected in the glass display, was still burning like fire.