The evening sky was painted in soft shades of gold and gray when a black carriage stopped in front of the grand gates of Gwanhae Manor. The horses neighed as the guards bowed low. Everyone in the mansion knew who had arrived.
After seven years away, Duke Min Jae had finally returned.
He stepped down from the carriage, tall and graceful, dressed in a dark suit that matched his sharp eyes. His face was calm, cold, and unreadable — the face of a man who had seen too much.
"Prepare the guest wing," he said quietly. "She will arrive soon."
The servants bowed, too afraid to ask who he meant. But in their hearts, they already knew.
The Duke's lost love — Lady Seo Rin.
---
Far from the manor, another carriage rolled down a quiet forest road. Inside sat a woman in a long white dress. Her hands rested in her lap, her fingers trembling slightly. The sound of wheels and horses filled the silence.
Lady Seo Rin had not seen Min Jae for seven long years.
Back then, they were children who grew up together inside palace walls — two hearts full of dreams. He was the kind, smart boy who always smiled. She was the bright girl who laughed at everything.
But life had turned cruel.
After her family was accused of betrayal, Seo Rin's home burned to the ground. She barely escaped that night. Everyone believed she was dead — even Min Jae.
And now, after all those years, she was going to face him again.
---
When her carriage stopped before the manor, the gates opened slowly. The same stone walls she remembered still stood tall, though time had changed them. The garden that once smelled of spring now felt heavy with silence.
A servant guided her through the marble hallway. Then she saw him — standing by the large window, looking out at the rain.
Duke Min Jae turned around.
For a long moment, neither spoke. The light from the window touched his face — the same eyes she remembered, though colder now.
"Lady Seo Rin," he said at last, voice steady and deep. "You came."
Seo Rin bowed slightly. "It has been a long time, Your Grace."
His lips twitched — almost a smile, but not quite. "Seven years. I counted."
Her heart ached at those words.
---
They walked together through the old hallways. The air between them felt heavy, full of memories. Seo Rin's dress brushed against the polished floor, and Min Jae's footsteps echoed beside her.
"You have changed," he said.
"So have you," she replied softly. "The boy I knew would have greeted me with a smile."
He looked at her then — really looked — and something in his eyes softened for a heartbeat. But it was gone as quickly as it came.
"I buried that boy," he said. "Along with everything else I lost."
Her throat tightened. She wanted to say his name, to tell him she had never stopped thinking about him. But the words refused to come.
---
That night, a soft rain began to fall. The Duke called for her in his study. The room smelled of old paper and firewood. He stood by the desk, one hand resting on a glass of wine.
"I searched for you," he said without turning around. "Everywhere. For years."
Seo Rin lowered her gaze. "I didn't want to be found."
"Liar," he said quietly. "If you truly wanted to disappear, you wouldn't have kept your family ring."
Her eyes widened. How did he—
He opened a drawer and pulled out a silver ring — old and scratched, but still shining faintly.
"I found it in the ruins of your home," he said. "I thought it was all that was left of you."
Her voice trembled. "You kept it… all this time?"
He nodded once. "It was the only thing that reminded me that I wasn't dreaming."
---
For a long time, they said nothing. The only sound was the fire crackling in the hearth.
Finally, Seo Rin whispered, "You shouldn't have looked for me. It would have been easier if you forgot."
Min Jae turned toward her. "Easier? Maybe. But forgetting you was never an option."
He stepped closer, the air between them charged with all the words they had never said.
Her heart raced, but she didn't step back. His hand lifted slightly, as if to touch her face — then stopped midair.
"You shouldn't have come back," he said softly.
"And yet," she replied, "you're the one who called me here."
His eyes closed briefly, a storm behind them. "Stay," he said finally. "Just for tonight."
She hesitated — but nodded.
---
When she left the room, Min Jae stood alone, staring into the fire. His expression was unreadable, but his heart was not.
He had waited seven years to see her again.
Seven years to ask her why she left.
Seven years to admit that she was the only thing he could never destroy — even when he destroyed everything else.
Outside, the rain fell harder, washing over the manor like a quiet curse.
In the distance, Seo Rin's carriage waited — but she did not return to it. Not yet.
Because some echoes refuse to fade,
and some loves never die.
---
End of Chapter 1: The Duke's Return