When Ksenia arrived home, Henry was making breakfast. The aroma of toasted bread and the sizzle of frying eggs felt as constant as the tides. Darling clung to her the moment she walked in, rubbing her head against her hem and purring contentedly.
"Have you eaten?" Henry asked, turning around with a gaze full of concern.
"No, but I'm not hungry. I'm going to sleep."
"Do you have these parties every weekend?" Henry pressed, clearly troubled. "Your foot hasn't even fully healed yet."
"Mmhmm. Just some drinks," Ksenia replied dismissively.
Flirting with that man at the Manor last night had been for the mission, but facing the genuine warmth of Henry's care now, she felt a flicker of shame and guilt. She didn't know how to look at him; she only wished he wouldn't drown himself in her so deeply. It was all a facade.
But then, she noticed the dark circles under his eyes. Her heart softened. Setting her bag down, she wrapped her arms around him from behind.
"Did you stay up all night?"
"I couldn't sleep. I was worried about you, Ksenia." Henry turned off the stove and lightly stroked her hands.
"There's nothing to worry about."
"But Loughton is dangerous. You're my partner. I message you, no reply. I call, you don't pick up."
Henry began to cry. This man, who always maintained his elegance and poise before the spotlight, was now utterly fragile and humble.
"Don't be like this," Ksenia murmured, uncomfortable with his tears.
"Ksenia, do you even like me?" His low voice was stripped of all confidence.
"I like you. You know me—I don't enter relationships with people I don't like." She ruffled his hair gently. "You're my favorite, Henry. I only like you."
"Even if our values are different... do you still love me?" He finally asked the question that haunted him most.
"Yes. Regardless of that, you are a kind, responsible, and exceptional man."
A person in love only hears what they want to hear. Henry wiped away his tears and pulled her into an embrace, holding her as if she were the only piece of driftwood in a vast ocean.
Ksenia woke up to the sun spilling across her face and over Henry, who sat beside her quietly turning the pages of a book.
"I didn't hear a sound while you were reading," Ksenia noted, glancing at the title. "Strait Is the Gate. What's it about?"
Henry closed the book sheepishly. "It's a bit dull. Not worth mentioning."
She fetched a box of cards and sat close to him. Ksenia wasn't interested in romance, but she was a quick study. Before setting out to "conquer" Henry, she had systematically studied psychology and devoured romance novels and films. She knew exactly how to weave a phantom web of love for a man.
If she wanted to turn the man from the Manor into her weapon, she would use Henry to test her predatory skills.
"What's this?" Henry took the box. "Truth or Dare?"
"You said we didn't know each other well enough, didn't you? So I bought this."
She recalled a psychology book stating that appropriately exposing one's true emotions—or even one's wounds—fosters a sense of intimacy.
"Sure," he said, looking genuinely pleased.
Henry drew the first card: Truth.
Ksenia thought for a moment. "Tell me the saddest thing from your childhood."
"Alright," Henry reminisced. "When I was thirteen or fourteen, I had a white Labrador. He was brilliant and loved cream, so I named him Cream. I took him everywhere—swimming, hunting with my father. We were inseparable. But my eldest brother returned home unexpectedly. He wasn't around often. The day he arrived, Cream treated him like a stranger and barked at him. That seemed to provoke him. While I was out, he... he strangled him to death."
Henry's voice cracked. "I wanted to fight him, even though he was an adult and much taller than me. I hid with my second brother and waited. I know it was cowardly, but I was so angry. My second brother threw a sack over his head, and I grabbed an ashtray from the table and smashed it against him. Though the moment he hit the floor, my fear outweighed my hatred."
"Everyone has moments of rage," Ksenia said, understanding his pain. "If someone killed my cat, I might be even more extreme."
"No, Ksenia. We can't use extreme ways to solve problems. Even though I was furious, I'm glad I didn't kill my brother. The guilt of kin-slaying would have destroyed me." He spoke with such sincerity; this was the "Saint" in him.
It was Ksenia's turn. She drew a Dare.
"Um... kiss me," Henry said.
Ksenia kissed him without hesitation.
"Haha, every time you kiss me, I actually feel like you love me."
"I do love you."
Henry just smiled and drew a Dare.
"Let me tickle you!" Ksenia reached for him with "wicked" intent.
"What! No!" Henry jumped up. "That's cheating!"
"Don't run!"
The two of them tumbled together in a playful struggle. Tormenting someone was surprisingly fun; Ksenia found herself laughing heartily for once. By the time they sat up, their hair was a mess.
"Alright, Ksenia, your turn." Henry smoothed his hair, returning to his handsome self.
A Truth card.
"I want to know your greatest fear—aside from being unable to dance."
There were too many. To pick one meant reliving all of them. But her greatest fear was one she could never tell him.
"I... I'm afraid of depending on people. When someone is especially good to me, I can't help but wonder: if one day this person leaves me, or uses my scars to hurt me, what will I do?"
"Has someone done that to you?"
"Yes. My parents left me when I needed them most." Ksenia let her vulnerability show.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Henry. I'm sorry I'm so cold to you sometimes. I know I'm not 'fit' for a relationship, yet I provoked you anyway. I just... I can't control myself. I do like you."
Henry believed her. His eyes were filled with the satisfaction of being immersed in love. "When did you start liking me?"
"I'll tell you when I draw another Truth card."
"Sly girl."
After another round, Ksenia drew Truth again.
"I'm not a very 'sunny' person. When I first met you, you were so perfect, always surrounded by people... I didn't like that feeling. But last year, when you didn't place in the top three of your competition, you became quite gloomy. I found you more charming then than you ever were when you were perfect."
"What?" Henry was stunned by the answer.
"I'm a strange person."
"Then from today on, I'll play the gloomy part."
"Hahaha! No, just be yourself."
Several days had passed since her return from the Manor. No more M-6 agents called her. She even received an official notification that her travel ban had been lifted.
Ksenia leaned her head on her hand, thinking. Since discovering that the organizer of the Manor was enamored with her, the mission—once seemingly hopeless—now had a clear path to victory. Love is a weakness.
She began to "test" her charms on Henry more frequently.
Sometimes, she would put on a stunning, sexy dress and pretend she couldn't reach the zipper, calling for Henry. He would zip it up with extreme awkwardness, his face a mask of resistance and shyness. In those moments, Ksenia felt immensely satisfied.
What was love? Was it the act of tormenting the other?
She took great pleasure in watching Henry struggle in the agonizing gap between desire and his moral discipline.
She would also lean against him while reading, and if she noticed any physical reaction from him, she would point it out out loud.
Henry would blush furiously and cover her mouth.
"Enough, Miss Ksenia. I am officially banning you from teasing me."
"Why? Aren't you enjoying it?"
"You're torturing me!" Henry cried out.
Ksenia nodded. "And?"
Henry couldn't find the words, but he made a silent resolution. One always wants to grasp what they've dreamed of most. To Henry, everything else was easily attained—except Ksenia.
He had chased her for ten years. Ten hopeless, painful years of waiting for the day she would say she loved him, for the day the scales in her heart would tip toward him. That day had arrived. He would catch her now, and he would never let her go again.
On Saturday, Henry booked a Michelin-star restaurant. Though the location was somewhat remote, the flavor and decor were exquisite.
"Let's go to Country S for a vacation this winter. I've already looked at a hotel with hot springs and skiing." The candlelight softened the lines of Henry's face.
Winter—only two or three months away.
"I'd like that. Especially since my foot is injured," Ksenia replied, following his lead.
He pulled a beautifully wrapped small box from his pocket and pushed it toward her. "This... I've actually had this for a while. I thought I was just your excuse to get back at Lu Jiting, but lately, I've dared to hope that you truly feel something for me."
Ksenia looked at the box. It bore the Harry Winston logo.
"Open it. I want to see your face when you see it."
The three-carat diamond ring made everything else in the room fade. Ksenia stared at it, dazed. "It's beautiful."
"Be my fiancée." Henry took the ring and slid it onto her finger. "I've waited for this day for a long time. If you truly loathe the idea of marriage, I'm happy to be your 'fiancé' for the rest of our lives."
How was she supposed to respond? Ksenia was conflicted. She knew for a fact she didn't love Henry. Everything she did with him was part self-gratification, part mission, and part experiment.
"Henry," Ksenia said seriously, "in your eyes, what kind of person am I?"
"Gentle, strong, determined... someone with a sense of mystery. And me? What am I in your eyes?"
Ksenia traced his features with her gaze. "A fool."
Henry laughed like a child. "Then I'm happy to be a fool."
How could she bully such a fool?
But the goal set by the Bearded Man was exactly this: to get Henry to propose.
She forced a practiced, perfect smile. "I will."
The news of their engagement went viral almost instantly. It was everywhere, with overwhelming waves of blessings.
"Did you have your uncle pull some strings? It feels like the whole world knows."
Henry smiled. "I want the whole world to know."
Sure enough, a few days later, Ksenia received a call from Mrs. Lu, Lu Jiting's mother.
Her voice was frantic, yet she still didn't drop her arrogant tone as she demanded to know if Ksenia had seen Lu Jiting.
"No."
"I've called him dozens of times and he won't answer. Go find him. Make him give up and come back to Country Z."
Ksenia glanced at Henry. This man... he deliberately made sure the news of their engagement spread far and wide, just for this. He was actually quite "black-bellied"!
Ksenia wouldn't refuse a reasonable request; regardless of how Mrs. Lu had treated her, she had benefited from the woman's favors in the past.
But how was she going to face Lu Jiting's fury?