After Saddie did as promised, Dylan hesitantly voiced what had been slightly bugging him since Esmeralda's question to Saddie. "Austin... You do love Esmeralda, right?"

While everyone looked at Dylan either weirdly or in surprise, Austin frowned at suddenly being called out only to be asked a weird question. "What?"

"It doesn't sound like Esmeralda is sure of your love. After all that she's been through, I'd like to give her a peace of mind, if possible." He sounded a little timid but his face reflected his determination.

Austin felt irritation building up inside him. Somehow he did not like all this talk about his feelings and engagement with Eva right behind him listening to it all. Before he could say anything, Esmeralda jumped in to pull Austin to the side. "Austin, Austin, I have to speak to you."

Once they were both standing apart from everyone else, Esmeralda stood in front of Austin then pulled him down lower by his arm so that she could whisper into his ear. "What do you honestly think about the engagement issue that our parents decided by themselves? Since we're still here, if we decide to call if off, we can just tell our parents."

He frowned in disbelief at her actions. He did not know he should interpret her actions now. In a way, she was behaving as defiant as usual, like nothing changed. In fact, it was as if she got more brazen and used this chance to address the engagement she has never been happy about. If he gave her the benefit of doubt, perhaps behaving this way was her way of coping. 

Seeing the judgmental expression on Austin's face, she explained herself. "Don't get the idea. It's just that Dylan reminded me of the engagement. To be honest, I had completely forgotten about it. Meeting you simply became a routine and fun thing to do as friends." She smiled sheepishly.

"... How... How're you acting like this? And why? Your parents died not too long ago, you know? And the person responsible for their deaths is right there. Not only did you forgive her, you're acting like nothing's wrong!" Austin was barely holding himself back from shouting.

She stared into his eyes without blinking. Gradually, a soft and sad expression showed on her face that made Austin take a step back instinctively.

"You still haven't gotten over your parents' death, have you?"

"Who would?" He asked in a dark manner.

Esmeralda let go of his arm then looked off into the distance with the cold breeze blowing. "Who would, huh... I don't know if what I feel now is considered moving on, but, I feel... Settled. Or resigned. I don't really know how to describe this. I just suddenly felt this way while I was pondering over how I should deal with Saddie earlier. What about you? From the way you spoke, you're someone who would annihilate generations of the family who did you wrong, wouldn't you?"

Austin did not deny it.

Esmeralda continued to speak. "Then why didn't you kill Eva? From what I see, you're even treating her well, aren't you? Even if her hands weren't dirtied, she did keep everything from us till the end." She looked into his eyes as if to challenge him.

Austin gritted his teeth hard as she touched his sore spot. However, he could not find it in him to argue back. She was right.

"You feel something for her, don't you?" 

Her sudden question threw him off. He did not expect to be seen through just like that. "It's-"

"It's the same for me, Austin. I cannot forget the memories and bond I have formed with Eva, just as I cannot forget my time with Saddie. Saddie may behave like a brat but it's a cover for her fear of being abandoned and alone. I know that she went overboard this time and that the devastating consequences cannot be undone." Tears welled up in her eyes again. 

"But what's the point of all the killing and revenge? Perhaps I'd consider it if Saddie was unrepentant, but she's finally maturing. If I still chose revenge, not only will I rob the chance of growth from her, I'll lose her and Dylan as well. I'll lose more people whom I hold close to my heart. I don't like it. 

That was when it suddenly dawned on me that if Saddie was really willing to change for the better, my parents' death may not be that much in vain. I... Found some meaning for their deaths. Maybe that's it. Or maybe I'm just being selfish... But my parents, they still loved me unconditionally and sacrificed themselves for this pathetic life of mine despite knowing the kind of person I am. So I'm not going to lose myself to the negativity in my heart. Otherwise, it'd make them sad."

Austin looked solemn and kept quiet. Esmeralda thought in ways that he never once considered. She was still vastly different from him just as they have always been.

Suddenly, she sighed. "Well... All this may not have been possible if Dylan wasn't there for me the whole time. He was really good support. I simply can't imagine what you must have went through by yourself when you were still so young..." She touched Austin's arm gently. "But I do pray for the day when you'll feel okay again."

Austin held her gaze evenly. A meaning for their deaths and a person there for her when she needed someone huh...

His expression softened a little. "You love Dylan, don't you?"

"Hm?" Esmeralda pursed her lips and her face turned pink. That was all the answer he felt that he needed.

"Let's call the engagement off. We were never happy with it from the start anyway." He said nonchalantly.

Esmeralda laughed lightly. "Indeed, I remember our first meeting... Thank you, Austin. I know how much honouring your parents' words must mean to you."

Suddenly, Austin felt a strange gut feeling like he would soon be free. Free? Free from what? Regardless of his lack of understanding, he could not hold back the feeling of impending liberation that his hand moved by itself and he lightly flicked Esmeralda's forehead. It was the most intimate interaction he has ever had with Esmeralda. "Go chase your love already. Don't forget to invite me to your wedding."

She smiled brightly and thankfully, then looked at Dylan with an exhilarated expression. Dylan felt his heart tighten as he thought that she had gotten the assurance of Austin's love for her. However, he was pleasantly surprised to find her running to him then jumping into his arms.

"Wha- What's going on?"

"You silly goof! I love you! That's what's going on! I'm not engaged to Austin! I've never felt engaged to him even once, mind you. It was all decided by our parents and I would have eventually convinced them to call it off anyway."

"But- Bu-"

"No buts! Unless you want to say that you don't love me...?" Esmeralda looked genuinely sad while she pouted.

"No! No! I love you more than my life! More than I know how to express it in words!"

Esmeralda giggled and hugged him tightly once more.

Saddie saw how everything unfolded so turned her hopeful gaze onto Austin, only to find that he was already standing right beside her.

Before she could say a word, Austin spoke in a deathly cold tone. "I know what you're thinking and that's why I'm here. I have never and will never consider you as a potential love interest, especially not after you used the same assassins that got my parents."

Saddie looked down hurt and rejected then nodded in understanding. She would no longer fight for something that was obviously far out of her reach.

Austin walked off without another word to visit his parents' grave. He distractedly stared as his hand as he wondered about his odd behaviour and words earlier. It felt natural yet unnatural at the same time. The feeling of liberation had came and went too.

Eva hurriedly passed an envelope that held her apology letter to Esmeralda's attendant and gestured that it was to be given to Esmeralda before going after Austin.

A week passed with Eva cooped up in her room or the library and Austin going about his business as usual. They only shared their meals together in her room with Austin giving the excuse that he still did not trust her to eat well by herself.

Eva would only start her job as his bodyguard after she was deemed completely recovered by the doctor. In the meantime, she returned to practicing her martial arts in her room after she woke up, treating it like a morning exercise. She read a lot in the library and with Edwin's help of procuring resources, she began experimenting as much as she could with poisons and weapons back in her room. Edwin also taught her how to shoot and about the various guns she had at her disposal.

Eva gradually felt like she was getting back into her groove. Interestingly, she did not take as long as she thought to recover from her stomach ulcer. It was the same with the external injuries she suffered the last time. She wondered if this was the effect of having a stronger spiritual energy in this world. After all, BaoBao did say that such a thing do carry over from across worlds.

Once the doctor passed her health status, Austin moved on to the next step of his plans. He had wanted to turn her parents in without letting Eva be present, however her only request to him was to be present when that happened. He hesitated but eventually went along with it and waited till she was well.

Instead of needing two guards for each of them like at the start, they only needed two guards in total. The reason was clear for anyone to see. Her parents looked emaciated. Their clothes were tattered with brown dried up blood stains all over, hair matted, bodies littered with old and new wounds, and their eyes lifeless. They probably would not have been able to do anything even if their legs were not chained and hands unbounded. 

The light in their eyes slightly recovered when they finally recognised the person standing in front of Austin. Jealousy and anger helped them regain some vigour as they found the energy to spout out more gibberish.

"Well, well, isn't that Eva?"

"What's she doing all well and healthy here?"

"She must have lied and pretended to be all innocent."

"She'd do anything to save her own skin."

"What're you looking at us like that for? Who do you think you are?" Her mother would have shouted if she had the energy to.

"Just wait for the day she stabs you in the back." Her father attempted to sow discord.

Austin had been concerned about how Eva would be with the way her parents talked about her, but when he walked forward and stole a peek at her expression, he realised that she was like an entirely different person now.

He had been surprised when he met her in the morning. Not only did she have a drastic change in her hairstyle, she was also dressed in shirt and pants like a man, except that it was tailored to fit her body snugly. Now, she continued to stand upright with her back straight and face forward despite her parents' verbal attacks. At the most, the only emotion that may be expressed in her cold gaze was pity.

To BaoBao's chagrin, Eva had cut her hair into a pixie cut the previous night, mainly in hopes that she and Austin would draw less flak for having a girl as a bodyguard. She had caught the fleeting expression of surprise on Austin's face when she met him in the morning. Edwin, however, was completely in the know of it since he had also helped her with the tailoring of the suit.

When she saw her parents and heard all the things they had to say about her, she felt nothing but pity and shame. How pitiable that this is their only way to feel good about themselves. I can't believe I used them as a replacement for my real family. This is an insult to my parents.

Since her parents were of no danger to Austin now, she let Austin walk slightly ahead of her while she stayed behind and slightly to his side. His other 4 bodyguards readily assumed their positions further behind him as usual.