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“Um, uh… sniff!”

I burst into louder sobs.

“Sniff, these tears, h-hiccup, too much, sob, coming out, huuu…”

The priest’s face frowned.

Oh no. Is my plan falling apart? I feel dizzy.

“Just a moment, please. I’ll go get a handkerchief.”

The priest headed towards the room, and soon there was a soft click as the door closed.

I was left alone.

Oh? Suddenly, an opportunity like this?

I quickly stood up and rushed to the desk.

It must be here…! Where is it, my divorce papers!

The papers were in a chaotic pile. Perhaps due to my anxiety, the desired documents were nowhere to be seen. My hands moved faster and faster. My heart was pounding.

Hurry, hurry…!

At that moment, I heard the footsteps of the priest drawing near.

Oh no! Why do I only have two eyes! I have to find it quickly!

It felt like the door could open any second.

Should I go back to my original position? Should I wait for the next opportunity? When! When will I have another chance to come here again!

In that moment, the word “divorce” caught my eye.

“I found it…!”

“Devotee?”

Gasp.

A long, yet short silence passed.

The priest looked at me with surprise, standing in an unexpected place. His gaze dropped down to the document I was holding.

His face contorted like a monster about to explode as he realized what it was.

“No!”

The enraged priest rushed towards me.

I hastily took the paper to the lantern placed on the desk.

Burn, burn fiercely! Burn up my sad ending!

“Hand it over!”

The priest was faster than I had anticipated.

Priest Brother… how many seconds did it take you to run 100 meters? You should try being an athlete instead of a priest…

He forcefully pressed me against the desk. To prevent it from being snatched away, I tightly clenched the paper with both hands. The paper crumpled within my palms. The priest tore at my fingers.

“No, I refuse! I won’t get a divorce!”

I struggled and resisted, but the priest’s strength was overwhelming.

“Let go!”

Why is he so strong! He’s good at running and strong, he should go to Taereung[1] instead of being here!

In the midst of the struggle, the paper was about to be snatched away. The priest jumped back like a startled hamster.

“Oh no! It’s on fire!” 

At his frantic finger-pointing and squawking, I instinctively touched my lips. Soft, fleshy lips met my hand.

Wait, it’s a mouth. No beak. [2]

Then, I felt warmth on the back of my head.

No, it was hot.

“Fuck! What the heck is this!”

My long hair was engulfed in flames. In the midst of our struggle, the lantern that was meant to burn the paper had accidentally caught onto my hair.

“AAAAHH! My hair!”

* * *

I stumbled forward with feeble steps.

In the end, the documents were snatched away. My hair was completely burned, dangling loosely over my shoulders.

What should I do now…? Should I just pray desperately? Should I admit my mistake? Maybe if I beg like I did to the dot-nosed priest, he would forgive me…

Etienne’s cold gaze flashed through my mind.

No, that won’t work. He’s Mr. Merciless. He will never forgive me.

Then… should I confess?

The truth is, I was in love. That’s why I stole it. Just to feel your scent.

Wink!

Damn, this sounds like something a crazy woman would do.

Should I just honestly confess that I love your money?

Hey!

In order for me to stop stealing, be my lifelong supplier of wealth!

I will be a parasite by your side for the rest of my life, sucking everything out of you…

No matter how much I thought about it, there was no answer. In the end, without making any decisions, I opened the door.

Etienne sat there, just like two days ago.

His silver hair, untouched by a speck of dust, and neatly styled clothes with a collar that remained in perfect order. His sharp features remained as dignified as ever.

On the other hand, I was a mess. My clothes were already a mess from the dust, and it was clear that my face had gone days without a proper wash.

Especially my half-burned hair, it was truly a work of art.

Even if one intentionally tried to make a mess, they couldn’t have done it to this extent.

Etienne looked at me, taken aback.

Why? Do you think I’ve suffered more than you expected?

Yes, you’re right. So, revoke the divorce. Do it now.

But soon, he regained his original calm expression. I could hear his icy voice.

“Do you have something to say?”

He doesn’t even feel sorry for seeing me like this…? Heartless jerk.

Of course, he’s surprised only because I’m so filthy, right?

Damn it, the strategy of confessing my love and begging recklessly won’t work. I crumpled up the plan I had been contemplating until now.

In times like this, it’s better to just be straightforward and direct.

[1] It is a training center for athletes.

[2]?(bul) can refer to both “fire” and “bird” in Korean, depending on the context. so when the priest shouted there is ? (fire) she thought he was saying there’s a bird… that’s why she checked if she had a beak.

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