One Year Without You

One year after Kaye's passing, Mikhail continued to visit her grave daily, even amid his busy schedule. His commitment to these visits persisted, even if it meant arriving late at night. The sorrow lingered not just for him but also for Kaye's other husbands, who tearfully struggled to move on. Their hearts would forever carry a missing piece, a void that time could never fill.

Within the Fuentebella mansion, Mikhail was cleaning his gun when he noticed Isaac walking. It seemed like he was about to leave the house again.

"Where do you think you're going?" Mikhail inquired with a cold expression.

Isaac raised an eyebrow, responding, "Since when did you become interested in my whereabouts?"

The gun hit the table with force as Mikhail glared at Isaac.

"I haven't caused trouble since I woke up in this world. You claimed you don't care about me, yet you locked me in the mansion, keeping me from seeing Kaye. She passed away without me meeting her. How long will your selfishness persist?" Isaac's pain was evident in his eyes. "If only you had allowed me to see her, maybe I could have saved her."

Mikhail scoffed, "Save her? Did you manage to save her back in the Serolf Empire? If not for her, you'd be dead by now."

Isaac met his gaze, asserting, "You speak as if you saved her from jumping off that bridge. Do you know why she took her own life? Because she feared you!"

In a surge of anger, Mikhail grabbed Isaac's collar. "You don't know what happened, so don't act like you know everything."

Isaac pushed him away, adjusting his clothes. "Right, I don't know anything. Thanks to you," he retorted, leaving the mansion.

Mikhail clenched his fists, consumed by his emotions, paying no heed to Isaac's departure.

Now free to go wherever he pleased, Isaac drove to a place he often visited in this world.

.

.

Isaac patiently waited outside Tin's house, he saw her leave the house, carrying her daughter, with her husband following closely behind.

"Please don't forget what I told you earlier. I don't know when I'll return, so sleep with our baby and don't wait for me," she said to her husband, exchanging a tender kiss before approaching Isaac's car.

Isaac stepped out of the car to open the door for her.

"Bye, baby!" Tin waved at her daughter and husband as they drove away.

"How is she?" Tin inquired as they traveled to visit someone.

"She's doing well, unlike before," Isaac reassured her.

Tin sighed with relief. "I'm glad to hear that." She gazed out the window, capturing the passing scenery.

After a lengthy journey, they finally arrived in J Province. Parking the car near a towering tree, they carried paper bags filled with clothes, food, and essentials. In the heart of the farm stood a modest house, surrounded by a sea of enchanting roses.

Isaac couldn't help but smile upon spotting the woman on the swing, cradling her baby boy. Tin's joy overflowed as she sprinted towards them.

"Kaye!!!" Tin exclaimed.

Kaye turned around and smiled upon seeing them approaching.

"Waahahh, I missed you so much!" Tin said, glancing at the baby. "How are you, Mr. Cutie Pie? Your godmother missed you too!"

"I'm glad you guys paid a visit," Kaye remarked, casting a glance at Isaac.

Isaac hugged her. "I missed you so much, Mine," he said, then kissed her.

"I missed you too," Kaye responded.

(Mine was Isaac's endearment for Kaye.)

Isaac lifted the baby and planted a kiss on its forehead.

"Come inside, I'll prepare snacks for you. I'm sure you're hungry from the long travel," Kaye invited.

The three entered the house, settling in the living room.

"No one followed you, right?" Kaye inquired.

"Don't worry, they don't pay attention to me. No one even likes to talk to me there, so even if I leave, they won't care," Isaac assured.

"I took a day off, telling them that I would visit a relative. I don't think they will pay attention to it," Tin added.

"That's great," Kaye said, a sense of tranquility settling in the room.

A year had passed since that harrowing incident when Kaye, on the verge of taking her own life, found herself rescued by an unexpected savior. As she teetered on the edge of a bridge, contemplating suicide, Izekiel appeared, grabbing hold of her in a desperate bid to prevent her fall. To her astonishment, he shouted and cried, pleading for her not to jump. He successfully rescued her and concealed her in a secret refuge.

She confided in him, revealing everything about the baby and its father. Isaac, understanding her predicament, embraced the truth. She pleaded with him not to disclose this information to anyone, especially her family, as she felt too ashamed to face them. With Isaac's assistance, they managed to convince everyone that she had passed away. Isaac even went so far as to hire someone to find a deceased body, making it appear as though it were Kaye.

Despite the success of the plan, Kaye continued to grapple with depression. Thanks to Isaac, who consistently visited and supported her, she gradually returned to her normal self. He stood by her side during the birth of her son. A month after giving birth, Kaye made the decision to reach out to Tin. Naturally, Tin kept the secret to herself, as Kaye resided in a secluded province with her son and a nanny.

"Kaye, are you sure you want to live here until your son grows up?" Tin inquired.

Kaye smiled, gazing at her son. "Yes, this is the only place where we are safe, and no one will see us."

"But... What about your boyfriend? Every time I visit your grave, I see him there. He seems to visit every day," Tin revealed.

Kaye was taken aback by the news about Mikhail. Tears welled up in her eyes. "But this is the right thing to do. If they meet my son, they will despise him. I don't want my son to receive hate from them."

"It's alright, Mine. If you want to stay here forever, then it's fine. I'm still waiting for the right time to leave the mansion. Once I'm sure they won't find it suspicious if I leave, I will join you here. I'm willing to be the father of your child," Isaac declared.

Tin glanced at Isaac, realizing the complexity of their relationship. Isaac had acted like a boyfriend, yet she had heard he was Mikhail's brother. Was this a forbidden love, a love triangle, or a rivalry between brothers?

Kaye smiled, caressing Isaac's face. "Thank you, Kiel."

Isaac grinned, playing with her son's fingers. "He's so cute."

"By the way..." Kaye said.

The two looked at her, awaiting her words.

"Timothy... Never heard about my pregnancy, right?" she asked.

"Well, your boyfriend and Kurtis did know about it, but I'm not sure if they informed Timothy. According to the news, when he found out that you died, he suffered from depression. His father acted as a mayor while he's still undergoing his therapy," Tin replied.

"Mikhail will never inform him; he hates that man," Isaac asserted.

"You're right. I was hoping he would never learn about this. I'm afraid if he finds out, he will take away the child from me," she admitted.

"I will never let that happen!" Isaac vowed.

"But there's a rumor spreading that he will return to his duty next month," Tin added.

"Please make sure that he will never know about our child. Although I didn't expect to have a child with him, this baby is still mine, and I don't want to be separated from him," Kaye said.

"Don't worry, Mine, your secret is safe with us," Isaac reassured. Tin nodded.

"Thank you, guys," Kaye expressed her gratitude.

In the afternoon, Isaac drove Tin to the bus station. He planned to stay with Kaye for two more days and spend time with her and her child. Returning to Kaye's house in the evening, he found the baby asleep, and Kaye sat on the veranda, gazing at the moon.

"I will go to the municipal hall tomorrow to process the child's birth certificate. You'll let me be his father, right?" Isaac asked.

Kaye sighed. "Kiel... You don't really have to do that."

Isaac kneeled in front of her, holding her hands. "But I'm willing to be his father, Kaye. I don't want your child to grow up without a father. And besides..." Isaac lowered his head. "We lost our child back in Serolf Empire. It still pains me that I never had the chance to see our baby. So please let me be his father; I will treat him like my own son."

Kaye wiped her tears. "Are you really sure?"

Isaac nodded.

Kaye hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much, Kiel. If it wasn't for you, maybe me and my child would have already died. And if I managed to survive that day, I'm not sure what our future would be. Thank you for everything."

"It's my duty as your husband... And all I want is your happiness. I love you so much, Kaye. I'm willing to do everything for you," he declared, giving her a tender kiss under the moon.

.

.

....

Kaye stared at the birth certificate of her son. Eros Fuentebella— that's the name of her son. She smiled while wiping her tears.

Isaac hugged her from behind. "I'm leaving this afternoon. Please take care of yourself and our baby while I'm not around."

Kaye turned to face him and cupped his face. "I will. Please take care as well. We will wait for your return."

"I will call you when I arrive at the city," he assured, kissing her cheek and embracing her tightly. "I will miss you."

.

.

....

At the mansion, even though a year had passed, the atmosphere among the residents of the house remained somber. They grew distant, absorbed in their work, and rarely eat together at home. Troy felt that their family was gradually falling apart, and since Kaye's death, many things had changed.

"I heard you already cut your connection with the BM company," Raon said, engrossed in his work on his laptop.

"Tsk. It served them right, after what the chairman's daughter did to Kaye. If she hadn't planned to kidnap her and worked with Timothy, Kaye wouldn't be locked on that island and married to that jerk," Mikhail remarked, exhaling smoke from his cigarette.

Raon stopped typing and sighed deeply. The thought of Kaye's pregnancy leading to her tragic end weighed heavily on him. He regretted not being able to help her when she needed them.

"She's still lucky I'm holding back myself from killing her," Mikhail added.

Silence engulfed the room, only broken by Tristan's presence as he descended the stairs, carrying his luggage.

"Where are you going?" Raon inquired.

"My parents asked me to stay with them for a while. I thought it's better to take a break; every time I see Kaye's room, it only pains me. I need a respite from the loneliness I've felt this whole year," Tristan explained.

"But you will return here, right?" Troy asked.

Tristan smiled. "Of course, this is our home." Then he left.

After Tristan left, the room was once again enveloped in silence, casting a gloomy atmosphere.

"Tsk," Mikhail stood up and exited the house, heading to his car and driving away.

Raon sighed, focusing again on his work.

Troy, on the other hand, felt a growing concern that the family Kaye had created would gradually depart from the house, one by one, and never return.

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.

Ivan's grandpa knocked on the door, but Ivan didn't respond. Opening the door and peeking inside, he found the room shrouded in darkness, as all the curtains were tightly closed, blocking out the sunlight. Ivan sat in the corner, his broken violin on the floor. Since Kaye's death, he had abandoned music, joining the others in blaming himself for not recognizing her feelings and struggles.

If only he had come home early that day and hadn't left his phone behind, perhaps this tragedy wouldn't have occurred, and he wouldn't have lost her. But it was too late now, and without Kaye, Ivan felt his life had become meaningless.

"Van... If you stay like this, she won't be happy for you," his grandpa gently advised.

Having met Kaye when she visited their home, bringing cookies intended for Ivan, the grandpa understood the depth of Ivan's grief.

Ivan couldn't hold back his tears in front of his grandpa, who embraced him, offering solace and comfort. It pained the older man to see his grandson in such anguish. Kaye had been incredibly important to Ivan, and he knew his grandson was deeply in love with her. Ivan often spoke of Kaye, and his eyes, while telling stories about her, were filled with love. The grandpa sighed, hoping that with time, Ivan would find a way to move on and heal from the profound pain he was currently experiencing.

.

.

It was already evening when Warren walked to the garden, carrying beers for himself and Benjamin. He found Benjamin sitting on the bench, gazing at the rose in his hand. Kaye had a deep love for roses, and in their years of guarding her, they had witnessed her fondness for flowers. She often asked the servants to bring roses to her room, admiring their beauty.

Warren sat down beside Benjamin, offering him a beer. Benjamin took it and took a sip.

"How can we call ourselves knights and guards for her when we couldn't save her that day? Why do we always fail?" Benjamin scoffed, his frustration evident.

Warren sighed. On the day Kaye left the headquarters, he had hesitated to confess his feelings to her again. Overcome by the fear of rejection, he managed only to say 'thank you.' He loved Kaye deeply, recalling the first time they kissed in her room in Serolf Empire. The memory of their lips meeting, his heart racing, lingered vividly. He had expressed his feelings to her then, but amidst the chaos and increasing responsibilities, he never found the chance to clarify his true feelings, and it seemed like Kaye had forgotten about it. No matter how much he regretted, nothing could change the fact that Kaye was no longer here.

Warren clenched the beer can in his hand, causing it to overflow and spill onto the ground.

Benjamin stared up at the sky. "Do you think she's watching us right now?" he asked, seeking some form of solace.

Warren remained silent.

Benjamin laughed bitterly. "If she's watching us, I hope she can hear me. I want to apologize to her for being a useless knight and boyfriend." Tears flowed from Benjamin's eyes, his pain was evident.

Warren patted his shoulder, watching as Benjamin cried in anguish. Unable to contain the pain any longer, Warren's tears began to fall as well. He grabbed another can of beer, drinking it while tears streamed down his face. With Kaye's absence, their lives would never be the same again.

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Troy emerged from Cedie's room and halted when he noticed Kurtis leaning against the wall.

"How's Cedie?" Kurtis inquired.

"He's already asleep. But he cried again, calling Kaye's name in his sleep," Troy replied, wearing a downcast expression.

Kurtis sighed. Cedie, once a strong beastman in Serolf Empire, now displayed vulnerability like a child. Perhaps Kaye's nurturing and love had transformed him, making him forget his former wolf-beast nature.

"Kurtis, I'm getting scared," Troy confessed.

"Scared about what?" Kurtis asked.

"Now that Kaye is no longer here... I'm afraid others will begin to separate from us and live on their own. If that happens... Our family will be..." Tears welled up in Troy's eyes.

Kurtis approached him, patting his shoulder. "That will never happen. Kaye was the one bonding us together... Distancing from us will only show that they have already forgotten her."

Troy sniffled, wiping away his tears.

"Stop crying; Kaye won't be happy," Kurtis advised before heading to his room to rest.