The Estelle Empire and the Barkan Empire had been at war for many years, vying for continental hegemony.

What began as a fierce struggle for victory gradually turned into a war of attrition that exhausted everyone.

The endless war resulted only in countless sacrifices and depleted resources, and the dissatisfaction of the imperial citizens grew with each passing year.

Just as everyone thought they had reached their limit, the two empires finally signed an armistice agreement.

Although the war was not completely over, the soldiers and their families could not hide their joy at the fact that they could return to the arms of their loved ones.

The news also reached Guest, who lived in a small rural village.

Guest shed tears of joy at the thought that her husband, Lucian, who had participated in the war, would be returning.

A short while later, the soldiers who had participated in the war began to return to the village one by one.

Some were severely injured and left with lifelong aftereffects, while others had lost limbs. Those who did not survive returned to their families as cold corpses.

Though their conditions varied, everyone returned to their families.

Except for one person.

Only Lucian sent no word even after everyone else had returned.

Guest sought out the soldiers who had served with him to ask of his whereabouts, but no one knew where Lucian had gone.

Her hope of meeting her husband again was shattered, and Guest fell into a deeper sorrow.

While everyone else was reuniting with their families, the reality that only her husband had vanished without a trace was hard to accept.

Fortunately, there was someone who silently stayed by Guest's side. It was Elliot, Lucian's childhood friend who had served in the war with him.

Elliot visited every day, worried about the lonely Guest. He carefully checked if she was skipping meals or if she was crying, and he always remained by her side.

Naturally, the days they shared meals increased, and before long, they were spending most of their day together.

The time that passed in this way slowly healed Guest's wounds. The days spent in tears gradually decreased, and soon there were more days spent smiling.

The time they spent comforting each other also changed their relationship little by little. The two acquaintances became friends, and the two friends eventually fell in love.

Elliot, who used to knock on her door every morning, had now become the person she woke up with in the same bed.

Then, one day, three years after the armistice was signed.

News of a pregnancy arrived for the two of them.

A new life was conceived in Guest's womb. For the two who were thinking of marriage, it was a news like a precious gift.

That night, Elliot proposed to Guest.

Guest accepted his proposal with a joyful heart, believing that only happy days lay ahead.

The two were spending a happy evening together.

It was then.

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the front door.

There was no one expected to visit at this hour.

A strange sense of anxiety brushed past Guest's chest.

Elliot approached the door with a puzzled expression.

"Who is it?"

He asked several times, but there was no answer.

After a moment's hesitation, Elliot slowly turned the doorknob.

The moment the door opened.

Standing there—

Was Lucian, returned after three years.

The warm and gentle appearance of the past was nowhere to be found; he stood there with a cold, chilling gaze.

For a moment, neither of them recognized him.