Sweetheart, Do You Still Love Me

"So, this is your reason for repeatedly scheming against everyone?"

Yena realized her tone was rather hysterical and tried to regain her composure. "Does it matter? I've never been treated well, anyway."

At Yena's answer, Elspeth shook her head helplessly. "That is a vengeful mentality. It will eventually destroy you."

"Do I need you to tell me that? Do you think I don't know?" Yena staggered to her feet and walked to the edge of the rooftop, overlooking the scenery along the river. "The night view of Damoria is truly beautiful. I don't know if you've noticed, but when you stand at the top and look down, everything feels so small and surreal."

When Elspeth noticed the precarious railing, she felt a sense of unease.

"I come up here almost every night after work. I've schemed against too many people in my daily life. I'm truly exhausted. Only here can I truly relax. This is my secret sanctuary, but now you know my secret." With a relaxed expression, Yena held onto the railing and propped her chin with one hand. "Do you know what I was thinking just now? I wanted to push you off from up here."

At her words, Elspeth's heart skipped a beat. I was right to be cautious just now.

"But I didn't do that because I know you have good skills, and if we were to argue, I might end up being the one pushed off."

Elspeth chuckled. "Good that you know that, but I won't push you off. Maybe I'll choose to pull you back instead."

Surprised, Yena turned around and looked at Elspeth. "Why? Don't you hate me? If I die, everything can go back to how it was."

Elspeth slowly approached her but made sure to keep a safe distance from the precarious railing. "I don't hate you, but I do dislike you. You have hurt many people with your actions, so I can't bring myself to like you. But it's not exactly hatred. I have never truly hated anyone."

After hearing that, Yena raised an eyebrow. "I seem to understand why Callum likes you now. You are indeed different from other women."

"That's an overstatement, but it's best if you step back a bit. I don't think that railing is very safe."

At her words, Yena suddenly burst into crazy laughter. She deliberately reached out and shook the railing vigorously. "You think so? Actually, I've known all along that this railing is unsafe, but I still choose to lean on it. If nothing happens, then it's my luck, but if one day I accidentally fall off, then it's fate."

"Why do I feel like you don't really care about living?" Elspeth listened to her words and couldn't help but feel that they were the ramblings of someone who had lost all hope for life.

"Take a guess," said Yena as she blinked at Elspeth.

After Elspeth inspected her complexion, she noticed her heavy dark circles. Her footsteps seemed unsteady as she walked earlier, and her body appeared frail. "Are you sick?"

"Terminal lung cancer."

At her answer, Elspeth fell silent for a long time.

"Before this, I wanted to cure my cancer, but I found no results no matter where I sought medical help. That's when an evil thought crossed my mind—I wanted everyone to suffer from lung disease, just like me."

Instantly, Elspeth understood that this grand pandemic was actually a product of Yena's revenge on society. This is truly… mind-boggling.

"But I never expected that the virus I thought was incurable could have a cure so soon. I thought that even if there were people who could find a cure, it would take several years. I never imagined that you would persist and develop the cure so quickly. Elspeth, oh, Elspeth, you truly are my nemesis. Are you sent by God to punish me?"

Elspeth frowned. "I think your values are quite twisted. Perhaps before doing anything, you should carefully consider whether it's right or wrong."

"Consider? Why should I consider?" Yena shrugged. Due to the wine earlier, she felt dizzy and stumbled, almost falling off the railing. "I'm already on the verge of death. Do you think I still care about that?"

"So, you called me here today just to talk to me about these things?"

Yena nodded readily. "That's right. These things have been weighing on my heart for a long time, and I couldn't find anyone to confide in, so I thought of you. It's ironic that in the end, you're the one I can truly open up to."

At this moment, she forced a sorrowful smile. My life is so miserable that I don't even have a confidant by my side. In contrast, Elspeth has a blissful marriage, someone she loves, and a loyal friend who would do anything for her. Everyone seems to listen to her. She was consumed by jealousy and on the verge of madness.

Elspeth noticed the change in her gaze, which had become malicious. After she pondered for a moment, she took a few steps back instinctively.

"Elspeth, I don't understand why you have a better life than me."

As Elspeth watched Yena struggle with her obsession, she uttered a remark that hit the nail on the head. "Because you were wrong from the beginning."