After the incident passed, Eva thought at that time that her path wouldn't cross Christian's again, and she felt a twinge of regret.
But just as she knew when to try and make plans, she also knew when to give up. It was also all about her feelings, and Christian hadn't shown her enough worth for her to approach him herself.
She thought she had found a glimmer of hope, but once again, she was mistaken. Nothing new at all.
But when she encountered him again while outside, having her plans to go out with Olivia, her daughter unexpectedly been canceled, claiming she had something else to do.
Knowing the real reason behind Olivia's cancellation, Eva felt a sense of helplessness but decided to continue with her outing, hoping for some kind of change of pace.
So, meeting him there couldn't have surprised her more; she felt that their paths crossing this many times could no longer be a coincidence. It began to dawn on her that maybe he could truly become her lifeline, the rope that would rescue her from this thorny life.
Still, she couldn't shake off her hesitation, even with the changes she had observed in him, as she realized that her decisions regarding him had always been driven by impulse, unlike her usual self.
While there were aspects of him that seemed inexplicable by logic alone, it remained just that, after all, it didn't miraculously translate into evidence.
But strangely, after talking with him, she felt more confident in her speculation.
She, who appeared to have everything, and he, who seemed to have nothing in comparison to her. Strangely, the confidence emanating from him, when he wasn't trying to impress her with his terrible pickup skills, was far greater than hers. What's more, he didn't even seem to notice it about himself.
Could it be a confidence born of ignorance? Even this thought crossed her mind.
Knowing that she had only one chance, one she had worked very hard for, she wasn't confident that he was truly the right choice. But how much longer could she wait?
At their first meeting, while still still feeling a bit hesitant, she didn't appreciate how he brought up her daughter. Despite how deep down, she knew it was true: Olivia was different from her; after all, she didn't know how to mask her emotions skillfully.
She was also aware that her indulgence and the influence of those around her daughter were the reasons.
Yet, a question nagged at her: Why should her daughter feel compelled to mask her own emotions? Why shouldn't she be willful, expressing herself freely?
Ultimately, she chose not to dwell on his comment. But had it come from someone else, she might have reacted differently. Her tolerance for Christian didn't extend to everyone, and considering that he hadn't elaborated much, it was also clear that he was simply trying to capture her attention.
More than that, when he actually said that she was the older sister of Olivia, despite how he seemed to know that she was not, it was a clear attempt to pique her interest. Shamefully, she found herself quite happy with this compliment.
There was also the memory of how Olivia had been really rude to him and his sister in front of her on graduation day. So, if there had been any lingering dissatisfaction about this subject, it had vanished completely.
Many things happened, with them going out together a couple of times, and meeting with his sister at the graduation site. While she didn't reveal much about herself, she got to know him better during this time and discovered many things about him.
So, she became more confident in her judgment about him.
Despite appearing cautious, he was actually somewhat reckless and seemed to lack a deep understanding of himself.
Also, while she couldn't comment on his social and flirting skills, he didn't seem to lack anything else.
Then there was his body, which she noticed more clearly as he moved; it was quite impressive, even though it was hidden by his clothes.
Naturally, that was also one of the reasons she became more certain about him; after all, he shouldn't have been involved in anything related to fitness or sports.
At first, before meeting him, Eva wanted to strike some kind of deal with him if possible. However, now as she observed how seriously he seemed to be pursuing her and wanting a relationship. While she was a little surprised because of the difference in age, after giving it more thought, she found herself not minding the possibility.
A deal or a relationship, either option would have serious repercussions for her, with both equally daunting. So did it really matter?
So, she decided to give him a chance, or rather, the die had already been cast, and she was prepared to see things through to the end. After all, he wasn't forcing her into anything; she could be said to be using him, in fact. As he didn't seem to need anything from her, unlike her. So, she would simply go with what her mind and heart were telling her.
While, of course, something like miraculously falling in love didn't happen, Eva found herself surprisingly open to responding to his advances.
She also sensed that there was something truly special about him, which made her even more open to the possibility.
The feeling she experienced when being pursued by someone special, yet in an ordinary way, was quite nice and even refreshing compared to all the different people around her.
More importantly, she felt sincerity and a sense of youthfulness in their interactions.
Getting to experience youthful moments filled with ordinary, seemingly unimportant things, which she hadn't had the chance to enjoy when she was younger, Eva found quite fun, almost novel.
The most important thing was that she didn't feel any disgust toward him, unlike that bastard.
There was even a sense of fondness toward him now, which, while it hadn't reached the level of love or falling for him, made her feel that if they wanted a relationship, it could certainly start from this.
And while he appeared sincere in his pursuit, he also didn't seem head over heels for her. Yet, perhaps his emotions were closer to love than hers?
Anyway, she didn't dislike his advances; even his clumsiness in socializing seemed quite adorable and cute at times.
Most importantly, he was actually quite handsome!
All these things aside, from what she had heard from Sophia, her maid, the world was changing.
Even her daughter would be leaving her in a couple of months at most.
And while she didn't want to be left behind here in Harrisburg, she knew that going with her daughter wouldn't change anything; it would only make her life more miserable, with even more potential repercussions she didn't want to consider, especially since that bastard and all the others were living in the that city.
So, for her now, Christian really seemed like the only option.
'I don't hope for revenge, Christian, but at least freedom shouldn't be too expensive, right?'
While thinking this, Eva also hoped that maybe he could help with her daughter's situation, and if that happened, things couldn't be better.
After all, the engagement talk about her daughter had vanished in recent years, so she should be different from her.
'I want the ability to at least be involved in my daughter's life and to be free. I'm not asking for much, right?'
'It should be a cheap dream compared to someone steeped in arrogance and ambition like you, right, Christian?'
While Eva knew that the arrogance she sensed in him was likely something he wasn't even conscious of, and he normally tries to present himself as her equal, seemingly aware of their age difference.
In the end, despite being filled with contradictions, it was still a fact that there was arrogance in him.
'But you have that something, which are giving you confidence to be , right, Christian?'
'With all this, there's still a chance to take a step back, but you're not going to take it anyway, right?'
'So it's not my fault.'
'I don't want to be in the dark anymore, and you will take me to the light, Christian.'
'Every girl will at least dream of the prince riding the white horse at least once in their lives. And I'm no different.'
'You can be that prince for me, Christian.'
'My life, which was supposed to end still in a cage, is no more.'
'We either live together now, with my freedom, or we can just die together.'
While looking at the moon in the sky, with a gleam in her eyes and a charming smile adorning her face, Eva, who felt like she had confessed her emotions to Christian even before him, finally muttered.
"But it's not my fault, right, Christian? After all, you were the one who fell for me first."