I, Who Was Betrayed By The People I Loved Most - Chapter 4

It was a late afternoon, and I found myself alone in Oswald’s study.
He had been called away unexpectedly for official duties, and I had come in simply to tidy up his desk, as I usually did.
Before I realized it, my hand had reached toward one of the drawers.

That was when I found it—a small box I didn’t recognize.

Wrapped in deep navy velvet, it was an elegant little case, resting quietly in the corner, as if waiting for someone to open it.

—A present, perhaps… for me?

A small spark of hope flickered in my chest.
It wasn’t a special occasion, no holiday or anniversary… but still—maybe.
That thought alone was enough to make my fingers move.

I opened the lid gently.

Inside lay a delicate gold bracelet. A single charm hung from it, engraved with the letter K.

“…K?”

My name is Leticia. My husband’s is Oswald.
Neither of us has a K in our initials.

A strange dissonance stirred in my chest—but I quickly brushed it aside.

—It’s just a coincidence… It must mean nothing. Surely, it’s still meant for me.

I closed the box slowly and returned it to its place in the drawer.
Then I tucked that small discomfort deep within my heart.

◆◇◆

A few days later, in the afternoon, I spotted Camille sitting alone in a corner of the courtyard, basking in the sunlight while reading.

Under the gentle rays of spring, she wore a pure white dress, turning pages with graceful ease.

And then—I saw it.

Just as she reached to turn a page, something shimmered at her wrist.

—That bracelet… the one I found in Oswald’s study!

The charm swayed under the light, catching the sun in just the same way—
The letter K, gleaming as though it were mocking me.

In that moment, my breath caught.

—It wasn’t for me.
That bracelet… it was meant for Camille.

Realizing that sent a cold chill down my spine.

The vague unease that had been growing quietly in the corners of my heart…
Now it had taken form, standing before me.

Still, the very next moment, I began to desperately deny it in my mind.

—But even so… so what?
Maybe Camille had begged him for it.
Maybe Oswald just couldn’t say no.
Maybe it was a gift from a father figure—yes, that’s it. That must be it…

And yet, every time that K charm sparkled and swayed, I felt another thorn prick at my heart.

—Even if she had begged him for it… why didn’t he tell me?
Why was it hidden so deeply in the back of a drawer in his study?
Why didn’t Camille come to me? I’m her aunt… practically her mother…

There was no cold wind, and yet a shiver ran down my spine.

It had started as something faint—barely a hint.
But now, it was undeniably beginning to take shape in my heart.

Even so… I still wanted to believe.
In Oswald.
In Camille.

Because they were the two people I loved most in this world.

Please… I beg you.
Let them both stay as they were— Part of my gentle, perfect world.