SFYF 01

Chapter 1

Marien stared at the heavy door and slowly drew in a breath. The thick oak stood like an immense wall, blocking her path.

Her sapphire-blue eyes, deep as the cosmos, flickered with a hint of tension. Uncharacteristically, Marien gripped the hem of her dress tightly, oblivious to the crumpling silk, and fixed her gaze intently on the door.

No—more precisely, on the man standing beyond it.

“Christoph.”

His name slipped softly from her lips. She wondered if there would come a day when she regretted this very moment. Perhaps someday, recalling today, she might burst into tears.

But not now. Biting her lip firmly to steady her wavering resolve, she knocked on the door.

Knock, knock.

There was no reply. Only after she knocked a second time did a dry voice drift from the other side: “Come in.”

It was that same deep, resonant voice that always made her heart flutter, no matter the time or place.

Marien took one last breath before turning the doorknob. The door opened soundlessly, gradually revealing the orderly study beyond.

A mahogany desk sat before a large window draped with sunlight like a curtain, and in front of it stood a sofa and a small table for guests. Against one wall rose an enormous bookshelf stretching nearly to the ceiling.

Gentle spring breezes slipped through the half-open window, causing the deep sapphire curtains—matching the hue of her eyes—to flutter softly. The study, always filled with books and documents, carried the familiar dry scent of paper.

It was a scene so familiar she could sketch it with her eyes closed. It was also a place she rather liked. Marien let her eyes wander around the room before finally settling her gaze on the man standing by the window.

The man with raven-black hair and penetrating black eyes was her husband, Christoph K. Schneider.

His sharply defined eyebrows and straight nose were undeniably masculine, yet his pale skin—contrasting starkly with his dark hair—sometimes appeared almost ghostly.

But Marien knew well the solid, muscular frame hidden beneath his business suit—a body so firm not even a finger could dent it.

Whenever she bore his full weight, she always felt steadiness before heaviness—perhaps because she truly believed that this remarkable man belonged entirely to her.

Christoph, slipping a jacket over his black waistcoat, glanced toward the door. Seeing Marien standing there, he quickly gathered the documents from his desk into his briefcase.

His expressionless eyes and tightly closed lips were as cool and composed as ever. His black hair was perfectly combed back, and his business suit bore not a single wrinkle.

Staring at him—so composed he seemed incapable of bleeding even if pricked with a needle—Marien finally managed to speak.

“Christoph.”

“If it’s not important, we’ll talk later. I’m on my way out. I have an appointment with Chief Justice Botenstain.”

His low voice, resonating deep in her chest, remained exactly to her taste—the crisp, precise diction and perfectly measured pace.

Yet she also knew how cruel that voice could become at times. Even so, it was the very first reason she loved him.

Perhaps the second reason was his handsome face.

Though, admittedly, one or two out of ten people might disagree with calling him handsome—he wasn’t the typical blond, blue-eyed beauty.

In fact, newcomers often felt an inexplicable discomfort upon first meeting Christoph, owing to his cold demeanor.

But to Marien, even his sarcasm was another reason to love him. From the moment they met, she’d clearly been wearing thick rose-tinted glasses.

“It’s important… at least to me.”

She added the last part hesitantly, uncertain whether what she was about to say would matter to Christoph as well.

Christoph checked his watch, frowned slightly, and cast a glance her way.

“Can’t it wait until I get back? The Chief Justice is strict about punctuality.”

His curt tone made Marien flinch involuntarily. Normally, she’d have smiled and seen him off by now, but not today. If she didn’t speak now, her resolve might crumble.

Seeing Marien remain silent with a hardened expression, Christoph sighed briefly and spoke quickly.

“I’ll give you three minutes. Keep it short and state your business.”

Suddenly, she burst into laughter—it was so quintessentially Christoph. His neatly aligned black eyebrows twitched at her unexpected mirth.

Christoph fixed his dark, obsidian eyes on her smile, his gaze sharp and probing, as if trying to read her thoughts.

Just as he parted his lips to speak, Marien cut in first. She walked resolutely toward the desk and replied,

“One minute is enough.”

She placed the documents she’d been holding onto the desk. Christoph glanced at his watch, then shifted his gaze from the papers to her. An indifferent question crossed the desk.

“What’s this?”

“Divorce papers.”

“…”

For a moment, Christoph fell silent. His expression vanished as if doused with cold water. Though he’d never been particularly expressive, the subtle shift made the atmosphere feel even colder.

He stared at her wordlessly for a moment, then exhaled sharply. Rubbing his brow with an annoyed expression, he muttered through clenched teeth,

“What nonsense is this, Marien?”

“Let’s get divorced.”

Marien finally spoke the words after drawing a quiet breath. She’d expected them to catch in her throat at this decisive moment, but surprisingly, they flowed out easily—

as naturally as if she’d practiced them for a very long time.

Tsk.

Christoph clicked his tongue lowly. After checking his watch once more, he picked up his briefcase. A dry voice issued from his parched lips.

“Is this about Veronica? I, too, am saddened by my sister-in-law’s death, but it’s clearly a suicide—she threw herself into the river. I personally reviewed the police report and spoke with her dorm roommate. According to her, Veronica was devastated after being dumped by her lover. There’s no doubt about this case, Marien.”

His firm tone left Marien with only a bitter smile.

Veronica, ever since nearly drowning in a well as a child, had never gone near water again. She was so fearful that even the sight of a fountain made her take a wide detour.

Marien could understand Veronica choosing a drastic end out of heartbreak—but the idea that she’d jumped into a river was simply unbelievable.

Yet Christoph wouldn’t even listen to her. And Marien was forced to confront the painful helplessness of knowing she could do nothing for Veronica.

Or perhaps what hurt even more was realizing that what mattered deeply to her meant nothing to him.

Then, truths she’d deliberately ignored marched boldly before her eyes—the possibility that she, too, might not be all that important to him.

It was true that Veronica’s case had been the catalyst, as Christoph said. But for the past three years, kindling had been steadily piling up inside her.

All that remained was for the flames to ignite fiercely—and then, only black ash would scatter from her heart.

No more love, resentment, or hope would remain.

Would that make things easier?

“Enough with this childish game.”

Even in this moment, as she demanded a divorce, Christoph remained stubbornly practical and rational. He clearly thought she was bluffing—or perhaps merely pressuring him to investigate Veronica’s case further.

His dismissive attitude stemmed from the confidence that a divorce couldn’t happen without his consent—and Christoph had not the slightest intention of divorcing her.

Marien glanced pointedly at his watch and gave a light nod.

“My business is done. You can’t keep Chief Justice Botenstain waiting, can you?”

“We’ll talk when I get back.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Christoph strode briskly across the study. To him, a meeting with Chief Justice Botenstain was clearly more important than divorcing Marien, his wife of three years.

A bitter smile finally settled on Marien’s lips. She’d expected this—but that didn’t make it hurt any less.

Thud.

She heard another log drop onto the pile in her chest—the kindling soon to catch fire and burn black.

“Marien.”

Just as he was about to leave the study, Christoph paused briefly. He turned back to look at her—at her pained, wounded expression.

He seemed about to say something, but after one last glance at his watch, he stepped out into the corridor.

“We’ll talk tonight.”

As his footsteps faded away, Marien slowly lowered her gaze. Her faint hope turned, as expected, into disappointment—and Christoph, unknowingly, had just kicked away his final chance.

Marien lifted her chin proudly, though her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

“No, you won’t see me tonight, Christoph.”

Her words, spoken alone in the empty room, circled gently around her feet. Yes—he would never see her again.

It was both revenge for Christoph, who’d squandered his last chance, and a once-in-a-lifetime rebellion to protect herself.

“Karin!”

Marien called out the maid’s name. Karin appeared swiftly from somewhere and bowed her head. “You called, Madam Schneider?”

Madam Schneider.

At those words, Marien flinched involuntarily—but quickly composed herself and smiled gracefully as usual.

Everything had gone exactly as she’d anticipated so far. But there was no guarantee it would continue that way. Even the most perfect plan could collapse through the tiniest crack.

Marien regarded Karin with thoughtful eyes, then gave a faint, knowing smile.

“I’m going shopping now—could you hurry and get everything ready?”

“Of course, Madam Schneider.”

Karin hurried out of the study with quick, light steps. Once her figure disappeared, Marien absentmindedly scanned the room, committing to memory the view of the study—likely for the last time.

And the image of the man who’d just stood there.

The car carrying Marien and Karin slowly made its way through the seemingly endless garden. The gatekeeper, waiting with the gate open, bowed respectfully as the car passed.

Metasequoia trees lined both sides of the private road leading from the mansion, their towering heights requiring one to crane their neck fully to see the tops.

The car gradually picked up speed, cutting through the endless avenue of metasequoias. Marien turned her head to watch the mansion recede through the window.

A grand three-story white stone building stood majestically atop the green lawn. Its vivid blue roof contrasted strikingly against the white walls, shining even brighter in the sunlight.

Memories of joyful moments spent there, kind people she’d met, and times shared with Christoph flashed through her mind like a reel of film.

“What’s wrong, Madam Schneider? Did you forget something?”

Karin turned to her with a puzzled tone. Marien snapped back to the present, shook her head, and offered a faint smile.

“No, Karin. There’s nothing left behind.”

There was no room for lingering regrets.