The night draped itself over the Duke's manor like velvet—soft, elegant, and suffocating. The moon hung high, tinted with a faint blush of crimson, the color of a rose blooming beneath the stars. Servants whispered that such a moon was an omen—a sign that hidden truths were about to awaken.
Lady Seo Rin stood by the tall window of her chamber, her long gown pooling like liquid silk around her feet. She had spent the day pretending everything was normal—smiling at the maids, speaking politely at dinner—but her heart refused to rest. The memory of Duke Min Jae's gaze lingered in her mind, steady and unreadable, yet carrying something dangerous beneath the calm surface.
The wind brushed past, carrying faint voices from the courtyard below. Her curiosity stirred. Pulling her shawl tighter, she stepped onto the balcony.
Down by the stables, two stable boys whispered urgently.
> "I heard it myself!" one hissed. "The Duke's return wasn't by chance. They say he's come back because of her."
"Her? You mean Lady Seo Rin?" the other asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"Who else? Everyone knows he once—"
Seo Rin stepped back before she could hear more. Her heart pounded wildly, a storm trapped within her ribs. What could they mean? Why would his return have anything to do with her?
The door creaked open behind her. She froze.
"Can't sleep, Lady Seo Rin?"
His voice. Deep. Calm. Yet it carried that quiet authority that made even the air hesitate.
She turned slowly. Duke Min Jae stood at the threshold, dressed not in his usual black suit but a dark crimson one—one that matched the rose moon outside. His hair fell slightly over his eyes, his expression unreadable.
"I— I couldn't rest," she replied softly. "The manor feels... restless tonight."
Min Jae's lips curved faintly. "It always does when secrets begin to stir."
He walked closer, his footsteps echoing against the marble floor. She could smell faint traces of rain and cedar from his coat, and for a moment, it made her heart ache with something she couldn't name.
"Tell me," he said, stopping a step away. "Why were you looking toward the stables?"
Seo Rin hesitated. "I heard whispers... about you. About your return."
His eyes darkened slightly. "And what did you hear?"
She bit her lip. "That you came back because of me."
A silence settled—thick, charged, unspoken.
Then, a low chuckle escaped him. "Rumors travel faster than truth, it seems."
"Then tell me the truth, Duke Min Jae," she said, her voice trembling but steady. "Why did you return?"
He looked at her for a long moment, as though weighing whether to speak or to keep the wall between them intact. Then his gaze softened, just barely.
"Because," he said slowly, "there are debts that even time cannot erase. And some of them wear the face of a woman who still haunts my dreams."
Her breath caught. His words were quiet, almost like a confession, but his tone was heavy—burdened by guilt.
"What debt?" she whispered.
He looked away, out toward the moonlit garden. "You were too young to remember. But once, your family paid a price for my mistakes. Your father's fall, your tears... all because I chose duty over what was right."
Seo Rin felt the ground tilt beneath her. "You mean—the war in the northern lands? My father was exiled for treason!"
His eyes met hers. "Treason that was never his."
Her hand flew to her mouth. For years, she had believed her father had betrayed the crown. But if Min Jae was telling the truth...
"Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because," he said quietly, "you deserve to know. And because I can no longer carry the weight of silence."
The night seemed to still around them. The moon's light softened, painting their faces in silver. For the first time, Seo Rin saw the pain hidden behind his calm façade.
"Duke Min Jae," she said, her voice breaking slightly, "you speak of debts... but you gave me kindness when the world didn't. You taught me how to stand tall again."
He smiled faintly. "And yet, I'm the one who made you fall."
"Then help me rise again," she said, taking a step forward. Her fingers brushed his gloved hand. The touch was light—barely there—but it burned like fire.
He looked at her, startled by the courage in her gaze.
"You've changed," he murmured.
"So have you," she replied softly. "The Duke I remember never let anyone see his pain."
He chuckled softly, a sound both bitter and gentle. "And the girl I remember never spoke to me like this."
The moment hung between them—fragile, uncertain. Then, somewhere beyond the manor, a bell rang three times. The hour of secrets.
Min Jae stepped back, his expression turning serious again. "Tomorrow, there will be visitors. Men from the capital. Be careful of what you hear and say."
"Why?" she asked, frowning.
"Because the same people who destroyed your family have returned to finish what they started."
And with that, he turned, his cloak swirling behind him as he left. The door closed softly, leaving her alone under the moonlight.
Seo Rin stood still, her heart racing. Her life, once quiet and orderly, was now tangled in a web of secrets, debts, and unspoken emotions.
She turned back to the window. The rose-tinted moon glowed brighter now, and for the first time, she understood why they called it the Echo Moon—because it reflected not the light of the sun, but the truth that lingered beneath every silence.
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End of Chapter 7