Her heart pounded violently.
No—more like it was being constricted.
"Ugh…"
As Tatiana Belov collapsed, clutching her chest, Connie Belov rushed to support her in alarm.
"Miss Tatiana! Are you alright? I'll call the physician immediately."
"…No. I'm fine."
"But your condition—"
"I said I'm fine. Just let the guest in."
Waving her hand dismissively, Tatiana's voice left no room for argument. Connie could only nod in reluctant compliance.
"…Understood."
With Connie's support, Tatiana sat down and leaned against the back of the chair, closing her eyes.
Carl Marcus was coming here.
The very moment she registered that fact, Tatiana's mind became a maelstrom, as if it might explode.
'The reason he's coming here… it must be only that.'
There was no need to think too deeply about why Carl Marcus, who had never once sought her out, was only now arriving.
Especially when it was said he'd been seen with the Machine Cult's Messiah. It could only be about that.
'But…'
Why, then?
Tatiana wished—just slightly—that there was another reason Carl Marcus was coming.
She wanted him to tell her something.
Answers to the countless questions that had plagued her all this time.
"Miss Tatiana."
At Connie's careful call, Tatiana nodded silently.
With that, Connie gestured, and the office door—previously tightly shut—swung open.
Step, step.
Booted footsteps, normally unnoticeable, rang out louder than usual.
A long time, or perhaps a short one, passed.
"It's been a while."
And so, after that time, Tatiana Belov finally faced Carl Marcus.
"…Yes. It has been a while."
Tatiana didn't know what expression to make.
Should she greet him with a smile as before? Or harden her face and show hostility? Or act indifferent, as if nothing had ever happened?
She had no idea.
"I'd meant to visit sooner, but it wasn't easy finding the time."
"…I see."
Even those words, clearly mere politeness, stirred something inside her, and Tatiana couldn't help but sneer at herself.
How pathetic.
So ridiculously pathetic that it was unbearable.
"You attacked the Machine Cult branch."
"Now that you mention it, yes. That happened."
Tatiana let out a self-deprecating laugh.
Even though she already knew why Carl Marcus had come, hearing it from his mouth made it impossible for her to contain her own ridicule.
"The Belov Family has no reason to target the Machine Cult at this point. Why did you do it?"
"Am I obligated to answer that?"
"Not necessarily. I just wanted to hear it personally."
Tatiana looked at the man before her.
Carl Marcus.
No longer just a lifesaver—he had become someone with special meaning to her.
Because of that, she wanted to face this moment without turning away.
"…I needed power."
Yes, she needed power.
Not to claim Ark.
Just to settle a very personal grudge.
She believed the Machine Cult's technology could fill the gap in her lacking strength.
"The power to cast out my brother and take down the root cause that put me in this seat."
Tatiana knew these words weren't necessary.
But for some reason, she had to say them.
At least in this moment, she didn't want to run anymore.
"I see."
Carl Marcus's eyes revealed nothing, as always.
More than that, the Ether surrounding him was now so dense that not even Tatiana could pierce through it.
'…Ah.'
When did this happen?
The Carl Marcus from before and the one now—something about him felt completely different.
Perhaps that was only natural.
It had been a long time.
Just as Tatiana had changed, so too had Carl Marcus. It was inevitable in this cursed world called Ark.
[Tatiana…]
[Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come. Come.]
[Join us…]
[More. More. More. More. More. More. More. More. More. More. More. More. More. More. More. More. More. More. More. More. More. More. More. More. More.]
As soon as she became aware of the Ether around Carl Marcus, the Ether surrounding them flared up like it had been waiting—glaring at Tatiana, ready to consume her.
She couldn't breathe.
In a moment that felt like it would kill her, Tatiana desperately tried to control the Ether—but it was no use.
"Stop."
With that quiet voice, the pressure binding her from the Ether dissipated instantly.
What did this mean?
It meant Carl Marcus could control Ether of this magnitude with ease and no effort.
'Impossible…'
The deeper she looked into the real Carl Marcus, the more unknowable he became. And that filled Tatiana with an inexplicable fear.
Was this man really the same Carl Marcus she used to know?
She no longer knew.
"So that's how it is."
Carl Marcus nodded slowly, as if coming to a realization, then opened his mouth.
"Ivan Belov was incompetent."
In a silence that stretched like eternity, those words struck Tatiana like a blow—because she thought she already knew what he was going to say.
"…Ivan was a good brother."
"But a failure as a commander. And as a soldier, too."
Tatiana wanted to cover her ears.
But she couldn't.
Because these words were pieces of the truth she had long sought.
"Incompetent allies pose a greater threat than capable enemies. Having Ivan Belov continue defending the Navy Line… was too big a risk."
"Why… are you saying this now?"
"You already know."
Tatiana's expression hardened.
She had vowed countless times to face the truth head-on, without fleeing—but now, with it staring her in the face, she found she lacked the courage.
"Carl Marcus… was it you who dethroned Ivan?"
"Yes."
A short answer.
No denial.
A confession so blunt and dry that it nearly crushed Tatiana.
"Why…?"
"I already told you. Ivan Belov was incompetent. I couldn't leave such a burden in place."
Despite revealing such a shocking truth, Carl Marcus's tone was calm.
As if it were nothing at all.
Or perhaps, even this conversation meant little to him.
"Just for that…"
She'd heard the reason.
But couldn't accept it.
If incompetence alone warranted this fate—it was too cruel.
"'Just for that,' huh."
Carl Marcus chuckled.
Though he smiled, there was something sorrowful in it—and it stabbed at Tatiana's chest.
"Maybe so. Maybe Ivan's incompetence would've never come to light, and things could've stayed peaceful. But how long do you think peace built on coincidence can really last?"
"What are you even talking about…?"
"I want to protect Ark."
One simple wish.
Yet Tatiana could tell—more than anything—that those words were sincere.
"That's why I came. The Belov Family tried to use the Machine Cult's tech to plunge Ark into chaos. I can't allow that."
"…And if we continue to pursue the Machine Cult's technology?"
"Then the Belov Family will cease to exist."
A statement brimming with arrogance.
Who in Ark would dare utter something like that?
Even a White Line councilor wouldn't speak such words.
Yet Carl Marcus, a mere individual, just declared the erasure of the Belov Family—the undisputed rulers of Ark's underworld.
"…Do you think that's possible?"
"It won't be easy. But if it must be done, I won't hesitate."
That quiet reply sounded more terrifying to Tatiana than any threat.
How could it not?
Carl Marcus wasn't lying. Every word came from the heart.
"…Fine. We'll give up on the Machine Cult. It would've been pointless anyway, since you've already come."
Tatiana nodded slowly.
She'd sought power for revenge.
But now, she no longer knew where that revenge should be aimed.
"That day… why did you save me?"
She asked about something from long ago—why he had saved her.
Was there some purpose?
Tatiana needed to know.
"It was a coincidence."
"Just… a coincidence?"
"Yes. More accurately, the Ether around you called for help. I just happened to be in a position to answer."
That was all.
Tatiana felt as though her legs might give out.
But she couldn't stop here.
There were still more things she wanted—needed—to ask.
"Then… what about next time?"
When Tatiana had led the turncoat suppression unit to chase Pawn beyond Ark, Pawn had saved her.
Why?
That's what she wanted to know.
"Because I didn't want you to die."
Upon hearing those words, her legs felt weak again.
She told herself it was enough.
But she couldn't stop.
"…Why?"
"Because Ark still needs you."
Only then did Tatiana understand.
Everything Carl Marcus had done—everything the Turncoat Pawn had done—was leading to the same place.
Carl Marcus wanted to protect Ark.
And to do that, he was even willing to wear the mask of a turncoat.
"But why… why go that far? What does Ark mean to you?"
To Carl Marcus, a mere outsider to Ark—why?
Tatiana couldn't comprehend his obsession with Ark.
Maybe she never would.
"Who knows."
That was Carl Marcus's only reply.
"I don't really know myself."
He chuckled, tinged with self-mockery.
Whether he was avoiding the answer, or truly didn't know—Tatiana couldn't tell.
But it was enough.
"…I still don't understand you. Maybe my vendetta against you will never end."
"I don't expect you to understand."
"But… I'll wish for one thing."
One by one, Tatiana let out the words she had long locked in her heart.
Words she had cherished and hidden away.
"I hope someday, Carl Marcus… you find peace. That's all."
===BREAK===
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