"...Good morning, Yuki."
Yuki had slept like someone struck unconscious. When she finally stirred awake, she realized Alisa had been waiting for hours to begin their lesson.
The faint tension in the air told her what Alisa was thinking as soon as she came out with her clothes disheveled and Ivan's bite marks around her neck. But Yuki wasn't embarrassed, because she was used to people staring at her since she lived in a brothel.
"...That man isn't coming today?"
She asked the question while sitting down beside Alisa, who was arranging her materials with meticulous care. Yuki noticed Igor's absence because he had accompanied his sister yesterday.
"Ah... my brother has business with Mr. Mikhail today," Alisa replied, her tone laced with embarrassment. "Do you mind if it's just the two of us this time?"
Yuki studied her face. Alisa was delicate — painfully so. Even her voice carried a trace of softness that had no place in Ivan's world.
Igor had warned Yuki about her. Unlike his brother, Alisa was naïve, obedient, and sheltered under her brother's protection. She didn't have to fake anything to survive. Alisa could do anything, and without worrying about anything either.
"No, of course not," Yuki said calmly. "We can begin."
But Yuki could never be a woman like that. There would be no Igor to shield her if the time came when someone tried to destroy her. Yuki knew when she got into trouble because of her relationship with Ivan; she would have to survive on her own.
And because of that, she had already made her decision — the one Igor had whispered to her in confidence.
***
"Alisa said you were looking for me."
Yuki was watching television when Igor entered the penthouse unannounced. He moved with the kind of ease that only power could afford, dropping into the sofa beside her without a word of apology.
He exhaled heavily, as if carrying the fatigue of a long, complicated day.
"So?" he asked finally.
"I'm leaving."
Igor's lips curved into a smile. He straightened his posture, his tone shifting. It was businesslike, almost assertive.
"In that case, I'll make the preparations as soon as possible. I guess by tomorrow, you'll have your freedom."
Freedom. The word felt foreign for someone like her. Yuki didn't know what awaited her beyond the walls of Ivan's penthouse, as the outside world was a blur she could barely remember. But even a world she didn't recognize was better than dying under the weight of Ivan's subordinates.
She nodded obediently, then hesitated. After a while, her gaze flicked to Igor's face.
"What about Mast—I mean, Mr. Ivanovich?"
The question made Igor's brow tighten. He didn't like the way she said his boss' name. It took effort for him to maintain his tone as he talked again.
"Boss won't be coming back tonight," he said curtly. "Or tomorrow. If you're thinking about saying goodbye, you'd better forget about it."
Yuki lowered her eyes. She already knew that Ivan never spared traitors, even those who left quietly. There was no such thing as parting on good terms in his world.
Still, Yuki, who was sure of her decision, could only clench the hem of her clothes tightly.
"I understand."
Her voice was small. She kept her head bowed so Igor wouldn't see the expression that trembled beneath it.
***
Just as Igor had said, Ivan did not return that night.
No matter how many times Yuki glanced toward the door, it remained closed. Every sound made her heart stutter — a footstep, a click, the quiet thud of a servant entering — but it was never him.
Each time, her hope was quietly extinguished.
Meals were still delivered as usual, just as Ivan had instructed. But what meaning did food hold when it was offered to someone who would soon disappear?
When morning came, Yuki prepared herself to leave. She owned nothing. Everything in the penthouse — every dress, every jewel, every trace of luxury — belonged to Ivan. She chose not to take a single thing with her, not even the clothes he'd given.
Instead, Igor lent her a set of Alisa's clothing. It fit almost perfectly on her body.
"You ready?" he asked.
Yuki met his gaze, then nodded once. Together, they stepped into the corridor — her first step toward the outside world in forever.
"…"
No guards were waiting in the hallway. The silence was eerie. Yuki looked at Igor, uncertain.
He caught her questioning glance and smiled faintly, a look that carried quiet confidence — and a hint of pride.
His smile told her what she already suspected. Igor's authority ran deeper than she realized.
"Wear this."
At the elevator, he handed her a cap and a mask. She obeyed wordlessly, letting him guide her through the private floors.
When the doors opened to the lobby, no one stopped them. No one even looked their way.
Outside, Igor led her to a sleek black car that glimmered beneath the streetlights — the kind of vehicle that screamed power even in silence. He opened the door for her, and Yuki slipped into the passenger seat without needing to be told.
"It's strange," Igor began as he started the engine. "I found out that your twin never moved house, even though there was a possibility that the yakuza who took you might come looking for her again."
They were stopped by a red light. During the pause, Igor took the opportunity to speak again while turning to Yuki.
"Is it because he believes you will return? You two have a close bond, right?"
Strangely, Igor couldn't read any expression on Yuki's face. She just kept her head down. And pretty soon, Igor found Yuki's attitude bored him.
When the light turned green, Igor's attention finally returned fully to the road.
"Our trip will take a while, so you can relax. You're safe now."
Safe.
The word echoed in Yuki's chest like a hollow bell.
Her mind then turned over to the ease of their escape. There was no resistance, no alarms, nothing. Even Yuki thought that her escape was too easy to be true.
She then turned to Igor. "Is it always this easy to run from him?"
For a brief moment, Igor's eyes darkened. But then he smiled, as if the flicker of unease had never been there.
"Of course not," he replied smoothly. "You're only able to escape because I made it possible for you. You could say... I'm the second man in command after the Boss."
"And you'll be all right after this?" she asked quietly.
Igor tapped his fingers twice on the steering wheel, a casual rhythm that betrayed nothing.
"What happens to me isn't your concern," he said. "Focus on your reunion with your sister. That's what matters now."
His tone made it clear the subject was closed.
Yuki turned her gaze to the passing lights outside the window. The city blurred into color and shadow. She didn't speak again after that.
Her eyelids grew heavy as exhaustion caught up with her. And somewhere between consciousness and dreams, Yuki silently prayed that the decision she had made would not be the end of her.