Yeri squinted from behind the counter, trying to focus on the gentle hum of the espresso machine, but her ears betrayed her.
Amid the clinking cups and distant laughter, stray fragments of conversation floated over from the corner table.
She could make out the occasional flutter of words—"obligations," "family image," and something that definitely sounded like "useless"—but some things were better left unheard
Not that it was her business anyway.
Still, her eyes drifted toward the corner. She told herself she wasn't being nosy, just... observant. That was all.
Mrs. Neri gave off the kind of energy that made it difficult to look away. She sat with perfect posture, her hands folded in her lap, nodding as an older woman scolded her with thinly veiled cruelty.
Her eyes were dull, like glass that hadn't been cleaned in years, reflecting everything and absorbing nothing
She looked like a woman who had stopped fighting.
Yeri turned away with a soft sigh and returned to work. Trouble had a way of following quiet people and this was a café—not a therapy clinic. Whatever drama that table held, it wasn't her problem.
She slipped a fresh order onto a tray and turned toward table seven... only to realize it was their table.
Crap.
The moment she approached, the sour-tongued elder stopped mid-rant and offered Yeri a well-practiced, cultivated smile. That kind of gracious, porcelain politeness—the kind that only the upper class could deliver so believably—it unsettled her more than open hostility.
Mrs. Neri glanced up as well, and for a brief second, recognition flickered in her eyes. She remembered Yeri.
There was a brief, silent exchange: a faint nod, a barely-there smile.
And that was it.
A couple of hours passed, and the shift wore on. When Yeri finally clocked out, she was surprised to see Mrs. Neri still sitting there, unmoving, gazing through the café's large window as though waiting for the world to change.
Was she waiting for someone? Or simply counting the people who passed her by?
Yeri didn't linger. It was just past four in the afternoon, and the weather was too pleasant to waste indoors. She decided to take a walk across the street to the park.
Spring had settled gently into the city. The pond glittered under the soft light, and the air was filled with birdsong and the occasional bark of a happy dog. Joggers passed, children giggled, and life moved on with its typical charm.
Yeri took a seat on a quiet bench near the pond and smiled to herself. Her thoughts drifted—quite unwillingly—to Shin Keir wrapped in only a towel, looking thoroughly annoyed and drenched in indignation.
Hehe~
She wasn't a pervert, okay? But if that moment had been filmed, it would've topped the box office. Must watch.
Thank goodness there had been no CCTV in that certain area that day. Otherwise, her gawking expression would've gone viral and haunted her for life.
Shin Keir… Lately, he'd been oddly well-behaved. No sarcastic remarks, no petty arguments—just simple, polite messages like Good morning, or How's school?
Was he losing interest? Getting bored? Was this the long-awaited end of their weird, compensation-based relationship?
The thought made Yeri's eyes light up with cautious hope.
Just as she reached for her phone to check for new messages, someone sat beside her.
She blinked.
Mrs. Neri?
Was this coincidence… or stalking?
Neither spoke. They just sat there in silence, both staring at the water as if expecting it to ripple and reveal some great truth.
Awkward.
Yeri debated leaving, but before she could make a move, Mrs. Neri finally spoke.
"You look very young. How old are you?"
Yeri was caught off guard. "Me? Uhm… eighteen."
Mrs. Neri smiled gently. "I thought so. I'm Liana Neri. Twenty-four."
Yeri nodded slowly, still unsure how they'd ended up here—together.
"You're CEO Keir's girlfriend, aren't you?"
The words struck like a pebble tossed into still water.
Her shoulders stiffened. It wasn't hard to guess where the assumption came from—Dr. Neri and Shin Keir were acquainted, after all—but still, she couldn't help but curse Shin Keir in her heart.
Just how many people know about them? Whatever happened to keeping it a secret?
"I'm sorry," Liana said quickly, sensing her unease. "I overheard Zahn talking to him on the phone, that's all. I don't mean to pry. I just…"
She trailed off, her expression unreadable.
"If this is about earlier, don't worry," Yeri offered awkwardly. "I won't tell anyone. Honestly, I didn't hear much."
Liana looked startled for a moment, then sighed. "Ah, that. No, my mother-in-law is just… like that. I'm used to it."
Great. Another information she hadn't asked for. Yeri forced a polite smile.
Why is the world of these people so complicated?
"This might seem strange," Liana continued hesitantly, "but…"
She paused again, eyes flickering with unspoken weight.
Yeri didn't respond, sensing that interruption would only make things harder.
"I…" Mrs. Neri took a deep breath, her eyes drifting toward the horizon. "I don't even know why I'm telling you all this. You might be just as confused as I am, but… I've long lost the ability to see color. Everything around me—people, places, even the sea I once loved—has become black and white. No matter what I do, nothing ever changes. Grey skies, empty mornings, the same blank faces…"
She trailed off, her voice thin and fragile, as though it might vanish with the breeze. Then, she turned to Yeri and smiled softly, a sad warmth behind her eyes.
"I thought it would always be like that. And eventually, I accepted it. Or maybe I gave up. But then…" Her head tilted slightly, her expression growing gentler. "The day I saw you at the hospital… there's this faint glow from you. At first, I thought it was just my imagination. A trick of the light. But then, seeing you again today, just now… I'm sure of it. You're not black and white."
Yeri blinked, her brain stuttering to process the words.
A glow? What was she, a lighthouse? A fireball? Some kind of magical lantern in a dark sea?
This wasn't just weird—it was an entirely new level of bizarre.
Mrs. Neri chuckled lightly at Yeri's stunned expression, a self-deprecating curve tugging at her lips. "I'm sorry. I must sound unhinged. But after so many years… this is the first time I've felt even a flicker of life again. I don't expect anything from you—I just needed to say it."
Yeri opened her mouth, then closed it. For once, she had no idea what to say. It wasn't that she was bad at conversations—just… this wasn't exactly her field of expertise.
Comfort her? Offer advice? Pretend she didn't hear anything?
But then, a distant memory stirred—a faint voice in her mind, blurred and echoing, from a life long past.
Her first life, as a succubus.
Back then, many beings—creatures of darkness, even the demon emperor himself—had been drawn to her. She'd never understood why. Was it an ability? A curse? She couldn't remember clearly.
But now, awakened not long ago, maybe the glow Mrs. Neri saw was a remnant of that forgotten self.
"Mrs. Neri," Yeri said hesitantly, "if you don't mind me asking… when did you start seeing the world in black and white?"
"It wasn't always like this," she replied quietly. "It started about four or five years ago. A lot happened then—things I don't want to relive. My psychiatrist said it's psychological. Some kind of trauma, I suppose."
Yeri sighed. Pandora's box had not just opened—it had exploded.
What now? What would a 'normal' girl do?
Her gaze flickered upward, landing on a nearby billboard advertising a popular TV drama.
"You know, that show is really famous," she said, trying to lighten the moment. "I haven't watched it, but my friends at school talk about it all the time."
Mrs. Neri followed her gaze and offered a faint smile. "Is that so? I've never really been into dramas."
"Same here," Yeri nodded. "But I heard the main character is given a second chance at life—rebirth—and gets revenge on everyone who wronged her. Very satisfying, apparently."
Mrs. Neri blinked, silent.
"You know why people love that kind of story?" Yeri continued, her tone thoughtful. "Because deep down, everyone has something they wish they could undo. A moment they'd take back. A person they wish they'd never met… or maybe someone they failed to save. Regret, vengeance, redemption—it gives people a kind of catharsis. Even if it's just fiction."
She didn't want to pry, but marrying into a noble and powerful family couldn't have been easy.
"Unfortunately, real life doesn't offer do-overs. And if it does, it's not something everyone gets. So we have to cherish who we are now, and move forward with a clear mind and a steady heart."
Beside her, Mrs. Neri quietly shed a single tear.
"It's strange," she whispered, voice trembling. "I used to be just like you… but now, I hardly recognize myself."
Yeri scratched her nose awkwardly. "You make it sound like you're ancient or something. You're only twenty-four, right? That's the perfect age to explore the world, spend your paycheck, travel or splurge on food."
Mrs. Neri laughed softly, a real laugh this time, and wiped her tear away. "Thank you. And I'm sorry for taking up your time. You had no obligation to listen to me, but you did anyway. I think I understand now why CEO Keir likes you."
Yeri choked. Likes her? That was a dangerous misunderstanding.
Not in this life—or any past ones, for that matter.
"By the way," she said quickly, redirecting, "you mentioned seeing a glow from me. Does that mean you can tell the color of my dress?"
Mrs. Neri tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly. "Not exactly. But you look… brighter than normal people. As for your dress, I'd say it's peach? Or maybe light orange? Lime?"
"It is peach!" Yeri confirmed, genuinely excited.
The two of them laughed. And as the day wore on, they talked more—slowly, cautiously at first, but with growing ease. By the time the sun began to dip behind the clouds, they had exchanged contact numbers.
And just like that, something fragile yet comforting passed between them—a quiet understanding, a gentle bond, forged not from obligation or fate, but from a shared moment in a world full of grey.