Do you love her?

- chapter dedicated to jasmine who made the lovely new poster -

“You must truly love her.”

The statement, once uttered from her lips, dragged a weight down on the air between them. Victoria was relieved her voice did not waiver, though she knew the man staring out into the window across from her might have already picked up on her anxiety over the message of her words. Her fingers flexed and curled inwards as she crossed the threshold, planting herself beside the window – a hair’s breath away from Changmin’s still form.

Yoona had left merely an hour ago and they’d been quiet in the time of her absence. She could feel a terse aura radiating from him—a result of the brief exchange he shared with his wife. Victoria saw the way Yoona’s body had eased into Changmin’s grasp around her waist and the way their exchange of gazes spoke more about themselves than their words could ever do for them.

It was romantic really, if she thought about it from a different standpoint. She turned her head to look at him once more and sighed. Enviable, really. If only she didn’t…

She stopped her thoughts there, deciding to focus on whether to continue speaking and fill the quiet air or to simply wait. But if she understood him well at all, Victoria knew that it was always best to be patient and wait till he organized his thoughts. Patience was one of her best virtues and for Changmin, she was willing to wait for as long as possible.

He knew this, of course. It was too painfully obvious not to be noticed. But then Changmin, ever the avoider, would rather not speak of her feelings in any way, shape or form. And it is, Victoria thought, hurt most.

“You say this as though it’s a surprise.” He said, the lack of irony in his tone practically ringing in her ears—mocking her somehow because it really was a surprise. At least, it was for her. She’d never seen him so close to the edge of breaking before at Yoona’s nonchalant mention of another man’s name; though admittedly she understood why it would set him in an anxious state.

Victoria found herself in a similar mood whenever she came across Yoona this past week. She was just a lot better at hiding it.

However at the moment, she was frightfully aware of how close she was to losing her calm.

Her reply sounded much for frantic than she wanted it to be. “In a manner, it is. I always thought you were rather unfeeling. Cold, even!”

“She is my wife,” he told her a beat later, in a matter-of-factly tone. His eyes were set straight forward, on the horizon miles away of his view from the window.

She is my wife. The words replayed in his mind, resolute and true, and Changmin felt his heart fill with emotion as the sudden image of Yoona on their wedding day filled his thoughts. The morning after she visited Sooyoung for the first time had painted her in his eyes a comparable way; with her gaze focused on only him and her skin glowed under the streaming light from the windows. When she’d allowed her lips to be touched by his that morning, it was even better than anything he’d imagined during the years they were apart.

Her kiss had felt like home.

“That holds a bit warmth, don’t you think? I married her because I loved her. Passionately.” Changmin paused, his mouth quirking upwards in a slight smirk. “I’m certain I had established this fact to you before I left China, Qian.”

Victoria shrugged absentmindedly, ignoring the swat of pain piercing her heart. She’d heard him tell her this before, and while she’d never truly thought much about it, the words still left her feeling curiously hurt. Actually seeing the affection Changmin held for his wife – quiet as it was – surprised (and hurt) her more than she fathomed she’d feel.

She’d watched them over the days she spent in the Shim Estate, tiptoeing around each other over every little thing. Admittedly Victoria had kept them away from each other by putting herself in between, but it didn’t stop the lingering looks, smiles, touches they exchanged. Not even the poorly concealed envy in Yoona’s eyes could hide the love she felt for Changmin and his jealousy for that man, Minho, in turn didn’t hinder the love echoing in this tone when he tried to stop her from leaving earlier that day.

“You did explain it to me, but I didn’t quite believe it then. I’m heartbroken to see that you were telling the truth.” She pursed her lips, eyeing him. “I don’t know about ‘passionately’ though.”

Changmin turned to her almost immediately, his eyes flashing in a way that told her she’d said something wrong. And perhaps she did, but Victoria never regretted any of the words that came out of .

“Why would I lie about how I love my wife, Qian?” he asked simply, his gaze fierce. She shrugged again in an effort to appear indifferent, her fingers twisting together anxiously behind her. She held his gaze and spoke as evenly as she could muster, responding to his brusque question.

“I suppose it’s because you left on your own and never once contacted her… Forgive me. I thought ‘passion’ meant never wanting to be away from the person you love. Even with the heartbreaks and trials surrounding them. Perhaps I thought wrong, I’m sorry.”

Victoria was not in the least bit sorry, and he knew this very well. But instead of responding rashly, Changmin let out