“Goodbye.”

She turned before her tears fell and walked into the rain. 

As the rain slap her face, her tears also ran down her cheek. The warm tears mixed with the cold rain and Marcella couldn’t tell which was which. Her face, her body, and her heart were soaked, with rain and with sadness. 

She tried not to look back, because she knows that if she looks, she’ll want to go back to Francesco and his confession, his love. 

I can’t bear him to face the consequences for me.

She has to do this, for his and her own safety. As much as she loves Francesco, she is forced into a loveless marriage. As much as she loves freedom, it is her duty to bring her family back up again. 

The spy’s words rang in her ear: “If anyone tries to help you, we will take action against them. ”

Marcella doesn’t know what kind of action the spies will do to him, but she was sure that it would involve violence. She doesn’t want her first love to be in pain. Francesco didn’t do anything wrong, and he doesn’t deserve such brutal treatment. 

In order to protect him, I must leave. 

As she walked in the weeping sky, she felt tired and her feet started to be numb. She didn’t know how long she walked in the rain, but all she knew was that she felt tired. Emotionally and physically. Steps became harder for her to take and slowly, she felt that her legs were too heavy to move. Step by step, she dragged her feet along. Her vision became blurry. 

At first, Marcella thought it was because of her tears, or the rain, but no matter how hard she tries to blink, it didn’t work. Instead, the vision became blurrier. Her eyelids were heavy and she could no longer carry herself. As her eyelids droop, she finally realised that she was becoming unconscious. 

She thought: It’s fine if I faint on the streets. I have nothing to lose anymore - I have no freedom and had just lost my first love. 

Her legs softened and she collapsed to the ground. 

Before she fainted into unconsciousness, she felt a warm embrace surrounding her. 

————————

Francesco didn’t know what to do. As Marcella walked into the rain, he wanted to pull, grasp her and tell her that he is willing to do anything to help, he didn’t care if the spies come up to him or anything because he loves her. But before Marcella could realise his true feelings, she walked away to ensure his safety. She is too selfless, to the point where she can sacrifice her own happiness for others. 

As she walked further and further away from him, he realised that he couldn’t lose her and leave her to be so selfless, vulnerable and unhappy. If its her duty to make her family happy, then it is his duty to make her happy. He couldn’t bear to see her trapped in a cage like him. 

He held tight onto the umbrella and ran to her. 

Just when he could lift up his arms and pull her into his embrace, her legs gave away and she was falling to the ground. He catches her before she touches the ground.

What happened? Why did she faint? Did the spies do anything to her? 

His mind raced through all the different scenarios that could happen to her while checking her vital signs. 

He sighed in relief. She is breathing and has a steady pulse, but her forehead was burning hot. At first, he thought it was the spies but there was no way that any sort of father would want his daughter to get sick, no matter how much he wants her to come back. 

He figured that she has a fever and had walked into the rain to make it worst. He couldn’t send her to the hospital because the spies will definitely find out, and it would create more trouble.

With one hand on the umbrella, he carried her in bridal form and brought her to his mansion. 

Francesco brought her to the guest room, dried her soaked body with huge towels and brought a small cloth, soaked it in water and placed it on her forehead to relieve the fever. He opened up his medical kit