To Angelo:

Angelo, I'm sorry.

Angelo, I'm sorry I didn't protect Phoebe...... The Shakma family was all in misfortune......

Angelo, I don't know if you're still with us, if you were, you should have known what was going on.

After you left, it was true that as you said, the Shakma family forgot about you. I also deceived my father as you said, and also told all the truth about Black Cat Amity.

I don't know how Miss Su did it, in Count Shakma's house, all traces of your existence have disappeared, your room, your personal belongings, and the memories of everyone in the Earl's family about you have all been erased.

I took your place, and went to visit the Count every once in a while, and Phoebe was no longer as resistant to me as she had been.

At first, I was a little happy that I could finally enter Phoebe's heart. But it's not, although Phoebe has forgotten you, but there is something about you that is always hidden somewhere in her heart, and she no longer refuses my invitation, not because she has even a little affection for me, but because she treats me as your shadow. She mistakenly thought I was the gap in her heart.

Phoebe described to me the elves and ghosts she had seen, and she thought I knew about them. But I'm not you, and I don't know anything about your past. I'm sure you've always sat together and talked for an afternoon. Although I am very happy to be able to chat with Phoebe, at the same time, I also have guilt for you and shame for Phoebe. Phoebe sometimes wonders, I think it's because my words and actions are skewed from what she remembers about you. At one point, she even asked me if there was ever another person between me and her. I was a little surprised and wanted to tell her about you, but remembering to make an appointment with you, I gave up on the idea.

After Christmas, Madame Athenie also returned, and she had a big fight with the Earl and left the Earl's Court. Her behavior was not incomprehensible, after all, Madame Athenie married the Count not only because the Count saved her, but also because she loved the Count. Eventually, the Count found Madame Athenie at her former place of residence, and he begged Madame Athenie for forgiveness, and the two were reconciled.

In February of this year, in the garden of the Earl's house, I proposed to Phoebe. Phoebe's cheeks were red, but there was always confusion in her eyes, and a few days later, I got her answer. She said that after Christmas, she seemed to be sick, and she always felt that she had forgotten something important, and she used to think that person was me, but now she understands very well that that person is not me, and what she longs for is always that person's marriage proposal.

Angelo, you know what? Phoebe has always liked you, she wants to marry you, she wants to be with you forever.

I'm a little unwilling, unwilling Even if you quit, I will never get her.

In fact, Miss Su is not so powerful, Phoebe has forgotten you, but she still has your place in her heart.

In March of this year, at my aunt's Mrs. Mitchell's banquet, I followed your old example and sneaked her out of the ball. She was happy and said she missed it. I proposed to her again. But she said that she wanted to wait a little longer, and when she was completely unaffected by the figure in her heart, she would seriously consider marrying me.

Angelo, you may have been wrong from the start when you chose to leave.

I thought that as long as I was willing to wait, Phoebe would always accept me, but now, even if that day exists, it will never come.

Do you remember the beast that killed people in the Earldom last year? Everyone is rumored that this is the work of werewolves. I didn't believe it at the time, but then I thought about it, if there are witches, why can't werewolves exist?

Werewolves also exist, right around us, but even werewolves themselves don't know they're werewolves.

The werewolf is His Excellency Count Shakma.

Angelo, were you surprised and unbelievable to hear this? Me too, and I thought it was a fantasy at the time. But that's just the way it is.

Just last month, I saw Miss Su for the last time and learned the truth from her. At that time, the Earl and Miss Su made a deal, and the price was reason. But the transaction stopped halfway through, and Miss Su took away half of his sanity. So every full moon night, the Count would lose his mind, and when he came to the woods, he would become a fierce werewolf.

On the first moonlit night after the vernal equinox this year, the moon was rounder than ever. The Count turned into a werewolf and broke into his territory, and for some reason, the usually timid people, at this time, united and rounded it up. Angelo, did you do this? On weekdays, you have always cared about the people in your territory. The werewolf incident that happened last year has never been solved, and I can only think that you are still investigating secretly.

Regardless, the fact that the Count was a werewolf was soon discovered. They put the Count in a cage and besieged the Earl's Palace, shouting that Lady Athenie was a witch and that it was Lady Athenie and Phoebe who had turned the Count they respected into a werewolf.

They eventually broke into the Earl's Court and found the bodies of Mrs. Chelsea and Miss Charlotte in the basement, and it was unanimously said that Mrs. Athenie had killed Mrs. Chelsea and Miss Charlotte by witchcraft.

No matter how much Lady Atheni and I explained, no one believed me.

Angelo, it turns out that people in the world never care about the truth, they only want to believe what they want to believe.

They were going to put Lady Athenie and Phoebe to death, and put the Count in a cage, and I got through the connections so that they wouldn't be executed immediately.

My father cut off contact with the Count, forbade me to continue to help them, and locked me in the house as he had done to you last time.

With the help of the valet, I escaped from that home. But it was too late.

On the night of Easter, it was another full moon. The Count transforms into a werewolf and breaks through the cage, taking Lady Athenie and Phoebe with him.

All the villagers gathered, and the young and strong men volunteered to hunt down the Earl. They chased the Count into the forest, and finally to the Count's Mansion. Finally, once again, they surrounded the Earl's Court and set it on fire, which burned all night.

When I arrived the next day, the Earl's Court was in ruins. It was said that no one escaped from it. All were engulfed in flames. I also heard that that night, a stranger went crazy and rushed into the fire, but was stopped.

Angelo, is that person you?

Angelo, where have you been? Phoebe and the Countess have been gone for more than a month, are you no longer alive?

Angelo, what to do? I can't live anymore.

Yesterday, Ed came to my house, and he put the letter in me. That's Phoebe's letter to you, and I'll put it with this one of mine.

I erected tombstones for Phoebe and the Countess in the forest, and buried some of their life's things. If you see this letter, go and give them flowers in the forest, they will be very happy.

Angelo, I'm sorry. I knew that even if I said I'm sorry 10,000 times, I wouldn't be able to save the Shakma family. But let me apologize to you as part of my forgiveness. When I finish writing this letter, I will leave this hypocritical and nostalgic world.

People who commit suicide can't go to heaven, and people like me don't deserve it. Angelo, if I could never do it once in my life, I would definitely not bully you, I would play the role of an older brother, teach you when you make mistakes, comfort you when you are sad, and cover up all your little mistakes in front of my father...... On my days off, I'll take you to Count Shakma's house to play, and maybe we'll still like the same guy, but I'll play fair with you. Angelo, how nice it would be if life could be all over again......

Goodbye, Angelo.

May you be well.

Jill

Jill puts down his pen, and he stacks the letter with Phoebe's and ties it to Ed.

"Ed, if you see Angelo, give this to him." He touched Ed's head.

Ed meows and jumps off the ledge. Jill watched it leave. Ed glanced back at him, his eyes filled with a liquid that resembled tears.

Jill wiped his eyes, he should have seen it wrong, how could the cat cry?

He put on his most formal clothes, went to the garden and danced the most delicate roses, and then rode in a carriage to the earl's domain. He went deep into the woods, stopped by three tombstones, and offered roses to them.

Jill leaned against a tombstone and closed her eyes.

"Phoebe, I'm sorry I didn't protect you properly."

"Phoebe, I'm sorry, I didn't find Angelo."

Phoebe...... If you met me first, would you be willing to marry me? ”

There was no sound in the woods except the cheerful singing of birds.

Jill let the tears flow freely, and gradually wept silently.

In the end, the tears dried.

Scenes from the past come to his mind, scenes of him pleasing his parents, scenes of him bullying Angelo, the funeral after his brother's death, the moment when he received Angelo's letter when he was first moved by Phoebe......

I heard that before a person dies, memories will appear in front of his eyes like a marquee.

It's another warm May, and this time of year, the land of England is in full bloom. The tombstone was surrounded by flowers, and a few bright red roses lay quietly.

A few days later, the villagers, who had strayed into the depths of the woods, found Jill's body in a sea of flowers. He collapsed beside an unknown tombstone, a smile on his lips.

In the town and in the village, there is one more conversation point that can be discussed after tea and dinner.

Yes, people don't care about the truth, they just love to talk about the unknown.

A few years later, overgrown with weeds obscured the tombstones, a young man came here and offered four roses to the three tombstones.

No one knows who he is, but what is certain is that he is the only person in years other than Jill who has cried in front of the tombstone.