Chapter 18
Please Come Back In
A woman collapsed on the floor. A shirtless man standing before her.
The scene that greeted Derwin after he practically smashed the door open was deeply unpleasant.
“What the hell?”
The man couldn’t hide his panic in the face of Derwin’s terrifying presence. But Derwin didn’t say a word. Behind the woman’s removed mask, he saw the familiar mint-colored eyes he’d seen earlier that day. His gaze lingered on her for a moment before shifting to the man.
“W-Wait! I didn’t do anything! I just asked her to treat a wound on my stomach, that’s all!”
The man shamelessly revealed an old scar on his abdomen as an excuse. But at the same time, he felt a burning sensation down his back. Even though Derwin hadn’t drawn a weapon, the sheer intensity of his gaze made the man feel his life was in danger.
Moreover, the black-haired man before him clearly appeared to be of high status—from his clothes to his demeanor. He himself, a penniless vagabond, was no match.
“Well, I’ll be going now!”
Unable to bear the silent pressure any longer, the man quickly scurried out of the room.
Derwin didn’t follow. Instead, he turned his attention back to the woman—Chanelica—who was still sitting on the floor and looking up at him.
“……”
A heavy silence settled between them. Their eyes remained locked for a long moment.
Chanelica thought to herself. Judging from the atmosphere, it was obvious that whatever Derwin was about to say wouldn’t be pleasant. She had no idea how he’d found her, but they had already agreed to not interfere in each other’s lives.
So Chanelica decided to ignore him. Breaking eye contact first, she examined her ankle. She winced as she tested it—pain shot through her right ankle.
Oof. But at least it’s not completely messed up.
Leaning on the wall for support, Chanelica got to her feet. Using her left foot for balance, she carefully limped forward. It still hurt, but not as much as when she first injured it. Thankfully, tomorrow was a holiday. With a couple of days’ rest, she should recover without issue.
As she hobbled along the wall, she eventually reached Derwin, who stood in front of the door. She had no intention of stopping. Just as she tried to walk past him—
“Were you always like this?”
Derwin finally spoke, his sharp tone scraping at her nerves.
“What do you mean by ‘like this’?”
“You really don’t know?”
“Nope. No idea.”
Nor do I care.
Even as she replied dismissively, she didn’t stop walking. But just as she stepped toward the doorway, Derwin blocked her path. She couldn’t turn around either, not while holding onto the wall for support.
“Move.”
“A woman from a tavern, who thinks she can seduce any man she wants.”
Derwin voiced his thoughts—laced with an inexplicable anger.
“Isn’t that why you came to my estate? To seduce me and get something out of it?”
His speech was stripped of any formality. Chanelica stared at him for a moment before replying.
“If that’s what you think.”
She didn’t even have the energy to argue. She didn’t feel the need to correct him.
She was already exhausted from working all day and was in a foul mood. And now she had to deal with this uncomfortable situation. Maybe if he remembered their past as mates, it would be different. But he didn’t, and she was tired of being treated like some suspicious woman.
“You’ve got your answer. Now move so I can go.”
Thud!
Startled, Chanelica flinched. Derwin had slammed his fist into the wall. He hit it so hard that even she, leaning against it, felt the vibration.
“You’re not even going to explain yourself?!”
His fist remained pressed against the wall. His anger was undeniable. Faced with this unexpected fury, Chanelica suddenly felt wronged.
“Why are you getting mad? I said I’d repay the money. You don’t need to worry.”
“And why should I trust anything you say? From someone working in a place like this!”
That was it. Her patience snapped.
“What’s wrong with working here? Did I do something wrong?”
Her voice rose, shaken with emotion.
“I work here honestly and get paid for it. The owner asked me to sing. I enjoy it. The customers enjoy it. I even make more money from it.
What’s the problem? I’ve never done anything I’m ashamed of. Working here or at the palace—it’s all work. Just different kinds.”
The thoughts she’d been holding in came spilling out, directed straight at the man blocking her path.
Derwin listened to her emotional outburst in silence, then asked calmly:
“When did you start working here?”
“That doesn’t matter anymore. I’m planning to quit soon anyway.”
“What did you do with the money I gave you?”
“I told you, I—”
“Do you still have it?”
“……”
“If you still have it, then why are you working at the palace and here after hours? Are you short on money?”
Ugh. I wasn’t planning to say anything.
Derwin’s sharp questions cornered her. She’d already lied about still having the money. She didn’t want to lie again and say she was just working more to earn extra.
“Fine. I lost the money you gave me.”
Chanelica finally confessed. It would be weirder to keep hiding it.
“That’s why I’m working at the palace and here. Sorry for not telling you the truth. But don’t worry. I’ll pay back everything I owe you.”
“When exactly did you lose it?”
Just let it go.
But Derwin didn’t.
“I just lost it, okay? I said I’ll pay it back. Now move. I can barely stand anymore.”
Fatigue was written all over her face and voice. Yet Derwin still didn’t move.
“You’ve injured your ankle. Allow me.”
“Huh? What are you—ah?!”
Before she could react, Derwin scooped her into his arms. As he did, the brown curly wig she had been wearing fell to the floor.
“What are you doing?”
Without a word, Derwin carried her into the room and sat her on a small chair. He would’ve preferred to place her on the bed, but the image of the shirtless man earlier changed his mind.
Earlier, after seeing her singing and serving with the mask and wig, he had left the Vista Inn. But for some reason, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He didn’t want to leave her in that tavern.
So he returned. But when he got there, she was gone. Feeling uneasy, he searched the tavern, then checked the inn rooms. Most were locked, but somehow, he instinctively knew which one she was in. He didn’t know how—just that he knew.
And now, seeing her refusing to explain, admitting she lost the money, stirred up complicated emotions in him.
He wasn’t sure what those feelings were yet. But since meeting her at the palace, this woman—Chanelica—kept getting under his skin. It frustrated him.
So, Derwin decided to at least acknowledge his current emotions. The despair he felt when he came searching after hearing the maids’ gossip, the turmoil when he returned instead of leaving her there, the fury upon learning she worked here because she lost the money—he accepted them all.
“Please come back in.”
The words came out of nowhere. Chanelica stared, confused.
“To the Cartel estate.”
“…What?”
“Don’t work yourself to death here. Come back to the estate.”
What is with this guy?
Chanelica frowned.
“No thanks. I told you—I don’t want to be trapped.”
“I’m not imprisoning you. Just live there.”
“…Why the sudden change? Do you pity me because I lost the money?”
“No.”
His obsidian eyes held sincerity. Faced with such undeniable honesty, Chanelica’s expression softened. His handsome face was the same, but the look in his eyes was different than before.
“Then why?”
“Because I don’t want you here.”
“I told you, I’m earning honest pay.”
“I still don’t like it. Even if you wear a mask, just by singing and serving, you become the object of countless men’s entertainment and gossip. And what almost happened in this room could happen again. I hate that you’re in this kind of environment.”
It was a rather selfish and stubborn declaration. Yet somehow, Chanelica felt a strange warmth blossom inside her chest.
Why does he think that way?
She briefly wondered—but the answer came quickly.
A sense of responsibility. A desire to help. Something like that. She hadn’t known him long, but Chanelica judged that Derwin was fundamentally a good person.
“How can I trust you? Even if you say this now, once I return to the Cartel estate, you might lock me up.”
Returning to the Cartel estate freely, without being imprisoned, was the best possible option for Chanelica. But she didn’t want to just give in.
“I won’t do that.”
“Can you even promise that? In your eyes, I’m still some crazy woman.”
Derwin’s face hardened slightly.
“…You still haven’t let go of that delusion?”
“It’s not a delusion. I’m a dragon. So are you.”
Back to square one. But this was something she couldn’t ignore. Chanelica wasn’t willing to deny her identity just to go back there.
“But you don’t believe it. And that’s fine. Since you don’t see yourself as my mate, I have no reason to stay by your side.
Just like when I left your estate up until now—we can live separately, without interfering. I’ll repay your money when I return to my real body. You’re still being entertained, so I’m sure you’ll be able to collect.”
Derwin was speechless. Seeing his expression, Chanelica decided it was time to give him a chance to believe her.
“But I’ll give you one last hint. You decide what to do with it.”
As much as she talked about ending things, she didn’t truly want it to end this way. Ideally, she wanted to be acknowledged and then return to the Cartel estate with her head held high.
“Remember what I said today? That I don’t know Garonian?”
“Yes.”
“I really don’t. I don’t even know how humans learn languages. Because all languages just… translate and interpret themselves for me.”
It was a ridiculous claim. Even so, Derwin asked:
“Are you saying that’s because you’re a dragon?”
“Is it? Or is it not?”
Chanelica smiled mysteriously. As Derwin looked increasingly confused, she gave him a clearer answer.
“They said I can understand five languages, but honestly, I don’t know how many I can speak. Whatever the language is, if I want to understand it—I just do.”
“……”
“If you don’t believe me, test me later. I’ve lost my memories, but since you’re my mate, I’ll indulge you.”
“…So if I acknowledge you as a dragon, you’ll come back to the estate?”
Derwin had hit the nail on the head. Chanelica smiled.
“Let’s say you believe I’m a dragon. But what if I use that fact for evil? What then?”
What a needless worry. Chanelica shook her head, smiling playfully.
“Nope. You can’t do that. You’re my mate.”
“Even so, you’ve lost your memories. Who knows what you’ll do?”
“No. It’s instinct. You don’t seem like someone who’d ever do that, but even if you wanted to—you physically couldn’t harm me. Just like I couldn’t hurt you.”
Because we’re bound by our dragon hearts—tied by fate.
Even if the memories were gone, Chanelica firmly believed that at least their survival instincts would remain.
“…Fine.”
After a long pause, Derwin spoke, as if making a decision.
“I’ll believe you—for now. So please, come with me.”
“One more condition.”
“What is it?”
Chanelica hesitated, then said:
“Let me return—as your fiancée.”
