IWBCAS 31

Episode 31

“Then what about now?”

Reina looked at Karlhail as if asking what he was talking about.

“If I’m your fiancée, shouldn’t I at least get to see your face? Everyone keeps calling me Duke Karlhail’s fiancée, but you never showed up even once!”

‘Even if this marriage is just for healing…!’

Reina swallowed those words. After all, just like Karlhail proposed for her ability, she also accepted because of his status. She huffed, holding back her frustration.

“Hey, you misunderstood. I didn’t contact you because I was really busy. And I came here to avoid those women, not because I didn’t want to see you…”

Karlhail paused and then asked,
“…But how did you know I was here?”

With her arms crossed, Reina answered with an annoyed tone.

“A lady named Marchioness Dogerson asked me to come. She said she lost a necklace near a huge beech tree and needed help finding it.”

“Marchioness Dogerson?”

Karlhail’s frown softened.

“Oh, you mean Patricia. If it was Patricia, then yes, she would know I was here.”

When Karlhail casually mentioned Patricia’s name, Reina finally exploded with anger.

“I’m leaving.”

She turned around with a stiff face. Karlhail grabbed her arm. His warm touch surprised her—he always looked cold like ice, but he wasn’t at all.

Reina glared at him with irritation. Karlhail looked confused.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve been upset. Are you mad at me?”

“No? Not at all. Why would I be mad at you?”

But her cold tone said something else.

“You seem angry.”

“I’m not.”

Reina forced a smile, but her eyes didn’t smile with her.

“Why would I be angry? There’s nothing between us.”

“What?”

“We’re nothing more than a contract.”

She was right. Even if Karlhail didn’t visit, or talk to her, or even loved Patricia, Reina had no right to be angry.

She wasn’t mad at him—she was mad at herself. She told herself not to expect anything, but her heart still did. And that made her frustrated.

“No matter what you do or who you’re close with, I don’t have the right to care. Right?”

With that, Reina turned and walked away. Karlhail stood there for a second, surprised, then quickly followed her.

“Why are you mad?”

“…”

“Come on, cheer up.”

“…”

“Is it because of Patricia? She’s just an old friend.”

“…”

‘Is that an excuse for me or for Patricia?’

Reina finally asked, mocking him a little.

“Why did she send me here then? If her friend wanted to be alone?”

Karlhail hesitated.

“Patricia… probably thinks of you as family.”

“Family? What does that mean?”

Reina frowned and waited for an explanation.

“I haven’t had anyone I could really call family. Patricia tried to care for me in her own way.”

“…”

“My relationship with the Emperor is more like commander and soldier. And Blair is…”

He trailed off. It seemed his relationship with Blair was too complicated to explain.

Seeing his heavy mood, Reina slowed down.

“…To Patricia, you’re someone I finally chose to trust. A partner. That’s why she saw you as family.”

When Karlhail smiled faintly and said that, Reina felt her heart skip.

‘First person he chose…?’

Suddenly, her anger started to melt.

She stopped walking and looked more relaxed. Then, pretending to still be upset, she crossed her arms.

“So, is there really a big beech tree here?”

“Not really. There’s no tree that stands out that much.”

‘Ugh. I’ve been tricked again.’

“Even someone I met for the first time today can tell I’m an easy target.”

“A what?”

“Never mind.”

She puffed her cheeks, pretending to be serious, but her face was clearly no longer upset. Karlhail noticed and gently took her hand, leading her to a roughly made wooden bench.

When they arrived, Reina noticed the area had been touched by people. Carved trees, handmade targets…

‘Are those arrows between the trees?’

Karlhail said, “I made this place to pass time during hunting events. We have time—let’s rest here.”

Reina sat next to him and asked,

“So why are you hiding here? The other ladies are desperately looking for you.”

“They’re annoying. They always act that way. Then they go running to Blair.”

‘It’s like he has cameras. He knows everything.’

Still, it was hard to understand.

“So you’re hiding just because it’s annoying?”

“…What’s the point of getting attention? It’ll only make Blair jealous.”

“Blair gets jealous?”

Karlhail sighed.

“Yeah. He’s very possessive. Especially with me, since we grew up together. If those girls follow me, Blair will cause problems everywhere.”

“I see…”

Reina understood. She wouldn’t want to run into Blair either.

“Wait… Is that why you’re not joining the hunting contest?”

Karlhail hesitated and looked away. Then he gave a tiny nod.

‘Wait, seriously?’

“You should’ve told me!”

She was upset. If she had known, she wouldn’t have begged for the island so much.

“I didn’t want to say I couldn’t do something just because of that.”

“Just because of that?”

Karlhail kicked at leaves on the ground.

“It sounds… lame.”

“Lame…?”

His ears turned red as he looked away. Reina noticed and couldn’t help laughing.

“Is it funny…?”

“Yeah, a bit. It wasn’t even a big deal, but I kept worrying.”

They both laughed. It felt so refreshing after all the misunderstanding.

Then Karlhail suddenly looked at her with a playful glint.

“…Don’t you have something to give me?”

“Give you?”

He looked hopeful. How did he know?

“Umm…”

Reina hesitated. She did bring something, but her confidence had vanished. Her embroidered handkerchief looked awful compared to the others’.

‘I thought it looked good, but now I just want to scream at my past self.’

She pretended. “Nope.”

“You do. It’s in your pocket, right there.”

He pointed right at the pocket with the handkerchief.

‘How does he notice everything?’

“Come on, show me. You made it for me, didn’t you?”

“…But…”

“Reina~”

Karlhail leaned closer with a strange smile, his pinky finger brushing hers.

“AHHHH!!”

Reina screamed and jumped.

“Okay, fine! I’ll give it to you! Just stay back!”

She pulled something out of her pocket and threw it in the air. A sky-blue silk pouch floated toward Karlhail. He caught it and smiled like he won something.

He opened it, excited. But when he pulled out the handkerchief, his smile twisted.

He stared at the little white handkerchief with a small embroidered tiger in the corner.

“…Yours is… kind of unique, huh?”

Reina was annoyed. She reached to take it back.

“If you don’t like it, give it back!”

But Karlhail was faster. Reina’s hand grabbed empty air.

“When did I say I didn’t like it? I said it’s special because it’s different.”

“No, you said ‘unique,’ not ‘special!’”

As Reina argued, Karlhail quickly stood and stepped away, tying the handkerchief to his sword handle.