MHCM 16

Chapter 16

For a moment, she wondered if she should ask whether he was still at the hotel.
The handkerchief of his that she had tucked away in her bag — and the words of thanks she hadn’t yet said — seemed like more than enough of an excuse.
Or maybe… she simply wanted an excuse to see him again.

Forcing herself to break off that train of thought, she met the waiting female employee’s gaze and shook her head.
“He’ll probably want a cup of hot coffee around eight in the morning. Could you have one ready for him?”
“Of course.”
The employee smiled warmly and nodded. She said that would be enough and straightened up.

I should get back to the estate and finish the work I’ve been putting off.
It was time to return. She crossed the hotel lounge in quick steps.

“Winter?”

At that moment, a familiar voice brushed past her ear — as if out of her imagination.
Eugene was standing right before her.
Just then, the overcast sky cleared, and sunlight streamed down behind him through the clouds. The strong afternoon light framed his figure like a savior from a delicate painting.

The sight was so dramatic, she almost found it funny.

“Why are you laughing?”
She must have failed to hide it — Eugene lifted a fine, dark brow and asked.

“No reason. I just didn’t expect to run into you here.”
“This is my hotel.”

She pretended not to hear his perfectly reasonable reply and went on,
“You must’ve just gotten back from a business trip.”
“Oh, yeah. How did you know?”

Eugene tilted his head, curious as to how she’d guessed.
She didn’t bother explaining — only smiled faintly.

It felt as if their argument that day had never happened,
as if the empty time between them had never existed at all.
Everything blended together naturally, and she realized it only when she stopped speaking.
After a short pause, she gave a small, fluttering laugh.
“It just looked that way.”

“What, are you spying on my schedule now?”
Eugene gave up on prying and lazily teased instead.
She frowned, her cheeks flushing — for some reason, she could never keep her composure around him.

“That’s not it! I just saw you at the train station earlier.”
“Ah. So you followed me here, then?”
He said it with a teasing smile that made her pout.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Then what brings you here?”
“My mother-in-law’s staying at this hotel. I came to see her in.”

Eugene hummed softly, a knowing gleam in his violet eyes. She shook her head at once.
“I booked this place long before I knew it belonged to you.”
“Who said anything? Since we’ve met, stay for a cup of tea.”

Without waiting for her answer, Eugene turned to the front desk clerk.
“Elder?”
“He arrived earlier and went up to the office, sir.”
Her tone was just as polite as when she’d spoken to Winter.
Eugene nodded absently and jerked his chin toward the elevator.
“Come on. Let’s go up to the office.”

His casual invitation made her hesitate.
A moment ago she’d been thinking up every possible excuse to see him again — yet suddenly, his offer felt dangerous.
An odd, uneasy fear rose in her chest as she looked at him.

He was already striding toward the elevator.
It was too late to refuse.

She took a reluctant step forward and followed him.

His office was one floor below the hotel’s rooftop.
A man — apparently Elder — looked up from a desk full of papers as they entered.
“Mr. President! What took you— oh, welcome, ma’am.”
He stopped mid-greeting, surprised to see Winter behind Eugene.
It was the same man who’d once helped her at the Imperial Palace.

“Elder. It’s cold — bring us some hot coffee and something sweet.”
“Something sweet? We don’t have any desserts here.”
“Then make some.”

Eugene’s voice was curt but easy, and Elder, after glancing at Winter, turned silently and left.

Winter’s gaze wandered to the broad window.
The city stretched far below; she could see the Jello River running through the capital, and beyond it, the Wolfheize Department Store faintly visible in the distance.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? It’s my favorite view in the whole hotel.”
Eugene smiled faintly.
Not wanting to seem childish, she quickly tore her gaze away and sat on the guest sofa.

“What’s on the top floor?”
She was curious why he’d chosen the floor just below it for his office.
Eugene’s lips curved in a slanted smile.
“That’s a secret.”
“What kind of answer is that?”

She gave a small laugh and turned back to the window.
The Winter’s Hotel was the tallest building in the city — she’d never been this high before. Just imagining stepping closer to the glass made her knees feel weak.

“In time, the Empire will have more buildings like this. For now, this is the only place with such a view.”
Eugene lounged back with a relaxed smile.

“Are the other buildings your company’s constructing this tall too?”
“Yeah.”
“What are they for?”

She remembered Hayden’s curiosity. Despite ongoing construction, the Winter Company hadn’t revealed the building’s purpose, leaving everyone to wonder what it would be used for.

“You want to know?”
Eugene’s tone dropped, intimate and secretive.
She hesitated, then nodded — more for Hayden’s sake than her own.

Eugene leaned forward, motioning her closer.
Curiosity tugging at her, she leaned in too. His lips drew near her ear, warm breath brushing her skin.
She flinched slightly as he whispered, voice low and teasing:
“A foundation to reclaim my winter.”

He chuckled softly at his own words, and she scowled.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t know. What do you think it means?”

His expression shifted — from mischievous boy to self-assured man — as his lips curved slowly upward.
Uncomfortable, she dropped her gaze.

Just then, Elder returned with hot coffee and a tray of desserts.
“Thank you.”
He gave her a friendly smile and a small nod before disappearing again.

Once more, only the two of them remained.
She wrapped her fingers around the coffee cup, glancing sideways at Eugene.
For the first time, his presence felt real again — he was truly back.

Her heart began to race uncontrollably. She frowned, not understanding why.

Eugene pushed the dessert tray toward her.
“Eat, Winter. You’ve always liked sweets.”

He smiled lopsidedly.
Ah — that was it.
That smile.

It stirred too much in her.
Even now, grown and sharpened with age, Eugene smiled just as he had back then — that slightly crooked, infuriating grin that once belonged to the boy she’d known.

Their shared past flashed behind his face — laughter, tears, warmth, and comfort that had seemed unbreakable… until he vanished.

Why did you disappear like that?
The question burned on her tongue.
If she ever saw him again, she’d wanted to ask — were they so trivial, that he could just leave without a word? Why didn’t he keep his promise?

But she knew now that it was more than a childish complaint.
So instead of asking, she sighed and turned away.

Why show up in front of me now?

The thought no longer held meaning.
She wasn’t young enough to ruin everything over a past longing.

Her thumb brushed against her wedding ring — slightly loose now, maybe because she’d lost weight.
But it was enough to remind her of who she was.

Her savior wasn’t Eugene. It was Hayden.

Her heartbeat began to slow again.
She quietly picked up a macaron from the tray.

The chewy shell gave way to a burst of sweetness that almost stung her tongue. She bit, swallowed, bit again — until it was gone.

With the sugary taste lingering on her tongue, all her tangled thoughts about Eugene slipped away. It felt as though everything had returned to its rightful place.

“You still love your sweets,” Eugene said after watching her for a while.
“I’m eating them because they’re here.”
“Sure. Let’s call it that.”

His teasing tone caught her off guard, tightening her throat with a flicker of old emotion.
She scowled, trying to shake it off.
“You’re so annoying.”

He chuckled quietly, the sound achingly familiar.
Leaning back lazily, he smiled.
“You haven’t changed, Winter.”
“And you’re still irritating.”

Eugene crinkled his nose playfully.
Her fingers spun the ring again — the diamond glinting as it caught against her thumb, perfectly fitting there.

(To be continued…)