SVD 60🔐

Chapter 60 She’s My Woman!

‘Himena’s mother… even seeing her again, she’s truly beautiful. My mother… was also very pretty…’

At the restaurant where the reception was held, Himena had been held up by her father and guests for quite some time. While everyone’s attention was on Kailian, she quietly slipped away and wandered around the mansion looking for a quiet place.

She picked up a wine bottle left in the parlor and, avoiding the busy first floor where the servants were working, went into the darkened study on the second floor.

There, she crouched in a corner looking at the large portrait of the Duke and Duchess holding baby Himena, drinking straight from the bottle.

“Phew… why do I feel so gloomy? That’s strange… Mom, Dad! This cheerful woman who doesn’t cry even when lonely or sad… today feels strangely down. Why is that?”

She looked up at the portrait and asked, then quickly gave a hollow laugh.

“Fool. Those people aren’t my mom and dad, right? Hmm? No, they are. I’m not Himena, yet I am Himena. Haha, what is this? It’s really all mixed up. Everything is a total mess… I’m not really me even though I was born as me… They are my parents but also not… And this engagement party is my engagement party but also not really… Hehe. Am I dreaming of Himena, or is Himena dreaming of me…? Oh! That sounds philosophical!”

Muttering to herself and giggling, Himena soon finished the whole bottle of wine and lay down on the floor.

“Haa…”

At that moment, a shadow fell across her face.

Looking up drowsily at the figure backlit by the light, Himena grinned and spread her arms while lying down.

“Wow! Our acting genius is here! Kail, you should have become an actor. Look, everyone’s fooled by this fake engagement. I’m still clumsy at acting, but you get a thumbs-up! Sometimes, I almost feel like you really like me? How can you be such a good actor?”

“…Himena.”

“Ah, don’t worry. The contract period will be… shorter than you think. Then we’ll break it off cleanly… so don’t… worry… don’t worry…”

Getting slower and slurred from the alcohol, Himena soon fell asleep lying on the floor.

The owner of the shadow, shocked, stood frozen for a moment, then kneeled down and gently stroked her sleeping face with pity.

“So that’s why… your face was so gloomy throughout the engagement. Himena, did you really have to go this far for your reputation? You who once deliberately made scandals to avoid a prince’s proposal, why now…?”

Suddenly, a thought flashed in his mind.

“Could it be… to save Andrea the writer?”

She would do something like that without hesitation.

She was the type who wouldn’t tolerate even the death of a baroness unrelated to herself.

She had stepped forward selflessly to clear the injustice of that death.

And now, she was still actively helping to prevent another innocent death.

“Himena… who on earth are you…?”

He looked at her with pity and couldn’t help but kiss her forehead.

Then, carefully, he lifted her to carry her to the bedroom.

“Will you take your hands off my woman?”

“Hmm?”

Kailian was standing at the study door, glaring coldly at Eron as if he had appeared out of nowhere.

“I was just going to move her to the bedroom since she fell asleep on the cold floor.”

“I won’t say this twice. Put her down. I’ll carry her.”

Even though his face was dark because of the backlight, his voice was so harsh and cold it could be felt in the twisted expression.

Eron stared back at him without yielding, then carefully set Himena down.

Not because he feared Kailian, but because even if it was fake, today was her engagement party, and Kailian was her fiancé. He, as a guest, could not cause a scene here.

Kailian quickly approached as soon as Eron put her down and lifted her up again.

That caused Himena to slightly wake up.

“…Hmm? Who’s that? Wow… It’s the Marquis. Marquis… I really thought I was going to die. I’m not going back there… the cliff of doom… so cold, so cold. I’m not going…”

She clung to Kailian’s neck, babbling nonsense, then fell asleep again.

Holding her tightly like a precious treasure, he turned and said coldly,

“If you’re a friend, act like one. Don’t cross the line. There’s nothing as foolish as lingering feelings for another man’s woman.”

“She’s not someone else’s woman yet!”

“What?”

When Kailian turned sharply, Eron, half-hidden in the shadows, sneered at him.

“Engagement and marriage are definitely different. Soon, this engagement might turn into a meaningless bubble… who knows?”

At that moment, Kailian’s eyes turned scarlet with a frightening coldness as he stared at Eron.

But then he smiled lightly, kissing Himena’s forehead in his arms.

“I shouldn’t crush your hope, but I guarantee that won’t happen. I’m not foolish enough to lose the woman I love in my arms.”

“Hmm?”

“Thanks for coming to the engagement. I’ll definitely invite you to the wedding, too. Then.”

Kailian strode out of the study holding Himena.

“She loves her woman… huh?”

Eron frowned and clenched his fist, rooted to the spot for a long while.

Holding Himena, Kailian went to her bedroom on the same floor and stood by the bed, looking at her face in his arms.

The soft moonlight through the window gently illuminated Himena’s round forehead, closed eyes, high nose, and slightly parted lips in peaceful sleep.

He didn’t want to put her down, so he stood still for a moment.

He wanted to hold her all night, watch her breathing, her flushed cheeks from the alcohol, her lips softly moving, to caress and kiss her.

But that was just his selfish wish, an unapproved, one-sided desire.

“Sigh…”

With a sigh of regret, he carefully laid her down on the bed.

“Hmm…”

Knowing she had slipped away from the reception and fallen asleep alone in the study troubled him too.

Unlike himself, who had acted sincerely during the fake engagement, she must have had a hard time.

‘Himena…’

As he gently stroked her hair, Himena twitched her brows and parted her lips slightly, as if dreaming.

“Mom… Mo…m…”

Then tears gathered at the corners of her closed eyes.

Seeing this, Kailian tenderly wiped her tears and kissed her tightly clasped hand.

He knew she lost her mother around age three, but this fake engagement seemed to have suddenly made her remember her mother whom she barely knew.

He, too, had lost his parents tragically at a young age, so his heart felt heavy.

“…Mom…”

“Himena…”

Kailian gently stroked her hair again and bent down to kiss her forehead.

“Marquis!”

“Hmm?”

A small, delicate maid was standing quietly in the middle of the room, seemingly having appeared unnoticed.

“It’s late. I’ll take care of the lady, so please rest. The Marquis’s room downstairs is already prepared.”

“You are…?”

“My name is Mari, and I attend the lady.”

Her polite, modest tone was oddly tinged with caution.

“You’re the maid who handed Himena the ring during the engagement ceremony.”

“Yes.”

“Good. Seems the lady drank a lot. Please watch over her carefully in case she struggles during the night.”

“Yes, I will.”

As Kailian stepped back from the bed, Mari quickly came forward and tucked the blanket firmly over Himena.

“Well then.”

“Um, Marquis?”

Mari quietly stopped Kailian as he was leaving.

“Why?”

“Thank you for helping the lady.”

“Helping?”

Curious about what she meant, Kailian turned back from the doorknob and looked at Mari.

“You made a difficult decision for our lady… the fake engagement.”

At that moment, a crease formed on Kailian’s forehead.

“I’m very close to the lady, unlike other maids. Not just mistress and servant, but like… sisters.”

“Did Himena say that herself?”

“Yes. Only to me and Sir Royce. We promised to keep it a secret, and won’t tell anyone. But…”

“But?”

“Though the lady appears strong, she is more fragile inside than you think. We want her not to be hurt by this engagement. One hurt is enough. So, if you don’t mind, please stick to the contract properly.”

Despite her young age, Mari met Kailian’s sharp gaze without flinching, with a strong resolve.

“That’s not a request but more like… a warning.”

Mari didn’t argue.

“I understand your concern. But I won’t hurt her again, so rest assured. And…”

Kailian added coldly,

“If you’re not really her sister, please avoid crossing the line.”

Mari’s brows trembled.

Kailian then left Himena’s bedroom.

After Eron, even the maid…

Feeling the growing hostility from those close to Himena, Kailian stepped outside to breathe in the cold air.

“Oh? Marquis!”

Royce, the head of the Duke’s knights, came up to him smiling after seeing off the guests.

“Where’s your fiancée? Why are you alone out here?”

“Haha, my fiancée got drunk and fell asleep first.”

“What? When did she drink that much? Can’t help her.”

“Does the lady usually enjoy drinking?”

“Enjoy? You know I’m not only skilled in martial arts but also recognized by seniors for my drinking skills. If I choose her as a drinking buddy, that says it all.”

Kailian lowered his voice suddenly.

“Do I know you?”

“Huh? Oh, why are you like that, Marquis? You were the one who—”

Royce, chatting happily as if they were close, suddenly froze with a start.

“I, I’m not sure you know me… Right? Th-first time meeting you, Marquis. I’m Royce, the lady’s guard knight.”

“Ahem.”

Royce bowed deeply, and Kailian cleared his throat, glancing around.

“Sometimes people mistake my name for Lloyd, Lawrence, or especially Lorex, but no! I’m Royce! Royce, that’s right.”

“Haha, nice to meet you, Royce. I feel familiar with you even though it’s our first meeting because I have a subordinate who looks like you.”

“Really? Haha, I do have a pretty common face. Haha. But that subordinate must be as friendly as me, since just looking alike makes you feel close.”

“Not just friendly. Skilled in martial arts, a good drinker, and very respectful to the mischievous elder brother from the same hometown.”

Hearing such blatant praise, Royce was embarrassed about his identity but soon grinned widely.

“Haha! Not only do we look alike, but our personalities are identical! I’m like that! Despite our rough lady causing trouble, he serves her respectfully without complaints.”

“Heh, is that so?”

Thanks to Royce, Kailian’s heavy mood lifted, and he smiled at last.

“Sigh, Marquis, you’re having a hard time because of our lady.”

“What hardship?”

“Honestly…”

Royce lowered his voice, covering his mouth in case someone heard.

“If it weren’t for you, Marquis, who else would take our lady away?”

“Why? I heard Prince Diego is eager to take her.”

“That rookie prince can’t handle our lady. Even after being defeated twice, he still hasn’t learned. It’s just his pride getting hurt.”

“Twice? I heard about the sword duel… what was the other time?”

“Huh? Maybe the lady didn’t tell you? Haha. That story’s even funnier. Actually, Mari and I… Oh, Mari is the lady’s maid, do you know her?”

“Oh… I do.”