Chapter 12
“She’s so beautiful.”
The woman walking down the street was strikingly beautiful. Her hair, cascading down to her waist, was as red as roses, and her eyes beneath fluttering lashes were as clear as an autumn sky. Even her gait was so graceful that one might think she was the human embodiment of elegance itself.
The woman stopped in front of the café where Chloe was sitting. Soon, accompanied by a pleasant chime, she stepped inside.
“The Viscountess hasn’t arrived yet,” the owner informed her.
“That’s fine. I’ll wait here.”
It seemed the woman was already acquainted with the café owner. He led her to the table across from Chloe and served her a warm cup of milk tea.
Her movements—dropping a sugar cube into her cup, stirring gently, and lifting it to her lips—looked like a painting come to life. Chloe couldn’t help but watch her in a daze. That was, until their eyes met.
Chloe quickly lowered her gaze, worried that the woman might feel uncomfortable. She had, after all, been staring at her for quite a while.
“……”
But the woman didn’t look away. In fact, her large, jewel-like eyes widened even more.
‘What is it?’
Chloe’s confusion didn’t last long. She realized the woman wasn’t looking at her—but slightly above her.
‘What is she surprised by?’
The mystery was soon resolved. A large hand had gently wrapped around Chloe’s shoulder.
“Chloe.”
“…Kaiden?”
The one capturing the beautiful woman’s gaze was none other than Kaiden.
“Do you know her?” Chloe asked, subtly gesturing toward the woman with her chin.
Kaiden’s smile began to fade.
But he quickly recovered, the shadow on his face disappearing as he put on his usual cheerful expression. Still, Chloe had caught it clearly.
‘That’s the face of someone running into a person they don’t want to see.’
It reminded her of her own expression when she first encountered Dyur after their divorce.
As expected, the words soon followed.
“It’s been a while.”
“…Rosetta Crimson.”
The woman was Kaiden’s former fiancée—Rosetta Crimson.
‘Oh no.’
Chloe, who had been unknowingly caught between the two, shifted her eyes nervously.
In these situations, it was best to quietly remove oneself. Chloe lifted her hips slightly, trying to leave her seat.
But no sooner had she done so than she was firmly seated again. Kaiden’s hand, still on her shoulder, had tightened.
He hadn’t meant to. His body had tensed instinctively from the hostility he felt toward Rosetta.
‘Didn’t he say he had no feelings left?’
Kaiden was visibly angry.
Oddly, seeing him like that tugged at Chloe’s heart, and she decided to stay seated.
“I heard from Viscount Scent. You suddenly announced your wedding.”
Rosetta tilted her head slightly to the left, her fine hair softly brushing her cheek.
“I can understand how you feel. Of course you must resent me.”
She betrayed the man she once promised her life to—and now she claimed to understand?
“But Kaiden, this is too childish. Do you really think marrying before me will ruin my wedding? That’s your grand plan?”
Feigning concern. Pretending to care.
“Please, do something meaningful with your life. I truly want you to be happy.”
[I also hope you don’t cling to the past anymore.]
Over Rosetta’s graceful voice, Dyur’s voice echoed in Chloe’s mind. She knew that tone well.
Deception.
Yes. This was undoubtedly a form of deceit.
Seeing Kaiden’s face overlap with her own back then, Chloe bit her lip. Then, a cheerful voice rang out above her.
“Rosetta, you really don’t need to worry about me. As you can see, I’m doing quite well.”
Contrary to Chloe’s expectations, Kaiden sounded genuinely lighthearted. He even flashed a wide grin, revealing his perfectly aligned teeth.
“As I can see…?”
Rosetta’s wavering blue eyes shifted from Chloe to Kaiden.
“That’s right.”
Kaiden removed his hand from Chloe’s shoulder and reached down to intertwine his fingers with hers on the table.
“Thanks to my lovely girlfriend here, I’ve been living very happily.”
Chloe intended to shake his hand off. She really did.
…If only that hand hadn’t been trembling slightly.
That smile on his face was fake. This man wasn’t relaxed at all. Realizing that, Chloe found herself speaking.
“Kaiden, who is she?”
Chloe leaned her cheek against Kaiden’s arm and asked sweetly, gently tightening her grip between their interlocked fingers.
“…!”
Kaiden’s arm tensed under the sudden closeness.
‘Wow, he must really hate me touching him.’
Still—hold it together. Unless you want to be taken for a pushover like Chloe Garrett.
“Hmm? Won’t you tell me?”
Chloe playfully swung their clasped hands. The teasing motion reflected in Kaiden’s eyes.
“She is Miss Rosetta Crimson—my ex-fiancée.”
“Oh, right! Isn’t she the one getting married to your brother Harne?”
“Ah, my… brother…” Rosetta murmured blankly. She looked as if someone had struck her with a metal tray.
“Hah.”
Kaiden chuckled at the same time.
‘Must’ve hit the mark.’
In that case, let’s hit it harder. If I can’t have the tonic, at least you should enjoy it to the fullest.
Completely unaware that Kaiden was laughing because of her, Chloe extended a hand toward Rosetta.
“Nice to meet you.”
Rosetta looked confused and wary, but Chloe ignored it and spoke brightly.
“We’re going to be family soon. I look forward to it, sister-in-law.”
“Si… sister-in-law…”
Rosetta, still stunned, even staggered a bit. Her hand, resting on the back of her chair, had turned ghostly pale.
“So this wedding isn’t a bluff…?”
“Yes, it’s real.”
Chloe leaned further into Kaiden’s arm.
“I didn’t expect rumors to spread just from a casual outing. People sure talk a lot.”
“Probably because we look so good together.”
Kaiden had now fully joined in the act.
“Oh, you.”
Chloe playfully thumped his chest with her fist, just as she’d done at the Sent Hotel a few days ago.
“This is the engagement gift Kaiden gave me.”
She opened the jewelry box that had been resting on the table. Inside, a pair of dazzling blue diamond earrings sparkled brilliantly under the lights.
“He said they’d look perfect on our wedding day and went out of his way to get them. Aren’t they gorgeous?”
Though her hands trembled and her mouth was dry, Chloe lifted the earrings toward her ears.
“Now that I see it, they might be a bit too simple for a wedding. I’ll get you something bigger and more extravagant for the big day—these are for daily wear.”
“Oh my, really?”
Chloe lifted her hand, ready to lightly smack his chest again—but Kaiden moved faster.
He gently tucked her hair behind her ear and carefully fastened the earring himself.
“As I thought, something this stunning suits someone as beautiful as you.”
“T-Thank you…”
Her face suddenly felt warm, and Chloe looked away shyly.
“…Ugh.”
Rosetta let out a groan, unable to bear the scene any longer. It seemed she had finally accepted that Kaiden’s marriage wasn’t just a childish whim.
“So, Miss Crimson—no, sister-in-law.”
“…Y-Yes?”
“There’s no need to worry.”
“I didn’t say I was worried…”
“About my man.”
“….”
Chloe lifted her chin proudly and met Rosetta’s eyes. It was something she’d always wanted to do to Melvin.
“My boyfriend is my responsibility. So you don’t need to concern yourself with him anymore.”
“I was just worried about Kaiden’s well-being… Are you saying I make you uncomfortable?”
Rosetta tried to look hurt.
“Of course.”
But Chloe wasn’t fazed. Compared to Melvin’s dramatic breakdowns, Rosetta’s feigned sorrow was nothing.
“I get jealous easily, you see.”
“….”
“And you’re his ex-fiancée. If we were abroad, maybe I’d feel differently. But I’m just an ordinary woman from Oselt, and your lingering attention makes me… uneasy.”
“….”
“You understand what I mean, don’t you?”
Chloe blinked her round eyes a couple of times, innocently yet confidently.
This is excellent. 👌