~Chapter 41~
Johann looked around the cabin while waiting for the door to open again.
The place was small—just a shabby wooden door, a tiny garden, and a swing hanging from a tree. It didn’t take long to look around.
“…Sorry.”
Leah finally opened the door, now in casual clothes with her messy hair somewhat fixed.
“Didn’t expect to be treated like this after coming all this way.”
Johann muttered grumpily and stepped inside.
He put down the bread he brought on the wooden dining table and glanced around.
‘I really lived in this tiny cabin for over four years?’
He thought something would come back to him, like when he was taking care of Raphaella—but nothing.
Even though he’d found the cabin just by instinct, which gave him some hope, it now just felt disappointing.
“So, how did you get here? Did you follow me right after I left?”
Leah asked, coming over to him.
“Sit down. I’ll tell you everything—why I came and how.”
Johann nodded toward a chair at the table like he owned the place.
Once they both sat, Johann started telling her everything that had happened at the duke’s estate after she left.
At first, Leah reacted to every detail, but as the story went on, she got quieter.
“…So that’s how I ended up here today.”
Leah just nodded silently.
“Raphaella is doing really well, so don’t worry about that.”
“…Thank you for taking care of her.”
“…No need to thank me.”
It felt weird being thanked when they were both Raphaella’s parents.
It’s not like he was just a kind stranger—he was her father too.
In the past, it might’ve made sense, but now it just felt off.
“Maybe I should’ve taken her with me after all… I didn’t think Raphaella would get this hurt because of me.”
Leah lowered her head, her voice trailing off.
“I get that you feel guilty, but Raphaella wouldn’t want you to be sad.”
“But she was clearly upset, and she didn’t even throw a tantrum to make me stay…”
“Well, now you know. She’s still young—she’ll be okay.”
Johann thought it was kind of funny how he ended up comforting her.
‘Feels like a fool giving advice to someone way wiser.’
“I’ll have to be even better to her when I go back.”
Leah sighed softly.
“…You’re already doing great.”
Johann said after a short pause.
“Really?”
She smiled awkwardly and scratched her cheek.
“Still, how did you get here so fast?”
She leaned in, suddenly curious.
“I used teleportation magic.”
He rubbed the corner of his eye, which felt a bit sore.
“Teleportation? I heard that’s super difficult magic!”
She looked surprised.
“It is. That’s why… I’d appreciate it if you kept it a secret.”
“Don’t worry, there’s no one for me to tell anyway.”
Leah nodded easily.
“…Did you just wake up?”
He asked, noticing her slightly messy hair.
“Huh? Yeah, I stayed up pretty late last night.”
Leah blushed a little, embarrassed.
“So I guess you haven’t even had breakfast, let alone lunch.”
“Yeah, kind of.”
“Harry told me you didn’t take any food with you when you left.”
“I wasn’t planning to stay long—just to take care of some things.”
Johann pushed the bread toward her.
“Then eat this—consider it brunch.”
“…What about you, Your Grace?”
“I haven’t eaten either.”
Leah sliced the bread and put it nicely on a plate.
It was a very simple meal, but they sat down to eat.
Now that all the important stuff had been said, the silence between them felt a bit awkward.
They both wanted to say something but didn’t know what would make things more comfortable.
“I’ve got something I want to ask.”
Johann finally broke the silence after finishing his food.
“Ask what?”
“Remember the condition you made when we signed the contract?”
“Which one?”
Leah looked at him, puzzled.
“The one where you said you’d only stay at the estate until Raphaella’s 8th birthday.”
“Oh, that.”
She wondered what exactly he was curious about.
‘Wait… is he going to ask if I can leave earlier?’
It definitely wouldn’t be about staying longer.
“You said back then that it didn’t mean you were abandoning Raphaella, right?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Then why are you leaving her?”
“…”
Leah clamped her mouth shut.
‘I figured he’d ask eventually.’
Johann just waited, arms crossed, saying nothing.
“…Do you really need to know?”
She finally asked.
“I want to now. Raphaella loves you the most.”
“…You’ve really changed. I can’t believe you just said that.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“No, actually… hearing you say that makes me feel a lot better.”
“Then I want an answer to my question.”
Johann brought it up again.
“…Honestly, the question caught me off guard. I’m not sure if I should tell you yet.”
“Because you don’t trust me?”
“No, it’s not that. I just… need time to think.”
“…If that’s what you need, I’ll wait.”
If she wasn’t ready to tell him, he wouldn’t force it.
‘Must be something pretty heavy.’
As soon as he finished talking, tiredness suddenly hit Johann.
“You look exhausted.”
Leah noticed he was zoning out.
“…A little.”
“You should get some rest.”
She stood up.
“Is there even a room for that?”
He looked around the tiny cabin.
“Don’t worry.”
Leah led him to Raphaella’s room.
It was cozy and adorably decorated.
“Then get some rest. I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay.”
She quietly closed the door and left.
Johann lay down carefully on the bed.
‘Lying on my daughter’s bed, even though
I have no memory of her… this feels strange.’
He saw some wooden dolls on the shelf across the room.
‘Did I make those too?’
He stared at the dolls for a while, then closed his eyes.
—
Leah walked toward Alma’s house.
‘He wants to know why I’m leaving Raphaella…’
‘Maybe it’s because Raphaella got sick from emotional stress… Is that what made him change?’
Even without his memory, he clearly wasn’t a heartless man.
‘Would telling him help bring him and Raphaella closer?’
Since her death was already certain, Leah coldly weighed the pros and cons of telling him.
Oddly enough, doing the math didn’t feel too painful.
‘But he’ll probably pity me if I tell him…’
And she didn’t want pity from a man who didn’t even remember her.
Leah bit her lip as she thought about it.
It didn’t seem like she could keep it a secret from her husband much longer—not with the way he looked at their daughter now.
And if things kept going like this, maybe one day he and Raphaella would be close again, like before.
‘If it helps Raphaella, then who cares if he pities me—I’ll take it a hundred times over.’
She made up her mind: once she finished making the medicine for Penelope, she’d tell Johann the truth.
“Sigh…”
“What now? Why are you sighing in front of my house?”
“Ahh!”
Leah jumped when she saw Alma standing beside her.
“I heard that guy’s here—is that why you’re like this?”
“…You heard?”
“Not from him—from the neighbors.”
Alma opened the gate and led Leah inside.
“If I had seen him myself, I wouldn’t have just let it go.”
“Alma, please don’t do anything rash.”
“Why? Because he’s some big fancy noble?”
Alma scoffed and slammed the door behind her.
She had seen the same newspaper the village chief showed Leah—the one announcing Johann’s engagement to the princess.
Others in the village had seen it too.
They were just trying to figure out whether the man in the paper was really Leah’s husband before showing it to her, not wanting to hurt her unnecessarily.
But everyone agreed he looked just like him.
And the timing of his appearance in the mountains matched the duke’s disappearance perfectly.
So between the picture and the facts, they were pretty sure Johann really was Duke Blumhardt.
The villagers felt both happy and betrayed when they saw him again today.
But since he was a noble, they kept it to themselves.
…Alma probably wouldn’t have, though.
She was Leah’s oldest and most hotheaded friend—she would’ve gone straight for his hair.
‘But she doesn’t know he lost his memory.’
Leah felt relieved Alma hadn’t run into Johann yet.
“Alma, he doesn’t remember us.”
“What? That’s ridiculous.”
Leah had left so quickly for the capital that she never had a chance to explain.
“When he got his old memories back, all the ones from here disappeared.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“It’s true. He doesn’t remember the mountain, or me, or Raphaella, or anyone from the village.”
“That’s just—!”
Alma sat on the couch, looking furious.
Just then, her husband Raoul walked in.
“Huh? Leah! When did you get back?”
Raoul greeted her warmly.
The three of them—Leah, Alma, and Raoul—had been friends since they were kids.
Once they were all seated, Leah began telling them everything:About life in the capital, and about her husband who had lost all his memories.
—
Meanwhile, Raphaella was playing in Penelope’s room with Isabella.
Raphaella and Penelope weren’t just aunt and niece—they were like sisters, chatting and laughing.
Isabella felt tears prick her eyes just watching them.
Because people don’t only cry when they’re sad—sometimes they cry when they’re truly happy.
While playing with a doll, Raphaella looked over at Isabella.
“Grandma, Grandma.”
“Yes, Raphaella?”
She cleared her throat and responded.
“Do you think Mom and Dad are getting along okay right now?”
