IOWYC Chapter 113

Chapter 113 

Inside the cave where Jared had helped us hide, the small fire crackled softly.

I watched the flames for a moment before turning to him.
“Why are you here?”

He didn’t answer right away, and I stared at him in silence before adding,
“Don’t tell me… Kallian sent you?”

Still no reply.

“Did he tell you to bring me back?”

Jared’s expression was unreadable as he looked straight at me.
“No. It’s the opposite.”

“The opposite…?”

Before I could ask more, Denian — who had been sitting quietly beside me — tilted his head and asked in a careful voice,
“Mister… are you Uncle Kal’s friend?”

I froze.
I had never once said Kallian’s name in front of my son, yet he had somehow realized that the “Kallian” I mentioned was the same “Uncle Kal” from the cottage.

Jared blinked in surprise at the child’s question.
Denian continued confidently,
“Did Uncle Kal say he misses Denian?”

He probably thought Kallian had sent his friend because he wanted to see him again.

I stayed silent, unsure what to say, but Jared gently replied,
“I was sent by Uncle Kal to protect your mother.”

Denian frowned slightly.
“Why? Why didn’t Uncle Kal come himself?”

Caught off guard by the sharp little boy’s question, Jared scratched his neck.
“Because he’s very busy.”

“Hmm…” Denian puffed up his cheeks in protest.

While Denian pouted, I repeated Jared’s earlier words in disbelief.
“He sent you… to protect me?”

Careful not to mention Kallian’s name in front of my son, I asked quietly.

After hesitating for a moment, Jared nodded.
“To be precise, he told me to ensure your safety — and report back to him.”

It was strange.
To “check my safety” and then report?

That meant he already knew where I was.

‘So… he’s known all along?’

Had Kallian only pretended not to remember me?

Sensing my growing confusion, Jared quickly explained,
“Kallian didn’t know your location, my lady. I followed you when you left Sendaim. He told me not to reveal where you were — to anyone.”

“What…?”

Lloyd had told me he’d sent people to search for me after I fled.

So, Kallian found me first — but instead of coming to me, he just ordered someone to secretly watch over me?

And then told him not to reveal my location?

It almost sounded as if he’d wanted to avoid me on purpose.

But that wasn’t the Kallian I knew.

He wasn’t a man capable of restraint when it came to his emotions — even when they bordered on madness.

‘I told you before — once you set foot in this mansion, the only way you’ll leave is in death.’

‘No, even after death… you’ll rest beside me. Buried in Valdormer soil. Not Heister’s.’

That man — who had spoken those chilling words — would never have simply stayed away.

My head spun with unanswered questions.

Then Jared broke the silence.
“…For now, you should rest. I’ll escort you back to Vent Castle.”

At that, my thoughts about Kallian came to a stop.

Whatever his intentions had been in sending Jared, the only thing that mattered now was escaping.

The image of Lloyd’s cold, unblinking eyes was burned into my mind.

Unlike Kallian’s confused, obsessive gaze… Lloyd’s had been different.

His eyes knew exactly what he wanted — and they told me clearly that he would do anything to get it.

Even if it wasn’t what Denian or I wanted.

Swallowing hard, I steadied myself and looked Jared straight in the eyes.
“I know it’s shameless to ask right after meeting you, but… can you help me and my son escape this place?”

He hesitated.

I could tell he was weighing the risks — wondering whether this place was truly as dangerous as I said.

On the surface, Vent Castle looked impenetrable and safe.

“You said you were sent to protect me,” I reminded him quietly. “Leaving here — that’s the only way Denian and I will be safe.”

At last, Jared exhaled slowly and replied,
“The soldiers have already surrounded the mountain. It’s impossible to escape right now — especially with you injured and the boy so young.”

Despair threatened to swallow me, but before I could respond, Jared added firmly,
“If you give me a little time, I’ll find a way to get you out. But until then, please stay within the castle. It’s the safest place for now.”

His voice was calm but resolute.

I could only nod. “…All right.”

Just then, faint voices echoed from outside the cave.

“They must’ve searched this area too.” Jared frowned.

I drew in a deep breath, forcing my voice to stay steady.
“Leave a note in the cabinet at the cottage when it’s safe to meet. I’ll be waiting.”

“I will,” he said before disappearing into the snow.

Turning back to Denian, I started to warn him,
“Denian, about that man from earlier—”

But my son pressed a tiny finger to my lips and whispered,
“Shh! It’s a secret, right? Denian doesn’t know anything.”

A quiet laugh escaped me just before armored footsteps approached.

“She’s here!” one soldier shouted.

I held Denian close, keeping my expression calm as the soldiers entered.

Like a small bird crouching before flight —
waiting for the storm to pass, for the sky to clear,
so I could finally spread my wings again.

A Week Later

The vassal meeting was scheduled for the following week.

At that gathering, Kallian would officially be declared the new lord of Valdormer —
and he planned to announce the continuation of the war against Heister.

He knew there might not be another miracle like before.
If he went back to the battlefield, he might not return alive this time.

Yet something deep within him urged him to finish what he had started.

And perhaps… to see her one last time.

The woman who had saved him. Denian’s mother.

He sat at his desk, staring blankly for a long time before abruptly standing up.

“Kallian?”

Layla, who had been reviewing reports nearby, looked up in surprise as he grabbed his coat.

He didn’t respond.

He had only a week — and he meant to use it to find her.

He wasn’t whole; parts of his memory were still missing.
But his heart told him he needed to see her again.

Maybe she wasn’t his lover after all.
Maybe she truly was the wife or mistress of the Silverstel second son.

Even so, he had to see her.

After the vassal meeting, he would have no time — the war would consume him completely.

For some reason, it felt urgent — as if he must see her before everything began again.

“Don’t look for me for a week,” he told Layla curtly as he headed for the door.

But her anxious voice stopped him.
“Kallian!”

He turned, puzzled by her tone.

Her expression wavered, torn by hesitation.

“You asked me before,” she said slowly, “if you had a lover or someone dear to you.”

Kallian froze, half out the door.

He closed it again and turned back to face her, waiting.

Layla bit her lip, uncertain, then finally spoke.
“I’ve debated whether to tell you this… since your memory isn’t complete.”

Kallian’s heart pounded.

‘So I did have someone…?’

Finally, he would learn the identity of the woman whose voice haunted him — the one he couldn’t stop thinking about.

He silently prayed that it would be her — the woman who had saved his life.

But Layla’s quiet words cut through the still air of the study.

“The truth is… during the time you don’t remember, you and I were lovers.”