ISMFF23

Episode 23

Reunion (2)

This wasn’t somewhere she was supposed to run into her.

They were far from the capital, and even farther from the villa where Temia had once briefly stayed.

Which meant… it was also a long way from the Lacroix estate.

‘Why… why does she look so much like Kaili?’

Temia was frozen for a few seconds, caught between her instincts screaming a warning and her logical reasoning.

Was it just her mind projecting a familiar face onto a stranger to calm her nerves in an unfamiliar situation? Or… was there truly some hidden connection between Kaili Lacroix and Lowell Van Trearn that led her here?

‘This is not a place where Kaili would normally be. Not unless she came with Lowell…’

But she didn’t have time to hesitate.

Even if there was a high chance it wasn’t Kaili, if there was any chance it was, it was something she had to act on immediately.

Temia cautiously approached the robed figure, trying to get a better look.

“What…?”

At that moment, the other person, sensing footsteps behind them, quickly pulled their hood down tighter.

They were clearly trying to hide their face from anyone approaching.

‘No way I’m walking away after coming this far!’

Seizing the moment, Temia sped up and deliberately bumped into the person just as they were lowering their head and trying to leave.

She used the narrow hallway to her advantage—it was a trap. Startled by the bump, the person turned around, and Temia opened her eyes wide to confirm their face.

Then came a soft, familiar voice.

As the hood slipped back, Temia gasped and, forgetting her manners entirely, shouted in disbelief:

“What the heck are you doing here?!”

Fate really was a cruel cycle.

Straight black hair like obsidian, sharp dark eyes to match, and that familiar expression—

Kaili Lacroix.

The very person Temia had sworn to keep far, far away from Lowell Van Trearn.

After realizing she had somehow traveled back to her childhood thanks to a relic in her family’s possession, Temia had vowed to never waste this second chance.

Now that her body had healed completely, she believed she could prevent the misfortunes that once befell Kaili. From the start, she had no intention of letting Kaili and Lowell get engaged. She had roamed far and wide to prevent that future from happening.

If Kaili ever called for her—even in joy, in sorrow, or even out of boredom—Temia had planned to run to her. She had decided to live this life for the sake of the one person who had always been her comfort.

She had resolved never to make a regretful decision again.

That’s why the first thing she did after recovering from her illness was to visit the Lacroix estate.

She wanted to thank Kaili sincerely for supporting her during her darkest days.

And she wanted to return the bracelet that had once been sent back to her, as a proper gift of gratitude.

Those gestures mattered—but even more important was confirming Kaili’s feelings and whether she was promised to anyone.

Temia had asked while watching Kaili admire the bracelet, its silver band glowing elegantly on her wrist.

—“Hey, you said you had a crush on someone before… Are you two dating now?”

At that, Kaili panicked and quickly tried to cover Temia’s mouth.

Frowning suspiciously, Temia pressed her further, and Kaili whispered quickly:

—“Don’t talk about that here! If anyone else hears, it’ll be bad!”

Still, Temia lowered her voice and asked again. There was one thing she needed to confirm above all.

—“Just answer this. There isn’t anyone your father has arranged for you to marry, right?”

Kaili nodded without hesitation.

—“Of course not. My father says I’m still too young to be ‘sold off.’ And even if arranged marriages are common, how could I get engaged to someone I don’t love? If that ever happened, I’d rather die.”

That answer reassured Temia. It was confirmation that Kaili and Lowell were not engaged, and that as long as Kaili didn’t get forced into a relationship with someone she didn’t love, there was still hope for her happiness.

But then, what was happening now?

After everything she’d done, all the risks she had taken, all the planning—

Kaili was standing right in front of her.

The two stared at each other in stunned silence until finally, Kaili spoke first.

“What are you doing here?”

“That’s my line! Why… why you, of all people, here?!”

“Am I not allowed to be here? Why are you so shocked? You’re here too!”

If Temia had to name the one person she least wanted to meet while living in hiding, Kaili would easily be at the top of the list.

Temia quickly glanced around to see if he was nearby. Lowell was still somewhere in the market. If he happened to wander over while Kaili was here…

Her anxiety began to rise.

Everything she’d been working toward was to prevent those two from meeting again. But if they ran into each other here—what then?

Temia’s eyes dropped to the familiar bracelet glittering on Kaili’s wrist.

Seeing Kaili’s bright smile as if she were simply glad to see her friend made her heart ache.

Suddenly, Temia grabbed Kaili’s wrist and pulled her into the tent, blocking the entrance with her own body.

She had to hide her. Somehow.

“Temia, what’s going on? What’s with you? You made everyone worry by disappearing without a single letter for months!”

“I was about to visit your estate just to check on you! I heard you graduated from the academy—why am I hearing this from someone else? You weren’t that busy, were you?”

Temia, catching her breath, tried to think quickly. She didn’t know why Kaili was here, but the priority was to send her away safely—and make sure she never came back to this area again.

And from what Temia had learned so far, Lowell had been hiding his ties with his family and rarely left the workshop. If Temia was careful, Kaili would remain safe.

But Kaili wasn’t the type to accept vague explanations. Since Temia had left without a word, it made sense that her presence here seemed suspicious.

‘I’ll have to lie.’

So Temia calmly started to explain.

“Actually… I ran away. But I’m okay—I’ve settled down and I’m doing fine. Just don’t tell my family, okay? I’ll contact them when I’m ready.”

“You… ran away? Are you having a late rebellious phase or something?!”

Despite her words, Kaili examined Temia’s face with concern, noting she looked a little pale. Her worry made Temia’s conscience twinge.

“I’m really fine. I just had my reasons. I’ll explain everything later. But more importantly—why are you here?”

“Uh… well…”

Temia leaned in, determined to find out Kaili’s purpose here and send her on her way before anything bad could happen.

“The Lacroix estate is pretty far from here, isn’t it? Why’d you come all the way out to this backwater place?”

Kaili bit her lip and turned her gaze away. Her stubborn silence was familiar—it meant she didn’t want to answer.

Her flushed ears gave her away. She was embarrassed.

Temia had a feeling she knew why.

“This place is… kind of famous, you know.”

“Famous for what?”

Kaili covered her face and muttered softly.

“For, um… fortune-telling.”

“…What?”

“For love! I came to ask about my love life, okay?! Why, is that so weird?!”

Her face was redder than a tomato. Clearly embarrassed, she clenched her fists and shouted defensively.

Temia was struck speechless.

Her memories of Kaili were filled with tear-stained letters and heartbreak. To see her like this was… unfamiliar.

‘So it wasn’t just a one-sided crush. She’s… really serious about it.’

The glow on her flushed face, the fluttering energy—she looked just like a girl in love.

And Temia found it… a bit strange.

“No, no—it’s fine. I was just curious. Is it about the same person you mentioned before?”

Temia asked again, needing a clear answer.

Kaili had once confessed that she had fallen for one of her household’s servants—not Lowell, but someone completely different.

And even now, she wasn’t dating him yet, but her feelings hadn’t changed. Kaili shyly nodded.

“W-Well, yeah… I’ve had a bit more time lately, so I got curious…”

“Wait. You’re not already dating, are you?!”

“No! Not yet! That’s why I came here. And what about you—what are you doing here? You’re not the type to be into fortune-telling.”

“I got dragged here. They said to at least look around.”

Temia shrugged, but Kaili narrowed her eyes and smirked like a predator spotting prey.

Temia flinched instinctively. But it was already too late.

“Then let’s get a reading together! My treat!”

Ignoring Temia’s protests, Kaili cheerfully dragged her into the dark tent.

It wasn’t like Temia had ever been popular with noblemen or prophets anyway—her results would probably be boring.

And love fortunes didn’t matter to her right now.

Still, it was clear Kaili would use her as a shield if anything ever went wrong, so refusing now felt impossible.

If humoring Kaili would get her out of here quickly, then so be it.

Now seated side-by-side in front of the fortune-teller, the two girls had very different thoughts:

One was wondering how to end this quickly.

The other was wondering how to get the most fun out of it.

Kaili, impatient as always, pulled out a few silver coins from her purse and laid them on the table.

The fortune-teller smiled mysteriously and finally spoke.

“What would you like to know? For generous customers like you, I offer deeper truths.”

“Let’s go with love fortunes. I already got mine earlier, so this time it’s her turn.”

Kaili answered quickly before Temia could refuse.

As the fortune-teller turned their gaze toward Temia, their eyes reflecting a faint, unnatural light—

A shiver ran down Temia’s spine.