MTIHIS | CHAPTER 59

[CHAPTER 59]

***

Jena’s blue eyes shone faintly as if wet with water.

Aizen looked at her slightly tense and stiff face and thought about the wish he had written.

If you look at it broadly, it was similar to Jena’s.

“Let every day be like today.”

That was what he wished for.

Their relationship had begun as a lie, yet somewhere along the way his heart had fallen completely.

He was the one who wanted to ask instead.

Even if I’m not the person you think I am, will you still love me?

If you learn the truth and find out I deceived you… will you still wish for happiness with me?

And even after you learn who you really are, would your feelings for me stay the same?

Aizen’s chest held countless questions he couldn’t bring himself to say.

At that moment, something burst with a loud sound and brilliant light rained down above them.

Bang! Boom! Bang!

The fireworks had begun.

Even as colorful lights filled the sky, Aizen looked only at Jena.

Jena did the same.

Because the light shining in each other’s eyes was more beautiful.

As if drawn in, Aizen reached out and cupped her cheek.

Jena didn’t refuse his touch.

Little by little, the distance between them closed and the tips of their shoes bumped.

His other hand wrapped around her slender waist.

There are moments when instinct outweighs reason.

For Aizen, this was one of them.

Every time he had gotten physically close to Jena, he had forced distance between them.

But right now, he couldn’t.

Jena lifted her head and her eyelids slowly closed.

Aizen lowered his head and shut his eyes as well.

Their lips met.

Fireworks burst everywhere around them.

The soft sensation and the warm breath they shared made his heartbeat even louder.

Time felt slow and fast all at once.

Aizen slowly pulled back.

Jena opened her round eyes and looked at him.

Then the corners of her eyes folded shyly.

Face burning red, she buried herself into his chest, and he gladly embraced her.

The Duke’s House of Kalad had always been closed off because of their hereditary illness.

Aizen was the same, keeping his relationships limited.

His personality had no choice but to grow distant and cold.

But Jena was the first person to break all of that.

The first unpredictable variable he had ever met.

The one who brought emotions he couldn’t control.

This adorable intruder had taken a place in his life without permission… and he no longer had the strength to push her out.

* * *

After the fireworks event ended, we didn’t return to the North right away.

Aizen and I both still had things to do.

That day, when I returned home, Greta asked if I enjoyed the fireworks.

But I couldn’t answer at all.

Because I hadn’t seen them.

Because instead of watching, I kissed Aizen…

Whenever I thought about it, even while reading a book alone, my face went red.

Aizen’s touch, breath, and gaze were still vivid.

It had been my first kiss in this life.

In my past life, I was too busy surviving to date even once.

And since I transmigrated into someone already married, I thought I would never feel anything innocent or fluttery.

“My lady, what are you doing?”

I kept popping up from my chair and pacing around restlessly, so Greta looked baffled.

I pretended to tidy up the stationery scattered on my desk.

“It just looked a bit messy.”

“Leave it. I’ll clean it. And the carriage is ready.”

“Ah, really?”

I shoved the pens into the case and followed Greta outside.

For the past few days, I had been searching for information on icemarrow syndrome, but found nothing useful.

Even the most renowned physicians and apothecaries in the capital said they had never heard of such an illness.

Books that didn’t exist in the North offered no answers either.

So what method did I choose?

“Here it is. The shop that sells ancient texts from all over the Empire and the entire continent.”

Since recent books had nothing, I decided to dig into the past.

“Welcome. What are you looking for?”

“Give me every pharmacology book you have. Not a single one missing.”

“Ah, understood.”

Thanks to the reward money I received from the Duke of Kalad before coming to the capital, my purse was comfortably full.

I couldn’t waste money recklessly, but books were worth buying in bulk.

The rest of the money would be invested into the merchant group later.

Greta easily lifted the heavy stack of books the shopkeeper struggled to carry.

While she moved them, I paid.

Satisfied with my purchase, I stepped outside.

“Greta!”

I raised my hand toward her as she loaded the books onto our carriage across the street.

“Hyah!”

“Move! Move!”

Suddenly, a line of carriages rushed forward and blocked the road.

They stopped right between Greta and me, shamelessly occupying the entire street.

Their bodies blocked my view, so I couldn’t see Greta at all.

“Huh…?”

Confused, I rose on my toes and leaned this way and that.

Right then, a carriage door directly in front of me swung open.

A hand shot out and grabbed my arm.

“…!”

The grip was so strong I couldn’t resist as I was pulled inside.

A man covered my mouth before I could scream.

He pressed a finger to his lips.

His face was familiar.

This was only the second time I’d seen him, but he already gave me the same unpleasant feeling.

“I don’t like noise. Can you promise not to scream?”

“…”

“Then I’ll let go.”

I frowned but nodded reluctantly.

Nel patted my head like he was praising a pet and lowered his hand.

I sat as far from him as possible and glared.

“What do you think you’re doing? Kidnapping someone?”

“You look like a cute kitten when you stare like that.”

“Gross.”

If Aizen had said that, I would’ve melted.

But hearing it from Nel made me nauseous.

“Anyway, I’m busy, so I’ll be going.”

“Who said you could?”

Bang!

I grabbed the door handle, but Nel blocked it immediately, smiling.

His lips curved, but his eyes were cold.

“I didn’t give permission yet. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

His voice dropped suddenly.

An anger he failed to hide—or chose not to hide—seeped through it, freezing me in place.

Don’t act above your place.

A voice similar to his echoed briefly in my head and faded.

What was that?

He stared at me until I couldn’t breathe.

Then he stepped back and pulled me away from the door by my shoulders.

“Don’t be so cold. I came because I have something important to say.”

His voice softened again.

The pressure holding my body finally eased.

“…What is it?”

“Jena, do you trust your husband?”

At the mention of Aizen, my shoulders stiffened.

A red warning light went off in my head.

Nel smirked as he watched me press my lips together.

“You don’t even know who he really is.”

“That’s not me you’re talking about. You’re the one who knows nothing about my husband, so don’t speak carelessly.”

“Tsk. You’ve fallen hard, huh.”

He shook his head in disbelief.

His boldness and rudeness made my fist clench.

“Listen to me and find out who your husband actually is. And if you ever need my help, come to the place where we first met.”

Nel braced a hand against the wall behind me and leaned in close.

His pale brown eyes stared straight into me.

“You’ll come find me no matter what.”

“…”

I didn’t look away.

After a long moment, Nel raised his brows and moved back.

I kicked his shin with all my strength.

Whack!

“Ow!”

The elegant Nel let out an undignified scream and fell backward.

Serves you right.

Years of horseback riding trained my legs well.

I yanked the carriage door open and jumped out.

Then I turned and yelled at him with my fist raised.

“Mind your own business and stop sticking your nose into other people’s marriages! This is pathetic and disgusting, you know?!”

“Are you finished—”

“Yeah, I’m finished!”

Bang!

I slammed the door and ran.

Greta was circling around the carriage line to reach me.

“Greta!”

“My lady, I’m sorry. I tried to come get you, but the road was blocked because so many people were getting off the carriages.”

No wonder she didn’t come earlier.

Afraid Nel might follow, I grabbed her hand and walked quickly toward our carriage.

“My lady, why are you in such a hurry? Did something happen?”

She frowned, noticing my behavior.

I opened my mouth but stopped.

…For some reason, I shouldn’t tell her.

The strange discomfort Nel gave me sent a deep warning through my instincts.

Pretending nothing happened felt like the wisest choice.

Even if that wasn’t like me at all.

“My lady?”

“…No, I just want to go home quickly. I want to read the books.”

“Ah, I see.”

Greta accepted my explanation with a nod.

Until we reached our carriage, I stayed alert.

Thankfully, Nel didn’t follow, and the carriage line seemed to disperse.

Phew.

What a ridiculous thing to deal with.

I’ll treat it as getting bad luck out of the way before heading home.