TMWSH 05

TMWSH

Posted by Fahad, Released on October 9, 2025

~Chapter 05~

Life is Mortgaged

Chapter 2. Between Memories and the Present

Irina glared at him for a long time before he, sitting across from her, slid a stack of prepared documents across the table.

“What’s this?”

Irina gestured toward the papers.

Say it yourself.

“You just need to sign, Lady Irina.”

Unlike before, he wasn’t so easily swayed. With a tilt of his chin, he gestured for her to open the documents.

His manner displeased Irina greatly, but she had no energy left to argue, so she obediently picked them up.

The documents he handed over listed, in meticulous detail, all of Count Kosat’s debts.

Shame flushed over Irina’s pale cheeks.

Anyone else could have seen them and she wouldn’t have cared—but showing them to him filled her with humiliation.

There were also promissory notes, transfer contracts, and finally—

A marriage registration form.

Irina’s eyes shot up from the papers to him.

“A marriage registration?”

“I heard the condition for canceling the debts was marriage.”

“Why… why do you have all this? No—why are you even here?”

He interlaced his fingers loosely over his knees and leaned back on the sofa.

“You’ve really become reckless since we last met.”

His words were a clear rebuke, and Irina shot him a sharp glare.

“That’s none of your business.”

“Now that I know, it is my business.”

“Who said you could decide that?”

For a while, they locked eyes, like dueling opponents.

In truth, Howard was only calmly looking at her—but to Irina, it felt like a challenge.

“I don’t want to waste time on your nonsense. I’m leaving.”

Irina gathered her dress and rose to her feet. She tried to walk past him.

Howard’s gaze fell to the frayed hem of her gown.

He reached out and lightly caught her hand.

In an instant, her small hand was engulfed in his large one. Irina froze in place.

“You can’t go back without permission, not after crossing the border.”

“…The border?”

Her body stiffened as she turned toward him.

“Where are we?”

“Boltear.”

Boltear? Boltear of Borman?

The fortress of the West—the Duchy of Ringester?

Irina’s jaw dropped.

Just yesterday, she’d been in Count Kosat’s estate in Arendor.

She had traveled by carriage, but—

When? How?

Now that she thought about it, they had used teleportation gates unusually often.

What a thorough, absurd, and outrageously polite kidnapping this was.

If he hadn’t shown up, she wouldn’t even have realized she’d been abducted.

She hadn’t known until just now!

“Are you kidding me? You’re lying.”

Irina weakly pulled her hand free.

Howard tilted his head slightly, looking up at her.

“What am I lying about?”

His tone was still calm—emotionless, detached.

“Why did you bring me here? What have you done?”

“Then you really planned to marry that nobleman?”

His voice carried naked anger, leaving Irina even more bewildered.

“Yes. I was supposed to go to the Marquis of Aire’s household. The person I’m to marry isn’t you. I don’t know how you got those papers, but… it’s none of your concern.”

Unable to stand another moment, Irina stormed out of the room—but stopped almost immediately.

“Ugh.”

She’d rushed out so quickly that she didn’t know where she was. The hallway stretched right and left—identical walls, identical lamps.

Right, or left…

“Right,” came a voice.

She spun around.

He had already followed her out, arms crossed, pointing to the right.

“I know! I was going that way.”

How dare he act all helpful?

Irina snapped her dress hem and marched off to the right.

Howard followed at an unhurried pace.

“The necklace.”

At his words, Irina’s steps faltered slightly.

“It’s still intact, I see.”

She bit her lip. When had he noticed that?

It annoyed her, as if he’d caught her longing for him.

“It’s just that my neck felt bare, that’s all.”

Hmph.

Without looking back, she continued walking.

Thankfully, after turning the next corner, she recognized the hallway and found her room.

As soon as she shut the door, she leaned against it.

“…”

Why—of all times—

Did he have to appear now?

Why not when she was stronger, more composed?

Then came a knock behind the door.

Irina jumped, hiccuping softly.

“…”

“Let’s have breakfast together tomorrow,” his voice said.

Irina kicked the door hard enough to make a loud thud.

Then another sentence drifted through.

“May you have sweet dreams.”

“Ha.”

Sweet dreams?

Irina scoffed inwardly.

No more words came after that—whether he’d left or simply had nothing else to say.

“What in the world is happening…”

Irina was lost in confusion.

Whose house was this? What were those papers? And what about the Marquis she was supposed to marry…?

She thought until her head throbbed, but found no answers.

And so, she stayed awake all night.

*** * ***

By morning, after a sleepless night of thought, Irina decided that they had to talk.
After dressing, she went to the dining hall.

Sitting across from him at the table stirred a strange mix of discomfort and tension.

He drank his water naturally, as if it were perfectly ordinary for them to be sharing breakfast.

Irina didn’t even look at him—she just grabbed her own glass and downed it in one go.

“I have a few questions.”

“Ask whatever you like,” he said, calmly.

“Whose house is this?”

“The Duke of Ringester’s.”

The Duke of Ringester…

That meant she was in the home of one of the ruling bloodline.

But he wasn’t a Ringester. He didn’t even have a family name, did he?

Had he been living here all along, during the time he disappeared?

“And those papers—how did you get them?”

“I bought the debts.”

“Since when did you know?”

“From the beginning.”

“From the beginning?”

Her tone rose.

Howard lifted a hand lightly, and the attendants, who’d been standing tensely, immediately left the dining room.

They’d looked uneasy from the start.

“From the beginning?”

“Yes. From the very beginning.”

The room fell utterly silent. No one touched their food; no one dared make a sound.

“Where have you been all this time—? Ugh, never mind. What do you plan to do with me?”

“You saw yesterday, didn’t you?”

He meant the marriage registration form.

“You expect me to marry you? Do you think that makes sense?”

“Weren’t you planning to marry just anyone, anyway?”

Their gazes clashed in midair.

“Fine. Anyone—but not you.”

“I don’t care.”

Irina nearly screamed.

He hadn’t been this stubborn before. He used to be gentle, obedient, kind—

“Let me ask again. Whose house is this?”

“Ringester’s…”

“You said that already.”

“Howard Valencia Ringester.”

“What?”

She had heard correctly.

It wasn’t that she looked down on him—but she couldn’t believe it.

The Howard she knew had no surname. She’d even thought about giving him one herself, when they were young.

So why did he now bear that name—the name even foreigners knew well?

But this time, the lips that once spoke so freely didn’t open again.

At that moment, a man entered the dining room—

The same one who had guided her earlier.

Casey, or whatever his name was—she didn’t bother with introductions. She wasn’t planning to stay long anyway.

He bowed slightly to her, and she gave him a curt nod.

“Your Excellency, I’m sorry, but it’s almost time for departure.”

The two men exchanged a few quiet words, and the man bowed again and left.

No more questions needed.

If he’d known everything from the start, all she felt now was humiliation.

There was no point talking anymore.

Irina pushed herself up from the table.

“Looks like you have to go. Fine. I won’t ask why you’re a Ringester—it’s none of my concern.

Anyway, the only reason I’m here is because of the debt, so I’ll repay it as soon as I can. Not right away, but soon. Since you chose to take over the debt, that’s partly your fault too—so give me some time.”

Howard stood up.

She thought he was leaving—but instead, with long strides, he closed the distance between them.

In a flash, he was right in front of her.

He braced one hand on the table and leaned down toward her.

Irina’s body instinctively tilted back against the table edge.

“I can’t allow that.”

Irina raised her chin defiantly, locking eyes with him.

She gave a crooked smile.

Her amber eyes, usually soft, now glinted like blades.

“Why? Afraid I won’t pay you back?”

His throat bobbed.

“Of course not.”