Chapter 47
At that moment, her heart sank, and a scene flashed through her mind.
It was her wedding hall from a past life, filled with red roses.
A woman in a more glamorous dress than hers, wearing a red rose crown, smiled sweetly at Alex as if she were the bride.
That same woman, her ex-husband was obsessed with…
Even that X woman had the same overpowering rose scent.
“Ma’am, are you mad?” the child asked.
“…No. Why?” she replied.
“You have little axe shapes in your eyes.”
She laughed softly. “No, no. What axes?”
She relaxed her clenched fists and opened the door.
Carrying a basket on her side, she placed it in the kitchen and began prepping vegetables.
She placed a pot over the fire and stirred it. Soon, the house was filled with a warm, delicious smell.
“Hey, that woman who locked you in the haunted house—do you know why she adopted you?” she asked.
“Hmm… I’m not sure. Oh!”
The child peeked from the room and raised a tiny finger to point at his own face.
“Grandma Nanny said I look like someone. Someone really important.”
“Did she say who you look like?”
“Nope. Just that it was someone precious, so I must be precious too.”
“You are precious—not because you look like someone, but because you’re you. But… have you ever seen that important person?”
“No. She said that person is dead. That’s why she adopted me.”
She froze mid-motion, searching for a pot lid.
If the woman adopted the child to replace someone else… then why did she lock him up and try to kill him later?
Her head spun with suspicious thoughts and doubts.
She roughly put a lid on the now-finished porridge and turned toward the room.
Suddenly—BANG, BANG!
Someone was pounding furiously on the door, like they were about to break it down.
She was stunned. Why is someone hitting the door like that? Have they never heard of doorbells?
She rolled up her sleeves and peeked through the peephole—but it was blocked. She couldn’t see anything but darkness.
She held her breath, hesitant to speak, sensing something wasn’t right. Whoever was outside wasn’t normal.
Then the child’s voice spoke behind her.
“Who’s outside?”
“Can’t see. They look… suspicious.”
“I’ll go check! Don’t worry, ma’am!” the child said bravely with a wink.
He dashed toward the door.
Just when she was about to stop him—he passed through the door.
The banging got even louder.
She covered her ears as she waited anxiously.
Then—pop! The child came back through the door.
She lowered her hands and frowned.
“Who is it? Do you know them?”
“Nope. Never seen them before.”
“Then why are they banging like crazy? Debt collector maybe?”
“Grandma Nanny doesn’t have debts. That scary woman paid them all.”
“…Weird. By now, any normal person would’ve given up. This guy’s acting crazy.”
“Not just crazy…”
“Hmm?”
“…He was really good-looking.”
“…What?”
She thought she had misheard, so she brought her ear closer.
“The guy outside… is super handsome…”
The kid looked stunned and shook his head like he was in disbelief.
“No way… Grandma said I’m the best-looking person in the world…”
She gave him a questioning look. He pointed at the right-side room.
“Grandma Nanny said so! But now this man outside… looks like he jumped out of a fairy tale…”
The child plopped down on the couch, stunned like someone had stolen his favorite toy.
She couldn’t help but laugh at how cute he looked.
Just then, the banging suddenly stopped.
If he really was that handsome… there was only one person that came to mind.
No way. That man wouldn’t come here.
She shook her head hard, trying to erase the image.
She turned away from the door.
It seemed the person had finally left.
Hopefully, he wouldn’t come back.
Unless he was some creepy weirdo hanging around empty houses.
But then—
CLUNK.
A strange, dragging sound came from the door.
She turned toward the noise—and then—BAM!
The entire door was ripped off its hinges.
***
A woman with long, silver hair down to her waist stood in the doorway.
Her skin was pale and radiant, like untouched snow.
Her eyes shone like polished sapphires.
The woman who had haunted him all night with regret… the one who would disappear like smoke whenever he reached out…
Was now standing right in front of him.
Claude stared at Aselin as if trying to trap her with his eyes.
Then he stepped forward.
His heart pounded hard and fast—not from pain, but from something else entirely.
He couldn’t define the overwhelming emotion. But one thing was clear:
He was afraid.
Afraid it was all an illusion.
Afraid she’d vanish again.
He breathed out slowly and took another step.
Her blue eyes widened as he came closer.
His intense red gaze scanned her face deeply.
Then his eyes lingered on her pretty pink lips.
And suddenly—he hugged her.
He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight, his large hands cradling her head and waist.
“…Prince Claude?” she whispered.
His eyes slowly opened.
Her voice was like the gentle sound of a stream.
Her skin was soft and warm—so real, it felt like a dream.
His hand reached out, brushing through her silver hair like fine sand.
“…Are you really Aselin?” he asked in a deep, hoarse voice.
Aselin looked down at the strong arms trapping her in place.
“…Prince, this is a bit much. Could you let go of me?”
Realizing he had wrapped around her too tightly, Claude let go.
He lowered his head and stared down at her again, eyes intense.
“Who dragged you to this dump? Where is that rat? I want a full report on everything that’s happened.”
What? He suddenly shows up and demands a full report?
Aselin held in her confusion and calmly opened her mouth.
“Prince Claude.”
“…”
“Why do I not owe you any kind of report? You didn’t send word for over a month. Not even once.”
She met his eyes directly, calm but firm.
Yet a gentle smile curled on her lips—though her eyes remained cold.
A clearly fake smile.
Claude gave a small, bitter laugh.
“You told me to rest for a while, didn’t I?”
She tilted her head.
“‘For a while’ doesn’t mean disappearing for over a month. You could’ve sent a letter. Or a carrier pigeon.”
That month felt very long for her.
But for Prince Claude, apparently not at all.
They had a contract, based on trust.
He told her to rest, then vanished. And now he barged in, demanding explanations?
Still avoiding his intense gaze, she responded,
“Yes, now that I think about it… I should be grateful. I did get lots of rest, thanks to you.”
She glanced at the door, now completely destroyed.
“But you even broke down the door. So… what brings you here?”
Just then, a cough echoed from inside the house.
A stranger’s cough.
