~Chapter 128~
A large ripple passed through Kilian’s black eyes as he looked at Aisha standing in front of the door.
As if he had forgotten how to speak, he stared at her blankly. Aisha, wearing a gentle smile, slightly lifted what she was holding, as if proudly showing it to him.
It was a cake.
“I’m sorry for leaving you alone. I waited until it turned exactly midnight.”
“Miss, what is this all of a sudden—”
“Happy birthday, Kilian.”
“…What?”
“Didn’t you hear me? I said happy birthday.”
Looking closely, the cake had candles placed on it—exactly the same number as Kilian’s age.
Kilian stared at the cake in silence for a moment, then shook his head and spoke.
“My birthday isn’t today, Miss. There should still be about a week left.”
“……”
“And even that date… was probably made up.”
“I know.”
But Aisha continued speaking without backing down at all.
“Actually, today is my birthday.”
“…What?”
“My real birthday. The one no one else knows.”
Not the day Aisha Ashton was born, but the day Song Seungyeon was born in reality.
Song Seungyeon’s birthday.
That day was today.
So much had happened since she possessed the novel that she had completely forgotten about it.
“From now on, the duke’s birthday is today too. The same day I was born.”
Aisha continued.
“No matter what choice you make, I’ll respect it, support you, and stay with you. But seeing you this sad because of such worthless people makes me really angry.”
Aisha knew she could never fully understand Kilian’s sorrow, his wounds, or his heart.
But she could comfort the Kilian who was breaking down because of his birth.
In her own way.
“You’re just Kilian Winters, Duke.”
“You’re not the son of Empress Dowager Roselia. Not Jayden Ellington’s son. Not Belmore Ellington’s brother either.”
Just like she was doing right now.
“You don’t have some special purpose for existing. You’re just like everyone else. You were born to live happily and enjoy life. Like celebrating a small birthday like this.”
“……”
“You’re not cold like Roselia, and you’re not vile like Belmore. You’re far, far removed from people like that. I know that better than anyone in this world.”
“My entire life was built on lies. The name Kilian… the title of duke… in the end, none of it had any value.”
“There was nothing worthless. You reached this place purely through your own strength.”
“In the end, I was born as a tool, meant only to be used as a tool.”
“You weren’t born as a tool, and you’re not someone who exists just to be used.”
“I swore I’d never become like them. Cowardly, petty, despicable people.”
“You’re not cowardly, petty, or despicable. You’re brave, kind, and warm. You accepted me even when I published a magazine without your permission, and you showed compassion to the children in the slums. That alone proves it.”
“That’s why I tried even harder. Even after becoming the head of the Winters family, even after becoming duke. I didn’t go to war out of loyalty to Draxion. I just wanted to prove it myself. That I had value.”
“Everyone in the world already knows. That you’re incredibly valuable. Otherwise, how could so many people follow you? You’ve already proven everything with your own strength.”
“But what did it all mean? In the end, the blood flowing through me is the same as theirs. The woman who carried me for ten months and gave birth to me was Roselia.”
“None of it was meaningless. We can’t choose who gives birth to us, and sometimes that makes us sad… but you are you, and Roselia is Roselia. Completely different people. Completely different beings.”
“When I killed the Duke of Winters and his son with my own hands, I didn’t regret it. I wanted revenge. I wanted to return exactly what I suffered. How absurd that was. Should I have been grateful instead? Even if they meant to use me, they raised me and fed me? Or do I need to rationalize it again, saying this was inevitable because they wanted to use me anyway?”
“You don’t have to rationalize it. And it’s okay if you stop blaming yourself.”
“I don’t know anymore. I don’t know anything now. Not even why I struggled so hard to come this far.”
“Then if you don’t know, I’ll tell you. That everything you went through to get here wasn’t meaningless at all. And that you’re someone who shines brilliantly. That’s the one thing I’m truly confident about.”
Even after listening to Aisha’s long confession, Kilian showed no reaction.
No—he couldn’t.
Instead, without making a single sound, tears quietly streamed down his face.
As he looked at Aisha.
“I really love you, Duke. I love you so much, Kilian.”
Aisha said it firmly.
“Nothing has changed because of this.”
“……”
“And since you like me a lot too, let’s say we were born on the same day. Then we can eat two cakes every year—”
The words she said out of embarrassment never fully finished.
Because Kilian suddenly reached out and pulled Aisha tightly into his arms.
“Thank you.”
Kilian whispered in a low voice beside her ear.
“Thank you. Truly, Miss.”
“……”
“For saying those things to me.”
Aisha probably didn’t know.
She didn’t know how much her words felt like salvation to Kilian.
Or how they sounded like permission—for him to keep living, from now on.
“Then… shall we blow out the candles now? My arms are getting tired. It’s heavy.”
Holding the cake up without realizing it, Aisha smiled brightly and answered.
“The head chef really suffered. I kept begging him to make the best-looking cake in the world.”
Pulling slightly away, Kilian finally looked properly at the cake.
“Make a wish, and blow out the candles.”
“A wish…?”
“When you blow out birthday candles, you close your eyes tightly and make a wish.”
There was no way such a modern custom existed in Draxion.
Still, Kilian closed his eyes tightly, just as Aisha said.
And with all his heart, he made a wish.
Please let me protect Aisha Ashton safely, until the very end.
Please let that be allowed to me.
After making his wish, Kilian blew out the candles.
Aisha, wearing a playful expression, dabbed white cream onto Kilian’s cheek.
“You’re still handsome even like this.”
“……”
“Shall we sit on the bed and try it? I wonder how good it tastes.”
“…Alright.”
Nodding, Kilian tightly held Aisha’s hand and sat down on the bed with her.
Then, wearing the same warm smile as always, he looked at Aisha’s face for a long, long time.
No longer was Kilian sad.
No longer powerless.
And no longer in despair.
