IYWHM Chapter 181

Of course it would be like this.

 

In the room left alone, Seyard placed the newspaper on the desk and slowly closed his eyes.

 

Even the faint, refreshing scent of lemon wafting from the paper couldn’t improve his mood in the slightest.

 

“Invisible ink.”

 

Quite an amusing method, Kisa.

 

He tried speaking to the person shimmering behind his eyelids, but no answer came back.

 

The woman who had sent him from hell to heaven and from heaven to hell in an instant still wore that smiling face.

 

Suddenly feeling a terrible fatigue, Seyard pressed his fingers firmly against his eyes.

 

However, before long, both his hands lost their strength and fell downward.

 

“…….”

 

His gaze, which had been wandering aimlessly through the air for a while, touched the newspaper again.

 

The array of black letters that appeared on it. Though no sender was written, he could instinctively tell who had sent it the moment he saw it.

 

Recalling vividly the appearance of a certain man, he bit his own lips.

 

A fierce murderous intent rose, as if burning his brain.

 

It was the first time in his life he had ever wanted to kill another person this desperately.

 

Even his younger brother who had actually tried to kill him, or his brother’s accomplice, hadn’t been this hateful.

 

Should I have dealt with him back then after all?

 

In fact, when Kisa had returned to him, Seyard had arrogantly pondered what to do about the man who had grown close to his lover while he was away.

 

But Kisa was already by his side, and there was no need to stain his hands with blood again.

 

‘No… no, that’s not it.’

 

That was the superficial reason; the real reason was different.

 

To confess, he had felt jealous of the man named Gale.

 

No matter how he looked at it, it wasn’t a romantic relationship between a man and woman, but in any case, he was the owner of the hand that the woman he loved had grasped after pushing away his own.

 

Therefore, his pride, as high as the heavens, made him hesitate to kill that man.

 

Murder would be an indirect admission of his jealousy.

 

Moreover, hadn’t he promised Kisa that he wouldn’t lay a finger on those who had helped her escape?

 

He didn’t want to look at his ugly side, and he was also afraid. Afraid that she would be disappointed in him.

 

‘So this is the result of that.’

 

Kisa, Kisa, Kisa. He rolled that name, which felt so sweet, around in his mouth several times.

 

The newspaper crumpled miserably in his palm as it groped along the irritating surface.

 

You reject me to the very end.

 

If he hadn’t anticipated this ending at all, he would truly be a complete fool.

 

Seyard had known the identity of his déjà vu from the beginning. How could he forget?

 

[I love you.]

 

It was the exact same sensation he had felt that night when Kisa had deceived her foolish fiancé with those deceitful words and hot kisses.

 

This time too, she wore the face of someone in love while secretly harboring thoughts of leaving him.

 

Even though he had vaguely sensed this, Seyard had deliberately pretended not to know. Because he wanted to enjoy the enchanting illusion even a little longer.

 

“How ridiculous it must have been.”

 

The man who muttered this suddenly stood up from his seat.

 

His head was filled only with the thought that he must see the culprit who had driven him into such a miserable state.

 

He roughly threw away the crumpled newspaper and strode out of the room.

 

“Oh my, Seyard?”

 

Kisa, who was dressed in nightclothes as if she was about to sleep, widened her eyes at the sudden visitor.

 

“What brings you here without notice? Did you perhaps leave something behind earlier?”

 

Seyard, who had completely erased the intense emotions from his face while moving, simply smiled.

 

“About the restaurant you mentioned, I’ve decided on an appropriate day to visit.”

 

“What? Oh, don’t tell me you came here personally just to tell me that news?”

 

“You seemed quite excited about it, so I wanted to tell you quickly.”

 

“Was I that obvious? Well, I suppose it would seem that way since I haven’t been able to go out for quite a long time.”

 

Kisa burst into a giggle and looked at him with warm eyes.

 

How adorable. If he hadn’t known, those eyes were pretty enough to fool him completely.

 

“So which day is it?”

 

“The feast day of St Stiuna. It’s a day when we can see magnificent fireworks spread across the night sky.”

 

“I think I’ve seen it in the newspaper.”

 

Of course you have, since you diligently read the newspaper every day.

 

Swallowing the words he truly wanted to say down his throat, Seyard asked Kisa.

 

“How does that sound? Do you like it?”

 

“Of course I’m fine with it. But I wonder if there will be any seats left on such a commemorative day.”

 

“If there aren’t any, I’ll make them just to escort you.”

 

“You always say the right things.”

 

The two of them smiled at each other as if they had no problems at all.

 

Then suddenly, an “oh” sound escaped from Kisa’s mouth.

 

“Seyard, your lips are bleeding.”

 

Soon, a soft touch reached his lips.

 

The woman who had wiped away the red liquid with her finger spoke in a worried tone.

 

“It’s not even winter, so it couldn’t be chapped, and did you bump into something—”

 

The rest of her words were blocked by his mouth and couldn’t continue.

 

Seyard ignored Kisa’s tapping on his arm and explored the inside of her mouth to his heart’s content.

 

What he tasted after such a long time was sweeter than any delicacy in this world.

 

Before long, Kisa stopped her weak resistance and endured the kiss.

 

She wasn’t actively participating, but she wasn’t staying still like a statue either.

 

Would she have allowed such a kiss even if she hadn’t had other ulterior motives?

 

He found himself pathetic for having stayed still all this time, afraid of earning Kisa’s hatred again.

 

A few minutes later, she, finally freed from Seyard, wiped the saliva from the corner of her mouth with her sleeve.

 

“You’re quite bewildering in various ways today.”

 

“Do you dislike it?”

 

“That’s not what I meant.”

 

He silently spread his arms wide, calling Kisa to him.

 

Kisa hesitated for a moment, then gently came into his embrace.

 

Stroking the back of her head with his hand, Seyard whispered softly.

 

“Kisa, I love you. I love you.”

 

“So suddenly? This is really bewildering. What’s gotten into you?”

 

“I’m happy and delighted. That you were the first to suggest we go out together.”

 

“…If I had known you’d be this happy, I should have suggested it long ago.”

 

Instead of answering, Seyard put strength into his arms that held her, just enough not to press against her swollen belly.

 

He truly felt an urgent desire to lock this slender body away somewhere right now.

 

Somewhere remote that only he knew about and only he could enter, unknown to anyone else.

 

Then Kisa wouldn’t be able to escape either, and neither Gale nor anyone else would dare to think of rescuing her.

 

But that was not Seyard’s way.

 

He intended to give his lover hope, not confinement and restraint. False hope.

 

Dear Kisa, please try to escape.

 

Far, far away. With all your skill.

 

—-

 

Time flowed leisurely in the calm before the storm.

 

Seyard and Kisa spent their days as they had before, meeting face to face at least once every two days, living in extreme peace.

 

In some ways, they had become even more intimate since the day they kissed.

 

Of course, naturally, that was only on the surface.

 

Seyard intercepted the newspapers that were to be delivered to Kisa every single day without fail and examined them personally.

 

Since the other side wasn’t foolish either and didn’t use the same method three times, there wasn’t much gain, but he hadn’t particularly expected any.

 

Besides this, all possible channels through which messages could be delivered to her were thoroughly blocked.

 

Not only Seyard but his people also watched Kisa with even sharper eyes.

 

Nevertheless, if there was one blind spot, it was the first newspaper cipher that he hadn’t been able to confirm.

 

‘Since the second message was only about secondary matters, the first one must have contained basic information.’

 

For instance, information about which day, which means of transportation, and where to go.

 

Not being able to confirm that was persistently bothersome, but there were ways to deduce it.

 

If it was something Gale, Kisa’s collaborator, was preparing, he just had to trace back from that man.

 

Fortunately, Seyard knew everything there was to know about Gale and the Manoa trading company.

 

Who else would he be wary of if not someone who had once betrayed him?

 

Moreover, he had local collaborators like the Aeipeu ducal family to help him.

 

Thanks to that, it didn’t take very long to piece together all the fragments of the first message.

 

‘As expected.’

 

The most important piece, the day of the decisive battle. As Seyard had anticipated, it was the day the two of them had agreed to go to the restaurant.

 

He was the one who had chosen that day, but Kisa was the one who had guided him to it.

 

She had clearly seen through that the man blinded by love would want to show her the night sky embroidered with fireworks.

 

And finally, that problematic day arrived.

 

After having lunch together, Kisa personally saw him off.

 

“Have a safe trip.”

 

“Then I’ll see you at the restaurant later.”

 

“If you had other plans, there was no need to make it today.”

 

“For me, time spent with Kisa is far more precious than meeting those mediocre people.”

 

Seyard finally bowed and kissed her forehead.

 

Her white face, which obediently accepted his action, sparkled with vitality.

 

Wondering if she would be the same when they met again next time, Seyard left her room.

 

Then he got into the carriage waiting at the hotel’s main entrance and told the coachman their destination.

 

Having declined the duke’s invitation a few days ago, it was naturally not the Aeipeu ducal residence.

 

He was simply leaving the hotel early to make it easier for Kisa to escape.

 

But just as the carriage was about to depart, someone knocked loudly on the carriage door.

 

Soon after, confirming the face reflected outside the window, Seyard had no choice but to frown and open the door.

 

“Fancy meeting you in a place like this, Duke Hillan.”

 

The woman dressed in elegant outing clothes was someone he knew well too.

 

“Your Highness.”

 

The youngest princess of the Sorbi Kingdom, Arta Derbon Sorbi, sent him a mocking look.

 

“Or should I call you this instead? Vischer Hillan.”