Leah did not answer hastily. Ishakan had spoken lightly of death, but there was no hint in his eyes that he was joking. If she made a mistake, even a single word, something terrible could happen. As she kept her silence, his eyes slowly narrowed.
His fingers gently brushed her reddened eyes, and her eyelashes trembled at the tingle of his touch.
āā¦I have been very fierce,ā Ishakan murmured, looking at her watery violet eyes.
Leah didnāt deny it, but she didnāt agree either. It was certainly frightening when he raised his voice and acted violently, but somehow she had a strange, unfounded confidence that this man would not harm her. She had only met him twice in her life, so she didnāt understand why she felt that way.
Just as she was wondering whether or not to tell him that it didnāt matter, she heard a distant whistle.
āThe thief has good timing,ā he said, with irritation in his golden eyes. Bending, he kissed her forehead, so quickly that she didnāt have time to reject him. āRemember me, Leah.ā
With those brief words, he seemed to merge into the darkness and disappear, and Leahās hand reached out unconsciously to the place he had been.
āLeah!ā The door to the lounge abruptly opened and Blain entered, very drunk. Since she had not returned to the banquet hall for a long time, he had come to fetch her.
For a moment, his eyes went over the lounge as if he were inspecting it, checking to make sure no one was hiding there. Leah glanced discreetly at the door, worried that there was some evidence of Ishakanās violence against it, but it didnāt appear to be broken.
āWhy are you alone?ā Blain asked, after he had confirmed there was no one lurking in the lounge.
āCountess Melissa is running an errand,ā Leah answered without hesitation. Actually, she didnāt know where the lady was, but she was sure if she said that, Ishakan would take care of everything. Blain smiled at her reply and hugged her.
āLeah.ā He smelled strongly of alcohol, and her stomach, which had just settled, instantly began to churn. Leah tried to hold her breath. Blain was oblivious to her discomfort. āYou like peaches.ā
Really? She liked peaches, but no more than any other fruit. But when Blain said that, it was best to pretend it was true. She didnāt want him to get angry with her for contradicting him.
āI wonāt give you a quill. Iāll give you peaches. No, I will give you a peach orchard and turn it into a villa.ā His voice quickened as he spoke excitedly. āAnd flowers. You like flowers, donāt you? Iāll plant all the flowers you want.ā He smiled like a child. āWeāll take a vacation when the villa is finished, and cover everything with new memoriesā¦ā
He looked happy, imagining his future with her. He was drunk and filled with dreams. But Leah didnāt share those dreams. Her mind was occupied with other thoughts.
A rough man, fierce, but warm and comfortable. The heat of his body had made her feel light, and she would never weary of the fresh scent that clung to him.
Thinking of Ishakan, Leah closed her eyes. Only a fool would risk their life for a forbidden love. But she was doing that right now, even though she would soon marry a person that she had loved for a long time.
But she couldnāt fight it. The presence of Ishakan, outside all logic and reason, was ruining her life.
Suddenly, her left hand felt heavy. The engagement ring on her finger bothered her as much as if she had been handcuffed. Leah squeezed her hands together.
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A man who claimed to be her husband. A man who was trying to get her to retrieve memories that had never occurred. She didnāt even know what memories he was referring to. But she was sure of one thing.
She was so attracted to him, she couldnāt deny it.
***
Haban, Genin, and Morga sat around the unconscious lady-in-waiting. Morga had given her a potion to cloud Countess Melissaās memory, the same strange brew he had used on Byun Gyeongbaek so long ago, when he came to Estia.
As Morga worked rapidly, Haban and Genin sat with grim expressions on their faces. The sorcerer couldnāt help clicking his tongue.