Chapter 7

At those words, Astrid accepted Marie’s support and got up. As she slowly approached the window, a black car crossed the hospital’s garden.

Ah.

The car stopped in front of the main entrance, and before the driver could even open the door, a long leg stretched out from behind it.

The tall man wore a dark coat and a hat. His face was hard to see, but, strangely, his slender silhouette reminded her of someone, and her heart began to beat wildly on its own.

“Heavens, you’ll hurt yourself like that.”

“Ah……”

Astrid looked down at her trembling fists. Marie, flustered, quickly checked her palm. There were marks where her nails had dug in, but fortunately, there was no blood.

No, it can’t be.

Astrid straightened her collar. She tried to lift the corners of her mouth, but, contrary to her intention, she couldn’t manage a smile.

Knock knock.

After a moment, a sharp knock sounded at the door, and Marie opened it. Immediately, a long, dark shadow spread across the floor.

Astrid lowered her eyes in tension.

The man’s footsteps grew louder as he walked in.

When she slowly raised her head, she saw black shoes and neatly pressed trouser legs in her field of vision. Looking up along his long legs, she saw broad shoulders and a strong, sharply defined face.

The moment their eyes finally met, her breath caught.

Brilliant golden eyes gazed intently at Astrid. Bound by that gaze, she clasped her hands tightly together.

“Miss Brielle Selinger.”

A low, gentle voice resonated. At the familiar deep tone, Astrid found tears welling up in her eyes without realizing it.

She had imagined this moment all her life.

She often wondered, if they met by chance, how she should act, and whether he would fail to recognize her because her appearance had changed. She would wipe away her tears, lost in such thoughts.

Now that her fantasy had become reality, it still felt like a dream that she was meeting Kaiden again.

Astrid unconsciously clenched the hand that wanted to reach out.

“Miss Selinger?”

The man, after staring into her wavering green eyes for a while, called her name with a hint of confusion.

She didn’t understand why he was calling her ‘Selinger’, but she couldn’t think deeply about it. In the cold silence, Astrid’s breathing quickened.

What should I do.

Her mind went blank, and no words came to her. In the end, she clenched her fists again. Her nails digging into her soft skin brought a little clarity to her vision.

At that moment, Kaiden took off his hat and issued a cold command.

“It seems Miss Selinger is not in her right mind. Everyone, wait outside.”

“Yes, Master.”

In an instant, everyone left, and the hospital room was engulfed in silence. Astrid tried to hold herself together, but dizziness overwhelmed her and she slumped into a chair.

How could it be you, here.

She had so many questions she wanted to ask, but her thoughts were so jumbled that she couldn’t open her mouth.

Meanwhile, Kaiden, his face expressionless, even took off his coat.

The pressure he gave off in his suit was completely different from when he wore his Academy uniform.

“As… is it really you…?”

“…Kaiden.”

The moment his name escaped her lips, his golden eyes shook fiercely. Kaiden, like someone broken, swept his large hand over his face.

Haa.

As the silence deepened, his unstable breathing could be heard clearly. After some time had passed, he asked,

“When… did you become my brother’s wife?”

“What?”

Kaiden’s voice was rough and cracked. As if he was blaming her, as if he had missed her endlessly.

No way.

Flustered, Astrid shook her head vigorously. But he frowned, as if he thought she was denying the truth. Even in that moment, as she looked at the beautiful man, Astrid spoke firmly.

“I only ever saw the Young Master of Raselles a few times at the Academy or the mansion. I’ve been living under a different identity all this time.”

“A different identity?”

“I met Miss Selinger for the first time on the train. More than that, why are you calling me that?”

Kaiden stared blankly, as if he’d just heard something incomprehensible. But his confusion didn’t last long.

Though his mouth was tightly closed, Astrid could tell. The air around Kaiden had changed, and she felt goosebumps rise.

“Tell me everything that happened on the day of the train accident. Don’t leave out a single detail.”

A cold command fell from above her head. Astrid was bewildered by the man who wore a familiar face but acted like a stranger. Still, she needed to convey the facts accurately, if only to resolve her own questions.

Recalling the events of the accident brought on a headache. As Astrid recounted what had happened, Kaiden’s expression gradually hardened.

Finally, as she mentioned changing clothes and looking at the locket pendant, he suddenly stood up.

Kaiden paced the hospital room for a moment, then gripped the window frame. The back of his hand, drained of color, trembled.

Astrid thought the situation was strange, but more than anything, she hadn’t expected to reunite with Kaiden like this.

The last time she’d seen him was the very day she left for the Hamilton estate. The man who had seen her off at the train station had matured beyond recognition.

His large frame and cold eyes seemed to say that the Kaiden she knew no longer existed. Astrid was swept up in a complex mix of relief and shame.

You abandoned me, so why…

She wished Kaiden would just say something, but he was deep in thought.

Unable to endure the silence any longer, Astrid spoke first.

“What kind of person was Brielle Selinger?”

“My late brother’s wife. The only daughter of the bankrupt Baron Selinger. Right now, everyone thinks you’re her.”

At those words, Astrid pressed her forehead. No wonder Marie had refused to explain the situation—she had gotten entangled with a ridiculously high-ranking noble. Of all people, it had to be Raselles, whom she never wanted to be involved with again.

While she had been hovering between life and death, everything had spiraled out of control. And now, too many people were involved for her to fix it.

Astrid rubbed her aching forehead.

“Is Miss Selinger dead?”

“Everyone in the first-class compartment, including Viscountess Eden who was traveling with her, died.”

Ah.

With a short sigh, Astrid quietly wished for Brielle’s peace. She could still see Brielle’s clear smile as she rubbed her belly.

After a while, Astrid spoke with difficulty.

“This is a problem. In the financial world, there are rumors that you assassinated the Young Duke to take the dukedom.”

Kaiden’s gaze sharpened, but his breathing remained steady.

By now, the sun was high, and the backlight shone on his broad shoulders leaning against the window.

The man, visible only in silhouette, had his arms crossed. The glare made it impossible to see whether he was crying or smiling.

“In that case, there’s only one way. You just have to keep pretending to be Brielle Selinger.”

Kaiden’s voice was so low and cold it was almost chilling. The moment Astrid realized this was no simple suggestion, her body froze.

Kaiden’s manner was polite, but for some reason, he sent chills down her spine. Like a snake uncoiling, he slowly walked toward Astrid.

A cold hand gripped her chin. She wanted to shake him off immediately, but she had no strength in her arms.

“What’s your fake identity? Are you planning to take revenge on Marquis Hamilton while hiding your true self?”

“I’m living a new life as an employee of the Mason Merchant Guild. I have no intention of getting involved with either my family or the Raselles Duchy.”

“Mason Merchant Guild… Don’t tell me, Declan Mason?”

Kaiden checked again if it was the Declan Mason he knew from the Academy, the eccentric junior.

Astrid quietly nodded. Kaiden flinched and dropped his hand. When he opened his eyes after closing them for a moment, his gaze was even sharper.

As the silence stretched, Astrid’s fingertips began to visibly tremble. She couldn’t understand why Kaiden, who was supposedly Princess Sophia’s new lover, was reacting so sensitively to the fact that she worked with Declan.

I’m not the Marquis daughter anymore, and we’re already over.

Astrid quietly reflected on her situation. Torrential rain and snowstorms had devastated the West and the Mason Merchant Guild, and she could no longer afford to care about the Raselles Duchy or Kaiden.

“The people of the Mason Merchant Guild are my family. I’m sorry for your situation, but I can’t play the role of a stand-in.”

“Declan Mason is your family? That little brat?”