Chapter 2 (Part 5)

When they left the tavern, the sky was dark. The clouds hung low. Thinking of the weather she had experienced countless times before, she spoke.

“We should hurry home.”

As she took the first step, Cardin suddenly grabbed her hand. It seemed he intended to continue acting as a couple since they were still in the village. Not resisting, she let him hold her hand, and Cardin spoke.

“Brienne, wait a moment.”

“Why?”

“I have something to buy.”

“I’ll come with you.”

“No, stay here; it’s hot. I’ll be back soon.”

He then went in a direction they hadn’t come from. She watched the way Cardin disappeared.

‘What could he be in such a hurry to buy?’

No matter how much she thought about it, nothing came to mind. Absentmindedly, she looked at the heavy sky and wiped the sweat off her nose with a handkerchief. Suddenly, she remembered Cardin wiping her forehead. She clenched the handkerchief and lowered her hand. She wanted to stay like this, forgetting the past. She stared blankly ahead, not even thinking of wiping the sweat trickling down her forehead.

She waited a long time like that. Cardin came running back. As soon as he reached her, he smiled brightly.

“Did you wait long?”

“No.”

Cardin’s hands were empty.

“You said you were buying something. Didn’t you?”

“They said it would come in later.”

“What is it?”

Cardin’s lips curled up pleasantly.

“I’ll show you when it arrives.”

He naturally took her hand again. As they walked, the villagers they met looked surprised every time. Then they all looked at Cardin’s face and nodded approvingly. They even chided her for not telling them she had a husband sooner. Each time, Cardin stood by her side. Even without speaking, she felt reassured. For a moment, she wished their relationship was real. But it was just a fleeting thought. It couldn’t happen. The past that Cardin didn’t remember was enough to sever their relationship like a blade.

After greeting them, they entered the forest path. Even then, Cardin held her hand tightly. They walked ten more steps. By then, she thought he would naturally let go of her hand. But Cardin didn’t let go. The warmth of his hand, the heat mingling with the summer heat, and her racing heart made it impossible to leave it as it was. She stopped.

“Cardin, we’re in the forest now.”

He turned around. She spoke honestly.

“Isn’t it time to let go of my hand?”

As she tried to pull away, Cardin slowly released her hand. Her hand was suddenly free. Feeling awkward, she walked forward. She felt Cardin’s gaze from beside her. Feeling conscious of it, she looked up at him, and he asked.

“Have you ever thought about marriage?”

The sudden mention of marriage made her heart skip a beat. She couldn’t lie about this question.

“Yes.”

“With whom?”

She thought of Cardin and replied.

“With my first love.”

Cardin’s eyes sharpened.

“Who is it?”

Feeling embarrassed to say it was him, she mumbled vaguely.

“It was a long time ago.”

“How long ago?”

His question was persistent. She had no choice but to recall the past. The first meeting was vividly remembered. She was 17. When her father was first promoted to an executive at Cardin’s bank, they had dinner at his mansion. That’s when she first saw Cardin, his face younger than now. Thinking of that time, she spoke.

“Six years.”

She had loved him intensely for six years. She never dared to express this feeling. It was enough just to see him from afar. And she didn’t want to burden Cardin by confessing her feelings, as he was kind to everyone and she had seen many people confess and be rejected by him. So she was satisfied just with not being avoided and occasionally meeting him. But then… after the fraud her father committed, Cardin completely changed. Just thinking about that time made her heart ache.

“Six years is a long time.”

Startled by his sudden words, she looked up to see Cardin’s face stiffened. He looked disappointed. Then he looked at her with serious eyes.

“Do you still like him?”

Her face flushed, but she answered sincerely.

“Yes.”

Cardin frowned and turned away. He ran his hand through his hair irritably.

“Six years means you liked him before attending Stern Academy.”

She nodded. Cardin let out a bitter laugh and looked back at her.

“Brienne, isn’t the person next to you more important than your first love?”

Wondering what he meant, she looked at him. Somehow, there was a hint of desperation in Cardin’s eyes.

“Right?”

As if expecting an answer, she nodded absentmindedly. Because the one beside her was important too. Like this moment. Only then did Cardin’s face relax a little. He looked at her intently and said.

“First loves are useless. They never work out anyway.”

Her heart sank sadly. But now, it seemed like a dream come true. Although it was built on lies. Thinking of the present, she spoke.

“Still….”

“My parents were like that. Especially my father, who cherished his first love for a long time but had to marry my mother in an arranged marriage.”

Her face hardened.

“Cardin, do you remember everything?”

He smiled.

“Why do you get so surprised whenever I recall something?”

She replied, flustered.

“I’m just surprised. I didn’t expect you to remember so quickly.”

“I’ve remembered this since I came here.”

“What about the rest….”

“It’s vague. I don’t want to think about it.”

“Don’t you want to see your parents?”

“Not at all.”

“Why?”

She was curious. He had memories of his parents, so why didn’t he want to see them? Cardin smiled at her.

“Right now, I want to be with you like this.”

Her heart fluttered, mixed with guilt. To lessen the guilt, she spoke honestly.

“Still, they might be looking for you. They might miss you.”

Cardin made a peculiar expression. His eyes cooled as if lost in thought, and he turned his head.

“I doubt my father misses me much, and my mother probably feels the same.”

As their eyes met in his softly scattered words, his expression brightened for a moment.

“I’ll cook dinner tonight. You can rest well today.”

Cardin seemed in a good mood, different from before.

They were almost home when raindrops started falling through the leaves, and soon it poured. Cardin immediately took her hand. Before she could say a word, he spoke.

“Let’s run.”

She ran with him. Though their pace differed, it seemed Cardin was running slowly. He kept looking back to make sure she was keeping up. The rain poured heavily. The brown paper Cardin held was soaked. It didn’t matter since it contained glass, but the rain was too much. When they finally reached home, they were drenched. She hurried inside to find a dry cloth and rummaged through the wardrobe. But she couldn’t find one.

‘I was sure I left it here.’

As she fumbled with her wet hands through the clothes.

“Brienne.”

At the low voice, she turned to see Cardin approaching. He held a dry cloth in his hand.

“Where did you find it?”

He smiled and wiped her face.

“It was in the upper cabinet. You put everything there, didn’t you?”

Now she remembered. When Cardin first came, she was embarrassed to keep opening the wardrobe, so she put the white cloth for treatment and related things in the upper cabinet. Suddenly, Cardin’s gaze met her eyes. Come to think of it, she was closer to Cardin than she thought. Close enough to feel his trembling breath. The cloth on her cheek stopped. His calm yet deep gaze captured her. Her heart wavered. His breath gently touched her lips. It felt like their breaths were mixing. Feeling nervous, she lowered her gaze. Cardin lowered the cloth and came close enough for his thigh to touch her leg. Startled, she looked at him, and his gaze was hot. It felt like all her senses were vividly alive. At that moment, his large hand touched her cheek. Cardin leaned down. His breath hit her, and their lips were about to touch.

“I’ve actually healed.”

She had vaguely guessed. At some point, he stopped showing signs of pain and did his tasks well. His lips curled up.

“I kept the bandages on because I wanted to stay with you longer.”

A low, rough voice wrapped around her ear. Since when did she start feeling this way? Unable to speak, she only exhaled, and Cardin continued softly.

“Forget your first love and think of me.”

His affectionate gaze enveloped her. Her first love was him, but she couldn’t say it. Wanting to express it somehow, she nodded, and he smirked slightly, lowering his face toward her lips. Their breaths mingled between their lips. When she didn’t pull away, Cardin gently bit her lower lip. Unconsciously, she parted her lips, and he exhaled warmly, pressing his thigh firmly between her legs. The hand cupping her cheek, his breath, and the firm contact of their bodies were hot. She couldn’t pull away from the heat. No, she wished this warmth would last long, that this summer wouldn’t end. She wrapped her arms around Cardin’s neck. In this moment, she was sincere too. Cardin wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her. He laid her down on the bed immediately. The sticky kiss was hot and urgent. Maybe because she understood Cardin’s heart. It felt like a dream.