Chapter 2 (Part 7)

Messerode Bank. Cardin let out a hollow laugh. It was something he barely acquired, staking his life to be independent from his father. 

If that bank went bankrupt, he swore to completely devote his life to his father. He wouldn’t resist his father anymore and live exactly as he said until death. 

He had already devoted himself entirely to his father, so it was as if he had given his life. But Baron Hurrick committed the fraud. 

Baron Hurrick, who worked at Messerode Bank, held a fairly high position. Yet he was blinded by money and created a phantom trading company, manipulating credit ratings. 

Using the manipulated credit ratings as bait, he sold bonds to customers, causing enormous damage. It was a trading company registered only by name, with no actual existence, and the bonds were linked to Messerode Bank, causing damage to the bank as well.

Murder.

Eventually, the court acknowledged Brienne’s culpability, meaning she was guilty by association as Baron Hurrick’s daughter. She was expected to repay all the debts.

At that time, he was blinded by rage, thinking only of his honor and the commitment he had made to his father, not realizing Brienne’s exact situation.

So he recklessly moved himself.

He barely found out that Brienne was living in the mountains near Romseed Village and came, encountering a bear. It was a cruel creature, as if possessed by a monster, with red eyes. In the midst of the fight, he seemed to have been injured in his right arm and fell into a swamp. If Brienne was still living, Baron Hurrick couldn’t repay the debt. Of course, Baron Hurrick was still alive.

Cardin looked at Brienne with exhausted eyes, as if all his strength had drained away. It had been the best decision at the time, but knowing everything now, strangely, he felt he couldn’t leave Brienne.

He wanted to live like this with Brienne for the rest of his life, if possible. Until summer passed, autumn came, and winter arrived. He had never felt so comfortable and at peace before.

Fern in the Kingdom of Gerok was located by the southern sea, but his mansion was always cold. The chilliness, his father’s oppression, his mother’s indifference.

He never wanted to face them again. With a firm heart, Cardin turned his body. He immediately burned the letter in the fireplace.

As it turned to black ash, he took out a pot and filled it with water, as if it was no big deal.

*   *   *

When she got up from the bed, it was dim around. Although there was a light near the kitchen, it wasn’t completely bright. Then, there was a loud thud. The sound came from the kitchen. A bowl rolled away. Cardin leisurely bent down and picked up the fallen dish. Wondering what he was doing alone, she tried to get up, but her body felt cold. Looking inside the blanket, she was n*ked.

“You’re awake?”

It was a kind and gentle voice. Startled for a moment, she looked up to see Cardin smiling warmly. She awkwardly lifted the corners of her mouth. Cardin smiled back and said,

“I’ll make dinner. Just wait a little.”

“Are you going to do it alone?”

“You’ve been cooking for me until now, so I’ll cook for you this time.”

She remembered the bowl he had dropped earlier.

“Isn’t it difficult?”

“Not at all.”

Cardin softly curled his lips and put something in the bowl. She was curious about what he was making. As she tried to get up and looked around, she saw a dress fallen under the bed. She quickly picked it up and wore it in the bed.

Once on, she realized it was a thin nightgown.

‘Of all things.’

There was no choice. The summer dress was drying, and the others were wet from the rain. It seemed better than walking around n*ked, so she got up from the bed. As she approached Cardin, she saw a pot bubbling.

“What are you cooking?”

Cardin turned to look beside her.

“Chickpeas.”

Inside the pot were cute chickpeas, just as Cardin said. As she looked at the bubbling beans, Cardin touched her cheek with one hand. When she turned her head, he came closer and met her gaze intently.

“You could just stay in bed.”

“I was curious about what you’re doing.”

As she slightly raised the corners of her mouth, Cardin gave her a short kiss. He looked at her warmly and kissed her again, this time longer than before. When she slightly pushed his shoulder, Cardin stepped back with a smile. He lightly stirred the chickpeas with a spatula.

“Have you ever made chickpea soup?”

Cardin laughed as he looked at the pot.

“No.”

Her face immediately hardened.

“Then how did you make it?”

Cardin turned to her and picked up a book next to him.

“This was here?”

Curious, she leaned forward to look. <Easy Vegetarian Recipes for Cooking Beginners>. It was a cookbook she had never seen before.

‘Why is this book here?’

Then, warm breath touched her neck. Cardin wrapped an arm around her waist and lowered his head near her neck.

“Isn’t this your book?”

A low voice echoed in her ear. His face naturally turned to her. His fresh green eyes shone kindly. His large body pressed against her back, and his arms completely wrapped around her. Even though she had slept with Cardin, her body felt strange. She tried not to think of anything else and shook her head.

“It’s a book I’ve never seen before.”

“That’s strange. I definitely saw it in the upper cabinet.”

“Which upper cabinet?”

Cardin raised his hand from behind her and opened the cabinet door. It was the side she didn’t usually use.

“Here.”

“I’ve never seen this book.”

Cardin turned to her from the side.

“The book was surrounded by other things, so it wasn’t visible. It was dusty too.”

Something felt off. She thought she had cleared everything when she first came here. Then she remembered Cardin losing his memory in the swamp. He had guessed that a witch might have lived here. Suspicious, she asked.

“Is it a recipe used by some strange witch? Something with weird ingredients?”

“There’s nothing like that. It’s ordinary.”

When she couldn’t relax her expression, Cardin laughed.

“Brienne, don’t think too seriously. It’s just an ordinary cookbook anyway.”

He skimmed through the cookbook next to her and added salt to the pot.

“Aren’t you putting in too much?”

“The cookbook says to do it this way.”

She checked the cookbook. There were no strange symbols or instructions to add odd ingredients. It was just a common recipe. Then Cardin wrapped an arm around her waist. When she turned to look, he smiled and said,

“Sit at the table. I’ll finish it soon.”

Feeling like she was getting in the way, she nodded. She was also curious about the taste of the chickpea soup Cardin was making. She sat at the table. Watching Cardin from there, she felt warm inside.

‘I wish all the past would disappear.’

She just wanted to be with Cardin like this. Forever. But that was only her dream. Of course, his memory might never return, but she wasn’t comfortable with that. She couldn’t deceive Cardin for life. She didn’t want to struggle with the anxiety that he might regain his memory someday.

‘How long will this last?’

This happiness. The life she always wanted. She tried to erase the rising anxiety and looked at Cardin’s back. He busily checked the recipe while adding more salt.

‘It seems like he’s adding too much salt.’

She almost got up but then gave up. If the recipe said so, there must be a reason. Cardin wasn’t illiterate. And she was curious about the taste of a dinner entirely made by Cardin. So she waited, endlessly watching Cardin’s broad back and handsome profile. 

It was almost 30 minutes later. She started to get bored and hungry.

“Cardin, is it almost done?”

He turned around busily.

“Almost.”

Wondering what was keeping him so busy, she saw him pouring from the pot into several bowls. She thought of saying something but stayed silent. It was clear he was cooking for the first time. After all, as the precious young M=master of the Messerode family, he wouldn’t have cooked before.

‘He must have always eaten food prepared by someone else.’

Understanding Cardin in her heart, she waited patiently. Shortly after, Cardin placed a white bowl in front of her. The soup had reduced a lot. It looked like porridge. Moreover, the bowl was messy around the edges. Cardin sat down across from her with a thud.

“Sorry, it’s my first time cooking. I tried to follow the recipe as much as possible… Is it inedible?”

She awkwardly lifted the corners of her mouth. It must have shown on her face. 

“I’ll make it again.”

Cardin reached to take the bowl in front of her. She quickly grabbed his hand.

“It’s okay.”

Cardin watched her for a moment and then withdrew. She picked up the spoon. She didn’t really want to eat it.

‘Even when living alone, I managed to make tasty food.’

In truth, she disliked tasteless food. She cherished chickpeas, and chickpea soup was her favorite dish. To avoid disappointment, she managed her expression and cautiously took a spoonful of chickpeas. The thick consistency was unsettling. She moved her jaw without showing it. Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment. It was salty.

‘He really added too much salt.’