Chapter 3 (Part 2)

It was around the time for dinner preparation. The door opened, and Cardin came in. She took a deep breath and turned around with a bright smile.

Anyway, until she left, she wanted to show him her brightest side. She didn’t want to leave with a gloomy atmosphere.

Cardin smiled and approached with the things he had bought. He was carrying a lot.

“Why did you buy so much?”

“To make something delicious with you.”

Looking inside the brown paper bag, there were fresh vegetables and even fruits. Fruits were quite expensive.

“Did you buy all this with the money from the upper cabinet?”

Cardin wrapped his arm around her waist and met her eyes.

“They gave me a little discount since I went.”

“But it still wouldn’t be enough to buy this much.”

Cardin gave her a brief kiss. His slightly raised lips were charming. The way he looked at her was vivid and deep. Thinking that she wouldn’t be able to see him anymore made her heart ache.

She turned her head and gently pushed him away.

“Why?”

Cardin lowered his head to meet her gaze. She looked only at the table and said,

“It seems like you bought too much. When will we eat all this?”

She was about to leave soon. She barely held back her tears and turned her head. Cardin pulled her waist toward him. For a moment, she was facing him.

They were close enough for their lips to touch. Her breath trembled as it left her.

“We can eat it together.”

Cardin slowly tilted his head.

“That’s why I bought so much.”

She sighed and leaned against his chest. His solid body felt reliable. Moreover, she could feel his heartbeat matching hers.

Cardin happily embraced her.

“Brienne.”

His low voice seemed to move within her. As she tensed up and remained still, his voice echoed in her ear.

“I heard you went to the hospital yesterday.”

Her heart skipped a beat. As she exhaled blankly, Cardin continued.

“They said you were very disappointed because you couldn’t get pregnant. Are you okay?”

It seemed Madame Arten had already told him everything. Or perhaps someone who heard from her had told him. Her heart sank miserably.

She had to lie to Cardin again.

‘I’ve already lied so much.’

The situation was absurd, but she felt she had to make an excuse and opened her mouth.

“I went to the hospital just in case. It’s not that I was disappointed because I wasn’t pregnant, I just wasn’t feeling well at the time. By the way, since I’m not pregnant, you don’t have to worry.”

Cardin was silent. Somehow, the atmosphere was heavy. It felt like something was pressing down on her heart. She tried to step back.

But Cardin didn’t let go of her waist.

“Why weren’t you feeling well? You’re not sick, are you?”

Cardin examined her closely. She forced a smile.

“I’m not sick. I was just tired from selling herbs and the heat.”

At the end, the truth slipped out. Cardin hugged her again. The warmth that enveloped her was so comforting and pleasant. She wanted to stay in his arms forever.

‘I just want to stay like this. Forget the past, forget my infertility.’

But she was afraid. She didn’t want to get hurt either.

She took a deep breath. Wanting more from here would be pure greed. She pushed his arms away.

“Aren’t you hungry? Dinner is almost ready. Just wait a little longer.”

Cardin’s hands slowly withdrew. She felt his gaze on her, but she continued preparing dinner without paying it any mind.

This time, it was food Cardin would like. Tofu made to resemble meat, chicory lightly pickled in vinegar, and even the chestnut jam she always saved were brought out.

Just as she was about to pick up the dishes, he took them. Cardin smiled and placed all the dishes on the table.

The table had a romantic atmosphere with a vase filled with pink roses and yellow tulips, along with lit candles.

‘I didn’t notice the flowers earlier.’

Surprised, she looked at Cardin.

“When did you do all this?”

“Because I have something special to give you today.”

He smiled and sat down. Then, noticing the chestnut jam, he seemed surprised.

“Didn’t you say you were saving this jam? You said it’s hard to find and expensive here.”

“I wanted to eat it with you. What’s the point of saving it? I made it to eat anyway.”

Cardin laughed.

“Today, I picked a good day.”

She stared at Cardin blankly.

‘What could he be giving me?’

Suddenly, Cardin looked up. His lips curled playfully.

“Why?”

“Nothing.”

She looked at him carefully, fearing she might forget his appearance. She wouldn’t have another chance to see him. With people from his family having come, Cardin would return to the mansion, and she wouldn’t stay here any longer.

She would have to hide away in a secluded place where no one knew. Just like she always did.

Her hand gripping the fork tightened. She used to live without thinking about anything before, but now she was inexplicably angry.

“Brienne.”

Startled by the sudden voice, she looked up to see Cardin narrowing his eyes.

“Is something wrong?”

“Huh?”

“Your expression doesn’t look good.”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Cardin looked at her intently and calmly said,

“If you’re ever feeling unwell, let me know.”

“Thank you.”

She smiled and placed the chestnut jam and salad in front of Cardin. He smiled and pushed the dishes back toward her.

“You eat a lot. You’ve been getting tired easily lately.”

Her face stiffened momentarily. Cardin chuckled and spread chestnut jam on white bread. He took a bite of the bread and looked at her. His lingering gaze stayed unusually long.

As she looked up, Cardin casually said,

“I heard about your pregnancy from Madame Arten, and it felt strange.”

Cardin’s deep gaze fully captured her.

“Have you ever thought about the future with me?”

She couldn’t bring herself to speak, and he continued.

“I’ve thought about it quite a lot.”

Cardin’s face was calm. It wasn’t the usual smiling face she always saw, so it felt unfamiliar.

“Even if you were to get pregnant, I can take responsibility. Even in this situation.”

“……”

“So don’t worry about it alone.”

“…Thank you.”

Cardin smiled.

“Of course, I should be the one responsible for you, so there’s no need to thank me.”

Cardin looked at her intently. His face seemed subtly expectant. He certainly seemed to want a child. If that was the case, she couldn’t stay with Cardin any longer.

After all, he was the eldest son of the Messerode family and had to continue the family line. She lowered her head and spread chestnut jam on the bread, eating silently. As she ate, he suddenly asked,

“Brienne, have you forgotten your first love?”

It was a question, but it seemed like there was a predetermined answer. A peculiar intensity flickered in Cardin’s eyes as he looked at her.

“You’ve forgotten, right?”

The question was persistent. She answered honestly.

“How could I forget?”

Cardin frowned. She spoke truthfully.

“Six years. The time I liked him was long, and he’s not someone who can be easily forgotten.”

His face turned cold.

“Do you like him more than me?”

She barely held back a laugh. Well, Cardin still wouldn’t know. That the person was him.

“Brienne, why are you laughing?”

His low voice was unusually sharp. Now… it was time to tell the truth. She hadn’t been able to say it before out of embarrassment, but now finally.

“It’s you.”

“What?”

“I’ve liked you all along.”

Cardin furrowed his eyebrows as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Me?”

“Yes, I’ve had a crush on you for six years.”

She felt her face flush with heat. Even though she worried that the six-year period might be burdensome for him, and felt embarrassed, she was relieved to speak honestly.

“Ha, me?”

Cardin’s face showed disbelief and confusion. She nodded.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“I thought it might burden you. Considering the time and the fact that you lost your memory, if I suddenly confessed…”

“I think I would have liked it very much.”

Cardin’s gaze was intense. She laughed because it was so absurd.

“How could you be happy when you’re confused from losing your memory? Besides, you didn’t even look at me that way from the start.”

“If I spent time with you, I would have eventually come to like you.”

She answered with a smile instead.

“I still can’t believe it. That you liked me.”

“……”

“Why didn’t you confess?”

A dry laugh escaped her.

“How could I confess? You were a completely different person back then.”

“Still…”

“I’m just grateful to have met you like this now.”

When she smiled, Cardin stared at her. Feeling the intensity of his gaze, she lowered her head and stood up. Just as he seemed to have finished eating, she moved to clear the dishes, but Cardin grabbed her wrist.

She paused and looked at him as he stood and kissed her. In an instant, Cardin sat her on the table. He positioned himself between her legs and deepened the kiss. Her breath became short. When she pushed against Cardin’s shoulders, he slowly pulled away.

Heavy breaths lingered near her lips. Cardin’s green eyes fully captured her.

“I love you.”

For a moment, her mind went blank, and she couldn’t speak. Staring blankly at him, Cardin embraced her.

“I regret not knowing and confessing first.”

Cardin’s breath scattered across her neck.

“To think I’m your first love.”

He hugged her tightly and then leaned back slightly to look at her. His face lit up with a boyish smile.

Cardin kissed her again. The sound of the kiss echoed sharply in her ears. He pulled back and looked into her eyes.

“Do you know how frustrated I was when you said you had a first love? Hearing you liked someone for six years almost drove me crazy.”

“First loves are said to never come true.”

Cardin laughed, seemingly incredulous.

“No, they do come true. Definitely. Certainly.”

His gaze was firm, as if filled with determination. Cardin took a small box from his pocket. He opened it to reveal what was inside. She was speechless with surprise. It was a ring, with a rare blue hue.

“This is…”

She couldn’t find the words, and Cardin knelt on one knee.

“Will you marry me?”