Chapter 57: A Kiss

Chapter 57: A Kiss

At my suggestion, Father promised that he would accompany me to the Founding Day festival.

Aren. If that is what you wish, let us do so.

Several days passed after hearing Fathers answer. There was still no news from Cassadin after he had left the mansion, and nothing else had changed.

No. There was just one thing that had changed. It was that Damian started to send me all sorts of gifts.

Every single day.

Thump!

Today was yet another one of those days, as the people sent by Damian were putting down several large boxes in front of the mansion entrance early in the morning,

Inside the boxes were not only valuable jewels such as rubies, sapphires, emeralds, pink diamonds, and others, but also expensive accessories and fancy dresses.

They are gifts from His Grace. He has told us to ask if Milady wants anything else.

You can tell him that he doesnt need to send these gifts to me.

His Grace said that these are just an expression of friendship, so there is no need to feel burdened by them.

As the workers saw Damian place down a final box holding several rare teas, they added on.

And His Grace has asked Milady to please attend the Founding Day festival tomorrow.

Tell him that I will.

Thank you. Master will also be happy to hear that. That is all, so we will now take our leave.

The workers left our home after bowing to me at a ninety-degree angle.

When this routine happened for not just one, but several days, Father must have realized that something was strange and switched his gaze between the boxes in front of our entrance and me, as he asked me,

Just when did you get close to the Grand Duke? And all of these gifts

I just happened to come into contact with the Grand Duke while I was out searching for Cassadin.

Goodness, Aren.

His mouth dropped open in shock, and Father ordered the servants to bring the boxes inside. Staring intently at my face, he then asked me with a serious expression.

Dont tell me. Do you perhaps have feelings for the Grand Duke?

I immediately answered my fathers inquiry,

It isnt like that.

I couldnt possibly like the man who killed me in the past. I was just trying to give back what I had received.

Is that so? But it seems like the Grand Duke has feelings for you.

Hearing that, I wordlessly smiled at Father.

The only reason he is doing this is because he wants my healing abilities.

It was in Damians nature to use people who had opened their hearts to him like tools, so the moment I accepted his favors as they looked on the outside, it would become a repetition of what had happened in my past life.

Then, all I had to do was use those favors to my advantage.

I had no intention of forgiving Damian for pushing me to the brink of death in my past life.

Just when he arrived at the false conclusion that he had my healing ability in his hands, and when he finally believed that I had completely become his side, I was going to push him down to the pits of hell.

The despair and misery I had felt in my past life.

I was now going to return that despair to him.

Another day at the mansion without Cassadin was ending.

I was so surprised that words were unable to leave my mouth. My mouth bobbed open and shut a couple of times before I was finally able to muster out a couple of words.

Are you really Cassadin?

With his face buried in my shoulder, Cassadin nodded without speaking.

Ahh

A dumb sound escaped my mouth. Perhaps it was because I still couldnt believe he had returned.

Sister.

Though he was no longer my younger brother, Cassadin still called me Sister. He raised his head from my shoulder, then met his eyes with mine.

When our eyes interlocked, Cassadins eyes folded neatly into crescents.

Ive missed you, Sister.

As soon as he said that, Cassadin gently caressed my cheek with his large hands. I could feel only kindness in the touch of the hand that caressed me.

Ive also missed you.

But, as much as I missed you, I also held resentment towards you.

Cassadin, why did you leave the family without telling me anything? Why, after all this time?

My head was in complete turmoil. Which was why a pathetic voice came from my mouth.

I hated you.

But even then, I found myself relieved when I saw your face.

Do you know just how much Ive suffered because of you?

Cassadin, where have you been all of this time? I thought youd betrayed me, that youd abandoned me

I didnt express it to anyone, but I thought about you every single day. Just as you had sunken into me, I had sunken into you.

Do you know just how worried I was?

The trembling voice that I heard come out of my mouth reminded me of the voice that had come from Cassadin when he tried to harm me after his identity was revealed.

It was a sorrowful voice, like the dead, leafless trees of winter.

Feeling my throat tighten the more I tried to speak, I paused for a moment. Cassadin remained still, listening to what I had to say.

Finding his lack of response strange, I grabbed onto the hem of his cloak, since I felt that if I didnt hold onto him, he would leave me again.

At the same time I grabbed onto his clothes, Cassadin pulled his hand back from my cheek. But he took that same hand and pulled my head closer to him.

What are you?

I was not able to finish that sentence because Cassadin had completely leaned into me and collided his lips with mine.

When something foreign infiltrated my mouth through its parted opening, my mind went blank.

Cassadin violently upturned every corner of the inside of my mouth, stealing away my breath. Under the full moon, our breaths were taken from each other.

This entire situation was so unbelievable that the strength in my body drained away. When the grip I had on his clothes loosened completely, Cassadin parted his lips from mine and spoke to me with a hypnotic expression.

This feeling. Its to the point I cant do anything about it

His voice fell deep.

I love you.