If You Wish to Have Me - Chapter 130

Kisa hurriedly left her seat and headed to the first floor of the mansion.

Before long, his figure wearing a silk hat could be seen among the flowers decorating the entrance.

“Seyard!”

At Kisa’s call, the man looked up the stairs and showed a sly smile.

“I was waiting. My Kisa.”

“What is all this?”

Kisa came down the stairs and stood beside Seyard, frowning as she looked at the colorful flowers.

Moreover, people carrying vases and flower arrangements were still entering through the front door.

Seyard, observing Kisa’s expression, drooped his eyebrows and asked.

“I wanted to lift your spirits, so I prepared this as a surprise gift. Was it not to your liking?”

His attitude was more cautious than expected, so Kisa couldn’t really scold him.

“No, it’s just so sudden. Father will be confused when he sees the mansion turned into a flower paradise.”

“I met him earlier when he came ahead of schedule, so we exchanged greetings. Fortunately, he didn’t say much.”

“Even so… it’s too overwhelming. So many flowers in this winter.”

Considering the price of greenhouse-cultivated flowers, it couldn’t have been cheap.

However, Seyard smiled as if he found Kisa’s concern endearing.

“I don’t care how much it costs if it’s for you, but I suppose the recipient’s feelings are what matter most in a gift. I’ll be more careful next time.”

Since he had yielded first, Kisa had nothing more to say, so she closed her mouth.

Besides, looking back, Seyard had a history of appearing here with various gifts without prior notice.

Having already accepted such behavior once without major complaint, it would be strange to object now.

‘The situation hasn’t changed much. What has changed is my heart…’

Then Seyard plucked a white flower from a nearby vase and offered it to Kisa.

The enchanting fragrance of jasmine filled her nostrils.

“It seems to suit you well.”

“…Thank you.”

As Kisa accepted the jasmine, he changed the subject.

“Are you free right now?”

“Right now?”

“Yes, if you’re available, I’d like to escort you after such a long time. Of course, since I came without prior notice, I won’t mind at all if you decline.”

Kisa unconsciously let out an “Ah” and glanced around without turning her head.

Honestly, she wasn’t in the mood for a date with him right now, but there were watching eyes.

The servants who had gathered to see the flower-filled entrance scene were looking at them with envious gazes.

Regardless of the underlying circumstances, to others, the two appeared to be a picture-perfect couple about to marry.

‘If he goes back alone from here, everyone will think it’s strange.’

For the past few days, the fact that Kisa had been cooped up at home without doing anything particular was known to everyone in the household.

If the servants noticed something odd, it would surely reach Count Vansfelt’s ears, and he would undoubtedly call his daughter to interrogate her thoroughly.

Rather than that, wouldn’t it be better to enjoy a somewhat awkward date with Seyard?

Having reached this conclusion, Kisa slowly nodded.

“Alright. I’ll get ready quickly, so please wait a moment.”

After asking for his understanding, Kisa returned to her room and began preparing to go out.

However, while changing into outdoor clothes and applying makeup, Seyard knocked on her door.

“Kisa?”

“Come in!”

Looking back at him as he entered the room, she offered an apology.

“I’m sorry. I was having trouble deciding which dress to wear, so I’ve delayed too long. Were you bored waiting?”

But as if that wasn’t the case, Seyard shook his head.

“Please take all the time you need to prepare leisurely. It’s just that, thinking about it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you getting ready, so I took the liberty of coming up. May I stay here?”

“Seyard, really. You’re curious about so many things.”

“I’m curious about anything related to you.”

“…Is that so? Anyway, I’m almost finished, so you can stay here.”

“Then gladly.”

He stood behind Kisa, who was seated at the vanity, and Kisa resumed her makeup.

An uncomfortable time passed in silence.

Kisa mechanically moved her hands while recalling what had happened earlier.

In fact, the reason she had delayed in the dressing room was because of this man who was now watching her.

—-

“Oh…”

The first thing she had picked up without much thought was a red dress.

A dress she had often worn recently when going out with Seyard or visiting the Hillan mansion.

And a gift that Vischer Hillan had given as an apology for ruining Kisa’s clothes in the past.

Now, knowing full well why he had been so excited to see her in the red dress at the villa, she had unconsciously reached for it.

Silently hanging it back on the hanger, Kisa had looked around the dressing room.

She could see red clothes and accessories scattered here and there, all purchased within the last month.

All to please one man.

Ha, a self-deprecating laugh escaped her lips at the absurdity.

Having disliked red-haired people, she originally didn’t particularly like the color red itself.

However, she had recently begun to like red.

At first, it was simply to match his preferences, but as she looked at it more, she found it pretty.

Thinking of it as the color of the person she loved, it even felt endearing.

In the end, it was the same person who had made her dislike red and, conversely, made her like it.

To think she had been colored by that person to this extent already.

Feeling unsettled, Kisa had stood there in a daze.

Then, when a maid wondered why Kisa hadn’t come out of the dressing room for so long and called for her, she finally came to her senses.

As a result, what Kisa chose was a pale golden dress that had been tucked away in a corner because she had rarely worn it recently.

It was a modest style without special decorations, but it was something she had purchased purely because she liked it herself, without considering the tastes of Count Vansfelt, Daniel, or Seyard.

“…”

Returning to reality, Kisa gazed at the man behind her while pretending to look at herself in the mirror.

Every time Kisa blinked, the man with blood-red hair appeared with a different face.

One moment he looked like Seyard, the gentle lover she knew well, and the next moment he looked like the cold-faced Vischer who had poured wine on her dress.

And then he became a third person, neither Seyard nor Vischer.

The person who confessed to murdering his own brother and brazenly claimed he had deceived her because he loved her…

Suddenly feeling nauseous, Kisa stopped the hand holding the makeup brush and quietly took a deep breath.

As she tried to calm her queasiness, a hand from behind gently pressed her shoulders.

The man who had come close to Kisa whispered softly in her ear.

“It’s okay, Kisa. Everything is okay.”

She couldn’t understand what was supposed to be okay, but he just said it was okay.

As if time would resolve all the minor problems that existed between them.

Kisa turned her head to look at him.

Who exactly are you?

The unspoken question disappeared into her throat, and only the fragrance of lilies that the maid had quickly arranged beside the vanity filled the room.

In conclusion, Kisa’s choice to take a date with Seyard rather than endure suspicious glances from people at home was questionable in terms of being entirely correct.

More than she had expected, the time spent with him, pretending nothing had happened, was not enjoyable.

They ate delicious food at a fine restaurant, looked around the shopping district, and watched a play at the grand theater.

It was an utterly ordinary date, but Kisa couldn’t concentrate at all.

The memories of how happy she had been before felt like dreams.

“How did you find today’s play?”

“It was interesting.”

She answered mechanically to Seyard’s question in the carriage on the way back.

“The theme was quite intriguing. The play’s structure was organic, and the adaptation was appropriately done so that the play didn’t feel too fictional, making it easy to immerse oneself.”

“Indeed.”

“Come to think of it, wasn’t this play based on the life of someone you know? To build a huge trading company from the position of a commoner woman – quite a legendary figure.”

“Yes, that’s right. Aria really introduced us to an amazing person.”

Kisa answered half-heartedly while thinking of the members of the group she had joined following Aria.

In the past, she would have excitedly told him about the anecdotes from the meetings when the topic came up, but she wasn’t in the mood for that.

After that, Seyard occasionally asked questions or brought up new topics, but Kisa only responded with necessary words.

Eventually, his words also became fewer.

However, rather than blaming Kisa, he held her hand and said this:

“It’s okay. Everything will be fine, Kisa.”

But returning home in the awkward atmosphere, Kisa had to keenly feel one fact.

The two of them could not return to how they were before.

To the time when she knew nothing.