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Chapter 52
It was clear that this wasn’t just simple human affection, but something closer to rational attraction.
Otherwise, how could things have gotten so out of hand like this?
If she had just let it pass, she could’ve gained a new agreement that would benefit the business.
But despite those intertwined interests, Aileen had run away—just like this.
“…It’s not that deep yet. I can forget. I’ll just act like it never happened. Still, that handsome face isn’t easy to come by. But what, is Floan the only good-looking man in the world?! Enough, throw away those lingering feelings!”
“Why are you throwing me away?”
“Kyah!”
Speak of the devil and he appears.
Startled by the sudden, familiar voice, Aileen clutched her pounding chest.
When she lifted her head, the face before her was none other than Floan.
He had dismounted his horse and was walking toward her with steady steps.
How did he even know I was here?
More than that—am I really being caught this easily, this quickly?
With a stunned look, Aileen just stared up at Floan, who was now standing in front of her, gazing down at her.
“I came to fetch you.”
“…”
“…”
Silently, Aileen rose from her seat. Without a word, she brushed the dirt from her hips, patted her knees, adjusted her backpack, and straightened her clothes as though preparing to follow him obediently—
Only to suddenly bolt in the other direction.
But it was pointless. As if he had known she’d do exactly that, Floan caught her by the back of the neck in an instant.
“Let go.”
“I can’t.”
“I said, let go!”
“I said no.”
Aileen took a deep breath and wriggled again, but it was useless.
Exploiting gaps like that clearly didn’t work on him.
“Why are you doing this?!” she demanded in frustration.
His reply was firm.
“Go back, Aileen.”
“Why should I?”
“Because I want to go with you.”
As he spoke, his grip tightened slightly.
Aileen winced, her brows furrowing at the pain in her wrist. Floan immediately loosened his hand, realizing too late.
Seeing him look angry only made Aileen feel more wronged.
Jerking her hand free, she snapped at him:
“Why did you come to get me?”
“Let’s go back first and talk. It’s all just a misunderstanding—”
“Forget it!”
Floan let out a sigh.
“…Aileen. It’s not my child.”
“What?”
“That child isn’t mine. Not an illegitimate child, not some bastard from an affair. I’m not a womanizer who goes around fathering kids. If I had been, I would’ve married her, not you.”
“Or maybe you planned to dump the southern territory on me and run away overseas with her and the baby—but then she died in an accident, and your plan collapsed. Isn’t that it?”
“No.”
His resolute answer made Aileen flinch.
If that was a lie, then he was an actor with a God-given talent.
“…But the hair color! It’s exactly the same. Black hair isn’t common in the South!”
“That’s just coincidence.”
“Coincidence, my foot!”
Floan hesitated for a moment, then finally said:
“…My hair isn’t naturally black.”
“…What?”
“I dye it. Let’s not do this here. Let’s go back to the castle and talk properly.”
Not naturally black? Some other color?
Aileen just stared at him blankly.
So maybe it really wasn’t his child?
There was one fact Aileen didn’t know—
Despite the South’s hot climate and revealing clothing, their values were actually quite conservative.
In fact, it was the only region on the continent where adultery was a punishable crime.
Because of that, the people of the East often mocked the South as backward and naïve.
Anyway, for southerners, adultery, extramarital affairs, illegitimate children—those shameful words were practically unthinkable.
So if a husband suddenly showed up with a child one day, people naturally assumed: “Ah, he must have picked up a lost child,” or “He saved a dying kid.”
No one would immediately think: “That must be his illegitimate child.”
Perhaps their strong culture of communal child-rearing made the question itself meaningless.
But for Aileen, all of this was utterly baffling, infuriating, and humiliating.
“What the hell! That means I was beating the drum and playing the cymbals all by myself—making a total fool out of myself?!”
“Making a fool…? I never said that. If anything, I’m the one at fault. I phrased things poorly and made you misunderstand. Neither Dalton nor I ever imagined you’d take it that way.”
“Of course I would misunderstand! You said it was ‘my mistake’! If a husband comes home with a kid and says it was a mistake, obviously anyone would assume that! ”
“You’re right. I’m sorry, Aileen.”
“See?!”
“Yes. It’s my fault. So, can we go back now? Please?”
“…Not all of my doubts are cleared yet. Then whose child is it? Dalton said you were trying to run away overseas with a woman, but she died in an accident—so I assumed, of course, that you had been planning to run away with her.”
Floan looked at her with a troubled expression.
How much could he reveal before she would truly understand?
But if he told her everything, she’d only fear him—for the fact that he had killed someone, even if accidentally.
How long was he supposed to keep deceiving her? For life?
“Ha… what am I even thinking?”
The self-mocking thought made him chuckle bitterly.
Why was he thinking in terms of for life when he wasn’t even sure if she’d be around forever?
“Keep talking.”
“…The child’s parents were criminals. I was pursuing a family who had committed crimes and were trying to flee overseas. They died in the process—by accident.”
“And the child?”
“From the signs, it was clear the kid had been abused for a long time. I couldn’t bring myself to punish a child for the parents’ sins. So I took the child in, intending to have an acquaintance adopt him.”
“…”
Aileen was momentarily at a loss for words.
So really, she had misunderstood everything on her own.
“This is so embarrassing.”
“No need. It’s my fault. So… we’re really going home now, right, my wife?”
“Honestly, the fact you’re calling me ‘wife’ in this situation…”
“I mean it in the sense that you’re my only wife.”
“Someone might think you’re confessing love.”
She snapped back, only to realize her slip of the tongue. She quickly clamped her mouth shut.
Why did love confession pop out of her mouth just now?
It was the kind of thing you just laugh off as a joke.
Now it seemed like she was conscious of him or something.
“…Just kidding. I was joking.”
Aileen added awkwardly.
But she knew that her words only made things even more awkward.
Her face grew hot with self-reproach.
Why was she being such a mess?
Perhaps out of consideration for her embarrassment, Floan didn’t press further. Instead, he simply smiled faintly and gently held her hand.
“So you can’t run away again like before.”
“…”
“Shall we go? For real, this time.”
It was dark, so he couldn’t see her bright red face—yet Aileen still couldn’t bring herself to look up.
I must look ridiculous right now.
Even without a mirror, she knew the silly smile she was suppressing must look absurd.
She clenched her teeth, barely holding back laughter, and slowly nodded.
“Then excuse me for a moment.”
“Huh? Kyaa!”
Before she could protest, Floan scooped her slender waist into his arms.
He lifted her easily onto the saddle, then swiftly seated himself behind her.
She ended up nestled securely in his arms.
