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Chapter 07
If We Meet Again Someday
Late at night.
Without falling asleep, Sara silently stared at the night sky beyond the window.
“Haa……”
Her face was filled with worry.
She let out sigh after sigh, her shoulders drooping heavily.
“……”
It was already very late, and she knew she should sleep.
But because this was an unfamiliar place—and because she had too many thoughts in her head—sleep refused to come easily.
Especially since she had never once spent a night anywhere other than the Count’s mansion, her anxiety only grew stronger.
Honestly, part of her wished tomorrow would never come.
If she returned home, how would Diana torment her this time?
Just imagining it made her entire body tremble.
“……”
Pushing those thoughts away, Sara rose from the bed and slowly approached the window.
The stars decorating the quiet night sky shone more brightly than usual.
Whenever she felt depressed, she always stood by the window and stared into the lonely sky.
Inside, her heart was noisy and restless.
Yet the sky remained endlessly quiet and unchanged.
Sometimes she resented the clear sky for not understanding her feelings—
But even so, Sara loved looking at it.
Ever since childhood, she had spent most of her time alone.
While others played freely in the garden, Sara remained shut inside her room.
Even when Beria went to the academy, Sara was never allowed to go.
The qualification of being family.
Sadly, Sara did not possess that qualification.
So whenever she felt excluded, she stood at the window.
Perhaps the sky, the window, and the flowerpots beside it were her only friends.
As she quietly gazed upward, her eyelids gradually became heavy.
Thinking she should finally sleep, Sara returned to bed and lay down.
“……”
Everything that happened today felt like a dream.
Seeing someone’s future—
And learning that she herself would die in it.
Honestly, she still could not fully believe it.
Turning restlessly in bed, Sara stretched one hand toward the ceiling.
Then she pretended to grab the empty air.
Of course, nothing was there.
Tilting her hand back and forth curiously, she stared at it.
The moment she grabbed his wrist earlier, electricity-like sensations had flashed through her body, and she saw memories of the future.
It had been a truly horrifying future.
And because of those memories, she had ended up here.
[“It’s my first time bringing a woman here.”]
Suddenly, Cassian’s words surfaced in her mind.
At once, her cheeks turned red.
How could the word first bother her this much?
“……Ah, it’s hot.”
Maybe she should not have thought about it.
Flustered by the sudden warmth rising to her face, Sara fanned herself repeatedly with her hand.
“……”
After doing that for a long time, exhaustion finally overcame her.
Slowly, her eyelids drifted shut.
Her consciousness became hazy.
His gentle touch.
His soft smile.
Everything gradually blurred like an illusion.
Soon, Sara fell asleep.
And for the first time in her life—
She did not have a nightmare.
The next morning.
Cassian woke up early, finished some simple work, and stood near the mansion gates.
While waiting for the carriage scheduled to arrive, he looked up at the bright sunny sky—
Something he normally never bothered doing.
The dazzling sunlight made him narrow his eyes.
“The young lady has arrived.”
Not long after, Sara appeared after finishing her preparations.
She politely bowed toward Cassian.
“……Thank you for taking care of me throughout the long night.”
Cassian responded with a faint smile.
Seeing how she had skipped breakfast and hurried out so early, it seemed she had truly been anxious spending the night in an unfamiliar mansion.
“You came very early. The carriage hasn’t arrived yet.”
“Ah, then……”
“The weather is nice. How about taking a walk?”
“……”
At Cassian’s suggestion, Sara shyly nodded.
Walking around sounded better than standing awkwardly in silence.
Besides—
There were still things they had not finished talking about yesterday.
“Were you cold during the night?”
“No, thanks to you, I slept well.”
“That’s a relief. It was my first time hosting a lady, so I worried I might do poorly.”
Once again, Cassian mentioned first time.
Startled, Sara stopped walking on the spot.
Noticing this, Cassian stopped as well since he had been matching his pace to hers.
“Lady, what’s wrong?”
Worried she might suddenly feel unwell again, he leaned closer to check her face.
But Sara was so startled that she immediately stepped backward.
“N-No, it’s nothing!”
Why was he suddenly leaning so close like that?
Just like last night, Sara quickly fanned herself with her hand before hurrying ahead first.
“Walk slowly. You’ll trip.”
Cassian followed behind her while speaking.
Honestly, he found Sara’s reactions to his words amusing and strangely enjoyable.
“……”
Then he suddenly realized—
He was smiling.
At once, Cassian erased the smile from his face.
Taking long strides, he approached Sara again and spoke.
“Can you explain something to me?”
Before she noticed, he was already walking right beside her again.
Sara glanced sideways at him.
Cassian continued.
“Tyrant.”
He still remembered the word Sara had spoken before collapsing.
He was curious why she had suddenly used that word.
“Before you fainted, why did you say that? And what did you mean by saying you wanted to live?”
Unable to answer immediately, Sara kept her lips tightly sealed.
Walking silently for a while, she finally spoke.
“I had a dream.”
“……”
“A dream where a tyrant killed me and my family. That suddenly came to mind, so I said it.”
A dream?
Cassian frowned.
It made no sense.
Then suddenly, Sara smiled.
“……If I said that, would you believe me? Saying I saw it in a dream was just a joke.”
Perhaps she truly felt more comfortable around him now.
Sara smiled more naturally and even joked with him.
Seeing that, Cassian laughed too.
And for a moment, the two simply looked at each other and smiled.
Not long after, the carriage finally arrived.
Cassian decided to personally escort Sara home.
Inside the carriage, their conversation bloomed warmly.
After learning Sara was the second daughter of the Tresha family, Cassian spoke with slight fascination.
“How interesting. So you’re Count Tresha’s daughter. I’ve heard your name a few times before. Sara Tresha, correct?”
Sara let out a small laugh.
Her expression was far more relaxed than it had been the previous night.
“Yes, that’s right. My name is Sara. Sara Tresha. I’m only properly introducing myself now.”
Watching her, Cassian suddenly felt like teasing her a little.
“And after spending the night together, we’re only now learning each other’s names.”
Startled, Sara quickly looked around nervously.
Her widened eyes resembled a frightened baby rabbit.
“W-What are you saying?! Someone might misunderstand! Please don’t say things like that, Sir Dayburn!”
Soon, the carriage arrived at the Count’s estate.
Looking out the window, Sara noticed someone waiting for her.
The cheerful smile on her face disappeared instantly.
Her expression froze, and her breathing became rough.
“……”
The moment she stepped down from the carriage, Sara hurriedly handed Cassian the red handkerchief she carried.
“A handkerchief? Why are you giving me this, Lady?”
The cheerful Sara from moments ago had already vanished.
When Cassian asked in confusion, Sara avoided his gaze and stared straight ahead instead.
“Sometimes……”
“……”
“Dreamlike things really do happen. ……Like right now.”
The two days she spent with him had felt like a dream.
But now it was time to return to cruel reality.
Wiping away her tears, Sara forced herself to smile brightly.
“Someday… if we meet again someday……”
But before she could finish speaking, emotions surged upward and her throat tightened.
I am the daughter of the prestigious Tresha family. I am a noble.
Reminding herself of her status, Sara desperately swallowed down her feelings.
Showing a broken and crying appearance was shameful for a noble lady.
She wanted Cassian to think of her as an ordinary noble girl—
One who grew up loved by her parents and knew nothing of sorrow.
Suppressing her trembling emotions, Sara continued speaking.
She hoped Cassian would pretend not to notice the tears hidden in her voice.
“Please think of it as because of this handkerchief.”
“……Lady.”
But seeing Sara deliberately pretending to be cheerful, Cassian felt something was deeply strange.
Just as he was about to stop her—
“Sara! My beloved daughter, why are you only returning now? Your mother was so worried!”
The familiar voice sent chills through Sara’s entire body.
With her arms spread wide, Diana approached her.
“……Mother, I’m sorry for making you worry.”
Sara’s whole body trembled with disgust, but she bit down hard on her teeth and endured it.
Without showing anything outwardly, she stepped into Diana’s embrace.
Her trembling fingers only clutched tightly onto her dress.
“No, Sara.”
Holding Sara lovingly, Diana smiled warmly and stroked her hair.
“I’m simply so happy you returned safely. Ah, but who is this gentleman?”
Even though she already knew.
The way Diana pretended ignorance terrified Sara.
Before Sara could introduce him, Cassian stepped forward and kissed the back of Diana’s hand politely.
Wearing a gentle smile, he spoke smoothly.
“It’s an honor to meet you. My name is Cassian Dayburn. Your daughter suddenly collapsed, so she had no choice but to stay at my estate. Please don’t be too upset with her.”
“Oh my. Then you are her savior.”
Diana smiled kindly while thinking to herself,
‘……Collapsed? Hah. What a cunning little girl.’
Pushing aside her thoughts, Diana exaggerated her smile so her true feelings would not show.
“Thank you so much for taking care of Sara. If there’s ever another opportunity, I would love to invite you for tea sometime……”
“It would be my honor.”
Cassian readily accepted her invitation.
Seeing so clearly through Diana’s intentions, Sara swallowed her emotions painfully.
And so, carrying the lingering sadness of farewell, the two finally turned away from each other.
Sara could barely force herself to walk toward the Count’s estate.
Turning back repeatedly, she desperately watched Cassian’s retreating figure.
Hoping they would meet again someday.
“……”
Would they really meet again?
Just as Cassian was about to leave, he turned around one more time to look at Sara.
Slowly, he touched the handkerchief she had given him.
“How irritating.”
Only moments ago, Cassian had smiled politely and played along with Diana’s act.
But the instant the two women disappeared, the smile vanished from his face.
Slipping the handkerchief into his inner pocket, he frowned unpleasantly.
It irritated him.
Diana’s fake smiles and artificial kindness toward him.
Cassian had already realized she was putting on an act.
And more than that—
He felt there was some hidden secret between mother and daughter.
And whatever that secret was, it could not possibly be good.
With that uneasy feeling lingering in his chest, Cassian quietly left the Count’s estate.
“I-I’m sorry, Mother. I was wrong. I’m truly sorry……”
And Sara entered that room.
A room where only Diana and Sara were allowed inside.
There—
She cried out in pain.
Once again, Sara became alone.
