KMKS 06

chapter 6

---

---

How much time had passed? Sarah’s tears had finally begun to subside.

Now calmer than before, she was suddenly overwhelmed by an odd feeling—embarrassment and shame. She had broken down so defenselessly in front of Aiden.

Aiden was still standing there, silently keeping his place, while Sarah had cried her heart out without even realizing it.

She brushed her hand along the back of her neck and glanced at him nervously.

What should she say? While Sarah was busy worrying, Aiden seemed to have no interest at all, his gaze fixed on the window.

Normally, she would have thought it was because he truly didn’t care. But this time, it felt different.

It was as if he had deliberately turned away in advance, predicting that once she finished crying, she would feel awkward and ashamed.

She had tried so hard not to show any weakness, but it had been for nothing. The best choice now was to leave quickly.

---

“Are you leaving already?”

The moment Sarah jumped up from the bed, Aiden’s eyes immediately followed her.

He did it on purpose.

Her suspicion grew even stronger.

Unable to meet his gaze, Sarah gave the faintest nod and reached for the doorknob—only to be stopped by Aiden.

---

“You don’t mean to climb to the second floor alone, do you?”

He shook his head.

“That won’t do. It’s dangerous. I’ll help you.”

“……”

“If you’re uncomfortable with me, I can call a servant—”

Aiden cut himself off, realizing his mistake, and rubbed his forehead.

“Ah… damn.”

“It’s fine. I can manage alone.”

Sarah firmly refused his support, barely holding back the words that she didn’t want his help anymore.

Once was enough. Especially if it was from him. Who knew when this might be used against her?

His dark eyes revealed nothing of what he was truly thinking.

What was going through his mind while I was crying in front of him?

Whether he knew she was lost in thought or not, Aiden offered her a faint smile.

“You really are stubborn. Very well, I’ll respect your wishes.”

It was clear she wouldn’t listen, so he surrendered. Her ankle hadn’t healed, and it was dangerous for her to walk alone, but he couldn’t force her.

Sarah’s insistence won out.

“Take care going up. If you need anything, call me.”

His words sounded a little strange, but he readily opened the door for her.

Only with his gesture of farewell was she able to leave the room.

Leaning against the wall, Sarah moved slowly toward the stairs.

Her ankle throbbed with every step, but she refused to accept his kindness without knowing his true intentions.

As she shook her head, she noticed something in her hand—Aiden’s handkerchief.

When did he…?

It was slightly damp, evidence that she had used it earlier to wipe away her tears. Without even realizing he had pressed it into her hand.

She thought she had cried herself dry, that no more tears would come. But the sight of him standing there, offering no ridicule or scorn, had made her heart waver.

Almost as if he had truly understood her.

---

[Do I need a reason?]

[I simply wanted to reach out to you, my wife.]

Perhaps he had already forgotten how bad things once were between them. In that sense, his attitude wasn’t surprising.

After all, they were husband and wife. Most people would naturally imagine a married couple to be on good terms.

Since his memory loss, he even used polite language and spoke gently—things he had never done before.

But for Sarah, it was cruel. She still remembered every bit of that nightmare of a past.

Unlike him, she couldn’t just treat it as if nothing had ever happened.

Just because he had forgotten didn’t erase what she had lived through.

By the time she reached her room, a servant came rushing out, nearly colliding with her.

The servant’s startled eyes darted to Sarah’s injured ankle. But after a few awkward coughs, the woman simply walked past, making no move to help her limping mistress.

Her belly looked more swollen than usual. She seemed more eager to get away quickly than anything else.

There’s nothing left to steal anyway.

Sarah was used to seeing servants leave her room.

When she had first arrived at the baron’s estate, she’d had a few small trinkets. But one by one, they had all ended up in the servants’ hands.

Under the pretense of cleaning, they had worn them several times, and once Sarah’s authority in the house had declined, they brazenly stole everything.

Her room felt especially quiet today.

Lying down, Sarah thought back on all that had happened that day. It felt as though her body was sinking deep into the mattress.

She had gone looking for laundry but had returned empty-handed. The thought struck her as almost comical.

Twisting her ankle while secretly listening in on her husband’s affairs—what a ridiculous turn of events.

Slowly, she closed her eyes. At the very least, she wanted peace while lying in bed.

This was one of the few moments she could call her own. Though even in dreams, peace rarely came to her.

---

The Earl and Countess Dorsen, who had once boasted that they would be a loving family to Sarah, revealed their true colors the moment they left the orphanage.

In the carriage back to the estate, their conversation was chilling.

“Family? Don’t be ridiculous. If she doesn’t make a good marriage, she’s worthless!”

“Careful, she can hear you. Honestly…”

“So what if she hears? She should know her place. Do you think we’re raising her out of charity?”

They laughed together, talking about raising her into a goose that would lay golden eggs. Otherwise, all of it would be for nothing.

Hearing this, young Sarah trembled under her blanket in the luggage compartment, pretending to sleep.

It was dark—pitch-black. The road out of the orphanage was rough, and the carriage jolted and thudded several times.

Her heart felt like it was sinking. She had just been forced to face a truth she never wanted to know.

To them, her only value was the money she could bring. Nothing more, nothing less.

She shouldn’t have believed adults’ words. But perhaps, deep down, the little girl had wanted to believe.

Pulling the blanket tighter, Sarah steeled herself. She realized far too early that there was no one in the world she could truly rely on.

---

“How dare they compare that girl to my daughter!”

One day, Count Dorsen stormed into the mansion, fuming. His heavy footsteps echoed as he shouted at his wife.

At a social gathering, he had been insulted—and the reason was Sarah.

“Comparing our Serbia with her? Serbia lacks nothing—how dare they compare her to that girl?”

Their real daughter was dead, and Sarah could never replace her.

They had no intention of loving her. They only wanted to marry her off quickly to a rich man.

Their goal had always been the same: a hefty bride price.

But raising a child cost more money and time than they’d expected. So the count and countess hurried to put their plan into action.

Wouldn’t it be better to run away back to the orphanage?

The thought briefly crossed Sarah’s mind, but she shook her head.

She couldn’t go back. Life there had been grim enough.

---

“Let’s not play with her.”
“She’s creepy. Gives me a bad feeling.”

The other children at the orphanage shunned Sarah.

Though every child there had a sad story, the older ones—who had stayed the longest—ganged up on her, the newest arrival.

She might have been the daughter of a poor baron, but she was still nobility. The children instinctively knew that she was more likely to be “chosen” by foster parents.

So they decided she needed to be shown her place.

They pinned her down and tried to shove insects under her clothes.

“No! Stop!”

Her screams only made them laugh. To them, it was just a game, but it was far too cruel.

The little girl struggled desperately, writhing to keep from touching the bugs.

“Let me go!”
“Think we’ll let you off that easily?”

This was a dream. Sarah reminded herself that she had already left this place with the count and countess.

So it had to be a dream. Nothing bad would happen.

But no matter how she tried to convince herself, she couldn’t wake up.

Then, just as she squeezed her eyes shut, a hand reached out to her.

When she slowly opened them, a boy stood there.

Black hair. Red eyes. A bright, radiant smile.

“……!”

She knew him. The face was blurry in memory but achingly familiar.

She wanted to rejoice at seeing him again—but she wasn’t given the chance.

Knock, knock.

Knock, knock.

The sound of knocking from outside the dream interrupted everything.

---

“Wife.”

Sarah’s eyes flew open at the sound of her husband’s voice.

Aiden was outside her door. Hastily, she straightened her clothes and cleared her throat. If he found out she had been napping, he might scold her—even if it had been nothing but a nightmare.

“May I come in?”
“N-no, I’ll come out.”

When she opened the door, Aiden was standing there, his mouth set in a grim line.

Why had he come to her room at this hour? The only thing she could think of was the handkerchief he had given her earlier.

But she remembered leaving it on her nightstand.

“If it’s about the handkerchief—”
“No, no. Not that.”

He waved it off and cleared his throat awkwardly.

His behavior made her wonder even more what he had come to say, knocking on her door several times when she hadn’t answered.

At last, he lowered his hand and gave her a small smile.

“……Let’s eat. Together.”