KMKS 12

chapter 12

Sara slowly opened her eyes.

The blazing sunlight had already softened, and a gentle light now rested on the table.

It had been so long since she last woke up with the feeling that it was simply “time to rise.”

Usually, she would be plagued by nightmares, thrashing violently before she could finally wake.

Still half-dazed, Sara glanced around.

When did I fall asleep?

A blanket, which hadn’t been there before, was draped over her lap.

The only person who could have covered her while she slept so soundly was Aiden—the man who had lost his memory.

Just two weeks ago, she would never have imagined him doing something like that.

The lingering warmth was still soft against her hands, and she found herself fiddling with the fabric.

Because of that, she didn’t even realize that she had dozed off right in front of Aiden just moments earlier.

“Ah, you’re awake?”

The unexpected voice made Sara’s shoulders jolt.

Aiden greeted her with a smile, noticing she had stirred. But that only made her realize the truth: she had fallen asleep defenselessly in front of him.

She should have thanked him for covering her with the blanket, but the words refused to leave her lips.

Instead, a chill crept up her spine. She couldn’t know what he might have been thinking while watching her sleep.

She didn’t want to let her guard down—least of all here, in his study.

She had even forced herself to read a poetry book she didn’t like, sitting upright and stiff, just to avoid falling asleep.

Now all of that effort felt wasted in an instant, and she bit her lip hard.

Humiliation washed over her. She hastily dropped the blanket from her hands, her cheeks burning.

It felt as though, even if only for a short while, she had accepted his kindness without any suspicion.

“Do you think I would’ve done something to you?”

That wasn’t it… There was no malice in Aiden’s voice. He didn’t sound angry either.

Sara simply couldn’t read his thoughts the way she once could.

If he had gotten mad, at least she could have guessed his feelings—but he constantly defied her expectations.

For a moment, something like disappointment flickered on his face, but then he shrugged it away and continued.

“Surely you haven’t forgotten, have you? The promise we made yesterday.”

Aiden’s playful smile fell on her as she still fought off sleep.

The “promise” referred to the breakfast she hadn’t been able to refuse—one he insisted must include dessert.

Sara glanced at the wall clock. The hour hand had just passed ten. A little late to be called breakfast.

He must have feared she’d run back to her room like last time, so he was binding her with yesterday’s promise.

But this time, he added something unexpected.

“Outside,” he said.

“…Outside?”

“Why not? This house is far too stifling, isn’t it?”

He shrugged casually.

The answer startled her. Could it be that even he sometimes felt suffocated by this house?

For Sara, the house always pressed down on her like a weight. Every day was the same, with nothing special to brighten her routine.

Some might have told her to be thankful simply for being alive, but for her, there was no small joy to cling to in that life.

She knew she was suffocating, yet she hadn’t had the strength to break free. She would look out the window, but never thought to open the door and step outside herself.

Even mealtime was never free from the servants’ watchful, disdainful eyes—and Aiden had noticed that.

“When you ate with me, it wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Sara gave a small nod. She couldn’t deny it.

At first, she had been at a loss as to how to share a meal alone with him, but surprisingly, it hadn’t been unbearable.

Contrary to her expectations, Aiden had shown consideration at the table—he even offered her the better cuts of meat.

He had gone so far as to dismiss the servants so she could eat in peace.

Perhaps that was why he suggested dining outside now. Just as he hadn’t ignored her when she’d fallen asleep, but had covered her with a blanket instead.

…

Her cheeks flushed for another reason now. The blanket still lay abandoned on the sofa, and its presence nagged at her.

“Ah, help her get ready to go out.”

Since Sara hadn’t voiced any refusal, Aiden summoned a servant.

His tone was unusually light, perhaps out of fear she might change her mind. He hurried the preparations for their outing.

“Please, madam, this way.”

The servant who entered bowed deeply and approached Sara.

Though this one hadn’t been among those who openly mocked her before, the cold, disdainful atmosphere from the others had always been inescapable.

But now, in Aiden’s presence, the servant’s voice carried surprising politeness.

Sara had never wished for special treatment—but if she had been treated like this from the start, her heart wouldn’t have been so scarred.

“Then, I’ll see you shortly, madam. Please meet me by the birch tree.”

The gentle, courteous tone made Sara pause just as she was about to leave.

Looking back, she saw Aiden opening the inner door that connected his study to his room to change clothes.

The doorway was a little too low for his height, and yet he naturally ducked his head as he entered.

He scratched at his hair awkwardly, but when Sara looked at him in puzzlement, he only gave her a broad smile.

It felt as though the warmth of that blanket still lingered at her fingertips, reassuring her not to worry. And with that, Sara left the study.

The servant followed her carefully.

Had any servant ever bothered to attend her so directly before? With each step she took, she felt his presence behind her, and it made her falter.

Each time she did, she caught the sound of his awkward sigh.

“Are you… perhaps uncomfortable, madam? If you are—”

“No, nothing.”

Whether it was because of Aiden’s orders or not, the servant remained unfailingly polite.

He was careful not to snag her hair in her dress, and he warned her before tightening anything too much.

“This might hurt a little.”

He always let her prepare herself first.

Other servants would have thought nothing of yanking out a fistful of hair.

But this one tended to her with delicate care. Sweat dotted his brow as he fixed her hair from the front.

“…You…”

“Yes? Is something wrong, madam?”

For a moment, Sara almost asked for his name—but she stopped herself.

When she shook her head, the servant only returned to his work, fussing even though there were no jewels to adorn her with.

It felt strange to receive such service, yet deep down, distrust still stirred.

If Aiden hadn’t lost his memory, none of this would have changed.

…It won’t last.

Once his memories returned, the servants’ attitudes would flip as quickly as turning a hand.

And Aiden, though he had forgotten, surely still held resentment for her deep inside.

After all, as he once said, Sara had failed in her duties as a wife.

Two years of marriage had carved a rift between them—deeper than she had realized. There had never been love between them.

Just as she once wished he’d never wake, perhaps he too had harbored his own dark thoughts toward her.

When she stepped outside, she found Aiden waiting beneath the great birch tree, leaning against it with his arms crossed.

He tilted his head back, gazing up at the leaves.

Sunlight filtered gently through them, catching in his golden hair, making it shine.

Sara quickened her steps, afraid his gaze might soon fall on her.

[Why are you always so sluggish? Who on earth did you inherit that from?]

[This is why proper upbringing is so important.]

She recalled the Aiden who had ground his cigar into the floor with violent irritation.

The Aiden she knew despised waiting.

[Just looking at those fumbling lips makes me want to smash them. You hear me?!]

He never had the patience to wait even a moment for her reply. If she so much as hesitated, he could explode without warning.

But instead of rebuke—

“Why didn’t you take your time?”

His gentle voice widened her eyes.

Catching her breath from walking faster than usual, she noticed his gaze drop straight to her ankles.

What did that mean?

Before her cheeks could burn any hotter, she hurried into the carriage.

The vehicle jolted along the uneven ground, indifferent to the silence between them.

A breeze swept in through the small open window. It was the first time in so long that she had felt the outside air.

The green trees, the open sky, the birds flying free—buildings she had only glimpsed through her window now came into clear view.

She could hardly believe she was out here, with Aiden no less.

He had always been ashamed to be seen with her, lifeless as she was.

And yet, it had been he who suggested this outing. Not for some obligatory gathering, but simply to share a meal with her.

Before long, Sara’s gaze drifted toward him.

His lips were pressed tightly together, as though he were lost in thought.

It was a look she had rarely seen, and it set her nerves on edge. She fiddled anxiously with her collar. Had she made some mistake when climbing into the carriage?

From the moment she left the house, she had been retracing her every action. The only fault she could find was being late.

[Why didn’t you take your time?]

So it was because I was late.

Sara clenched the hem of her dress.

He had said the words gently, but surely, inwardly, he was seething. He must have been restraining himself.

Her heart began to hammer in her chest, her palms damp with sweat.

The silence made it worse—what if he could hear her heart pounding? She held her breath.

She had felt this very fear countless times before, whenever she faced him: the dread that something terrible could happen at any moment.

If he realized how afraid she was, he might even laugh in her face.

Lowering her head, she pressed her hand against her chest. She couldn’t let him see her like this.

And then—

Aiden let out a faint sigh.

“Would you look at me for a moment?”

Running a hand through his hair, he broke the silence. His blue eyes sought hers.

But instead of reproach, his gaze only asked a quiet question.

“What kind of person was I before?”