KMKS 14

Chapter 14

Sarah pushed him away with all her strength. Once she did, her body instinctively curled up.

The man, clearly not expecting to be shoved, staggered backward unguarded.

“What is the meaning of this?”

The gentle gentleman who had just been calling her “Lady” and expressing concern was gone.

His mocking laughter lingered in Sarah’s ears.

Even for that brief moment, seeing Sarah stiffen like stone at his touch, the man couldn’t hide his disbelief.

“This is truly unpleasant.”

He furrowed his brows deeply and looked down at her as if she were a bug.

He didn’t seem angry simply because they had collided—he seemed more incensed that Sarah hadn’t schemed to fall into his arms.

“How dare you reject the touch of the noble, distinguished Duke Winston!”

And by none other than the insignificant Sarah before him.

Her heart pounded wildly with a nameless fear as she placed her hand near her chest. There was no one around to help her.

The man’s face, now right in front of her, twisted with indignation, and his humiliation turned into arrows aimed at Sarah.

“If you bumped into me, shouldn’t you apologize?”

It had been he who wasn’t looking properly ahead while greeting his companions, but somehow the blame had shifted onto Sarah.

“I—”

“Ha. Spare me. I already know what excuse you’ll give.”

He didn’t give her a chance to say anything.

Why did this feel so familiar?

It was certainly her first time meeting him, yet the situation felt like something she had endured countless times before.

Leo Winston, Duke of Winston.

Sarah had long heard of his name.

Not only did he possess immense capital, but he had also achieved success at a young age—he was the man who used to make Aiden shudder with inferiority before he lost his memory.

The title of young entrepreneur that Aiden so desperately wanted, Leo Winston had claimed with ease.

Naturally, the public adored the rise of such a capable businessman.

[Damn it! If only that bastard didn’t exist!]

Aiden had always shown great fury over losing that first title.

And what of the Duke’s position in society?

With his tall stature, gentle voice, and polished manners, rumors abounded that countless young ladies sought his favor.

Though, curiously, no woman seemed to capture his heart—no news of marriage was ever heard.

And now, that very man stood before Sarah.

The gap between the gentle Duke of Winston she’d heard about and the man blocking her path left her dizzy.

She wanted to run immediately, but he stood in her way, far too close.

Even if she apologized, he didn’t seem like someone who would let her go so easily.

But what was there to apologize for…? There was no way Sarah could have stopped a large man from bumping into her from behind. Yet his domineering gaze made it hard for her to think straight.

As she struggled to catch her breath, wondering how she might escape this situation, the Duke suddenly burst into loud laughter.

“Ah, now I understand.”

There was something chilling in his laughter. He looked as though he was amused by Sarah’s distress, which made it impossible for her to control her expression.

Surely this wasn’t a moment to laugh. Sarah had no idea how to react.

The Duke leaned close, his lips brushing near her ear.

“If you were trying to win my attention, then you’ve half succeeded.”

His voice was smooth, but his words were cutting. The nonsense left Sarah no choice but to ask back.

“Wh-what did you say?”

“Next time, you’d best devise a new method.”

The Duke was thoroughly mistaken. Sarah had pushed him away with all her might when he tried to wrap an arm around her waist.

To think she had been trying to gain his interest? She swore she never had.

She couldn’t let him walk away with such an insult lingering. With a dry, shaky voice, she called out.

“Wait.”

“Have you more to say?”

He turned back, as if doing her a favor, his gaze dripping with disdain.

The scrape of his shoe against the leaves on the ground made Sarah hold her breath.

“You’re mistaken.”

“Mistaken?”

He sneered, one brow arching sharply.

“I’m not a lady. I have a husband.”

That was to say—she hadn’t approached him with ulterior motives, nor did she have the slightest thought of anything beyond that.

Sarah wanted to make her innocence clear.

More than that, she didn’t want to be lumped together with the likes of her husband. Though her marriage wasn’t happy, she had never entertained thoughts of another man.

But to the Duke, that seemed to spark new curiosity. His brow rose even higher.

“Ha. I’ll make sure not to forget today’s insolence.”

His gaze flicked briefly toward the food stalls down the street, then he shook his head and ground his shoe against the footstep before climbing into his carriage.

Even without turning, Sarah could feel his lingering, relentless stare from between the drawn curtains.

The Duke’s carriage departed without hesitation. Sarah felt her legs about to give way.

It wasn’t only the sudden confrontation—it was the terrifying side of the Duke she had just witnessed.

The crushed leaves on the ground bore clear traces, not unlike her own trampled state.

Just as she was about to collapse where she stood, someone wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

That familiar warmth—Aiden.

Her husband.

Had he ever felt so welcome before? Had he ever felt like someone she could rely on?

Perhaps it was the thought that he might, just maybe, stand by her side for once.

After clashing with that stranger, facing Aiden now filled her with relief.

Sensing something had happened, Aiden’s eyes fixed sharply on the carriage moving away.

“What did that man do to you?”

“N-no. …It was my mistake.”

Sarah pressed her aching forehead. She should have spoken more firmly, more clearly.

But she didn’t want to tell Aiden what had just happened.

To Aiden, the Duke of Winston was the embodiment of his inferiority. She didn’t even want him to know they had crossed paths.

She alone would carry the sting of the humiliation.

Sarah pressed the hollow between her thumb and forefinger.

Meanwhile, Aiden moved them aside to calm her. As Sarah’s gaze brushed his back, he scratched his head sheepishly.

“Ah, I’ve been caught.”

“…!”

From behind his back, he revealed a small bouquet of flowers.

She remembered him running quickly into the alley earlier—the bouquet was still dewy fresh.

“I was buying this. I didn’t realize my wife was having such a hard time.”

A hard time. Would it have been different if Aiden had been there between her and the Duke?

If the arm she had grabbed for balance had been Aiden’s instead of the Duke’s?

If the memoryless Aiden had recognized the Duke on the street?

Before Sarah could untangle her thoughts, Aiden held out the bouquet.

“Why would you…”

It wasn’t a special day, nor was Aiden the type to give flowers even if it were.

And yet the very first thing he did upon arriving at the market street was buy her a bouquet.

“…Thank you.”

She said the words, but Sarah couldn’t really savor the gesture.

Because the Duke’s words still echoed in her mind.

[How dare you reject the touch of the noble Duke Winston!]

“Shall we eat first?”

Aiden looked around. The street was crowded with people gathering to dine.

Skillfully, he escorted Sarah to a table. Amid the noisy clamor, Sarah accepted a menu.

Even without reading to the end, she knew there was nothing here Aiden would like.

Yet she couldn’t put the menu down.

“What would you like to eat?”

“Are you sure about this?”

One could say she was overthinking something as trivial as a meal, but to Sarah, it was serious.

Aiden’s mood shifted constantly, and she always had to tread carefully. She lived in fear of upsetting him.

Whenever they were forced to go out together, she would often fall ill and be bedridden for days afterward.

Her worry seeped into her question, but Aiden only shrugged as if nothing was wrong and smiled brightly.

“You said yourself you don’t really know me.”

Before he lost his memory, Sarah thought she knew him well.

Had he not started behaving differently, she would still believe that.

Sarah fiddled with her fingers, listening to the murmurs of the crowd around their tightly packed tables.

“I don’t know what kind of person I was either. Not yet.”

“….”

He clenched and unclenched his fist, as though his own hand was unfamiliar to him, and went on.

“So I’ll try things. I’ll find out what I like and dislike. Wouldn’t that help me understand myself better?”

It wasn’t just about food preferences.

As Sarah sat silently fiddling with her hands, Aiden looked her straight in the eye.

“So don’t assume I’ll dislike you.”

His blue eyes sparkled.

They weren’t the hollow eyes she had seen in the carriage.

He could have dismissed everything in his forgotten past as if it had never happened.

And then, for a moment, the noisy crowd seemed to fall silent.

“I will remember.”

Only Aiden’s firm voice filled her ears.

“I’ll make the effort to remember.”

Even though Sarah didn’t answer, he left it at that. He didn’t demand a reply, and for that she was grateful.

Ordinarily, the idea of him struggling to remember might have frightened her—but somehow, it sounded like he was promising not to leave her alone.

Those words kept circling in her head.

Sarah took a sip of water to wet her throat. The coolness moistened her lips.