KMKS 16

Chapter 16

Could it be just a coincidence?

Two men had lost their memories around the same time.

Anyone you asked would say this wasn’t something that could happen under normal circumstances.

What had happened to the two of them? She didn’t know exactly, but Sara couldn’t shake off the unsettling feeling in her chest.

She quickly rolled up the newspaper and hid it inside her sleeve. Her instincts screamed that Aiden must not find out.

In the past, her husband had never paid attention to newspapers, but now—this Aiden—he might notice one lying around and decide to read it.

Her hands trembled so much that it took several attempts to shove the paper fully into her sleeve. She had to be meticulous so that Aiden wouldn’t notice a thing.

For some reason, she felt strongly that her husband must not discover the article about Duke Winston’s memory loss.

But she never imagined he would be the first to bring it up.

“Ah, do you happen to know anything about Duke Winston?”

Sara swallowed hard.

“…Why do you ask?”

Her pupils trembled violently. Did he already know something? Her lips had gone pale, drained of color.

She felt the crinkle of the paper hidden deep in her sleeve as she looked at Aiden. The newspaper was still with her.

“He seems like someone I should know. Apparently, he’s an important figure in business investments. But since I can’t remember a thing, it puts me in a bind.”

He spoke plainly, without hiding anything. He even added that in the past he seemed to have gone to great lengths to meet Leo Winston.

“Here—his signature space is blank.”

Aiden showed her a contract. It was supposed to be signed between him and Duke Winston.

Aiden’s signature was there, but Winston’s was missing.

“…I—I don’t know.”

“For someone who doesn’t know, your face doesn’t look well.”

“…”

It must have shown. Sara knew full well how much effort Aiden had put into securing a deal with Duke Winston.

This was her first time seeing the Duke in person, but she had heard his name many times from her husband.

“Isn’t it humiliating to bow your head to a man younger than me? It makes me sick just thinking about it!”

Whenever Aiden returned from a meeting with Duke Winston, he would vent his frustration on Sara.

No doubt the Duke had his reasons for refusing the deal, but Aiden’s resentment was unrelenting.

He never listened when Sara told him to calm down. She had no choice but to wait until he simmered down on his own.

Remembering all this, Sara’s face darkened.

“If you know anything, please tell me—whatever it may be.”

Aiden seized the moment, his tone almost pleading.

Perhaps it was the emotions flashing in Sara’s eyes, but she realized she couldn’t completely deceive him.

So maybe… she could tell him just a small part.

“It was him.”

“What do you mean?”

Aiden’s face lit up with interest.

“On the day you stepped out to buy the bouquet… I bumped into him. But that’s—that’s all. I don’t know anything else, truly…”

She only mentioned the collision. She didn’t want to add more.

She didn’t tell Aiden that the Duke had used crude language unbecoming of a gentleman—or that he had suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist.

Sara gripped her sleeve tightly. The newspaper she had just read was still hidden inside.

She studied Aiden’s face carefully. He mustn’t suspect anything.

But while focusing so intently on his expression, she failed to notice the stiffness in her own.

Aiden sighed softly, resting his chin on his hand, as though acknowledging it was a difficult question.

“So it was him.”

It seemed his teeth clenched as he said it.

That day, Aiden had stared at the carriage rolling away, but it seemed he hadn’t realized it belonged to Duke Winston.

Since he didn’t press her further, the unsigned contract—and the Duke’s true identity—remained a mystery.

Apparently satisfied, Aiden stopped asking.

“I’ll step out for some fresh air.”

If she stayed, Sara felt she would be discovered.

Ever since his memory loss, Aiden was quick to notice even the slightest discomfort in her.

Lying weighed on her heart, but she convinced herself that her husband’s business had nothing to do with the Duke’s amnesia.

“Will you be alright alone?”

“Of course.”

Sara forced a faint smile to appear reassuring. Aiden didn’t stop her.

Leaving her husband’s concerned voice behind, she quietly retreated from the study.

Once outside the mansion, she looked around. No one was there.

Only after confirming she was completely alone in the silence did Sara pull the rolled-up newspaper from her sleeve. She tore it into shreds and tossed the pieces into a burning brazier.

She told herself it was nothing more than coincidence. She watched until the article about Duke Winston turned to ashes.

The acrid smell of smoke lingered, and soon it was time for lunch.

Meanwhile, at Duke Winston’s estate, the butler Jace was horrified. Overnight, Leo had become a completely different man—from his tastes to his speech.

“Are you truly not going to get up?”

Not only did he sleep in late, but he also tossed aside the newspaper he once read without fail.

And that wasn’t all. Before, he had always detested social gatherings with noble ladies and avoided them.

Now, he sought out meetings himself—and sometimes arranged another rendezvous before the first one had even ended. Such ungentlemanly conduct!

After the Duke finished bathing and stood before the mirror, Jace couldn’t help but lament.

“I told you such behavior is improper. Have you lost your manners along with your memory?”

He thought the Duke might laugh it off since they had grown up together informally.

Instead, Leo growled.

“Watch your mouth. Who’s more of a gentleman than me? Tch.”

The way he emphasized gentleman made Jace swallow nervously.

It was as if his childhood with the Duke no longer existed. The old Winston Duke was gone.

The butler couldn’t understand his master’s abandonment of etiquette, yet he couldn’t stop his reckless behavior either.

After all, Jace longed to see the Duke married.

“I told you before—this is just increasing the odds.”

He must have realized, after nearly losing his life in the recent accident, what truly mattered.

If not, how else could one explain the Duke’s transformation into a completely different man?

In Jace’s heart, a hopeful thought arose: perhaps Duke Winston would finally start a family. He couldn’t help but encourage him.

“Ah, forgive me. Just go—go to as many meetings as you wish. You’re bound to meet a fine lady!”

But Leo only sighed, his attention fixed entirely on his reflection in the mirror.

“Being this handsome is a curse. How did I ever live before?”

His dark hair, like the deep color of night, his tall stature, long limbs, sharp jawline, enticing lips, and well-built body—all would captivate any woman.

Leo shook out his hair and admired himself in the mirror with pride.

He was satisfied with his life: the power of a dukedom, wealth beyond measure. Why he was still single was a mystery.

Suddenly, he frowned.

“What is it, my lord?”

“What was the name of the lady I’m meeting today?”

“Do you mean Lady Cordelia?”

“Ah yes, Cordelia. Lady Cordelia.”

Such a plain name, Leo muttered.

Just by the sound of it, he could already imagine what kind of personality she might have.

But remembering names was another matter. His mind was already overflowing with the names of countless women.

Behind him, the butler offered a reminder.

“When you return, please attend to the advertising work with Charlie of the fashion magazine. You’ve been neglecting it too much.”

“That’s something you can handle, isn’t it? I’m busy with the business of romance.”

He hadn’t even fully regained his memory, and yet Jace had already dragged him back to Harrington Street, where a woman had deliberately bumped into him, dirtying his clothes just to catch his attention.

Well, she denied it, but still…

Leo scowled, clearly displeased.

“But you always said you preferred to handle business matters personally, my lord!”

“That must have been the old me.”

With a flick of his coat, Leo slid on his shoes. The sight of leaves sticking messily to the soles—left over from his last outing—put him in a foul mood.

A vulgar curse almost slipped from his mouth.

“Ah, and this!”

Just as Leo was about to leave, Jace hurried over with something in hand.

If it was business-related, Leo would’ve ignored it until his return. His expression was darkening when the butler quickly explained.

“Before you lost your memory, you asked me to give this to you urgently. You said it was important, so please—look at it in the carriage.”

“Your timing…”

“And don’t you dare toss it aside like last time!”

Despite his grumbling, Leo took the documents and left the mansion leisurely.

The moment he stepped outside, Jace anxiously peered after him.

The Duke’s brisk, impatient steps weighed heavily on the butler’s heart.