KMKS 34

chapter 34

In front of the Spencer viscount’s estate, Leo tapped his wristwatch and irritably ground the toe of his shoe into the dirt.

It had already been more than thirty minutes.

The tea he had ordered while waiting on the garden terrace had long since gone cold.

“Where on earth did she go?”

Of all times, that guy wasn’t around either. He was done waiting.

“Surely the couple didn’t go out together?”
“No, sir. They went out separately. Shall I tell them the duke stopped by when they return?”

Hearing the servant’s reply that they had gone out separately, Leo felt both relieved and annoyed.

It wasn’t particularly early in the day, but thinking back, he had come here right after regaining his memories and waking up—just to see Sarah Spencer.

Unless Leo himself said it, no one else would ever know, but this situation was far from pleasant for him.

“There isn’t a fool alive who’d want such a pathetic sight to spread.”

Fidgeting with his fingers on the table, Leo abruptly stood up.

“No, never mind. Don’t tell them I came by today.”

He pressed the servant to keep it a secret and forced himself to leave the estate.

Until the accident, it had been his home.

But now the subtle changes in atmosphere in the viscount’s house only grated on him.

That dreary, gloomy place was blooming with flowers.

When he saw the blossoms in the flowerbeds, Leo couldn’t help but recall Sarah’s radiant smile as she looked at Aiden.

“It’s only a matter of time before those get trampled.”

Let’s see how long that smile lasts.

With that last glance at the flowers blooming by the estate’s entrance, the duke’s carriage rolled away.

Soon he would find out whether Aiden’s memories had returned—or if Sarah knew their bodies had been swapped.

But for now, Leo let out a baffled groan for another reason.

He couldn’t remember ever seeing such a bright-eyed, pretty servant at the estate before.

“Not bad… Why haven’t I seen someone like that before?”

If it had been him before, there was no way he would’ve left such a one alone.

“Ah.”

Realizing what he was thinking, Leo quickly straightened himself.

“If I go back in now, I’ll lose face.”

[So, will you be coming home late today?]
[Later than you, at least.]

Jace had only been asking about his master’s return time, but Leo’s stubborn pride flared up.

If he went back without having met anyone, Jace might well mock him.

“It’s oddly irritating, that thought.”

Jace had once been his number one candidate for dismissal. But with “Leo’s” memories beyond his reach, he had no choice but to rely heavily on Jace’s help instead.

Clenching his fist, Leo ordered the coachman to change destinations.

“Head for Lady Olga Spencer’s residence—the former viscountess.”

Not far from the viscount’s estate lay the home of his only mother, Olga.

Since the accident, he had not had a proper conversation with her.

Perhaps—just perhaps—she might recognize him.

“What am I even thinking.”

Of course she wouldn’t. Who would ever look at the elegant Duke Leo Winston and think of Aiden Spencer?

Before long, the carriage entered the gates of the house where he had been born and raised.

“How long has it been since I came here?”

Even before the accident, it had usually been his mother visiting his estate, not him coming to hers.

Leo’s furrowed brow eased slightly.

The old bicycle parked before the house, the drawings painted on the fence—still there, weathered with age but unchanged.

“Exactly the same.”

Knowing Olga’s love for luxury and glitter, Leo smirked bitterly at the sight of the unchanged house.

Just as he was about to light a cigar, lost in memory, Olga returned from an outing and spotted him.

“Oh my, Duke Winston!”
“Ah, how do you do.”
“But what brings you all the way to my humble home…?”

If he had truly been her son, nothing about the sight would’ve been strange. But to everyone else, he was unmistakably the duke.

Thus, it took her a while to think up a reason.

“I happened to pass by. The sight of this house reminded me of my late mother, so I stopped. I didn’t realize it was the residence of the former Viscountess Spencer.”
“Ah…”

Olga’s first reaction was surprise, but she quickly erased it from her face.

Everyone knew Duke Winston had lost his parents early in life.

Her sharp eyes swept over him quickly. She was already calculating how she might use this chance to win the duke’s favor, so her son could secure a solid footing as his business partner.

Leo, meanwhile, too focused on whether his flimsy excuse had worked, failed to notice Olga’s ulterior motives.

After a brief silence, Olga, as if resolved, stepped closer and spoke with friendly warmth.

“Hoho, those drawings on the fence were made by my son, Aiden, when he was a boy.”

Leo quickly averted his eyes from the fence. Olga, thrilled that someone might acknowledge her love for her son, grew more animated.

“Isn’t he talented? To my eyes, he could rival a famous painter.”

Then her eyes twitched—she had spotted the cigar in Leo’s hand.

She hated the idea of someone smoking on her property, but this was her son’s most important business partner.

So she gently admonished him, thinking that if he had a mother, she would have said such things too.

“You really shouldn’t smoke cigars. My son has given them up recently, and look how much healthier he looks.”

Healthier.

Leo’s lips pressed tight.

That face she praised wasn’t her son Aiden’s anymore.

Those compliments from her mouth weren’t really about Aiden at all.

Leo’s fists clenched.

“He even managed to quit strong drink, impossible as it seemed.”
“I see.”
“At last, it seems he’s come to his senses.”

As Olga continued her endless stream of praises, Leo bit down hard.

Out of spite, he lit the cigar. Olga waved her hand awkwardly, forcing a smile.

How could she fail to recognize the son she so dearly loved, even as he stood right before her?

Resentment toward his mother welled up in Leo.

“…I am not your son, am I?”

So keep your nagging to yourself.

“O-oh, don’t misunderstand. It was only a mother’s needless worry. Just disregard it.”

Olga had long been criticized for speaking down to those younger than her regardless of rank.

Now, seeing her bow her head to the younger Duke Winston, Leo’s temper flared further.

His father had earned merit on the battlefield yet never attained such power. Leo Winston had been born with it.

And now—wasn’t this his own chance to change his life?

“I won’t let it slip away.”

He would use the duke’s wealth and power to return as a “better” son.

Of course, he had no intention of going back to being plain Aiden Spencer.

His reverence for his father had already run dry.

“Do you really think I’d meekly return to being Aiden?”

Not when he had gained this body.

With the illustrious duke’s form, even reclaiming Sarah would only be a matter of time.

“Have you eaten yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Oh dear. A guest as precious as you—I must at least serve you a meal. Won’t you join me?”

Olga tried to usher him inside, but Leo firmly declined.

He did want to share a meal with his mother again—but not today.

This house still held the old drawings he’d made as a child.

With Olga’s devotion to her late husband, portraits of the former viscount surely hung everywhere.

In his present mood, Leo couldn’t bear to see them.

“Another time, perhaps.”

Swallowing the word mother, Leo climbed back into the carriage without hesitation.

[“I’ll return this to you.”]

Wandering aimlessly through the streets, Sarah stopped in her tracks. The fortune-teller’s seductive voice still echoed in her ears.

In her arms lay the pouch of gold coins she had handed over earlier.

“In the end, I never got an answer.”

Anyone who returned money couldn’t be too wicked, she reasoned.

The fortune-teller had packed up and vanished, leaving Sarah with only cryptic words.

Sarah had wanted to confide her unsolvable secret to the fortune-teller. She had nursed a faint hope the woman might provide some answer.

[“The true one will arrive soon.”]

What had that meant?

Looking up, Sarah saw that the sun was already setting.

“He must be home by now.”

She sighed deeply.

Rather than sorting out her feelings before his return, her heart had only grown more tangled.

Her reason insisted she should tell him, for his happiness.

But desire kept her lips sealed.

“I don’t want to go back to the past.”

With the current Aiden by her side, she felt truly respected.

At that moment, a familiar figure appeared before her.

“My lady?”

A familiar voice, a familiar face—yet still strangely unfamiliar. It was Aiden.

“Did something happen?”

Meeting her eyes, he asked with genuine concern. Sarah bit her lip harder. She wasn’t ready to face him.

“If you’re not telling me, then you must have your reasons.”
“…”
“It’s gotten quite chilly.”

He draped his coat over her shoulders without hesitation, and naturally matched his steps to hers.

“Let’s go home.”

How could she possibly let him go? Sarah clutched the coat tightly around herself.

Even after boarding the carriage, her inner conflict continued. But exhaustion soon swept in, the result of wandering the streets for so long.

It had been a long day for Sarah.

Her eyelids drooped, and before long she dozed off.

Aiden gently guided her nodding head onto his shoulder.

Her quiet breathing filled the air, and Aiden held his own breath, the brush of her hair against his neck making his skin burn.

Sarah would likely think the warmth she felt came from his coat.

But from the outside, the two of them in the carriage looked every bit the perfect married couple.