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Chapter 40
To be honest, I didn’t remember that time very clearly. A few fragments came to mind, but even those were things I’d only pieced together from what others had told me.
According to my father, I had lost my memories because I’d suffered a great shock from some incident… but since I’d never heard the details, I had no idea what had actually happened.
Even when I asked about it, I was always told it wasn’t something I needed to worry about. It seemed someone had intervened, because even among the nobles, no one knew the full story.
“Din…”
“So don’t let go of my hand. Don’t leave me too.”
Din held the tips of my fingers and slowly pulled me into an embrace.
I couldn’t bring myself to push him away, not when his touch was filled with such desperation, so I simply stayed still in his arms.
His breath trembled faintly against me—something I had never seen from him before, someone who always showed a strong and carefree face.
“Lucelin, about your imprint… you still have it, right?”
“Yeah.”
Honestly, one sentence would’ve been enough: “My fiancé imprinted it, so you don’t have to worry anymore.” If I said that, Din would stop caring about it.
But… that would mean revealing that the Crown Prince was a snake, so I couldn’t.
And after hearing again how deeply Din resented the imperial family, I couldn’t bring myself to say it even more.
From Din’s words, it seemed certain that the imperial family was at fault. But the Duke of Hart had been said to have gone missing while fighting demonic beasts—so why did Din firmly believe the imperial family had eliminated him?
A spotless imperial family, upheld under the names of gods and dragons, wouldn’t have disposed of an innocent duke without cause.
Moreover, the House of Hart had once been one of the great ducal families supporting the empire. It wasn’t a family that could be destroyed by mere accusations without evidence. There had to be a clear reason.
According to Din, everything had happened while he was briefly staying with relatives. That meant he didn’t know the details either.
When he returned home, the family’s assets had already been confiscated under the charge of privately raising troops. His father had disappeared, and without even a body, the imperial family had sent word to hold a funeral.
After losing both his father and his house, Din wandered everywhere, trying to uncover what had happened.
Because he believed the imperial family was responsible.
Now he had enough time to come and go from my room almost every day, but back then, he’d been so busy that I’d only see him once every two weeks.
“Lucelin, I heard some good news about imprints from the wolves…”
At that moment, Din spoke in a meaningful tone.
“What is it?”
“If a stronger individual imprints, it can erase the previous one.”
His voice was gentle, but the meaning behind it was anything but.
Surprised, I lifted my head to look at him. His eyes curved kindly.
“A stronger individual?”
It seemed to mean that a stronger force could suppress a weaker one and make it disappear.
I understood the general idea, but something about the way he looked at me felt off.
“So, Lucelin… how about imprinting with me?”
A soft glint flashed over his red eyes.
He always joked around, so I thought this was no different—but unfortunately, he looked completely serious.
At the same time, I became certain of one thing: no matter how strong Din was, he wouldn’t be able to override Killis’s imprint.
“But Din, you said imprinting is something you do with a lifelong partner. That’s why it’s precious.”
“Yeah, I did say that. You remember well.”
He smiled smoothly, warmly. There was no way he didn’t understand what I meant.
“Then why are you asking me that…?”
I bit my lower lip without realizing it—a habit I still hadn’t fixed.
Seeing that, Din reached out and gently pressed on my lip.
I let go, but he didn’t remove his hand, continuing to touch it lightly.
His fingers were hot.
“You’re not asking because you really don’t know, right?”
“…?”
He stepped closer, twisting his lips slightly as if he’d expected my confusion.
“I like you, Lucelin.”
Was it because the sunlight was so intense? Behind him, it looked as if crimson flames were blazing—like he might devour me whole.
His confession came as suddenly as a sunshower in broad daylight. I couldn’t say anything, only swallowing dryly.
The dull afternoon air heated up in an instant.
What… what is he saying right now? Who does he like? Me…?
Was it a joke? He often hugged me or held my hand, teasing me in various ways. Maybe this was the same.
But contrary to my assumption, Din’s face was serious.
Then… was he sincere? Really?
While I stood there, stunned and speechless, Din spoke again.
“If it were me, I could erase that damn snake’s imprint in an instant.”
Those words snapped me back to reality.
I should’ve told him that he was no match for that “damn snake,” but shock kept my lips sealed.
If I said it, I’d have to explain the swords Killis had broken and the handkerchief he’d torn apart in an instant.
The snake caused the damage, but I’m the one who has to deal with the aftermath…
Frustration dried my lips.
I should’ve just told the truth from the beginning!
Once I started hiding things, it never ended. There was nothing I could say anymore.
After a brief silence, I decided to answer calmly.
“Din, the problem is that I have an imprint at all. Even if you overwrite it with yours, nothing would really change.”
“I know.”
“Then why…?”
I wondered if he’d misunderstood the issue, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
Then why suggest replacing an imprint with another?
“My lady, let’s run away together.”
“…What?”
So he already had a plan.
Din pointed toward the distant north outside the window.
“You said before—you wanted to visit the North, the homeland of the black rabbits.”
“That’s true, but you know Great-Aunt told me not to come.”
“She meant to come after you’ve settled down. If you go to the North carelessly, she won’t want to send you back. But if you have a family, she’ll have no choice.”
He was right.
My great-aunt had always adored me, calling me “our little bunny.”
She’d told me to come only after marriage—otherwise she might never let me go.
To others, it might sound like doting exaggeration, but unfortunately, it wasn’t.
When I was young, even while gravely ill, she would stubbornly take me out for walks.
“Then why the North all of a sudden?”
“Our red wolves are strong against the cold. We’re also connected to the silver wolf tribe in the northern snowfields. Living there won’t be a problem. I even have an estate.”
My eyes widened.
“An estate? You have a house?”
“…Lucelin, what do you think I am?”
He looked at me, dumbfounded.
“…A homeless wolf?”
“Hey…”
Well… he always seemed to wander around, so I thought he didn’t have a home.
Still… he did have one. That explained why his clothes always changed. I thought he was just rich enough to keep buying new ones.
“Anyway, no running away, and no imprinting. Din, that was too much like a fairy tale for you.”
I shook my head firmly. Din smiled faintly and nodded.
“I figured you’d say that.”
“You knew? Then why say it?”
“If I’m going to regret it anyway, I’d rather regret it after saying it.”
He spoke casually, as if it didn’t matter at all.
I thought it had been a sincere confession…
“…You’re really a strange wolf.”
“Well, my teeth are perfectly fine.”
His playful reply made my thoughts freeze for a moment.
Why did that joke sound familiar?
Like I’d heard it before…
“I’ve never seen such a strange rabbit like you.”
“Huh? My teeth are perfectly fine.”
A fragment of memory suddenly surfaced vividly in my mind.
Again… just like before.
It wasn’t a memory I consciously remembered—yet it was clearly mine. My voice, my tone.
But I still couldn’t see the other person’s face.
As if someone had deliberately erased it, leaving behind only the echo of a voice.
