***
Perhaps it’s because of the description in the original.
Or have I really seen him at least once before?
The more I saw him, the more I felt familiar with his face.
It would have been memorable if I looked at a face as handsome as Chester.
But why didn’t I remember it properly?
Well, if I met him when we were very young, the memory could have faded over time.
“The only silver hairs I’ve met are my father-in-law and brother-in-law, except for you.”
Now that was very natural.
I thought about what to say, but I decided to leave it alone because we were engaged and eventually get married anyway.
“…You really didn’t see me when we were young?”
I couldn’t trust my memory completely.
That’s why I asked.
Since Chester said that if I ask him anything, he’ll be happy to answer, I asked that.
However, I had no choice but to erase the expectation as he shook his head.
“As a child, Yulia would never have seen me.”
“As expected…”
“When I came to the castle after my parents passed away, I was only given the title directly by His Majesty.”
“I must have been mistaken.”
Because my memory is blurry.
No, actually, I thought it would be nice if Chester was the one I saw when I was young.
It was just my greed. It was just an illusion.
In the first place, I had never participated in someone’s succession ceremony.
No, I didn’t go out of the castle when I was young.
There was only one time I went out of the castle.
Except at that time, I never went outside of the castle and never met someone my age except for Cecil.
“Yulia.”
“What?”
I came to my senses only when I heard Chester’s voice calling me.
“I want all your attention to be directed solely at me.”
“………You’re already with me.”
“Then I want your head to be filled with only me when the two of us are together.”
Chester kissed my palm.
Those bright red eyes staring at me while kissing reminded me of an alluring devil.
I hurriedly took my hand out of his hand.
Then, I felt the carriage stop at a good time.
“…I guess we’ve arrived.”
Chester looked a little disappointed, but got off the carriage first.
He reached out to me.
“Yulia.”
I hesitated slightly, but soon put my hand on his hand.
Thanks to that, I was able to get off the carriage easily.
When my foot touched the ground, his hand under my hand took my fingers between his.
“……Chester?”
I called his name because I was surprised by his behavior, but he looked at me calmly as if he had done nothing at all.
I felt like I became a strange person.
“Yulia, this is nothing compared to kissing.”
It wasn’t wrong.
No, exactly, it’s more like I forgot exactly what I said.
“Do you want to hold hands?”
“Can you allow me to hold hands?”
“Then I’ll allow you.”
Chester smiled a lot since he told me he loved me.
I’ve never seen such a smile before, but after saying that he loves me, he definitely smiles more often.
I can’t take my eyes off Chester’s smiling face.
It was not an excuse.
“It’s good to see my face, but I hope to see the surroundings too. Yulia.”
My face heated up at his words now that I realized that I was staring at Chester’s face too much.
As soon as I looked around at Chester’s words, I blinked because I couldn’t believe it.
“….Here?”
It was my first time seeing this place. But the beautiful scenery caught my eye.
The scenery was so beautiful that I was amazed, yet I got goosebumps all over my body.
Is it just because of the height?
Or is it because the sound of the waterfall is too loud?
My body trembled with unknown coldness.
Chester put the outerwear he was wearing on my shoulder, perhaps because I looked cold.
“Yulia. I heard you loved traveling, so I wanted to show you this place on your way back.”
“Chester……”
“Every day, I was full of thoughts about you.”
He hugged me carefully from behind.
As a result, Chester’s face could not be seen, but his warmth was felt.
Chester’s sweet whisper in my ears tickled my heart recklessly.
At the same time, however, anxiety passed by.
Can I really trust Chester?
I was still unsure.
Is it because he really loves me or is he pretending to love me for another purpose?
As I was unsure of what Chester wanted, my hesitation grew.
“I missed you and come back as soon as possible.”
“Why did you miss me?”
My heart thumped wildly. I was nervous that he might hear my heart even if he hugged me from behind.
Above all, I was nervous about what Chester would say.
I wanted to see in person what expression he was making now, but he didn’t turn his head.
“Because I love you.”
And I didn’t have the courage to face him in case he had an expression different from my expectations.
The moment I heard that, my heart beat was faster than before.
I wanted to believe that he love me.
I wanted to accept the sweet whisper as if the devil were seducing me affectionately.
“Cherster. You said you loved me, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“……Where do you love me?”
Then a strong wind blew, and my silver hair fluttered.
My hair fluttered in Chester’s arm, which was hugging me. And he tightened his hold. I didn’t hate it.
“Yulia. I love everything from head to toe.”
“……What made you fall in love with me?”
“From the moment I first saw you, I fell in love with you.”
From the moment I first saw you?
However, I couldn’t remember how my first meeting with Chester was.
Maybe because I was drunk and lost my memories.
So what I said or did didn’t remain in my head at all.
All I know is that I met Chester for the first time while drunk, but I didn’t recognize that he was the villain.
This was all I remembered.
“I don’t remember the first day I saw Chester.”
“It’s okay. I remember everything.”
Until now, I have unconsciously been reluctant to see his face.
However, his whisper strengthened the urge to see his expression.
I lifted my head slightly and glanced up at his face.
The corners of Chester’s mouth were up.
He looked as if he were in a very good mood.
His gaze felt a little burdensome, so I straightened my body and moved my gaze to the landscape.
“Yulia.”
“…?”
I heard his voice ringing softly just above my head.
“I’ve always wanted to say it. And it’s not what I want to give you, it’s exactly what I want you to receive.”
“What is it?”
What is he hesitating to say?
The useless curiosity is piling up inside me.
“Yulia. We’ve already promised to get married, and we’re going to get engaged soon.”
That’s a fact that everyone knows.
Why did he mention such obvious things?
He let go of his arms which were hugging me.
Then he took something out and put one knee on the ground in front of me.
“Chester?”
He had a small box in his hand, and it contained a ring elaborately crafted at first glance.
At the center of the ring was a bloody ruby reminiscent of Chester’s eyes.
I don’t understand why he’s showing me this and why he bent his knee.
I looked at him, asking him to explain.
“I want to talk with you about our marriage. Yulia.”
He said affectionately with a drowsy smile.
His hand gently wrapped my left hand and took out the ring from the box.
Just before the ring was fully fitted into my left ring finger, I looked up at him.
Chester asked me with a friendly face and a very sweet voice.
Surprised by his unexpected remark of “Would you be my lover?” my eyes naturally blinked. Why does the sweet word ‘lover’ come out so naturally from him?
“…Lovers?”
“Yes, Yulia. I want to be your lover.”
“I…”
I shut my lips, and no more words came out of my mouth.
I was looking into his eyes, but I lowered my gaze and looked at his hand, which was holding my hand.
“……Chester.”
“Yes.”
“I’m not sure I love Chester. Is it okay?”
“Yes, it’s okay.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes. Because I love you with all my heart.”
When I raised my eyes to his face again, I saw his eyes that felt sincere.
“……if you really don’t mind, then, good.”
The ring went into my ring finger.
When I looked at his hand, his left hand was also fitted with a ring that looked like a pair with what he had put on me.
He kissed the back of my hand briefly.
At the same time, his red eyes which were staring at me, was like a beast who saw its prey.
“Yulia, if you don’t like it, push me away.”
As soon as he finished speaking, my lips and his lips interlocked.
My fingertips trembled.
How can I push him?
I can’t think of anything other than losing my mind.
Our lips fell off for a moment.
After I inhaled the air, our lips were interlocked again.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled them close.
It was not until we were out of breath that we seperated.
“Ha….”
I breathed heavily.
Chester swept my lips with his finger.
Chester must’ve felt it was still lacking, so he stared persistently at me with eyes full of greed.
My heart would explode if we continued.
Above all, I was embarrassed to think that my face would be red.
“We’d better go back now!”
I hurried out of his arms and went into the carriage.
He didn’t really stop me.
While calming my thumping heart, I felt the carriage rattling.
“Yulia!”
When I heard Chester’s voice, I felt something was wrong.
The scenery from the window of the carriage slowly went towards the blue sky, and my body was leaning on the carriage.
I hurriedly tried to open the door of the carriage, but it only rattled.
As if it’s broken.
At that moment, I could see Chester’s face out the window, and he hurriedly came near the door.
“Chester…?”
“You don’t have to be scared, Yulia. Just trust me.”
When I held his hand tightly, he pulled my body out of the carriage and held it in his arms.
“Yulia. Breathe in deeply. And close your eyes.”
I didn’t know why he told me to do that, but I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as he told me to do.
His hands wrapped my head gently, and his hands holding my waist were more powerful.
The coldness felt from my feet gradually came up to my head.
We were in the water where the waterfall was.
The cold temperature of the water felt scary.
I became more anxious when I couldn’t feel his body temperature while holding me.
Above all, I think there was a time like this in my previous life, but I couldn’t remember exactly.
Will I drown again?
I didn’t want to die like this.
This time, I really wanted to live.