“…Cain. Please, say ‘yes’. Throw away everything you’re carrying on your shoulders and nod your head, agree to come to me. Then, I will also cast aside everything and be with you…”
As Bianca spoke, her hand, which had been gently caressing my cheek, gradually moved toward my lips. Her touch was undeniably bold, and that’s what made it so dangerous.
“…Bianca.”
“Cain.”
When I called her name, Bianca gazed at me with delight. Her eyes held a firm belief that I would heed her words, filled with affection for me.
At this point, anyone with sense would realize what was happening. No, to be more accurate, I felt I could no longer deny it. Until now, I had rejected the idea, believing it to be impossible.
The enmity between Estel and Castana had persisted for a thousand years.
Bianca del Castana was the descendant of the beautiful, noble, and affluent Marquis of Castana, and I, Cain von Estel was the heir to the ruined and declining Duke of Estel. The difference between us was massive.
When I was part of the expedition, Bianca, for reasons unknown, would glance at me with disdain and make my life difficult.
There were many obstacles. Countless reasons to overlook her feelings, and even more to dismiss them. Perhaps I had simply refused to acknowledge them. In my mind, it was easier, more comfortable, to see Bianca del Castana as a vicious woman.
But now, I understood why she had approached me in this way. In a word, she was still a child at heart. Though her body had matured significantly over the past ten years, her spirit remained unchanged.
And that’s what I had been avoiding.
She had been waiting for me, wholeheartedly believing in the childish promises we made, expecting that one day I would return to her.
“…Bianca.”
She was, without a doubt, a fool. Why had she waited for me, trusting in such a meaningless promise? It should have been obvious that it was something spoken in passing, without any real significance.
I had come too far to escape now. Her sincerity demanded a response from me. The moment I made up my mind and slowly began to speak to her—
“…Lady Bianca, what are you doing?”
Aria’s sharp voice interrupted Bianca.
“No matter how much you wished to speak with Young Lord Cain alone, there is a time and a process for everything. Not only did you ambush the procession headed for the Estel duchy, but the way you used your power to intimidate Young Lord Cain… it’s difficult to believe you are the daughter of the Marquis of Castana, a family with a thousand-year legacy.”
“…Ah, now that I think about it, you were standing beside him, weren’t you? Forgive me for overlooking you. You were so insignificant that I nearly mistook you for a wild animal or something.”
Bianca smirked, twisting the corner of her mouth as she addressed Aria. The smile Bianca wore was both terrifying and strikingly beautiful.
“…Completely mad. My master taught me that a mage should view the world with more rationality than anyone else, but Bianca-sama is so emotional, it borders on insanity.”
“…Aria.”
I tried to intervene as I saw Aria lashing out at Bianca, but it was too late.
“…You really are an insufferable girl. So brazen. Do you not realize that I could tear you apart at any moment? And the only reason I haven’t is because of Cain.”
Bianca’s voice was calm, but I could feel the murderous intent beneath her words. Just as I had sensed the day I arrived at the Marquis’ estate, her life-threatening aura was no lie.
“Bianca!”
I urgently called out her name. This couldn’t happen. Aria was no match for Bianca at the moment. While Aria would someday surpass Bianca in her mastery of magic, that day was far off. Right now, Bianca was the strongest person in this place. If Aria attempted to challenge her, it would lead to nothing but a tragic and senseless end—and I had no desire for such a fate.
“…You made a promise. You said you would treat Aria and me as guests of the Marquis of Castana. Are you planning to break your own word?”
“…”
At my words, Bianca hesitated momentarily before letting out a small chuckle.
“…Ah, Cain. You never change. Always showing mercy, even to the Witch of Winter, who could very well be your enemy.”
The Witch of Winter.
The moment those words left Bianca’s lips, my eyes widened.
But, surprisingly, it didn’t come as a shock. Instead, it felt like something I had always known was finally revealed. In truth, I had suspected it for a while now.
When Bianca first encountered Aria at the Castana estate, the hostility she directed toward Aria hinted that she, too, had memories of the future.
I had simply lacked the courage to accept it as reality. After all, this wasn’t some casual outing; our time spent together on the witch-slaying expedition wasn’t filled with pleasant memories for me.
“Yes, I was foolish, Cain. How could I have been so arrogant as to think I was the only one in the world who had returned to the past? It should have been obvious if I had thought about it rationally.”
Bianca giggled as she continued.
“Well, there’s no need to look so surprised. I didn’t realize at first that you, like me, had regressed ten years into the past. But when you used the ‘Flowing Star’ technique to interfere with the worm’s magic during our engagement, I finally understood.”
“…Then.”
I let out a bitter laugh at Bianca’s words. In hindsight, my actions had been reckless. Especially when I was learning the Flowing Star technique from the princess—Bianca had witnessed it right in front of her, even assisting me in some of my training.
Looking back, I felt like a fool, as though I had been exposing myself deliberately, inviting her to uncover my secret.
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