The Stepmother Has Left - Chapter 37

“Wow, that’s really fast.”

 

Michael, who arrived at the villa one beat later than Cassia, uttered words of genuine admiration.

 

“Look, my memory was correct. I told you you’re good at riding horses.”

 

Cassia got off her horse, arranging her hair and clothes that were blown in the wind. Without hiding the burst of laughter.

 

“Is it cold?”

 

“A little bit. But it was a fun ride. It is a pity that I arrived early.”

 

The feeling of riding a horse through the night air was so thrilling. It felt like all her stress was gone.

 

After entering the villa, Michael led her to a corner of the yard.

 

He made a fire by stacking some wood firewood in a space made for a campfire in one corner.

 

As they sat side by side in front of it and basked in the fire, their bodies, which had become cold from running to the brim, melted and began to regain stability.

 

Soon, various sounds came to her ears.

 

The sound of the waves of the night sea crashing, the sound of grass bugs crying, and the sound of firewood burning…

 

“I’m good, Michael.”

 

“Thank God.”

 

It was a perfect situation.

 

When she looked at him and said, Michael smiled.

 

“Actually, I was nervous preparing for this date. I was curious to know if you still enjoyed horse riding like when we were young, but now we are older. I was worried because I didn’t know if you would be able to ride as well as before. But I’m glad you liked it.”

 

“No. It was terrific. It’s such a perfect situation right now. Really.”

 

It was so different from before when she was busy with the gallery that she felt like she was dreaming.

 

It felt like everything she had been through had calmly subsided and was emptied cleanly.

 

“It was a lot of work. Nick came, and Duke Whidrian came to see me. The Third Prince and I got to know each other’s real identities. And when it was time to let him go, I said goodbye.”

 

“Yeah, I thought so. Just looking at the letter, I felt it was chaotic.”

 

“…”

 

Yes, those were really crazy times. In particular, the moment she went to meet Adolf secretly was a thrilling experience that she will remember for the rest of her life. It was also an experience that gave her a strange sense of liberation, as she had been living a daily routine.

 

It was when she was smiling at her thoughts, Michael looked at her and said.

 

“So, did you succeed in what you were determined to do back then? What you said you were going to protect your own life.”

 

“Ah.”

 

Cassia remembered conversations she had exchanged in the letter while she was away from Michael.

 

That’s right, she promised herself that she would protect her own life.

 

“Hmm… How much?”

 

It wasn’t to the extent that she kept it perfectly, but this was still satisfactory.

 

“Although, contrary to what was initially expected, I agreed to take money from the Duke, and I was unable to refuse Nick to approach me.”

 

However, she had no regrets. She received the money from the Duke because she thought it was time to take a step back.

 

In the case of Nick, looking back now, she even thought it was a very good thing that she didn’t push him out, so it wasn’t a problem at all.

 

She didn’t keep her life to the level she had initially decided, but it was satisfactory in many ways.

 

But the troubles continued to arise.

 

“Above all, I’ve signed the divorce document, so things with the Duke are getting sorted out to some extent. But I have another concern.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“First of all, I’m thinking about how to use the money I received from the Duke. It’s like a quite large amount of money suddenly came up. And.”

 

“…And?”

 

Michael looked at Cassia as she spoke.

 

“His Highness, The Third Prince, made a proposal to me. To come to the capital and learn how to paint.”

 

“Painting? Ah.”

 

Michael looked back at Cassia as if asking what that meant, and nodded his head as if he had recalled the paintings in the gallery that she had shown him one day.

 

“Why? Did you say you’re talented in painting?”

 

“Honestly, I don’t know.”

 

Cassia laughed bitterly.

 

“How do I see it? Do you think I have a talent for painting?”

 

“…They’re cool paintings. The things you drew.”

 

Michael answered her question.

 

“As I stayed alone, I had a hobby of visiting art galleries whenever I wanted to rest, but I felt that it was comparable to the works of art by professional artists I had seen so far.”

 

“…Is that so?”

 

“If you get educated, you may be able to improve your skills and become a good painter. But.”

 

Michael, who answered slowly, looked back at her the next moment. I made eye contact with him, and he continued.

 

“I don’t want you, Cassia, to get hurt or suffer anymore. No matter how careful you are when you go to the capital, something like that will definitely happen.”

 

“…”

 

“So personally, I want you to be here.”

 

The moment Cassia looked into his eyes, she realized that he really wanted to hold onto her.

 

He wanted to hold her in his heart.

 

“More than anything else, Cassia, I have been wanting to be by your side for a long, long time.”

 

“…Just now that…”

 

And if what she felt was not false, his words just now had a lot of meaning. Cassia asked.

 

“You just said that, what does it mean?”

 

“It means I want to marry you.”

 

“…”

 

Cassia opened her mouth blankly at the answer she heard. Michael smiled and continued.

 

“It means that I want to spend the beginning and the end of the day with you, even if it is not necessarily marriage. It means that I want to stay by your side till the day I die. It means that I want to spend the rest of my life being called your husband. I know it sounds crazy, but seeing you makes me dream of such a future.”

 

“…”

 

“This is not a proposal, so don’t get me wrong. I have no intention of burdening you. I’m just being honest.”

 

Looking at her with her mouth open blankly, Michael added, perhaps worried that his words might be misunderstood.

 

Cassia stared blankly at him and smiled. She let out a small laugh and ruffled his hair.

 

It must be because of the burning bonfire that his cheeks feel hot.

 

“Why are you laughing?”

 

“I’m just happy.”

 

Even though he said that it wasn’t a proposal, Michael said it to her bluntly, perhaps trembling.

 

“You didn’t just practice hard for these words while you couldn’t meet me, did you?”

 

“Of course… That’s right.”

 

His face was red.

 

Cassia leaned her head slowly over his lovely figure and rested her face on his shoulder.

 

“Thanks to you, the end of the day feels very happy… Thank you, Michael.”

 

She closed her eyes slowly and felt his warm warmth even closer.

 

They leaned against each other like that and sat still for a while.

 

* * *

 

“…Cassia?”

 

Michael looked at Cassia, who had fallen asleep as if dead, with her face buried in his shoulder.

 

Since she hadn’t spoken for a while, he looked back and found her sleeping deeply.

 

“Are you asleep?”

 

He turned to her, but there was no answer. She only leaned her head deeper on him.

 

‘You must have been tired.’

 

She did just that. She had been tired of tidying up from the moment he walked into her gallery.

 

She also enjoyed horseback riding, so there is no reason not to be tired. Perhaps it would have been strange if she didn’t fall asleep.

 

Recalling Cassia, running like a child after a long time riding a horse, Michael smiled, holding back his laughter.

 

‘Shall we go back slowly now?’

 

As the night deepened, the cold began to creep in. After putting out the bonfire that was being lit, Michael held Cassia in the dark.

 

Cassia made a tossing and turning sound. Michael said as he hugged her.

 

“Sleep well.”

 

Cassia, who had been tossing and turning, became silent. Michael grabbed her and got on the horse.

 

In the silence, Michael drove the horse carefully so as not to wake her.

 

The destination was Cassia’s house. He remembered the home address he saw as he sent and received letters.

 

On a road where only the sound of horses walking resonated, Michael looked at the scenery along the road and thought that this moment was like a dream.

 

Maybe it was like a dream for him to meet Cassia again.

 

Because he didn’t know that she would be standing there like a dream in the villa he visited to cool off after a long time.

 

“…”

 

As a child, he remembered the little Cassia who caught his eye after tripping over a stone in front of the Count’s mansion.

 

Cassia’s eyes were especially clear and deep as she looked up at him with her long black hair tucked behind her ears.

 

He initially wanted to be close with his beloved sister’s best friend.

 

As he grew older, his heart spread into a strange trembling heart.

 

He wanted to get to know her.

 

He wanted to approach her.

 

He wanted to talk to her.

 

And he wanted to know the kind of person she was…

 

However, the more he tried to get close to Cassia, the more she kept moving away from his reach.

 

Even if he ran into her in the academy hallway, she would be so startled that she would run away even before saying hello.

 

She sometimes nodded her head when he had a chance to say hello, and all she did was walk past him.

 

Soon he stopped his efforts to become acquainted with Cassia. It was probably because she hated him.

 

He didn’t want to burden people who didn’t like him. Thus, his unrequited love ended in vain.

 

No, he thought it was over then.

 

“…”

 

As he was driving the horse while recalling the past, he passed the gallery building and approached Cassia’s house.

 

Michael, who succeeded in finding Cassia’s house, came down from the horse holding her.

 

Cassia still leaned against Michael as she fell into a deep sleep.

 

“You will get cold.”

 

Lest she caught a cold, Michael hugged her deeply.

 

They have to go home quickly. Michael carefully rummaged through her pockets on her skirt and found the keys to her house.

 

He opened the house door and went inside, laying Cassia on the bed in the master bedroom.

 

He smiled and stroked Cassia’s dark hair, who had fallen asleep with a tired look.

 

“Why did I find out so late like an idiot?”

 

‘That you used to love me.’

 

‘Had we known in advance, our relationship could have been close a little earlier.’

 

He smiled bitterly for a moment, but cleared his expression and stood up from his seat.

 

He has no regrets. Because from now on, he can do well.

 

It was a belated opportunity.

 

Now, he was never going to miss Cassia.