* * *

Ah.

The moment my name slipped from his lips, the precarious tension that had hung between us shattered, like a taut string snapping.

I exhaled a sigh, placing my hand over the back of his, which was calloused from wielding a sword.

“When did you find out?”

“When I heard your confession.”

“Then why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because you…”

Kaindel hesitated, as if choosing his next words carefully.

He lifted his head slightly, his brow furrowed in an expression that seemed like a forced smile.

Though it was far from a smile.

“Because you wouldn’t have liked it.”

“That’s awfully considerate of you.”

“Isa.”

“You could’ve just stayed in the dark. That would’ve been better.”

“Isa.”

“It’s raining.”

I mumbled, looking up at the sky.

The clear sky from earlier had darkened with gathering clouds, and now raindrops began to fall, one by one.

Soon, if we weren’t careful, the drizzle would turn into a downpour.

Kaindel tilted his head at my words, glancing up at the cloudy sky.

Then, as if shielding me from the rain, he placed both hands above my head.

Just like he’d shaded me from the sunlight earlier in the garden.

“Come with me. Please. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, give me a chance to explain everything.”

“…”

“Give me a chance to beg for your forgiveness. Please?”

“…”

“You don’t even have to forgive me. Just hear me out and leave afterward, if you want. Just…”

His voice grew softer as he spoke, at odds with the rising urgency in his tone.

Whether it was from a lack of confidence or an awareness of our surroundings, I couldn’t tell.

But his expression was clear—Kaindel was on the verge of breaking into tears.

It was a look I’d seen only once before, the day I nearly drowned in Lake Seriel.

Back then, I had been convinced that Kaindel loved me, only to realize later that I was wrong.

Lost in these memories, I reached up and untied my mask.

As it slipped off, I faced Kaindel without any barrier between us.

The smell of blood still lingered, sharp and bitter in the rain.

“I’ve been waiting all this time. It’s you who stayed silent, Kaindel.”

The moment my face was fully revealed, Kaindel’s eyes widened.

His gaze trembled violently, and he stretched out a hand toward me before hesitating, as if afraid of something.

“And now you’re asking for a chance to talk?”

“Isa.”

“Isa, Isa.” Kaindel murmured my name as though it were the only thing he could say.

Even as I sneered, he looked at me like he wanted to etch my image onto his soul.

His gaze wandered across my face, lingering briefly on my lips.

“…We can’t stay here any longer.”

Diverting my attention from his searing gaze, I changed the subject.

The murmurs of onlookers were growing louder, their attention on us palpable.

Some seemed to have recognized Kaindel, while others appeared shocked to see a priest unmask himself.

I glanced at them briefly before taking his wrist in my hand.

As I opened my mouth to speak, rainwater trickled down my face and slipped into my mouth, tasting bitter—likely from the dye washing out of my hair.

“Let’s go. I just want to rest, Kaindel.”

No matter what, I had to end this conversation here.

And I hoped he’d take me anywhere to escape the attention, even to his place.

The rain, now heavier, began to blur the red writing on the wall.

Blood mixed with rainwater, pooling on the ground. Soon, it would erase itself without my intervention.

Kaindel, understanding my unspoken plea, hesitated before finally nodding slowly.

＊ ＊＊＊＊

The place Kaindel brought me to was his quarters.

It seemed he had rented out an entire floor of the inn for convenience, as there wasn’t a soul around his room.

Before talking to him, I decided to clean myself up first.

Being completely soaked from the rain wasn’t exactly pleasant.

While I wrung out the water from my clothes, Kaindel prepared the bathwater for me.

It seemed the host of the room had no intention of bathing there himself, as he went off to another room.

The moment I locked the bathroom door and submerged myself in the bathwater, there was a sound from outside the bathroom. Kaindel spoke up.

“How’s the water temperature? Is it okay?”

“It’s warm.”

“Do you need anything else—?”

“I don’t need anything else, but I would like some quiet alone time.”

I cut him off mid-sentence, interrupting his unusually excessive kindness.

The noise beyond the door ceased.

Soon after, I heard the distant sound of a door closing.

It seemed Kaindel had left the room, as I had asked.

The moment I realized he was gone, the tension I had unconsciously been holding onto unraveled.

“Haah.”

I lathered my body with soap and sank into the water.

The warmth seeped in, relaxing my entire body.

After some time in the water, black dye began to rinse out from my hair.

The water turned completely dark before my once-black hair returned to its natural color.

Eventually, I stepped out of the now-dirty water and put on a robe.

The silk robe wrapped softly around me. I secured it with the belt and exited the bathroom.

With Kaindel gone, the room was empty.

Only the breeze from the recently opened and closed door lingered, accentuating the desolate feeling of the space.

I placed the towel I used to dry my hair aside and scanned the room.

When Kaindel had been here, I’d been too focused on him to take in my surroundings.

The room held a worn-out bed, a creaky table, and a dresser that looked on the verge of collapse.

While the room wasn’t small, it was a stark contrast to his quarters in the Duchy of Schudelgarten—a humble sight indeed.

To think he’s been living in a place like this for almost a month.

It was an uncharacteristic choice for Kaindel, and I found it oddly striking.

As I surveyed the room, my eyes were drawn to a small box sitting on the dresser.

It was clear at a glance that it contained hastily folded letters.

“This is…”

I carefully picked up one of the crumpled sheets of paper.

Scrawled across it in Kaindel’s handwriting were disordered sentences.

[You said you wouldn’t leave me behind.]

[I wish you’d visit me in my dreams. Just for one day.]

[Lately, I can’t sleep.]

[Is this how you always felt?]

The letters seemed to be drafts, with lines crossed out as if he’d struggled over how to address someone.

It looked like he had written and erased, over and over, wasting sheet after sheet.

[You said you wouldn’t leave me behind.]

My gaze lingered on this sentence, as if it were pulling me in.

There weren’t many people Kaindel would say such a thing to.

No, it wouldn’t be wrong to say there were none.

To my knowledge, the only person Kaindel might plead with not to leave him was…

“Essi, I stepped out to grab some clothes…”

Only me.

The realization struck, and my heart began to pound wildly.

Just then, Kaindel returned to the room and approached me.

Holding out clothes that looked freshly bought, he smiled faintly.

But upon noticing what I was looking at, the smile faded from his face.

“You saw that?”

“…Yeah. Should I not have?”

“It’s not that you shouldn’t have.”

Taking the letter from my hand, he murmured softly.

“It’s regret.”

“Regret?”

“I was writing a reply to the letter you left behind.”

As I thought.

The letters were for me.

To be precise, they were meant for me but never sent.

Thump, thump.

My heartbeat roared in my ears.

I was terrified it might be loud enough for Kaindel to hear.

The sentences I’d glimpsed on the letter lingered in my mind, and an indescribable feeling surged within me.

“Of course, it’s still unfinished.”

Meanwhile, Kaindel picked up a towel from somewhere and began to gently wipe the lingering water from my neck as he spoke.

“I still haven’t figured out what to say to you.”

* * *