Episode 62

Rosanna ran up to Kyle and hugged him. The forceful welcome made Kyle take a step back.

“I’m back.”

At those words, Rosanna’s eyes widened.

“Why are you surprised?”

“…Oh, right. This is our home, so it makes sense to say you’re back! Smart boy.”

As expected, my emotional support doll. Rosanna murmured and rubbed her face against his chest.

Kyle found her reaction odd but couldn’t quite place why it felt off. Before he had a chance to reflect on the moment of awkwardness, Rosanna released the hug and started leading him somewhere.

“Let’s go see the bedroom first.”

“My bedroom?”

“No. ‘Our’ bedroom.”

Kyle froze in place.

“…Were we married?”

“Us? No.”

“Then we share a bedroom? That doesn’t… make sense.”

“Why not?”

“Just… logically…”

Rosanna stared at his confused expression. Apparently, though he couldn’t remember his past, he still remembered bothersome things like common sense, customs, and social norms.

“You and I live in a world where common sense doesn’t apply. We can do whatever we want. That answer your question?”

At her urging, Kyle started walking. He didn’t actually agree with it, but he didn’t want to upset a woman who might be his lover. Since he couldn’t remember anything besides her name, he figured he’d go along with whatever she wanted, out of guilt.

“This is the bedroom.”

Rosanna opened the door and let Kyle in first. As he glanced around the spacious room, he didn’t say anything, but his expression gave it away—he seemed to like the vintage aesthetic.

“This is where I’ll be staying… There’s only one bed.”

“Of course there’s only one. Come here.”

Rosanna took his hand and led him to the bed. Kyle sat on the edge, and Rosanna immediately flopped down beside him. Her pulling motion caused Kyle to fall back too.

“Super soft, right?”

“It really is.”

“You can be rough on this bed. It won’t make any creaking noises.”

Kyle’s ears slowly turned red.

“Why… why would you say something like that…”

“You got all flustered back at the hospital. I was being considerate, letting you know in advance. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about in this house.”

Considerate…? Was this a moment where he was supposed to say thank you?

As he struggled with whether his reaction was weird, Kyle just opened and closed his mouth silently. He had no idea what to say. Do lovers normally talk about such intimate things without hesitation? Had they talked like this before? He wished he could remember.

“Um… I’ll keep that in mind.”

Rosanna stifled a laugh before bursting into giggles.

“You were teasing me.”

“It was funny. Oh—hold on a second.”

Getting off the bed, Rosanna walked over to the vanity. Kyle remained seated and watched as she opened a drawer and retrieved a small box.

“This was in your coat pocket the day you were admitted. I took it out and kept it safe.”

Kyle accepted the box and opened it. Inside was a rosary. Taking it out, Kyle gently touched the cross pendant.

“Pretty, isn’t it? I gave it to you. Do you remember anything?”

“Mm… I don’t know exactly, but it kind of hits me in the heart. I must’ve cherished it.”

Kyle rolled each bead of the rosary between his fingers, then glanced at Rosanna.

“Was I a devout believer?”

“You were. To the point I got jealous.”

Rosanna reached out and cupped Kyle’s face with both hands.

“Now you have to put me first. Got it, darling?”

“I don’t even remember anything… but alright.”

His face, caught in her hands, was pulled downward. Their breaths met, and their lips touched. As Kyle accepted the smooth intrusion of her tongue, he wrapped an arm around Rosanna’s waist. In the brief moment his thoughts wandered—wondering how someone so slim could feel so strong—her hand brushed softly along his thigh.

Her touch caressed him gently before slipping inward. Even though it was over the fabric, it was a blatant tease.

Kyle grabbed the hand stroking between his legs and ended the kiss.

“It’s the middle of the day.”

“So what? It’s just the two of us.”

But Rosanna had to stop mid-sentence. From outside the room came the sound of frenzied footsteps—thudding rapidly toward them. The inevitable had arrived.

“The little troublemaker’s here. Don’t be startled, okay?”

“Huh?”

As the question left his mouth, the door burst open. A child launched himself like a cannonball straight at Kyle.

“Henry’s here!”

“Oof… Hey there, Henry.”

Kyle quickly opened his arms to catch the child so he wouldn’t get hurt. The collision sent a jolt of pain through his ribs. He had heard earlier that Rosanna had a lively nephew, but this kind of first meeting was unexpected—and certainly memorable. Though for the child, it clearly wasn’t their first encounter.

Kyle smiled warmly for the boy’s sake.

“I heard! We’re going to live in the same house! Yay!”

“I’m happy to live with you too, Henry. Let’s get along well.”

“Henry too!”

Sitting on top of Kyle, Henry grinned and bounced around enthusiastically.

“I’m inviting you to my room! Let’s sleep together tonight!”

As the second-most powerful figure in the townhouse after Rosanna, Henry did whatever he pleased. He was aiming to share the all-important first night—Rosanna’s territory—with Kyle.

Rosanna grabbed the child’s sides and lifted him. With Henry now sitting on her lap, she met his eyes the way Tanesia did when disciplining him.

“No throwing fits. Kyle was sick, so he needs to rest.”

Henry pouted.

“You can’t just burst into a room like that, either. You have to ask for permission at the door.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s good manners. You only got a pass this time because you’re still little.”

“I don’t wanna.”

“You said you’re not a baby. Or are you going to keep acting like one?”

Henry’s eyes welled up with tears.

Watching from the side, Kyle felt himself soften and was about to speak. He was thinking of telling the boy he could sleep with him. Sensing it, Rosanna shot him a quick gesture to stay quiet.

“You can sleep with him another day. Not today. After Kyle settles in.”

Henry held the beginning of a whine in his mouth, then slipped off Rosanna’s lap. The moment his feet hit the floor, he ran out of the room without looking back. From the hallway came a wail:

“Rosanna’s not on my side!”

“He’s sulking.”

Rosanna sighed, then smiled, saying he wouldn’t stay upset for long. Kyle looked out the open door, feeling a little guilty.

“I don’t mind sleeping with him. I’d like to get closer to Henry.”

“First night’s mine. No way I’m giving that up.”

Kyle couldn’t quite manage a smile in return, unsure what she was planning. The night in the hospital, when she’d unleashed her desire, came to mind. Could it be happening again tonight…?

He rubbed his neck, trying to shake off the thoughts. It wasn’t right to be thinking this way in broad daylight. He might not remember who he used to be, but he didn’t think he was the type to act shamelessly regardless of the time or place.

“What are you thinking about, darling?”

“…Ah.”

“You didn’t even notice me calling you. Were you thinking something dirty? Looking forward to tonight?”

“No, not at all.”

Rosanna watched him try to hide his embarrassment, then linked arms with him and pulled him to his feet.

“Let’s check out the dressing room too.”

Rosanna and Kyle went straight to the dressing room and spent some time looking at clothes. In addition to custom-made outfits from the boutique, it was full of items Rosanna had bought to suit her own tastes. There were also tons of hats, bow ties, cufflinks, and decorative canes.

Kyle’s amazement didn’t end there. Rosanna declared the house tour was only beginning and proceeded to show him around each part. She even stormed into areas she normally didn’t visit, like the basement, which caused the staff in the kitchen and food storage to stop what they were doing and line up for greetings. Kyle was the one who felt awkward and embarrassed.

By the time they had explored every room, a good amount of time had passed. Rosanna and Kyle sat on the bedroom terrace for tea, chatting leisurely.

“The sunset’s beautiful.”

“We can watch it every day. Together.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Rosanna got up first and opened it. After exchanging a few words with the maid outside, she turned back.

“It’s time for dinner. Let’s go.”

“Will everyone be there? Like your brother and his wife?”

“Yeah. They live here too.”

As Kyle walked down the hallway beside Rosanna, he began to feel nervous. She had told him bits and pieces about her family, but only the basic structure. Her reassurance that he’d already met Henry and could just act comfortably didn’t help much. Rosanna didn’t seem to understand at all how nerve-wracking it was to meet a lover’s family.

When they entered the dining room, everyone was already seated.

Rosanna took the head seat, and Kyle sat to her left. The man seated across from Kyle, whose face he now saw clearly, was unmistakably Rosanna’s brother. The resemblance was apparent.

“Welcome.”

It was Vlad who broke the silence. Rosanna had subtly signaled him with a foot under the table to prompt him, but his expression was composed and polite.

“I hope I’m not making things uncomfortable, staying where your family lives. With no memories, I really had nowhere else to go…”

“Not at all. Please feel at home. Henry was excited when he heard you’d be staying with us. Right, sweetie?”

Tanesia stroked her son’s head, lifting the mood. Henry nodded vigorously, up and down.

“Thank you.”

Kyle smiled with relief and gave a warm, grateful glance to Tanesia. She returned it with a smile of her own.

While the mood at the table turned warm and welcoming, the Enache siblings felt slightly uneasy inside. It instinctively bothered them to see their beloved giving a smile to someone else—even if that someone was practically family. Still, they couldn’t afford to look petty, so they said nothing.