Just because you’ve lost everything terribly and died once doesn’t mean all hope and dreams disappear.
Rather, human desire is so intense that in this life you’ve returned to, you become determined to achieve everything. Everyone would consider regression an opportunity.
Peon, who was a fatherless bastard and dirty half-breed from birth, naturally hoped more shamelessly.
The most basic and simple wish to live happily with the person you love.
This time, the desire to look straight at the person you truly love, solve all the tragedies you already know, and make her end not premature death but natural death, no matter how strong, raised their head through the cut-off place.
This is why innate blood is unavoidable.
Or maybe it’s because of the Emperor’s brainwashing education. Anyway, he was born a dirty bastard and grew up to be an admirably thick-skinned scoundrel.
When Kaela stared at him without moving, the scoundrel smiled and ate the peach he had offered instead. The scoundrel’s smile was fresh and wonderful. So much that it made the heart constrict, forgetting even the fate of death.
“Oppa?”
How upset she must have been, Kaela, who had torn down all the walls and courtesies she had built up high, opened her eyes wide. Her delicate eyes were still wet.
Peon couldn’t take his eyes off her. He felt relieved that he could at least look at her to his heart’s content now.
At the same time, he thought he could never turn away again. Even though he had practiced forcibly separating before he died, now even that was impossible.
“Me?”
The pink lips with a bit of cream on them moved under the straight nose.
“Why?”
“Because I’m a scoundrel?”
Peon answered carelessly.
“That can’t be.”
The most absolute being in his world declared. That it can’t be. She pierced through him with clear eyes.
“Why?”
The man, too noble and too upright to volunteer to be a scoundrel, smiled slightly and asked back.
“Well… because it can’t be?”
Kaela tilted her head and then chose not to look at that smile. She just stirred the bowl now full of peaches with a wooden spoon.
“I know what your dream is.”
It’s to live happily with Beatrice and the Empress. She knew well. No one could stop Peon rushing towards that dream.
Because he couldn’t be stopped or broken, he shattered just like that. He probably shattered. Kaela, who had been confined, knew nothing after Beatrice gifted her poison.
“You know?”
“Yes.”
Kaela, not looking at him, ate spoonfuls of sliced peaches. Peon took in every detail of her round-shaped head, plump forehead, thick eyebrows, and the eyelashes below.
Kaela felt as if every part where his gaze touched was on fire.
Why is he staring like that? It was strange how he was staring so intently when before her death, he wouldn’t even give her a glance as if she were some insect. Does he perhaps think she’s suspicious?
Ah. Could it be that he already thinks she’s the Emperor’s spy? That could be possible.
Kaela, feeling deflated, put down her spoon. Her appetite had disappeared again.
“It’s to live happily with sister Beatrice… and Her Majesty the Empress, right? I know. I hope it happens exactly like that.”
So please, just don’t let her die painfully. Instead of confining her, just kill her instantly on the spot.
There was nothing more horrifyingly disgusting than death approaching slowly. Her delicate hand gripping the bowl turned white.
“I hope for that too. I have no intention of interfering with it.”
She earnestly begged to be killed well in front of the predator. Peon, who had been staring at her blankly, answered a bit late.
“That’s not my dream, Kaela.”
Kaela finally raised her head and looked at Peon. He smiled as their eyes met.
“Then what is it?”
What’s the dream? From the moment of going to Lusenford, as long as Lusenford’s master held her life, Kaela needed to know. She needed to know for a comfortable and easy death.
“Shouldn’t you ask how I reacted when Beatrice came, rather than asking that?”
“You must have handled it yourself.”
“Ah, right. I said ‘I’m not interested.'”
He wasn’t interested. Or he deliberately didn’t take interest.
Because it always ended with only Kaela being upset and hurt whenever she was curious. Or she now knew well that she didn’t even have the right to be curious. Well, even if she knew, could she understand?
What Kaela was somewhat curious about was why Peon wasn’t reproaching her for fighting with Beatrice.
She had braced herself, expecting him to say something as soon as he saw her face, but he was just calmly peeling peaches without saying anything unpleasant.
He wasn’t originally like this. He was so indifferent that he just did his work without caring what Kaela did.
She slightly raised her head again. Peon, his black hair slightly disheveled, was looking down at his hands wet with sticky, sweet juice when their eyes met.
By now, the bowl was full of finely cut peaches, and the plate was full of large peach slices. The air between them was filled with a sweet scent.
“Want me to cut more?”
“Aren’t you busy?”
“You’re changing the subject.”
He chuckled and grabbed another luscious peach, starting to cut it. His large hands with visible tendons skillfully handled the fruit knife. Perhaps he was good with small knives since he originally used swords.
Contrary to what she knew, Peon was extremely relaxed. He looked so at ease and happy that it was surprising. Just like when Beatrice visited before Kaela’s death. Or even more so.
‘There’s no way he could enjoy being with me.’
Kaela looked at Peon as if he were a strange person. He was always too busy to have any time to leisurely chat with Kaela. There was no reason for him to make time for her.
The hands that should be handling documents or picking up a sword were now holding a soft peach, skillfully cutting it, and bringing it to his mouth with the knife.
His slightly full lips parted in an arc. As the peach disappeared between his clean, strong teeth, Kaela suddenly realized that his purple eyes were staring intently at her.
Belatedly, her small shoulders flinched, trembling finely like a bird.
“Is it tasty?”
Peon nodded towards the bowl Kaela was clutching tightly. The blueberries and strawberries were barely visible under the cream and piled peaches.
“No.”
The cream-covered mess had now lost its appeal. No, maybe she had just lost her appetite altogether. Clearly, when she came here, she was confident she could finish a whole bowl, but now…
“You’ve barely eaten. Don’t like the cream?”
How did he know?
“Yeah.”
“Then let’s just eat fruit. Have just this one.”
He held out another slice of peach he had cut. The question of why this person was acting like this was fleeting. Kaela remembered again that this was the back of the Empress’s palace where they played together as children.
They used to have picnics here as little kids, packing baskets with various foods, spreading out blankets to read books or play games. Mostly it was Beatrice and Peon playing together with Kaela chasing after them.
