Chapter 17
Isabella tilted her head slightly, wearing an unreadable expression as if she were trying to understand the intent behind his gaze, as though he wanted her to remember something.
But he seemed content to wait until she answered. Those orange eyes, as if seeing straight through her, remained fixed entirely on Isabella.
She opened her lips slightly, then closed them again, her fingers awkwardly drifting toward the fountain.
“Um… is the fountain completely broken?”
In the sunlight, his silver hair shimmered more vividly, swaying like soft down in the breeze.
Kairus glanced once at the fountain that had stopped working, then back at Isabella. Soon after, a refreshing laugh escaped his lips.
“Ahahaha!”
The woman in front of him was truly unpredictable. Kairus closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if savoring the refreshing energy flowing around Isabella.
He sincerely hoped she would accept his proposal soon, and then he answered her question.
“If you pour water into the pump there and operate it, the fountain should work. That’s how I remember it.”
“Really?”
Just in time, the bottle she had brought was filled with water. Isabella opened the cap and walked toward the pump.
Gripping the rusted handle, Isabella looked genuinely excited. Her earnest desire to make the fountain work was obvious.
“It’s probably broken from being unused for so long.”
“We should at least try. It’s Your Highness’s fountain full of memories.”
Without hesitation, Isabella poured the water from the bottle into the pump. Sshaa— the sound of water flowing into it felt unusually clear.
Watching quietly, Kairus’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“Still as impossible as ever.”
“Pardon? Your Highness, what did you say?”
“I said it’s nice to see you just as bright as always.”
—Even if things break, the memories within them don’t disappear.
“You were right, Isabella.”
His murmur, almost like a monologue, was swallowed by the rustling leaves in the wind—but his orange gaze toward her gently shimmered in the sunlight.
Ignoring his gaze, Isabella rolled up her sleeves to her forearms. Then she firmly grasped the pump handle with both hands and began moving it up and down.
“Isabella. Don’t go through unnecessary trouble…”
The moment Kairus stepped closer to stop her, stagnant water suddenly surged out due to long disuse.
“Eek!”
Before they could even dodge, a powerful jet of water poured over them. Instantly drenched like soaked mice, they stared at each other in shock.
Kairus’s hand overlapped Isabella’s on the broken pump handle. Naturally covering her hand, he moved the pump together with her and said,
“It looks like the pipe’s damaged.”
“Then is the fountain broken too?”
“No. The fountain itself is working fine.”
Hearing his answer, her gaze immediately turned to the fountain. Contrary to her worry, clear water was gushing out.
Only after confirming it was working properly did a smile spread across Isabella’s wet face. She lightly wiped the water running down her cheek and said,
“Your Highness, isn’t this better than leaving it alone?”
Perhaps because of her bright, childlike energy even while soaked, laughter burst from their lips and spread through the open space, blending with the refreshing sound of the fountain.
“Yeah. It is.”
Kairus gently brushed the back of Isabella’s hand they were still holding, as if wiping away the moisture. Then he carefully removed wet strands of hair stuck to her flushed cheek.
“Much better this way.”
Even with such a light touch, the place where his fingers brushed tingled strangely.
Belatedly letting go of Kairus’s hand, Isabella turned her head away sharply, trying to hide the growing blush on her cheeks.
“R-right?!”
She coughed repeatedly to hide her embarrassment.
After lightly wiping her wet face with a handkerchief, she glanced at Kairus, who seemed lost in thought. As if savoring the peaceful moment, his eyelids blinked slowly, his eye corners curving gently.
For a moment, Isabella felt as if the scene resembled something from a dream she had seen days ago. The place and the boy from that dream weren’t here, yet the sense of familiarity was strangely strong.
Just as she was about to call out to Kairus—
“Lady Ledia.”
Both of them turned toward the voice.
A short distance away stood Ichanuell, wearing a distinctly displeased expression.
* * *
About an hour before Isabella met Kairus.
Ichanuell, who arrived late at the hunting grounds, immediately got off his carriage and headed toward her tent.
The reason he attended this hunt—after repeatedly declining Elena’s invitations—was only one thing: Isabella.
Two days earlier, an unexpected guest had visited the ducal estate of Lascelles.
“How can we prevent the end of this relationship?”
Deep in thought, the man’s navy eyes darkened like an abyss, when suddenly the study doors swung open and a cheerful voice shattered the silence.
“Hey! Ichanuell!! I heard your fiancée dumped you spectacularly!”
It was Jenerd, who had come to tease his friend after hearing the news.
Ichanuell shoved the breakup request letter Isabella had sent into his desk drawer and replied,
“There’s no such thing.”
“Oh? Really?”
“And who told you to barge in without knocking?”
“You’re as temperamental as ever.”
Jenerd sat comfortably on the sofa and looked at him. He seemed normal, but there was a subtle restlessness he couldn’t fully hide.
Even someone as emotionally controlled as him couldn’t help it when it came to the person he liked.
He had tried to suppress the breakup news, going so far as to block all imperial news outlets from reporting it.
For someone who hadn’t even admitted he was being dumped, he was certainly acting fast.
Jenerd clicked his tongue.
“And that’s exactly why you got dumped by Lady Ledia.”
Ichanuell’s face twisted immediately.
“Leave if you’re only going to say useless things.”
Jenerd raised both hands to calm him, then stood and placed a sealed letter on the table.
Ichanuell recognized the seal and frowned slightly. He crumpled the envelope without even opening it, making Jenerd gasp.
“Hey! Do you even know who sent that?”
“I know.”
“You know and you still throw away a letter from the Princess?”
“If you’ve got nothing else to say, leave.”
Jenerd clicked his tongue again, frustrated.
Ever since their academy days, Ichanuell had denied his feelings for Isabella. Yet now that talk of breaking off the engagement had surfaced, he was only beginning to pay attention.
Honestly, Jenerd had felt relieved when he heard Isabella requested the breakup. From his perspective, Ichanuell Lascelles was a terrible fiancé.
He was rude, blunt, and had no idea how to speak properly without irritating people.
How Isabella had endured ten years of loving someone like that was beyond him.
“So I’ve got hundreds of questions for you.”
“I’m not interested.”
Truly hopeless.
Jenerd sighed and stood up.
He decided to help his foolish friend, who still hadn’t realized his own feelings.
“Lady Ledia is attending the rabbit hunt hosted by the Princess in two days.”
“Isabella is?”
“Yeah. Why else would I come all the way here to tell you?”
—So try harder while you still have a chance to hold her back.
Remembering Jenerd’s words, Ichanuell stepped out of the carriage at the hunting grounds. Nobles from high society were everywhere, but he ignored them all and headed straight for Isabella’s tent.
‘I hope she’s cooled down a bit.’
Ichanuell tried to relax his stiff expression by pressing his mouth with his fingers as he entered.
“Lady Ledia.”
“Oh? Lord Lascelles?”
Unexpectedly, Isabella was not there. Her maid, Selly, stood alone.
“Where is Isabella?”
“Miss went to meet the Princess with Lady Dalcen.”
“The Princess?”
At Ichanuell’s question, Selly nodded.
Realizing he was too late, he quickly left the tent.
“She went into the forest.”
Recalling Selly’s words, he hurried into the woods.
Before long, a pale-faced girl named Meryl burst out from the bushes nearby, looking frantic.
When she saw Ichanuell, she let out a sharp scream.
“Kyaa! L-Lord Lascelles?”
