VFAI 13

Chapter 13

“It Has Nothing to Do With You Whether I Live or Die”

I swear it was the first time I had ever seen that man in my life.

There was no way I could forget someone with such a striking appearance, so I was certain of it.

The man did not answer my question and simply looked at me.

An emotion I could not put into words flickered in his red eyes. I couldn’t understand why he was looking at me like that.

In any case, I couldn’t just leave a man who knew my past life’s name alone.

“Answer me.”

“……”

The man showed no sign of opening his mouth, and just as I was about to press him further—

“Elodie!”

A familiar voice echoed from a distance.

“Carlotte?”

I turned toward the direction of the voice. I couldn’t see Carlotte yet, but he seemed to be somewhere in a nearby alley.

‘I should go back. But I need to find out who this man is first.’

Just as I was thinking that—

A strange scent brushed past the tip of my nose.

And—

“I will come to find you soon.”

A low, quiet voice spoke.

“…What?”

When I turned my gaze forward again, the man had vanished without a trace.

I stared blankly at the spot where he had just been.

‘What was that?’

It felt like I had been under some kind of spell.

It had only been a brief encounter, but it felt like a long time had passed.

But I didn’t have the luxury to dwell on that feeling.

Carlotte had already found me and grabbed both of my shoulders.

“Hey…! What were you thinking disappearing like that? Where the hell did you go?”

Carlotte frowned, his grip tightening. It didn’t hurt, but the pressure on my shoulders made me unconsciously frown.

“Do you know how dangerous it is to walk around without a guard? Even in Twanet Street, you can’t just roam around alone—”

“Why?”

At my short question, Carlotte froze and blinked.

“What?”

“I don’t understand.”

“What don’t you—”

“It has nothing to do with you whether I live or die.”

Thud.

Carlotte’s hands, which had been gripping my shoulders, suddenly lost strength and fell away limply.

Strangely, Carlotte looked shocked even though it was an obvious statement.

To me, it was incomprehensible why he was reacting like that.

Even if I wandered the streets without a guard and something bad happened—if I truly died—it wouldn’t be his concern.

I was just a illegitimate child in this family. My death meant nothing to him.

Someone who wanted me gone more than anyone else.

‘That’s you, Carlotte.’

I remembered clearly.

When we were children, he had once said that a filthy illegitimate child should just die.

He probably didn’t remember it anymore, since he had been younger than me then.

I looked up at Carlotte, who had gone pale.

I wasn’t completely unaware of why he was acting like this.

Carlotte was the least “like the Perdias” among the Perdia family.

He constantly sought recognition from the duchess and the duke.

So, since he had been directly ordered by the duke to escort me, it must have bruised his pride to lose me for even a moment.

The fact that he had searched for me alone without informing anyone proved it.

‘If I had actually been kidnapped, I might already be dead.’

Thinking indifferently, I looked up at him.

“Anyway, I’m back safe, so that’s enough, right?”

I had worried he might ask where I had gone, but surprisingly, he didn’t ask anything.

He just stared at me with an unreadable expression.

Maybe he felt responsible for failing his duty as my guard.

I couldn’t deny that I had wandered off on my own, so I added as if to reassure him:

“I won’t tell Father, so don’t feel responsible. Don’t cause unnecessary trouble.”

I was already exhausted from the day’s events and desperately wanted a warm bath.

“Let’s go back, Carle.”

“……”

I passed by Carlotte, who stood there clenching his fists.

In his other hand, he was tightly holding the parasol I had dropped.

We returned in silence. The carriage was filled with quiet tension as Carlotte stared out the window without speaking.

He must have been angry that I had acted on my own.

But what surprised me was that he wasn’t exploding like I expected.

‘Did he grow up?’

As if.

There was something else on my mind.

The man with red eyes who had suddenly appeared and grabbed me.

“Yoon Ga-eul.”

I hadn’t misheard it. He had truly called my past life’s name.

Not Elodie Perdia—but Yoon Ga-eul.

This was not something I could ignore lightly.

I began forming theories.

‘Could he also be someone reincarnated into this world?’

It was possible I wasn’t the only one.

Given that he knew my name, he might have known me in my past life.

But why had he looked at me like that?

Maybe I had been his enemy before. But I didn’t think I had made such enemies.

I tried recalling whether anyone with black hair and red eyes existed in the original story, but I couldn’t remember any.

In any case, I couldn’t tell whether his appearance was a blessing or a curse for me.

‘I’ve only just started preparing to gather independence funds, and now there’s a variable.’

He had said he would come find me—but how would he even know who I was?

He was too mysterious.

Lost in thought, I soon arrived at the estate.

Just as I was about to head to the annex—

“…Hey.”

At the voice calling me, I turned around. Carlotte stood there, still tense.

“What?”

“Go inside and take it. The cake or whatever.”

“Oh, right.”

I had completely forgotten I had insisted on wanting cake as an excuse to separate from Carlotte.

I had expected only a fondant chocolate cake, but when I entered the main house, I was shocked.

Boxes of desserts were piled up like a mountain.

“Why did you buy so many…?”

Carlotte tilted his head as if it were obvious.

“I was pissed off and it felt like a waste to wait.”

“I… see.”

Fortunately, he hadn’t bought the entire bakery.

At the annex stairs, various boxes were neatly stacked—shopping items from boutiques and jewelry stores in Twanet Street, and dessert boxes Carlotte had bought from patisseries.

I pointed to one of the boxes.

“Deliver that formal outfit to Carlotte.”

Just then, Martha came down the stairs and asked in surprise.

“Miss, what are all these boxes?”

“Desserts. Share them with the annex staff.”

“Wow! Thank you, miss!”

Martha squealed happily while opening the boxes.

She loved sweets, and also adored anything cute or handsome—she even memorized lists of noble young men.

“By the way… that red-eyed man didn’t look like a commoner.”

I asked casually:

“Martha, do you know a man in his early twenties, black hair and red eyes?”

“I know most noble young men in their twenties, but I don’t think anyone fits that description. Why?”

“No reason.”

“You don’t sound like it’s ‘no reason’… Did you fall for him?”

“I didn’t.”

I cut her off immediately.

“Prepare my bath.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Martha pouted and left.

My thoughts grew heavier.

‘Dangerous.’

I needed to find that man before he found me.

After my bath, I found an imperial seal letter on the table.

“The First Prince sent it, my lady.”

I opened it.

It was an invitation to dinner, asking for a suitable date.

Was he trying to act like an engaged fiancé again?

I immediately wrote a reply:

[I am unwell and cannot attend. Please forgive my rudeness.]

I sent it off without ceremony.

‘Why is he acting like that?’

Maybe this would make him want to break off the engagement.

Meanwhile—

“In hiding, is she…”

Yanshi’s slender fingers brushed the report he had received.

The subject was Elodie Perdia.

He had placed spies on her due to her changed behavior.

At first, there was nothing unusual. But today she had acted differently during her outing.

She had even been discharged from confinement after exposing a traitor in the duke’s aide.

During the outing, she had gone to the mage tower.

And more interestingly—

She had met a man.

‘Strange.’

According to the report, that man had some connection to her—but not enough information was available.

Then Yanshi encountered Carlotte in the hallway.

“How was your outing?”

Carlotte shrugged.

“Just… whatever.”

Yanshi smiled warmly.

“Would you like me to accompany you next time?”

But Carlotte stiffened.

“No. You hate her, don’t you?”

“Hate Elodie? You were the one who hated her, Carlotte.”

“……”

Carlotte avoided his gaze.

“I’m going to sleep.”

Yanshi watched him leave.

Then his smile disappeared.

Expressionless.

Elodie Perdia had changed.

Too much.

She had exposed a traitor.

She was spending time with the family.

Even Carlotte’s behavior was strange.

Everything was becoming less controllable.

Yanshi walked into the garden.

His hand touched a rose—

Ssshh.

The flower withered instantly, crumbling into dust.

Yanshi’s expression loosened.

“…Again.”

His power had activated without control.

And with it, an unwanted memory resurfaced.

He pressed his lips tightly, feeling sick.