To the Man Destined to Kill Me - Chapter 28

“Noah is not here.”

After waking up and having her meal, Scarlett finally noticed Noah’s absence.

She thought maybe Noah was just sleeping late, which didn’t really suit him.

In truth, he had not yet returned home, but Scarlett had no way of knowing that.

She melted some chocolate and thought about the comfort Noah had given her the day before.

Would his vow to protect Isaac even if she died still be valid? She didn’t know about the Noah Ashford who killed her, but the Noah standing before her was someone who would surely keep that vow.

“You’re so foolish.”

To Scarlett, Noah was just like that. Obedient, diligent, and even a bit naive.

‘What kind of person are you, really?’

How could he have killed her? What was the real Noah Ashford like?

Scarlett shook her head as she thought deeply about him. It was meaningless.

What mattered was that she was going to die, and she needed to take her revenge as soon as possible.

She still hated Noah, and even last night, she had been killed by him again and again in her dreams.

“I’m the foolish one.”

Confused like an idiot.

After finishing her snack, Scarlett called for Marie and asked,

“Has Sophia Loren arrived?”

“She should be on her way to report after examining Young Master Isaac.”

“I wonder what face she’ll make, seeing that the kid she thought was dying back then is still alive now.”

“Of course, she’ll be happy.”

“Even if he didn’t live such a happy life?”

“My lady…”

Marie’s face darkened. Scarlett pressed down on her own thin arm. Her bones stuck out, and her skin was so pale it was unsightly.

Scarlett was not lively like her sister Susan, nor energetic like Aaron, nor sparkling like Andrew.

“Well, still, she’ll probably be proud. Anyway, he’s alive, so that’s good enough, right?”

Her sarcastic tone hid a deep sigh.

She didn’t like herself very much.

Scarlett was used to pretending she didn’t feel negative emotions about herself, twisting them into different feelings instead. But she wasn’t flexible enough to let go of her pride and admit it out loud. So she pressed her lips together tightly and held back her irritation.

“By the way, are you really going to meet her?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I’m worried that the lady might catch a fever from her.”

“My heart is already a mess. Would a fever really make it worse?”

She answered coldly, but then suddenly stood up when she heard the distant sound of a carriage. She pulled back the curtain covering the window. The sunlight came through the glass and shone on Scarlett’s pale skin.

Her expression changed strangely. It was a mix of expectation and nervousness, but soon her face hardened.

A plump woman got off the arriving carriage. She kept wiping sweat from her face as she entered the mansion.

“Oh, how beautiful you’ve become!”

At Sophia Loren’s first words, Scarlett gave a faint smile.

Sophia Loren, with her blonde curly hair pinned up, excitedly kissed both of Scarlett’s cheeks.

“Really… When I saw you twenty years ago, you were so tiny and weak. I can’t believe how much time has passed!”

“It’s all thanks to you, Miss Loren.”

“Oh… such a sweet heart too.”

Sophia Loren clasped her hands over her chest, showing how touched she was.

Even if a huge amount of money had been spent, meeting the healing magician who had saved her long ago was a special moment for Scarlett too.

With a slightly flushed face, Scarlett politely asked how she had been. Seeing this, Sophia Loren’s eyes filled with tears, believing that the tiny baby she once saved had grown into a kind and gentle lady.

“It’s rare to call for a healing magician for a case of fever. No matter how rich you are, this is a matter of love. In that sense, Miss Scarlett has grown up so beautifully. Yes, oh… maybe even blessed by God!”

“What do you mean?”

“Originally, I wasn’t supposed to come to Wifland. But the treatment for my previous patient finished faster than expected. It was very surprising. Actually, I didn’t do anything. It felt more like I witnessed the magic itself.”

Scarlett wasn’t really curious, but she made a polite face as if she was.

After all, Sophia Loren clearly wanted to be asked. But even as she sipped her tea, she shook her head.

“I can’t tell you because of patient confidentiality. But well, I can share this much: magicians resonate with their mothers even while they are still in the womb.”

“Resonate?”

“Magicians have strong life energy.”

“That’s a famous fact.”

“And it applies even when they are fetuses. It’s natural for the mother and baby to affect each other, but in the case of magicians, the influence is much stronger. Sometimes the fetus shares the mother’s magic, and sometimes a magical fetus greatly affects a non-magical mother.”

She waved her plump fingers as she continued.

“Research on magicians stopped because of ethical issues, so we don’t know all the details. But one thing is clear… it’s a very mysterious area.”

Sophia Loren’s eyes turned dreamy, as if chasing after a vision. Scarlett, feeling bored, brought the conversation back to the point.

“So, how is my nephew?”

“Oh my, look at me! You mean Isaac Brown! He will be fine. We need to watch him a little longer, but he will recover safely. I promise. He only has a common fever. Think of it like the flu.”

“But… isn’t there a chance he could develop complications because of the fever?”

“Such careful thinking! The difference between magical medicine and normal medicine is the existence of magic. Magic helps observe the patient’s symptoms more closely and can even replace the function of medicine. Now, you must be wondering something.”

“Why not just use medicine instead of magic?”

“Exactly!”

Scarlett thought Sophia Loren talked too much but agreed politely.

Even if she had paid her, since she had asked for help out of love for her nephew, Scarlett had no choice but to humble herself completely.

“But that’s wrong. Medicine has clear limits depending on the patient’s age, gender, and health condition. Also, medicine often has side effects because it performs many different functions. But magic is different. Magic has no limits and no side effects. Since there are no limits, it can lower a high fever without restrictions. And because there are no side effects, it’s the safest way to treat someone.”

She continued.

“But both magical medicine and regular medicine have one limitation: we are not gods. Even if we treat someone without side effects, if their body cannot fight the disease anymore, we cannot save someone who is dying.”

“Then… Isaac…”

When fear filled Scarlett’s gray eyes, Sophia Loren quickly spoke again.

“Don’t worry. That boy will be fine. Children are stronger than adults think. Please trust Isaac. He will get better soon. It’s not even a very serious case. Of course, he will suffer for a few more days, but he will get back up even stronger. That’s how children are.”

“Dear God, thank you!”

Only then did Scarlett relax. In her heart, she still had fear that she might twist the future and ruin everything.

That’s why she wanted to see Noah quickly. She needed to keep him close where she could watch him to feel safe.

At that time, Noah was taking care of his mother, who had the same contagious fever as Isaac.

Julia, who had been found collapsed, had burned with fever all night and still hadn’t fully woken up.

“…Noah?”

“Mother? Are you awake?”

Noah, who was grinding medicine into powder, rushed to Julia’s side when he heard her voice. Julia, with a pale face, barely lifted her eyelids.

“I was so worried because your fever didn’t go down all night. How do you feel?”

Julia tried to sit up, and Noah quickly helped her. He handed her water, knowing her throat must be dry.

“You should have gone to the hospital if you were sick.”

Noah’s voice was full of frustration.

Unlike Scarlett, who could afford to call a healing magician, they had no such ability here in Natalia. Noah felt powerless, guilty that he had been distracted by Scarlett while his mother was sick, and even worse, he still missed Scarlett even now. That longing hurt him.

“I’m fine. I must have fallen into a deep sleep because of the medicine.”

Noah was very unhappy with the situation. Every part of his reality felt suffocating.

Then, Noah noticed something strange. Thanks to his sharp instincts, it didn’t take long for him to figure out what was wrong.

“Mother, your eyes…”

“…My eyes?”

Julia tilted her head, but soon her face turned pale, and she jumped up. She hurried to the old mirror.

The deep blue eyes, once just like Noah’s, were gone. Now they were an ordinary brown. Noah stepped closer to Julia, but she suddenly shouted.

“Noah! Go and get me some soup!”

It was an obvious attempt to distract him.

Noah looked at Julia’s reflection in the mirror. No matter how he looked, her eyes were brown.

What kind of fever could change eye color?

“What happened to your eyes?”

“My eyes? You must be imagining things. It’s just a mistake.”

“No. Why are you hiding so much from me? Can’t you please just tell me the truth?”

“Noah. I said it’s your imagination!”

For a very brief moment, Noah felt like the air around them shifted. It was not like when Scarlett changed the air while drawing.

Noah felt something like a small breath of autumn wind brushing against a summer day. A delicate, strange sensation.

That’s why Noah ignored his mother’s words and took a step closer to her. Then Julia slowly moved toward the bathroom.

“Mother, what is going on? Don’t tell me… Were you a magician?”

“What…?”

Julia’s words were cut off. It was because someone was knocking on the front door.

Noah ignored the knocking, but it continued steadily.

Trying to hold back his irritation, Noah opened the door. When he saw who was standing there, his eyes widened.

It wasn’t Scarlett. It wasn’t Scott either.
It was John White, looking gloomy, as he glanced between Noah and Julia.

“Are you going to leave me standing here?”

“…Please come in.”

Noah stepped aside, and John White came inside naturally, as if it were his own home. John muttered under his breath.

“The Ashford house is always a mess no matter when you come.”

It was almost a whisper, but Noah clearly heard it.

“What brings you here?”

“…”

John quietly looked at both of them, then spoke in his usual low voice.

“This boy really knows nothing at all, Julia.”

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