To the Man Destined to Kill Me - Chapter 49
“Isaac, let’s go to Auntie’s room. You can walk, right?”
“Auntie, is your heart hurting again?”
“No, it’s because my little piggy is too heavy. You’ve grown too big for Auntie to carry now.”
Isaac and Scarlett looked more alike than Noah had imagined.
Both had curly red hair, the same gray eyes, and skinny bodies. But it wasn’t just that. Their sharp eyes, stubborn lips, pointed noses, and even the overall image they gave off were very similar.
“But Auntie, I want to play with that man.”
“Theo is busy and has to leave now.”
“But we can’t play tag just the two of us.”
“You want to play tag?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you have lunch?”
“Marie gave me some cookies earlier.”
“That’s not a meal.”
“Aww, Auntie, you sound just like Mom.”
Scarlett asked the sulking Isaac,
“Did you get scolded by your mom?”
“How did you know?”
“You went into the study and scribbled on the papers again, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. Mom just looks at papers all day.”
“Right. That’s Susan’s fault. But you know you shouldn’t draw on papers, right?”
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s good. I’m going to count to 100. Go hide quickly. 100! 99!”
“Ahhh!”
Laughing, Isaac ran off to hide. As soon as he disappeared from sight, Scarlett stumbled and clutched her chest.
“Scarlett!”
Even though it was just her nephew, she didn’t want to show her pain in front of him. It hurt Noah to see her weak body and deep love. More than anything, Scarlett was wary of him.
“I’ll go up.”
Noah went back to his small room at the very top of the villa. But when he opened the door, he couldn’t hide his surprise. Isaac was hiding there.
“Mister, what’s your relationship with my aunt?”
“…We’re friends.”
“My aunt doesn’t have any friends. Mom worried so much because of that. And if you were just friends, you wouldn’t be staying in this room.”
“This isn’t my room…”
“All the guest rooms downstairs are empty. You’re Noah Ashford, right?”
Even though he spoke childishly, what Isaac said was sharp.
“You know me?”
“I heard the adults talking. They said you live in Auntie’s villa. If you’re Noah Ashford, why did you lie and say you’re Theo Grisham?”
“That’s my name too.”
“You have two names?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s cool.”
“Are you hiding here?”
“Auntie always checks the curtains and closets.”
Noah carefully asked a question.
“Do you like your aunt?”
“Of course. Mister, do you like my aunt?”
“…Would you like it if I did?”
“Just don’t take Auntie away from me.”
“I won’t.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“But when I’m not around, Auntie doesn’t get sick, right?”
“Scarlett’s okay.”
“That’s a lie. Auntie won’t live long.”
Isaac sadly buried his face between his knees.
“Someday, Auntie will follow Dad.”
Noah knew that Isaac didn’t have a father. He had heard he died when Isaac was still in the womb.
“Everyone says so. It’s a miracle Auntie has lived this long.”
“That’s just because people don’t know everything.”
“That’s a lie… They said Dad would be able to see me born too, but I’ve never even seen his face.”
“Do you miss your dad?”
“I do. But I shouldn’t. Because it makes Mom and Auntie sad.”
“Auntie?”
“Mister, you’re close with Auntie, right?”
“Well… sort of.”
“My Auntie says I’m the saddest kid in the world. She always worries about me. But I worry about her too…”
Scarlett probably pitied Isaac because, like her, he didn’t have a father. She often missed her parents.
She must have seen her own childhood self in this young boy — the young Scarlett White.
“Why do you think Auntie is sad?”
“Because she doesn’t have her mom and dad either. I’m healthy, but Auntie is always sick and only worries about me. I wish Auntie could stay by my side forever, without going away like Dad.”
Noah saw Scarlett in Isaac’s sad little face. Her small, fragile shoulders and sorrowful voice — they were alike. Especially the look in their eyes when they thought about death.
“No. Scarlett’s not going anywhere.”
“I want to play hide and seek with Auntie every day and ride horses together.”
Noah gently hugged the lonely boy.
At that moment, the door opened and bright light poured in. Noah squinted his eyes shut. Then came a scream.
“Isaac! Come out right now!”
It wasn’t Scarlett’s voice. A short-haired woman rushed in and pulled Isaac out of Noah’s arms. Susan dusted off Isaac’s clothes while glaring sharply at Noah.
“Mom?”
“Out of all the rooms, why this one? Let’s go.”
Susan grabbed Isaac’s hand and walked out. Behind her, Scarlett appeared.
Scarlett seemed more upset that Isaac and Noah had been together than that Noah had been roughly treated. She fidgeted nervously.
“Croissant, let’s play hide and seek next time.”
“When’s next time?”
“Next time…”
Scarlett kept glancing nervously at Susan’s stiff, cold face.
Susan wasn’t someone to take things lightly. It was hard to guess what she was thinking after seeing Isaac with Noah. After going downstairs and seeing Noah gone, Susan finally spoke.
“Isaac, go play in the playroom on the first floor. I need to talk with Auntie.”
“Okay.”
Once Isaac disappeared, Susan immediately spoke.
“I can’t understand you. I know what you’re thinking, but I can’t accept it.”
“Don’t try to understand. I’m not asking you to.”
“Are you playing house? If that’s what this is, Noah Ashford is the most unnecessary piece.”
“Please! Let’s not talk about this. I’m sick of it. Just be happy with Isaac.”
“Is that revenge you once talked about even working?”
“Don’t mock me! Let’s stop here. I don’t want to convince you or get your approval.”
“If you knew how our family broke apart, you wouldn’t call it forgiveness.”
Scarlett looked down, knowing Susan had a point.
“……”
“Stay away from him. Let me handle it. I can destroy him.”
“Don’t. I told you not to do anything, Susan!”
“We were so happy! Because of that woman and her son, Aaron kept running away, Scott became insane, and Andrew had a terrible teenage phase! And me, what about me!”
Scarlett’s eyes filled with tears, but she didn’t blink. She had no intention of giving up.
“I don’t know. I don’t know anything! Because I never saw that happy home you’re talking about. I never saw Aaron staying home. Scott was always crazy to me. Andy was already past his teenage years. Don’t push your nostalgia on me. I’ll deal with what happened with Mom and Dad my own way.”
Susan tried to hug Scarlett, but Scarlett stepped back and refused her.
“How can I know about before the loss when I was born after it? I don’t even understand what I lost. I don’t know what a healthy body feels like, what a happy family is, or even what a father’s love is.”
“I’m sorry. Scarlett, I’m so sorry. I made a mistake.”
“Enough. I’m tired of fighting with you. Just leave.”
“Carly…”
Scarlett wiped her tears and said firmly,
“Go. If you stay longer, I feel like I’ll have a breakdown.”
“…Alright. Take your medicine and rest well.”
Scarlett watched from the window as Susan left. Noah appeared behind her — he had heard everything.
Scarlett walked past him without looking. Noah couldn’t stop her. Because simply existing made him guilty. He had no right.
As soon as Scarlett entered her room, she locked the door and grabbed her sleeping pills. Sleep was the best cure, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep because of her miserable feelings. Even though the medicine should have worked, she took a few more.
“So annoying…”
Scarlett lay back, letting the late effect of the pills take over. She heard Noah’s voice in her half-sleep.
“Scarlett! Wake up! Scarlett!”
No. I want to sleep more.
“Marie! Call a doctor!”
So noisy. Be quiet.
“…I’m sorry… It’s all my fault…”
I hate you. But don’t hate yourself.
Scarlett knew well how painful it was. It was the loneliest, most painful loneliness in the world. Like falling endlessly into a dark pit where no light ever reached.
She knew it because she once thought her own existence might have killed her mother. That’s why she wanted to reach out and touch Noah’s cheek. To show him both her hate and her comfort.
“Don’t cry.”
But her lips wouldn’t move. Her eyelids were heavy, her body limp. She sank back into sleep.
Scarlett finally woke up on the third day after falling asleep.
“Ugh…”
Her whole body was sore. She twisted her body and opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Noah.
“…Noah,”
Why are you here beside me?
Noah sat on the floor, leaning against her bed, sleeping. He looked so tired she couldn’t bring herself to wake him.
“Ah.”
In the sunlight, Noah looked unbearably beautiful. His skin, once darkened, had turned back to a soft, pale white. His smooth blond hair shone brightly. His long eyelashes and delicate facial lines gave him a noble look. Scarlett, almost hypnotized, cupped his cheek.
‘If not you, then who could save me?’
That was the truth.
Only Noah’s love for her could reassure her, calm her fears. As long as he loved her, he would never kill her.
But when she saw the jealousy in Noah’s eyes whenever Wilhelm was mentioned, she felt both love and a bitter fear — fear that maybe one day he would abandon and destroy her.
‘Only you can save me.’
At that moment, Noah’s long hand covered hers.
Those clear blue eyes, like the sky and sea, looked only at her. Noah pulled Scarlett’s hand toward him and kissed her palm.
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