To the Man Destined to Kill Me - Chapter 81

Because it was summer and the days were long, the ball started quite late. Thanks to that, Scarlett was able to get ready without rushing.

She wore a light green dress that showed her arms and decorated herself with flower-shaped jewels. She planned to wear a mask, but still put on makeup carefully.

Scarlett’s cheeks were no longer pale and bloodless. She didn’t look completely healthy, but at least she didn’t seem very sick anymore. Still, her own face felt unfamiliar to her.

The woman in the mirror was not the Scarlett White of the past. She was no longer full of irritation or waiting for death.

Now, Scarlett understood why Susan kept trying to push her to go outside. Inside the house, she was wasting away a youth that was full of life.

It’s okay.

Even so, her heart was still burning black. No, it was more like she was stuck in the gray ashes of a fire that had already burned out.

It wasn’t that she had spent all six years stuck in the same place.

She had accepted a life without Noah, and little by little, she had grown, accepting the future. Yet part of her was still trapped in the past.

It’s okay.

Everyone has memories buried deep in their heart.

After gathering her thoughts, Scarlett finished fixing her hair and got ready to leave. She picked up the silly mask Teddy had made and stepped out the front door.

And there, she spotted Isaac sneaking out from the corner of the garden wall.

“Isaac?”

Isaac grimaced when he heard a family member call out to him. But when he realized it was Scarlett, he looked a little relieved.

“Auntie, please keep it a secret that I left. Okay?”

“When will you be back?”

“I don’t know. I’ll try to come back before sunrise.”

“Susan was really angry.”

“What can I do if I hate studying?”

“In just three years, you’ll be an adult. Are you planning to spend your life playing around?”

“If I can?”

“Isaac, don’t you have any dreams?”

“Nope.”

Scarlett reached out to fix Isaac’s messy hair. These days, it seemed messy hair was a trend among teenagers, but Isaac’s hair was especially wild.

Of course, part of it was because of his curly hair, which he inherited from Scarlett.

“Argh! Stop! Auntie, stop!”

“Someday, we need to cut this hair. It’s too messy.”

“I didn’t think you’d say that. I thought at least you would understand the fashion.”

“What? What’s wrong with saying messy hair looks messy? And thanks for the mask.”

“Wait, you’re not actually going to wear that thing, are you?”

Isaac looked horrified.

“Of course I am. Isn’t that why you gave it to me?”

“I just helped Teddy because he likes making masks! I thought you’d wear a new, proper one! Oh, man. If I knew you were really going to use it, I would’ve made it better.”

“No, it’s cute enough. And thank you for playing with Teddy.”

“It’s nothing. He’s my little brother. I’m the only boy cousin around here, so of course I should play with him.”

Isaac kicked a pebble near his foot, looking a little embarrassed by Scarlett’s thanks.

At fifteen, Isaac was now tall enough that Scarlett had to look up at him. He was standing at the line between a boy and a young man. His voice had deepened after puberty, and his face had grown more masculine.

Even though he had turned into a rebellious teen who stayed out all the time, he was still very sweet to his little cousin Teddy.

Just as Scarlett had poured all the love she once received from her brothers into Isaac, Isaac was now pouring all the love he received from Scarlett into Teddy.

“Do you have any money?”

“Nope, none.”

Isaac’s eyes sparkled as he answered. He had no money because Susan had banned his allowance until he started attending school properly.

Neither Uncle Aaron nor Scott slipped him any, either. They respected Susan’s rules.

Scarlett was the only exception. As she dug through her purse, she scolded him.

“It’s fine to have fun, but don’t go anywhere dangerous—”

“And come back early?”

“If you know it, then do it.”

“I’ll try.”

When a thick wad of bills landed in his hands, Isaac smiled happily.

After watching him sneak out of the mansion, Scarlett also left, heading to the ballroom.

The massacre she had seen in her dream didn’t happen. Isaac, while a bit troublesome, was growing up healthy.

She had succeeded in changing the future. The nightmare stayed only a nightmare.

That was enough. Yes, she had to be satisfied with that.

Now, let’s go catch that wheat-blond man.

Scarlett pushed away the face that kept appearing in her mind and put on her mask.

The carriage door opened. Scarlett entered the grand ballroom, where a chandelier sparkled overhead.

Before getting out of the carriage, Noah checked once again that his hair and eyes had changed color. Today, he had ordinary brown hair and brown eyes.

Even with a mask on, it was better to be extra careful about hiding his identity. Especially if the person he needed to check today was Susan White.

I’ve changed a lot too.

When he had worked as a servant for a noble family, such a ballroom had looked amazing to him. But now, it didn’t seem like much. Balls of this size were common even in Natalia.

Noah showed his invitation, straightened his back, and entered the ballroom. His sharp eyes quickly scanned the crowd.

Tall height and red hair were the White family’s signature traits. Only one person among them was short, and she no longer existed in this world.

“Joel! Why are you so late?”

A man wearing a gold mask mistook Noah for someone else and called out to him. Noah casually pretended to be Joel.

“Ahem. I wasn’t feeling well.”

With the loud music and chatter, a slight difference in voice didn’t matter much.

“Isabella Norton is already dancing.”

“Even with the mask, you can tell? I mean, you can?”

“Look at that blonde hair. It’s obvious she’s a Norton. Don’t you remember that golden hair is their family’s mark?”

“Of course. By the way, I heard Susan White is attending too.”

“Susan White? She usually doesn’t come to parties like this. Maybe Scott White or Andrew White, but Susan? Why? You wanted to get into the Norton newspaper, didn’t you?”

“It’s nothing. I should find something to drink first. Ah, there’s the drinks table.”

Noah quickly moved away from the man and settled in a quiet corner of the ballroom. From there, he carefully observed the guests.

There were more red-haired women than he expected. But none of them had the pure, bright red hair of the White family.

“H-hello.”

A girl with loose, curly hair approached him and greeted him shyly. Noah gave a slight nod.

Her curls are even tighter than Scarlett’s.

Normally, Scarlett’s curls were soft and elegant, unless it was a rainy or humid day. She had beautiful, wavy hair that suited her perfectly.

Without realizing it, Noah drank his glass empty, thinking about Scarlett.

“Um… if you don’t mind, would you dance with me?”

From her shy voice and blushing neck, Noah could tell how much courage it took for her to ask.

“I’m sorry, but I’m waiting for someone.”

“Oh… excuse me.”

The girl ran away quickly.

Noah got a new drink and made a round of the ballroom. Still, there was no sign of Susan White.

Then he heard whispers.

“Look at that woman! Oh my, what is that mask?”

“Even if your face is hidden, you shouldn’t wear something that silly. It’s embarrassing.”

Noah turned to look.

There was a woman dancing in the middle of the floor, wearing a mask that looked like a child had made it.

She twirled and spun, her dress puffing up like an upside-down tulip.

But what caught Noah’s eyes wasn’t the fancy dress or her slim waist.

Scarlett?

Noah didn’t even notice he stopped breathing.

Every time the woman stepped, her bright red hair flew in the air. The slight waves, the pale, white skin—it was unmistakably Scarlett.

“Scarlett…”

He rubbed his eyes. Even with a mask, he could tell. The slim figure, the unique hair, the sharp shoulders, the graceful neck… everything was Scarlett.

Like a child crying after losing its mother at a market, he unknowingly whispered her name.

Just then, the music ended. She left the dance floor, disappearing into the crowd.

“No…!”

Noah hurried after her. Pushing through the crowd like a hunting dog, he chased her.

He didn’t even blink, afraid to lose sight of her.

Scarlett. Scarlett.

His stomach tingled. All his anger and complicated feelings disappeared. Only the instinct to see her remained.

Even though he rushed after her, the crowd was too much. He lost her.

His heart pounded fiercely. Fear, like the end of the world, rose up in his throat.

He wanted to scream for her, use magic to throw everyone aside.

Then, he spotted her again, like finding a shadow brushing past.

“Ahh…”

A sob escaped him.

She was standing on the balcony, looking down at the garden. Noah was pulled toward her like a magnet.

Through the glass window, he saw her clearly. Up close, she looked even more like Scarlett.

Her posture, her body shape—anyone would think it was her.

His heart thudded painfully. His hands trembled. It felt like someone had hit him hard on the head.

How… how is this happening?

Noah panted like a wild animal.

A storm of emotions tore through him. In the end, only one remained—overwhelming joy. In that flood of feelings, he called out to her.

“S-ca…”

But Noah clamped his mouth shut. He bit down hard and stepped back. Even then, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

He shook his head.

I must have gone crazy. Get it together. That’s not Scarlett. She’s dead.

Even in Natalia, even here in Wifland where she was buried, he still wandered, chasing her shadow…

Noah hated himself for always thinking about Scarlett. For mistaking anyone who resembled her for someone who had come back to life.

He hated himself so much he ground his teeth.

He finished the champagne in his glass in one gulp and left the party without looking back.

Six years.

Noah was still living inside the nightmare called Scarlett White.

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