To the Man Destined to Kill Me - Chapter 82

Scarlett, who had been catching her breath on the balcony, suddenly turned around at a strange feeling.

She tilted her head, feeling her heart pounding hard. She looked around, but nothing seemed unusual.

‘What is it?’

She looked around once more. Her heart felt like it would be swallowed by a sadness that came without reason.

‘Maybe it’s because it’s been so long since I went outside.’

It had been six whole years. Scarlett decided to admit that she had been living too closed off.

She tried to go back to the ballroom, but her path was blocked by a man who had just entered.

“Hello. I guess you came alone.”

Through his sleek mask, Scarlett could see the man’s soft brown hair. She gently smiled as he spoke kindly.

“Isn’t it hot out here on the balcony?”

“I don’t feel the heat much. The sound of the insects is nice. Would you like to come listen?”

As Scarlett slightly twisted her body, the man came closer beside her. His steps showed no hesitation.

She stole a glance at his light brown hair. His well-kept, silky hair was like a golden wheat field in the fall and caught her eyes.

“You like things like this? Most women scream when it comes to bugs.”

“I don’t like bugs either. I just like the sound.”

“Don’t you dance? Inside, they’re playing the latest popular song.”

“Well. I don’t like that song. The rhythm is too fast, it makes me short of breath. I prefer slow dance songs.”

Scarlett thought of the time she taught Teddy to dance. Back then, healthy and full of energy, Teddy treated learning to dance like a game, laughing and moving nonstop.

“What are you thinking about?”

“My partner.”

“My, what kind of partner would stand up someone as lovely as you?”

“Did you come alone?”

“Hmm. I followed my partner here, but I can’t seem to find them. Maybe because everyone’s wearing masks.”

The man, pretending to look around, grinned and leaned a little closer to Scarlett. She smiled softly at his behavior and leaned her face toward him.

“I wonder what mistake they made to let go of someone like you.”

“Who knows. My trip was delayed, but… I can only hope they haven’t forgotten me.”

“They probably did. Leaving a lover behind and going on a trip is pretty heartless. Especially when it’s a long three-month trip.”

“Uh…”

The man awkwardly smiled, rolling his eyes. Then he placed his hands on Scarlett’s shoulders, almost trapping her inside his arms. Scarlett spoke in a bored tone.

“You’re late, Wilhelm Hoffman. When did you arrive in Wifland?”

“Early this morning. I stopped by your house to see you, and they said you came to the ball. I wanted to see your face and didn’t want to leave you alone, so I rushed over.”

“We missed each other.”

“Yeah, you could say that. By the way, your mask looks great.”

“Great?”

She took off her mask and handed it to Wilhelm to see up close.

“Yeah, it’s great. A little strange… but it has its own charm.”

Scarlett, smiling warmly, looked like a woman deeply in love. Her face radiated a sweet aura and a calmness she never had before.

There was a sense of long-time comfort between Scarlett, who playfully tapped Wilhelm’s arm, and Wilhelm, who gladly accepted it.

“Isaac and Teddy made it.”

“I thought so. Let’s see. Teddy seems to have a talent for art, but Isaac… not so much.”

“Teddy got his talent from me. Isaac takes after Chris. Chris was terrible at art. I still remember when he promised to draw a teddy bear and ended up drawing a golden snowman instead.”

Puhaha.

Wilhelm burst out laughing at Scarlett’s old story. Enjoying his reaction, Scarlett snuggled into his arms and chattered on about many things.

Most were trivial events that happened while Wilhelm was away. Like Susan pulling her hair out over Isaac’s report card, or Scott losing a lot of money at Aaron’s casino.

Wilhelm played with Scarlett’s hair while listening, then checked the time and said,

“Let’s go. It’s getting late.”

“Oh no. I told Scott I was going to catch a man with wheat-like hair.”

“My hair is like a wheat field too. So you caught your fish?”

“Will you let me catch you?”

“Of course. I was already your fish a long time ago.”

“My, yet you came back two weeks later than planned?”

“That’s…”

Scarlett buried herself in Wilhelm’s arms as he struggled to answer. Reflexively, Wilhelm hugged her tightly.

“I understand. You hadn’t seen your family in a long time. I wouldn’t have minded if you stayed another month.”

“But I missed you too much.”

Wilhelm pressed a kiss onto Scarlett’s forehead. She laughed and grabbed his hand.

“Let’s go. I’m tired.”

“Alright.”

They put their masks back on and prepared to leave. It was another happy day, just like always. For now.

***

Noah quickly left the banquet hall, searching for his carriage. His hurried steps looked like someone running away.

But his pale neck and clenched fists showed just how desperate he was. He easily found the carriage he had arrived in.

The coachman, chatting idly with others, jumped up in surprise when he saw Noah come out so early and quickly prepared to leave.

“Quick, let’s go.”

Noah urged as he pulled off his mask. Then, seeing something through the window, his face froze.

It felt like time stopped. His heartbeat, his frowning face, even his mouth that had been telling the coachman to hurry — everything stopped.

Across from him was a carriage Scarlett often used. It wasn’t a mistake caused by similar carriages. He remembered clearly — he had once been kidnapped in that carriage with Scarlett.

“Ah…”

It felt like his heart dropped. Tears welled up instantly.

Trembling like a sick man, Noah’s body shook as he barely held back the tears.

“Scarlett…”

How could someone have nightmares even when awake? His nightmare never ended.

Noah clutched his chest and sobbed. But he quickly wiped his tears. He didn’t want to lose himself twice in one night for his dead lover.

‘Susan White must be here.’

Susan White hadn’t left yet. Noah opened his bloodshot eyes wide and took a deep breath. He hadn’t come to Wifland to live in the shadow of the dead — he had come for revenge.

Noah pulled his mask back over his face. He stopped the coachman and got out of the carriage again.

Before a predator hunts its prey, it hides in the bushes, waiting for the right time. Noah was a predator. A hungry predator.

He wanted to tear into their skin and feast on their flesh. His thirst for blood was unbearable. His sharpened nerves were ready to strike at any moment.

‘Susan White and Scarlett are sisters. It makes sense they look alike.’

Thinking calmly, he felt ashamed of how he had just fled.

Noah went back to the balcony where he had been before. He carefully moved the curtain aside and peeked inside. But—

“Ha.”

The woman who looked like Scarlett, probably Susan White, was already gone.

His body lost all strength. He couldn’t even sigh. He felt so empty, like a fool for coming back in such a hurry.

After circling the ballroom a couple of times, Noah finally went outside to catch a carriage. From a distance, he saw Scarlett’s carriage rolling away.

His face twisted in agony. Through the open carriage window, he caught a glimpse of red hair. His lips curled in anger. Boiling frustration surged inside him.

‘Forget her already.’

Scarlett had been dead for six years. And yet, he was still living in her shadow. How ridiculous.

‘Six years…’

He had fought desperately to forget her. He had even gone to war with the Mage Alliance, thinking maybe the battlefield would make him forget.

But there, he faced endless pain like Scarlett must have endured. The constant threat of death helped him understand how she must have felt fighting her illness. It only made him suffer more.

The ghost of the dead and his own regrets kept him tied to her. Even when he tried to let go, she would not leave him.

‘If it were that easy, I wouldn’t still be like this.’

There were many women in the world, but only Scarlett had saved him from hell.

She was the one and only woman he had loved. How could he forget her?

Even Noah himself doubted he could ever forget Scarlett. He didn’t want to forget.

How much time had they even spent together? Only a fleeting season. They had so few memories, yet those few memories hurt even more.

When he finally arrived at the hotel, sorting through his heavy heart, Peter came out to greet him. Peter could see from Noah’s face that he wasn’t satisfied.

“Try to find the grave. Search every nameless grave in the suburbs and even the ones secretly hidden by the White family. We might find something.”

“You should let it go.”

“Do you really think that’s possible?”

Peter sighed deeply under Noah’s gaze.

He had watched Noah closely for a long time. Noah missed Scarlett so much that Peter could gather everything about a woman he had never even met.

“We might not find it. Maybe she was cremated…”

“I know. Still, look for it.”

Maybe, just maybe, if he visited her grave, his insomnia would finally ease.

At Noah’s added words, Peter had no choice but to nod and promise to do his best.

What is love that it makes people so desperate?
Peter left with that thought.

Left alone, Noah pressed his eyes hard with his hands. When he closed his eyes, he could still see Scarlett’s red hair shimmering under his eyelids.

Her scent, her slightly cool skin, her thin voice, her way of speaking… Everything about her tormented him.

“You’re so cruel.”

Would she know? That just as he had been her nightmare, she had also become his?

“I’ve never seen someone so selfish.”

Oh, my heartless love. You, who cruelly left me behind.

She would never know. He even loved this nightmare.

He did not want to wake from this dream — because if he did, he knew he would lose her forever.

So tonight again, he would stay awake, just to keep remembering her.

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