To the Man Destined to Kill Me - Chapter 85

Scarlett and Wilhelm walked around the market and ordered all kinds of things. The goods they packed up would be delivered by tomorrow.

Wilhelm, who came to the White mansion to see Scarlett off, worried that she might fall from the carriage, so he got off first and held out his hand to help her.

“Come in and have a cup of tea before you go.”

“It’s everyone’s break time. It might be uncomfortable if I come in.”

“No way they’d feel uncomfortable! And Teddy likes you so much.”

“Teddy, huh…”

At the mention of Teddy, Wilhelm’s eyes shook a little. Scarlett grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. Wilhelm gave in and followed her into the mansion.

Hearing the sound of the carriage, Teddy, who had been hiding to surprise Scarlett, peeked out from behind the curtain when he saw Wilhelm.

“Wil!”

“Teddy!”

Wilhelm lifted Teddy, who ran toward him, and spun him once in the air. Teddy laughed happily and clung to him like it was the most natural thing.

“Wil, Wil! Teach me how to skip stones! You promised to teach me when you came back home last time!”

“Of course. Of course. Did you practice whistling a lot?”

“Look at this!”

Teddy puckered his little lips and blew air. It was clumsy, but it made a decent sound.

Wilhelm opened his eyes wide as if Teddy had played a great performance and clapped loudly.

“Wow. That’s amazing! You practiced really hard, didn’t you?”

“Of course I did!”

“I practiced whistling all day to show you.”

“Hmph. Carly said it was noisy.”

When Teddy called Scarlett by her nickname instead of ‘Mom’, Wilhelm tilted his head.

“Carly? You should call her Mom.”

“No. Uncle Andy said you should call someone you love by their nickname. I love Mom, so I’m going to call her that!”

Saying so, Teddy buried his face into Scarlett’s skirt.

Scarlett lifted Teddy and showered his cheeks with kisses. She just couldn’t resist how adorable her son was.

“Ahh! Stop, stop!”

“Did you eat dinner?”

“Of course I did.”

The one who answered was Aaron, who had just come out from inside. He greeted Wilhelm with a bright smile.

Six years ago, Aaron had been seriously injured by Noah, but now he had fully recovered and was lively again, just like before.

Only, there was a faint scar at the back of his head where no hair grew.

“Wil. So you really are back!”

“Mari, could you bring some tea? What’s everyone doing?”

“They’re all working in their studies. There’s been too much work lately. Andrew stopped by during the day, but I guess you missed him.”

Thanks to the White brothers being so busy, Wilhelm ended up having tea with Scarlett, Teddy, and Aaron.

Teddy finished his orange juice in one gulp and swung his legs. Scarlett and Teddy argued about whether grape juice or orange juice was tastier, while the adults chatted.

“I had to come back before the project started. Once I go back to work tomorrow, I’ll be busy nonstop.”

“If you can finish this slum aid project successfully, your architecture firm will grow a lot. I’m looking for a firm to handle the casino expansion. Honestly, I’d like to give the job to you.”

“You’re expanding the casino?”

Aaron shrugged and laughed. At that moment, Teddy shouted loudly.

“Wil! Uncle Wil, are you coming over again tomorrow?”

“Teddy, Uncle Wil is busy,” Scarlett answered, and Teddy’s eyes drooped sadly. Wilhelm, feeling sorry, met Scarlett’s eyes. They could understand each other without speaking.

Scarlett gave him a small nod, telling him it was okay to say it.

“Teddy. Before, you said you wished I were your dad. Do you still feel that way?”

“Yeah. I want Uncle Wil to be my dad.”

“I’m glad, Teddy. Uh… Teddy, it looks like your mom and I are going to get married. If that happens, you’ll be my son. But even if we get married, you won’t lose your mom—”

Wilhelm couldn’t finish his words. Teddy jumped up and hugged Wilhelm’s neck.

The boy jumped with joy.

Scarlett’s face grew complicated as she watched. She realized how deprived Teddy had been of a normal family.

Wilhelm took her hand in his. Scarlett smiled with teary eyes at his comfort.

She and he would become a family. Wilhelm had even gone all the way to Hiberk to get permission to marry her.

It was on the way back to the hotel, after finishing his conversation with John, that Noah suddenly missed his childhood home.

Noah stopped his smoothly moving carriage and walked to the place where he had spent his early years alone.

Crossing a familiar street and entering a known alley, he found the house he had lived in as a boy.

It now belonged to someone else, but this was where he had been raised with his mother Julia’s deep love.

Even when times were hard, Julia’s affection never changed.

Noah stared at the old house with its lights on, then turned back the way he had come. But suddenly, Scarlett’s face came to mind again.

“Ah…”

Her flaming red hair could no longer be seen, but the fireplace she loved could still be found. Even though he told himself he shouldn’t linger, his steps led him toward the villa where he had once stayed with Scarlett.

He kept telling himself he didn’t want memories, didn’t want to cling, but he couldn’t stop.

Before he knew it, he was on the shortcut to the villa.

‘You’re crazy, Noah Ashford.’

He must have gone mad.

How long would he continue to grieve for the dead?

No, that wasn’t it. It was because he had seen John White today. John’s face hadn’t shown Scarlett’s trace, but somehow it made memories painfully vivid again.

“Stop.”

Please stop appearing before me.

He had muttered that to himself over and over, yet he jumped over the villa’s wall, climbed a tree, and landed on the balcony connected to Scarlett’s room.

Without much difficulty, he entered Scarlett’s old room.

It looked exactly as he remembered: the red carpet, the white bedsheets, the blue curtains.

The only difference was that there were no more medicine bottles on the bedside table.

‘She’s gone.’

She had vanished forever, and no amount of remembering would bring her back.

Even so, Noah touched the bed where Scarlett had once slept. It felt like he could still feel her soft skin. That night they spent together came back vividly.

Her scent, her excited voice, the love that overflowed through every part of her body.

The memory brought such pain that he squeezed his eyes shut.

Noah sprang up and fled the room. He decided to hurry back to the hotel. But then he heard loud footsteps from down the hallway.

“Ugh! Watch where you’re going!”

At the sound of voices, Noah quickly ducked back into Scarlett’s room.

It would be a disaster if anyone found out the Emperor of Natalia had trespassed into the White family’s villa.

“Even if the rooms are empty, you can’t just go drinking anywhere!”

The doorknob rattled where Noah was hiding. Then a sharp voice said,

“Not that room.”

It was a boy’s voice, not yet changed by puberty. The boy’s annoyed sigh made it clear that the room was off-limits.

“Just a bit further down and there’s the living room. And even if you get drunk, don’t go into that room.”

“Why? Whose room is it?”

“It doesn’t matter. You just can’t go in.”

“Hmph, you sure have a temper. You’re a White through and through even if your last name is Brown.”

“Yeah, I’ve got a bad temper. So what?”

White…

There was only one White boy of that age—Isaac. His last name was Brown, but his mother was Susan White.

As the voices moved toward the living room, Noah quietly slipped out of the room.

In the brightly lit living room, he could smell faint traces of alcohol and food.

“…Right. No one would guess I’m at the villa just because the hotel candles burned out.”

“Hey, Isaac. Speaking of which, where did you get the money for the booze? Didn’t your allowance get cut off? Don’t tell me you sold another vase like last time?”

“Of course not. I got in huge trouble last time because the vase turned out to be Uncle Aaron’s.”

“Oh, that scary second uncle of yours?”

“I almost died of fear. Never mess with him. He’s like a bear from all the working out he does.”

“What about your other uncles?”

“Nah. The younger uncles don’t help me either. They don’t want to fight with Mom. Especially Uncle Andrew—if you ask him for money, he gives you a three-hour lecture instead.”

“But I have a last resort.”

Noah thought about peeking at Isaac, but remembering how much he resembled Scarlett, he stopped.

He didn’t think he could stand seeing Scarlett’s shadow a second time. He tried to sneak away through the hallway.

Until he heard it.

“My aunt really loves me.”

Hearing Scarlett’s name, Noah’s feet froze.

His chest tightened.

Scarlett had loved Isaac Brown more than anyone in the world. She had shown him a love so deep it seemed unbelievable for an aunt.

“You’re still a minor. You can’t touch your inheritance yet.”

They were talking about the inheritance Scarlett had left behind.

Then a rough voice answered sharply.

“Don’t talk like she’s dead, you idiot.”

“She’s not… dead?”

“No. Everyone thinks she is, but she’s not.”

Noah felt his heart crash down.

It was like all the blood in his body stopped. His hands and feet turned cold. His breathing shook.

What was he hearing? Scarlett… was alive?

His body stiffened as he turned toward the living room.

Before he could reveal himself, Isaac explained further.

“They never corrected the obituary. She’s still alive, just not well.”

Shock spread across Noah’s face.

His heart pounded violently through his entire body. Overwhelming joy and vague fear made him tremble.

‘Scarlett…’

She was alive.

Scarlett White was alive.

‘Scarlett…’

Like a stray dog catching its master’s scent, he was ready to chase it forever.

The corner of Noah’s mouth twitched.

For the first time in six years, he felt alive.

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