You Said You Wanted Us to Break Up - Chapter 59

Iswen brought the child to me and said bluntly,

“Keep her as your maid.”

The girl I met again was clean and tidy, and she had gained some weight since we last saw each other.

However, she didn’t remember anything from her life before we met.

Not even her own name.

Thus, it became my task to give her a name.

“I’ll call you Apple.”

The name I chose, reflecting the taste of a ten-year-old, had a simple meaning.

“Apple is my favorite fruit, and your hair is a beautiful color, just like a ripe apple.”

Looking around, I noticed many names derived from flowers, like Iris or Lilian, which influenced my choice. At that time, I thought flowers and fruits were all colorful and fragrant, so they seemed similar to me.

Later on, I realized that Iris, Lilian, and Apple had quite different vibes.

However, Apple refused my suggestion to choose another pretty name. She said she liked the name Apple.

Thus, the girl I met on the street became Apple.

Recalling the only soft moments in my past stained by my father and brothers warmed my heart.

I confessed to Apple, who was walking alongside me.

“I first heard the word fairy from you in my life.”

“I don’t even know why I said that back then.”

She smiled softly.

“It’s true that you looked like a fairy, but I don’t know how I thought to approach you so boldly.”

I knew better than anyone how ordinary I was at ten, yet Apple said it without a hint of hesitation.

I felt a strange flutter of emotions.

“Didn’t you say your sister told you to find a fairy?”

It was such an unexpected statement that I remembered every word.

However, Apple, who had said that, couldn’t recall anything about her sister.

Since taking Apple as my maid, I had even asked Iswen to help me look into her family, but there were no leads.

From her appearance when we met and the villagers’ accounts of a child wandering around the area for days, I concluded that Apple was an orphan.

But if we tried again, maybe we could find different results. I said to Apple, who was matching my pace,

“If we return to the south, let’s look into your family again.”

Sioden had told me that if I wanted, he would let me stay in the north, but if things turned dire, I might have to go back to the south.

There must be a reason why Demian came all the way to the north.

Even if he pretended to be kind to me now, once he realized things weren’t going his way, he would show his true colors.

I didn’t know how far Demian would go, but it was clear he would leverage the power of the family.

By that time, even if Sioden offered to help, I shouldn’t accept it. Otherwise, I would attract resentment from those around me for complicating matters that could have been handled by just enduring on my own.

I didn’t want to burden Apple with such grim realities, so I forced a bright tone to conclude the topic.

“If we can’t go, we can send someone to look for them again.”

Apple replied calmly.

“Yes. But you don’t have to go out of your way for me. I already have you, Miss.”

* * *

In the capital, the Rowen estate, the study that had been passed down to the Rowen Duke for generations.

Next to a mahogany desk stood an elegant cane. It was an item that didn’t suit a man who had recently been among the best in the capital.

However, Iswen picked up the cane with familiarity. Ever since one of his legs had stiffened, he could no longer walk without it.

Sometimes, he would forget that he wasn’t the same as before and would take a step, but each time, the pain that surged through him reminded him of reality.

Limping towards a bookshelf in the corner of the study, he pulled out a book.

When he opened the seemingly ordinary hardcover, a small portrait inside was revealed. It was the only portrait of a woman who was no longer in this world.

Iswen held it up. A woman with bright blonde hair like autumn sunlight and pale green eyes smiled at him.

‘Is, you must take good care of your siblings.’

Do you understand? The memory of the woman whispering and kissing his forehead was still vivid.

As he gazed down at his stepmother’s portrait for a moment, someone knocked on his door.

“A letter has arrived from Raslet.”

This was what he had been waiting for. After the rebellion had successfully concluded, Iswen had requested news about his siblings from the Duke of Raslet.

His eyes and ears had been cut off by Sioden Raslet, so he had been without news for a while, and he wanted to fill that gap before meeting Iella.

Demian had left for the north, saying he was going crazy waiting for a reply. However, Iswen had no choice but to stay in the capital.

Unlike his brother, whose loss of one eye was publicly known, his own condition was a closely guarded secret, and one of them had to remain in place.

Rowen was now where Iella would return. He couldn’t afford to manage it carelessly.

Iswen limped toward the entrance of the study. The steward waiting outside handed him the letter and said,

“Since it’s right after the rebellion, inspections have intensified, so it seems to be a bit delayed.”

Iswen nodded and gestured. The steward discreetly closed the door and stepped back.

For a moment, Iswen looked down at the envelope sealed with the northern insignia, then used a letter opener to break the wax. As he unfolded the paper inside, he skimmed through the formal greeting.

[-I apologize for the delay in the letter.]

Below that, there was a brief note about his sister’s situation. Iswen scanned the neat handwriting that seemed unbefitting of a man who wielded a sword.

Eventually, his expression twisted as he reached a certain passage.

* * *

I was just about to return to my room after a short walk with Apple.

Aside from the occasional knights we encountered, the corridor was quiet when I heard footsteps approaching.

Turning around, I saw a tall man holding a lantern standing behind us. It was Sioden, dressed lightly.

“Iella.”

As Sioden called my name, he approached. His voice was soft enough to feel more like concern than reprimand.

“Why aren’t you sleeping at this hour?”

“I went out for a walk.”

After answering, I fell silent as I had nothing more to say.

Sioden seemed to interpret my silence as a question. He added after a brief pause,

“I’m in the same situation.”

Just as the stillness began to settle again, making even our breaths audible, Sioden asked me,

“Shall we walk for a moment?”

It was another way of inviting me to stroll together.

In reality, Apple and I were about to return to our room, but I hesitated to refuse his request.

After all, Sioden had been very considerate of my comfort until now. Refusing such a simple request felt too inconsiderate.

Still, I felt it wouldn’t be good for Sioden to notice Apple too much, so I spoke to her, who was watching the situation from my side.

“Why don’t you head back first?”

Apple clearly didn’t want to leave, but she didn’t question my words. When it was just the two of us, she would assert herself, but in front of others, she refrained from pushing back. She didn’t want to undermine my dignity in front of others.

After Apple disappeared around the corner of the corridor, Sioden extended his hand to me. He was dressed lightly overall and was bare-handed. I had come out bundled up in fur and gloves, thanks to Apple’s careful preparations.

From a purely Raslet perspective, it was I who was being overly cautious.

People who grew up here wouldn’t worry about catching a cold while wandering around the castle in light clothing.

I took his hand, and we walked in silence for a while. The tapestries hanging on the walls of the corridor occasionally caught my eye. I wondered if one of them was the one Aiden had sent. That thought suddenly crossed my mind.

Sioden must have been the one to handle the tapestries. I lacked the ability to deal with incidents tangled in political positions.

As I briefly considered the whereabouts of the tapestries I hadn’t thought about for years, Sioden asked,

“How are you feeling?”

“Pardon?”

“I was worried that Lord Rowen might have upset you.”

Worried?

That felt like a somewhat unfamiliar emotion for him to express toward me.

However, instead of contradicting his assertion, I shook my head.

“That didn’t happen.”

It wasn’t a lie to avoid an uncomfortable conversation; today, Demian truly felt different from the one I knew. It seemed he was making an effort to hold back his anger, and his tone was strangely soft-spoken. Of course, the things he said were still surprising, just as they had always been…

‘Just… let’s go back to the south…’

Before I could finish my sentence, I felt there was no need to discuss an unresolved topic with Sioden.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Sioden didn’t press further. However, I could tell he wasn’t particularly pleased with the topic just by the slight tension in the hand that held mine.

How long did the silence last? Finally, Sioden spoke in a subdued voice.

“…I’m sorry for being late that day.”

His words were vague, perhaps to avoid unnecessary provocation, but it was obvious what he was referring to.

The day that left an indelible mark on my back.

But what happened that day wasn’t Sioden’s fault.

“It’s fine.”

“That’s not something you should say…”

I could sense what Sioden was trying to say. He meant that since he was at fault, I shouldn’t just brush it off.

As I shook my head before he could repeat the words I never understood, I said, “I’d prefer if we didn’t mention that day again.”

I knew Sioden didn’t have bad intentions, but I really didn’t want to think about it.

What happened to me wasn’t his fault.

We just didn’t match. The situation, the timing, the feelings—everything was different, causing us to miss each other at crucial moments.

I couldn’t understand why Sioden denied that fact and tried to take all the blame upon himself, but I didn’t want to shift all the responsibility onto him either.

“I was being short-sighted.”

Silence fell again.

Just as I was about to cautiously suggest we stop the walk and return to our rooms, Sioden suddenly said,

“I have something to show you.”

He pulled my hand. His grip was strong enough that I could have resisted, but I willingly followed him.

Sioden went to the front of a room I had never seen before and pushed the door open before I could say anything.

The unlocked door opened easily.

Behind the open door, a room bathed in bright, white moonlight was revealed.

In the center of the room was a beautiful instrument that seemed to suggest the purpose of the space.

It was a finely crafted, large keyboard instrument, something not easily seen in the underdeveloped northern region where concert performances were rare.

It was the organ of the former duchess.