Chapter 23: A Woman Like Me?
Classie was flustered. Wasn’t it too soon to be talking about marriage? They’d only met a few times—was he already proposing?
Besides, if a marriage discussion were to proceed properly, it wasn’t something the people involved directly talked about. Even if the couple had feelings for each other, marriage talks had to take place between their guardians.
‘I may be the one looking after Merran, but I’m not her legal guardian. If Merran wants to get married, she needs her eldest brother-in-law’s permission. What family is Dernick from again?’
Various practical concerns quickly passed through Classie’s mind.
‘My situation is unique, so as long as he’s from a family of similar standing, my parents won’t make a fuss. But the problem is the other side. Merran’s not like me. She’s the eldest daughter of my eldest brother-in-law. She’ll inherit a title one day. There’s no way he’ll just approve of a man just because Merran loves him.’
Classie cautiously asked, so as not to startle Merran,
“Did Sir Dernick propose to you?”
Merran shyly nudged Classie’s arm.
“Of course not—already? No way.”
Classie was still confused.
“Then what do you mean by marriage talk?”
Merran spun around, clasped her hands behind her back, and walked lightly down the hallway.
“The keepsake Sir Dernick was looking for wasn’t here. He was really disappointed. So I told him I’d invite him again when I go back to my hometown. I said I’d invite him both to my family home and the Kalashi estate. And do you know what he said?”
As Merran turned her head, her cheeks were flushed a rosy pink. She skipped over excitedly and grabbed Classie’s hands.
“He said this: ‘You’re inviting me to both your father’s and mother’s homes… It almost feels like we’re getting married.’ Just like that! And he smiled! So! Incredibly! Sweetly!”
Merran bounced in place, beaming. It was nothing like when she would approach men she didn’t even like just to keep them away from Classie. Now, she was genuinely happy.
Classie sighed. She really does like Dernick. This time, it’s for real. She’s doing all this because she truly likes him.
From an outsider’s perspective, Dernick’s comment was obviously a joke. But Merran was so excited over a single joke.
Classie frowned. Dernick seems way too much like a playboy.
* * *
At that same time, while Classie and Merran were lost in their own thoughts over dinner, Kishin and Dernick were also sharing a meal.
The two weren’t the same age, but they’d been close since childhood. The longest they had ever been apart was a few months when Dernick was thirteen.
That also happened to be the time when their paths diverged completely. That year, Dernick met the benefactor who would become his lifelong guiding star, and Kishin received an honor stained with tears.
“So in the end, I couldn’t find Sister Mary’s keepsake.”
Dernick, who had been chattering on his own, finally finished his story with a sigh just as their meal was ending.
Kishin had said almost nothing the entire time, only replying at the end with, “Yeah.”
“Well, at least she said she’d invite me to her family’s home later. Maybe I’ll find it then.”
Dernick muttered sullenly as he stared at his now-clean plate, then suddenly smiled and asked,
“Enough about me. What about you? How was your day? I heard you’re working on a fun case? Something about a famous theatre actor possibly being a spy. Is it true?”
Kishin furrowed his brows.
“That’s a classified investigation. How do you know about it?”
“My uncle told me.”
Dernick’s shameless reply made Kishin shake his head in disbelief. Dernick, now delighted, lightly tapped Kishin’s foot with the tip of his shoe.
“Seeing how annoyed you are, it must be true. So who’s the actor? Someone I know?”
If Dernick wanted to, it wouldn’t be hard for him to dig up the investigation results. But Kishin didn’t want to share the investigation with him, so he changed the subject.
“I ran into Lady Classie at the grand theater.”
At once, Dernick took the bait.
“Oh yeah?”
Kishin set down his knife and studied the surprised look on Dernick’s face.
“Didn’t you say you had plans with her? She said she invited you over to her house.”
Dernick scratched his head and gave an awkward laugh.
“I thought so too, but when I got there, only Lady Mary’s daughter was home. Miss Weapons Dealer had gone out.”
Kishin had brought up Classie to divert Dernick’s attention. But now that they were actually talking about her, the embers of anger that had cooled earlier began to flare up again.
Dernick noticed the shift in Kishin’s expression and, getting excited, asked,
“What happened? Did you two fight or something? You don’t look too happy.”
“She was getting along quite well with another man.”
Kishin replied coldly. Dernick’s eyes widened.
“Another man? Who? Is it someone we know?”
Kishin knew who the man was. Dernick probably did too. That man’s family had once been the subject of a large-scale investigation over a dark magic incident.
But Kishin didn’t go into that. This wasn’t about that. This was just a story about a flirtatious lady.
“I only saw his back, so I’m not sure. Anyway… she’s just too much of a flirt. One minute she says she likes me, then she says she likes you, and now she’s cozying up to some other guy.”
The more Kishin spoke, the heavier his mood became. The first woman who had ever truly shaken him… turned out to be a flirt.
But the more down Kishin looked, the more amused Dernick became. Laughing gleefully, he clutched his stomach and asked,
“Are you upset because a woman who liked you went on a date with another man, Kishin? But you and the weapons dealer lady aren’t even dating, are you?”
“You and Lady Classie must get along well.”
“Why? Does Lady Classie talk the same way I do?”
“She asked me if she’s supposed to love only me forever just because she likes me. So I asked if her feelings changed too quickly, and she said, whether you regret a day or regret a month—what’s the difference?”
The more Kishin spoke, the more Dernick’s mouth hung open in surprise. When Kishin finished, a bitter feeling swelled inside him, and he downed his wine in one go.
But when he set his glass down, he noticed that Dernick’s expression looked stranger than usual. He seemed overly excited—almost alarmingly so.
“What is it?”
Suspicious of his behavior, Kishin asked, and Dernick grinned brightly and said:
“Listening to you, it seems like Lady Classie and I have similar values.”
“…You mean flirtatious values?”
“Maybe the world calls it that. But we’re not flirts. It’s not like we love multiple people at once. We just move on quickly, that’s all!”
Kishin believed one true love for a lifetime was enough. He considered Dernick a good friend, but he couldn’t understand his worldview. Kishin shook his head.
Dernick chuckled and asked,
“Kishin, do you still have feelings for Lady Classie?”
Irritated, Kishin immediately replied:
“Not at all.”
He wasn’t interested in romance. Maybe he’d never fall in love in his whole life.
But if he ever did love someone, he hoped it would be sincere and eternal. A love where both only had eyes for each other, never straying. He wanted nothing to do with flirts.
Still grinning, Dernick asked:
“Then… would it be alright if I tried courting Lady Classie?”
Kishin’s mood darkened even further as he asked,
“I thought you were interested in Lady Merran.”
Dernick recoiled dramatically, as if disgusted.
“What are you talking about? Lady Mary’s daughter is the child of someone who saved me, so I’m just being nice to her. I have no interest in innocent young ladies. Romance is only fun when it’s with someone like Lady Classie—someone who argues back.”
After drawing a clear line, Dernick looked at Kishin as if asking for permission. Kishin silently fidgeted with his empty wine glass.
Of course he had no interest in Classie Kalashi. Flirts like her were unbearable. There was no chance of anything between them.
“Kishin, why won’t you give me an answer? You need to say you’re not interested in her so I can approach her without worry.”
After a long silence, Kishin stood up and answered coldly,
“Why ask for my permission? It’s not like Lady Kalashi and I are married. We’re both adults. Do as you please.”
* * *
Snow continued to fall for several days. As the weather turned colder, Classie didn’t step outside and stayed holed up in a warm room, lazing around.
Even though Merran seemed to be out and about as usual despite the cold, Classie didn’t want to put her precious body through that kind of suffering.
Florence, a friend who had sent Classie multiple invitations, couldn’t take it anymore and came over herself, pinching Classie’s cheek.
“You lazy thing. Is it really that much trouble to walk next door?”
“My body feels heavier every day…”
“You were like this as a kid too! What kind of excuse is that?”
Florence dragged Classie out of bed and forced her into outdoor clothes. Reluctantly, Classie rode Florence’s carriage to the town square.
The square had turned completely white. The snow from the past few days hadn’t melted, and there were snowmen everywhere. Children screamed with joy as they ran around.
Seeing the lively atmosphere finally lifted Classie’s spirits. Florence pulled her out of the carriage.
Once she was outside, Classie got excited too. The two of them rented skates and headed to the frozen rink.
As they skated around cheerfully, Classie kept catching glimpses of Dernick out of the corner of her eye. Holding Florence’s hand, she kept glancing around.
“Looking for me?”
A voice brushed past her from behind at that moment. Surprised, Classie let go of Florence and turned around—almost slipping.
As she stumbled backward, a firm hand caught her.
It was Dernick.
* * *
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