Ch. 235 I Wish You All The Best (2)
“…Young Lady.”
“If you have any feelings for me at all, please be brave this time. Please.”
At this moment, Kuhn once again realized how much he was really loved by Mirabelle. He never dreamed of receiving such a pure affection from anyone. It was true that he had taken her heart lightly, but for the first time, he considered that she really would sacrifice everything she had for him.
The pain in his chest, which had plagued him as he worried about Mirabelle’s safety, was no longer there. Instead, his heart was pounding. Her words…made him happy.
However, he was afraid to take her hand. Kuhn’s gray eyes dimmed as he recalled an old memory.
— How dare you touch me! Don’t you know your place?
The young girl who abused Kuhn was a noble, just like Mirabelle. He continually imagined the day Mirabelle would change her mind and abandon him. It wasn’t intended, but he instinctively wanted to protect himself so he wouldn’t get hurt by anyone.
‘…No, the Young Lady wouldn’t do that.’
However, he couldn’t forget that he was born as slave 95. No matter how much Mirabelle pledged her heart to him, there was still one question that tormented his mind.
‘Can a slave really be loved?’
Mirabelle was a noblewoman. If she wept over her choice later, Kuhn couldn’t do anything. She would no longer smile, and the lips that once spoke of love would speak words of resentment. Mirabelle was warm like the sun, and he wouldn’t stop that from changing. It would be better for her to meet a nobleman who suited her, so she could live as bright and happily as she did now. She was a precious young woman who was fundamentally different from the filthy and lowly Kuhn.
Kuhn clenched his fists. Mirabelle asked him to be brave, but it felt more like ugly selfishness.
‘…The world with the Young Lady has to be as beautiful as can be.’
Kuhn could not walk down that path. He was a coward.
Mirabelle stared at him with nervous expectation, and he answered in a low voice.
“…I’m sorry.”
At his answer, tears slipped out of Mirabelle’s green eyes. She did not let out a sob, biting her lip to hold back her emotions. Kuhn spoke again in an attempt to console her.
“You’ll soon forget someone like me. You won’t even remember me.”
Mirabelle tried to hold back her crying as much as possible and replied in a stiffened voice.
“You don’t know how this will end, but you talk like you already know the answer.”
“Time is…is like that.”
“I wish I could be like Kuhn. But I don’t think I am. So I’ll…I’ll wait until these feelings die down.”
Kuhn paused at Mirabelle’s unexpected reply.
“If you have the courage to hold my hand later…come back to me at any time. I’ll be waiting for you.”
Kuhn now understood that Mirabelle would no longer chase him. If he didn’t have the courage…then it was over between the two of them.
Seuleuleug—
Mirabelle’s small hand let go of Kuhn’s sleeve. She brushed her tears away, then raised her head and looked directly at him.
“I’ll let you go. I won’t blame you if you don’t come back. Wherever you are…”
Mirabelle smiled with tears in her eyes. She still looked beautiful to Kuhn.
“…I wish you all the best.”
*
*
*
Mirabelle climbed into the carriage and returned to the palace where Elena was waiting. Mirabelle tried to look as natural as possible, but the people around her gave curious looks at the tear tracks on her cheeks. Although it was reported that nothing had happened to her, there were rumors that she had been kidnapped and harmed cruelly. Mirabelle forced herself to hide it. Not crying was the best thing she could do.
The carriage stopped, and the friendly driver opened the door.
“We have arrived, My Lady.”
“Thank you.”
As soon as she stepped out of the carriage, she saw Elena running towards her. Although Elena was wearing a full-skirted dress, she rushed towards her sister with abandon. Just from the expression on her face, Mirabelle knew that Elena worried about her terribly. One might have assumed that it Elena that was kidnapped, not Mirabelle.
“Mirabelle…!”
At the sound of her sister’s voice, Mirabelle’s tears that she had been trying to hold back burst out like a dam. Elena arrived in front of her and looked at her desperately.
“Are you alright? Are you hurt? Why are you crying? What happened?”
“Heueug, sister.”
Tears streamed constantly down her face, and she hugged Elena.
“Sister, I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright. I’m sorry, too, Mirabelle.”
“Euaang—”
Mirabelle completely broke down. No matter how hard she tried to cut it away, it wouldn’t leave.
Her feeling of first love.