Chapter 626 – Entwined Petals

– Thud.

Never before in my life had the sound of a closing door struck such fear within me.

“Beep~ purr. Beep~ purr~”

The room echoed adorably with Shiba’s snoring.
Azalea entered, and suddenly we were alone.

I had worried that in my absence, Alba and Se-Young might quarrel, but they were not so insensitive as to let our relationship crumble.

Anyway, I just had to play my part well.
The source of this piercing tension resided within me.
All they were doing was worrying if, having so many lovers, I’d have any affection or time left for them.

– Pluck.

Gently, I tugged at Azalea’s collar.

“Hmm… Azalea?”

I asked after some hesitation, but there was no response.
My hand fidgeted as I glanced at her. Azalea was puffing up her cheeks, silently glaring at me.

“…….”
“…….”

Was this the expression of a puppy in need of relief?
I’m not one usually prone to fever, yet sweat poured from my forehead like a waterfall.

‘What should I do?’

In the current atmosphere, any attempt at intimacy might earn me a slap.
This wasn’t a matter to be taken lightly, and the three-year hiatus had only made it more challenging.

Even I could feel that my heart hadn’t distanced from Azalea…

– Throb.

Strange.
My heartbeat started to strangle my throat without any reason.

“…….”

Even though Alba had administered medication during my sleep, today the reaction was particularly strong.
Was this pulsation a part of the guilt I’d felt in the past? Or was it my body’s protest, signifying that I too had suffered?

The stinging guilt and mental dizziness intertwining caused a nauseating feeling.

If it were the usual matter of enticing a woman into bed, I’d have proceeded calmly, but when had it become so challenging to approach the truth?
I had undeniably felt a similar emotion when I had faced Lee Se-Young.

Apologies could be made countless times, but
Nothing shatters someone’s trust more than repeated apologies.

And that was a thought identical to the one I had harbored in the past…

– Clink.

Then, the sound of the plate I held resonated in my ears.
The clear sound of stainless steel plates and forks clinking.

Azalea had entered first, and it was a bowl of fruit that Se-Young had passed to me when I entered the room.

– Let’s eat something like this together and lighten the mood.

Se-Young, supporting us, gently nudged my back.
I hesitated, then with my large hand, picked up a small fork and speared an apple.

Azalea’s eyes, questioning what I was doing, moved towards my hand.

– Poke.

As I offered the apple, Azalea’s eyes widened.

“…Want a bite?”

Even as I contemplate it, it’s a timid and preposterous affair.
Other than this, there was no additional word or gesture to communicate.

“…….”

Azalea’s cheeks quivered, and soon, a sigh escaped from her.

As I lowered my head to dodge her gaze as much as possible, I couldn’t observe Azalea’s countenance.
In due course, along with the subtle pressure transmitted to my hand, I sensed the crisp movement of Azalea from the delicate fork.

When I raised my head, Azalea’s face came into view.
During her academy years, she was no different from when she had just come of age.

“…With me. You haven’t forgotten our child, have you?”

Although her hair, braided to one side, demonstrated a hint of maturity.
Yet, in my eyes, her face remained as it was when I first saw her in the newspaper.

Her face that subtly scorned me and her present smiling demeanor merged like watercolor painting, creating a lovely hue.

“How could I forget?”

At my dull response, Azalea spoke with a laugh.

“I mentioned it when I confessed to you last time.”

Even after so many years, I still remember it.
The raucous atmosphere of the retreat. The song from the drinking session echoed within the building.

In the darkness outside, devoid of any light, we conversed under the flowering tree, the cool breeze sobering us from our drunken state.
Intoxicated with the rich alcohol, shedding tears amidst the scent of flowers, and even making a confession.

“…I’m still unsure,” you said. So, you didn’t know.

When I, unfamiliar with the romantic relationships of this world, showed my rejection.
No, more precisely… When I caused Azalea hurt due to my harsh and jagged heart.

“I’ll stay by your side forever.”

Azalea had said as much.

Now, three years later, Azalea, who kept her word, stood before me.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Who is this?”
“Bba~!”

There was an abundance of things I wanted to do, given that it was accomplished late.

My lover,
And the mother of our child.

A young age for first love. A family that couldn’t have been created without a twist of fate.
But, isn’t it said that such a family, once formed, persists for a long time, unblemished and joyful?

No need to consider others’ perspectives.
Our time for happiness is fleeting, so why should we watch for others’ gaze?

Our first vacation. When we were still freshmen.
I thought we had ample youth left to relish once we became adults.

“…I was confident.”

In the academy’s library, we studied together, trained together. After lectures ended, we wandered the city streets, indulging in culinary delights.

We couldn’t spend the night drinking and carousing because of our daughter. But as night fell, we could paint a picture of a harmonious family life. Perhaps we could occasionally savor a glass of wine, indulging in clandestine delights hidden from Shiba.

In this manner, I had pledged to give him every ounce of love I could offer as his woman.

‘Did he have any idea?’

My notebook was filled to the brim with all the things I wished to do with Si-heon.

The color makeup I had learned for him.
The swimsuit I yearned to model for him.
The boxy tee shirt stashed away in a corner of an online store, chosen so we could don matching outfits.

I dreamed of us, dressed identically, taking our daughter to the seaside. A youthful hope of frolicking in the water together.

I wondered how many dreams I had sketched and etched in my heart.

‘…he wouldn’t know. Because he departed before those dreams could be realized.’

Si-heon vanished abruptly, and the room that once held our shared dreams was left barren.

A men’s tee, dust-covered, secretly marked with a lipstick kiss. From the snacks Si-heon and Shiba loved, to the ingredients of the dishes I had pride in cooking. Yet, one couldn’t always indulge in favorites, sometimes considering health, a salad was necessary.

A girlfriend who considers even your health. There’s no one like her.

-…hehe.

So I laughed to myself, my heart fluttering in anticipation.

But then, my love,

It ceased as abruptly as a broken lightbulb flickering out.

[S-class catastrophe, confirmation of Lee Si-heon’s death at El Academy…]

Lee Si-heon was dead. I had intended to repay him fervently, so much so that I regretted not accepting my confession earlier.

But he departed before I could.

…However,

He returned, alive.

“Dallae…”

I believed that I would never see him again. This man, who has betrayed me time and again.

He died because of the depth of his love,
He returned to life upon his release.

How could he be so inconsistent? He’s as troublesome as Shiba.

“……Are you upset again?”

Lee Si-heon, confessing his mistakes after reviving, looked utterly exhausted.

I heard from Seyoung that he must have had a truly difficult time… It wasn’t that we separated because we disliked each other. It was the king’s power that forced him into this relationship.

But a woman’s heart, isn’t it sad when it can’t see the one it loves? Especially now that we have another daughter, there’s no reason not to be upset.

‘Still…’

What a relief.

– Thump, thump.

Seeing my heart beat this way, there’s no room for doubt about my love for him.

‘I think I know it all.’

I’m uncertain of the time that has passed. From my disheveled hair to the emptiness in my eyes.

From his overly timid demeanor, the extent of his inner turmoil was apparent.

“…”

I recognized Si-heon’s expression, for I had once worn the same countenance.

My once uncertain, nebulous expression, borne from obsessive doubt in love, now mirrored in my beloved’s face.

‘It’s okay.’

Now, I can show him.

“…Si-heon.”

“Hm, yes?”

“There’s so much I yearn to show you.”

It’s all documented, after all. Always nestled within my bag.

“This.”

“That’s—”

Though Si-heon isn’t here. A photo album painstakingly compiled while nurturing Shiba. Capturing her growth with each passing day, a treasure I had intended to show him someday in the afterlife.

There were times of hardship, but ultimately, I’m here, alive, presenting it to him.

“Byul and Seyeong are included, too.”

“…”

“Let’s look at it together.”

I made no mention of his apparent exhaustion. I was content with just being able to reach out to Lee Si-heon’s vacuous heart.

What’s the point of jealousy towards a child? As I used to think, just the thought of happiness is overwhelming enough.

-Clatter.

I set down a plate brimming with apples, and sit on the bed. Embracing Si-heon’s large frame next to me, we recline. Shiba, fast asleep, was nestled between us.

“Is there a reason to watch this?”

“Of course.”

I spread open the photo album and start showing him each memory. Si-heon feigned indifference verbally, but his intense focus on every single photo suggested his deep interest.

“This one, when Shiba showcased her talent at the daycare.”

“She did it again.”

“Yes, she cried a lot then? Asking where her father was…”

There are so many photos that one can’t possibly take them all in at once.

Shiba throwing a tantrum over side dishes in front of a bowl of bibimbap. Shiba with decaying teeth from indulging too much in chocolate. Shiba who pulled down the nanny, Shin Hye-young’s skirt. Photos of mother and daughter sitting together, smiling.

At times, Se-young and Byul would assist with household chores, their faces occasionally captured in the photos, wearing aprons.

These are snapshots that offer insights into Shiba’s radiant upbringing.

-Splash!

A photo of Shiba in the swimming pool, so vibrant that one can almost hear the sound. Drinking water connected by a hose, with the branches rustling overhead.

Gradually growing, the height difference between her and the child slowly diminishing.

Shiba, who grew up drenched in love.

“I couldn’t give as much as you did. But I poured out love as much as I loved you.”

“…”

“And always lying in an empty bed, I thought about how much I missed you.”

“I see.”

As Si-heon’s cold, impassive expression gradually thawed, a smile blossomed at Shiba’s beautifully grown appearance.

A half-hour of conversation.

There were many desires, an intense longing to intertwine our bodies. But there were matters of greater importance.

“Now, I can see you.”
“Yes.”

He drew the compact camera from the bag and hoisted it above the bed. The lens captured the faces of three individuals.

At last, the photograph could encompass all three of them.

“Are we documenting today as well?”

At the sound of my own voice, a surge of emotion. Tears threatened to fall as I pressed the shutter.

Although my face became comically distorted due to the reluctantly shed tears, the resulting photograph was nothing short of breathtaking.

A familial portrait with Shiba, asleep, cradled in our arms.

“…Yes.”

Si-heon enveloped my tear-streaked face in a comforting embrace. Once again, tears welled up.

I remember this warmth.
I am still in love.

As I reflected on this truth, a delicate blush-hued blossom began to unfurl above my head.

As a butterfly’s crumpled wings spread elegantly and naturally.

“Beep…”

At Shiba’s voice, the couple unexpectedly let out a tearful laugh.