Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 298

“…Things are different now than they were then.”

Besides, now that I think about it, you never replied to me, either, did you? We’re not in a position to hold any grudges against each other.

Though that shameless man, who grows bolder by the day, doesn’t seem to see it that way.

“So you’re calling it the past? Are you going to pretend it never happened now, just wash your hands of it?”

“……”

“Was my real self so disappointing that your feelings could change in an instant? Honestly, I didn’t think I was that bad… Hmm, was I too confident…?”

“How you look has nothing to do with it. That’s not the issue here.”

“Then it means you don’t actually hate me.”

“……”

“I’ll take note of that.”

He put on the act of a gentleman, instantly flipping to a gentle smile, and Cecilia couldn’t help but stare at his behavior, dumbfounded.

His gaze lingered on her slightly parted lips, as if gauging the inside of that soft flesh, before he turned his head with a low rumble in his throat.

With a light cough, he returned to the main topic.

“…So I kept looking into it, and finally, I found the most plausible answer.”

“What answer? I doubt there could be one.”

There’s no way he could find the root of her desire for revenge. How could he, when he did not know about that timeline? Cecilia inwardly pitied his futile effort.

Logan, out of habit, searched his pockets. She thought, of course, he must be looking for a cigarette, but his pockets were empty. Tsk, he clicked his tongue lightly and dusted off his empty hands as he continued.

“Among the forbidden gypsy magics, there’s one that turns back time at the cost of one’s body and soul.”

“……!”

Her heart dropped.

He’d only just picked up a piece of the puzzle. She couldn’t afford to give herself away by acting clumsy over a mere fishing attempt.

Cecilia raised the corners of her lips as if she found it amusing.

“That’s quite a creative idea. But do you really think such a thing is possible? More than half the so-called ‘gypsy magic’ is nothing but fraud and fiction. I didn’t expect someone of your rank to believe in such superstitions…”

“I think so too. But I have my reasons to be convinced.”

“What kind of conviction—”

“I’ll ask you directly. Cecilia, did you use that magic?”

“No, I didn’t even know such a thing existed. I was born with gypsy blood, but neither I nor Miss Lilith ever had any interest in the ways of the gypsies.”

As she let out a sentence mixed with truth and lies, a previous question surfaced once again.

Lilith Dust had been indifferent to gypsy magic. …But how could she have told Cecilia about the magic of return? Most spells were passed down orally, so for a forbidden magic, even confirming its existence would have been difficult.

“You underestimate a merchant’s ability to gather information.”

Logan whispered. His large body edged in beneath the umbrella, and Cecilia worried that the trembling of her own heart might be felt through his firm abdomen and her soft chest as they touched.

“…Mary will be here soon. You shouldn’t be this close.”

“Mary?”

His whispered voice grew husky. Cecilia moved away, pressing her heart as if to calm herself.

“My maid.”

“Ah, the one from before.”

Remembering the face he’d seen in the capital, he nodded lightly.

“If it’s her, I already ran into her on my way here.”

“…You met Mary?”

“Yes.”

Mary saw Logan? And yet she hasn’t come forward and was just watching this unfold? Even if that maid was no longer her father’s watchdog, that’s too irresponsible.

“What’s she doing right now?”

“Who knows. Maybe she’s counting the money I gave her inside the cozy mansion.”

“……”

Really, she’s hopeless when it comes to money. It was ridiculous, but it was Cecilia’s own fault for keeping her around for that very reason, so even blaming her felt pointless.

“So why don’t we move to somewhere comfortable and have a proper conversation?”

If Adam found out Logan had visited the Lasphilla manor because of her, he’d immediately try to stick the two of them together. Especially now that her relationship with Nigel had grown uncertain.

“My father is in a bad mood right now. Even if you go into the Coffret Manor, you won’t be welcomed.”

“I had no intention of going there to begin with. I’ve already paid your maid enough to keep her mouth shut.”

“Then…”

“There’s nothing better for a private conversation than a carriage. As it happens, the one I came in is right out front.”

“……”

As Cecilia hesitated in reluctance, the rain angled in, and droplets splashed inside. Watching her shoulder get damp, Logan’s brow furrowed.

“I don’t know why things like this keep bothering me.”

He muttered, and at the same time took her hand and hurried her along in those shoes she was always reluctant to let go of. Half-pulled, half-held in his arms… it would look to any bystander exactly like a kidnapping.