Episode 21
“Ah……!”
The escape was short. When her back met the solid wall behind her, he—who had leisurely closed the distance as if driving prey—came to a stop.
“Mmph……!”
He lowered his head, seized her chin with one hand, and lifted it. She struggled against the approaching lips, but when her lower lip was bitten, she could not help but open her mouth from the pain.
“Ha…….”
As if the five-year gap were nothing, he savored what was his with an air of entitlement before their lips finally parted. The bitter taste of cigarettes left her throat filled with acrid smoke. A fire lit in Rowina’s eyes.
Slap.
In the next instant, he slowly straightened his turned head. The madness visible the moment their eyes met made Rowina swallow her breath.
“Choose, Miss Philone.”
Crazy… crazy man.
Smiling in satisfaction at her pale face, Killian tapped Rowina’s cheek with his index finger.
“Whether you’ll become my mistress again, or die on the streets with the child.”
Despair descended over her head, and Rowina squeezed her eyes shut.
It was not a choice.
It was a notice that he would make it so.
Become his mistress, or die on the streets with the child.
Her mind spun from the successive shocks. Rowina barely steadied her trembling breath and pushed his shoulder away.
“Why are you doing this now, of all times?”
If she could, she wanted to look inside this man’s head. How could he come back to a woman he had discarded so cruelly, as if nothing had happened? How could he do such a thing? Why was he doing this?
“Why, damn it! You threw me away once! And now!”
Clenching her fist, Rowina struck his chest. The force was barely enough to tickle, so Killian stood still, looking down at her.
“Just because.”
Her anger gradually turned into sobs. Rowina barely suppressed the excitement rising to the top of her throat and asked desperately.
“Can’t you just leave?”
It was a pitiful gaze, but Killian shook his head.
“Then at least tell me the reason. Please.”
“Is a reason necessary?”
Killian replied indifferently to her green eyes, which shook without direction. Rowina quietly nodded.
In the next moment, an answer so simple and clear that it made her strength leave her came back.
“Because I want to.”
It was a short but certain reason. At his dry voice, Rowina slowly lowered her hand. This man still knew nothing but himself. He had not changed at all. Realizing that fact, emotions that had flared up like fire disappeared as if washed away. Strength drained from her whole body, and familiar resignation came.
“I understand… I’ll go back for today… and get my things in order……”
“…….”
“Give me time to prepare.”
“Until when?”
“A week……”
“Tomorrow.”
“…….”
“I will come again tomorrow at noon. The child should be with you then, too.”
It was a declaration that he would take her away as a hostage in the end. Rowina quietly lowered her head.
She could not even imagine what his reaction would be upon seeing the child’s face. Would he rage, accusing her of having borne and raised his son without his knowledge? Or would he…….
Thoughts continued to branch out, filling her head. Eventually giving up on thinking, Rowina nodded listlessly.
Satisfied with the answer, Killian withdrew the hand gripping her cheek.
Watching him turn around and leave, Rowina collapsed onto the bed. Damian, noticing the footsteps growing distant, rushed to bury himself in Rowina’s arms before the door even closed.
“Mom……!”
“Damian…….”
“Are you okay? Who was that person?”
“He is…….”
At the child’s question, Rowina’s words were cut short. She did not know what to say. She did not want to call him his father, yet to say he was not… their faces looked too alike.
Rowina chewed on the answer inside her mouth for a long while before slowly moving her lips.
“He’s an old… friend of Mom’s.”
“Friend……?”
“Yeah. He’s really rich, so he’s going to help us. From now on, with us…….”
The more she spoke, the tighter her throat felt. It felt like she was sinking back into a quagmire. As soon as she thought she had barely escaped, she felt like she was entangled in a spider web, struggling.
She wanted to collapse just like that and burst into tears in someone’s arms. But Damian was there.
It was different from five years ago. She had to be strong.
Rowina could never cry in front of her child. Barely pulling up the corners of her mouth, Rowina embraced her son.
“He’s going to live with us. He’s a very wealthy person… He heard about Mom’s situation and is helping us out of old friendship.”
“I don’t like it!”
“Huh?”
It was an unexpected reaction. Damian clung to the surprised, blinking Rowina and shook his head.
“I like living with just you and me!”
“Damian…….”
Harriet’s words—that a child easily becomes dyed with their mother’s emotions—echoed in her head.
Rowina took a deep breath and pressed her forehead against Damian’s.
“It’s a place that can’t even be compared to here. You can wear better clothes, and enjoy all the toys and candy you like to your heart’s content.”
Despite the gentle voice, Damian squirmed and escaped from Rowina’s embrace.
“I still don’t like it. Having someone between you and me…….”
“For Mom, there’s only you.”
Holding Damian’s arms, Rowina said once more.
“Really, there’s no one but you… no one but you. Mom has no one but you.”
There had been a time when Killian Devonshire was her entire world. But that was no longer the case. She remembered the days when she had wandered here and there, clutching her swollen belly.
When she had been about to make an extreme choice, it was the child in her womb who ultimately held her back. Killian had killed her, but Damian had saved her.
From that moment on, Damian was her everything.
“Really……?”
“Of course. There is no one I love more than our son.”
Whispering, Rowina pulled the child tightly into her arms.
* * *
The next day, people looked surprised at Rowina’s sudden announcement that she was quitting the factory.
“Suddenly? Why?”
“The mood is already gloomy enough because of Anna’s incident……”
“I’m truly sorry. I was supposed to stay until my replacement came, but an urgent matter has come up.”
“If it’s like that, it can’t be helped, but……”
Colleagues clicked their tongues and exchanged glances. Feeling shameless, Rowina lowered her head deeply like a sinner. When she slowly raised her eyes in the silence, a colorful bouquet came into view.
“This is…….”
“We all prepared it. For all your hard work until now.”
Smiling colleagues pressed the flowers into the surprised Rowina’s arms.
“It’s sad that you’re leaving so suddenly, but thank you for filling in for us and taking the lead in all the dirty and difficult work all this time, Rebecca.”
“That’s right. I’ve been in your debt a lot over the past four years, too.”
“Me too.”
At the stream of gratitude pouring out one by one, a warm feeling spread inside her chest. Rowina’s eyes reddened as she hugged the bouquet tightly.
“How did you know I was quitting……”
“I told them.”
“…Harriet?”
Harriet pushed through the gathered factory workers and came over, placing a hand on Rowina’s shoulder. And she confessed in a small voice.
“Actually, I’m the one who told him where your house was.”
“What…? What do you mean……”
It was a confusing statement. Harriet smiled faintly at Rowina, who had only widened her eyes, and spoke as if soothing her.
“Sorry. I went against what you said. But… Rebecca… no, Rowina. I don’t know what happened, but that man seemed to love you.”
Harriet…….
It was the moment the full story of how he had barged into her house was revealed.
“I wish for you to live happily, Rowina. I’ll always pray for you.”
At those sincere words, Rowina barely raised the corners of her mouth to reassure her, but her expression clouded over before she could even form something like a smile.
Her intentions had not been bad. Whatever the result. Swallowing down many words, Rowina said her farewell.
“No. Thank you so much for everything until now.”
“No need for thanks. I hope you live happily no matter what, Rowina. If there’s anything I can help with, be sure to tell me.”
Harriet held her hand tightly. After the affectionate farewell, Rowina, who had been walking away, turned around.
“Harriet.”
Harriet, who had been watching her retreating figure, looked surprised.
“Yes?”
“Actually, there’s one last… request I have.”
* * *
Because Killian had said he would come to pick her up around noon, Rowina could not even finish her last shift.
When she trudged out of the factory alone early in the morning, men dressed in black suits could be seen here and there. She had expected that he would have placed tails on her in preparation for her fleeing, so Rowina was not surprised.
Then one man approached and greeted her.
“It’s been a while, Miss Philone.”
Muted blond hair and black eyes. A slender build with slightly sharp features. Rowina recognized the man at a glance.
“…Mr. Jenok.”
He was a close associate of Killian’s whom she had run into a few times five years ago. They had not spoken much at all and had merely exchanged glances.
Under circumstances where they both knew the past, asking if she had been well was meaningless. Without beating around the bush, Jenok got straight to the point.
“A carriage is waiting, so let us go together. His Lordship is waiting.”
“Right now? Ah, there’s still time left. And I have to get my luggage……”
“He ordered that everything be thrown away. Except what you are wearing.”
The subject was omitted, but neither of them needed to say it aloud to know.
“…Is that so.”
Even at the Duke’s arbitrary actions, Rowina was no longer surprised.
Only, her son was at stake. Before Rowina could muster a response, Jenok struck at her weak point.