I Thought It Was a Common Transmigration - Chapter 60

“It was a total coincidence. I was just about to walk in and it just happened to be happening and I didn’t think it was…… my place to interrupt.”

“For what it was, you’re making me out to be a total prostitute.”

“That’s……”

“Killian. Are you, by any chance, jealous?”

I giggled and teased him, amused by Killian’s flustered look.

He suddenly locked eyes with me and replied in a serious voice, “Yeah. I was jealous, actually.”

“What?”

“Well, the rumors about you were so bad, and even the most chaste of men and women can get a little carried away after spending so much time alone together, so I was a little worried.”

“Ha……”

“At first I thought it was because I was worried about Renon, but then I realized…… yeah, I guess I was a little jealous of Ronon.”

As he finished speaking, the air around our table felt overly quiet.

So much so that I could hear the sound of saliva slipping down my throat.

“Does that satisfy your curiosity?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Well, you’d better finish your meal then, the food is getting cold.”

“That’s right!”

My heart was pounding strangely in my chest, and my appetite was gone, but I forced the food into my mouth so as not to show my awkwardness.

‘What’s wrong with him?’

Apparently, the opera date was the start of something drastic. All of a sudden, he’s being so honest…….

But for me, who knows how this world works, his change was more puzzling and suspicious than welcome.

It seemed like a good time to ask what I’d been meaning to ask all along.

“Killian.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Hey…… what’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”

“What are you talking about?”

Killian seemed to have decided to let it slide, but I didn’t want to.

“Spending time with me, being honest with me.”

“What’s wrong with that, isn’t that what a married couple does?”

“I’m saying this because we haven’t been a normal couple, so don’t try to deflect.”

He put down his cutlery and said, “I just thought…… I should get to know you a little better.”

“To know me better……?”

“I admit it’s late. And that I’ve been childish.”

“Oh, no, no.”

“I’d like to get to know you, even if it’s just now. Of course, I don’t trust you completely…… because you’re still the number one suspect in the past cases.”

“I see.”

“But now, I think it might not be you, and I hope you’re not.”

A strange look of anguish grew in Killian’s eyes.

My heart thudded in my chest, even though he hadn’t said he’d chosen to believe me.

‘The light of hope is getting brighter!’

I thought I heard a Sanctus echoing from somewhere.

Killian was now declaring that he wanted to get to know the real Edith Ludwig, to abandon his prejudices about me.

This alone increased my chances of survival considerably.

“Thank you, Killian.”

“It’s not something you should be thanking me for, in fact, I think I owe you an apology.”

It was such a change that I wondered if this was the same man who had picked up his wedding ring and put it on himself because he didn’t want to touch me at all.

‘I’ve made it this far!’

My heart swelled with pride and I felt like I was going to cry.

But Killian wiped them away.

“So, that being said, I’d like to spend more time with you in the future.”

“What?”

“I mean, if we’re going to get to know each other, we should spend more time together, and I don’t want to miss any of your little habits.”

Uh…… I mean, that’s, let me put it another way: surveillance or obsession.

“Is there anything wrong with that?”

“Oh, no, of course not.”

I smiled quickly before his gaze shifted back to suspicion.

I still didn’t know if spending more time with Killian would be poison or medicine for me, but the dice had already been cast.

‘Well, let’s hope for the best. At least he’ll warm up to me.’

The ‘observation period’ that began was an effort for Killian, but it was also a difficult one for me to get used to.

“I brought you a strawberry tart from Peridot. Would you like to eat it with me?”

Killian began to offer me the same offer I had rejected.

This time, of course, I couldn’t refuse. It was the strawberry tart from Peridot that I had missed out on.

“This…… is freaking amazing!”

The famous tart was every bit as delicious as it was rumored to be.

I don’t know how they made the filling, but it tasted like a mix of strawberries, vanilla whipped cream, and a subtle hint of cheese that I could have eaten forever.

“Where the hell did you learn to say that?”

“Oops, was that too rude? But there’s no way to describe how delicious this is!”

“I didn’t realize you’d like it so much. The Peridot sells several other kinds of tarts besides this one, and if there’s anything you’d like to try, I’ll order it for you.”

“Anything but peach tart!”

The offhand remark made Killian pause and look up.

“Speaking of which,” he said, “that peach pie.”

“Peach pie? Oh, yeah.”

“Are you sure…… you didn’t poison it and eat it?”

“Of course not, I wouldn’t eat poison just because I’m crazy, I don’t like getting sick.”

The pain that had seemed to squeeze my insides made me break out in a cold sweat just thinking about it now.

Killian looked down into his teacup and spoke quietly again.

“I really don’t think it could be nor should it be, but…… was it that maid?”

I paused in the middle of slicing the tart.

Killian seemed to be on to something, but it was unnerving to not know how this would come back to haunt me later.

But no matter how the story played out, it was in my best interest to tell him about my predicament if I wanted to survive, which is probably why I couldn’t tell him until I met the third exception condition.

‘I guess it’s too late to say no now.’

I sliced off a piece of tart in affirmation.

I wanted to nod, but the constraints prevented me from moving my head up or down at all.

“Why in the world would you cover your family after what they did to you? Is it because you don’t think I can protect you?”

I don’t even want you to protect me, just don’t slit my throat.

I sighed, but I didn’t want to make the mood heavy here.

I said in a light voice, “I never covered them.”

“Never?”

“Think about it, Killian. I never did.”

Killian’s eyes turned slightly to the side and stayed there, as if he was thinking about the past, before turning back to me.

“Then why don’t you just say it out loud?”

“There are some things you just can’t talk about, you have to wait for the right time.”

It must be frustrating enough for Killian. But as frustrated as he is, so am I.

Luckily, Killian didn’t push me for more answers, but instead gave me a shallow nod.

“So you’re saying that someday I’ll know the answer?”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“Well, I can’t torture my wife just because I want to know.”

Did you really…… have to make that analogy?

“Don’t be nervous. I’m not such an insignificant man that I’m going to base my judgment on what comes out of your mouth.”

“So you’re saying you’re going to actively do background checks?”

“As long as you have integrity, you shouldn’t have a problem with that.”

“……sure.”

Killian and I smiled at each other and drank our tea.

The next day, Killian, who said he had to leave for work, stopped by my room a little before 3 pm.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been out in the fresh air, so why don’t you come with me for a walk?”

“Killian, didn’t you say you had work?”

“Oh, I’m late to greet you. I am back, my wife.”

Killian smirked and greeted me, and I had to avert my gaze as if I were going to be blinded.

I hope he turns on something like a hazard light when he’s punching me in the heart, so that I can prepare myself.

“Now, may I ask you to go for a walk?”

“Oh, well, yeah, uh, whatever.”

I stammered, placing my hand on the arm he held out.

The breeze was cool, but the sun was still hot from the end of summer. But there was a cool breeze in the shade of the trees.

In my previous life, I still wouldn’t have lived without air conditioning, but it was definitely cooler here than in Seoul.

“Do you still go for a walk in the morning?”

“Yes, unless the weather is bad or I’m not feeling well.”

Ever since I got sick because of Sophia, I’ve been taking morning walks again. It was a great way to start the day with a clear mind.

But it wasn’t the walk itself that Killian wanted to ask.

“Are you…… still spying on me?”

Ugh! Turn on the hazard light!

“That…… I’m sorry if it offends you.”

“Rather…… if you want to see my body, why don’t you just look at it instead of peeping?”

A mischievous smile tugged at the corners of Killian’s mouth.

Ha, goodness. This former virgin dares to taunt a veteran?

“But that’s different.”

“What’s different?”

“Killian…… you are a different beauty when you’re wielding a sword than you are…… in bed.”