When You Turned Your Back On Me, We Became Strangers [EN]: Chapter 27

As morning arrived, Kabeir quickly finished his preparations and headed to the carriage. He had managed to clear his schedule for the morning by working through the night.

Because of that, Haban also couldn’t sleep a wink and was swamped with work, but he was relieved to see Kabeir working so diligently. Or so he thought.

That relief was short-lived, as he was startled by Kabeir’s disappearance during a brief nap and rushed over in a panic.

“Where are you going so early in the morning! Did you even see my resignation letter?”

Haban stood in front of the carriage, blocking the way. He was exhausted from dealing with yesterday’s events, and the resignation letter he had placed on the desk was missing again.

“Ah, that? Look for it carefully. It’s probably burned to ashes by now.”

Kabeir said nonchalantly, passing him and getting into the carriage. Haban, who had no strength to argue, shouted at the departing carriage.

“From now on, overtime will be paid double!”

Kabeir’s hand suddenly popped out of the window. Haban slumped to the ground as he saw the circle his hand made, indicating he didn’t care.

‘Damn it… I should have run away when I was younger! I’m already doomed.’

Haban had tasted the sweetness of money, making it impossible for him to quit.

Inside the carriage heading to Leta’s residence, Kabeir closed his eyes. He was on edge because the memories of yesterday kept resurfacing.

It was because he had witnessed Leily and Ren together that day. Ren might have feelings for Leily.

The constant vigilance and murderous intent he directed at him.

‘He definitely knows I’m watching…’

His fists clenched. Kabeir had sent a letter to Leta’s residence, suggesting she come with him in the carriage.

‘Yes, it’s possible. Even the commoners don’t know me…’

He had changed his clothes and carriage, and his face wasn’t well-known, so it was difficult for people in the outskirts to recognize Kabeir.

He had temporarily removed the posters just in case, but he still wasn’t sure.

He picked up Leta, who was waiting in front of the residence as if she had been expecting him, and quickly headed to the shop. Inside the carriage, Leta clenched her hands tightly in anxiety and closed her eyes.

Mixed with unease and anticipation, her heart kept fluttering. Her palms were sweaty, and she unconsciously clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to relieve the tension.

“Do, do you really think it’s my sister?”

“Yes, it’s her. My eyes can’t be fooled.”

Kabeir smiled gently, thinking of Leily. However, he couldn’t assure Leta without any concrete evidence.

‘She’s disguised, so she’ll definitely ask how I recognized her.’

She knows about the crest, but she wouldn’t know about Ren, the sword. If she finds out he hid it, who knows what might happen.

“She was wearing a butterfly pin.”

Kabeir reluctantly recalled the butterfly pin Leily had worn.

At Kabeir’s words, Leta carefully took out the butterfly pin wrapped in a handkerchief. It was the same shape as the pin Leily was wearing. It was a gift Kabeir had given them both when they were young.

“Leta, even if it’s Leily, I hope you keep who I am a secret.”

‘She probably won’t welcome it.’

“Okay.”

Leta readily agreed to Kabeir’s request. Kabeir asked, watching Leta staring silently at the butterfly pin.

“Aren’t you going to ask why?”

“I know that what Your Highness is doing is for my sister. So, I don’t need to know the reason.”

Leta might also have vaguely known about the hatred Leily harbored towards her father and the imperial family.

“Thank you.”

Leta showed strong trust towards Kabeir. She was certain that Kabeir was not someone who would harm her sister.

The carriage quickly headed to where Leily was. Leta, wearing a large hat, bit her lip anxiously.

Kabeir and Leta, who arrived in front of the shop, took a deep breath. They tried to hide their expressions, pretending to be calm, and entered the shop together.

Clang-

The clear sound of the bell rang as always. And she was there, greeting them with an unchanging smile.

“Welcome, oh? You really came.”

Seeing Kabeir, Leily quickly scanned the woman next to him, checking her outfit. Fortunately, it seemed to match well with the jewelry she had prepared.

‘Her hair has a silver tint.’

Throb. Her heart ached. She remembered her own hair, which seemed to have various colors mixed in depending on the light when it caught the sunlight. ‘Leta,’ her sister, who had the same hair color as her.

Leily suppressed her thoughts and softened her expression.

“Is this the person?”

At Leily’s question, Kabeir nodded slightly. Ren, who had been organizing things inside, came out belatedly. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the woman covering her face with a hat.

‘She looks familiar?’

It was hard to say for sure, but she was familiar. As he placed the gemstones Leily had requested on the display, Ren’s eyes quickly alternated between Kabeir and the woman.

‘That bastard, could it be…’

Ren had been scolded by Leily for a long time after getting a flick on the forehead yesterday. He had thought she was just saying it, but he felt uneasy seeing Kabeir actually come with a woman.

“Excuse me, ma’am. If you don’t mind, could you take off your hat for a moment?”

Leily carefully spoke to Leta. Kabeir’s head turned to Leily at the word ‘ma’am.’ However, he didn’t add anything else.

There was no need to say it.

Leta handed Leily the butterfly pin she was holding.

“Huh?”

Seeing the butterfly pin that was the same shape as the one she had, Leily’s eyes trembled. At the same time, Ren’s expression hardened.

‘Damn it.’

Ren quickly tried to cover Leily’s eyes, but it was already too late.

Leta took off her hat and grabbed Leily’s hand. Leta recognized that she was her sister, Leily, at first glance.

Even though their appearances were different, she could feel it.

“You’re my sister, right? You are, aren’t you?”

Leily froze on the spot at the sight of Leta, who had a face and silver hair similar to hers and was shedding tears.

“It’s me, Leta.”

Leily’s head throbbed with excruciating pain at the sight of Leta crying.

How much had she imagined this? In countless dreams, she would go back to the day before she sent her home.

An unbelievable thing had happened.

‘Really Leta…?’

Her sister, who she thought was dead, was standing right in front of her. Leily’s heart pounded violently, and she felt a squeezing pain.

“Ah… Ah!”

Startled by Leily’s distorted face in pain, Kabeir reached out his hand for a moment. Clang- The sound of the bell rang as the door opened.

Everyone’s face twisted as they looked back at the newcomer. It was Theo, who was staring wide-eyed at Leta.

The moment they saw him, everyone’s face contorted. Theo, who was sitting down after tripping, met Leta’s cold gaze, gasped, and scrambled back.

“H, how!”

Leta was supposed to be dead. But it was her, no matter who looked at her. Theo had been secretly buying information here and there to find Leily.

As a result, he obtained information that a woman resembling Leily was living here. Theo immediately wandered around the village and began looking for Leily.

He hid his presence at the news that an imperial knight was looking for her and quietly followed her trail.

After more than two weeks, he overheard that there was a woman with a similar appearance in a jewelry store. It was valuable information he obtained thanks to becoming acquainted with the people of the village.

‘I don’t know why the Crown Prince is looking for Leily so desperately, but that means there’s something about her.’

Theo quickly went to the store without hesitation. He looked around and tried to open the door when no one was around, but Haban’s hand stopped him.

‘Damn it…!’

He was completely disoriented as he was suddenly gagged and taken elsewhere.

Theo swallowed hard as he looked at Haban, surrounded by knights and standing in front of him.

『Your Highness must not set foot there.』

『What do you mean?』

『It means that everyone will have a hard time because of Your Highness. I don’t know why you came all the way here, but I hope it’s not the reason I suspect.』

Haban gave him a chilling smile, threatening him.

『What does the imperial family have to do with this? Are you saying that if I come here again, you will suppress me?』

At Theo’s words, Haban shrugged lightly. He turned around and pointed at each of the knights, one by one.

『If that happens, this one will cut off your arm, and this one will cut off your leg, your hand, and finally, your head.』

『Are you threatening me?』

『Did it look like a threat? I’m just worried. Everyone’s life is on the line because of you.』

Theo’s Adam’s apple bobbed. The eyes of the knights surrounding him seemed to be filled with unknown murderous intent and fatigue.

‘I’m going to die. They’re really going to kill me.’

He had no choice but to nod. He hadn’t said it out loud, so he hadn’t promised not to come.

Theo wanted to confirm it at least once, just once.

As a result, today he ran into the store, even in a life-threatening situation, and opened the door. Thanks to running with all his might before the knight could stop him, he was able to enter the store at once.