EEA Chapter 3

And even the day after Cathy had quit, at that very same spot, the same man was there kissing yet another woman. The man's large hands boldly lifted up her skirt. The woman who wrapped her arms around his neck to share kisses would let out screams as if some great catastrophe had befallen her the moment his hands slipped beneath her skirt. Just what sort of magic could possibly be enchanted upon those hands?

'Do they think I'm some kind of ghost?'

Ailea's body trembled with anger. Her self-esteem, which had been worn down to nothing by Roylin, raised its head slightly. She couldn't forgive that man who came here to fool around with women, knowing full well that the owner of this place was a woman engaged to the Crown Prince.

So when she had witnessed that shameful behavior about three times, this time Ailea stood under the tree with a menacing expression. Thinking the other party would be startled and run away without saying anything if her face was revealed, she wore a mask that Cathy had gotten for her over her face.

Two years ago, her face had only been somewhat blotchy. And even that black color was much lighter than it had been just before death. But it gradually worsened until even the inside of her mouth and around her eyes turned black, and by the time of her death, her entire face looked as if it had been burned.

Not long after Ailea began waiting, that man appeared. But oddly enough, today there was no woman - just that man alone.

Ailea blinked. She had tried to catch him in the act but had failed. As she hesitated over whether she should just go back, that man - Clint - held up a book in his hand and said.

"Sorry. Today's my day of abstinence."

What nonsense about abstinence!

Ailea made an incredulous expression. And what's with that playboy reading a book? Is he using that to seduce women too...?

When Ailea didn't speak and only showed glaring eyes through her mask, he scratched his head and walked over.

"Why are you making that expression? Was your name Lorelai?"

"Lo, Lorelai?"

"Oh, that's not right! Sera! Right? Sera? I couldn't recognize you because of the mask."

This man doesn't even know the names of the women he meets! He doesn't even know their faces! But he acts like he knows them!

Becoming more incredulous, Ailea glared at him even more intensely. Clint gave the sheepish smile he used to seduce women, then suddenly pulled her waist into his arms. Her waist leaned back slightly, supported by Clint's arm, and his fingers lifted Ailea's mask to show only her lips. Seeing his golden eyes up close, which she had thought looked light, were actually darker than expected, Ailea felt somewhat chilled.

"Your eyes are beautiful."

His gentle voice made her feel as if her body was paralyzed. What was happening? As Ailea stood there dazed, he kissed her lips.

A kiss.

Too shocked, Ailea couldn't even think to push Clint away. He was skilled. He made Ailea's frozen lips open naturally. His hand that had been supporting her waist slowly moved up to stroke her hair.

Why the women screamed like that when his hand went under their skirts - Ailea could finally understand. At his large, warm hand caressing her hair, she felt like she might just cry. It created the illusion that she had become someone precious. Instead of the smell of alcohol she had expected from him, there was actually a subtle fragrance.

Then Clint's hand completely removed her mask and dropped it to the ground. Startled, Ailea's body began to tremble.

As soon as Clint felt that trembling, he quickly released her. Her blotchy face was revealed. Tears were streaming down from her large sky-blue eyes.

Clint, who had made countless women cry in his lifetime, widened his eyes. She was a woman he didn't know. He couldn't possibly have forgotten such a distinctive woman.

"...Excuse me?"

Before he could say anything, Ailea ran crying into the castle.

Ailea's feelings were complicated.

She couldn't even remember when she had last felt another person's warmth.

All this time, no one had come close to her. There had been no opportunity for conversation.

The fact that a kiss created by the mistake of a man who knew neither her name nor her face would be her first and last kiss made her heart ache terribly. That even that kiss felt warm because she was so lonely...

Even trying to overcome life with laughter, it wasn't easily overcome.

Returning to her bedroom, Ailea curled up on her bed and sobbed for a long time.

"It's bad. I feel awful. It's awful..."

She forcibly brainwashed herself that this kiss was very, very bad. Because if this kiss had been warm, that would be too sad.