Please Forget Me - Chapter 262

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

“At first, I thought there was a photograph inside. I was nervous opening it, worried it might be another man’s picture…”

He opened the pendant and smiled so brightly, it was like the sunlight reflecting off the tiny mirror inside.

“But all I saw was my own reflection, and that’s when I realized—I was the man you loved. I felt like the whole world was mine.”

“That’s why you kept it all this time, before giving it back to me.”

We took turns holding up the mirror and making faces at each other, laughing. But then, I noticed the edge of the glass.

“Why is the edge of the mirror so worn? Was it always like this?”

The silver locket still shone bright inside and out, but the rim of the mirror was so tarnished that the silver backing had almost worn away. It seemed strange.

“That’s my fault.”

“No way…. That can’t be.”

He’d polished it carefully even after giving it back to me, so I could only imagine how he’d cherished it while it was his.

“I… I loved you so much…”

Killian’s smile faded as he stroked my face, then, without warning, he pulled me into his arms and held me close.

“But when I first gave you this, did I really not know it was you?”

“We didn’t know each other’s identities. We only wrote letters.”

“Oh, so when I saw the necklace on you after the fire, I was surprised because I didn’t realize it was you.”

“…You were surprised? Why?”

“Well, I just didn’t know it was you…”

“Were you happy? Or… disappointed?”

“I was happy, of course. Why would you even ask?”

Back then, in my memories, I’d been so glad to see the necklace on Killian’s neck. I hadn’t really known why, but now it was clear.

“To think the boy I loved was the one who came to rescue me… It felt like a dream.”

“And yet, you could have been disappointed that the boy you loved was me.”

“Well, maybe when I was fourteen, I hoped he’d be the youngest lord from the Ackroyd family…”

“But back then, I could barely look you in the eye, let alone say a word to you…”

“I must have known my brave knight was hiding inside that shy boy.”

Every time I’d thought I was doomed or trapped, Killian had always appeared to pull me from disaster. Starting from that fire, and ever since.

“I love you, my knight.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. But that sweet, blissful moment didn’t last. I flinched when something cold and hard touched my bare back as my clothes slipped down.

‘What was that?’

Killian’s hand was on my back, so I thought it was just his fingernails, but this didn’t feel like that. It felt metallic. And it was trembling.

“What are you holding…?”

Startled, I pulled away, trying to turn and look—but I couldn’t.

“Killian… why…?”

His eyes were glistening with tears.

“God really is cruel.”

He didn’t talk about God much anymore, but he’d once been more devout than anyone.

“My only dream was to be your husband and grow old with you. Maybe that’s not much, but for someone like me, it felt huge. For God, it must have seemed like such a simple wish. Everyone else gets to have that, so why not me…?”

“Killian, it’s not over. We can still have that life—”

But Killian shook his head, as if it was already finished.

“God has already answered me.”

Thud.

I heard the sound of something heavy being set down behind me. Killian took my face in both hands, pulling me close until our foreheads touched.

“If He meant for you to forget, you would have forgotten everything. And if you were meant to remember, you’d remember it all…”

He closed his eyes tight, and as he did, tears overflowed, running down both cheeks. His hands dropped limply from my face as he wiped his tears and sat up.

“Killian…”

I sat up, taking his hand, wanting to ask if my memories were really the problem, if anything was truly wrong—but when he avoided my eyes, turned his back, and began packing our things, I knew he’d never answer.

I stared blankly at his back, then turned to reach for the straw hat I’d left on the blanket—
And froze.

‘Why is that here…?’

Right behind where I’d been lying was a revolver.

A fresh wave of fear ran through me.