What I Gained by Giving My Body - Chapter 1.5

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‘Archduke Akbar…… what exactly do I know about him?’

Having ended up at the Archduke’s mansion semi-forcibly, Caitlyn looked up at the dauntingly magnificent estate and thought. The Archduke owned several mansions in the capital, and among them, the one the servant led Caitlyn to was located on the furthest outskirts, where there would be fewer prying eyes.

But what did that matter? It was finished with gold and marble, possessing a splendor that wouldn’t lose to any other place.

Whether they failed to notice her complicated state of mind or simply didn’t care, the mansion’s servants hurried their pace as soon as she stepped out of the carriage.

“His Grace is waiting.”

The sight of the servants, who looked beyond anxious and even somewhat terrified, left a bitter taste in her mouth. Seeing them this frightened, it seemed Archduke Akbar was a man with a heart as black as his ominous aura.

‘Actually, it’s for the best.’

Wicked and cruel nobles were scattered everywhere. If this man was just another one of them, she felt she could actually be at ease. However, if he was a type she had never encountered before…….

“You’ve finally arrived.”

The door opened, and along with the man’s voice, a brilliant light poured over Caitlyn. Caitlyn stood there blankly for a moment, unable to snap to her senses. This light, pouring out in various colors instead of being ordinary light, was like…….

“Excuse me.”

The light vanished as the man placed whatever he was holding in his hand into a box and closed the lid. He stood up from his seat and approached Caitlyn with a leisurely attitude. The man’s golden eyes flashed dangerously.

Danger.

Her entire body was screaming.

It’s dangerous, Cathy! Run away! Now!

But by the time she turned around, regretting having sought out this dangerous man on her own feet, it was already too late.

“Close it.”

The door shut. Leaving only him and herself in the enclosed space. In the stifling silence, the man’s mouth curved into an arc.

“Cathy, Cathy…… was hide-and-seek fun?”

Caitlyn’s lips trembled. Hide-and-seek. It was a statement she couldn’t even begin to fathom. She wondered if she had perhaps met Archduke Akbar in the distant past which she couldn’t remember, but there was no possibility of that.

Her memory was so good it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a curse. That was why it was even more painful. What the futures of others were like, what kind of end they actually met…… she remembered it all without ever forgetting.

But that memory was a blessing at this moment. She had never met Archduke Akbar, Roxias, even once in her life. She could be certain of that fact alone.

‘Then…… there’s only one answer.’

Whoever ‘Cathy’ was, Archduke Akbar was undoubtedly confusing that woman with her. It was a cruel coincidence that she and that woman shared the same pet name.

Caitlyn ignored the questions that kept popping up in her mind. Like, then why on earth can’t she see Archduke Akbar’s future……?

“I think you have mistaken me for someone else.”

She spoke in a voice that had become emboldened by her courage.

“I met Your Grace for the first time yesterday. I have never stepped foot outside the capital once in my life. My brother, Baronet Hardick, can testify to this.”

A faint crease appeared between Archduke Akbar’s brows.

“……No way.”

It was a voice that sounded as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Are you saying you don’t remember?”

“I swear, I have never seen Your Grace even from a distance until yesterday.”

Caitlyn hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“Surely, that woman named Cathy must look somewhat like me, but…….”

“Look like you?”

Archduke Akbar cut her off. It seemed he had no intention of listening to Caitlyn’s claim.

“It’s not at the level of looking like you. It’s you.”

Caitlyn did not back down.

“I told you clearly. I saw Your Grace for the first time yesterday.”

“…….”

Silence flowed. Archduke Akbar examined her closely. Because he had approached to a very close distance, his black hair swayed right before Caitlyn’s eyes.

She was so nervous she couldn’t even breathe properly. Until now, Caitlyn had always thought her future was very clear. Because her prophecy, which had never been wrong, showed her a future where she was left alone.

But what if that was wrong? Or…… what if she was left alone because of this man?