TYWN Ch 7

A wine-colored car smoothly exited the university’s main gate. Its sleek, sophisticated exterior and smooth ride caught the eyes of passersby.

Although automobiles had become more common, the majority were mass-produced, resulting in a uniform and impersonal appearance. Custom-built cars, crafted by skilled artisans, remained a luxury affordable only to the wealthy.

Parking by the roadside, Yuris glanced at the woman sitting beside him. Radia, who had been silently looking out the window, turned her head. Yuris feigned ignorance and looked back to the front.

“So, where do you want to go?”

His indifferent tone, as if it wouldn’t matter if they just talked there, irritated Radia. She looked down at the bag on her lap. The gazes of pedestrians passing by stuck to the car window and then disappeared, repeatedly.

“Does that mean you’ll go along with my suggestion?”

“To a certain extent.”

He didn’t prefer relinquishing control, but this much courtesy was acceptable.

“There’s a park nearby.”

“Are you referring to Gravida Park?”

Gravida National Park, a ten-minute tram ride from the university, wasn’t particularly large, but its accessibility made it a popular destination.

“For now.”

The car started moving smoothly again. Radia leaned back against the plush seat and massaged her stiff shoulders. Closing her eyes, only the faint scent of leather tickling her nose, the engine’s hum, and the cool breeze against her face remained.

Perhaps because she hadn’t eaten a proper lunch, she felt a pang of hunger.

The car soon stopped next to Gravida Park. Many people were coming and going through the park’s entrance, marked by a large sign. It looked quite noisy at a glance.

As soon as the car was parked on the side of the road, Radia opened the door and got out. After closing the car door, Yuris leaned against it, arms crossed. His gaze, as he leisurely surveyed his surroundings while waiting for Radia, was utterly dry.

I should have worn a hat.

Sure enough, sensing the furtive glances directed at him, Yuris gritted his teeth. I should just gouge out their eyeballs.

While his black hair was manageable, his red eyes were an uncommon trait that couldn’t be hidden. As a symbol of the royal bloodline, they were revered, and most people were proud of their eye color. However, for someone who disliked attention, they were merely a nuisance.

Spotting Radia approaching, Yuris finally straightened up. She walked briskly towards him, holding something in her hand, and offered it to him.

“Did you wait long?”

Radia handed Yuris a cone filled with strawberry ice cream. Accepting it without a word, he glanced in the direction Radia had come from. A white ice cream truck was parked in the distance.

“Shall we go then?”

Instead of heading towards the park entrance, Radia gestured in another direction. Yuris asked, puzzled,

“Weren’t we going here?”

“It’s crowded here.”

Radia started walking without further explanation. Though feeling slightly manipulated, Yuris silently followed. He stared at the ice cream and took a small bite. The sweet, cool taste filled his mouth.

After walking for a while, they arrived at an open space. A small fountain stood in the center, surrounded by a few benches. Perhaps because it was a weekday and quite a distance from Gravida Park, the area was deserted.

They sat side-by-side on a bench. The space between them was wide enough to accommodate two more people.

Not too far, not too close, just the right distance. Radia was acutely aware of the weight of the space between them.

Yuris spoke first.

“So, you called me out here just to sit and eat ice cream?”

“Not exactly… but to show goodwill, you should offer something the other person likes.”

“Aha.”

Yuris stared blankly at the ice cream in his hand. Countless people had tried to curry favor with him, but this was the first time anyone had bought him ice cream.

Well, it does taste good.

“Do you think I have a child’s palate?”

Despite his appearance, which suggested he’d prefer a steak dinner at a fancy restaurant, he was a picky eater with a sweet tooth. He also disliked rich foods, generally avoiding anything with too much butter.

Small things like this made him realize that the other person knew him well.

“I did nag you about taking care of your health.”

Yuris chuckled softly at her honest reply. Radia stared at him, mesmerized. A bird flapped its wings and flew over their heads.

“So, what do you want to say?”

As he cut straight to the point, Radia’s expression gradually grew serious. Yuris patiently waited as she fell silent, seemingly gathering her thoughts. Just as he finished his ice cream, Radia finally spoke.

“Is your memory still the same?”

“I’ll be seeing my doctor soon, but my memory is still patchy from my university days. I still don’t remember you.”

Fortunately, his knowledge related to the company remained intact, allowing him to perform his duties without issue. It would have been a real headache if he had completely reverted to his college days.

[You told me not to contact you,] his secretary, Eleanor, had said, bewildered. Only then did Yuris remember that he was on vacation until Friday.

Unable to simply sit still, plagued by unnecessary thoughts, he had spent yesterday catching up on pending work.

“I’ve been thinking about it, and I don’t understand.”

“What?”

“Why you lost your memory. The hospital said there were no external injuries.”

“I don’t know the cause… but what can I do about something I’ve already lost? It’s better to focus on how to deal with the aftermath.”

It was a remark befitting a skilled executive, prioritizing current gains over past losses.

Radia cautiously gauged his reaction before speaking.

“Do you really not want to regain your memories?”

“They’ll return if they’re meant to.”

His casual response made her anxious. Radia spoke again.

“Look.”

His face filled her obsidian-black eyes. Unlike Yuris, who observed her with composure, Radia bit her lip.

“Do you really dislike me that much?”

Even after hearing her subdued voice, Yuris’s expression remained unchanged. He stared at her, a woman who meant nothing to him, with impassive eyes.

“Dislike is not the word. It’s more… unpleasant.”

“What is?”

A charming smile graced the man’s lips. Even though Radia recognized it as a sign that he didn’t intend to elaborate further, she didn’t back down.

“You don’t know anything about me.”

“Because I know nothing, I can’t understand it.”

His cold gaze met hers. The warmth that usually resembled a flickering flame had vanished from his eyes, leaving them beautiful like jewels, but equally cold.

The Yuris who had lost his memories was far more aloof and less prone to laughter than the man she knew. His smiles lacked sincerity. The superficial smiles she often saw at parties made her feel increasingly intimidated.

“I know you’re incredibly confused right now. Even I, who remembers everything, feel this unsettled, so you must be even more bewildered.”

“You understand well. So, have you come to tell me you’ll break up with me, as I wish?”

“No.”

A multitude of worries enveloped Radia as she spoke. Should I be saying this? Will I regret this later?

However, she couldn’t just stand idly by and do nothing.

“So, let’s make a contract.”

“A contract?”

“Let’s become contractual lovers.”

Contract. The stark word scratched at the inside of her mouth, leaving a bitter taste on her tongue.

“I don’t want to break up, and you seem to want nothing to do with me. But I’m not exactly thrilled about my boyfriend of over nine years acting like this. You understand that much, right?”

Radia forced herself to sound calm as she spoke, though she felt more nervous than the first time she stood in court as a lawyer. The silence was heavy, and she wanted to blurt out everything, but she held back.

Showing anxiety during a negotiation was foolish. Emotionally, she was already at a disadvantage, and with the other party fully aware of it, she didn’t want to worsen the situation.

“The duration will be until the third Sunday of next month. It’s difficult for me to take more vacation time than that. My profession isn’t exactly leisurely.”

That was roughly a month and three days. Perhaps five weeks, if rounded up.

Yuris didn’t question her profession, perhaps having heard about it from Claude. Radia continued calmly,

“I won’t ask for anything difficult. I won’t do anything you don’t want.”

“Is that confidence that I’ll be the one asking for something?”

“No. It’s common courtesy between people. Even between lovers, engaging in unwanted acts constitutes harassment, doesn’t it?”

Yuris was momentarily speechless by her firm, principled response. Looking at Radia’s stern expression, he suddenly wondered:

Is there a moment when this cold, indifferent facade crumbles? Does she ever smile brightly, shed tears, or desperately cling to something?

He recalled the expression she had worn moments ago under the fragrant olive tree, reminiscing. Was that a privilege enjoyed by her lover?

“So, if you come to like me during the contract period, our relationship will continue.”

After a brief pause, Radia continued,

“And if you still have no feelings for me after that period… then we’ll part ways cleanly, as you wish.”

Yuris watched with amusement as Radia, her face pale, spoke of parting.

“Are you sure you want to set those terms? You said you didn’t want to break up.”

Radia nodded at his teasing question.

“There’s no guarantee when your memory will return, so it’s better to do what I can.”

If Yuris’s memory returned, this would all be a funny anecdote. But she also had to consider the worst-case scenario: his memory never returning. He might fall for someone else while he couldn’t remember her. Radia didn’t want to remain in this ambiguous state any longer.

No one enjoys being hurt.

“But even without this wager, if I say I want to break up right now, it’s over, isn’t it? While love takes two, a breakup only requires one person’s will.”

His playful tone pricked at Radia’s heart. She sensed how lightly he took this situation.

She clenched her fists as if to restrain her surging emotions.

“I’d appreciate it if you maintained some decorum. Otherwise, I don’t know what I might tell the press.”

“Is that a threat? How cute.”

Yuris crossed his arms, a hint of amusement in his voice. Radia, carefully observing his expression, replied calmly,

“I’m not doing this to get something from you. I never have, and I never will. You don’t need to worry about that. We can even have it notarized, if you like.”

Yuris’s shoulders twitched slightly at her sharp reply, as if she had seen right through him. A smile bloomed on his lips.

“Radia.”

At the sound of her name spoken so tenderly, Radia froze. Yuris stood up with a leisurely movement and stepped in front of her. His long shadow enveloped her.

Even as he leaned closer, Radia didn’t flinch. A large hand gently cupped the back of her head. His face drew near, and their lips met in a silent kiss.

Up close, the skin around her eyes was flushed. He slowly moved his hand down to her neck, feeling the rapid pulse beneath his fingertips.

“Aren’t you angry?” he whispered.

Radia shook her head, as if to say she could tolerate this much.

His impression of the impulsive, brief kiss was simple.

“You really do like me.”

Releasing her hair with a hint of reluctance, Yuris lifted his head. Radia glared at him, though her reddened eyes didn’t look very threatening.

“…I don’t like you very much right now.”

“Ahaha,” Yuris burst into laughter at her grumpy reply. Then he continued,

“Consider it a signature in lieu of a contract.”

“A signature…?”

“We’re not exactly drawing up a formal contract… but for a lover’s agreement, a kiss is necessary, isn’t it?”

Following his nonchalant remark, he extended his hand as if offering a handshake.

“I look forward to our time together.”

Radia gazed at his outstretched hand, a gesture of acceptance, and cautiously took it.

Despite so much having changed, his hand was still warm, and it evoked an indescribable feeling within her.

“Likewise.”