TYWN Ch 3

“Does that woman really love me?”

Claude, meticulously assembling a watch, tilted his head at Yuris’s irritable question.

“What do you mean?”

“I kind of tested her, but there was no reaction. It was anticlimactic.”

“What? What did you say to her?”

“Just some things.”

Yuris brushed it off, but Claude wasn’t fooled. His cousin was usually quite the handful, only subdued around Radia. If not for his generally indifferent nature, he would have been even more of a scoundrel.

A clinking sound echoed as Claude placed his tools on the table.

“Radia searched for you all day when she couldn’t reach you. Do you think anyone would do that without considerable affection?”

While Radia’s affection wasn’t as overt as Yuris’s, her love for him was evident in her eyes. How else could she endure a long-distance relationship?

“Anyway, you may not remember, but you two were a legendary couple.”

Seeing Yuris’s silence, Claude struck his own chest in frustration.

“Seriously, did you forget everything? What are you going to do when people find out about your amnesia?”

“So what?”

“Wow… This is so unlike you. I already have a headache thinking about how Julian will react if he finds out.”

While Claude clutched his head with a short cry, Yuris’s elegant brow furrowed at the mention of the name.

“What? Why is that lunatic being brought up?”

“You really have forgotten everything. I don’t know, I’ve done my best. You’ll have to deal with the consequences.”

“What consequences? Explain it to me so I can understand.”

“Why waste my breath explaining to someone who won’t listen? I don’t know the details either. You’ll find out when you see him anyway.”

Unless Yuris’s memory returned soon, they couldn’t hide his amnesia forever. Mentally reviewing Yuris’s schedule, Claude sighed.

“So, what are you planning to do about your company’s upcoming founding anniversary party?”

“Why are you asking?”

The Astrian family, who had focused on industrial development even when aristocratic privileges were firmly in place, still ran Astin, the most renowned company in the kingdom. Yuris was the sole heir to this company, which had amassed immense wealth starting with shipping and expanding into oil.

“You always brought Radia. People will definitely talk if you go alone this time.”

Yuris chuckled.

“So what?”

“Yuris!”

“No matter what I do, those gossipmongers will talk.”

It wasn’t as if there was a shortage of people gossiping about him in social circles. He didn’t expect anything from, nor did he care to get angry at, those who couldn’t hold their tongues, even in front of children.

He had always considered his life dull, but it had become remarkably more tedious since waking up. Ironically, the only thing that brought a laugh was the absurdity of the woman and her claims.

Even so, he didn’t feel the need to recover his memories. He preferred his current state to returning to that lovesick fool. He didn’t know why he’d lost his memory, but it didn’t matter.

He disliked everything: his closest cousin siding with the woman to the point of annoying him, a complete stranger speaking as though she knew him intimately, and the past self who had apparently been swept away by the madness called love for nearly a decade. That was all.

Claude spoke calmly to his cousin, who lounged in the plush chair with a bored expression.

“Stop mistreating Radia. You’ll really regret it.”

Despite the warning, Yuris merely laughed languidly, lacing his fingers together.

“Regret…? So what? I don’t want to be manipulated by a woman I don’t even remember.”

“Yuris.”

“Shut up, Claude. Whose side are you on?”

Only then did Claude realize Yuris’s genuine annoyance.

“…I’m always on both of your sides.”

Yuris responded with amusement to the vague answer.

“I have no intention of regaining my memory, and that woman intends to stick around until I do. Will you still say that then?”

He had already confirmed through his secretary that the woman was an alumna of his university and that they had been dating since their college days. Since her birthday had passed, she was thirty, the same age as him. She had graduated from law school and was working as a lawyer.

Since she had graduated at the top of her class from Kisello University and they had apparently been dating since before graduation, he had vaguely assumed she worked in Astin’s legal team. However, unexpectedly, she had been with the law firm Seleta Chance and had recently transferred to a small firm in Canyon.

Canyon, located in the southwest of Flete, was quite far from the capital, Meltist. Naturally, they would have been in a long-distance relationship.

Amazing they haven’t broken up yet. As Yuris idly thought, Claude spoke.

“Aren’t you a bit old to be asking whose side I’m on?”

“Plenty of people do it even when they’re older.”

How many times had I witnessed such blatant division disguised in elegant language?

Claude watched him with weary eyes, then rubbed his forehead.

“Alright, alright. I won’t say anything else, but don’t be too harsh on Radia. She’s different from the people you’ve met before. Trust your past judgment for once.”

As if he couldn’t be bothered to deal with Yuris any longer, Claude picked up a tiny gear with tweezers and placed it on the clock face. Yuris narrowed his eyes as he watched his cousin return his focus to assembling the clock.

He’d probably never met another young nobleman with such a bizarre hobby as clockmaking.

“Such high praise from the conservative eldest son of the Citran Marquisate. Don’t tell me, you’ve fallen for her?”

“Yuris!”

“Just kidding, just kidding.”

Claude shot a glare at the chuckling Yuris. The blond young man rubbed his eyes tiredly before speaking.

“She’s particularly stubborn. Once she makes up her mind, she never changes it.”

“What are you getting at?”

“Please, just don’t come crawling back to me later saying ‘I should have listened to you.'”

Yuris smiled knowingly at Claude’s meaningful expression.

“Never.”

Claude sighed quietly, watching his incredibly arrogant cousin.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

“Oh my god, is that true?”

Yuris had lost his memory?

Stella’s eyes widened. Radia, her gaze fixed on the painting before her, spoke calmly.

“Don’t tell Mother. She’ll freak out.”

“Of course she will.”

The exhibition hall bustled with people admiring the paintings. This was the unveiling of a collection of works by a certain artist, amassed by an anonymous wealthy individual. The auction held at the Poreis Dome a few years ago had brought immense fame to the artist, who was a newcomer until then.

The artist primarily painted landscapes, characterized by bright, soft colors reminiscent of pastels. They beautifully captured the image of landscapes scattering freely in the light.

Lush green vines adorned the ceilings of the brown hallways where the paintings hung, creating the illusion of walking through the heart of a tree.

As if struck by a thought, Stella’s eyes lit up.

“You were originally planning to come here with Yuris, weren’t you? To this exhibition.”

Radia just smiled. They weren’t just planning to come together; Yuris was the one who organized this exhibition.

Unlike Radia, who preferred detailed and heavy brushstrokes, Yuris favored bright and cheerful works. It was said that rich people’s hobby was collecting art, and times like these reminded her just how incredibly wealthy he was.

“He wasn’t in the right headspace to come.”

“Well, he’s practically a stranger now, so it would be awkward to suggest it.”

“…Right.”

Stella rolled her eyes at Radia’s faint smile and the way she said, “Right.”

Stella, in a knee-length, modest yellow dress with a wide-brimmed hat and a decorative blouse at her chest, contrasted sharply with Radia in her black fedora and tailored suit.

Passersby glanced at them, but the two continued their quiet conversation, oblivious.

“But are you sure it’s okay to take a month off? Won’t you get fired?”

“I’ve taken care of all the urgent matters recently, and luckily, I don’t have any trials scheduled. Even so, I’ll have to go down once a week. But I have plenty of competent colleagues who can manage without me.”

“You never take more than a week off… Is this because of Yuris? I’m starting to feel a little left out.”

Radia lightly pinched Stella’s nose as she spoke playfully.

“Ow.”

“Well, what can I do? I’ll have to manage somehow.”

Stella didn’t miss the anxiety hidden beneath Radia’s nonchalant expression. Forcing a playful smile, Stella fiddled with her own luxurious hair.

“It’s strange to think there’s no competition for Radi’s time.”

“Competition?”

“He was desperately trying to stick by your side, you know. It was hilarious. Watching him made me wonder why he hadn’t proposed sooner.”

An awkward silence followed. Stella, feeling a sudden suspicion, asked,

“Don’t tell me, he actually did propose?”

“…Sort of.”

Stella covered her mouth with both hands. Radia, trying not to look at her, continued,

“I told him to hold off.”

“Why? What a waste!”

Despite Stella’s chiding, Radia began walking slowly without answering. People passed by sporadically as the two women strolled down the hallway.

“You know his family.”

Decades had passed since the weakening of the class system and the nobility becoming largely honorary positions, but that didn’t mean the hierarchy had completely disappeared. The disparity in their wealth significantly divided their lifestyles and formed a new order.

Even now, with the establishment of parliament and the election of representatives through voting, discrimination remained like an old stain, especially when it came to lineage.

“It’s still too early. If I get married before I’ve properly established my career, the Astrian name will follow me like a shadow.”

[I’m not ready to accept this ring yet. Can I give you an answer after I’ve established myself a bit more at the firm?]

Female lawyers were uncommon in this era. Considering her relatively young age and lack of experience, establishing herself as a lawyer was crucial. Radia loved Yuris, but she didn’t want to hear that her accomplishments were due to his influence.

Moreover, announcing their marriage would inevitably make them fodder for the media. The initial revelation of their relationship had caused quite a stir. Though only one article about it had actually made it into the newspapers.

Radia subtly shook her head, trying to dispel the irritating memory.

“He understood after I explained.”

[Okay, I understand. I’ll wait until you’re ready.]

Although he couldn’t completely hide his disappointment, Yuris ultimately agreed. The image of him putting the ring box back in his pocket and smiling as he said they’d talk later was still vivid in her mind.

At the end of the hallway, a large hall appeared. Beautiful landscape paintings were sparsely hung on the walls of the circular space. They passed by the dreamy, brightly colored paintings, characteristic of Impressionism.

They eventually arrived at a large painting in the center of the hall. Someone stood before the bright, soft painting, predominantly silver and blue, which seemed to gleam.