Chapter 145
Just three days and two nights.
It was a short visit, but during that time, Han Siha received the utmost hospitality at the mansion.
“But why did you come here? You don’t have time to visit if you’re focused on your studies.”
“Should I stop coming?”
“It’s just a way of speaking.”
Though Han Taesu spoke with a sharp tone, he couldn’t hide the pleased smile on his face.
This was a man who loved his son deeply, so it made sense that he had been driven to madness when he thought Han Siha had died and sought out Adela for revenge.
And I know well how to win over people like him.
You just have to say the right things.
“Hmm. So, you’re negotiating a new deal with the Arkenent family?”
I said as I munched on some pudding, listening to Han Taesu.
I had heard that Solia’s family, which had been devastated by the war, was trying to rebuild by getting into business.
It seemed Han Taesu was planning to invest in that venture.
There were likely complex calculations behind his decision, but the biggest reason was probably the camaraderie he felt with an old war comrade.
I decided to say the words he most wanted to hear.
“As expected… you’re a man of loyalty.”
“Is that so?”
“You’re not abandoning an old friend, are you?”
A few nods.
A twinkle in the eye.
Hands folded reverently, as if I were deeply moved.
“They’ll never forget this help in their moment of need. The Arkenent family will be grateful for life.”
“A good friend indeed.”
“But you’re even better for not turning away in this situation, aren’t you?”
“…!”
“I respect you, Father.”
See? I came here to be a dutiful son.
Han Taesu was a simple man to please.
“Ahem. Hmm. Hmph.”
Look how happy he is.
I smiled brightly and added the final touch.
“I want to be just like you.”
But at that, Han Taesu’s expression hardened.
“…Don’t become like me.”
There was a strange emotion in his voice.
I fell silent as he turned to me, his voice tinged with regret.
“Looking back, there’s a lot I regret.”
“Is that so?”
“Don’t create things to regret.”
For a moment, I thought of someone.
Han Si-hyuk.
One of Han Taesu’s biggest regrets might have been Han Si-hyuk.
The existence of an illegitimate child could be enough for regret, but cutting ties with him might have left an even deeper wound.
No matter what happened between them, severing blood ties is never an easy thing.
Their relationship remained as that of strangers—no, perhaps worse than strangers.
It puzzled me.
Han Taesu had forgiven Han Siha for all his mischief and chaos, so what could have happened between him and Han Si-hyuk to sever their bond so completely?
Cautiously, I decided to ask.
“Do you regret letting my brother leave?”
“…You’re talking about Han Si-hyuk.”
Han Taesu’s eyebrows twitched.
The gentle smile vanished, replaced by an air of irritation as if the mere mention of that name was offensive.
The atmosphere grew tense, a far cry from the calm demeanor I had seen before.
If I were smart, I would have dropped the topic here.
But I was curious.
“Why do you hate Han Si-hyuk so much?”
Of course, I didn’t get a meaningful answer.
The only response I received was a single, angry sentence.
“That bastard isn’t my son.”
—
Around the time Han Siha returned from the Castica estate.
Solia had been avoiding Han Siha for a while.
She had mistaken him for a ghost and ended up feeding him red bean porridge and throwing salt at him.
But that wasn’t all.
“Why don’t you just try touching me?”
Han Siha had said that so casually, at an uncomfortably close distance.
Solia remembered that voice clearly.
And the look in his eyes as he gazed at her under the dim light.
“….”
Solia’s ears turned bright red.
“Why is it so hot?”
It was definitely winter, but she felt flushed.
Maybe it was because the library was crowded.
“Whew… it’s hot.”
Solia fanned herself with her hand as she wandered between the bookshelves.
And then she heard it.
A familiar voice came from behind her.
“The cafeteria’s got new bread. Want to go try it?”
“How can you eat bread every day?”
“But it’s so good! Especially the red bean bun!”
“It makes my throat dry.”
“Then drink some milk with it!”
“It’s still tasteless.”
“That’s harsh.”
“I told you, I don’t like sweet things.”
It was Han Siha and Yoon Haul, playfully bantering as they walked past the bookshelf.
Solia had felt relieved knowing that Han Siha would be away at the Castica estate for a while, but it seemed he had already returned to the academy.
She quickly covered her mouth and turned her head away.
“Why is he here?”
Han Siha wasn’t the type to visit the library often, so running into him here was bad luck.
Solia frowned in frustration.
Yoon Haul’s cheerful voice continued to ring out.
“You don’t like sweet things?”
“No. Lately, I’ve started disliking them even more.”
“Why?”
“Because of red bean porridge.”
Damn it.
Step, step, step.
The footsteps were getting closer.
At this rate, they would definitely run into each other.
‘What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?’
There was no real reason she couldn’t face him, but she just didn’t want to.
Solia bit her lip and made a decision.
I have to run.
Quietly, she tiptoed deeper into the library. She hurriedly grabbed a book to hide her face.
They’re chatting away, so they won’t notice me.
Hopefully, they won’t see me.
“Oh, there she is. Red bean porridge.”
Huh?
“Hello, red bean porridge?”
The sound of footsteps stopping right behind her.
Solia slowly turned her head with a blank expression.
“Ugh… seriously….”
There stood Han Siha, grinning at her.
“What’s with the red bean porridge? What are you talking about?” Yoon Haul asked, tilting his head in confusion, while Solia quickly turned away again.
I’m going to ignore him and run away!
“Hey, are you mad?”
But of course, that wouldn’t work.
Han Siha doggedly followed her, asking,
“You’re mad, aren’t you?”
Solia quickened her pace and tried to change direction, but Han Siha was right in front of her.
Thud.
Han Siha blocked her path.
“You’re mad because I called you a dumb fish.”
“No.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
It wasn’t exactly because of that, but she didn’t want to admit the real reason.
As Yoon Haul came closer, he glanced back and forth between Solia and Han Siha, clearly curious about what was going on.
“Red bean porridge? What’s that about?”
Since it was Yoon Haul who had suggested the red bean porridge to Solia in the first place, it was natural for him to be puzzled.
Han Siha explained what had happened between him and Solia, and Yoon Haul’s face quickly turned to one of shock.
“Wait, you fed him red bean porridge… and threw salt at him?”
“Well, yes, but….”
“Because you thought Han Siha was a ghost?”
Solia hesitated, then nodded slowly.
Yoon Haul immediately covered his mouth with his hand, struggling to hold back laughter as he took in the seriousness on Solia’s face.
“If Han Siha were really a ghost, I would have known first.”
“That’s… true….”
Now that she thought about it, there was no way Yoon Haul, with his spiritual sensitivity, would have missed detecting a ghost.
Yoon Haul leaned closer and whispered quietly into Solia’s ear.
“And besides… ghosts aren’t usually that good-looking.”
“What? Ghosts can’t be good-looking?”
“I don’t know. In my fantasy, they’re not. If someone is that good-looking, they’re probably a reaper, not a ghost.”
“Why?”
“…I read it in a novel. It’s cool that way.”
Yoon Haul’s eyes sparkled as he recalled the romance novel he had read, while Han Siha sighed deeply from a step behind them.
“Sorry, but I can hear everything.”
“I said it so you could hear!”
Yoon Haul, undeterred by Han Siha’s grumbling, announced that he was heading to the store to get some more sweet bread and then left.
“Red bean buns… red bean buns… gotta collect all the stickers!”
Before they knew it, Solia and Han Siha were left alone.
—
Han Siha, with his hands tucked in his pockets, smiled mischievously.
“What’s the matter?”
While teasing Solia was fun, Han Siha had a specific reason for seeking her out today.
He handed Solia a business proposal.
A collaboration between the Castica family and the Arkenent family.
Han Taesu had discussed the potential and had laid out some fairly concrete plans for support.
Han Siha was here to deliver that message.
“You’ve heard the gist of it, right?”
“Yes.”
Solia nodded slowly.
A family as influential as the Castica family supporting their business was undeniably a great opportunity.
She had no reason to refuse and was a bit taken aback by the significant investment being offered.
“Go ahead and pass this on.”
“Thank you.”
This venture was the only hope for the Arkenent family to rise again from their downfall.
While it wasn’t Han Siha who deserved thanks, Solia still smiled and expressed her gratitude.
With this, the Castica and Arkenent families would likely continue their strong partnership, just as they had in the past.
This was not just about a business relationship between two families, but also a matter of personal ties.
Han Taesu and the Count of Arkenent were old friends.
Han Siha cautiously broached another subject.
“So, about this….”
“Hmm?”
“Once this business deal is finalized….”
He considered it a possibility.
If the Arkenent family regained their former status.
In the context of the close relationship between these two old friends.
“I think there’s a chance the topic of an engagement might come up.”
When Solia was younger, she didn’t think much of the talk about Han Siha being her potential fiancé.
‘I don’t like you! You’re so annoying!’
To Solia back then, Han Siha was just a brat who threw tantrums all the time.
And she was just as much a child, thinking that an engagement was nothing more than a game of make-believe.
But now that she was older, the words carried a much different weight.
“W-what did you say?”
Solia stammered, caught off guard.
“En… engagement?”
—
Solia blinked as she stared at Han Siha sitting in front of her.
Engagement.
Now that she was no longer a child, she understood what that word meant.
If the Arkenent family regained its former status, it made sense that such discussions might happen.
Han Siha’s words had a ring of truth to them.
Solia swallowed nervously, looking up at Han Siha as he smiled at her.
The Castica family, with its overwhelming power and wealth.
From the Arkenent family’s perspective, there would be no reason to refuse.
Among nobles, arranged marriages of this nature were quite common.
Solia might not even have a choice in the matter.
But even so, she allowed herself to contemplate her own feelings.
If this engagement were to become real, how would she feel?
Under normal circumstances, an engagement would lead to marriage, meaning Han Siha would become her husband.
They might end up spending the rest of their lives together.
Solia slowly lifted her gaze to Han Siha.
Though he could be a bit annoying and frustrating at times, he was also just, especially when it mattered most.
Above all, he knew how to protect those he cared about.
She thought he was a good person.
So maybe…
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Solia lowered her head, her voice timid as she shared her thoughts.
“I… I think… it would be… nice….”
“Which is why I’ve been thinking about how to break off this engagement—what?”
“Huh?”
“What?”
Solia froze in place.
Han Siha, his eyes wide, asked,
“How far did you take this in your head?”
“…I didn’t think of anything.”
“You definitely thought about it.”
“I didn’t!”
“You did! You were probably imagining your whole life story just now!”
“No, I wasn’t!”
Solia shook her head vehemently.
But Han Siha, sensing he had hit the mark, grinned mischievously as he pressed her further.
“Didn’t you just say it’d be nice? Or did I mishear?”
“I didn’t say that!”
“Then what did you say?”
“I… I mean… I said….”
Solia clenched her fists tightly and shouted.
“I said it’d be awful!”
“…I didn’t know you used that kind of language.”
Han Siha stared at her in shock.
It wasn’t surprising if Adela had spoken like that, but hearing it from Solia, who was once called the Saint of Light, was something else entirely.
Solia blinked and quickly tried to explain herself.
“I meant it’d be awful.”
“…Unbelievable.”
How Solia, who was once known as an angel, had ended up like this was a mystery, but Han Siha took her words seriously.
What had started as a joke seemed to be genuinely upsetting her… she really did seem to dislike the idea.
‘Does she really hate it that much?’
Han Siha slumped his shoulders and muttered.
“I’m hurt.”
“No! Don’t be hurt!”
“…Too late.”
Solia, flustered, waved her arms frantically.
Han Siha waved her off as if to say it was fine.
“Let’s think of a way to break off the engagement then. Since we’re on the same page, it should be easy if we put our heads together.”
“You’re mad, aren’t you?”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry, I’m too upset.”
“No… Han Siha! Han Siha!”
Han Siha flicked the business plan away with his fingers and slumped his head on the desk.
He had lost all motivation.
“I quit. I’m done with this.”
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