/
“Oh, Le……on?”
She knew the name, but she didn’t know what to call him, so she hesitated. However, to Leon, the name now seemed to be irrelevant.
“Why are you out in this outfit? Where are you going?” He grabbed her shoulder and turned it roughly, his face aggravated.
“It’s… rather than going somewhere…” Instead, it was Dana who was embarrassed by his reaction.
Leon couldn’t stand the breathless Dana and gripped both of her shoulders. “Tell me where you were going. Did your memory come back to you?”
Amid the confusion, Dana saw Leon’s red eyes shaking mercilessly. He looked ill at ease. She didn’t know the reason, but she thought it would be better to answer first.
“No, I’m not going anywhere. I took a walk around because I was frustrated just to stay inside. Memories…” Dana sighed, trailing off. “My memory barely came back. I think I’ve seen this castle somewhere, but that’s it.”
“Really?” When she nodded, Leon let go of the hand that was holding her shoulder. Later, he thought his reaction was excessive, so he coughed. “It doesn’t look good to take a walk in this weather.”
Leon buried her in his oversized coat, making her slip her arms into the sleeves and all.
Dana blinked several times. His smile was a bit brighter. Neither of them knew why.
It was only after the jacket was fully buttoned up that Leon let her go. And he turned to a distant place and spoke quietly, “Let’s walk.”
Dana nodded silently, and he walked first. After a few steps, the distance between them quickly widened.
He glanced at Dana’s stride and walked a little slower. She felt a little itchy in her stomach with Leon’s subtle consideration.
‘Now is the chance.’
She didn’t have much time to talk to him calmly. She had to ask what she wanted to ask now.
“Hey…”
She had slept with him, but it was still difficult. And there was something she had to say before she asked anything.
“Thank you for saving me.”
Leon looked puzzled. Dana put her hands together neatly and bowed.
This much, she really meant it. Whoever Leon was, whoever she was in the past, he was her savior.
She was in a desperate situation, alive only because of his grace, and there were some intended actions because of that, but she still had to thank him sincerely.
“Sigh.”
Dana straightened her bent back and looked at Leon. He covered his eyes with one palm with a troubled expression, pressing both sides of his temple.
“But… Excuse me,” as Dana continued, Leon’s shoulder noticeably flinched.
“What? Again?” Leon thought his sudden tone was too blunt, but it was rather familiar to Dana.
“Where and how did you find me? About me… You don’t know?”
It was a natural question for her, but Leon avoided Dana’s gaze. “I don’t know. I don’t know.”
“Then where was I? I don’t remember anything…”
When he avoided answering, Dana became more urgent this time.
However, Leon hurriedly cut her off. “Well, I forgot I had an appointment. It’s cold, so stop and go back to your room. I’ll see you later.” After saying it abruptly, Leon left the place with a quick step.
Dana’s expression became even more absurd. His behavior seemed like he was avoiding conversation. She didn’t know why he didn’t want to answer, but she also didn’t understand why he acted so obviously.
She wandered around the place where he left and soon came into the castle herself. It was because she slowly felt frozen, and organizing her thoughts would finally be possible only when she heard an answer from him.
Dana muttered at the wall, taking off the jacket she had worn and hanging it on one side.
“When will he come?”
He said he was busy, so she thought he wouldn’t come today.
* * *
Leon, who was walking swiftly through the hallway, suddenly stopped. There had never been a time when he didn’t understand himself as much as he had these days. He nervously swept the black hair covering his eyes.
He had to admit it. He was implicitly hoping that she would not regain her memory. He definitely recognized it in their brief meeting today.
“Why on earth?”
Normally, it would be good for the both of them to find her memories as soon as possible and go back to their places.
And one more thing. He stopped by the room earlier and saw that Dana was not there, and his heart sank.
When he imagined her regaining her memory and leaving, it felt like the blood drained from his face.
“Sigh…”
All last night, what she had said before going to bed lingered in his head, and he could hardly sleep.
‘Only… Because of that word.’
He sighed again and slowly stepped back.
‘It was definitely a different experience.’
Of course, this was not the first time in his life that he had received a woman’s confession. However, while he couldn’t comprehend it back then, he was paying too much attention now.