A Kiss on the Back of the Hand
“……What?”
“He left a suicide note in his cell and took his own life.”
That was what he said, but a lingering doubt remained in Kallen’s heart.
Was it truly suicide?
There were far too many suspicious points, yet Kallen chose not to mention them. He had no desire to disturb his frail older sister’s mind with such pointless matters.
“Sister, please return on the morning ship tomorrow. This island is dangerous, so it would be best if you left as soon as possible.”
“Alright.”
Canna wanted nothing more than to leave this damned island as quickly as she could.
“Father, you, and Orsini are all staying behind, right?”
“Yes. We will return together once everything is finished.”
“I see.”
Canna’s mind turned calmly.
The way their father had spoken Korean.
There was clearly some secret hidden within him.
And Father has a secret room.
A chamber no one was permitted to enter, enforced by strict orders—just like the room of Bluebeard.
While Father is away, I need to see what’s inside that place.
There would undoubtedly be something related to Korea. That was not a guess, but a certainty.
Yes. Something will come of it.
And perhaps—even a clue about the phenomenon that allowed travel between Korea and this world. The moment she thought that, a flame of hope kindled in her chest.
The next day, Canna spotted Sylvien Valentino at the harbor.
He was conversing with Raphael near where the ship was docked. The moment Canna drew closer, Sylvien abruptly ended his conversation with Raphael, as if he had sensed her approach.
“Your Grace the Duke.”
“Lady Canna.”
When Canna greeted him with a polite curtsy, Sylvien bowed at the waist in return. It was an utterly dry exchange—one that would be impossible to believe came from a married couple.
“Are you leaving now?”
“Yes. What brings you here, Your Grace?”
“Raphael will also be returning on this ship.”
“I see.”
She had heard he only arrived yesterday, yet he was leaving again immediately. It struck her as odd, but she felt no particular curiosity.
Still, coming to see me off in person… that’s not like Sylvien at all.
Then again, it was precisely this side of him that had turned Juhwa into the very embodiment of jealousy.
The only person this cold-blooded man—who seemed to possess not a single drop of warmth—ever treated like a fellow human was Raphael.
“Perfect timing, Your Grace. There was actually something I wanted to discuss…”
She glanced at Raphael with a look that clearly said give us a moment. He silently withdrew.
Once the two of them were alone, Canna spoke directly.
“I have received permission from my father.”
Sylvien tilted his head in apparent confusion.
“Permission? For what, exactly?”
“The divorce.”
“Ah.”
“Once you return to the capital after finishing your work here, please proceed with the divorce procedures immediately.”
Sylvien smiled with a hint of awkwardness.
“Lady Canna, once I begin this process, I will not stop.”
How wonderful. For the first time, his words sounded genuinely welcome to her ears.
“This matter will be different from before. It cannot be reversed. It is not something I can simply laugh off as I did in the past.”
Canna understood exactly what he meant.
The events of the past seven years.
All the little shows Juhwa had put on to capture his attention. Sylvien still believed this was simply another one of them.
“My decision will not change.”
At those words, the corner of Sylvien’s mouth curved in a strange smile. He remained silent for a moment, fingers lightly stroking his chin.
“It will not change?”
His voice had suddenly dropped, and Canna’s shoulders stiffened.
Sylvien stared at her with a dry laugh.
“Can you take responsibility for those words?”
“I do not speak words I cannot take responsibility for. And I believe Your Grace is the same.”
“I am honored. To think your trust in me runs so deep.”
“Yes. To be precise, I trust the contract between us.”
As if cutting the conversation short, Canna declared firmly.
“Then I shall see you in the capital, Your Grace. I pray you return safely.”
She curtsied once more.
Sylvien gazed down at her quietly, then suddenly took a bold step forward.
Startled, she tried to step back, but before she could, he caught her hand and pulled her firmly toward him.
“……!”
Sylvien lowered his head. His lips brushed against the back of her hand in the lightest, fleeting contact.
The next instant, he released her hand just as casually and smiled with perfect composure.
“Then travel safely. We can continue this conversation in more detail once we are back in the capital.”
“……What exactly was that?”
Sylvien raised one eyebrow. He had been turning away, but now pivoted back to face her.
“What do you mean?”
“What you just did to the back of my hand.”
“Well, Lady Canna, what do you believe it was?”
He asked as if he were genuinely curious.
“Was there some problem with my greeting?”
“……”
Irritation surged through her, but in truth, he was right.
Kissing the back of a lady’s hand was one of the most common forms of greeting in noble society. In fact, Argon had done the exact same thing before.
The problem was that Sylvien had done it to her. In the past seven years, he had never once done so.
Canna answered curtly.
“I have always had a strong aversion to unfamiliar things. I would feel more comfortable if you continued treating me exactly as you have until now.”
“It has already been over seven years since we entered into our marital bond, Lady Canna.”
Sylvien gently brushed aside her anger.
“That is not a short period of time. It is more than enough time for both of us to undergo change.”
Enough time to undergo change?
She could not fathom what he meant by that. The sentence carried so many possible meanings. At the same time, it revealed not a single trace of sincerity.
Either completely hollow… or hiding something very carefully.
“You are not thinking of going back on the divorce, are you? You promised you would do as I wished.”
“Of course.”
Sylvien’s ice-blue eyes sparkled. The blatant interest in them was almost staggering.
What is wrong with him? Is he even sane?
She might be imagining it, but he seemed to be deriving considerable enjoyment from this conversation. She could not understand which part he found amusing.
“Keep your promise.”
“Of course, Lady Canna. You may trust me.”
Sylvien bowed politely at the waist.
“Then I wish you a safe journey.”
Ah, I’m so drained…
After finishing that ambiguous conversation with Sylvien, Canna immediately went up to the deck. With a resounding blast of the ship’s horn, the vessel departed.
Canna gazed at the island growing smaller in the distance and let out a long sigh.
Was this what it felt like to deal with someone wearing a perfectly beautiful glass mask? Every conversation with Sylvien left her completely exhausted.
At least I’ll be able to get divorced soon. That’s truly a relief.
There would be a lot to do once she returned to the capital.
She had to enter the secret room while her father was away, and she needed to begin preparing for the divorce in earnest.
“Madam, please be careful. What if you fall into the sea?”
When Canna leaned against the railing, Claude gently warned her. His rich golden hair sparkled brilliantly beneath the sunlight.
“You must have it nice, Sir Claude.”
“Pardon?”
“Being a handsome blond man.”
“Ah, yes. And with blue eyes as well.”
He grinned as if showing off a treasure.
“I truly do not understand why God gave me both golden hair and blue eyes. I can only apologize to all the noble ladies who suffer heartache because of me.”
“Wow.”
What incredible confidence and an utterly obnoxious joke. Canna let out a soft chuckle.
“Sir Claude, are you married?”
“Do you think I would be?”
“I don’t think so.”
“You don’t think so?”
“Stop joking around.”
They had grown a bit closer, it seemed.
When Canna glared at him sharply, Claude smiled brightly and shrugged.
“My apologies. I am still unmarried.”
“Lucky you.”
She was genuinely envious. As she swallowed those words, a strong gust of wind suddenly blew past.
Her hat flew off.
Ah, my hat.
Goodbye, safe travels. Knowing she could never catch it, she didn’t even turn to look.
At that moment, Claude’s expression darkened.
“Sir Claude? What’s wrong?”
She followed his gaze, which was fixed somewhere beyond her, and turned around.
And there he was.
“Raphael.”
Raphael was approaching, holding her hat.
“Thank you. How did you manage to catch it?”
“I was lucky.”
He answered briefly. After handing her the hat, he bowed politely and immediately left.
“……”
He was still avoiding her, after all.
A little embarrassed, Canna watched his retreating figure. Around them, several women were staring at him with dazed, captivated eyes.
“Please do not get close to that priest.”
Claude suddenly interjected.
“His name is Raphael, correct? You seem to hold some goodwill toward that defrocked priest, but it would be better not to associate with him.”
“Why?”
“He is a dangerous man.”
For a moment, Canna nearly burst out laughing.
What a terrible joke. A baby rabbit seemed far more dangerous than Raphael.
Even a rabbit would be too much for Raphael. Maybe a sheep… No, even against a sheep, Raphael would probably lose.
Hadn’t he lived his life being tormented even by Juhwa, the weakest being in this world?
Suddenly, she remembered how Raphael had stood there without even trying to dodge the stones Juhwa threw at him, taking every hit.
And not just one. He had been struck by five stones.
Yet he had never once avoided them. As if inviting her to hit him if she wished, he had simply stood there silently, offering himself as a target.
How foolish he had looked.
“You must not be deceived by that man’s appearance, Duchess. Please abandon the prejudice that a handsome man must be kind.”
“Sir Claude, Orsini is my younger brother. Do you really think I would hold such a prejudice?”
It was the perfect example.
“That’s true. You would have no such prejudice.”
“Exactly.”
“In any case, he is a dangerous person, so you must never get close to him. He is a defrocked priest, after all.”
A priest stripped of his holy orders. Was that really so dangerous?
“You know that the Great Temple is a closed group formed through incestuous marriages, yes?”
“I do.”
“Then do you think such an organization would simply allow a priest who left their ranks to wander freely? They would rather kill him. That is the kind of place the Great Temple is.”
Claude made a slicing motion across his own throat. Canna grew genuinely curious.
“Then why didn’t the Great Temple kill Raphael?”
“It’s not that they didn’t.”
Claude murmured as he stared at the black priestly robes growing distant.
“It’s that they couldn’t.”
Even now.
He added that last part very softly.