Kisa blankly repeated his words.

“Focus on the present and future rather than the past…”

Seyrad nodded his head deeply.

“That’s right. There’s nothing good about recalling painful memories.”

“That’s…”

“To be honest, I don’t want to see you suffer any more than this, Kisa.”

His eyes, filled with concern, turned towards her.

“In the past year, many things have happened to you as well as to me. The environment surrounding us has changed a lot.”

That was true. Kisa had broken off her engagement with Daniel, who she had been engaged to for over ten years, newly got engaged to Seyrad, and was now facing marriage.

“Although peaceful days are continuing now, it’s not unreasonable for you to be confused.”

Perhaps Seyrad seemed to find the cause of Kisa’s recent insomnia in the changed environment.

“If you dwell on things that have passed, your confusion may deepen even more.”

“Seyrad…”

“Kisa, I’m worried about you.”

What could she say in front of her lover, who spoke with his brows drooping as if anxious?

After a brief silence, Kisa opened her mouth.

“Alright. Now that I think about it, you’re right, Seyrad.”

Looking at him relaxing his lips, Kisa also gave a faint smile.

“I guess I can’t beat you, Seyrad. You accurately see through my heart again.”

In fact, until just a moment ago, she had been filled with thoughts about what had happened outside on the day when, as a child, she left home to find Mustache Jack.

So before coming here, while having breakfast together, she had asked Count Vanspelt about what happened that day.

It was with the thought that the nanny might know the parts the governess didn’t know.

But contrary to expectations, the Count’s story was almost no different from the governess’.

Rather, he spoke even less, as if the incident was very displeasing.

Indeed, the Count’s servants who failed to notice until the young lady went outside.

From his position, it was no less than a considerable disgrace.

According to the governess, several servants were fired in an instant due to the incident.

‘I feel a little sorry because it seems to be because of me, but…’

Strictly speaking, it was their fault.

Come to think of it, perhaps because Kisa was such a well-behaved child, the servants taking care of her at that time tended to be somewhat inattentive.

Daniel, who came to play at the Count’s residence, frequently came in and out of the mansion through the dog door, but no one noticed until the incident, did they?

They just believed Kisa’s excuse that they were playing hide-and-seek under Daniel’s coercion.

It may not be for Kisa to say, but it must have been an unforgivable neglect of duty for the Count.

Only the governess, who was off that day due to illness, was able to escape the Count’s anger.

Anyway, although Count Vanspelt seemed very reluctant to recall the incident, when Kisa kept asking, he answered the questions as if he had no choice.

“Well… What you heard from the governess is all.”

“Really? Didn’t you and Marquis Rowens ask Daniel for the details at that time? Don’t you remember anything?”

“Even if you say that… How can I remember such an old thing now?”

“Try to recall. According to the governess, Daniel said he met a bad guy outside.”

It didn’t seem like the meticulous Count would have just passed over such a topic.

Even if Kisa and Daniel weren’t harmed right away, there was always a possibility that they could have gotten involved in something bad.

For example, they might have unwittingly leaked information to a political enemy who had been hostile to the Vanspelt or Rowens family.

When Kisa voiced her speculations, the Count shook his head.

“That wouldn’t be it. Arthur and I were also concerned about that point and asked in detail, but the bad guy Daniel mentioned was a child.”

“…A child?”

“He said it was a boy who looked about two or three years older than him. Of course, he wouldn’t be an adult.”

When Mustache Jack died, Kisa and Daniel were nine years old.

In other words, even if he was two or three years older than Daniel, it meant eleven or twelve at most.

Moreover, that wasn’t the end of the Count’s words.

“And the reason Daniel was so angry was probably because of the cat. He kept grumbling about the mustache.”

“Is, is that so? What did that boy have to do with Mustache Jack…”

“Well, it would be obvious. Wouldn’t the cat have died from the stone throwing of a mean neighborhood kid?”

“What? No way. He’s a child.”

“Kisa, you may not know well, but originally at that age, one can become even more cruel than adults. The standards of good and evil are not clearly established.”

Count Vanspelt’s speculation was eerie but sounded quite logical and plausible.

If she had seen the scene of Mustache Jack taking his last breath due to someone’s cruel malice, it would have been a tremendous shock for young Kisa.

‘Still…’

Somehow, the uneasiness that took hold of a corner of Kisa’s heart showed no signs of disappearing.

She kept thinking that there must be something else.

“Anyway, that’s all I know. If you’re really curious, ask Daniel. If you’ve forgotten, he’ll know best.”

“Daniel has gone to recuperate.”

“If you ask the Marquis of Rowens, he’ll at least deliver a letter. Of course, it’s nothing but foolishness to get involved with your ex-fiancé over such a trivial matter.”

It was almost a stern warning not to dig into the past incident any further.

Even without hearing such words from her father, Kisa had no intention of writing to Daniel at all.

Daniel, who had many complaints about Kisa, would certainly not willingly tell her.

Although Mustache Jack’s death was on her mind, it wasn’t worth the risk of being swayed by him again.

Still, she couldn’t help but feel frustrated, so Kisa sought out Seyrad and poured out her heart about the series of events.

‘I thought he would give an answer as he always did, but…’

In fact, he did. A clear and comforting answer to forget.

It was a strange thing. Even though she had already heard similar words from the governess and the Count, she couldn’t give up.

She understood their feelings, but her desire to regain the lost pieces of her memory was a little more earnest.

However, when faced with Seyrad’s worried eyes, an inexplicable sense of guilt arose.

‘Yes, what’s the point of making this person worry so much over such a trivial past.’

Seyrad Hillan was as important to Kisa now as Mustache Jack.

No, he was even more precious than Jack.

“Until just a moment ago, I was unconsciously obsessing over Jack’s death, but now I feel like my eyes have been opened.”

Kisa moved her hands to hold his hands that were lingering near her wrists.

“As you said, I should focus on the present and future rather than the past. Thank you. I feel much better.”

After all, it was best to just forget cleanly, unless Kisa could think of it herself or ask Daniel.

“What for? I’m glad.”

He quietly laughed and brought the teacup on the table to his lips.

Following him, Kisa also took a sip of the still warm black tea, and that’s when he made an unexpected suggestion.

“Kisa, if you don’t mind, would you like to take a short walk with me inside the house?”

“Inside the house?”

“Come to think of it, it seems I have never properly shown you around the mansion.”

“You guided me when I first came here.”

“At that time, I told you mainly about the places people frequently visit, but today I want to inform you in as much detail as possible. Kisa, you will soon become the mistress of the Hillan family.”

Indeed, as the Duchess of Hillan, she should be well-acquainted with every corner of the mansion.

Usually, it is the most senior servant of the household who introduces the mansion to the new mistress, but if the person she loves does it, there is nothing more Kisa could ask for.

“I’d love to, if it’s not a bother to you, Seyrad.”

He offered his arm to Kisa who had risen from her seat.

“Fortunately, there’s not much work to do today. Will you do me the honor of spending time with you?”

“Gladly.”

Kisa immediately took his arm and the two left the Duke’s office.

The Hillan Mansion was a huge place, and there were more places Kisa had never been than she imagined.

Even though she had come in and out of this mansion countless times, Kisa had to work hard to learn the geography while looking around unfamiliar places.

In a way, it was natural.

Kisa’s purpose was purely to meet Seyrad, so there was no reason to go where he wasn’t.

But Seyrad diligently answered all of Kisa’s questions related to the mansion without missing a single one.

‘He must have left here when he was young, and after returning, he was busy in many ways performing the Duke’s duties…’

Seyrad was indeed perfect.

Then, when the two had made a complete round of the Hillan estate and returned to the front of the Duke’s office where they had originally been, it happened.

“Ah, come to think of it, I missed one place.”

With an embarrassed expression, he pointed to a room located a few spaces away from the office.

It was a place that Kisa had considered an empty room because he had passed over it without explanation a little while ago.

Leading Kisa to the front of the door of that room, Seyrad spoke.

“Hmm, what should I call this room… It’s a room of secrets.”

“A room of secrets?”

“Yes, it’s a room where I’ve collected my secrets that I don’t want others to find out.”

At those words, Kisa’s heart pounded.

Seyrad’s secrets that others don’t know, she felt elated by the thought.

However, the next moment, the words that came out of his mouth were different from her expectations.

“Kisa, would you make a promise with me?”

“…What kind of promise?”

He placed a key in Kisa’s hand.

“There’s a key that can open all the rooms in this mansion. You can open anywhere. Except for this room.”

“What?”

“Promise me that no matter what happens, you won’t open only this room.”