To you 8

Translator : Ariana

Chapter 8: The Man in the Dream

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Jet-black hair and blue eyes.

His hair, soaked by the pouring rain, draped over his forehead, but it only added to his peculiar charm.

The man standing before her was the same one she had seen five times in her recurring dream. It was possible to think he was just someone who looked similar, but she was certain.

This man was the same person she had seen in the dream. There was no other way to explain the identical scar on his hand.

As soon as she realized this, her heart, which she thought had gone cold, began to beat warmly.

Riena felt a strong urge to talk to this man, whose name she didn't even know, just because he resembled the man in her dream.

It seemed like a ridiculous reason, even to herself, but at the same time, she felt it was valid. How likely was it to meet someone in real life who had appeared in a dream? This didn’t seem to be a mere coincidence.

“Sir, please step aside so that I may speak with him directly.”

Riena dismounted from her horse and spoke firmly. The knight captain hesitated for a moment but eventually stepped aside. The man with black hair then approached Riena and bowed deeply.

“I apologize for the rudeness of disturbing you at this hour.”

Only then did Riena realize why his voice felt familiar. His voice was exactly the same as the one she had heard in her dream.

The only difference was that, unlike the voice filled with despair in the dream, his voice now contained a sense of joy.

Despite her confusion, Riena found this curious. Although he was apologizing, his voice didn’t sound at all like someone who was sorry.

However, her thoughts didn’t last long. The man took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to her. Perhaps protected by preservation magic, the letter remained dry and intact despite the pouring rain.

Instead of immediately accepting the letter, Riena asked cautiously.

“Why are you giving me this…?”

“This is a letter sent to me by Count Dyke before he passed away. Please read this before we talk.”

At the word "Count Dyke," Riena quickly snatched the letter from him before he could even finish his sentence. It was a rude action, but she was too confused to notice.

“A letter from my father?”

If what he said was true, this could be her father's last letter.

Riena hurriedly opened the letter with trembling hands.

{To Cassel,}

The handwriting that first appeared was undoubtedly her father's, Count Dyke’s. It wasn’t elegant, but it was strong and sharp. The handwriting she had longed to see.

“Really, this…”

Riena couldn’t read any further and burst into tears.

After hearing the news of her father's death, she had been unable to maintain her composure. It was a sudden death, one she faced without any time to prepare herself. The shock was immense.

For days, she denied reality and cried to the point of fainting. The funeral was conducted in a daze, and when she finally came to her senses, more than a week had passed.

During that week, her stepmother, the Countess of Dyke, had sorted through all her father's belongings. As if disposing of something ominous, she had cleared out everything, leaving nothing behind.

By the time Riena realized what was happening and confronted the Countess, the woman didn’t even blink an eye. Instead, she retorted, asking what was so wrong about removing things that only brought her pain.

Riena didn’t continue to express her anger, knowing that her father's belongings wouldn’t return no matter how much she lashed out. Instead, she began searching the estate for anything that still held traces of her father.

Her father’s handkerchief mistakenly placed in her wardrobe, a note tucked between the pages of a book, his cufflinks hidden in the attic during a childhood treasure hunt.

Every time she found such trivial items, she would silently weep. But even that didn’t last long. No matter how hard she searched, her father's belongings were nowhere to be found, leaving Riena in despair each time.

She feared that one day her memories of her father would gradually fade. His face, voice, warmth—all the things she never wanted to forget might be forgotten.

Riena was terrified of that.

But just from reading the simple words, "To Cassel," in her father's handwriting, it felt as though she could vividly hear her father’s voice, as if he were speaking directly beside her.

The man with black hair, who must be named Cassel, didn’t rush her as she wept. He didn’t ask if she was okay, nor did he offer warm comfort, but he waited for her patiently.

Riena didn’t know much about this man, but she thought that, although he wasn’t expressive, he seemed to be a deeply considerate person. He had been that way even in the dream.

“I’m sorry. I was just thinking about my father.”

“I understand.”

Wiping away the wetness—whether it was rain or tears—Riena began reading the letter again.

{To Cassel,}

{I heard you have inherited the title. It must be hard for you to bear the grief of losing your father so suddenly. William was a dear friend to me. He may not have been the best father to you, but remember that he cared for you until the very end.}

After reading that, Riena finally realized what the man meant by his earlier words, "I understand." It wasn’t just a hollow phrase; it was a comfort rooted in his own experience.

She continued reading the letter. Below were details about Cassel's father, William.

It talked about how diligent and capable William was, and how much effort he put into making Cassel a great successor, sharing personal stories.

Riena felt as if she shouldn’t read any further, so she decided to stop.

{Do you still remember my daughter, Riena? The mischievous Ria, who used to spend time with you when you were children.}

Riena, who had been about to fold the letter, opened it again when she saw her name mentioned so unexpectedly.

And they spent time together when they were children? She swore she had no memory of ever meeting this man. How could she not remember a man with such a strong presence?

But since it was her father who wrote it, she believed it couldn’t be a lie.

{She’s 20 years old this year. If I remember correctly, she’s only a year younger than you. Not to praise my own daughter, but she has grown up to be truly beautiful and lively. To the extent that a strange man has been persistently pursuing her.}

A strange man? What could that mean?

There were too many things she didn’t understand. As far as Riena knew, no man had ever approached her romantically. She had never even had the opportunity to meet such men.

The only person who came to mind was…

“Is he referring to Sir Belliard?”

But who in the Empire would dare refer to Johannes as a “strange man”?

Riena tried to calm herself and continued reading the letter.

{When you were children, you exchanged flower rings and promised to marry each other when you grew up. Although we laughed it off as a promise made in innocence, we also thought it wasn’t a bad idea. You two seemed happiest when you were together.}

Flower rings, marriage…

Those fragmented words stirred something in her memory.

{William and I even talked about it. He also thought it was a good idea. But when you suddenly left Dyke County to become the heir of your family, we couldn’t bring it up again.}

{But Cassel, as I grow older, I find myself worrying more. If something were to happen to me suddenly, how heartbroken would Ria be to lose her father so abruptly? There would be no one left to protect her.}

{That’s why I want to find her a new family as soon as possible.}

{So, Cassel, if you remember Ria and your childhood promise, I’d like to ask you to take responsibility for her.}

{I’m not forcing you.}

{But if something happens to me and Ria is left alone in this world, I want to know if you could become her family.}

As she read to that point, she felt like crying. Judging from the contents, it seemed that Count Dyke was worried about his only daughter until the moment he died.

Even if that wasn’t the case, he was asking if Cassel could take care of Riena as if she were his family.

The letter continued, but Riena could no longer take in any more words.

In summary, this letter was essentially a proposal.

It didn’t matter why Count Dyke did this without telling her.

One thought filled her mind.

“If something happens to me…”

It was as if Count Dyke had somehow known something would happen to him.

Or perhaps, saying such ominous things had caused something to happen?

Riena looked up at the man, Cassel, with a confused expression.

Was that a signal?

When Cassel gave a signal to the knight behind him with his eyes, the knight took something from his bag and handed it to him.

Receiving it with care, Cassel knelt on one knee before her. Unlike the precarious state in the dream, now he appeared exceedingly reverent.

“Please, stand up. Your pants will get wet.”

Riena hurried to lift him up, but Cassel didn’t budge. Instead, he held out the bouquet he had just received from the knight.

Three small sunflowers wrapped in white baby’s breath.

The bouquet was slightly crumpled and wilted, perhaps because of his rush. But for some reason, Riena liked it. It felt like this man’s sincerity was conveyed through it.

As Riena took the bouquet as if mesmerized, Cassel took out a small box from his pocket.

Inside the box was a fairly large diamond ring, which sparkled brilliantly even in the darkness.

Could it be...

It was then that Riena realized what Cassel was trying to do.

He was proposing. To Riena Dyke, whom he had never properly seen before.

As Riena looked at the ring and then at the man with a somewhat dazed expression, he muttered in a voice full of apology.

“I’m sorry for not preparing a new ring as I rushed over.”

“...”

“Still, this is my mother’s engagement ring. It has a special meaning to me, so I hope you won’t be displeased.”

Displeased? It was absurd. Riena knew how significant it was to receive a proposal with a ring from one's parents or grandparents in noble families.

Although Cassel apologized for not preparing a new ring, this ring seemed even more valuable.

Riena was torn between stopping him before he spoke further or listening to what he had to say.

Unable to make a clear decision and only fidgeting with her lips, Cassel spoke first.

“Lady Dyke, I know this is sudden. But I must ask you despite the rudeness.”

His blue gaze fixed on Riena’s eyes.

She couldn’t remember where or from whom she had heard it, but she had once heard about blue flames. Unlike ordinary flames, they were described as having a cool blue color.

However, despite their appearance, those flames were said to be much hotter than ordinary red flames.

As Riena looked into Cassel’s eyes, she thought that perhaps that description was accurate.

His eyes were hotter and more intense than any gaze she had ever seen in her life.

Whether it held deep affection, lust, desire, or some other strong emotion, she could not tell.

But just meeting his gaze made Riena feel a burning thirst.

Even when rain poured over his face, Cassel did not flinch.

Would there be another person who could give such a blind gaze after today?

As Riena swallowed her dry saliva unknowingly, Cassel spoke again.

“Will you marry me?”

It was indeed a proposal. Riena momentarily held her breath.

***

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