Chapter 60: The Most Complicated Woman 2
"I see," she said at last. Her voice was quiet—soft, but edged with something unspoken. A breath held too long. "That's how you see me, then."
Kael looked down,"Yes," he replied, voice low, almost hesitant.
Then—silence. A heavy, suffocating silence that seemed to wrap itself around them like fog. The kind that lingered. The kind that made the heart ache.
She didn't speak again. Neither did he. She just sat there on the wooden bench, her posture loose and defeated, like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
And Kael… Kael just stood there, leaning against the tree like he was part of it. His hands clenched, then slowly relaxed, unsure whether to shove them into his pockets or shout something—anything. A thousand words fought their way to his tongue, but none could leave his mouth.
The night air between them grew thick—so thick that even the wind seemed unsure whether it should pass through. Then—movement. Subtle at first.
She rose.
Slowly.
As if even that act hurt. As if some invisible weight pressed down on her shoulders. She didn't look at him. Her head remained bowed, her silver hair falling forward like a curtain, hiding most of her face.
Kael glanced at her from the corner of his eye. His mouth parted slightly, as if he might speak—but no words came. He didn't know what to say. He had already told her the truth. The truth he believed. And deep down, he knew Seraphina already understood how he felt about her. But… he hadn't expected her to ask. Not like that. Not tonight. Maybe it was his fault for pushing her this far. But he still didn't understand—why did she ask?
His arms folded across his chest, then dropped. He glanced up at the sky—vast and scattered with stars, shimmering in the quiet of the night. His gaze shifted back to her. She stood sideways, still as a statue.
And then—
Step.
He heard it before he saw it—the soft crunch of her boot pressing into the gravel. A deliberate sound. She had already turned and taken her first step toward him. Her silver hair fluttered in the wind, and her silver armor, trimmed with gold, gleamed faintly in the moonlight.
Step.
Another one. Her long, slender legs remained pressed together—their graceful curve unmistakable, even if they were hidden beneath layers of armor. Cuisses, poleyns, greaves, sabatons… all trimmed in silver and gold. From thigh to knee, the shape was elegant, delicate—yet he could see it clearly, as if the armor only hinted at the form beneath.
But she stayed silent. Still unreadable. Her silver hair swayed softly with the breeze, strands dancing around her shoulders. And her eyes… he still couldn't see them.
Step.
His gaze shifted upward—slowly—toward her waist. Two faulds curved downward at her sides, almost like sharp wings, triangular and tight against her form. They moved slightly with her step, but didn't lose their shape. Above them rested a large, curved chestplate, its sharp lines dipping in a downward curve—leaving space between it and the faulds. From that gap, a long, tapered thigh guard descended like a falling blade. It was long, soft and seamless—Yet somehow… It made her seem even more untouchable.
Step.
Kael blinked slowly. Her presence was always captivating—but not this time. Her head was bowed, her eyes hidden beneath the curtain of her hair. She moved toward him, slow and deliberate. Like a predator closing in on its prey… or something far sadder. Whether it was anger or sorrow etched in her steps, he couldn't tell.
Step. Step. Step.
At first, he thought she might stop. But she didn't. In fact, she kept walking—slowly, carefully, every step deliberate. "Why is she getting closer?" he wondered. "But more importantly… why isn't she saying anything?"
Then, suddenly, she stepped into the dim light beneath the hanging branches of the tree. They draped like roots from above—yet it felt as if they bowed to her. As she moved beneath them, the soft light slowly wrapped around her form. And now, even in the shadows, he could see her more clearly.
However, her expression was blank—no, it was hidden. The shadows cast by her silver hair veiled her face, but her lips—those soft, slender, pink lips, slightly wet and impossibly captivating—were pressed together, perfectly still. As if she were on the verge of speaking, yet had lost the courage to let the words escape.
She stopped—just a few feet away from him. Then took another step. And another. And another. He thought she'd stop there. But she didn't.
Then his breath started to caught slowly. "She's not going to stop," he realized. "Why isn't she stopping? Don't tell me… she's actually angry at me for that? Is she going to hurt me? What did I even do wrong? It's not like I gave her some kind of lecture…"
She took few more step—and now she stood less than a foot away from him. So close that he could feel the warmth of her body, the electricity in the air tightening.
Then he looked at her hands. They were clenched—tightly. So tightly that if she weren't wearing those gloves, her nails might've dug into her palms. His eyes widened slightly. "Yep… she's definitely going to kill me. Those fingers are speaking for her. I mean, I told the truth… she wanted to hear it. It's not like she doesn't already know how I feel about her. Oh no. Don't tell me she took it as a blow to her pride. Again. No way." He clenched his teeth, just slightly. "This woman… what am I supposed to do with her?"
"Darling?" he breathed, his voice catching as the weight of the danger sank in. "What… what are you going to do? Hey, I told you the truth. Don't take it as an attack on your pride. That's not fair. It's wrong—really really wrong."
Then—her hand moved. Slowly.
Her right hand hovered at her waist. He saw her fingers slip toward the hilt of her sword.
Kael's eyes narrowed. "So… this is it for me," he muttered. "There's no turning back now. Once she lets her pride take over, no one can stop her. I guess this is how it ends—my life. Rest in peace, Kael."
Then, suddenly, she moved her right hand. It was quick—so quick, in fact, that his eyes barely caught it. A sharp thud followed as her gloved palm slammed against the tree beside his neck. Not on him—never touching—but close enough that he felt trapped. Her arm stretched across him like a barrier, long and slender, caging him in. The side of her arm pressed firm and steady, just inches from his cheek. Her body hovered near, close enough that he could catch her scent—cold steel laced with wild lavender.
His breath caught. His gaze followed the line of her arm—from her shoulder to her elbow, then her wrist, hovering so near it felt as though it brushed against the air he breathed. Still, she didn't touch him. Not once. And yet, her presence overwhelmed.
He looked up at her again. Her expression was unreadable. He couldn't tell if it was anger or sorrow—perhaps both.
Yet, he swallowed hard. "Damn it," he thought. "Damn it... she's so close. Way too close. What's she trying to do?"
Still, she said nothing. Not a word. Then she leaned forward. Just a little. But it was enough. Her torso angled in as her face came so close, he felt her breath ghost over his skin. Barely a breath apart. He instinctively pressed himself back against the tree—but there was nowhere to go. The bark scraped against his back. He flinched slightly. He thought about escaping from the other side, where her hand didn't cage him in—but then realized she wouldn't let him.
"Wait… honey…" he whispered. "W-What do you want? Why are you acting like this?"
But she didn't answer. She just stood there, silently caging him in. Still, he waited—hoping she'd say something. So, he dared to glance at her lips. Those lips—naturally pink—glistened slightly under the faint, flickering light. The kind of soft shine that shouldn't belong in a moment like this, yet somehow, it was the only thing his eyes could focus on. They were the part of her that glowed, at least from where he stood.
Ba-dump!
His heart gave a quiet thud in his chest—not loud, not dramatic, but not quite calm either. Strangely, it felt comforting.
Even though there were still a few inches between them, he could feel her breath—slow, steady, measured. It touched his face with a calm gentleness, neither warm nor cold. Just a subtle presence in the air that stirred something unfamiliar inside him. He didn't understand it—and didn't try to.
Those lips of hers—warm, soft—remained still. And so did he. Neither of them moved. For a long, awkward, breath-stealing moment, they just stood like that—too close, too quiet. They could've moved, but they didn't. As for why she held him like that—maybe even she didn't know.
Kael could hear his own heartbeat now. Could feel how it rattled in his chest, wild and unsure. He wanted to say something—anything—but his voice betrayed him. His breath had already betrayed him. It had carried toward her, closing the gap in a way his body refused to. But his limbs stayed frozen.
And then—
His lips parted just slightly, dry from the tension, the air, everything. He almost said something. Almost. But the words caught in his throat like ash. He was afraid. Not of her. Of himself.
Afraid she'd hear the way he breathed. The way her presence unbalanced him. The way his heart was beating so fast. But he had no idea why.
"Why am I feeling like this?" His chest tightened, a dull ache blooming like pressure beneath his ribs. That was when it hit him. His heart wasn't in his control anymore.
His eyes twitched, blinking faster than they should. Then narrowed. Then darted away. Then back. They didn't stay still. Nothing did.
"Why's this happening to me? What is it? Why?"
The silence offered no answers. Only the soft hum of the moment stretching longer than it should. He was losing grip on thought, sense, maybe even reality.
But then—
He looked at her again. At those lips. Still unmoving. But her head tilted—just slightly. Time didn't slow. It paused. And his mind raced to fill the stillness.
"Don't tell me… wait. Hold on. She's not actually going to do that. Right?" He almost swallowed, but stopped—afraid she might hear it. "She can't be. Is she trying to… trying to…"
The thought slipped into his mind, and suddenly his whole body felt strange—warm and light. His face flushed red, and a wave of panic surged through him.
"No. No way she'd want to do that. What the hell am I even thinking? Why would she ever? It's Seraphina—we're talking about her. She'd sooner punch me through a wall than—"
His thoughts spiraled.
"I'm an absolute idiot. A stupid, hypocritical fool. What made me even think that? Even if I am her husband—what right do I have to think about her like that?"
But then—
She lifted her head. The strands of silver hair fell to the side, slow and smooth like a curtain being drawn back. And from her face…
Those piercing glacier-blue eyes met his—no, locked with his. But this time, they weren't cold. They glowed so intensely the pupils seemed drowned in light. They looked down on him slightly—not with fury, not exactly. But they burned, with something else. It was something deeper. More unstable. Something raw. Something that hurt.
And in the middle of that emotion—her lips curved slightly into a quiet smirk. Or a bitter one. Barely there. But enough to send a chill down his spine.
Kael's breath faltered. His mind scrambled to keep up. He wasn't ready for this—for the coldness in her eyes, the way her hair fell softly around her face, or that smirk curling her lips. This was a side of her he had never seen before.
"Darling," he breathed—barely more than a whisper, like a line stolen from some forgotten play. He didn't expect a reply. He wasn't even sure what he expected anymore. "What is it you truly want from me? Keeping me caged with your hand… like some tragic heroine out of an old book."
He let out a quiet, almost laughless breath. "The way you stand there… the way you look at me—it's like you're trying to stage some kind of romance." His voice faltered, softening to a near whisper. "And yet… don't you think you're still a step too far from me?" He paused, gaze heavy. "Could you at least close that distance? Just for tonight. I'm feeling… achingly alone. You could take that away, couldn't you?"
His voice was gentle—too gentle. As if he were whispering straight into her ear from across a great divide, unsure whether it was meant to be theater or something else. Maybe it wasn't a performance at all.
Silence answered him. No shift. No flicker. No sign that she even heard.
A flush crept up his neck. Embarrassment—yes, but something deeper too. Shame? Longing? Saying something like that… when even he couldn't tell if he truly meant it or just wanted her to react.
Still, he stood there, clinging to that fragile thread of silence—as if it might somehow draw her closer. He had no answer for the moment, and maybe he didn't need one. All he wanted was to take her pain, her anger, and carry it himself. He didn't know why. He'd stopped asking himself that long ago.
Maybe it was because, to him, she was family—the only one he had left. Of course he didn't want her to be hurt, not by the world, not even by him.
He had long forgotten what it meant to have a family. But now, maybe… just maybe, he was starting to remember.
And then, without warning, a faint flicker of blue light crept in from his left—soft at first, then sharpening, growing brighter. His eyes snapped toward the glow, tracking it as quickly as they could. Something was forming—right by his neck. He didn't even have time to see it clearly.
BZZT!
CRACK!
BOOM!
A bolt of lightning, sharp and searing as the edge of a blade, ripped down from the sky above. It crashed into the tree—just inches above his head. The light was blinding. The sound shattered the air.
Kael flinched, eyes squeezed shut, instinct taking over as he ducked slightly. The bark exploded, splitting apart. Smoke coiled up in delicate spirals. The scent of scorched wood and ozone filled the space.
And when he opened his eyes again… The branch above him was blackened. Still hissing. Still smoldering. But he was untouched. Because of her. Because she had guided it. But, she hadn't moved away. Her arm was still pressed to the tree. Closer now than before.
Kael stared at her, wide-eyed. "Hey—"
"Who the hell does he think he is?" she snapped, cutting him off. Her voice—usually cold and quiet—tried to burn like fire this time. It wasn't loud, but the bite in it was unmistakable. It shook him. It didn't feel like Seraphina. Not at all.
Kael blinked, completely thrown. She rarely raised her voice—hell, she barely spoke more than needed. Now she was standing there like a storm cloud about to burst.
He didn't know what she meant. He really didn't. And somehow, not understanding made him feel even dumber, like a child caught in the middle of a fight he had no part in.
Then, with a sharp movement, she pulled her hand off the bark of the tree beside him. Her boots crunched against the earth as she turned around—swift, distant, and final.
A long, tired sigh slipped from her lips. She walked past him—slow, not rushed, but firm—like someone who had finally decided to leave something behind. Maybe not him, but something.
He just watched her go. Even as the seconds ticked by, he still hadn't quite recovered from the emotional whiplash. His brain scrambled to keep up with what had just happened. His eyes turned toward the tree—the poor, noble tree that had taken the hit for him. His palm brushed gently against the scorched bark.
"Ah... poor tree," he muttered under his breath, like he was talking to a friend who just got wounded in battle. "Thank you, buddy. If it weren't for you, I'd be toast by now." He gave it a small, respectful nod. "Rest in peace, soldier."
But before he could really sink into the moment, Seraphina's voice came cutting through the quiet again.
"He has the nerve to show his face after all these years. That old geezer." Her voice was rising again. "I swear—if he hadn't been in uniform, I would've ended him right there. How dare he?"
Kael turned his head slowly. Her back was toward him, but her voice carried enough weight to make him freeze mid-breath.
"You know," she continued, arms crossed tightly, fists digging into her armor, "people don't have to come all the way to the city to meet their relatives. And I'm his daughter. Daughter, Kael."
She spun half around, not fully facing him, but enough for her eyes to glance his way—filled with something that wasn't just anger. It was deeper.
"He could've sent a letter. One damn letter. Just a 'How are you, my dear daughter?'" Her voice cracked, barely, but she masked it behind sarcasm. "But no. He didn't have time for that. Not for me. Not once."
There was a pause.
Kael remained silent, stunned. She had never spoken like this before. Not to him. Not about this.
She clenched her fists tighter.
"And now," she whispered bitterly, "he says he cares. That's what he says now. 'I care about you.' What a load of—bullshit. As if I'd ever believe that."
Kael opened his mouth, maybe to say something comforting, maybe just a noise—but instead, a sharp laugh escaped him. "Pfft—Hahahaha…"
He doubled over slightly, hands on his stomach, trying not to laugh but failing miserably. "Ah, I—I'm sorry. I just—I can't... hahahaha…"
"You dare laugh at me, loser?"
Her voice dropped. Cold. Piercing. And when Kael glanced up, Seraphina was glaring at him like she could turn him to ash with her eyes alone.
He raised both hands in surrender. "I'm sorry! It won't happen again, I swear!"
But even as he said it, he was laughing again. This time softer, more honest. "It's just—this side of you, Seraphina. I've never seen it before. I thought your emotions were stored in some frozen dimension or something. Seeing you like this—I didn't think it was possible. Hahaha! My Ice Queen, actually shouting like that? I swear, I'm going to die from laughing. Hahaha!"
She turned away again with a long, drawn-out inhale. If she were any other person, she might have sighed or groaned. But Seraphina didn't. She just breathed. A breath that said I'm choosing not to kill you right now.
Kael stared at her back for a moment. The tension still hadn't left the air between them.
"So," he muttered to himself, "the old man came. But when? He didn't say a damn thing about showing up. Maybe it was about that demon or whatever... huh. Now it's starting to make sense."
He scratched the back of his neck slowly, thinking. "She was holding it all in," he realized quietly. "All that rage… this whole time. She just needed a way to let it out."
"Here I thought she was actually sad or something. But turns out, she was just angry. I mean, normal people act like that when they're sad, right? Guess she's not normal at all. There's really nothing else to say. Yep—I don't understand this woman at all. I bet she's the most complicated woman in the whole world."
Then his thoughts drifted. To her lips. To that moment, not long ago, when he thought—just for a second—she might kiss him. His heart gave a tiny thump at the memory, and his face flushed a light pink.
"I'm an idiot," he whispered, half-smiling. "An absolute idiot."
Stepping forward carefully, he moved beside her again, his steps slow and deliberate. "Sweetheart," he said softly.
Her face turned toward him, slow and sharp, her expression unreadable—except for the storm brewing in her eyes.
"I mean it," he continued. "I've never seen you this angry before. Actually, to be honest, I didn't even know you could shout like that. Usually, when you're mad, you just give me that cold stare. You know... the one that says 'I could freeze your heart and shatter it with a whisper' kind of look."
She narrowed her eyes. "Is that so?"
"Yeah," he grinned, trying to lighten the mood, "but... was it really necessary to strike the tree with that much magic? If it weren't for this brave tree, I'd be a crisp memory right now." He placed a hand dramatically over his chest. "Still... thank you for saving me."
She tilted her head slightly and said flatly, "What are you talking about?"
He blinked. "What?"
"I didn't save you. Why would I?" she said in her usual cold tone. "I missed. That's all. It was meant for you. The tree just got in the way. What an unfortunate accident."
Kael froze. "Darling..." He took a step back, eyes wide again. "You're joking, right? Tell me you're joking."
"No."
"You... didn't mean that." His voice dropped, almost childish. "You wouldn't try to kill me."
She didn't respond right away. Then, in a quieter voice, she said, "Because you're his—"
She stopped herself. Her fingers twitched, remembering the moment her father had said: "The truth is, no one ever taught him how to grow up. Unlike you, who learned every manner and virtue from us, he had no one in his childhood to show him what's right or wrong. He grew up on the outside, yes—but inside, he's still just a boy. So… yes, in many ways, you are raising a child in a man's body."
Then a faint smile appeared on her face. It was genuine.
Kael's brows furrowed. "What?"
"Nothing." She turned and began to walk away—slow, steady steps.
But then, over her shoulder, she added flatly, "We should get going now. It's already getting late. Go home—fast. Run if you have to, understand? I want dinner ready as soon as I walk through that door."
Kael blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift. "Why? Aren't you coming with me?"
She hesitated for half a second. "I think I'll need to stop by the office for a moment. There are still some documents I haven't signed yet."
A beat of silence passed between them. The wind stirred faintly, brushing against his cheek like a reminder of something slipping away.
Kael managed a crooked smile, folding his arms in mock irritation. "Okay, my dear angry-darling-sweetheart. Don't worry about the dinner. Tonight, I'll cook something that blends your anger and coldness into a gourmet disaster."
She glanced back at him, barely, her blue eyes flicking with something unreadable. "Stupid idiot," she muttered.
And just like that, she turned away, her figure already fading into the dusky shadows.
But Kael's voice caught up with her. "Wait—so you're just gonna brush past all that like it meant nothing? Really? Don't you think you're being kind of... I don't know—rude? Pretending none of it happened?"
She didn't turn around. Her reply came soft, sharp, and final. "Shut up."
And then she was gone. As if she hadn't even been there at all.
Kael stood frozen for a moment, the silence swallowing up the sound of her voice. He slowly turned in a slow, mechanical movement, scanning the empty space she left behind. A bitter laugh escaped his lips—short and dry.
"What's exactly going on in that head of hers?" he whispered to himself, hands stuffed into his pockets as he kicked a pebble along the path. "Still… she seemed normal. At least on the outside."
He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
"I guess... if she's fine, then for some weird reason, that's enough for me."
He started walking again, footsteps light but aimless, vanishing deeper into the darkening road ahead—completely unaware of what still lingered behind him.
The wind picked up gently.
Behind a scorched, dead tree, long silver hair danced quietly in the breeze. Seraphina stood there, her expression unreadable, her cheeks faintly pink.
"What the hell was I even thinking back then?" she murmured, her voice barely louder than the whisper of the wind—like a confession meant only for the night. "How could you let your anger take over like that, Seraphina…" Her fists clenched tightly at her sides, trembling. "What the hell was that?"
Her mind flashed back—that moment—when she'd stood far too close to him, when the air between them felt too heavy, too fragile.
"Why did I get that close…? Ugh… What's wrong with me today?" she muttered, then groaned. "And that idiot—what was that sudden blush for?"
She remembered the exact moment Kael's cheeks flushed. "What was he even thinking back then? He was probably imagining those stupid things again—just like this morning. Ugh. Of course. I shouldn't even be surprised. Idiot. Idiot. He's such an idiot. I want to kill him so badly."
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(Chapter Ended)
To be continued...