"Fiancée…?" Ji Hoon echoed, his voice flat with disbelief. He turned to Beatrice, who only gave a small, confirming nod.
After waking up as Cassian Ahn, Ji Hoon had inherited broken fragments of memory that weren't his own. At first, they came in scattered pieces, but with Beatrice's patient explanations, he managed to patch most of it together. Still, this particular memory hit differently.
Cassian was engaged.
To whom? Lady Vale, the daughter of a wealthy and respectable Vale merchant family. From what he could gather of Cassian's memories, it seemed like it was one-sided.
Ji Hoon exhaled sharply through his nose. In his past life, he had never dated, never had a relationship—his kitchen had been his only partner, his work his spouse.
And now he had to act as someone's fiancé? Even worse, from what Beatrice told him, the engagement itself was… complicated.
The Ahn family, once respected, had accepted the Vale family's marriage proposal as part of a business alliance. But after the Ahn family's decline, the Vale side no longer wished to be tied down.
Unfortunately for them, the contract was one-sided—only the Ahn family could dissolve it. Which meant that, for now, the engagement lingered like an unresolved debt.
Beatrice's lips pressed into a thin line, as though she had more to say, but she stayed silent. Ardine, as usual, adjusted her sword belt and remained expressionless.
The servant bowed low, still panting from running. "Yes, young master. Lady Vale arrived not long ago. She is… waiting in your study."
Ji Hoon pinched the bridge of his nose. 'Of course this body comes with baggage. Family politics, old debts… and now an arranged marriage. Let's just get this over with and go back to my panna cotta.'
He straightened, releasing a slow breath. "Alright," he muttered. "Let's not keep her waiting."
He ordered Beatrice to take the ingredients they bought to the Kitchen as he headed to the study.
Soon he arrived. The market still clung to him: the faint smell of fish, spice, and cream hardly befitting a noble's grand appearance. Not exactly how he wanted to meet his supposed fiancée for the first time.
The doors creaked as he pushed them open.
And there she was.
A young girl rose from the cushioned seat as he entered, dressed in a gown of pale silk threaded with faint gold patterns. Her dark hair was styled neatly, though a few strands had loosened as she paced the floor in quiet agitation.
Ji Hoon opened his mouth, half-forming a greeting, when her cool eyes met his.
"You made me wait," she said, her voice calm, almost polite, but edged with irritation that struck sharper than any raised tone.
"I'm sorry I was out shopping." He apologized while gesturing with his hand for her to seat. "Please."
"No need, I'm not here to stay. I only came here because it would've been improper if I hadn't. People might whisper if a fiancée does not visit her intended after such… an incident."
'Looks like their relationship wasn't good' Ji Hoon thought.
"I heard you were abducted," she continued, her gaze sliding past him as though weighing the worth of a painting she did not care to purchase.
"Yes, it was unfortunate incident," he replied with a smile trying to lighten the mood. "Thankfully I'm okay, all in one shape."
A small laugh escaped her lips—elegant, measured, yet laced with ridicule. "And are you proud of that? You really shouldn't have been so weak. Do you realize what this does to my honor and to my family? To be bound to someone who cannot even protect himself… how shameful."
Ji Hoon swallowed, trying to control himself. 'Her honor? Hello, I'm the one who's hurt here, what's with her.'
She leaned back slightly, her words barely loud but Ji Hoon caught it. "You should have been like Marquess Roswald. Strong. Capable. Not… this, if only my family didn't leave me with this mess." she held her head as if her head was hurting.
At the mention of the name Roswald his expression faltered for a second, though he returned it to neutral. From Cassian's memory—last memories, he knew of that name. How could he not know of the person who killed his body.
She straightened, gathering her skirt with refined precision, her tone once again the picture of poise. "I must leave now also..." her tone changed a little. "think carefully about what we discussed, Cassian. If you have any sense, you will nullify this engagement yourself."
Her perfume lingered even as her footsteps faded, leaving Ji Hoon staring at the empty seat across from him. 'So, this is the woman you left me with, Cassian?' he chuckled dryly, mad at the previous owner's choice of women.
"Well, no need to talk about the dead and it seems like I won't be seeing her for a while," he sighed. That's when it hit him—the panna cotta!
He shot up from his chair and rushed toward the kitchen. It was the first time he had stepped inside since waking up here.
The room greeted him with the thick, smoky scent of burning wood. A great stone hearth dominated the far wall, flames flickering beneath a soot-stained iron pot.
Copper pans hung neatly on wooden racks, their surfaces dulled from years of use. Earthen jars lined the shelves, each one sealed with wax and marked with chalk symbols he couldn't yet read.
A large oaken table sat at the center, scarred by the countless blades that had chopped, sliced, and hammered against it.
Rolling up his sleeves, Ji Hoon tugged on a rough linen apron he found hanging by the doorway. It was stiff, carrying the smell of flour and ash.
He walked to a nearby basin, pumping water into his cupped hands, and washed thoroughly. The cold bit into his skin, but it woke him up.
One by one, he began laying out ingredients across the table: a basket of strawberries, jars of cream, some sugar and other ingredients he bought.
At the front, he placed the red seaweed-like plant he had bought earlier. "I'll begin with you." he said, placing both palms on the table.
"Alright," he muttered, lips curling into a grin. "Time to work."