A ray of light slipped through her eyelids. Slowly, her consciousness returned. Her mind processed the unfamiliar cold surrounding her. The first thing she saw was snow-covered trees and a gray sky overhead.
But when she lifted her gaze, the view changed into a sharp jawline that felt far too familiar.
"Are you admiring my handsome face?"
Ah, that voice again… that deep, irritating voice that always managed to provoke Estelle's anger. Her awareness fully returned, and the confusion in her eyes shifted into a cold glare. Only then did she realize that she was currently being carried in Hector's arms.
Perhaps because she still had not fully recovered and was mentally exhausted, her sleep had been incredibly deep. Estelle had not felt a thing when the man moved her from the car seat. Looking down at herself, her clothes were still intact. There was even a blanket now wrapped around her legs that had previously only been covered by stockings.
She raised her hand, waiting for the snowflakes falling from the sky. When the tiny flakes touched her skin, they slowly melted away.
"Why aren't we using the car?" the girl asked after realizing they still had not reached their destination.
Hector smiled faintly before looking at her. "Walking while enjoying the scenery is much nicer than sitting still in a car."
Scenery? As far as Estelle could see, all she saw was an endless blanket of white that could hardly be called pleasing scenery. Either her perspective was strange, or Hector's was.
"I'm not surprised. Your way of thinking has always been weird," the girl muttered before closing her eyes again.
Hector tilted his head slightly, one brow lifting before he sighed and smiled.
"You're acting stranger today. I thought you'd immediately demand to be put down."
Hearing that, Estelle's brows furrowed slightly even though her eyes remained shut. "There's nothing wrong with taking advantage of you once in a while when you've taken advantage of me countless times."
"Oh? For example?"
This time, those brown eyes opened and glared at him irritably. Her jaw visibly tightened, but she could not bring herself to openly voice all of Hector's insanity. She was far too embarrassed to remember all of it. Naturally, seeing the inner conflict written all over Estelle's face made Hector smile proudly.
"Cat got your tongue, huh?"
"Shut up," Estelle hissed. "Just do your job and stop talking so much."
If not for Sandro's warning, Estelle would never have allowed Hector to carry her. Combined with the fact that her stomach had not fully recovered yet, she had no choice but to accept the initiative of that damned man. Walking in extreme weather while still unhealthy was not a good idea.
Meanwhile, Hector viewed things differently. It was true that he preferred walking while carrying his girl so he could spend more time with her. However, the main reason he chose to walk was because of the road conditions and the state of his car.
Everyone knew how steep the roads in the hills were. But only Hector knew the actual condition of his car right now. The man had not touched Estelle, but he had dirtied his own car by spilling something that never should have been spilt there.
Cleaning it would take quite a while. Rather than letting Estelle wake up first and discover what he had done along with the scattered tissues that would expose his madness, it was better to walk and leave the car farther away from the settlement. That way, his girl would never know how violently his desire burned.
"Look ahead. We're almost there."
Estelle opened her eyes again. When she looked forward, a minimalist house made the endless white scenery suddenly feel alive. Through the glass windows, she could see the glow of a fireplace. Just looking at it made warmth spread through her chest. Smoke drifted from the chimney, evidence of the fire burning inside. As they drew closer, she caught a sweet scent similar to cookies fresh out of the oven.
For some reason, the sight made her eyes burn. Her memories drifted back to the past, to the days when her family was still whole. Whenever winter came, her mother would always light the fireplace and bake her favorite chocolate cookies or apple pie that she would eat half of all by herself.
As those brown eyes remained fixed on the house, Hector simply watched without saying a word. The tears gathering in her eyes silently revealed that the girl who always appeared strong was actually fragile, someone longing for the peace of her past.
"Do you want to walk on your own?" Hector asked softly.
The girl snapped back to reality, quickly wiping away the tears threatening to fall. She nodded faintly, and Hector carefully lowered her to the ground. His existence was immediately ignored as Estelle instantly focused ahead and walked toward the house. Strangely, Hector did not feel irritated.
From behind, Hector watched the back of the tiny figure running ahead. It felt like watching a child who had just discovered the thing they loved most. The girl immediately rang the doorbell and waited loyally at the door. It did not take long for Hector to catch up and stand beside Estelle while they waited for the owner to answer.
When the wooden door opened, an elderly man with white hair greeted them. He wore distinctive glasses that made him look like someone who loved spending his time reading. His body was neither thin nor overweight, and he looked remarkably healthy for someone his age.
"Oh? Young Hector?"
"Good afternoon, Mr. Wright. Thank you for allowing us to visit," Hector greeted with a smile.
Seeing Hector's politeness and warmth, Estelle could hardly believe the man standing beside her was the same person who tormented her nearly every day. He looked like a man with impeccable manners.
"Come in! Treat this house like your own!"
The two of them entered Edward Wright's home. They sat in a living room dominated by wooden furniture and cream-colored tones. Beside them, the fireplace Estelle had seen earlier from outside was still crackling warmly. The scent of homemade cookies filled the air pleasantly. The cold from outside vanished the moment she and Hector sat down there.
For some reason, all of it made Estelle feel a little calmer.
Meanwhile, Mr. Wright returned carrying a plate of cookies in one hand. Feeling that it was not enough, the elderly man went back into the kitchen and brewed tea for his guests.
"You really don't have to trouble yourself," Hector said with a charming smile.
"It's no trouble at all! Not many people visit this old man anymore. I'm very happy whenever someone comes by just to chat."
Mr. Wright's aged hands placed cup after cup before his guests. With gentle yet precise movements, he poured the dark liquid from the teapot into the cups.
"Did Young Hector come here this time to introduce your wife?" Mr. Wright asked softly while looking warmly at Estelle.
Hearing that question, Estelle immediately stiffened. Reflexively, she shook her head.
"I-I'm not his wife," the girl denied quickly.
Meanwhile, Hector merely smiled and calmly lifted his teacup, ignoring Mr. Wright's puzzled look.
"Oh, so you two aren't married yet," Mr. Wright guessed, followed by Estelle's awkward smile.
The girl could not understand why Mr. Wright assumed she was Hector's wife. Just imagining it sent chills down her spine, let alone actually becoming his wife.
"No… we…"
"We came here to ask about the Andersen Family case from ten years ago," Hector interrupted.
Instantly, Mr. Wright's smile disappeared, and silence filled the room.
"And this girl is Elysse Andersen, the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andersen."
Hector's additional explanation made the old man widen his eyes. His lips parted, only to close again. It was obvious that he wanted to say something, but held himself back.
"Before anything else, I want to apologize," Mr. Wright lowered his head. "That case was closed without any clear resolution."
Hearing that, Estelle clenched her jaw. "This is not your fault."
"If there's anything I can do to help, I will help as much as I can. Because back then, I failed to seek justice for your parents."
Estelle's eyes turned glassy at those words. Tears slipped down her cheeks. She answered with a small nod. Meanwhile, Hector understood that his presence might distract Estelle's focus. The man stood up, intending to leave and allow the two of them to talk more freely.
"I'll move the car first. You two can continue talking comfortably here."
Neither Estelle nor Mr. Wright stopped him. The man walked out of the house until his figure disappeared into the heavy snowfall.
Estelle's attention returned to the key figure in her parents' case.
"Is there anything this old man can help you with, child?" Mr. Wright asked gently.
Estelle nodded reflexively. She took out her phone, opened the scanned documents, and showed them to Mr. Wright.
"I always thought Hector was the mastermind behind this case," Estelle explained. "But in these case files, Hector was never accused as the culprit. I want to know if these documents are valid. And is it true that Hector is innocent? Then what about the ring that became evidence?"
The old man stared at the documents before shifting his gaze toward Estelle. Then he fell silent for a moment and smiled faintly.
"If you don't mind, I'll tell you how this case began. The things that were never written in those documents."
***