Not A Regressor-Chapter 260: Date (2)

Time flew as they had fun. Before they knew it, the sun had set after they visited the arcade, bought silly headbands, and shared many laughs together. Darkness now blanketed the amusement park, and the lights sparkled like stars in the night sky.

“Haa. I guess it’s about time we head back.” Isabella faintly sighed and gazed dreamily at the glittering scenery around her.

She lightly tapped her toes against the ground with a bitter smile, not wanting to leave. They had enjoyed the day without a care in the world. Now, the place would soon close.

Isabella turned to him with a gentle, radiant smile. “I had such a wonderful time today, Mr. Oh-Jin.”

For a moment, Kwon Oh-Jin became speechless. It felt as if everything around them had lit up just from her smile. A flicker of conflict passed through his eyes.

Then, with a short sigh, he took her hand. “There’s still thirty minutes left. Let’s ride one last thing.”

Isabella blinked in surprise and widened her eyes at him. “What?”

Without waiting for her answer, he began walking toward the park’s outdoor area. They arrived at the staple of any amusement park date, the Ferris wheel.

“Oh, the Ferris wheel?”

Even someone like Isabella, who had never been to an amusement park before, recognized it.

She chuckled softly and nodded. “Hehe. So you have a romantic side to you, Mr. Oh-Jin.”

She leaned her head gently against his shoulder.

Looking at her nestled beside him, Kwon Oh-Jin’s expression darkened with unspoken thoughts. From the moment their date began... No, maybe even long before today, he needed to tell her something. He kept pushing it aside, pretending not to notice, but couldn’t avoid it anymore.

“The Ferris wheel is now departing!” the attendant cheerfully said as the cabin slowly rose.

The night sky stretched above them. A shimmering ocean of stars flowed across the heavens like an inverted sea.

“It’s beautiful...” Isabella murmured dreamily as she looked out the window at the glowing lights below.

Kwon Oh-Jin remained silent.

“Mr. Oh-Jin?”

Finally, he broke his silence. “Isabella, you already know this, but I’m in a relationship with Ha-Eun.”

He only came today because Song Ha-Eun had permitted him. Under normal circumstances, this kind of carefree date would have been out of the question.

“I’ll find a way to come up with the thirty billion won. So, going forward—”

“You’re saying we can’t go on dates anymore, right?” Isabella nodded slightly with a faint smile.

She had known all along that no matter how much she loved him, his heart would always belong to Song Ha-Eun. Someone like her would never fit between them in the first place.

“Do I really not have a chance?” she asked, her shoulders trembling. Tears glistened in her eyes as she looked straight at him. “Mr. Oh-Jin, is there really no room for me in your heart?”

She reached out carefully, placing her hand softly on his chest. The warmth of her touch and the ticklish sensation, like a feather landing on his chest, sent a shiver through him.

“Isabella...”

“I know unnie will always be your number one.”

When he had saved her and got trapped in the Demonic District, Isabella had vowed to become his first. However, that resolve crumbled over time. No matter how blatantly she tried to seduce him, his gaze remained fixed on Song Ha-Eun.

It had always been impossible. Becoming his number one was never an option. Tears silently slid down her cheeks.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to date me. It’s okay if you don’t hold me or kiss me.” She clung to his arm, almost pleading. “Can you just... at least let me stay by your side?”

Kwon Oh-Jin’s face hardened. Who was he to make her feel this worthless?

“Isabella, you could be with someone much better—”

“I don’t want anyone else!” she cried out. “You’re my only hope now... Mr. Oh-Jin.”

It had to be him. No one else would do. She had reached a point where she couldn’t live without him.

That day, when she heard his sweet lie amid the ruins of her collapsed mansion, the withered wasteland of her heart sprouted a single seed of hope named Kwon Oh-Jin. She had already completely and irreversibly fallen for him.

Kwon Oh-Jin couldn’t say anything as he looked at Isabella, tears streaming down her cheeks. It felt like a needle was stabbing deep into a corner of his heart.

She had asked if he had any room in his heart for her. Ironically, Isabella had already carved out a place in his heart, firmly and undeniably.

What should I do?

What could he do to make all three of them happy?

Roberto’s words suddenly floated through his mind.

“Among Italian nobles, it’s still common for men to have more than one wife.”

Kwon Oh-Jin dryly laughed and shook his head. That was absurd. Even if he was okay with it, Song Ha-Eun would never agree. If it were the other way around and Song Ha-Eun told him that she wanted two husbands, could he accept that?

Not a chance.

What right did he have to want two lovers? It was far too selfish.

“Unnie said it was okay.”

At Isabella’s sudden words, his eyes widened.

“What?”

She clutched the hem of her clothes tightly, blushing. “When you were trapped in the Demonic District, I asked unnie if it was okay for me to like you.”

“And what did she say?”

“She said she’d leave the decision up to you, Mr. Oh-Jin.”

Leave it to me, huh?

He stared at Isabella with wavering eyes.

“So, how do you feel, Mr. Oh-Jin?” Isabella quivered and nervously looked at him. She tugged gently at her clothes, filled with emotion. “Am I... not allowed to be by your side?”

His head burned as if it were on fire, and the aching in his heart spread throughout his body.

“I don’t want to lose either one of you,” he said.

Kwon Oh-Jin no longer cared if others called him selfish or shameless trash. He didn’t want to let go of either of them.

“That’s how I really feel.”

“M-Mr. Oh-Jin...” Isabella trembled as she looked at him.

Her emotions threatened to burst, making it hard to control. She tried to wrap her arms around him, but Kwon Oh-Jin gently stopped her and shook his head.

“I have to talk to Ha-Eun first.”

He had spoken his truth, but this wasn’t something he could decide on without Song Ha-Eun, even if she had agreed to follow his decision. Just as much as his feelings mattered, so did hers. If Song Ha-Eun refused, then he would have to reject Isabella no matter how much he didn’t want to let her go.

“I understand, Mr. Oh-Jin.” Isabella slowly sat back down and nodded. “Then, I’ll talk to her.”

“I should be the one—”

She shook her head with a soft smile. “No. I was the one who came in between you and unnie, after all.”

Even she didn’t know if Song Ha-Eun would give them permission.

“Just knowing how you feel for now is enough for me.” Isabella beamed and took his hand.

The thought that she had a place in his heart, no matter how small, made her heart beat out of her chest. Funnily enough, she felt so happy because a man who already had a girlfriend said that he liked her too. If it weren’t her own story, she would’ve laughed at how pathetic it sounded.

“Hehe.”

What could she do? Whether she was his first or second, he said that he didn’t want to lose her too. Isabella couldn’t stop the smile tugging at her lips. Her shoulders trembled giddily.

This isn’t fair.

Kwon Oh-Jin mumbled in his head and moved closer to her.

“Mr. Oh-Jin?”

As she widened her eyes in surprise, he gently lifted her chin and pressed his lips against hers.

“Mmph!” Isabella’s breath tickled his lips.

Her eyes darted around in panic, completely frozen and unsure of what to do. Soon, she wrapped her arms around him. Like a sparrow pecking at seeds, she cautiously slipped her tongue between his lips.

“Mmm...”

Just as their sweet kiss deepened, the Ferris wheel came to a halt.

Clunk! 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

“Ah...” Isabella softly sighed in disappointment and looked at Kwon Oh-Jin.

“Ahem. W-We should get going. The park will probably close soon.”

Kwon Oh-Jin quickly stood up, his face flushed red. Isabella followed him with her head lowered, trying to hide her own blushing face. Maybe it was because closing time was near, but there wasn’t a single person left around them.

“Um... M-Mr. Oh-Jin.” Isabella timidly tugged at the hem of his jacket as she walked behind him.

“Yeah?”

“T-There’s no one around.” Isabella glanced at him and quickly tiptoed to his side. “Before we leave, c-could we kiss just one more time?”

She stood on her toes and tightly shut her eyes. How could he resist such a brazen and adorable temptation?

Kwon Oh-Jin swallowed hard and gently pulled her by the waist. The distance between them shrank to a mere fist’s width. Their lips were just about to meet again when a chilling sound, like a snake slithering across the ground, echoed out.

Shhh, shhh.

“There... you are,” someone said forebodingly.

Startled, Kwon Oh-Jin quickly turned. From the shadows of the empty amusement park, a woman in a black dress staggered out.

“I’ve been looking for you.” Her stiff footsteps resembled a broken marionette’s.

Cassia’s eyes, devoid of light, locked onto Kwon Oh-Jin. She flicked her long tongue like a serpent and radiated a suffocating, murderous aura.

“Why are you here...?”

Cassia was supposed to be in South America, dealing with the remnants of the Musca faction. Why had she suddenly appeared here?

Just then, Kwon Oh-Jin’s eyes narrowed on her forehead.

That’s...

A black jewel, the size of a thumb, was embedded deep into the center of her forehead. It wasn’t there when he last saw her.

He wasn’t the only one shocked.

“Ah...” Isabella’s eyes widened in disbelief at the figure staggering toward them. “Cassia unnie?”

She stared at her sister, who had disappeared without a trace ten years ago.