Illya would turn fourteen next year, so Rachel would serve as acting marchioness for about two years.
Even so, Rachel had no intention of living at the Ingrave residence during that time. She even planned to send Illya to court meetings, so why would she do otherwise?
Her disappointed younger brother asked in a small, almost whispering voice.
“Then can I visit your residence, Sister? I want to see you often.”
“…….”
Rachel looked down at her younger brother for a moment. Suddenly, she remembered how Illya had accused the former Marquis and Marchioness Ingrave in the banquet hall three days ago.
-……That’s a lie. I heard it from the deputy butler. I heard Father arranging for my sister to be assassinated.
“……Of course. You can come whenever you want. I’ll visit you often, too. You’re still a minor, and I’m your sister. Besides, I have duties to take care of as acting marchioness.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Without realizing it, Rachel gently stroked her younger brother’s hair as he smiled brightly. He had grown so much that the top of his head was already level with her chin.
“I’ll go to the Ingrave residence as soon as I’ve checked the condition of my new house. Go ahead first and check the residence yourself, too. If anything happens, contact me. Understand?”
“Yes, Sister.”
Soon, a guest carriage bearing the imperial flag arrived at the Violet Palace. Another carriage had come to carry her few belongings.
Rachel sent Illya off first and was just about to load her own things and climb into the carriage when someone called out to her.
“Acting Marchioness.”
“…….”
A familiar voice stopped her in her tracks. When she turned around, she saw Nathan Valencia.
Hadn’t he gone to the Sun Palace with the emperor just a little while ago?
It seemed he had already returned. The man, whose neatly styled hair and formal attire had now become part of his daily life, approached her and spoke.
“I heard from His Majesty that you’re leaving the palace today.”
“Yes. I’m on my way now.”
“That’s good. Take this. It will help you put your family in order.”
He handed her a list of the Ingrave family’s retainers who had been involved in the recent incident.
Was this why he had come back?
It was a very considerate gesture. Even though he had saved her life, she no longer owed him anything.
Come to think of it, there was no reason for this man and her to remain connected anymore. Their misunderstandings, suspicions, and debts had all been resolved.
Continuing to associate with him would only stir up pointless nostalgia for her past life.
“Then…”
Just as Nathan was about to turn away, she grabbed him without thinking. The man whose sleeve she had caught flinched. His surprised eyes moved between her hand and the sleeve she was holding.
“……I’m sorry. There’s something I’d like to tell you. Do you have a moment?”
“……Of course.”
Rachel turned toward the garden. As she walked alongside him, she suddenly realized that he hadn’t offered her his arm.
Even if he had been suspicious of her before, that was one thing.
Even after their misunderstandings had been cleared up, this man had never even touched her, except for that one time when she injured her ankle.
Was it a coincidence?
Noticing her gaze, the man quietly looked down at her. His red lips parted.
“Go ahead. I’m listening.”
“……When are you planning to withdraw the marriage proposal?”
She lowered her gaze and murmured softly.
“All the problems have been resolved, and I’ve secured my independence. I think you can withdraw the proposal now.”
“……That would be fine, I suppose. But—”
The man stopped abruptly and whispered quietly.
“Wasn’t His Majesty’s confession bothering you? To be honest, when you said you had something to tell me, I thought that was what you wanted to talk about.”
Had he noticed?
Her ears grew hot as if he had seen through her thoughts, yet she felt strangely moved.
He knew she would ask him to help her reject the emperor, and yet he had willingly agreed to talk to her.
That could mean having to stand against the emperor.
“……I don’t think things will turn out as badly as I expected. And—”
She raised her gaze and looked directly into his blood-red eyes. Even though he was standing so close, she no longer felt as uncomfortable as before. The feeling was strangely unfamiliar.
As long as he never discovered that she had returned to the past, would this man always treat her this way?
“You saved my life, after all. There’s no debt left between us anymore. Thank you so much for helping me all this time. That’s what I wanted to tell you, so I stopped you for a moment.”
“…….”
He was silent for a while. He slowly blinked.
“But I think you still owe me something.”
His lips moved slowly as he spoke in a low voice. Rachel shook her head.
“You’ve already helped me so much before that. So it’s all right now. You don’t need to worry about me anymore, either.”
“…….”
“From now on, let’s meet simply as a duke and an acting marchioness. Thank you for everything, Duke.”
She gathered her skirt and bowed.
This was how things should be.
She was a woman who had once been imprisoned by him as the fake wife of someone he had mistaken for the real thing.
And although she had unexpectedly helped him after returning to the past, their previous life still stood between them, making it difficult for her to call herself his benefactor.
There could be no relationship more suitable for them than this.
He remained silent until she turned away.
After looking at the man standing quietly behind her, Rachel climbed into the carriage and left the Imperial Palace. It felt strange and the farewell seemed long, but—
Perhaps he had not been only a bad connection after all.
“…….”
The carriage was leaving. Nathan stood in the garden for a while, watching the carriage carrying Rachel disappear into the distance, before lowering his gaze.
The heart that had beaten a little faster when he met her had long since settled down.
Truthfully, he had been hoping.
He had settled everything so that she would not be hurt even a little, even if it was only to repay his debt to her.
And lately, she had even approached him first to speak. Just a moment ago, she had grabbed his sleeve, too.
For the first time, he had received a gaze from her that held no negative feelings, and he had thought he saw the faintest glimmer of hope.
“……Yes. This is only natural.”
Someone who resembled a person she hated had spent all this time being misunderstood, suspected, and causing her trouble.
Besides, he was a powerful noble whom she disliked.
Perhaps she hated him even more than the emperor.
And yet, just because she had approached him first once, had he really thought something would change?
‘How foolish.’
“Vale.”
“Yes, Duke.”
His adjutant, Vale, approached and bowed his head.
“Formally withdraw the marriage proposal. And—”
He paused for a moment.
Then, as he left the garden, he added,
“Tell everyone who has been watching over the Ingrave family and her to return as well. There’s no longer any need for them.”
“Understood.”
It was over. From now on—
“…….”
There would be no reason for him to become deeply involved with her again, even by chance.
Now it was time to carry out the last thing she wanted.
To keep his distance and return to an ordinary relationship between a duke and an acting marioness.
Something stirred in a corner of his heart, but Nathan ignored it and left the Violet Palace. He never looked back.
Not even once.
***
By the time Sein Marcus arrived at the Labelyn residence in the capital, quite some time had passed since the King of Borza had returned home.
As expected, the barrier that had protected the dragon’s seal site for a thousand years was no easy thing to deal with. Even after using both his <Insight> ability and magic to their fullest, he had only managed to decipher a few parts of it.
However, the analysis was progressing surprisingly quickly compared to what he had expected.
‘It felt as if the mana was showing me the way.’
If he followed the flow of magic that seemed to whisper, Come this way, and you’ll be able to break the barrier, he could decipher it.
Its gentle movements seemed artificial in some ways, yet natural in others.
If there were a living creature capable of doing something like this—
‘Could it really be a dragon?’
The king of magic and curses.
The great magical beast is said to have received the blessing of mana and to be capable of creating endless magic as naturally as breathing.
For some reason, Sein felt as if that monster were guiding him inside. The moment he realized this, he wanted to resume his work immediately, but—
He had another matter to attend to, one just as important as this.
“If it weren’t for Aisha, I would’ve stayed there and lived.”
At the moment, Sein was on his way to Aisha’s room, guided by Sisi, Aisha’s personal maid.
There were strangely few signs of anyone nearby.
Well, considering her personality, it was only natural that she had no one around her.
The place Sisi led him to was the bedroom. She stopped in front of the door, knocked twice, and stepped aside.
“Please go in.”
“…….”
Sein glanced at the personal maid who had stepped back, then silently pushed open the door.
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