‘Memories are so exhausting.’

How wonderful it would be if we could skillfully extract and keep only the good or bad memories.

But that was impossible.

As I lingered in thought, my gaze naturally fell to my empty wrist. I quickly snapped back to reality and stood up.

‘Ah, the bracelet.’

In my pocket was the transparent stone pendant Yuri had given me. We had promised to weave it into a bracelet with a leather cord.

‘But I couldn’t make it. Rosie suddenly dragged me away.’

Unlike in my past life, where I had become the crown princess a bit more hastily due to an unexpected situation, Rosemary…

I got up and gathered the leather cord, metal rings, and the bouquet I had bought yesterday.

‘While I’m at it, I should make a wedding gift for Rosie too. I’ll mix rosemary, which symbolizes happiness, with the golden balls I bought today.’

I divided the bouquet and hung it up to dry. Then, I cut the leather cord to the right length and sat down. Despite my earlier lethargy, once I started moving my hands, the knots came together smoothly.

After fastening the pendant to the bracelet and wrapping it around my wrist, I let out a sigh.

‘When Yuri returns, I should ask why he was upset. If it was my fault, I’ll apologize…’

Just as I was making this resolution, someone knocked on the shop door as if calling out to me.

Knock, knock!

“Yuri!”

I jumped up and flung the door open. Seeing who was standing there, my face involuntarily twisted.

“Oh…”

Sweet-looking pink hair and blue eyes.

The colors were exactly like Yuri’s, but the man standing at the door wasn’t Yuri.

“Yujin.”

I shouldn’t show disappointment right in front of him.

I forced a smile onto my stiffened lips and quickly turned my back, speaking in a cheerful voice to hide my expression.

“You’re visiting the shop early in the morning. Is there something you need?”

“Just one more time.”

“What?”

“Call my name just one more time.”

“Yujin?”

I blinked in confusion and turned to look back. Yujin, who had stepped a foot inside the shop, answered with a faint smile.

“Titi, hearing you call my name makes me happy. It seems you didn’t really want to see me.”

“N-no way. That’s not true at all. I was just surprised because I thought it was Yuri.”

As I waved my hands and offered excuses, Yujin said nothing, his face still holding a knowing smile as if he understood but chose to let it go.

Feeling guilty and awkward, I fidgeted with my fingers.

Yujin glanced around the shop and slightly furrowed his brow as he asked.

“Is Yuri not here?”

“He went out yesterday and hasn’t come back.”

“He’s probably at the Magic Tower again.”

I had no information about Yuri’s whereabouts, so I didn’t respond. Yujin glanced at me again and changed his tone to ask.

“Have you had breakfast?”

“I don’t have much of an appetite.”

I shrugged lightly and smiled, then lifted the teapot and asked.

“Would you like some coffee?”

Yujin nodded. I lit a small stove and placed the kettle on it. While the water was boiling, I intended to grind the beans, but Yujin reached for the grinder first, handling it with familiarity.

“I can do it.”

“Really?”

“Why? Do I seem like someone who wouldn’t have done this before?”

“Well…”

Isn’t he Count Esrenche? He’s also the owner of the Esrenche Trading Company.

‘I imagine even the smallest tasks are done by subordinates for him.’

But as he said, his movements in grinding the beans and pouring the ground coffee into the filter were natural.

Feigning disinterest, I secretly watched Yujin prepare the coffee. Sunlight streaming through the window outlined his straight back and firm jaw.

‘He’s definitely different from Yuri. The atmosphere, the way he speaks…’

Yet, why did he sometimes feel so familiar?

In the meantime, the water boiled. As I reached for the teapot, Yujin was quicker. He poured the water in a circular motion over the filter. The fragrant aroma soon filled the air as brown coffee dripped below.

“You brew it well.”

At my admiration, Yujin chuckled softly.

“My father liked it. When I was young, I drank coffee diligently, hoping to please him. I wanted to hear that I was a son who resembled him.”

“……”

I fell silent at the mention of family, especially about the brothers.

‘It seems Yuri ended up receiving all the love again.’

Hoping to hear something often means you never did.

As I remained quiet, Yujin spoke in a gentle voice.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s all in the past now.”

His face appeared much more relaxed than when he had talked about family before. I scratched my cheek.

“Did I say my thoughts out loud?”

“Your thoughts are written all over your face.”

“I’ve heard something similar before.”

Yujin poured the brewed coffee into mugs and handed one to me. As I carefully took the cup, he spoke.

“Princess Sabina won’t bother you anymore.”

I widened my eyes in surprise. Leaning against the desk, Yujin took a sip of his coffee and added slowly.

“…If she does, let me know. The next step will be to fight in court.”

“In court? On what grounds?”

“Unfair trade practices, market collusion, abuse of authority, illegal surveillance, and kidnapping—there are plenty of charges.”

“Uh…”

I was genuinely surprised, not only by the sudden mention of Princess Sabina but also by Yujin’s willingness to intervene and resolve it.

I lowered my eyes and looked down at the mug. My reflection wavered on the surface of the reddish-brown liquid.

After a moment of contemplation, I asked cautiously.

“Is it okay for you to do that?”

“What do you mean?”

“The charges you mentioned aren’t entirely unrelated to you. I’m worried it might affect you too.”

Yujin’s face twisted oddly. He looked at me with an unreadable expression before letting out a long sigh, his shoulders slumping as if he had been tense and suddenly relaxed.

“Sigh.”

I frowned slightly.

“Why are you sighing?”

Yujin rubbed his face with his hands and replied.

“I thought you would refuse my help again.”

Why was he so tense about that?

‘…Though, to be fair, I did get angry several times.’

I remembered when I had shouted at him in a reproachful tone when he offered financial help for my family’s problems.

“Of course, it’s true that I overreacted and got angry when I was sensitive. I’m sorry.”

It was a matter that had been lingering like sediment in my heart, so I bowed my head.

Then a large hand touched my forehead. Startled by the rough palm and cool temperature, so different from Yuri’s, I looked up.

With just a touch, Yujin lifted me up, giving me a faint smile.

“I didn’t bring it up to get an apology. It’s true I was insensitive, so if it’s okay with you, let’s just move past it.”

“Alright…”

It wasn’t my imagination; Yujin definitely seemed more at ease than before.

It was as if the tension had left his shoulders.

“I’ll handle my own affairs, so don’t worry. It’s my fault for being blindly led by Princess Sabina out of convenience, so you don’t need to worry about me.”

As he drank his coffee, he shared his thoughts, which he had clearly organized over time.

“Now, I’m trying to correct each wrong step. It feels like the first button to living as my true self.”

Why did he remind me of someone else?

[Live for yourself, not for others, but entirely for you.]

That person who pushed me forward and gave me a new opportunity.

‘Master…’

As I was lost in thought, overlapping the two of them in my mind, Yujin suddenly met my gaze.

“Why do you have that expression?”

“What? Um…”

What was I thinking?

My face flushed instantly as if my innermost thoughts had been exposed.

I laughed awkwardly and changed the subject.

“Yuri has been going to the Magic Tower quite often lately! It seems he’s interested in magic again. That’s good, right?”

“He said he was analyzing the remnants of magic left on me.”

“So even Yuri doesn’t know for sure.”

“Apparently.”

The magical traces causing Yujin severe headaches.

‘Whoever the mage is, they must be bold. To secretly cast magic on Count Esrenche.’

If caught, it wouldn’t end with just troubling an ordinary person.

‘Did they cast it knowing Yujin’s brother is a mage? Was it some sort of provocation then?’

I put my cup down and sighed.

“What was the intention behind such actions? Did they want to trouble you or Yuri?”

I didn’t really expect an answer. If he knew the intent, he would probably know the culprit too.

But Yujin gave an unexpected reply.

“It seems to be related to the magic cast on you.”

“What?”