“It’s crowded outside with many people right now. If they spot you, they’ll obviously swarm around you, so it’s better for you to rest here.”

“Or is it that you just don’t want to do what I want?”

“……You’ve been acting strange since earlier. Something did happen, didn’t it.”

Edgar asked, moving a little closer.

Melissa looked at him and bit the inside of her cheek.

Her mind was in chaos.

Clearly, in Melissa’s mind remained the image of Edgar mocking her. Just because everything had become undone didn’t mean what she had suffered never happened.

But then, what about Edgar who was worried about her now? Was this really fake? That sincere-looking face?

Melissa raised her hand to cover her mouth.

She felt like she might throw up.

“Nothing happened. I’m tired, so let go. I have someone I need to meet.”

“Who are you trying to meet?”

Now there was even anxiety in the eyes that met hers.

Tired of interpreting that emotion, Melissa avoided his gaze.

“I’ll behave, so don’t worry.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about right now. I’m telling you, it will be hard for you if you leave here.”

“Then is it okay to meet in this room? Could you go out and deliver a message for me? Please tell His Highness the Crown Prince to come here.”

“Melissa.”

Edgar’s voice deepened.

Perhaps because she mentioned Lloyd, his face hardened noticeably compared to before.

“If you don’t want to tell me what’s wrong, that’s fine. I’ll solve it somehow. I’ll make you smile again.”

“……”

“So just this once, do as I say. After this, you can do whatever you want.”

Just this once?

Melissa couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh.

Since becoming Lucid, Melissa had never acted according to her own will. Feeling somewhat short of breath, she quietly inhaled and then exhaled.

Edgar, who had been watching her, quietly spoke.

Melissa had already heard these words before.

“I like you, Melissa. Please get engaged to me.”

Edgar gripped her hand more tightly. Without a single gap, as if he wouldn’t let go of what was in his hand.

Melissa’s heart pounded loudly.

Because even at this moment those words felt sweet, she felt so worthless and pathetic.

“Edgar Shortiras.”

In the silence where only the sound of rain could be heard, Melissa recalled what he had said in prison in her past life.

The smile Edgar had worn then pierced her heart. Melissa blinked for a moment, then slowly lifted her eyelids to look at Edgar.

“Honestly, I’m a bit surprised. I never thought you would think of me this way. I’m just a beneficiary receiving sponsorship from your family.”

Edgar’s face contorted slightly. Watching him suffer brought an inexplicable pleasure…..

What a strange emotion.

Even though she clearly still wanted him.

“Instead of playing these emotional games here, why don’t you go prepare for the Magic Tower? You’re extremely busy right now. You shouldn’t have time to be leisurely like this.”

“Melissa, wait. Please listen to me again……”

“Stop it, Edgar. Let’s be honest now. I know those words aren’t sincere. You don’t even think we’re a good match, do you?”

The sound of rain was heard again.

Perhaps because it was an unexpected statement.

In that moment of silence, Edgar stood frozen as if he had heard something shocking. He seemed to have turned to stone and hardened. His blue eyes trembled aimlessly.

The grip on Melissa’s hand loosened a bit more. She shook off Edgar’s hand and slowly opened the door.

A low voice was heard from behind her.

“……From now on, I won’t have time to see you because I’ll be preparing to go to the Magic Tower. I might not return for years, or maybe not at all.”

“……”

“So this is the last time we can talk like this.”

Might not return.

Edgar revealed a fact he had never disclosed in her previous life. It seemed he thought this was the last defense that could stop her.

Edgar Shortiras’s thinking was quite excellent. The Melissa Lucid he knew would have cried and begged, falling into his arms as if she had never been cold to him after hearing such words.

But Melissa could no longer be the same as before.

“Not returning means becoming the Tower Master, right?”

Melissa answered as calmly as she could.

“That’s good news. Goodbye, Edgar.”

After leaving those final words, she opened the door and walked out.

Thud.

The heavy door closed with a loud sound behind her.

Just like Melissa’s heart right now.

Melissa closed the door and caught her breath in front of it for a moment.

It was a feeling difficult to explain. Her hands trembled and her legs wobbled. She wanted to collapse without thinking, but she endured and held on.

Because she heard a familiar voice in her ear.

“Lady Lucid?”

When she raised her head, she saw a face she had already encountered.

With the golden light filling her vision, it felt like the sun was out despite the quite dark sky.

“I came because I was worried about you collapsing earlier. When I asked a servant, they guided me here……”

“Ah.”

“I was going to wait in the reception room, but I wanted to check on you quickly.”

Lloyd said, lowering his eyebrows.

Melissa knew why he was acting this way.

It wasn’t simply because he was worried about her. Though that reason couldn’t be completely dismissed, it wasn’t the fundamental cause.

Lloyd couldn’t help but feel anxious right now.

‘He must have received news that the Emperor collapsed.’

From what Melissa remembered, around this time the Emperor had collapsed, throwing the entire empire into chaos. Fortunately, it wasn’t due to a serious illness but simply overwork. The Emperor regained consciousness quickly.

The problem was that this fact was only revealed after the downpour, so it couldn’t be conveyed to Lloyd.

That’s why he had hurriedly set out to return to the imperial palace and lost his life when he was swept away by the overflowing river during the downpour.

“I’ve seen that the lady has regained consciousness, so that’s enough. I’ll be going now.”

Lloyd turned around. He took a few steps, hesitated momentarily, then turned back again.

He raised the corners of his mouth, comforting Melissa.

“There are many people in the world who care about you, lady. So I hope you regain your strength soon.”

How kind he is.

How thoughtful of him to come check on her even after hearing his father had collapsed. In contrast, remembering the cutting words she had just spilled out, Melissa laughed self-deprecatingly.

No matter how she thought about it, he was the only one.

Melissa smiled, her eyes crinkling at the warmth still present in those green eyes. She desperately hoped he wouldn’t notice her mask-like face.

“Your Highness, please don’t go.”

“Hm?”

Lloyd tilted his head, seemingly perplexed.

Meanwhile, the rain continued to fall outside.

Somehow this life seemed to have unusually more rain compared to her past memories. Just like it was trying to hide the sound of Melissa’s abnormally beating heart.

“You mustn’t leave right now.”

Melissa was unhappy in her past life.

But not in this life. She would never live foolishly like before again.

She would make sure of it.

“Or Your Highness will die.”

“……What do you mean by that?”

Lloyd asked, unable to hide his bewildered face.

It was only natural.

Who could remain calm when suddenly told to their face that they would die?

Lloyd’s eyes trembled slightly. After wandering for a moment, he soon let out a faint sigh and regained his composure. It was self-control befitting a Crown Prince.

“Lady. I am the Crown Prince of the empire. No matter who speaks, I must always consider the possibility that it might be false and act accordingly. It might sound offensive, but even if you are from the Lucid family, that remains the same.”

“You mean you can’t believe my words.”

Lloyd gave no answer.

It was more of an affirmation than verbally acknowledging it.

He wasn’t being strange. This was the Shortiras ducal family, which the Artzen imperial family was so wary of. Melissa was the world’s only member of the Lucid family sponsored by that ducal family.

Though he couldn’t say it openly, it would be more convincing to think there was some ulterior motive behind her words.

But that wasn’t a problem. Melissa straightened her back even more. If he couldn’t trust her, she just needed to give him something he could trust.

“You received news that His Majesty collapsed, didn’t you?”

“How did you……”

Lloyd, who had been asking unconsciously, stopped.

He seemed to remember again that the person before him was from the Lucid family, the last one who had inherited the power of precognition. Seeing him quietly waiting for her to continue, Melissa softly continued.

“Don’t worry too much. It’s because His Majesty has been overworking due to the monster problem in the northern part of the empire. There have been continuous requests for troop reinforcements with no one to support him.”

Though not as much as six years later, monsters were one of the troublesome issues plaguing the empire at this time too.

For that reason, massive walls were built centered around the northern region where monsters mainly inhabited, and the walls were regularly and meticulously maintained in case they completely broke down.

If any part was damaged, it was promptly repaired.

‘Of course, they were terribly destroyed before I died.’