The brilliant light of chandeliers and the sweetly resonating melody of the orchestra.

At the height of the banquet, Roina’s gaze was fixed on only one man.

‘Conrad Asheter.’

A man she dared not covet, nor should harbor feelings for.

With his intellectual appearance, he kept his jet-black hair neatly combed back and maintained an impeccable, orderly attire without a single wrinkle.

Just calling his name in her heart made Roina feel as if her chest was throbbing.

“Did you hear? Duke Asheter has expanded his business to include the harbor district this time.”

“His Grace possesses exceptional business acumen to match his outstanding beauty!”

The appearance of the young duke, shrouded in mystery, was enough to create new ripples in aristocratic society.

Ever since Conrad set foot in the capital, the prestige of House Asheter had only grown day by day.

Watching the man who always seemed indifferent from afar, Roina asked herself the same question over and over.

‘If I hadn’t been the child of his enemy……’

Wouldn’t we have drifted apart?

Of course, even thinking that wouldn’t change anything.

Just the day before yesterday, Roina had received news from her father that he had arranged a marriage for her.

If it was going to be a marriage that would proceed regardless of her own wishes, she wanted to confess the feelings she had kept buried for so long beforehand.

‘That way I can finally end this terrible unrequited love.’

In the garden where she had followed Conrad, only the chirping of insects could be heard.

Just as Roina was closing the distance between them and about to part her lips, the man who had been gazing up at the night sky indifferently turned around and stiffened.

His face, softly illuminated by moonlight, showed an expression filled with contempt.

“Is there something you wish to say?”

His voice flowed out as coldly as always.

Worried that the sound of her violently pounding heart might be audible, Roina clenched her fingertips tightly.

Then she spoke in a thin, trembling voice.

“I like you. From the very first day I saw you.”

At that moment, an indescribable emotion deeply stained Conrad’s abyssal golden eyes before disappearing.

Looking at her with an ambiguous expression that seemed part sneer, part smile, he soon let out a deep sigh.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

As the man turned and walked away, Roina finally exhaled the breath she had been holding.

As expected, she had been thoroughly rejected. And by a man who didn’t hesitate to hate her, no less.

※※※

After standing still for a long while, Roina finally boarded her carriage late in the evening.

Though she had expected rejection, it wasn’t easy to sort out feelings she had harbored for so long in such a short time.

‘We were never meant to be together anyway……’

The person who had ignited Conrad’s misfortune was none other than her father, Marquis Würetti.

The marquis had lent a large sum to the previous Duke Asheter and repeatedly made unreasonable demands, driving him into a corner.

The previous duke, who had gone out late to find other investors, was eventually caught in an avalanche.

The duchess, who had been ailing from the shock, soon departed to join her husband, and Theor Asheter, the eldest son and naval officer, died gloriously in a naval battle.

Thus Conrad ascended to the ducal title at the age of sixteen, embracing all misfortune.

That’s when it began. When he came to despise everything about House Würetti.

“Don’t tell me you approached me knowing from the beginning?”

“I, I… really didn’t know!”

“You must have had enough fun. Associating with someone as lowly as me.”

“Please, just listen to me. Please……”

“I hope we never have to see each other again.”

Recalling the irreversible past, Roina felt as if her breath was being choked off.

If they had revealed their identities from the beginning, wouldn’t their relationship have been a little different?

As she was thinking about their already ruined relationship with a forlorn look—

CRASH—!

With a sudden thunderous sound, the carriage began shaking violently as it collided with something.

Roina’s eyes snapped open, but before she could steady herself, she lost her balance and sprawled on the floor.

“Ugh……”

Groaning from the sharp pain, she barely managed to gather her wits.

‘What’s happening right now?’

Before Roina could look around further, the carriage shook frantically again with a rattling sound.

CRASH—!

Her body, thrown into the air, tumbled about, hitting various surfaces.

The carriage made a long scraping sound before finally stopping after ramming into something.

Roina, collapsed on the floor, struggled to catch her breath.

Then she squeezed out a voice that barely came out.

“Ugh, someone please help……”

But as her vision gradually darkened, her consciousness soon became hazy.

※※※

Lifting her heavy eyelids, Roina slowly looked around.

Unlike the marquisate residence, this place had good lighting and was filled with brightly colored furniture.

She thought she might have been rushed to a hospital due to the carriage accident, but it was too luxurious to be a hospital room.

‘Where is this?’

Confused, she rolled her eyes this way and that, raising her ailing body.

Perhaps she was staying here through the kindness of some noble family that had found her.

Just as she was nodding at this plausible guess, footsteps from outside began approaching.

Soon a physician hurried through the open door, his eyes widening as he asked.

“You’ve regained consciousness! Is there anywhere you feel discomfort?”

Now she could see that a maid, startled by her presence, had hurriedly called for the physician.

Feeling that she had unintentionally caused trouble for the family she was indebted to, Roina nodded slightly.

“I seem to be fine, but I’ve been rude to the master of the house. I’m Roina Würetti. I’ll be sure to properly express my gratitude……”

But she couldn’t complete her sentence. The looks in the physician’s and maid’s eyes were somehow a little strange.

“I’m sorry, but may I ask what the last thing you remember is?”

“I attended a banquet yesterday and seem to have had a carriage accident, but what exactly happened?”

At Roina’s counter-question, the physician awkwardly adjusted his glasses. Then he spoke in a gentle voice.

“I’m not sure about that either, but do you happen to know what year it is now?”

“Imperial year 479. But why……”

“It’s currently Imperial year 482. You are the mistress of this house, my lady.”

The physician’s expression was quite serious as he said this, making it hard to think of it as a joke.

She had merely woken from sleep, yet a full three years had passed. And she was someone’s wife, no less.

‘What is this supposed to mean?’

Though Roina was trying to maintain her composure, her hands hidden beneath the blanket trembled slightly.

“So…… could you tell me again?”

The attending physician, gauging her reaction and clearing his throat, explained the current situation once more.

“You are already married to the head of this house, my lady.”

“……!”

‘That’s impossible. I got married?’

Just yesterday, Roina had attended the imperial banquet for her coming-of-age ceremony.

And she had simply had a carriage accident on the way back to the estate……

‘Am I dreaming right now?’

The physician diagnosed her with partial amnesia.

After suffering from fever for a full week, it seemed the aftereffects had completely wiped away three years of memories.

Roina simply couldn’t believe that three years had passed overnight. No, she couldn’t accept it.

“I’d like to be alone. Could you bring me some headache medicine?”

“……Understood, my lady.”

After the physician placed the prescribed medicine on the bedside table and left, she showed bewildered eyes.

“Just who did I marry?”

She planned to go outside the bedroom and assess the situation. She definitely had that intention, but……

CREAK—

Before she could even get down from the bed, the door opened and someone entered.

“……!”

The moment she met those blazing sun-like golden eyes, Roina’s own eyes became as wide as lanterns.

The man approaching her was……

Even closing her eyes tightly and opening them again, it was definitely Conrad Asheter.