They left House Hewitt quite late. Though the Duchess offered them to stay overnight, saying she had prepared a room, Karina stepped in to decline. It was obvious they would have prepared just one room for her and Aidan to share, which would be problematic.

The night she stayed in Aidan’s bedroom, even lying in the same bed with him for just a couple hours after he returned at dawn was torturous. She couldn’t sleep at all then, so spending an entire night in the same bed with him would be absolutely impossible.

“The Duchess seemed quite disappointed. Why didn’t you want to stay?” 

Aidan spoke first in the returning carriage. Since it was their first visit to the Duke’s residence since their marriage, they could have stayed for a day or longer, but Karina didn’t respond to that suggestion. She clearly felt some reluctance to leave the Duke’s residence like this. Her expectations about the palace, the future she had wanted to build with Prince Aidan — all that had been shattered long ago. Or rather, she thought it had been shattered. Now…

As she gazed at Aidan thoughtfully, he turned his head toward her, feeling her stare.

“You said you were an orphan too?” 

Karina lowered her eyes as she changed the subject.

“I was.” 

Aidan answered easily.

“Did you do it too back then?”

“Hmm?”

“Stealing.”

“Ah.” 

Now understanding what she meant to ask, he smiled, as though he found it silly. Though she had hesitated to bring up what she thought would be an uncomfortable topic, contrary to her expectations, Aidan’s response was calm.

“I never stole anything. I knew if I did something like that, people would point fingers saying it’s because I’m an orphan. I was already blamed for things I didn’t do, and everyone would look at me first whenever something went missing in class. I wasn’t stupid enough to actually give them reason to criticize me.”

He spoke casually, but Karina felt uncomfortable listening. Nothing in Aidan’s past that he described was smooth or peaceful.

“But I did often think about dying. Why did I have to live like this? What did I do so wrong? It wasn’t my fault my parents abandoned me, right? There was a time when I was filled with such rebellious thoughts whenever I faced unfair treatment. Though I eventually gave that up too since it wasn’t helping me live.”

He continued speaking while turning his gaze to the carriage window. Though nothing could be seen outside in the darkness. She realized he was simply turning away from Karina.

Wanting to die… It was unimaginable coming from the current Aidan. The person she knew was someone who would figure out ways to survive even when dropped into an absurd foreign world. Though she couldn’t understand what he was thinking, he always wore a smiling face. That’s why he seemed far removed from seriousness or gravity.

Unlike his seemingly perpetually light exterior, his actions and their results were hardly lightweight. Not one of his words or actions lacked meaning.

“It seems you, Your High– no, Aidan, you lived a much harder life than I thought.” 

Though he had described it as rough, she felt it might not be adequate to simply call it rough. Aidan’s understanding of orphans’ lives that nobles couldn’t imagine meant he had suffered just as much.

Instead of answering, Aidan only showed a faint smile. That seemed to reveal his bitterness even more. Perhaps that’s why she felt sorry for him for the first time. Not for Prince ‘Aidan’, but for him, the person who came from another world and ended up living in Aidan’s body…

“When the home for those children is completed, I want to personally participate in supporting them. Since you said you’d provide financial support, I mean something else… Though I can’t visit often, I’d like to occasionally go teach the children or check on the operations. Of course, House Hewitt will manage things well too.”

She wondered if she was overstepping. Moving as House Hewitt’s young lady versus moving as the prince’s consort had different impacts. Aidan had specifically said he wanted to help without drawing attention — would her involvement diminish his intentions?

But she wanted to provide help beyond money. She felt that by teaching those children and living with them, she might better understand the current Aidan.

Watching Karina quietly, a faint smile appeared on Aidan’s lips.

“By all means.” 

Aidan readily agreed and took Karina’s hand. Then he gently patted the back of her hand. He added no other words.

*

There was a saying that it’s darkest under the lamppost. Marquis Belmont, who had been moving far from the capital, sent his subordinates to continue toward the outskirts while he turned direction with a small group of followers. They returned to the capital and hid in an empty mansion owned by House Belmont.

They had successfully shaken off both the palace knights pursuing him and the assassins presumably sent by the Empress. Thanks to that, he could finally catch his breath after a long time.

“I absolutely cannot let this stand. How dare… how dare they stab me in the back.” 

Grinding his teeth, Marquis Belmont went down to the mansion’s basement storage. He pulled out a large box hidden in the deepest corner and brushed off the dust that had accumulated on top. It was a box he hadn’t opened for over 20 years after locking it.

“I hoped I’d never have to open this.” 

Clicking his tongue, he opened the heavy box lid with a creaking metal sound.

Inside the box were items from when the current Empress was still Lilith McCoy. Everything she had built up with Belmont after meeting him following the death of her husband, Marquis McCoy, whom she had married at a young age.

Belmont pulled out and unfolded an old letter.

[If you become my ally, I will give you everything you want, Marquis Belmont. Whatever it may be.]

The handwriting in the letter was clearly hers.

“Foolish woman. I clearly said I would be your ally.” 

Belmont’s face twisted with a mixture of betrayal and bitterness. He had thought they would be lifelong comrades, but now they had become enemies.

Even if I die, I absolutely cannot die alone.

After closing the box, Belmont pulled away a cloth covering one wall. A large portrait was revealed. In the portrait was a n*ked woman. The woman in the painting was not only n*ked but lying in a seductive pose with a mysterious smile. At the bottom of the painting, the name Lilith McCoy was clearly inscribed.

*

Kate Spencer couldn’t leave her room by her father’s order. Following his angry declaration that she had disgraced the family and would no longer be allowed freedom, Count Spencer prevented her from meeting anyone. Even without the Count’s order, at first, she couldn’t do anything, too shocked by the fact she had slept with Lloyd.

After more than a month passed this way, she sometimes spent entire days staring blankly out the window, half-lost in a daze.

Knock knock. She showed no reaction to the sound of knocking. As if used to this, the maid carefully opened the door and entered.

“Miss, it’s time for your meal.” 

The maid opened the lid of the tray she had brought in and set out the food items on the table one by one. Suddenly, the wafting smell of food made her nauseous. She covered her mouth with one hand as her stomach churned threatening to vomit immediately, but the urge to retch rose up.

“Miss! Are you alright?” 

The maid rushed to support her in alarm. Kate pushed away her hand and bent over the floor, making retching sounds. But with her stomach empty, nothing came out. Tears filled her eyes as stomach acid threatened to rise.

“Miss… could it be…?” 

The maid watching her couldn’t finish her words as her large eyes shook wildly.

“I-I think I should call the master.” 

Before Kate could stop her, the maid ran outside. In the meantime, as she caught her breath, the smell of food hit her again and her stomach turned once more. She staggered to the window, threw it wide open, and leaned out to take deep breaths before the nausea finally seemed to settle somewhat.

Why was this happening suddenly? She hadn’t even eaten anything…

As she thought absently, her eyes fell on the food laid out on the table. Her eyes, which had been squinting from retching, gradually grew wide.

No way… That’s impossible.

Though she shook her head firmly, tears filled her eyes with anxiety.

*

“Your Highness! Consort! Something terrible has happened!” 

Bernice burst into the reception room, forgetting to knock. Karina, who had been sitting reading a book, frowned as she turned to look at her.

“Bernice, how improper…”

“That’s not the issue!” 

Bernice caused a commotion without even letting Karina finish her scolding. It had been a while since she had seen her this excited. In the past, she used to come to her looking like this frequently because of Kate Spencer.

“Kate Spencer!” 

Perhaps because she had let her guard down, Karina involuntarily flinched at hearing that name after so long.

“She’s pregnant!”

My heart felt like it dropped at her next words. I stared at Bernice with a blank expression, wondering if I had heard correctly.

How? How could she be pregnant? Wasn’t that supposed to happen three years later? Why… Why so soon…?

My mind became chaotic with confusion. My hands started trembling as memories from my previous life suddenly rushed in. Could everyone die this time too? Looking at Bernice’s face made it hard to breathe.

No. This can’t be. I don’t want to see it twice.

I gathered my resolve and tightly clenched my trembling hands. Things are different from before. Aidan wouldn’t make the same choice as last time.

*