A lengthy silence followed. Unable to overcome my bewilderment, I couldn’t muster any reaction. Raphael, who had been watching me carefully, continued cautiously.

“I’m not trying to pressure you. I don’t expect your feelings to be the same as mine either.”

However, it wasn’t difficult to see the glimmer of hope in his eyes. Humans are inherently selfish, often expecting to receive as much as they give, even when they try not to.

“Raphael, I…”

“It’s okay if you reject me. I just wanted to let you know about these feelings I have for you.”

“…”

I knew he was sincere as well. I had felt the same way. I thought it would be acceptable to act on my own feelings, even if I couldn’t control the other person’s emotions, so I believed it would be fine even if I got rejected…

When I found myself unable to speak, struck speechless, Raphael spoke with a faint smile.

“However… I know it’s greedy, but if Hazel could give me even the slightest chance, I’d like to try to find a place in your heart. Of course, only if Hazel allows it.”

His low voice resonated in my ears. I could clearly sense that he was trying hard to suppress his excitement.

I averted my gaze from him. Even in this second life, I had no intention of forming a connection with anyone other than Leopold. More precisely, I didn’t want to share my heart with anyone. I was tired and utterly weary of it all.

After contemplating how to reject him, I made a decision. I would choose the easiest way to make him give up his feelings completely.

It was also the story I least wanted to tell.

“Raphael. There’s actually something I haven’t told you yet.”

“What is it that makes your expression so dark? It’s okay, just tell me. As long as it’s not something like you’re actually a pirate’s accomplice or something.”

He asked with a voice tinged with curiosity and playfulness. After taking a deep breath, I answered briefly.

“I’m married.”

Though there was no physical impact, he froze completely in place as if he had been struck hard on the head.

“…Married?”

“Yes. I should have told you earlier. I’m sorry.”

“But there’s no ring on your finger…”

His gaze shifted to my fingers. I awkwardly fiddled with the area around my left ring finger.

“Ah, well, there are some circumstances…”

Although there was no rule requiring all married people to wear rings, people typically wore them to prevent misunderstandings. I was just considering whether I should make a fake ring now when a voice full of complaints interrupted my thoughts.

“Circumstances that prevent you from wearing a ring? Hazel, are you lying because you don’t like me? If that’s the case, you’re making me sad.”

I let out a light laugh, feeling slightly relieved by his childlike reaction, which was filled with disappointment and whining.

“You said you saw a black-haired man in Fojetta, right?”

“That… person who came running like a prince?”

“I didn’t see that part, but yes. Probably that person.”

“Is he your husband?”

“That’s right. Duke Leopold Lawrence.”

“Huh…”

Watching him open his mouth, unable to continue speaking, I raised the corners of my lips sheepishly. My heart was racing at an absurd rate. I don’t think I had ever been this nervous, even though I had lied several times on the way here.

After all, this was a foreign country, and the fact that I hadn’t even signed a marriage contract, let alone parted ways with Leopold, would likely become gossip only after a very long time. By then, Raphael would have met someone good too.

While earnestly repeating this self-suggestion, I apologized to Raphael once again.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to deceive you. Really.”

However, Raphael still couldn’t wipe the confused expression from his face.

“Then I was actually already rejected even before I confessed?”

I struggled to find a suitable response, wearing an awkward expression. In the meantime, he posed a question.

“But why were you alone that night, Hazel? If your husband is a duke, that makes you a duchess, right? Yet there wasn’t a single knight or attendant with you. It was even a wasteland out there.”

“Well, you see… there was a… secret mission. I can’t tell you the details because it’s confidential.”

It was a strange answer, no matter who heard it. As expected, Raphael asked again, clearly unconvinced.

“A secret mission for a healer, not a knight? With all that luggage?”

“It wasn’t that much luggage. I could easily carry it by myself. Anyway, can you move on now?”

Not wanting to dwell on this topic any longer, I cut off his budding questions in one swift stroke. Fortunately, Raphael didn’t seem inclined to torment me further.

“Even so, give me some time. Right now, it feels like my heart is being torn to shreds. By the way, can this kind of heartbreak be healed with magic?”

It was something I had once wondered about too. I felt a sudden sense of kinship, realizing that people’s experiences were quite similar, and I wasn’t just being overly sensitive.

“I’ve researched it, but since it’s not a physical wound, magic isn’t very effective. Instead, there’s a potion that has a calming effect on the mind and body. If you’d like…”

“I was just joking, but you actually researched it? Why? Don’t tell me you’ve been rejected before—”

Thud.

Just as he was about to pour out more questions, a sudden dull sound of something hitting the ground interrupted him.

Raphael stopped mid-sentence and turned toward the source of the noise. Following his gaze, I saw the voluminous skirts of a dress spread wide on the ground. We exchanged startled looks before rushing toward the origin of the sound.

At the end of the walkway where the path curved, a person had collapsed. A thin figure with a face as pale as a sheet.

It was the wife of Marquis Aaron.

***

In the past, Leopold received the last letter from Hazel, who was still a student before their marriage, just as he had arrived at his mansion in the capital city of Terea after leaving his domain.

“Your Grace. A letter from Healer Hazel.”

“Hazel? Isn’t this a letter that should have gone to the estate?”

“No, sir. The destination is precisely here.”

He didn’t hide his puzzlement as he slowly checked the letter. The neat and elegant handwriting exuded confidence as always. He couldn’t help but snicker, thinking how the still young girl was trying to appear grown-up.

Leopold dismissed his servant and went to the window. It seemed wise to take a moment to shake off the fatigue from his journey before diving into official duties.

“To Duke Lawrence,

Hello, Your Grace. This is Hazel. Are you surprised? You must have received my letter at your capital mansion rather than at the estate! Actually, this is the last letter I’ll be writing to you. …”

He unknowingly furrowed his brow. Suddenly calling it the last letter. This child, who always managed to ruffle his feathers, didn’t disappoint this time either.

“… Until now, I’ve been writing to you along with my letters to the Duchess. Oh, please don’t feel hurt by this. After all, my disappointment at never receiving a single reply from you must be far greater!

Anyway, now that I’m graduating, I don’t think I’ll have any more reasons to send letters, so I’ve been counting down the days until you came to the capital. Just to write a letter solely for you. Besides, if you’ve been reading my letters all this time, you’d know that His Majesty, my reliable ally, can easily inform me about your visits to the capital.

In any case, I hope this serves as a nice graduation surprise! Though calling a single letter a gift might be a bit modest. …”

He clicked his tongue softly at her knack for making a big deal out of nothing. Leopold had mountains of work to do in the capital every day without Hazel adding to it.

…Mountains of work, but he could certainly find time to read one letter that didn’t require a reply while the dim light faded completely into darkness.

Like her previous letters, the content was utterly mundane. She expressed joy at successfully completing her studies, worried whether she could fulfill her role as a healer, and promised to strive for independence soon, as she couldn’t rely on the Duke’s family forever.

It seemed foolish to have expected something more extraordinary because of the word “last.” If anything, the letter, though a couple of pages longer than usual, felt unusually short because of it.

“… Lastly, Your Grace. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to learn. Since expressing gratitude every time isn’t enough, I’ll continue to express this feeling whenever I see you. For life! You might get tired of it, but please bear with me. There isn’t much that an orphan like me can do for you, Your Grace, who has everything in this world.

Oh, and I think I’ll have a chance to greet you in person soon. The Duchess has invited me to the estate mansion. But I’d be even happier if you could come to my graduation ceremony before that. Can I look forward to it?

But you probably thought I’m asking for too much when I’m only on the receiving end, didn’t you? I’m sorry. Still, please know that my desire to repay your kindness is always sincere.

Well then, Your Grace, although I have much more to say, I don’t want to be rude by taking up more of your time, so I’ll end it here.

Always be healthy and happy.

Yours sincerely,
Hazel.”

Leopold couldn’t hold back a laugh at how incredibly brazen she was by the end.

At the same time, he felt irritated by the emptiness that always made him uncomfortable. Why did the lump of emotion rolling heavily somewhere in his chest only grow larger every time he read Hazel’s letters?