All of his senses, heightened by her presence, reacted sharply, and the overwhelming satisfaction gradually transformed into pure desire, consuming him.

Thus, despite the chance Hazel had given him to confess the truth, it seemed only natural that he had crossed the point of no return.

The person she had opened her heart to was the ‘different’ him from the past, but now he had become the ‘same’ person as before.

Would Hazel ever open her heart to the same Leopold Lawrence of the past? Absolutely not. No matter how optimistically he tried to reason, the answer remained unchanged.

He had fallen into the same trap once more. The fear of being hated had driven him to deceit. This time, however, it was fueled by the selfish desire to keep Hazel by his side, unlike before his regression.

It felt like walking a tightrope, but now he couldn’t step down. If staying by her side was possible, it was a risk he was willing to take.

True to his meticulous nature, he just needed to plan thoroughly to avoid getting caught. Compared to what he had done so far, this seemed relatively easy…

As long as he was careful, there would surely be no reason for Hazel to leave him…

***

Leopold, who seemed like he would follow soon, did not return to the palace even after two days. The palace continued to prepare for a grand banquet to commence as soon as he arrived.

My situation was no different. Whether I was being commended for alerting them to the marquis’s scheme, having tea and conversation with Alendia, or when the exhausted Raphael came to me asking for treatment for his feigned illness, my mind was entirely preoccupied with how to deal with Leopold.

Should I trust him when he said he wasn’t the caster?

When I examined Leopold right after my regression, he was remarkably healthy. I had never heard of someone developing a serious heart condition within about a month. However, since I had survived death myself, it was hard to dismiss the possibility outright. If it were a simple illness, it would just need to be treated quickly.

But if he was lying to me… I didn’t want to dwell on that thought. I wished he would appear soon and ease my anxiety.

Unable to sleep for hours, I went out to the garden to calm my troubled mind. It was very late at night, but that made it seem even more suitable for gathering my thoughts.

I asked the knight on guard for permission and entered the path alone. The fresh scent of the short trees mingled with the breeze. I walked, trying not to think about anything, using the scattered lanterns and moonlight overhead as my guide. It wasn’t very effective, though.

I reached the central fountain adorned with rose vines. In the darkness, I saw a few silhouettes and heard a familiar voice beyond them.

“Thank you once again. The principality almost descended into chaos. I’m worried that Raphael still has much to learn.”

It was the Grand Duke. Just as I was about to turn away to avoid eavesdropping,

“He will do well. At least he won’t ruin the country like the marquis did.”

I stopped at the unexpected voice. Had he just arrived? Why travel at this hour when he could have moved at dawn…

While I was debating whether to reveal myself, a voice, almost jokingly, continued.

“It’s fortunate it hasn’t been ruined yet, isn’t it?”

“What I mean is… in the future where he becomes king, the principality would have faded into the annals of history.”

I almost gasped, quickly covering my mouth with both hands. Leopold’s words were incredibly unnatural. In the ‘future where’ he becomes king…?

“Aaron has been excessively ambitious for power. I suppose such a future was entirely possible.”

“I’m sorry if I offended you. Please understand it as a testament to how well your son will do. The Empire will support him in every way.”

“Understood.”

A hearty laugh filled the night sky.

My mind went blank. Leopold spoke with strong conviction, as if he truly knew what would happen in the future. It was just like how I recalled memories of my previous life and redrew the future.

I deliberately made a noise with my footsteps and stepped out in front of them. It was an impulsive act. But I felt that if I let this moment pass, I might never have the chance to speak the truth again.

“Greetings to His Majesty the King.”

The deep darkness had concealed the trembling of my body, but it couldn’t hide the quiver in my voice.

The guards, who had swiftly drawn their swords and assumed a defensive stance, retreated at the king’s gesture.

“Oh, are you out for a walk as well? It seems my people startled you. Are you alright?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I am fine. I couldn’t sleep, so I came out for a bit and happened to hear unexpected voices…”

I clasped my hands together politely, but my gaze was deliberately fixed on Leopold. The king nodded and stroked his chin.

“You mean Duke Lawrence. He just arrived.”

“Hazel.”

Leopold met my gaze and smiled gently. That soft, kind voice, that expression, those eyes… I couldn’t tell if my heart was pounding because of his beauty or because I was tense with the truth so close at hand.

Watching him silently, I turned back to address the king.

“Your Majesty, may I make a request?”

“Speak freely. What could I deny you?”

I hadn’t even organized my thoughts on what to say first. Yet my mouth moved incessantly, as if it were a separate entity. The words spilled out without hesitation.

“Then, if I may be so bold… could you allow me some time with my husband? We haven’t had a proper conversation in a while.”

Once again, the king laughed heartily.

“Of course! I have been inconsiderate. Please, enjoy some time together as a couple.”

“Thank you for your kindness.”

The king patted Leopold’s shoulder once and then led the group away. By the time their footsteps were no longer audible, Leopold spoke first.

“I missed you.”

I lifted my head as if drawn by a magnet. The tenderness shining through his deep green eyes felt strangely suffocating. As he approached, I stepped back, and Leopold, looking surprised, left his hands hanging in the air.

“I heard everything,” I said, almost spitting out the words, meeting his steady gaze directly. There was no hostility, but my boiling emotions might have made it seem so for a moment.

As expected, Leopold wore a puzzled expression, a question mark on his face. Taking a deep breath, I slowly repeated what he had said.

“In the future where Marquis Aaron becomes king.”

His straight brow furrowed momentarily. My already fragile heart began to crack.

“Why would you say it like that? If you were an ordinary person, you would have phrased it differently. You would have said, ‘If Marquis Aaron became king.'”

His composed and calm face gradually turned to one of confusion. Watching suspicion turn into truth was both unpleasant and painful.

“And that tone of certainty.”

Unable to find words to respond, he ran a hand over his face. My heart was now splitting apart. The answer that could be read from all his actions was only one.

“You turned back time, didn’t you?”

This time, I would hear the truth. What should I say to this hopeless person? First, I needed to heal…

“No.”

“Of course, that’s what—. No, you said no?”

But Leopold’s immediate response was entirely unexpected. His face, devoid of all emotion, was as clean as a blank slate.

My troubled heart led to a raised voice.

“Why… why do you keep lying? I can tell because I’m a regressor! I know the reason you expressed it that way…!”

As I accused him, Leopold took another step toward me. Trembling, I couldn’t avoid him and glared at him instead.

“I didn’t turn back time, but… I did return to the past. Just like you.”

The words I had longed to hear, at last.

I thought knowing the truth would bring relief, but instead, tears welled up. I gritted my teeth and stared at Leopold. Pain was evident in his twisted lips and furrowed brows. I was the one in pain, so why did he wear such a hurt expression?

“No wonder…! If you were an ordinary person, you wouldn’t have believed me when I confessed about regressing. You would have asked all sorts of questions. But you didn’t. Because, as you just admitted, you’re a regressor too, so you had no reason to be curious!”

The things I had always found strange gradually started to make sense.

“And you said that if you had known about the affairs of the principality, you wouldn’t have let it happen this way. But that was an impossible assumption from the start! Because of me saving Raphael, an event called ‘the marquis’s rebellion,’ which never happened in the past, occurred!”

As I spoke, my emotions became uncontrollable, and the feelings I had suppressed burst forth.

I couldn’t shake the thought that I had been deceived all this time, despite knowing everything. The tears that had started wouldn’t stop.

“You must have thought I was so pathetic. Falling in unrequited love, getting sick and dying, then saying I wouldn’t love again because it was too hard, only to end up back in your arms!”

“No, I swear I never thought that, not even once! Please, please believe me, Hazel…”

Everything blurred through my tears, even his face as he pleaded and tried to explain.

For the first time, I truly hated him.