The next day, after having a simple breakfast in her bedroom, Diana stepped out to the riverside in front of the hotel.

There were several spots along the Elten River where one could go boating, but the most famous of them all was the riverside in front of the Rovice Hotel.

At the riverside dock, yachts were lined up, waiting for guests.

“Your Highness! Over here!”

Grinelda, standing with Jerome, waved brightly at Diana as she approached.

She looked brimming with energy even this early in the morning. The light dress she wore, perfect for boating, suited her remarkably well.

“Green really does suit you, Lady Grinelda.”

“It’s all thanks to Your Highness’s exceptional taste.”

As a token of gratitude for the hotel invitation, Diana had gifted Grinelda a few dresses. The one she was wearing now was among them.

Her long, braided red hair contrasted vividly with the deep green dress, making her shine even brighter. Diana felt quietly pleased and smiled to herself.

“What do you think, Dale? Does it look good?”

Grinelda seemed to love the green dress Diana had picked out for her, asking Dale about it again and again.

“I already told you—it looks good.”

“Ah, really?”

When Dale started looking tired of her repeated questions, Grinelda pouted and turned her back to him.

“Wait up, Grin!”

Seeing Dale hastily chasing after her, Diana couldn’t help but chuckle. Just then, something was gently placed on her head.

“…”

Diana looked up to find Ian, who had appeared out of nowhere, placing a wide-brimmed straw hat on her head.

“The sun is strong today.”

He adjusted the ribbon tied to the straw hat while quietly gazing at her.

“There, all done.”

With a satisfied smile, he followed Dale onto the yacht.

As Diana stared absentmindedly at the back of his head, she heard Jerome clear his throat behind her.

“What?”

“Nothing. Just… the ribbon’s yellow, isn’t it?”

With that remark, Jerome quickly climbed aboard the yacht.

Still confused by his words, Diana followed him, only to realize as she grabbed her skirt to climb the yacht steps that the dress she was wearing today was yellow.

When she looked up and met Jerome’s narrowed eyes, she simply kept a straight face, pretending not to understand.

The yacht moved forward, cutting through the current along the riverside. Across the river, the bustling energy of the town was clearly visible.

As Diana stood smiling at the sight of the lively village, Ian came over and leaned his arms on the railing next to her, mirroring her stance.

The moment he stood beside her, she instinctively glanced over at Jerome. He was engaged in a casual conversation with the captain.

“You told me to stay close to you today,” Ian said with a faintly sulky look.

“I never said that close.”

“Then why do you keep worrying about your aide?”

“…Jerome’s already misunderstanding our relationship. If I don’t clear it up, it’ll just become more bothersome.”

“And what’s so wrong about being misunderstood?”

At that, Diana turned to look at him. He was smiling playfully.

“…I just prefer not to create misunderstandings in the first place.”

For a long moment, their eyes stayed locked.

He looked as though something about that answer didn’t sit well with him.

Not long after, when Dale called for Ian, he returned to where Dale was waiting.

Diana quietly watched Ian and Dale talking together from a distance.

In her previous life, he had never let anyone get close to him. Because of that, Ian had no one he could call a friend.

As far as Diana knew, back then, she had been his lover and his only companion.

Seeing him now, casually conversing with Dale, felt unfamiliar. Yet, she found her eyes drawn to him again and again.

What kind of life had he lived in this new timeline?

She wanted to keep her distance from Ian, and yet she couldn’t help but want to know more about this changed version of him.

He seemed happier now. Unlike before, he surrounded himself with people and smiled more often. As if the space she once occupied had been filled by others.

‘Maybe… not meeting each other really would’ve been better for both of us.’

As these thoughts crossed her mind, Grinelda came over to her side. There was a shadow over Grinelda’s expression.

Glancing behind Grinelda, Diana saw Dale animatedly explaining something to Ian, looking far too excited.

“If those two fell into the river right now, I’d pretend I didn’t see anything.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Grinelda, startled, blinked at her, and Diana stifled a laugh.

“Men can be a little clueless sometimes. Or maybe… they just pretend to be.”

Ian, for one, was the type to barge in acting oblivious, even though he knew exactly what was going on. Or he’d quietly sneak his way in while pretending not to notice. Either way, he was dangerous all over.

“What I mean is—I’d gladly take your side, my lady. After all, you like Lord Dale, don’t you?”

Grinelda stared at Diana in shock.

“How… how did you know?”

“Well… how did I know?”

She couldn’t exactly say it was too obvious.

“P-please keep it a secret….”

Diana couldn’t help but wonder if something this obvious could really be a secret, but she promised she would.

“Those two seem quite close. Have you known Lord Ian since childhood as well?”

“No. We first met Ian at university. Those two have always been roommates. At first, they didn’t seem to talk much, but one day Dale suddenly started talking about Ian all the time.”

Grinelda spoke with a tone full of frustration.

“Even I can see Ian has all the qualities Dale admires—he’s athletic, and he’s a natural leader. But that’s exactly why I don’t like Ian! Dale… he’s already perfect just as he is. He’s far better than that smug guy!”

“Lord Ian acts smug?”

Diana tried to picture Ian being arrogant and boastful. It wasn’t that hard to imagine, which made her chuckle.

“…No, not really. I guess I’m just jealous. I just wish Dale would pay as much attention to me as he does to Ian.”

“Hm….”

Diana glanced past Grinelda and happened to catch Dale sneaking a look at Grinelda.

“It doesn’t look like you have anything to worry about,” Diana murmured with a quiet smile.

Grinelda seemed lost in thought as she gazed at the sunlight reflecting off the rippling water. Then, suddenly, she turned to Diana with a question.

“Your Highness, do you… have someone you hold in your heart?”

Diana blinked, caught off guard.

“You must, right? You saw through my feelings so easily—there’s no doubt Your Highness is a master of romance, hiding it well.”

‘No, it’s just too obvious….’

Diana didn’t know how to respond. She had never talked about such things with anyone, and she certainly hadn’t expected to be talking about it with Grinelda of all people.

“…I once did.”

After a long pause, Diana’s answer made Grinelda’s eyes sparkle with interest. Seeing her look so eager for the next part of the story, Diana felt pressured to say more.

“Mm… But now I’m not sure. He’s forgotten everything. Maybe it’s better to say that, for him, those things haven’t even happened yet….”

Diana shook her head firmly, as if she herself didn’t understand what she was saying.

“No, never mind. Just pretend you didn’t hear that.”

“How can I just pretend I didn’t? Please, tell me more!”

Grinelda was far more persistent than expected. She kept following Diana, pleading for more details, until Diana had no choice but to start rambling again.

“He’s someone I… shouldn’t meet this time around. I don’t even intend to see him.”

“Why shouldn’t you?”

“Because….”

‘He destroyed my country, my family, me….’

“…Because he abandoned me first.”

Diana tried to suppress the surge of emotion rising in her chest.

“I want to ask him why. Since when did he start deceiving me? Was everything I believed in really a lie? But now, I can’t even ask. I don’t exist in his memory anymore.”

But once her heart began to speak, she couldn’t stop it from pouring out.

“Do you know what it’s like? To hate someone so much that you want them to hurt as much as you do? To feel like you’ll go mad every time you see that clueless face? And yet… part of you wishes they really didn’t know anything at all….”

“Your Highness….”

Diana bit her lip, trying to steady her breathing. The more she spoke, the more it felt like her deepest emotions were all flooding to the surface.

“If the past is nothing but pain… maybe it’s better if at least one of us doesn’t have to suffer. There’s no need for both of us to live in hell.”

‘Just like this. Keeping my distance from the person who’s trying to draw near. Watching, to make sure he doesn’t make the wrong choice.’

‘I will protect the kingdom, and you… you will go back to where you belong.’

“I don’t need revenge or anything else. I just… want to protect my people.”

Her heart, dredged up to its very depths, felt as muddy and turbulent as stirred-up water. To calm herself, she turned sharply to watch the yacht’s bow cutting through the waves.

“Your Highness….”

Grinelda called her name in a voice full of sympathy.

“I’m sorry. I’ve just been rambling nonsense. I guess I feel comfortable around you, Lady Grinelda.”

Grinelda shook her head vigorously.

“What I do know is—he’s a terrible bastard!”

“A terrible…?”

“How could he dare forget you? How could he just leave you suffering alone like that? If he’s lost his memory, make him get treated immediately!”

“…”

Diana stared at Grinelda in stunned silence.

“He should get treatment, then come right here, kneel at your feet, and beg for forgiveness until he’s blue in the face!”

Grinelda shouted even louder, clearly more enraged than Diana herself.

“That’s what you want too, isn’t it?”

“…”

“Make him unable to live without remembering you. Make his heart ache and torment him until he begs for your forgiveness!”

Diana felt tears welling up in her eyes before she realized it.

“Then, you can do whatever you want with him. Keep loving him if you want, or throw him away without mercy like he did to you. You have every right to do that.”

“…You’re right, Lady Grinelda.”

Diana buried her face in her hands.

“The truth is… what I really want is for him….”

‘Yes, what I really want is for him—’

“…to remember me.”