Chapter 1

Catherine sat at her desk, scanning the list of new applicants for ‘Catherine House.’

Riena Brussel, Brooke Sillonz, Lillie France.

These were the ladies she had to find grooms for this year.

“If Riena clears up the misunderstanding with Baron Dictron before they break up, that should be fine.”

Catherine moved Riena’s file to the left.

Next was Brooke.

A lady from a local viscount family, Brooke was a very attractive woman with her dark skin.

Her fiery personality made many men’s hearts flutter, and she was expected to become the rose of this year’s social season.

‘But in the past, she failed to find a husband.’

This was because the high-nosed noblewomen rejected her.

Eventually, she left the social scene lonely and remained unmarried for six years, as Catherine remembered.

“Such a lovely lady.”

Catherine liked Brooke. Brooke was the only one in both of Catherine’s lives who would jump out of a carriage without an escort.

“If I can just connect her with a suitable patron family, it wouldn’t be a problem to bring down the noblewomen’s arrogance.”

Finding and connecting patron families was Catherine’s specialty and not too difficult at all.

This was because Catherine knew many secret details.

Secrets that should not be revealed were good weapons to persuade people.

‘If a bit of blackmail can help true love blossom, it’s a wonderful deal.’

Humming a tune, Catherine moved Brooke’s file to the left.

Only one file was left. Catherine hesitated whether to open it or not.

Lillie France.

Catherine frowned, recalling her past life.

In the past, Lillie liked Catherine’s ex-husband, Hugo.

If she had just kept her feelings to herself, it wouldn’t have been awkward, but Lillie poured out her feelings for Hugo about a year after he and Catherine got married.

‘She even came to our estate and got a house.’

Although Hugo rejected Lillie coldly enough to surprise Catherine, her persistent courtship was endless.

Even on the morning Catherine had turned back time, Lillie came crying, saying she loved Hugo…

And now, Lillie, who was alone, had come to the capital where Hugo was, claiming she was looking for a husband.

‘And she wants to stay in my house, known for finding husbands?’

Something was off.

Knock, knock.

Just as Catherine was about to ponder Lillie’s intentions more deeply, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

Elbert, the butler of the Catherine House, dressed in a navy vest and dark green cravat, entered.

“Madam, have you finalized the list of new residents?”

The move-in day for the new residents was a week away.

Since some of the ladies lived in the countryside, the decision needed to be made quickly so they could be informed.

However, Catherine was delaying the decision because of Lillie.

‘Should I let Brooke and Riena move in first? But then all the schedules would be pushed back.’

It wasn’t just Catherine’s schedule that would be delayed. If the residents moved in separately, the servants and maids would have to do the same work twice.

‘It’s better to handle things at once.’

Catherine decided and looked up at Elbert.

“Just wait one more day, Elbert.”

Catherine said, fiddling with Lillie’s file.

“Yes, madam.”

Elbert bowed and left the room.

After the door closed, Catherine took out a necklace hidden in her clothes.

A translucent heart pendant hanging from a thin gold chain sparkled in the light.

Catherine twirled the heart pendant with her hand.

As she touched it, the pendant swung, and the liquid inside swayed.

Catherine brought a mirror and checked the amount of red liquid inside the pendant.

“I think it will take about two more years of effort.”

Exactly five drops, the heart-shaped pendant was filled with red liquid except for five drops’ worth of space.

Now, let’s reveal the secret Catherine held.

Catherine’s mother was the last heir of the vanished Holy Kingdom. This fact was kept strictly secret, and even Earl Bedwig did not know.

She only found out on the day her mother died. The day before she died, her mother left Catherine the secret of their lineage and the holy relic.

Catherine’s clan was endowed with the power and duty of love. Their mission was to play the role of Cupid, bringing true love to others.

Although they had no arrows of love, they could collect the essence of love that formed by making true love happen.

If the heart pendant, which was the size of a thumbnail, was filled with this essence, the relic would be completed, and the owner of the relic could make a wish come true.

• Catherine, if you have a wish worth risking your life for, use the relic.

When Catherine received the relic, she wondered why her mother had not used it despite living a hard life.

At that time, she couldn’t ask because she was too sad watching her dying mother.

The answer was found much later in her mother’s diary.

• When I was young, I didn’t have the courage, and when I gained courage, I had a treasure I never wanted to lose. My daughter Catherine. I don’t know what consequences defying nature will bring. Great power always comes with side effects.
  

The heart pendant her mother left was filled with essence.

Catherine couldn’t use the relic recklessly.

The word “side effect” loomed large.

However, Catherine used the relic in her past life. She had a reason why she had to turn back time.

The power of the relic was tremendous, sending Catherine straight back to the past. To the first night, no less.

‘It’s a miracle.’

Her heart ached as she recalled the moment she made the wish.

***

“Hugo, please don’t go. This winter, it’s too hard for me to endure. Please, Hugo.”

Catherine had gradually withered away after marrying Hugo. She wasn’t gravely ill.

The collapse of her expectations of Hugo, his neglect of her love, and the exhaustion from waiting took a toll on her heart, affecting her body.

When the love she had for Hugo turned entirely into resentment, he rejected her final plea.

“Catherine, I must go.”

“I don’t need money, Hugo! I need you!”

After their marriage, Hugo never stayed in the estate for more than a month. He always found a reason to leave.

She knew he wasn’t fooling around, but it had been ten years.

Catherine wanted to build a warm family. She had hoped for that…

“Catherine, let’s not do this.”

Hugo coldly turned away.

He rejected even her last plea.

Catherine spent time slumped over. Looking at the ceiling with empty eyes, she suddenly stood up.

‘Let’s try one more time. Just once more.’

She had a desperate reason.

Because she was the last descendant of the Holy Kingdom’s lineage, she knew this winter would be her last.

So she mustered the remaining courage to head to Hugo’s study, where he would be resting.

“Why are you doing this recently? The money you’re sending me is getting less and less! What did you say when you married Catherine? You said you would repay the favor of raising her even if it cost your life!”

“I’m trying, Mother.”

“Trying? Is this the best you can do?”

There was a sound of someone being hit with a bundle of papers.

“You said you would show your love for Catherine through money. Is our daughter so insignificant to you?”

“That’s not it, it’s just…”

Hugo’s voice was torn apart. Clicking her tongue, Countess Bedwig spoke sharply.

“It’s been a few times that I received far less money than what was written in the contract. I’ll take Catherine back immediately.”

Catherine’s eyelashes slowly blinked.

‘What are they talking about? Who’s saying what to whom?’

Catherine moved closer to the study. She slightly opened the door, and the first thing she saw was Hugo kneeling before the Countess of Bedwig.

“Just a little more time. I will join the war between the Gollian Kingdom and the Empire. As a mercenary for the Gollian Kingdom, they said they would pay a lot…”

It wasn’t hard to understand the conversation. But the shock made Hugo’s voice grow increasingly distant.

‘He rejected my last plea to send money to the Countess of Bedwig?’

The reason he ignored her desperate plea was to earn money to send to her family!

‘The reason he left me and wandered outside for the past ten years… was because of me?’

Catherine collapsed, recalling the days when they misunderstood and hurt each other.

“I’ll take my child right now!”

The Countess of Bedwig shouted sharply. Hugo’s small, painful groan echoed like thunder.

Catherine’s mind went blank. Watching the man she loved crumble, she had only one thought.

To turn back time.

Catherine clutched the necklace. Her mother’s voice echoed in her ears.

• If you have a desperate wish, make it.
  

There couldn’t be a more desperate situation.

She wanted to free Hugo from the misery caused by her.

She wanted to free him from the Countess of Bedwig’s insults.

Catherine tightly gripped the necklace and shouted.

“Give back the lost time between him and me.”

In an instant, everything went dark.