She’d even had her life stolen from her, so she tensed at every single breath. The greatest loss a person could experience was losing someone.

When Calliope returned as a cold corpse. When her son Leo turned away from her. What Calliope might perceive as a minor disagreement or argument wasn’t that for Diana.

She felt the terror and anxiety of a bottomless abyss, like her life was ending. Was her previous life repeating itself? Would he turn away from her once more? If that happened, she’d helplessly collapse again, half-abandoning her life.

“Diana. Your body hasn’t recovered yet. You need more rest.”

Calliope’s outer coat settled over Diana’s shoulders.

Diana’s heart raced at the warmth wrapping around her shoulders, yet she resented Calliope for not answering her question.

“They said taking short walks would actually help.”

“Still, the western night air is quite chilly.”

Calliope spoke while adjusting the coat draped over Diana’s shoulders.

His voice was polite and emotionless again, like nothing had happened.

“Callion.”

“I don’t want to be angry with you.”

“Tell me. What’s the problem?”

“I…”

Calliope bit his lip.

After choosing his words, he spoke quietly.

His low, calm voice suited the elegant moonlit scenery quite well.

“I don’t want you to get hurt. But you tried to use yourself as a tool to achieve revenge.”

“…As long as my enemy lives, I’m never safe for even a moment. But if I achieve my goal, even if it’s dangerous now, the future can be safe.”

“May I ask why you’re so hostile? From what I know, you’ve never had dealings with western people.”

Diana’s words caught in her throat.

Even if she told him time had reversed and she’d returned ten years to the past, would he believe her?

Even if he did believe her, if he said it never happened now so let’s move on and live again, could she endure without going mad?

It definitely wasn’t a dream. Neither Calliope being murdered nor her own death.

She’d prayed to be reborn and love each other in peaceful times, but the truth was she couldn’t possibly forgive those who killed him and those who killed her.

Perhaps that’s why they weren’t living new lives elsewhere, but traveling back in time, repeating the same events.

If so, she couldn’t tell him she’d dare try to turn h*ll into heaven for him, who’d already died once.

Bitterness filled her mouth.

Calliope was right.

Diana loved him almost blindly, but didn’t actually trust him.

Because she knew herself well—she couldn’t endure being rejected by him.

“I’m sorry.”

Diana smiled with upturned lips.

Calliope stared intently at her face, making that strange expression again.

“Is there a reason you can’t tell me?”

“I’m sorry. It’s too trivial…”

“Do you have a lover?”

At his quiet question, Diana’s eyes widened.

“A lover?”

“I’ve thought about it before. This marriage was a political arrangement between families, so you might have a lover you’ve given your heart to.”

Diana had never thought of anyone but him her entire life.

Though it was a political marriage, it was love with her whole heart.

She carefully considered whether she’d done anything to deserve suspicion of having a lover, but no.

Suddenly, indignation and resentment surged within her.

“By that logic, wouldn’t it be just as reasonable to say you’re the one with a lover?”

“What do you—”

“Have you ever whispered love to me? Or smiled warmly at me? Have you ever said you missed me so much you rushed here?”

“I wasn’t suspecting you.”

“I wish it were suspicion! Then I could explain. You shouldn’t have let me find out that you decided on your own it was fine!”

“Diana.”

Calliope gently placed his hand on Diana’s cheek with worried eyes.

But Diana coldly pushed his hand away.

“A lover? How can you say that to me? When you know perfectly well I just barely escaped death trying to protect you and this Aquitaine!”

“…Because there isn’t one.”

“…What?”

Diana stammered in confusion.

His always-tense, sharp eyes fell forlornly downward. Receiving the pale moonlight with lowered eyes, he looked like he’d let go of everything. His beautiful lips opened again only after hesitating for a long while.

“Because someone like you couldn’t possibly love someone like me.”

His voice was as desolate as the wind blowing through the west.

‘What did I just hear?’

Diana stared at him with an expression of disbelief.

“…Why on earth would you say such a thing?”

Her voice trembled thinly.

Calliope’s lips barely moved before he pressed them firmly shut.

He absolutely couldn’t reveal his unbearably gloomy past before her.

“Callion. Don’t tell me you’ve thought of yourself that way all this time?”

“……”

It was an affirmative silence. Diana felt like she’d been hit hard in the head with something. Her body froze, unable to move.

She’d never once considered it.

She couldn’t even imagine that he—so elegant and beautiful, receiving everyone’s admiration and envy—would evaluate himself so lowly.

She couldn’t dare offer comfort. His expression looked too devastating. She couldn’t probe further either. His anxiously clasped hands were trembling finely. So Diana thought she needed to escape this shocking moment first.

She deliberately stood up briskly and brushed grass from her dress.

“I won’t ask more. But know this for certain.”

Diana’s attitude was so confident that Calliope looked up at her with bewildered eyes.

“In the past, now, and in the future, you’ll be my only love. I don’t know how you see me, but if trusting me is truly that difficult, just think of me as someone crazed with revenge and leave me be.”

Back to square one. Calliope blurted out in frustration.

“What exactly is this revenge for?”

Diana’s lips barely moved, like Calliope’s had earlier.

Ah, so this was why he had to keep his mouth shut.

She absolutely couldn’t reveal this desperate affection accumulated over more than ten years to him, who knew nothing.

She couldn’t say both the cause and purpose of her revenge were him.

It would obviously be too excessive and sudden.

“…Let’s say it’s for my peace. It absolutely won’t harm you.”

With those final words, Diana left the training grounds.

Calliope’s dark eyes followed her retreating back.

* * *

Ah. It was a dream again.

After Diana left, he must have lost consciousness while mechanically continuing training at the grounds.

He let out an empty laugh.

The great Calliope Aquitaine fainting.

‘At least dreams don’t feel like nightmares anymore.’

Because if he wanted, he could visit her anytime without hesitation.

Calliope wandered through Aquitaine Castle searching for Diana.

But for some reason, Diana was nowhere to be seen.

‘Mama!’

A cheerful child’s voice came from the end of the corridor.

Calliope paused briefly, then approached where the child’s voice came from.

‘My Leo!’

Passing through the door, he saw Helena lifting the child with a beaming face.

Calliope suppressed the hostility surging fiercely and walked closer to them.

Finally the child turned his head, revealing his face. Calliope stiffened in shock.

It was strange. The child had clearly called Helena mama. But the child’s face was a blend of his and Diana’s.

‘Leo, in front of people you must call Diana mama. Understand?’

‘Yes.’

Leo leaned his head against Helena with a face full of regret.

‘Young master, shall I help you prepare for your walk?’

‘Yes!’

Calliope quickly assessed the situation. It was closer to instinctive realization upon seeing the child.

That child was definitely born between him and Diana. But why was he denying his real mother and calling Helena his mother? And why was Helena living comfortably in Aquitaine Castle in his dream of all places?

Everything about this scene was bizarre and unpleasant from start to finish.

Calliope left the room without hesitation and searched for Diana  Soon he spotted Diana taking a walk by a beautiful nearby lake. Just in case, he touched her shoulder—as expected, his hand passed through.

‘It’s a bit chilly. Shall I get you a shawl?’

Diana extended her hand. The maid following behind handed over the shawl draped on her arm without hesitation.

The moment Diana grasped the shawl—

‘Huh?’

Her body swayed.

Calliope forgot he was in a dream and rushed to catch her.

‘No!’

Space distorted as the dream ended.

Calliope struggled with all his might, but the dream cut off.

“My lord! My lord! Are you conscious?”

When he opened his eyes, he saw Jerome making a fuss.

To see that guy’s face the moment he woke up. Calliope pushed Jerome’s face away with his hand and sat up.

“Did you have another nightmare?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of dream was it this time that you look so pale?”

“…I dreamed something happened to Diana.”

“You had that dream before too, and now again? Could your worry for Lady Diana be projecting anxiety into your dreams?”

“…What?”

Calliope asked savagely.

Jerome tilted his head, wondering what he’d done wrong.

“What’s wrong?”

“I had this kind of dream before?”

“Yes. You did, my lord.”

Calliope roughly dry-washed his face.

Was he going mad?

“I don’t remember.”

“Well, you have nightmares so often, it’s possible.”

Jerome replied nonchalantly.

But Calliope was deeply shocked. He remembered dreaming of his own death, but he’d never dreamed of Diana dying. That’s what he remembered, anyway.

“Jerome. I think I’m slowly going strange. I’m gradually…”

“My lord, pull yourself together. It’s just a dream. Don’t put too much meaning into dreams.”

“Right. I must have dreams I don’t remember. Where is Diana now?”

Calliope was still suspicious about that part but deliberately changed the subject.

As Jerome said, if he clung to the dream any longer, he felt anxious he might drift somewhere, unable to keep his feet in reality.

“Lady Diana is chatting with Annie. Her close maid.”

Calliope raised his eyes to check Diana’s bedroom window.

The light was brightly lit.

Concentrating his senses a bit more, he heard faint laughter.

It was Diana’s voice. Only then did Calliope slump his body in exhaustion and tilted his head back.