The words that she wished the Master were her husband slipped out unconsciously. It wasn’t because she admired the Master and had feelings for him. It was because, with the Master, she wouldn’t have to deal with such worries…

“Right now, that’s…”

“Pretend you didn’t hear that.”

It was just a lament about wishing for a more comfortable partner. Besides, the occasional Raphael-like traits she saw in the Master made her even more confused. If it were the Master, wouldn’t it be different?

“…Are you not satisfied with your current husband?”

Not satisfied with her current husband? There wouldn’t be a woman in the entire empire who wouldn’t be satisfied with Raphael as their husband. She might have felt the same if she hadn’t read the original story. A husband so handsome that he took her breath away was rare. No, there was no one like him.

“No, he’s handsome.”

“Then why…”

“That’s all there is.”

If it weren’t for Raphael’s handsome face, she wouldn’t be so shaken. She was drawn to him despite knowing everything because of his looks. She had to be.

“Master, have you ever heard this saying?”

Amelia sank into the sofa and closed her eyes gently. How did she end up liking that man? She felt frustrated with herself. No matter how much she thought about it, it was useless. As soon as she stood in front of Raphael, her mind went blank. She lost her senses as if she were addicted to his scent. Her eyes constantly followed him, and her whole body trembled whenever they touched.

“Good-looking people live up to their looks.”

This saying was often used when a man was cheating, but wasn’t Raphael the same? He still couldn’t forget and longed for that childhood connection.

A woman who might be his greatest enemy by blood. Her mind was too tangled. She wanted to ignore it all. She didn’t want to be the protagonist of such a messy drama. She just wanted to take her beloved Leonel and make him happy.

“You must be pleased. You have the most expensive husband.”

Was that how it could be interpreted? Amelia laughed helplessly at the Master’s response. By that logic, Raphael was indeed the most expensive husband. Perhaps because she had her eyes closed from fatigue, she didn’t see the expression on the Master’s face as he said that.

“It was just a joke. Where else could I make such a joke?”

“I understand.”

His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were not. It seemed the Master was indeed upset by her words.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude…”

“It’s okay.”

Was it really okay? It didn’t seem that way at all…

“I didn’t mean it that way.”

“I want to.”

What? He wanted to be her husband?

“Is His Grace neglectful? Or does he make you lonely?”

Perhaps Raphael was like that in the past, but not now. Now, it was more like she was avoiding him. Even though it wasn’t affection-based attention, he was overwhelming her with it.

“Master… I didn’t mean it that way.”

“You must want to meet a new man. Very much.”

How did the conversation turn to that? Although she did make a slip of the tongue, it wasn’t about having an affair with the Master or remarrying.

“Don’t worry. I’m good at keeping secrets.”

She didn’t understand why the Master was so upset. He tried to hide it, but it was clear he was hurt. Was it because she made a light comment about him?

“Even if you dislike His Grace, it doesn’t matter to me.”

That wasn’t the part the Master was upset about.

“I don’t dislike him.”

“It’s okay.”

He wasn’t even listening anymore. Why was it so upsetting to the Master that she might dislike Raphael? And this whole process of explaining herself felt strange.

“I have a question. Even if I’m not the person you think I am, would that change anything?”

***

“W-What are you talking about?”

Was he hiding something from her? Had the Emperor or Patrick visited again?

“Surely… Did someone visit again…?”

“No, that won’t happen anymore.”

Since she had fallen out of favor with both Raphael and the imperial family, she had to plan her escape route abroad.

“It seems Your Highness trusts me a lot, so I just said it.”

His tone had a hidden meaning, despite claiming it was just a casual remark. Amelia looked at the Master with suspicion but then shook her head. She had already received a lot of help from him. If he were to betray her, he would have done so long ago. She could understand if anyone else betrayed her, but not the Master.

“Master is special to me, so I have no choice but to trust you.”

“Special, you say.”

“Yes, you’re the only one I can talk to openly.”

Amelia fiddled with the ruby ring on her left hand. It was time to return this ring.

“I’ll return the ring now.”

At first, she felt uneasy about the contract made with blood turned into a ring. Later, it became her lifesaver.

“It seems like you really don’t want anything to do with me anymore.”

“I don’t think I’ll be taking on any more requests that you’re interested in.”

The Master became interested in her because she knew the future and could make groundbreaking investments. If she hadn’t known Aaron’s plans, none of this would have been possible.

“There’s no need to return it. The ring has protective magic that will help you.”

“Magic tools are precious.”

“I can make more of those.”

He firmly refused to take back the ring, no matter what.

“Just… think of it as a final gift.”

It was true that the Master’s ring had saved her life. The ring with shield magic was indeed helpful.

Knock, knock.

“Mother, I heard you called.”

“C-Come in.”

Even though she had called for him, Amelia was so sensitive that she was startled by the knock.

“Mother?”

Seeing the innocent child, she felt overwhelmed about where to start. She wondered if she was ruining Leonel’s comfortable life.

“Are you sick? You don’t look well.”

“No, I’m fine.”

His small hand touching her cheek made her smile. It was a warm touch that showed his affection for her. She felt proud that he could now express his emotions. Her goal had always been one from the beginning.

She had decided to take the pitiful Leonel away from Siegfried and make him happy. She wanted to prevent the events of the original story from happening. Yet, she had been shaken by Raphael and lost sight of her initial goal.

“Leonel, I have something to ask you.”

Leonel had changed a lot. The timid child who couldn’t even meet her eyes at first was nowhere to be seen. His gentle smile made her smile as well.

“Do you still want to leave Siegfried?”

But Leonel still hadn’t awakened, and it was hard to say that he had a good relationship with Raphael. It was like walking on thin ice, never knowing when it might break. If Raphael’s feelings changed, everything would revert to how it was. She knew that this was just a temporary whim.

Raphael didn’t love Amelia or Leonel. The ending wouldn’t change. If things continued as they were, Leonel would become unhappy, and she would be discarded once Raphael’s curiosity faded. Although he was treating them well now, that would change eventually.

“It never changed.”

“You might face all kinds of hardships.”

Preparations for their escape were progressing steadily. She had gathered maps, robes enchanted with cleanliness magic, and even commoner identification passes needed to leave the empire. If she made up her mind, they could leave immediately.

She had foolishly hesitated, clinging to false hopes and expectations.

“To avoid being caught by Father, we’ll need to leave the empire.”

“Leonel…?”

“Father can manage just fine without us, can’t he?”

Amelia was surprised by how Leonel spoke so confidently about their plans. It was she, not Leonel, who had been hesitating.