A few minutes after they had their hands overlapping while riding, Kristin began to feel a sense of freedom she had never experienced before.

Though part of her felt guilty for taking up the Duke’s time, at this moment, she found herself feeling happy for the first time. A feeling of safety and warmth washed over her.

The cold November wind brushed against Kristin’s cheeks, tangling her hair in its path. Though she occasionally felt Raphael’s breath tickle her neck, making her almost unbearably shy and giddy, she felt peaceful and happy.

‘It wasn’t anything special. Why hadn’t I experienced this life sooner? Still, I’m glad I can feel it now.’

Kristin looked ahead.

The vast meadow where they had started was now coming to an end, and they had been riding for quite some time.

“It’s getting colder, so I think we should get down. Michael needs a rest too,” Raphael said.

As if understanding his words, Michael slowed from a gallop to a walk, and Kristin, surprised by the horse’s intelligence, gently stroked his mane.

While she was petting Michael, Raphael took the reins and brought the horse to a complete stop. He dismounted first, knowing that Kristin wouldn’t be able to get down on her own.

Though the horse had stopped, Kristin was frozen in fear, still clutching the reins.

Raphael extended both hands toward her and said, “Take my hand.”

“I’m a little scared, but I’ll try to get down,” Kristin replied.

She tried to grasp both the reins and Michael’s mane as Raphael had done earlier, but she couldn’t manage it. Just as she was about to grab his arm for support, their eyes met, and they found themselves face to face, closer than ever before.

Embarrassed by their close gaze, Kristin tried to look away, but Raphael continued speaking to her.

“Don’t you think it’s time to get down? It’s okay. You won’t get hurt. I’m holding you, so trust me.”

Raphael spoke in a calm tone to reassure her and gently grasped her arm.

Then, wrapping his arms around her waist, Raphael lifted her down and placed her on the mounting block.

“To ride a horse, you have to get rid of your fear. I don’t think you’re ready to ride on your own yet. I’ll teach you to ride for an hour every day.”

“What?”

Kristin was taken aback by his words.

Teaching her to ride didn’t seem like something the Duke would normally do, and suggesting an hour a day meant they’d have to see each other daily.

“But, Your Grace—” she began, but Raphael cut her off.

“I’ll teach you. I want your time, Kristin. We’ll have to spend much more time together in the future.”

Kristin found herself speechless at his words. She realized she didn’t dislike the idea of seeing him every day. However, just as in her past life, Raphael was still fated to meet Princess Rebella.

The events of her previous life had followed the same path, so Kristin believed she couldn’t escape that fate. Moreover, with threats to her life looming, she couldn’t allow Raphael to stay by her side.

If things went wrong, the Duke might be in danger as well. Even though a week had already passed, the situation at Vincent Orphanage was still unresolved.

Suddenly, memories of masked assailants attacking Raphael flooded her mind. Accepting his feelings, she thought, might only bring him harm.

With a hardened expression, Kristin spoke to the Duke.

“I can’t accept your feelings anymore, Your Grace. You know that, don’t you? Though my life may be in danger, I’m not just a helpless lady sitting in her estate. I might become a burden to you.”

At Kristin’s words, the smile disappeared from Raphael’s face.

As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Kristin was indeed being threatened with murder.

The memory of the letter left in her carriage flashed through his mind, prompting the Duke to begin deducing who the culprit might be.

The first suspects were her stepsister, Elena, and Lady Rose.

However, since Lady Rose was imprisoned, it was unlikely she had personally sent the threatening letter to Kristin.

As for her stepsister Elena, though she was a potential suspect, she didn’t seem capable of acting alone.

The second group of suspects was the numerous young ladies and noble families who had envied Kristin.

He’d heard of their jealousy, particularly over Kristin’s connection with the Marquis of Winston. But to think they would attempt murder over such matters seemed far-fetched. Besides, there had never been a recorded case in the Empire where a noblewoman tried to kill another out of jealousy.

So Raphael had to consider a third possibility.

If Kristin had been murdered for reasons beyond mere envy and jealousy, then perhaps it had something to do with his connections. Maybe she was killed unjustly because of someone associated with him.

If that was the case, then the mastermind behind her death would be completely different from what they had initially suspected.

Raphael began to focus on this third possibility. Who in the Empire would hold such disdain for both Kristin and himself?

After a long period of contemplation, the Duke finally reached an answer.

‘The Emperor’s advisors and the Emperor himself.’

If it were them, the motives would make sense.

“Your Grace,”

Kristin called out to him, breaking his train of thought. As she spoke, Raphael, now sure of his conclusion, opened his mouth to speak.

“I told you earlier,” he said.

“What?” Kristin asked, confused.

“I told you I would never let go of your hand,” Raphael replied with calm, unwavering determination.

* * *

After their horseback ride, Kristin and Raphael stopped by a café for tea before returning to their respective estates.

The Duke returned to his ducal estate, and Kristin went back to the Edith mansion. However, Raphael couldn’t shake the unease, so he sent his private guards to the Edith mansion to protect her.

A total of fifteen guards were stationed at the mansion’s main gate, rear gate, and side entrance used by servants, fully encircling the estate to ensure Kristin’s safety.

When the guards appeared at the Edith mansion from the afternoon onward, the staff were startled by their sudden presence.

Lenci and Cindy were just as surprised as the other servants, but they soon learned the reason for the guards from the head maid and butler.

Worried, Lenci and Cindy approached Kristin.

“I hope nothing happens to you, My Lady,” Lenci said with concern.

“I agree with Lenci. Who would dare try to harm Lady Kristin?” Cindy added.

Kristin sighed softly at their words. She, too, was curious about the situation.

Yet, if Raphael had sent as many as fifteen guards, it meant he likely had some idea about who was behind the threats.

Kristin wanted to write to him to ask about the mastermind behind the threats, but she hesitated, feeling it was still too early to inquire.

However, if this level of anxiety and fear could be felt throughout her body, she predicted that the criminal would not be any ordinary noble.

“My Lady.”

“It won’t do. Since you must be feeling anxious, I’ll prepare some peppermint tea, which is good for alleviating anxiety. Please wait a moment.”

Lenci was worried, but Cindy could no longer hold back.

Then, as if something had suddenly come to mind, Cindy continued speaking.

“My Lady, I have something to tell you.”

“What is it you want to say?”

“I’ll tell you once I bring the tea, My Lady.”

“Alright.”

Kristin spoke in as calm and gentle a tone as possible.

She was just as anxious, but she couldn’t show it to them.

Even if her fate of being killed didn’t change, Kristin wanted to fight back.

She couldn’t rely on the Duke for help.

Raphael Rodney, the Duke, could also be in danger. Kristin was scared.

If something were to happen to Raphael, she felt as if she wouldn’t be able to go on living.

So, as she had been courageous in many past situations, she decided to be brave again this time.

The moment she made up her mind, Cindy, trembling, handed Kristin a small box along with the warm peppermint tea and spoke in a shaky voice.

“This box, you see. Do you remember when Lady Elena came into your room and rummaged through your belongings?”

Cindy’s words caused Kristin to recall the past.

After receiving a proposal letter from Raphael, Elena, unable to contain her jealousy, entered Kristin’s room while she was out and threw all of her things around in a fit of rage.

Though she had acted that way, nothing in the room had gone missing.

She hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but Cindy gave her some unexpected news.

“Do you remember this pocket watch?”

The watch Cindy showed Kristin was the last heirloom of Elesia.

Kristin had seen it since she was a child—it was her mother’s pocket watch, but after her mother passed away, the watch had been nowhere to be found.

It was an old and shabby watch, and because Kristin had been in shock over her mother’s death, she hadn’t had the time or thought to gather any remaining heirlooms.

So she had forgotten about it.

But now, several years later, facing this even more worn-out watch brought back a flood of memories for Kristin.

In all that time, the pocket watch had never stopped working; the hands still pointed to the correct time.
“Cindy, how did you come to have this?”

“I saw it that day. When Lady Elena was tearing apart your room, she stole the pocket watch.”

“Elena stole my pocket watch? I haven’t seen this watch in my room at all since my mother died. I never received it from anyone.”

Kristin couldn’t understand.

Where did this pocket watch suddenly come from?

Seeing Kristin’s worried face, Cindy cautiously continued.

“Actually, before that, right after you left, Lady Rose brought this watch into your room. She told me something when she saw me watching.”

“What did she say?”

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