I Returned as the Obsessive Duke’s Wife Once Again

“What did she say?”

“‘This watch belonged to the late Viscountess. There’s no gem set in it, so it’s not worth much. I don’t need it, so I’ll just give it to Kristin,’ she said. After that, Lady Elena saw the pocket watch on the desk and took it with her.”

Kristin finally understood why her mother’s heirloom had disappeared.

Since they had conspired with her father about her mother’s death, they had likely gotten rid of any heirlooms as well.

But as years passed and no one knew the truth about the death, the watch was no longer needed.

The watch, given away as if it were a charity, ended up in Elena’s hands, and that’s why Kristin hadn’t seen it for so long.

But why did Cindy have it now?

Kristin asked Cindy.

“I see. I understand the situation now. But, Cindy, how did you end up with this watch? Did Elena give it to you?”

Kristin took a sip of the peppermint tea Cindy had prepared for her and gazed at the watch.

It bore the marks of time, with scratches here and there, and there was a small crack in the glass as if it had been deliberately dropped.
Nevertheless, the hands of the pocket watch matched the time on the alarm clock in the room, neither too fast nor too slow.

Curious about that, Kristin continued to stare at it as Cindy answered.

“She threw it at me and told me to play with it if I needed something to amuse myself.”

Play with it?

Kristin let out a sigh at Cindy’s words.

No matter how much she disliked someone, she was deeply disappointed by Elena’s careless attitude toward someone else’s belongings.

“I kept it because I knew it belonged to you, Lady Kristin.”

Cindy said this while looking at the pocket watch.

No matter how old it was, it was still a noble’s pocket watch, and Cindy, a commoner, could have easily been tempted to keep it.

However, the reason Cindy kept it safe was that it was the last heirloom of the late Viscountess.

Even though Kristin looked detestable because of Elena’s words, there were times when Cindy shuddered at seeing them express hatred even in the face of someone’s death.

She stayed with them out of necessity, but the more she stayed, the more she feared she might lose her sense of morality, as their behavior was anything but normal.

Thus, Cindy had kept the pocket watch, hoping that it would preserve the last bit of her conscience.

It had slipped from her memory for a while, but now, suddenly, she remembered it.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve shown this to you sooner.”

However, Kristin was grateful that Cindy had kept her mother’s last heirloom safe. If Elena had thrown it into an incinerator, she would never have been able to find it.

Cindy continued to apologize, but Kristin waved her hand, reassuring her it was alright.

“It’s fine, Cindy. You’ve returned the watch I almost forgot about, so you don’t need to apologize.”

Kristin spoke as she gazed at the pocket watch.

Then, she happened to see the back of it, where something was inscribed.

[Time Traveler]

Kristin quietly repeated the meaning of the words to herself.

The cursive inscription read “Time Traveler.”

Kristin felt slightly puzzled by the meaning of “time traveler.”

She wondered if this watch had something to do with her return to the past, but that didn’t seem possible.

The idea that a simple watch could take someone back or forward in time didn’t make sense, so Kristin shook her head at the thought.

Out of a sense of curiosity, Kristin opened the front of the pocket watch and turned the hands back five minutes earlier than the current time. At that moment, something astonishing happened.

The events that had occurred five minutes earlier unfolded before her eyes once again.

Cindy was speaking to her while handing her the pocket watch, and the half-drunk peppermint tea was now steaming hot again.

“Oh, my goodness. How is this possible?”

“My Lady, I’m truly sorry for not giving you the watch sooner.”

“No, Cindy. It’s alright.”

Kristin, trying to compose herself, gestured for Cindy and Lenci to leave, then walked up to her room.

—

Kristin felt conflicted because of the pocket watch’s powers.

If this watch could turn back time or travel to the future, she couldn’t help but wonder why her mother hadn’t used it before she died.

How much had her mother trusted her father?
Or had she given up on it in the first place, thinking that going back in time wouldn’t change anything?

Kristin took a deep breath to calm herself, as a rush of suppressed emotions about her mother surged within her.

After a few minutes, once she had finally regained her composure, Kristin stopped looking at the hands of the pocket watch.

It all felt like a dream.

It was hard to believe something so magical could happen so easily.

“Unbelievable. You’re telling me that I saved my life with this little pocket watch? It was a watch that my mother always had with her. It wasn’t anyone else’s but my mother’s. Does that mean she, too, once traveled through time?”

As her thoughts swirled, Kristin felt the urge to test the watch with her own eyes.

The phrase “time traveler” weighed on her mind.

Looking at the clock in her room, she glanced out the window.

Over the next ten minutes, the household staff outside were busy tending to the garden, each occupied with their tasks.

After observing each servant closely, Kristin turned the minute hand of the pocket watch back ten minutes.

Just like before, the servants began to repeat the actions they had taken ten minutes earlier.

Unaware of anything, they were engrossed in their work, just as before.

Even the clock in her room, which had been working perfectly fine, now showed the time from ten minutes ago.

“As I thought… This is a watch that can turn back time. I can rewind time as much as I want. If that’s the case, it could come in handy for the situations ahead.”

Kristin placed the pocket watch around her neck.

The chain of the watch was thin and slightly discolored, but not to the point of being unusable.

If she had been wearing a jacket or pants, she could have easily slipped it into her pocket, but since she was wearing a dress, there was nowhere to store it within her clothing.

Additionally, if she lost the pocket watch, it would mean losing her mother’s heirloom, so Kristin gripped the watch tightly and closed her eyes for a moment.

‘Please, let this watch be of help. If I truly did return to the past because of this watch, then I can certainly change the future. I’m so relieved.’

Kristin opened her eyes softly and gazed out the window.

—

Raphael remembered this day as his carriage traveled the road to the Imperial Palace.

One year ago today, he met with Princess Rebella.

Even though he was already married to Kristin, the emperor still disapproved of the duke not marrying Princess Rebella.

Having grown up without parents, Raphael was raised with the emperor’s considerable support to ensure his success.

But at some point, Raphael had started acting independently, which greatly displeased the emperor.

However, the duke was already aware of the emperor’s feelings.

Every time he saw the emperor trying to use him to drive the nation’s prosperity, the desire to rebel grew stronger within him.

After coming of age, he had gone to war for the Union Empire multiple times.

Though he had faced death numerous times, fighting for the empire had always seemed like the natural thing to do.

But upon his return, the emperor’s response was always cold:

[You fought well, but it wasn’t enough. You should have annihilated all those soldiers from the other empire that dared challenge us. Why did you let any of their soldiers live?]

These were the emperor’s exact words.

Despite Raphael’s exceptional combat skills and repeated participation in wars, Emperor Lucas Aedon remained ruthlessly cold toward him.

The Emperor acknowledged the duke’s merits, giving him medals of honor and large tracts of land as a reward, but Raphael couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being used.

“When I married Princess Rebella, the Emperor was so pleased with himself. But not this time. In this life, he won’t be able to force me into marrying Princess Rebella for his gain.”

Raphael’s carriage, which had left from the duke’s estate, finally arrived at the Imperial Palace.

One year ago today, nobles and Princess Rebella of the Praga Empire had been sent to the palace to foster relations between the nations.

By now, Emperor Lucas Aedon was probably full of anticipation, hoping that Raphael and Princess Rebella would meet again.

The emperor stood to gain a great deal by using Raphael rather than his children.

By allying with Praga, they could fight together in future wars, and during times of famine, Praga could provide food supplies.

Additionally, if the empire needed to fund large-scale projects, the Praga Empire could provide loans.

Given the significant benefits, the emperor had no choice but to use Raphael.

However, a few months ago, when he learned that Raphael was marrying Lady Kristin, the emperor had been filled with near rage.

Even though national prosperity was within reach, the duke’s decision to marry Kristin instead of Princess Rebella had cost the empire a powerful alliance with Praga, which the emperor saw as a grave loss.

Reflecting on all of this, Raphael realized that despite being a duke, the emperor could easily find a reason to have him killed.

On the surface, they maintained a cordial relationship, appearing to support one another. However, the emperor was likely harboring a knife behind his back, and Raphael knew that he couldn’t afford to take this matter lightly.

If he let his guard down, he could be killed, and even Kristin’s life could be at risk.

But for now, there was no solid evidence.

Unless someone came forward with a suspicious story or incriminating documents, the emperor could not act openly against the duke.

“Have you arrived, Your Grace?”

As Raphael’s carriage pulled up to the entrance of the Imperial Palace and came to a full stop, the knights and officials on guard came out to greet him with smiling faces.

The official continued speaking to the duke.

“I’ve heard that today, the honorable Princess Rebella and the nobles from the Praga Empire are arriving. You’ve arrived much earlier than the scheduled time. It seems, as always, Your Grace, you are showing great devotion to His Majesty.”

Raphael nodded as he listened to their words of flattery. He then turned his gaze to the official who had addressed him and responded.

“Not at all. It’s simply because I feel as comfortable here as I do in my own home. His Majesty is always so considerate of me. Will the meeting with Princess Rebella and the nobles take place in the Grand Banquet Hall?”

Mixing a hint of arrogance into his voice, Raphael spoke with the same tone he had always used at the palace.

The official, still smiling, replied slowly.

“You are well informed. The Grand Banquet Hall has been prepared for the occasion. His Majesty is scheduled to arrive in about 30 minutes.”

He paused before adding, “Would you like to meet with His Majesty beforehand? It may be good for the two of you to discuss today’s agenda.”

Though the official spoke calmly, Raphael could easily read his intentions.

The claim that the emperor would arrive in 30 minutes was possibly a lie.

Before the official meeting, the emperor wanted to pressure Raphael to establish a favorable relationship with Princess Rebella. That’s why he had to meet with Raphael before the others arrived.

Most likely, the emperor had instructed the official to bring Raphael to him as soon as he arrived.

Feigning indifference, Raphael pretended to ponder for a moment before responding to the official.

“Very well, I’ll greet His Majesty first.”

“Yes, Your Grace,” the official replied before leading the way to the audience chamber where the emperor was waiting.

Raphael followed, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He knew he needed to find even the smallest clue during tonight’s banquet, so he braced himself for the encounter as he walked through the palace corridors.

After a short walk, they arrived at the audience chamber.

Knock, knock.

“Your Majesty, His Grace has arrived.”

“Yes, let him in,” came the emperor’s voice from inside.

“Please, Your Grace, go ahead,” said the official.

At his words, the large golden doors opened, and Raphael stepped inside to meet Emperor Lucas Aedon.

Both men smiled at each other, but behind their expressions, each concealed a blade of intent.

TL NOTE: Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories