“Kristin, sister…”

It was the first time Elena called her sister with genuine emotion.

Elena had been afraid of Kristin turning her away when she visited today.

Unlike before, there were many guards at the Edith estate now, and Kristin was completely different from the sister Elena once knew.

Now, she was someone Elena had to look up to, not someone to be disregarded. And the thought of stepping forward felt daunting to her.

Somehow, Elena had snuck into the mansion and eaten some food. As she reflected on how she had acted like a stray cat, she felt deeply moved by her older sister’s words, offering forgiveness and a chance to live together.

“Thank you so much, sister. I will never forget this kindness.”

“Stop talking and go wash up already.”

At Kristin’s words, Elena entered the mansion.

At that moment, from the entrance of the gate, Duke Raphael appeared, walking slowly through the crowd of nobles toward Kristin. Suddenly, an arrow flew and pierced his chest.

“Kristin!”

As Duke Raphael shouted, more arrows began to fly toward him, striking his body.

One by one, the arrows quickly hit his heart, and blood began to drip from his lips.

Despite the large number of nobles present and no apparent gaps in the crowd, the arrows seemed to target only Duke Raphael.

Kristin couldn’t help but be shocked by the sight of Duke Raphael Rodney. Even the guards sent by Duke Raphael seemed deeply shaken by what had just happened.

As Kristin looked toward the gate to see who had attacked the Duke, she caught a glimpse of someone quickly running away from the mansion.

The man wore a helmet, obscuring his face, but the helmet was clearly one used only by the Imperial Family of Union.

Kristin’s eyes widened as she recognized the helmet and, scanning the garden, she began to hear screams coming from all directions.

Nobles, startled by the sight of Duke Raphael being attacked, began to throw down whatever they were holding and hurriedly fled the Edith mansion.

Within just ten minutes of the incident, the garden of the Viscount’s estate had become a chaotic mess.

Kristin sank to the ground, staring vacantly at the garden, but when she saw the unconscious Duke Raphael, she ran toward him.

Selena Scarlet and Beatrice Charlotte worried that Kristin might also be in danger, grabbed her wrist, but no more arrows flew.

“Kristin, it’s dangerous,” Selena Scarlet said.

“Lady Kristin, I will check on him,” Winston Marquis said as he and Selena Scarlet approached Kristin and checked Duke Raphael Rodney’s condition.

The Duke had already lost a great deal of blood, and his eyes remained open, unable to close, as he succumbed to death.

It was then that Kristin began to suspect who might be behind the threats she had received.

The helmet worn by the attacker was clearly used by the Imperial family.

Since no ordinary noble could wear such a helmet, it was clear that it belonged to the Imperial Guard, and this pointed to a possible conflict involving Princess Rebella, which was being expressed in this violent manner.

Moreover, the only person who could so easily kill Duke Raphael was Emperor Lucas Aedon.

It had to be the Emperor.

Kristin could not help but believe that both Duke Raphael’s and her own deaths were part of the Emperor’s plan.

If someone had been trying to kill her at the Edith mansion, it would have been easy to poison her champagne, but the unexpected assassination of a duke at a gathering of nobles made no logical sense.

Moreover, it wouldn’t be easy for any ordinary noble to kill a duke in such a setting.

In fact, only someone trained as a professional knight could accurately target and kill Duke Raphael with a bow.

With clenched teeth, Kristin slowly approached and gently caressed Duke Raphael Rodney’s face.

Tears, like dew, began to fall from her eyes, one drop at a time.

As the tears fell, Winston Marquis, Selena Scarlet, and Beatrice Charlotte were left speechless. They clasped their hands together and began to pray.

Kristin gently touched Duke Raphael’s face, who could no longer close his eyes, and as he died, she realized she, too, was shedding tears.

In her past life, he had used her, but in this life, he had constantly helped her. Kristin felt a deep void in her heart, and an endless sorrow overwhelmed her. It was the same emotion she had felt when she lost her mother.

“Kristin, don’t worry too much. We’ll help with Duke Raphael Rodney’s funeral,” said Beatrice Charlotte, holding Kristin’s hands. Meanwhile, all the servants inside and outside the mansion rushed out and bowed their heads to Kristin.

Then, the rain began to fall slowly, then poured down heavily.

In winter, it was unusual for such heavy rain to fall due to the severe drought, but it felt as though the heavens themselves were grieving the death of Duke Raphael Rodney.

Rain drenched Duke Raphael’s body, and it grew colder by the minute.

Winston Marquis took off his jacket and shielded Kristin from the rain, but Kristin’s expression remained blank.

In this life, it was Duke Raphael Rodney who had died, not her.

Therefore, she had to do whatever it took to save him, the one who had helped her.

Kristin wiped away her tears with the end of her dress sleeve, then spoke to everyone.

“I… I’ll go upstairs to my room for a moment.”

With that, Kristin tightly grasped the pocket watch hanging around her neck with her left hand and rushed into the mansion.

—

Once inside, Kristin found a quiet place and began examining the pocket watch.

When she had tried it before, she was able to travel to the past by turning the minute hand.

As she attempted to turn the minute hand again, she noticed something small—tiny buttons that hadn’t been there before.

It seemed that Duke Raphael Rodney’s death was somehow connected to the pocket watch.

The buttons were labeled “One day ago,” “One week ago,” “One month ago,” and “One year ago,” and Kristin decided to press the button for “One week ago.”

Immediately, the hour and minute hands of the pocket watch began to move, and after several changes of evening and dawn, she had returned to one week ago.

A week ago was the time when Kristin had inspected the diamond minerals at the Levi Mine and made it public in the newspapers.

It was the time when she had received letters from various nobles wanting to form connections with her.

In other words, she had returned to a time before she had sent out invitations for the mansion’s banquet.

Kristin realized she had successfully returned to the past when she saw Lenci and Cindy standing before her. They were acting just like they had a week ago, unaware of anything that had happened in the future.

“My Lady, congratulations!” Lenci exclaimed.

“I’ve always wanted to see a diamond,” Cindy added.

“You both seem curious about it,” Kristin said, feeling relieved that she had returned to the past safely.

“Yes, My Lady. I’ve only heard about diamonds, but I’ve been told they are beautiful gems. They say the more of them you possess, the wealthier you are, is that right?” Cindy asked.

Kristin, seeing them and knowing she had safely returned to the past, spoke to them with determination.

“Lenci, Cindy. We need to meet the Emperor. I’m going to meet His Majesty today.”

“W-what? You’re going to meet His Majesty suddenly? Didn’t you say we were going to receive honors from the Imperial Palace?” Cindy asked, looking confused, to which Kristin replied.

Cindy, with a puzzled expression, questioned Kristin, who responded firmly.

“However, due to the Imperial Palace’s schedule, the awarding of the honorary medal has been postponed to next month.”

Kristin only learned the true reason for this after the incident.

It wasn’t just because of scheduling—it was because the Emperor didn’t wish to meet her. He probably disliked her.

Yet, there was no conclusive evidence linking the Emperor to the death of Duke Raphael Rodney.

Kristin decided to propose to the Emperor.

To replace Princess Rebella’s value, she needed to present something that would please him. The discovery of a diamond mine, rare within the empire, could potentially revive the nation’s trade and economy.

Now that she had turned back time, Duke Raphael Rodney would surely be safe.

If his death, which was supposed to occur at the banquet a week later, could be prevented, that alone would be enough for her.

Kristin was eager to confirm Duke Raphael Rodney’s safety.

Thus, before meeting the Emperor, she resolved to visit the Duke’s office.

She longed to see him. It was as if his warm voice was still ringing in her ears.

She never wanted to witness his tragic death before her eyes again.

Shaken by the memory of his death, Kristin wanted to see him for herself.

She wished all of this weren’t just a dream conjured up by her shock.

“Lenci, Cindy. I’ll be back soon.”

Kristin boarded the carriage and headed for Duke Raphael Rodney’s office.

His office was located at 4 Wellington Street, a three-story building not far from the Imperial Palace.

Since returning to the past, she hadn’t visited his office.

It was a place she had often visited in her past life, day and night, in hopes of catching a glimpse of him, who was rarely at his mansion.

Though his office was once a painful memory for Kristin, it felt different in this life.

His image remained vividly in her mind, and she was eager to see him again.

Was she truly back in the past?

Or had she fainted from shock and was merely dreaming this implausible scenario?

Kristin’s heart raced as she made her way to 4 Wellington Street, finally arriving at Duke Raphael Rodney’s office.