Olivia’s heart was restless.

To be honest, she hadn’t felt any particular desire to recover her memories until now. She hadn’t seen the need.

Her life as Cha Yuna was intact in her mind. Everything she had learned since coming into this world was clear as well.

The only memories missing were those she had shared with Edmund.

And to her, they didn’t seem all that important.

‘Then why…’

Why did her heart feel so uneasy?

“This should be a good thing. Honestly, me, the Crown Princess? And one day Empress? That’s absurd.”

There was no way she could manage such a role. None at all.

“Yes… it’s because I’ve stayed here too long.”

Remaining in Heliodor Castle—of course that was why her heart felt unsettled. It was like wearing shoes that didn’t fit, every day, every step.

“I’ll go back to the temple.”

If she said she needed to be somewhere comfortable to recover her memories, Edmund would surely let her go.

Holding onto that single thought, Olivia began to pack.

But in the wardrobe, there wasn’t a single thing worth taking. Only flowing, extravagant dresses.

All the books were banned volumes that could never be taken beyond the palace walls. The cosmetics on the vanity were nothing but the most expensive brands.

By the time Olivia’s suitcase was set open with determined hands, it was still empty.

“There’s really nothing I can take with me?”

Muttering under her breath, she pulled open a drawer—only to find a pistol.

“Why is there a gun here?”

She didn’t even know how to use one. Tilting her head, Olivia picked it up.

The hard chill of the metal, the surprising lightness in her hand. Something stirred faintly at the touch, like the edge of a memory.

“And this… what’s this?”

Beneath the gun lay a sheet of paper, carefully folded, worn and crumpled as though it had been handled countless times—kept with the utmost care.

“To Olivia?”

Had Edmund written this?

The handwriting was unfamiliar, yet the moment her eyes skimmed the words, she could hear his voice in her mind.

[So, what I wanted to say is—]

As Olivia’s eyes raced down the letter, they began to tremble.

From the banquet onward, fragments of memory had flickered at the edges of her mind. Now, piece by piece, they began to fit together—until her memories with Edmund came rushing in like a rising tide.

“Via, will you marry me?”
“So you’ll never grow bored. So you’ll never tire of me. I’ll steal your heart anew every single day.”
“Via, I truly love you.”

Ah… how could she ever have forgotten this?

The voice that told her he loved her each day, the gaze that burned so hotly, the playful smile. The hands that would seize hers at every chance, leaving her flustered—every part of him was so vividly clear.

Olivia ran.

She ran straight to where he was. To the man she loved—the master who had stolen her heart every day.

“Via?”

The office door slammed open. Olivia stood frozen at the entrance, breath heaving from how hard she had sprinted.

“What happened? What’s wrong?”

“Ed…”

The moment Olivia opened her mouth, tears fell in heavy drops.

“Via, you…”

“Yes. I remember now.”

Edmund rushed forward and swept her into his arms.

💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠

And so, time passed—until the day of the wedding.

“Ed, you should go back and get ready now.”

Olivia, dressed in her wedding gown, sat as her makeup was being finished. Edmund dragged over a small chair, grinning foolishly as he gazed at her.

“I can’t help it. I keep worrying your memories will vanish again the moment I’m not beside you.”

“Oh, honestly. Don’t be ridiculous. Hurry and put on your formal attire, or the ceremony will start without you!”

“But still…”

“But no excuses—hurry up!”

At Olivia’s firm words, Edmund drooped his head as though defeated.

“Can’t I just get ready for the ceremony here?”

“What?”

“Absolutely not!”

The ladies-in-waiting shrieked, but Edmund paid them no mind as he shamelessly brought his ceremonial attire and changed behind a partition.

Watching him, Olivia was suddenly struck by a memory. He had looked just the same back then—crisp white shirt, ruby buttons and cufflinks, polished black shoes, and a cravat as red as his eyes.

“Wait!”

Olivia shot up from her seat mid-application of her lipstick. The color smeared messily across the corner of her mouth, but she couldn’t care less. She rushed forward, pressing her hand against Edmund’s chest.

“My, my… how impatient my bride is.”

Edmund’s grin was insufferably sly as he slipped an arm around her waist.

“Your fiery nature makes you my perfect match, Via. I prefer cutting straight to the heart of things rather than all this ceremony. What do you say? Wouldn’t it be more fun to spend our wedding night before making the official vows?”

Olivia swatted away the wandering fingers creeping along her side.

“Don’t joke like that! And besides—you could have done this on your own!”

“Hm? Of course I could take care of things by myself. But asking your husband-to-be to spend the wedding night alone—isn’t that far too cold of you, Via?”

The teasing words left the inexperienced maids blushing scarlet. Olivia herself was no different—even without blush applied, her cheeks were already aflame.

“I meant the cravat!”

“Cravat?”

“You can tie it yourself!”

“Ah…”

Edmund let out a quiet chuckle, the memory clearly resurfacing for him as well.

“Naturally I can. Do you really think I couldn’t even tie this?”

“I thought it was always tied for you by a maid or by your aide.”

Olivia pouted. To her, royalty were the sort of people who even had someone else put on their shoes. So even after regaining her memories, she assumed Edmund’s cravat would always be tied by an attendant.

“If you knew how to do it yourself, then why on earth did you walk around like that at the unification banquet?”

The image was still vivid—Crown Prince of the Empire, standing before envoys from across kingdoms, his attire out of order.

“I can do it alone. But… isn’t it better when you’re the one who ties it for me?”

“And I didn’t even know!”

Olivia pouted again.

“Do you know how much I practiced tying cravats after that?”

Because one day, when she became Edmund’s wife…

She knew their life would never be like that of an ordinary household—sharing meals each day, greeting one another in the mornings, falling asleep side by side each night. Edmund was the Crown Prince, soon to be Emperor. She had always understood that royal and noble marriages were never so simple, no matter how deep the affection.

She would not be able to greet him every morning with a gentle Did you sleep well? nor would they sit down together for daily meals.

And yet… on those rare mornings when he did awaken at her side, she longed to tie his cravat for him, to send him off with a smile and a word of encouragement.

That was why she had practiced so diligently.

But he already knew how. Somehow, that knowledge felt like a quiet betrayal.

Edmund only chuckled softly as he loosened the cravat at his neck and placed it into her hands.

“Then do it. I still prefer when you’re the one who ties it.”

Olivia gripped the soft fabric tightly.

“Fine. Come here, then.”

Grumbling under her breath, she set to work. Slowly, carefully, she straightened and tied it neat and proper.

“Did you want to do this so badly? Enough to practice?”

“It was just… a dream.”

“A dream?”

“Yes. That when my future husband left for work, I could tie his cravat like this, and tell him to come home safe.”

Smiling, Edmund brushed a kiss across her cheek.

“Ah, what am I supposed to do? I thought there was nothing left for me to lose. But now, I can’t give up a single piece of my heart anymore.”

‘She was so lovable. Too lovable to endure.’

“Felix.”

Edmund called to the knight waiting outside.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Delay the wedding an hour… no, three hours.”

“What?”

Felix, bewildered, and Olivia—pretending not to understand—cried out at once.

The maids waiting inside, quick of hand and sharper of wit, immediately ushered Felix from the room.

“We’ll return in three hours.”

They said, closing the door gently behind them and even dismissing the guards outside.

“As expected, the palace maids know their place. Don’t you think?”

Edmund grinned as he pulled himself into Olivia’s arms.

“The ceremony’s about to start—how can you do this now?”

“I’ll be quick. I promise.”

“Your Highness!”

‘Liar.’

He had promised to be quick before—never once had he kept that word.

Olivia sighed.

“At least don’t tear the dress. This is my wedding gown.”

“Don’t worry.”

Edmund laughed, lifting her into his arms.

Again, and again, and again—

The woman in his embrace would always steal his heart.

So he would keep striving too. To steal Olivia’s precious heart, every single day.

💠💠💠SIDE STORY COMPLETE💠💠💠