The commotion outside grew louder. Lucy rushed to the window overlooking the garden.

“Miss, the Duke has arrived!”

I approached the window like someone possessed and looked down. A splendid carriage stood in front of the mansion. The tall man standing beside it happened to look up at that moment.

Warm spring sunlight scattered over his glossy black hair and broad shoulders. Shadows fell between his high nose bridge and deep-set eyes. His face, perfect like a statue sculpted by God, took the breath away from anyone who looked at him.

I too gazed at him, breathless. At that moment, his silver-gray eyes, which had been slowly scanning the surroundings, flew toward me like an arrow. Intensely, like a predator targeting its prey. Directly at the window where I stood.

“Gasp!”

I quickly moved my body to a blind spot beside the window, where I couldn’t be seen from outside. Thump thump. My heart pounded crazily.

“Oh my, the Duke is looking this way!”

“Be quiet.”

I scolded Lucy in a hushed voice. Even then, I stood there sweating coldly for a while. He must have gone inside the mansion by now, right?

I cautiously peeked my face out from behind the curtain.

“Huh.”

Clayton was still standing there, looking up in this direction. Meeting that gaze, I inevitably recalled the embarrassing time from the last regression. The day I made advances on him by the lakeside where moonlight sparkled.

I had boldly proposed marriage, and he had accepted under the condition that I not demand affection. It was a truly bleak transaction.

“Ah, I think I’m going to throw up.”

Was it because I’d been lost in reminiscence for so long? My stomach churned.

Knock knock.

“Lady Charlotte.”

A low voice flowed from beyond the door along with the knocking sound. A voice as cool as touching thin ice, despite its rich tone. It was a voice that had appeared countless times in the last regression.

My heart sank in an instant.

‘Did Clayton come looking for me? No. That can’t be. He should be meeting with Count Fraxon by now.’

I was staring at the door in confusion when Lucy opened it wide without giving me time to stop her.

“Ah…!”

As soon as I saw the man through the doorway, I let out a small scream. Standing at the suddenly opened door, the man grinned while holding up his hand that had been knocking.

He was a man with impressively bright blue eyes shining between his golden hair, brilliant like sunlight. With his white shirt unbuttoned at two or three places, matching pants, and a thin coat casually draped over them, he exuded a rather free-spirited atmosphere.

He was a man I’d never seen before. My wildly pounding heart gradually calmed down at the sight of him.

“Hello, Lucy. Is Lady Charlotte inside?”

Unlike what I’d heard moments ago, his voice was gentle, reminiscent of a spring day. His playful eyes glanced into the room. Our gazes collided in midair.

His straight eyebrows rose like he’d discovered something interesting. The next moment, he winked at me!

‘Did he just make a pass at me?’

I frowned unconsciously at the absurdity.

“Who are you…”

I was about to demand he identify himself, wondering what kind of person he was.

“Sir Dylan!”

Lucy exclaimed happily. Dylan? That was also a name I was hearing for the first time.

“Lady Charlotte, I am Dylan Emvidad. I work as the general manager and mercenary knight of the Paradi Trading Company.”

He looked straight at me and suddenly introduced himself.

“Really, Sir Dylan. It’s not like this is your first time meeting the miss.”

At Lucy’s gentle rebuke, the man called Dylan only grinned. Dylan Emvidad, general manager of the Paradi Trading Company. The Paradi Trading Company owned by Count Fraxon was generating massive profits, enough to be counted among the top five in Serhart.

If he was responsible for such a company, he must be Count Fraxon’s closest confidant, a figure known by word of mouth in noble society. But…

“I’ve never seen you before.”

I frowned. In my first life, in the last regression, I’d never heard rumors of Dylan Emvidad. Despite having such handsome looks that you couldn’t forget him once you saw him, there was no information about this person in my head.

He seemed like an unknown figure who had suddenly dropped from the sky. Perhaps that’s why his existence left an unsettling impression.

“Who are you?”

At my sharp question, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“I just introduced myself?”

“I asked who you are.”

“I’m Dylan Emvidad, general manager of the Paradi Trading Company and mercenary knight.”

“A mercenary knight?”

That word finally stuck in my ears. At the same time, the knight who had handed me the poison cup in the last regression overlapped in my mind.

“…However, God has chosen you.”

The knight’s words, which I’d briefly forgotten, repeated in my head. With a strange and eerie feeling, I stared straight at him and asked.

“Have we met before?”

“Of course we have.”

He smiled brightly, unconcerned by the tense atmosphere. We have? I narrowed my eyes and examined him.

“I’ve seen your face several times since I started working at this count’s estate.”

“…”

“Why do you ask?”

“Have you ever worked at the royal palace?”

The knight who had handed me the poison cup had come to carry out a royal command. So he must have been a palace knight.

“Palace knights can only enter through strict screening from among noble children. A wandering mercenary knight like me couldn’t dare aspire to such a position.”

His words were flawless. Isn’t this person that knight? Perhaps I was having a pointless delusion, too focused on the word “knight.”

“Even if he says that, Sir Dylan is the most capable knight in Serhart.”

Lucy, who had been listening to the conversation, cautiously interjected.

“But why do you ask that?”

“I’m sorry. I briefly mistook you for someone else. I apologize if I offended you.”

I raised my speech level to respect his position. Then I quickly changed the subject.

“What brings you here?”

In any case, he was an important person at the Fraxon Count estate. As the Count’s closest confidant, he would know Vern’s secrets well. So if I built a good relationship with him, it would help with my future plans.

I smoothly raised the corners of my lips and waited for his answer.

“Duke Clayton Veil Ro Medvez has arrived. As soon as his meeting with the Count ends, he plans to meet with Lady Charlotte. The Count asked me to confirm whether Lady Charlotte has finished preparing.”

“Ah.”

I placed my hand on my forehead and staggered.

“Miss!”

Lucy was startled and supported me. I gladly leaned on Lucy while raising one hand toward Dylan to indicate I was fine.

“Sir Dylan, I’m not feeling well right now.”

“Oh dear.”

Dylan responded without much emotion, like he’d expected this.

“As you can see, I’m in no condition to meet the Duke. Could you please tell Father?”

“That’s difficult…”

“Ah.”

“You’re going to collapse at this rate. Come here quickly!”

As I leaned heavily on Lucy, she hurriedly took me to the bed.

“I’m so dizzy I can’t possibly stand.”

I collapsed onto the bed and blinked weakly.

“I’ll relay the message, but the Count will be furious.”

“Thank you.”

I waved my hand gently to block his nagging. Dylan, who had turned to leave the room, paused and asked.

“But what’s that on your palm? I’ve been catching glimpses of it. Are you hurt?”

My palm? I lowered my waving hand at Dylan’s point and checked it.

“Not your right hand, your left.”

I examined my left palm.

“What’s there?”

“Ah, did I see wrong? Something like a pattern was glittering.”

He scratched his head awkwardly. I felt annoyed at wasting time on useless conversation.

“I’m tired, so please leave now.”

After driving out the lingering man, I said to Lucy, who was fidgeting beside me.

“Only you know I was faking illness.”

“I thought something was strange! If you get caught, the Count will be furious.”

“Just keep your mouth shut.”

“Can’t you just meet the Duke instead of doing this? I really don’t understand why you’re going this far.”

“You don’t need to understand.”

I sprang up from the bed. I approached the window, checked outside, then headed for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“Father might come to check if I’m faking. So I need to hide. I can’t be dragged away.”

“Where on earth…”

“Don’t follow me.”

I shut the door right in front of Lucy’s nose. I stood in the corridor for a moment and listened. I could feel bustling movement from downstairs.

I carefully went out to the garden, avoiding the servants’ eyes.

“Since I’m out anyway, I should look around the mansion. I’ve possessed Lady Charlotte’s body, so I can’t not know the layout of my own house.”

That was my resolution, but I hid in the garden to avoid Clayton. How long had I walked? The Fraxon Count estate’s garden was full of spring energy, and the carefully tended flower beds were beautiful.

Chirp chirp, tweet tweet.

The deeper I went into the deserted area, the clearer the bird songs became. I looked up at the leafy trees searching for birds. The light green leaves receiving sunlight glittered transparently.

After going in further, there was an artificial pond. In the center of the pond, which held water within a round marble border, a fountain was also installed. Soft grass was laid around the pond, and irises resembling the clear sky blue swayed, showing off their slender figures.

I was pushing aside tree branches covering my eyes and taking a step when I realized someone had arrived there first. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the calm pond.

Warm spring sunlight gently wrapped around his sturdy build. His solid back, narrow waist, and long legs stretching below exuded masculine charm but also seemed to hide powerful strength.

Rustle.

At the sound of grass being stepped on, he turned around. The next moment, glass-like silver-gray eyes sharply pierced into me.

“…!”

My heart dropped. My head spun with the illusion that blood was pouring down to my feet. Clayton slowly looked over my pale face.

Under his gaze that seemed to dig into every part of me, I squeezed my eyes shut. Clayton Veil Ro Medvez.

‘I even lied to avoid him, but to run into him in a place like this!’

After suffocating silence flowed…

“It’s been a while, Lady Charlotte Fraxon.”

A low voice was heard. It was a voice like cold ice crystals crumbling. My closed eyes opened involuntarily at the chilling goosebumps.

“I see you… here, Duke Medvez.”

He, who had approached close at some point, looked down at me oppressively. Under that gaze, I couldn’t move, like a butterfly pinned down.

He observed indifferently, seemingly watching to see what resistance I might show. This was the first time I’d faced him since the second regression. It felt familiar, like I’d seen him yesterday.

No. Just a few hours ago, I’d drunk poison and died in front of him, so it really wasn’t that long ago. His appearance, praised as sculpted by God, was unchanged. Though he’d been impressive when I looked down from the window, the face I examined right in front of me was perfect enough to shatter my firm resolution in one blow.

If I let my guard down because of those looks, I’d become an insect fallen into a Venus flytrap again.

‘Once is enough for mistakes. I won’t repeat that shameful error again.’

I firmly clenched my slightly trembling hand and steadfastly endured that gaze.

Whoosh.

A breeze rose and swirled between the two of us before disappearing. Silver-white hair rippled softly and tickled my cheek. I raised my hand and tucked my hair behind my ear.

Then he tilted his head with a strange expression.

“I thought you’d be meeting with Father by now.”

Unable to bear the silence, I spoke first.

“I asked the Count’s understanding. I said I wanted to stroll through the garden for a moment.”

“Then please enjoy yourself.”

I bowed slightly and stepped back.

“Are you running away?”

“No… Ah.”

At the words hitting the mark, I tried to refute but my feet got tangled. My body tilted backward and my vision swept upward.

I’m falling. Soon I’ll be sprawled ungracefully on the ground… In an instant, he disappeared from view and suddenly appeared before my eyes.

The distance between us was excessively close, enough for our breaths to mingle. While I was unconsciously captivated by his coolly shining eyes, his large hand caught me in one swift motion as I fell backward.