I grabbed his arm with both hands like clutching a lifeline. Charlotte and Clayton’s gazes collided in midair. Time seemed to stop.

Being held in his arms made me feel like I’d returned to the last regression when we were married. To those terrible days… That thought helped me barely collect myself.

“I’m sorry.”

I released his arm like I’d touched something disgusting and quickly stepped back. But he caught my hand again.

“…Your Grace?”

I looked between my captured hand and him, sending him a look asking him to let go.

“…”

“Um, my hand…”

I wiggled my hand, but Clayton held my left hand and wouldn’t release it. The gaze quietly examining me somehow felt suffocating.

No, my hand was hot. Like someone was branding my palm with heated iron.

“It hurts. Please let go!”

I cried out in pain. Then he flinched and released my hand, though he’d acted like he’d never let go. He looked at his own hand with a strange expression, then looked at me.

“I apologize if it hurt. But I didn’t grip it hard enough to cause pain.”

“You might think you held it lightly like a feather, but you possess far greater strength than ordinary people to begin with. So of course it would hurt.”

“That I have stronger power than ordinary people… How did you know that?”

He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. Under his interrogating gaze, I pressed my lips tightly together.

“It’s classified information that no one knows.”

As he said, no one knew. Except the King. Yet I knew that secret because I was once his wife.

In the last regression, for some reason, he had confided the secret to me. I had been so happy. Thinking he trusted me.

‘But not long after telling me the secret, he arrested Father for treason and watched me drink poison. If he’d trusted me even a little, he would have at least pretended to listen to my words.’

I quickly shook my head to escape the old memories. Right now, escaping his suspicion came before idle thoughts.

“Strange, when I’ve never told anyone.”

He muttered like a passing comment.

“There are things in the world you can know without hearing.”

“Such as?”

“Your martial prowess is well known. Stories like how you defeated thousands of enemy soldiers in one strike with a single sword. That’s enough to deduce it.”

“So I must be stronger than ordinary people?”

“Of course, there might be some exaggeration mixed in.”

I examined his expression with an anxious heart. Please let him believe me…

That’s when it happened. A scene unfolded that I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“If Lady Charlotte says so, let’s leave it at that.”

He smiled. His expression, which had been radiating cold energy like an ice sculpture, softened in an instant as a smile appeared.

I stared up at him with my mouth hanging open. It was a smile I hadn’t seen even when we were married.

‘So he knows how to smile.’

With one smile, he who had been devoid of humanity like marble became a young man with warm blood flowing through him.

“You believe my words?”

“I believe you.”

He said it. Without any reluctance. I found myself comparing him to before the regression again. To him who wouldn’t believe that Father was innocent.

He was definitely Duke Clayton Veil Ro Medvez, rumored to be cold-blooded. Yet the man before my eyes seemed like a different person.

I couldn’t pinpoint it exactly, but he didn’t seem like the man I knew. Not only that…

He had also promptly granted my request to release my hand moments ago. When before, he would refuse any plea if he didn’t want something.

“Is your hand alright?”

“Pardon?”

“Your hand. You said it hurt just now.”

“…”

“Or did you just say that because you didn’t want to hold hands with me?”

He raised one corner of his mouth. His eyes still held a playful glint. He was definitely different from before the regression.

Seeing him tease me playfully when he used to avoid even conversing with me, let alone joking… A chilling sensation settled in my chest.

“Lady Charlotte?”

When I remained silent, he withdrew his smile. Returning to that familiar expressionless face, he gazed at me with cold eyes.

That appearance was the Clayton I was accustomed to seeing. Only then did I feel relieved.

I didn’t want to see sides of him I didn’t know. Because it was hard to adapt. Most of all, I feared falling for him again, intoxicated by his gentle exterior…

“Ah, my hand?”

I looked down at my left hand. Come to think of it, the pain had vanished like it had been washed away.

No, it had disappeared as soon as he released my hand.

“May I take a look?”

This time he extended his hand as though asking permission. When I just stared at his hand, he wiggled his fingertips. As though urging me to hurry.

“It’s fine now.”

I reluctantly placed my hand gently on his. He wrapped his hand around it lightly like a feather. Then he turned it over and gently stroked my palm.

Tingle tingle. A sensation arose that stung but also tickled.

“Does it not hurt?”

“…No.”

I replied while staring at my palm. It was a bit strange. It had definitely hurt enough to sting, but now it was perfectly fine.

My palm was smooth without injury, like the pain from moments ago had been a lie.

“Strange. I’m getting a feeling.”

“Pardon?”

At his words, I looked at him with wide eyes. His lowered eyelashes, which had been looking down at my hand, lifted and our eyes met.

“When I touch it like this.”

He paused briefly, then lightly traced my palm vertically with his index finger.

Tingle.

‘Huh.’

At the tremor spreading through my entire body, I unconsciously curled my hand.

“It tingles like electricity flowing through.”

He muttered lowly. Goosebumps rose and I quickly pulled my hand away. Then I clasped it with my other hand, hiding the tingling sensation.

“Ah, I’m sorry. Did I use too much force again this time?”

I narrowed my eyes and examined him. Was he this skilled at making advances?

“What are you doing right now?”

“I was having a conversation with Lady Charlotte.”

“While fondling my hand? That’s clearly harassment…”

“I was merely examining your hand. You seemed to be in considerable pain earlier.”

“For that, you seemed to be enjoying yourself.”

“Absolutely not. I’m not a lunatic who derives satisfaction from causing ladies pain. Rather, I’m indifferent to the opposite s*x.”

I barely held back a snort at those words. He wasn’t indifferent to the opposite s*x—he was completely uninterested.

His only interest was the safety of Serhart’s King.

“Then why did you… Well, never mind. Anyway, thanks to your concern, my hand is fine. Thank you.”

I wanted to ask why he tickled my hand if he was indifferent to the opposite s*x. But at that precarious moment, reason warned me. That I shouldn’t exchange any more words with him.

“You don’t need me to call a physician?”

“No. Then I’ll be going.”

I tried to hurriedly leave this place. I didn’t want to be with him any longer.

“Aren’t you curious about my answer?”

But he kept holding back my steps.

“What do you mean?”

“Why I was strolling through the garden before meeting Count Fraxon.”

I recalled being surprised when I encountered him here. Because I’d thought he would surely be meeting Count Fraxon.

“I wanted to meet Lady Charlotte under the guise of coincidence.”

“Me? Why?”

“Because I became interested.”

“…Suddenly?”

In my confusion, the question that arose in my mind popped out as is.

“Any man would be captivated by a woman as beautiful as you. Does that answer your question?”

“Now that I see it, you’re…”

What, was an innocent count’s daughter your type? For a moment, I almost let out a hollow laugh.

In the last regression, no matter how much I made advances and tried to seduce him to make him my ally, he wouldn’t budge. It was all because the me from that time wasn’t his type.

“So Charlotte was your ideal type. Innocent and stimulating protective instincts.”

“Referring to yourself in third person is interesting, but it doesn’t suit you.”

He tilted his head crookedly and pointed it out.

“Pretend you didn’t hear that. Anyway, thank you for viewing me favorably. But…”

“Then I’ll give you time to think.”

“Time for what?”

“Whether to date me.”

“Whaaaat?”

“Preferably consider it positively. Because I have no intention of backing down.”

“No, wait, wait a moment!”

I waved my hands to stop him from pushing forward recklessly. Let me think for a moment.

I fanned myself vigorously with my hand to cool my flushed cheeks. Clayton watched me quietly.

While I broke out in cold sweat, he looked pristine, standing alone in a cool place. I felt irritated somehow.

“Are you trying to toy with me right now?”

I glared sharply. No matter how much an innocent count’s daughter was his type, thinking of the humiliation I’d suffered from him made my blood boil.

I wanted to get revenge on him as much as he’d made me seethe.

“You want me to think about whether to date Your Grace? No, there’s no need. I’ll answer right now.”

Dating him—the mere thought gave me goosebumps on my arms. When even facing him like this was t*rture.

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

He gazed straight at me. Under his gaze that seemed to pierce deep into my soul, I felt my heart sink.

“I’ve never made such a proposal to any lady.”

“Wait a moment.”

I raised one hand, about to say something because the word “proposal” bothered me.

“I admit this is my first time doing this, so I was clumsy. It’s understandable that Lady Charlotte is flustered. So don’t decide emotionally.”

Like someone atoning, he lowered his long eyelashes. The shadow of his eyelashes embroidered his white cheeks. I almost got entranced by his appearance, praised as sculpted by God.

“Even if I take time to think, my decision won’t likely change, but since Your Grace says so, I’ll step back for now.”

He raised one corner of his mouth. Soon he took a large step forward and leaned his upper body.

“I want to hear an answer too.”

“Wh-what answer?”

As the distance narrowed instantly, I became flustered without realizing it. It was uncomfortable and strangely made me feel anxious.

Meanwhile, a heavy yet refreshing scent rushed to my nose.

“Why did you try to run away as soon as you saw me?”

He hadn’t forgotten my behavior of trying to avoid him as soon as we met here. He was truly persistent.

“I didn’t run away.”

“It looked that way to me. Didn’t you even trip while hurrying to flee?”

He specifically mentioned how I’d almost fallen ungracefully. Then at his next words, I was horrified.

“Why did you run when you supposedly like me? Was it because you were embarrassed…”

He tilted his head and muttered to himself.

“Wh-what?”

“I heard a rumor. That Lady Charlotte likes me.”

“That’s!”

I wanted to cry out that it wasn’t true. But I couldn’t refute it because of the words and actions Charlotte had done until now.

I was seething inside, not knowing what to do.

“Actually, I was pleased when I heard that rumor. Because it seemed I could date Lady Charlotte.”

He whispered in my ear with a honey-coated voice. Like he was seducing me. Was it because of the side he’d never shown me before?

Thanks to that, my surging emotions cooled down.

“There seems to be some misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding?”

“That rumor is outdated.”

“Outdated?”

“Did you think the rumor would last forever? Of course, it’s true I liked you at one time. But now…”

I shrugged lightly. As though no feelings remained now.

“Hmm.”

He looked me over thoroughly with narrowed eyes. The gaze trying to discern truth felt intensely hot. I really wanted to run away, feeling like even the fine hairs on my cheeks were being plucked.

But I stubbornly raised my chin and endured the eon-like time.

“So it was true that you liked me. That’s good.”

What’s good about it? When I said I don’t like you anymore.

“Even if you completely extinguish a campfire, embers remain alive inside. I just need to revive the embers remaining in Lady Charlotte’s heart. It’s a much better situation than starting from scratch.”

“…”

“I look forward to the day I date Lady Charlotte.”

He brought his cheek precariously close to mine and whispered in my ear.

D*mn it!

* * *

Even after Clayton left, I remained in the garden for a while. I killed time in a daze, staring at the fountain spraying water droplets into the air.

Birds hidden in trees chirped prettily and a gentle breeze caressed my cheeks as it passed. It was truly a peaceful scene, but my head was about to explode from the conversation I’d just had with Clayton.

“Dating Clayton—absolutely not.”

Actually, if I had regressed as my original self, I might have accepted his proposal. To reject him after one failure—the power and position he possessed were too tempting.

The solid backing of the King and his position as the King’s second-in-command advisor greatly contributed to him wielding tremendous power.

“But I’m Charlotte Fraxon now. Of course, I could use his help to bring down my enemy, Count Fraxon. But if I do that, I’ll also become unhappy, so I can’t.”

Moreover, having been badly burned by Clayton once, I had no intention of dating him.

“Then how do I refuse?”