“Think about it. Would you rather be hated by someone like me who just gets by on a hospital salary, or would you rather be thrown out onto the streets late at night?”

“……”

“For reference, someone once told me that even after the war, some thugs still lurk around at night, making it dangerous.”

Carly immediately realized where those words came from. It was what she had said when urging the Duke to hurry and find Anne, concerned for her safety.

In truth, Kyle had no intention of sending Carly out. If he let a well-dressed lady leave at this hour, there would surely be trouble.

Unlike Anne, who was sometimes reckless but had a strong survival instinct, Carly was a naive girl who didn’t know how to hide herself.

Carly soon grabbed Kyle’s arm, trembling.

“I’m scared.”

“Of what?”

“Of both.”

“Then you should choose the lesser fear.”

Carly’s hands shook violently. The Kyle who had been so gentle and playful seemed like a completely different person now.

Deeply flustered, Carly instinctively moved closer to him, recalling the warmth she felt when he held her earlier.

But Kyle, though polite, firmly held her arm.

“Don’t try to brush this off by clinging to me.”

Kyle’s tone was low and cold.

“It’s not like that!”

For the first time in her life, Carly was truly scared. Incidents on the streets late at night were common.

But what scared her even more was Kyle’s calm demeanor as he talked about kicking her out.

The man who had been so kind to her was now treating her with a coldness she had never seen before, which hurt her deeply.

Though their connection had started because of Anne, Kyle had already become someone incredibly precious to her.

Tears streamed down Carly’s face as she remembered the time they spent together.

It had started off lighthearted.

“If Anne is willing to make such a decision, it means she really likes the commander, even though I don’t want to admit it.”

“Well, isn’t that obvious?”

“Not to me. Not as someone who has been with her since the day she was first found.”

“The day she was first found…”

“It sounds strange to say “found,” but Anne was really thin back then, nothing like she is now. She was so desperate that she would devour moldy bread. In my opinion, her top priority was survival. But now she’s stepping up to save the Duke…”

After that, Kyle started to feel comfortable around her.

When Carly decided to go to the border alone, Kyle somehow knew and offered to accompany her.

She couldn’t express how grateful and reassured she felt. It had been such a difficult journey that she couldn’t count the number of times she thought she wouldn’t have made it back if she had gone alone. But Kyle never once showed any sign of struggle.

Now, Kyle was closer to her than anyone else.

“I feel like I’ve only shown Kyle my worst side.”

“Don’t think like that today. They say there’s a lot to eat in the capital. Would you join me?”

“Sure!”

Time passed, and Carly had come to think of Kyle as no different from a friend, so the thought of him turning his back on her was overwhelmingly sad and frightening.

Kyle’s eyes grew colder. The fear that he would no longer wait for her overwhelmed Carly, and she found herself speaking without thinking.

“I’ll… I’ll tell you. So please, please… don’t kick me out like this.”

Only then did Kyle smile slightly.

Seeing that smile, Carly finally felt relieved.

Kyle led the still-sobbing Carly to the kitchen. He carefully wiped her face with a warm, damp handkerchief and then seated her on the living room sofa.

After lighting a fire in the fireplace, he covered her with a thick blanket before going back to the kitchen and quickly returning with a cup of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows.

The crackling of the fire cast a warm orange glow.

Carly, huddled on the sofa near the fireplace, clutched the mug in her hands and stared into the flames.

Kyle, seated beside her, turned to look at her.

“Now, please tell me.”

Carly took a moment to collect herself and then began recalling everything that had happened.

‘I wasn’t sure if I should bring this up, but one thing I was certain about was that I couldn’t handle this secret on my own anymore.’

If she had to choose one person to share this burden with, Carly would pick Kyle without hesitation.

She had a vague hope that Kyle would listen, even if it sounded absurd.

So Carly spoke.

“I am living my second life right now.”

As she carefully began, Kyle’s expression hardened, showing he didn’t understand.

“Are you talking sense…?”

“In my previous life, the war never ended. Anne died trying to protect the Duke on the battlefield, and the Duke went mad. Terossa became a vassal state after signing an unfair treaty with Vails.”

It was difficult to start, but once she began, the story flowed out smoothly. Kyle was left in a daze by Carly’s words.

Why was someone so rational suddenly saying such nonsensical things?

“…Knowing the future, I didn’t want Anne to come near Calohas. So, both the Duke and I prepared to stop her in our own ways.”

Her words implied that the Duke had also returned to the past.

“That’s why the Duke disguised Anne as the lost daughter of the Vanessa family. To ensure she wouldn’t die in his place.”

After the story ended, silence filled the space between them.

Carly took a sip of her now-cold chocolate milk.

Kyle stared blankly at the fire in the fireplace.

When she said she would speak honestly, Kyle braced himself.

He had once heard in passing that Anne resembled the Duke’s ex-lover. So he thought he wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Anne was a stand-in for her.

But saying she had turned back time?

It was too unbelievable to accept.

He immediately understood why she thought he would see her as insane.

“I know my actions must seem strange until now.”

Carly held Kyle’s hand and whispered softly.

“But I’ve already seen the end of Evan and Anne once.”

It was an unbelievable story, but Kyle couldn’t just brush off Carly’s words.

Especially since it concerned Anne’s death. If what she said was true, Carly and Evan’s actions would have made sense.

But…

“You want me to believe this?”

Carly’s eyes dimmed at Kyle’s questioning look.

It was a story anyone would doubt, but she had hoped he would believe her immediately.

“Kyle. The commander knew beforehand that Anne would smuggle medical supplies. No, he must have been unable to take his eyes off her since before I arrived. Right?”

“…Right.”

“At first, everything happened just as it did before the return. But then, small things started to change, and after the war ended, it became unpredictable.”

“Isn’t it a relief that Anne didn’t die after the war?”

Kyle asked, unconsciously assuming Carly’s story was true.

“Of course, it’s a relief. But,”

Carly sighed softly, her mood quickly becoming somber. Although it was fortunate that Anne didn’t die in the war, she kept getting involved in dangerous situations afterward. Each time, Carly was extremely anxious.

“Sometimes I think this might all be a dream. I’m already dead, and a god is playing tricks on me. You know, like in those myths.”

Myths that teach that the future is predetermined.

There wasn’t just one myth that taught such lessons.

Among the myths passed down orally, the ‘Reculph Theory’ also concludes that “the future is already determined by the laws of nature.”

Kyle watched Carly’s trembling hands. She genuinely looked frightened.

This story was like something out of a myth.

Most myths end with the avoided future happening again, so it was natural for Carly to be afraid.

Kyle had to ask again.

“Do you swear this isn’t a lie?”

“It’s not.”

“Understood.”

Kyle replied plainly and draped a blanket that had been lying on the sofa over Carly’s trembling shoulders.

Carly clutched the slipping blanket and asked, puzzled.

“You believe me?”

“Well, it’s hard to believe, but now I understand the commander’s incomprehensible actions. But if the end involves everyone dying in the war, can I confirm again whether the Duke experienced the same fate?”

Carly’s face was filled with gratitude.

She was thankful to have found someone who would seriously listen to such an unbelievable story.

“Yes. Thank you for understanding.”

That night, Carly decided to stay at Kyle’s house. After tidying up the only bed, Kyle took the bedding and headed to the living room.

“It’s not much, but please sleep here for now. As soon as Blue is ready, we need to leave to find Anne, don’t we?”

“I’ll sleep here. Kyle, you go inside and sleep.”

“…This is something I can’t compromise on. I want to remain a gentleman, so please go inside.”

Carly nodded with a bright smile.

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