Chapter 9

Left alone, Olivia pinched her cheeks several times. She pinched them so hard that both cheeks burned.  

“Ah.”  

Why does it hurt?  

There were too many things she couldn’t understand.  

Was it possible that Freddy hadn’t died from pneumonia? But the marriage alliance had been broken. Why, then, was she in Silvest?  

As she wandered aimlessly around the room, her eyes landed on a calendar.  

“1819?”  

It was a year later than the time she remembered. Olivia’s gaze naturally shifted to the newspaper placed beside the calendar.  

The newspaper, dated today, had a wedding photo of Olivia and Freddy on the front page. Her own gloomy expression in the photo felt unfamiliar to her.  

As she carefully read through the article below the photo, her confusion deepened.  

There was no mention of the trade alliance, and the international situation seemed more turbulent than she remembered.  

She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was different, but a strange sense of both familiarity and alienation struck her simultaneously.  

Yes, this felt just like…  

“This is just like the situation in the letters Freddy sent.”  

The strength in her hand holding the newspaper disappeared. The papers fluttered to the floor.  

Blinking, Olivia slowly scanned her surroundings again.  

A gust of wind blew in through the open window. The thin curtains fluttered, and Olivia’s golden hair swayed along with them.  

Standing alone in the spot where the wind had passed, Olivia, with her disheveled hair, looked down at the newspaper scattered on the floor. Slowly bending her knees, she began to gather the scattered pages.  

The moment she picked up the last page, a gasp of disbelief escaped her lips.  

“This can’t be.”  

It was impossible.  

A world where Freddy had sent letters? That couldn’t be.  

Calming her racing heart, Olivia read the photo and article in the newspaper again. No matter how many times she read it, the words didn’t change.  

She was certain of it.  

This was the world Freddy had sent letters from. She could recognize it instantly for a simple reason.  

The wedding anniversary he often mentioned, the fleeting situations he had described—all of them matched the newspaper. Above all, Olivia had read the letters Freddy sent her dozens, even hundreds of times, engraving them in her memory. There was no way she could mistake it.  

A burst of joy escaped Olivia’s lips.  

Once she calmed down a little, Olivia finally noticed the familiar woman standing next to Freddy in the newspaper photo.  

“Liv.”  

It was Freddy’s ‘Liv,’ the one who had been engulfed in fear and despair.  

Judging by the photo, it meant that until before she woke up, ‘Liv’ had been here in this world.  

“What on earth happened?”  

Olivia murmured as her fingers traced the photo.  

Looking at her, she couldn’t help but worry about her original body as well.  

“Ah.”  

Had there been a major accident? Could it be that I had died?  

Or had ‘Liv’ woken up in that body?  

The situation was so incomprehensible that her head began to ache.  

But before she could dwell on it further, the arrival of the servants interrupted her thoughts.  

Throughout the meal, Olivia thought and thought again.  

No matter how much she thought about it, the situation made no sense.  

If this was the world Freddy had sent letters to, she couldn’t begin to guess why or how she had come here.  

Her earlier certainty faded, leaving Olivia feeling uneasy.  

Was she truly losing her mind, imagining such delusions even in her dying moments?  

At that moment, a memory of her teacher’s theological background story crossed her mind.  

‘In theology, Gods are perfect beings, but in the background, Gods make mistakes and fail just like humans. That also means worlds can be connected at any time. If God were perfect and infallible, such situations wouldn’t be allowed.’  

Recalling those words, Olivia set her spoon down.  

Angela, assuming Olivia had finished her meal, began preparing tea for her. Watching Angela’s back, Olivia murmured,  

“How long has it been since I arrived in Silvest?”  

“Two weeks ago, Madame.”  

“And how long since the wedding?”  

“Two days, Madame.”  

Angela answered without suspicion, and Olivia felt a surge of courage. Clenching her fists tightly, she asked again, her eyes shining.  

“List all the actions I’ve taken so far. And could you also explain the alliance between Frenchia and Silvest in detail?”  

Whether it was God’s mistake or an intentional situation, it didn’t matter. What mattered to Olivia was whether this was real and whether Freddy was truly alive.  

Angela hesitated briefly before recounting the actions ‘Liv’ had taken before Olivia woke up.  

“Before the wedding began, you didn’t leave the VIP room. From the moment the servants from Frenchia began their training, you even skipped meals. On the day of the ceremony, His Grace the Grand Duke instructed you to move rooms, and in response, you locked the door and refused to come out.”  

Angela trailed off, glancing nervously at Olivia. She seemed flustered, though she had spoken as requested.  

Nodding slightly to encourage her to continue, Olivia gestured for her to go on. Angela sighed quietly and finished her explanation. By the time she was done, Olivia’s face was glowing with life.  

Seeing Angela’s stiff expression, Olivia quickly hid her excitement.  

“Ahem, so does that mean Silvest’s princess is going to Frenchia in a month?”  

“Nothing has been confirmed, but I understand that she is scheduled to leave shortly after the delegation from Frenchia arrives in a month.”  

After a few more exchanges with Angela, Olivia expressed her desire to be left alone, sending her away.  

Once alone, Olivia leaned back into the plush chair and gazed at the ceiling. After blinking a few times, a soft laugh escaped her lips.  

It was a laugh born from the joy of realizing she had come to the world of the Unknown Gentleman, Freddy’s world, and that Freddy was still alive.  

Clenching her fists tightly, Olivia spoke the most important truth aloud.  

“…It seems I’ve been given a chance to save you.”  

With her eyes firmly shut, Olivia murmured,  

“It seems I’ve come here to save you.”  

Even as she repeated the words, the situation felt too surreal to grasp.  

“I… I can save you.”  

The spring breeze flowed through the window, and sunlight filled the room.  

Olivia opened her eyes. At the same time, a burst of laughter escaped her lips. Tears welled in her eyes as she laughed.  

To laugh without fear of such an irrational situation…  

It seemed she had truly gone mad.  

***

Freddy nodded as he listened to Angela’s report. The reason he had ordered her to report Olivia’s actions was simple. Considering the tantrums she had thrown during her stay at the Grand Duke’s residence, this level of oversight was necessary.  

“After her meal, she asked me a few questions.”  

“Unless something extraordinary happens, there’s no need to report further.”  

Although her questions were a bit odd, as long as she didn’t exhibit the same strange behavior as before, there was no need for further reports.  

Freddy had no desire to get involved with her. They were tied together for political reasons, so she likely felt the same way.  

If Olivia ever expressed a desire to live somewhere other than the Grand Duke’s residence, he was fully prepared to build her a villa and send her there.  

As long as her safety wasn’t compromised, Freddy had no reason to interfere with Olivia’s actions.  

He casually dismissed Angela and returned his focus to the documents.  

Angela bowed and left the study. Once she was gone, the room returned to silence.  

The only sounds were the rustling of papers, the scratching of the pen, and the ticking of the clock. Simon, observing Freddy’s cold indifference, shook his head.  

Freddy began hesitating over the documents he was reviewing as the sun started to set.  

In the space where he was supposed to write his elegant signature, he almost wrote Olivia’s name instead. Once he made one mistake, he kept faltering.  

Olivia, as if sensing that opening, continued to occupy his thoughts.  

The last time he had seen her in the bedroom, her utterly bewildered expression, her ridiculous questions that were absurd enough to make him chuckle, and even her hand that had touched his face without hesitation—all of these memories floated above the papers.  

She had shown actions that were completely different from her previous frightened demeanor. At some point, her presence began hovering over his desk.  

After several attempts to shake her off and focus, Freddy, unable to regain control of his thoughts, suddenly stood up.  

Thinking that some fresh air might help, he opened the window.  

As he sat back down and tried to concentrate again, a breeze flowed into the room. The spring wind that crossed the garden carried the scent of flowers. It briefly brushed through Freddy’s black hair before disappearing.  

But for some reason, the floral scent lingered.  

It was the faint fragrance that reminded him of Olivia.  

“Your Grace, is something the matter…?”  

Freddy slapped his face with his hand and closed his eyes tightly.  

Simon, startled by Freddy’s unexpected action, gawked at him with his mouth agape.  

Freddy ignored Simon’s gaze and checked the clock. Seeing the hour hand nearing six, Freddy let out a short sigh and gave an order.  

“Simon, inform the Madame that I’d like to have dinner with her and escort her to the dining room.”  

This would truly be the last time.  

It was only because her confused expression before we parted kept coming to mind.  

Besides, it hadn’t even been two weeks since she arrived in Silvest, so it wouldn’t hurt to see her face a few more times.  

Most importantly, I hadn’t yet confirmed if she fully understood my warning not to act recklessly in the future. I needed to ensure she properly understood during dinner.  

Freddy kept adding excuses to himself that no one else would care about.  

Meanwhile, Simon, hearing Freddy’s words, nodded calmly. Then, with an awkward posture, he pulled out a notebook that no one knew when he had purchased. In it, he scribbled, “Deliver the message to the Grand Duchess.”  

“Then I’ll deliver the message and bring her along.”  

Simon bowed to Freddy and left the study. As he walked, he stared blankly at the note he had written in his rarely used notebook.  

He occasionally scratched his head as he walked, but his actions came to a sudden halt.  

“What?”  

Standing like a pole in the empty hallway, Simon murmured to himself. But there was no Freddy in sight to answer his question.  

***

Standing in front of the Grand Duke and Duchess’s bedroom, Simon clutched his head in frustration.  

Just this morning, Freddy had glared at anyone who so much as mentioned the Grand Duchess. Yet, within just a few hours, something had changed him, and Simon couldn’t begin to guess what it was.  

Having witnessed the series of minor and major incidents over the past few days, Simon was more familiar with the situation than anyone else.  

On top of that, he still remembered the last time he saw Olivia, looking utterly dejected. That memory made Simon even more uneasy.  

The reason he couldn’t bring himself to knock on the door was precisely because of that.  

“Should I just not deliver the message?”  

What if he told Freddy that she had refused his invitation to dinner?  

“No way.”  

Simon prayed that Olivia wouldn’t faint upon hearing Freddy’s proposal.  

After several deep breaths, Simon knocked on the door very lightly. The sound was so faint that it wouldn’t be heard unless one was paying close attention.  

“What is it?”  

He had hoped she wouldn’t hear it. He had hoped she wouldn’t respond.  

But it seemed Olivia had sharp hearing. Simon couldn’t predict what kind of expression she might be wearing.  

“Th-the Grand Duke, His Grace, has requested dinner, or rather, to have a meal together…”  

His voice trembled pitifully. He wasn’t even sure if he had properly conveyed Freddy’s message.  

At that moment, the door swung open.