“You’ll give it to me? Really?”
Rachel’s demeanor still showed deep suspicion.
Even if Rachel had become Creon’s contractor first, making the memoir unnecessary for Duke Bermund, it seemed unlikely he would hand over the memoir without any conditions.
Duke Bermund was an ambitious person. Now that he couldn’t use Creon, he wasn’t the type to simply hand over the memoir without trying to use Rachel somehow.
“Yes. I’d be happy to give it to you.”
Despite Rachel’s suspicion, Duke Bermund maintained a composed attitude.
“I don’t think you’d give me such a valuable document without conditions. Am I wrong?”
Duke Bermund, who had leaned his upper body back against the sofa, slowly blinked with his fingers interlaced.
“Certainly, since I obtained this document with difficulty, I do feel reluctant to give it away without compensation.”
Rachel nodded slightly as Duke Bermund finally seemed ready to reveal his true intentions.
“Please tell me, and I’ll consider it when making my decision.”
Duke Bermund maintained silence for a while even after Rachel finished speaking.
Rachel waited tensely, wondering what conditions Duke Bermund would propose.
“How about this? I’ll give you the memoir first, and you turn back time again.”
After maintaining silence for a long time, his condition turned out to be her regression.
“What? What did you just say…”
Rachel’s voice rose at Duke Bermund’s absurd proposal.
Duke Bermund shrugged his shoulders and added an explanation.
“I’m asking you to turn back time. If Lady Pluret is truly Creon’s contractor, turning back time shouldn’t be that difficult, should it?”
“…”
Rachel let out a small, hollow laugh at Duke Bermund’s words.
It would seem to him that since she had the ability to turn back time, she could go back in time whenever she wanted.
One might easily suggest turning back time again since it meant going back to the past while maintaining current memories and abilities.
But if he knew the reality, he wouldn’t make such an easy and light suggestion.
For time to be turned back, Rachel’s death had to precede it.
Having finally escaped the cycle of regression, she didn’t want to enter that cycle again.
Above all, while she previously had the purpose of saving Tervan, now that she had saved him, Rachel questioned whether there was reason enough to take such a gamble again.
Moreover, Rachel couldn’t understand Duke Bermund’s words at all.
This proposal seemed beneficial only to Rachel, no matter how she looked at it.
It puzzled her why Duke Bermund would make such a proposal.
Even for him, did he feel he had to concede several moves when facing the power to turn back time?
After organizing her complicated thoughts, Rachel spoke with difficulty.
“Why do you want me to turn back time again?”
“It seems His Highness the Crown Prince is wary of our House Bermund. The timing coincides with the return of the monster subjugation team. More precisely, after Lady Pluret met with His Highness. I suppose Lady Pluret must have told His Highness something. Isn’t that right?”
“…”
“But it’s too disadvantageous for me to deal with Lady Pluret, who knows information about the future.”
“So you want to turn back time? To return to square one?”
Duke Bermund nodded in response.
“Still, I don’t understand. Even if I go back to the past, you won’t remember this, will you? If I go back to the past again and inform His Highness, I believe the result would be no different.”
Rachel’s argument was valid. Only Rachel could regress to the past.
So there was nothing beneficial to Duke Bermund.
“You’re right. Even if Lady Pluret turns back time, it would still be disadvantageous to me. Besides, next time I won’t be able to persuade Lady Pluret using the memoir.”
Duke Bermund readily admitted.
“Then let’s do this. After turning back time, how about delaying when you inform His Highness about me?”
Rachel frowned at this additional condition.
“Even if I break my promise, you wouldn’t know. Since you wouldn’t have any memory of it.”
“That’s true. But what can I do? That’s the only method I can propose.”
Duke Bermund showed both his hands and then folded his arms, waiting for Rachel’s answer.
Rachel fell into contemplation for a moment.
‘Is there really useful information about the Tears of Licorice written in the memoir?’
If so, there was no reason to hesitate. It was a condition that could only be advantageous to her, no matter what.
However, Rachel felt uneasy about this point.
[Well. We won’t know until we see it directly. It’s uncertain whether the memoir contains more information than what I already know. What will you do?]
At Creon’s question, Rachel bit her lower lip hard.
Duke Bermund’s intentions weren’t limited to what he had revealed now.
He was hiding something.
‘If the information the Duke has is superior to what I know as the contractor, wouldn’t it be good to receive the memoir?’
[If, as he says, information about me is recorded in the memoir, it wouldn’t be bad to receive the memoir and then decide. After regression, it’s entirely up to your conscience anyway.]
‘I suppose so.’
Even as she firmed her decision to receive the memoir, Rachel began to wonder if her choice was correct.
‘Creon.’
[Speak.]
‘You’re not hiding anything from me, are you?’
[…Good heavens. Rachel, how can you doubt me?]
Rachel hesitated at Creon’s reproach, full of hurt feelings.
‘I’m sorry. The Duke’s proposal was so surprising that I misspoke.’
She belatedly apologized to Creon.
[Hmph.]
She felt sorry for doubting Creon, who had spent a long time with her and shared her pain.
“I don’t think I can make a decision right now. It’s such a sudden proposal.”
After much deliberation, Rachel chose to defer her decision.
“Can you give me some time?”
Duke Bermund nodded, disappointed that she didn’t readily accept his proposal.
“Very well. But I can assure you that even after long consideration, this proposal won’t be a bad one for Lady Pluret.”
Having finished speaking, Duke Bermund rose from his seat. Rachel also stood up, following him.
“How much time do you need?”
“Would a month be alright?”
“Yes, that’s fine. Then let’s meet again in a month. If you happen to decide sooner, please visit my mansion then.”
“I understand.”
“Well then.”
Duke Bermund, just as when he arrived, gave a brief bow to Rachel and left her laboratory.
Rachel stared at the door through which Duke Bermund had left, then sighed and plopped down on the sofa.
“He’s an uncomfortable person no matter how many times I see him.”
[It’s natural since his inner thoughts are dark.]
Creon interjected at Rachel’s words.
[So what will you do?]
‘I want to think about it more before deciding. I’m really sorry to you, Creon, who wants to escape from the seal as soon as possible, but this isn’t something to decide hastily. A month isn’t that long. I’m sorry, but please wait a little longer.’
[I understand. Few would know you as well as I do.]
‘Thank you.’
Rachel smiled faintly and conveyed her gratitude at Creon’s words.
Just as Rachel, after letting out a long sigh, was about to rise to return to the mansion:
“My lady. Lord Sanchez has come to see you.”
Catrin’s voice was heard from beyond the door.
Rachel reflexively frowned.
In the past, just thinking about him would have made her heart flutter, but now she worried about what troublesome matter might arise, which came as quite a shock to her.
“What should I do?”
“Tell him to come in.”
“Yes.”
The door opened quietly, and the neat footsteps characteristic of a knight entered the laboratory.
Rachel rose from her seat and slowly turned around.
“Welcome.”
As Rachel greeted him lightly, he nodded and scanned the table that had not yet been cleared with his eyes.
“It seems you were having a conversation with Duke Bermund. Is something wrong?”
Tervan asked with a subtly trembling voice.
“It’s nothing. Certainly nothing for you to worry about.”
After finishing her words, Rachel called for Catrin. Catrin skillfully cleared the refreshments placed on the table.
Tervan’s gaze, fixed on the table, wavered as if lost.
Rachel looked at him with a dry gaze, then soon invited him to sit.
“I don’t know why you’ve come, but would you like to sit down first?”