3. Blessing or Curse

Checking memories.

So, this power passed down to the heir of the House of Reynes was the ability to see someone’s memories when touching their blood.

The family called it a blessing, but Rihanel called it a curse.

It’s useless unless it’s right after blood is exposed. You can’t choose whether to see memories or not. When you touch blood, you’re inevitably, irresistibly swept into the world that unfolds before your eyes.

You can’t even see the memories you want. Random memories just pop up, so what exactly makes this an ability or a blessing?

“Touch it.”

The first memory he saw was of his dying maternal grandfather.

His grandfather, coughing up blood, reached out to Rihanel. With one hand clutching his pounding heart, Rihanel took his grandfather’s hand, stained with fresh blood.

He could immediately tell that the woman in the scene that attacked him like a vision was his mother. Rihanel saw his young mother, whom he had never seen in life, wearing a splendid dress and smiling brightly at him.

And when Rihanel, who had lost consciousness, woke up, his grandfather had already passed away.

Only then could he understand why his maternal grandfather had been so disappointed in Rihanel, who couldn’t properly see blood.

It felt disgusting.

Just like yesterday when he saw Janet Wilton’s memory.

Yes, this is indeed a damn curse. Something that makes a person feel this dirty can’t be anything but a curse.

Nevertheless.

Rihanel Reynes was curious. About her memories. About what happened that day.

That is, whether Janet Wilton really set fire to the Philodis Cathedral to erase traces of meeting another man.

He needed to confirm quickly so they could live as if the other didn’t exist. After that, they would go their separate ways or whatever.

If only this damned curiosity could be resolved, Rihanel would no longer be conscious of Janet Wilton’s existence.

“You’re already awake. I guess you didn’t sleep properly yesterday either?”

Flan said as he entered Rihanel’s office.

Not just improperly, he hadn’t slept at all. Usually he would get at least a little sleep, but yesterday, perhaps because he had so much on his mind… he could feel his heartbeat the entire time he lay down, and simply couldn’t fall asleep. In the end, he left his bed early and headed to his office.

“What are they saying in the newspapers?”

Rihanel nodded toward the gossip magazine Flan was holding. Flan skimmed through it again and shook his head.

“You left me behind and went to the party, and now look what happened?”

The article speculated that Rihanel and Janet had kissed at last night’s party, suggesting they were indeed in a romantic relationship. It further stated that Janet Wilton becoming a noble through marriage was only a matter of time.

“That’s good. I just did what needed to be done.”

Rihanel casually replied while scanning the documents on his desk.

There were certain minimum requirements for getting married. For instance, the notion that their marriage was not due to status-related reasons, but because they loved each other.

With yesterday’s ball, things had worked out more easily than Rihanel had thought. Though it wasn’t what he had intended.

“The personal information I requested?”

“Here it is. What are you planning to do with it?”

“Who knows.”

‘Who knows’ is the most annoying answer, you bastard. Thinking this, Flan delivered another piece of news.

“Oh right! Marchioness Monder has invited Miss Janet to a tea party.”

“My aunt? She’s quick with the news.”

“What should we do?”

“Tell her to do as she pleases.”

“Is it alright to send Janet alone?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? She knows better than anyone that she shouldn’t say unnecessary things.”

Panianna Monder was the daughter of the previous duke, Luisen Reynes, and Rihanel’s aunt, who occasionally visited the Reynes ducal residence.

This remained true even after Rihanel became duke. And regarding these visits, Rihanel placed no special restrictions.

Out of respect for his elders.

The country of Bendar placed great importance on hierarchy. Insubordination was forbidden. In the society of nobles who valued tradition, this custom was even more emphasized. The House of Reynes was no exception.

Currently, no one in the ducal house held a higher position than Rihanel. All the practical authority of the ducal house belonged to him.

However, even if only ceremonially and nominally, Panianna was Rihanel’s elder. Rihanel would occasionally, but with certain sincerity, show his face before her.

But Rihanel’s meetings with Panianna weren’t solely for that reason.

Meeting her brought a strong sense of nostalgia about his mother. Panianna also treated Rihanel, her sister’s son, like her own child.

She would occasionally tell stories about Rihanel’s mother’s childhood, which were incredibly sweet to him.

The memories of the 10 years he lived with his mother helped him endure the time afterward when he lived as an orphan. Perhaps that’s why he would project some vanished future onto Panianna, thinking, if only his mother hadn’t died so early….

Even if it was just a small connection, he didn’t want that thread to be broken.

Well, being a social and kind person, it wouldn’t do Janet Wilton any harm either.

“Oh, and Lady Carsia will also be attending.”

At Flan’s words, Rihanel paused.

“Does she often socialize with the marchioness?”

“No. It would be her first time in a year.”

“I suppose she’s curious about Janet Wilton.”

Carsia Reynes. She was also Rihanel’s aunt and the youngest daughter of Luisen Reynes. There was quite an age gap between her and her siblings.

While she was twelve years younger than her sister Panianna, she was only ten years older than her nephew Rihanel.

With her straightforward personality and trendy sensibility, she was quite a famous figure in social circles.

But perhaps because of the awkward age difference, or maybe because their personalities didn’t match, she wasn’t particularly close with Rihanel.

He hadn’t seen her in the past year, that is, since his maternal grandfather’s funeral.

Before his death, his maternal grandfather had given Carsia a large tract of land and a mansion in the Reynes territory, which was sufficient for her to live comfortably for the rest of her life. Perhaps because of this, she had not come up to the capital for a while.

Even if she had been in the capital, he wasn’t sure if they would have met face to face.

As far as Rihanel could guess… she didn’t particularly like him.

After pondering for a moment, Rihanel realized that all this worry was unnecessary.

Whether she came because she was curious about the woman who would become her nephew’s wife, or to catch up after a long time. In any case, Janet Wilton was the one who had been invited.

Let her handle it herself, whether she’s welcomed or treated poorly.

Rihanel turned his attention back to the documents and focused.

***

Groaning silently, Janet opened her eyes wide.

As she slowly released her suppressed breath, cold sweat trickled down the side of her forehead.

In her dream, Rihanel was gripping her neck with one hand.

Smile, Janet Wilton.

Saying that with an incredibly gentle voice, he tightened his grip.

Even after waking up, her heart wouldn’t calm easily, so Janet took a few more shallow breaths. What’s the big deal about smiling? He hadn’t asked her to do anything difficult, yet she couldn’t understand why those words haunted her even in her dreams.

‘Right. It’s nothing. Things are going as you wanted, Janet.’

A few days ago, Janet had finally secured a marriage promise from Rihanel.

The schedule would be as soon as possible. Since an elaborate and fancy wedding wasn’t important to them, everything would likely be handled within this month.

Nevertheless… strangely, she didn’t feel happy.

She hadn’t wished for a romantic proposal or a happy marriage. She had abandoned all such attachments when she entered Adif.

Still, being treated with disdain by Rihanel, enduring those gazes mixed with contempt and rebuke, was harder than she’d expected. For her, who had endured such looks from prison guards for five years, this was an unexpected obstacle.

Janet, lying on her side, opened and closed her hand. The long scab caught her eye. This scar seemed like it would last longer than marks from pinching or whipping.

Would the wounds Rihanel would inflict be the same?

Janet recalled stories she’d heard in prison. The story of Mellin, who had been in the same cell.

When Janet first arrived at Adif, Mellin had already been serving her sixth year, said to be a violent criminal who had kicked her husband’s lower body, leaving him disabled.

⟨You should never marry a man like that, Janet. Violent men. Men who feel pleasure from beating their wives. Who feel relieved seeing their partner in pain. Crazy bastards. If you marry such rotten men, you’ll end up back in prison like me.⟩

Janet had quietly nodded. Near her release, she would join in cursing such crazy bastards, but she never thought it would become her own situation.

As her chest ached again, Janet curled up tightly once before getting out of bed.

Sitting on the bed, blinking her eyes. Getting up and walking twenty laps around the room. Checking her body’s wounds and smiling expression in the mirror. Then sitting back on the bed, blinking again.

“What should I do now……”

She thought she had many things to do, but now she felt utterly powerless.

Janet Wilton, not Janet Reynes, had no authority over Wilton Company affairs because she wasn’t a noble, just an ex-convict freshly released from prison.

Rihanel had told her not to get involved in the wedding preparations, as others would handle everything.

She probably couldn’t do anything anyway, having never been married before, but it was still a bit bitter. Janet had once imagined her wedding like any ordinary girl.

But that was all in the past now.

Fortunately, she had one appointment after lunch today.

The Monder mansion where the tea party would be held was on Ezelcross Street, which wasn’t far from Deltz Street.

And on Deltz Street…

‘There’s a train station.’

Suddenly she had something to do. Janet pulled the bell cord with unusually lively eyes.