Chapter 48

Eched felt an inexplicable urge whenever he looked at Shaterian.

This was a feeling he had never experienced before.

Shaterian seemed to constantly test his patience.

Although he claimed to be an ignorant Divine Beast… it was absurd to think that a Divine Beast, who had already endured so much in the human realm, knew absolutely nothing.

If he had no interest or hadn’t paid attention, perhaps he wouldn’t have noticed.

Eched couldn’t help but smile as he watched Shaterian purse her lips.

If he were to pretend not to notice and press his lips against those bright red ones, she would undoubtedly widen her eyes in shock. Yet, soon enough, she would respond to him.

It had been like that the first time and the next time as well.

Though Shaterian kept denying it, she was indeed the reincarnation of ‘her’.

There was no way he wouldn’t recognize her divine power.

The divine energy that satisfied him so completely with just a small amount could only belong to a pure soul.

The strength in the arms that clasped her hands was firm.

Shaterian flinched briefly under the inescapable grip before letting out a sigh.

“Fine. I’ll read it tomorrow.”

She grumbled about how he could have just asked instead of using force.

“Alright.”

Eched, who had been gazing down at her for a long time, finally straightened up.

The bedroom, now organized with books neatly stacked, soon went dark, and another uneventful night passed.

***

Thud!

Her head hit the desk.

Once again, thud! She repeatedly banged her head on the desk and sighed.

“Young Lady.”

At Kirin’s scolding, she stopped banging her head and slumped over the desk.

“What’s troubling you now?”

There was something. Something very serious.

Most of her worries stemmed from Eched.

And what happened last night was one of the biggest concerns she’d had in a while.

‘Fine. I can accept that the original story has changed. But character collapse? That’s too much!’

Bang!

“Young Lady!”

Kirin’s stern tone made her ears sting, and her hand, which had slammed the desk, throbbed.

Sniffling, she straightened her posture, but her restless heart refused to calm down.

How tense she had been last night, staying awake and worrying about even a single strand of hair brushing against Eched… She had barely slept and now felt utterly drained.

Honestly, no matter how detailed the contract was, if she boarded a ship and fled to a neighboring empire in the dead of night, not even Eched, with all his skills, would be able to find her.

Underestimating Eched’s feelings as trivial and lighthearted was a mistake.

What if his feelings for me deepened further?

The obsession and revenge of the protagonist in the novel were not things to be taken lightly. They couldn’t be ignored or dismissed.

If she wasn’t careful, she’d end up being ensnared.

‘I need a solution. I have to find a way.’

Clouds of worry loomed over her mind. No matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t come up with a way to resolve the current situation.

Was the only option to undo everything and start over?

But how could I undo it?

I had regained my memories of my past life, but couldn’t I turn back time as well?

Fine. Let’s see where this novel’s ridiculous plot takes me!

No matter how much she lamented, it wouldn’t change anything. Time marched on, and there was still so much to do.

“The dressmakers will arrive soon, but look at your forehead. What’s this?”

Kirin frowned as she gently rubbed the young lady’s reddened forehead.

“Just pick anything. I don’t care.”

“How can you ‘just pick anything’ for a wedding dress you’ll wear only once in your life?!”

Kirin’s triangular eyes narrowed in disapproval.

Letting out a small sigh, Shaterian soon saw the people entering the room carrying wedding dresses.

“It’s been a while, Lady Shaterian.”

It was Seitrang, the designer from the Seitrang Atelier.

She nodded slightly in greeting, and Seitrang lined up her staff to display the dresses properly.

As the most popular designer in the capital, Seitrang’s wedding dresses were fresh and modern, with a variety of colors, designs, and patterns that broke away from tradition.

“These days, wedding dresses aren’t limited to pure white. Many brides choose ivory or pale pink.”

The staff, following Seitrang’s words, began showcasing the dresses one by one.

“Wow…”

With each dress revealed, Kirin let out a gasp of admiration.

The dresses, befitting the most sought-after designer in the empire, lived up to their reputation.

“Of course, these are just samples we prepared.”

At a snap of Seitrang’s fingers, a staff member at the back brought out a dress and walked forward gracefully.

The dress featured a V-neckline with lace draped over the shoulders. Below the waistline, the green fabric flared out into a princess silhouette, adorned with green gemstones embroidered like patterns.

“When I think of you, Lady Shaterian, your green eyes reminiscent of lush forests come to mind. I designed this dress especially for you. Do you like it?”

“Oh my… It’s stunning!”

“It’s beautiful.”

Seitrang smiled, as if she had expected such a reaction.

“Since I already have your measurements, I’ll bring the finished dress the day before the wedding. Now that you’ve chosen the dress, shall we move on to selecting the accessories?”

At another gesture from Seitrang, a dazzling array of jewels appeared before them.

She was briefly captivated by the brilliant display of jewels, but her attention and energy quickly waned. Waving her hand, she told them to match the accessories to the dress, and by the time the selection was complete, a catalog of travel outfits was presented to her.

“Since you’ll be leaving for your honeymoon right after the wedding, we’ve prepared a variety of travel outfits, not knowing where you might go. Our atelier also doubles as a boutique.”

One catalog, then another, and another, and another.

“If you choose a design, we’ll tailor it to your measurements.”

Seitrang smiled brightly, urging her not to feel pressured and to take her time choosing.

Four thick catalogs handed over in the name of “preparation”… 

What on earth?

‘What a savvy businessperson…’

She clicked her tongue at Seitrang’s shrewd sales tactics and handed the catalogs over to Kirin.

“Then I’ll be off to fit the Duke’s tailcoat.”

Seitrang left after entrusting the task to them. She thought her day’s work was done, but she was sorely mistaken. She had underestimated Kirin’s stamina.

After that, the ducal residence was visited by an endless stream of merchants.

A general store owner, a seller of kitchenware, another jeweler, yet another boutique owner, a merchant selling home decorations, and so on.

All that remained were the thick catalogs they left behind and an overwhelming sense of exhaustion.

By the time everyone had left, the evening sky was painted with hues of sunset, and she felt as wilted as a withered plant.

So this is what it feels like to have no strength left to lift a spoon…

Her appetite was gone, and she barely touched her soup. Eched, who had been holed up in his office all day, finally spoke to her.

“Shaterian, are you feeling unwell?”

Too tired to respond, she simply shook her head. Unable to bear it any longer, she trudged upstairs to the room and collapsed onto the bed.

She had planned to finish reading the book she hadn’t gotten to last night, but she didn’t even have the energy to lift a finger.

A little later, Eched entered the room and began flipping through the catalogs piled on the table.

“They want you to choose your travel outfits.”

The dressing room was already overflowing with clothes, so why buy more?

Kirin had said that His Majesty and Duchess Melis had told her not to worry about expenses and to buy as much as she wanted, but it still felt excessive.

‘Honestly, I’m just too lazy to deal with it.’

Eched, who had been flipping through the catalogs, soon lost interest and pushed them aside.

“You must be very tired.”

The bed sank slightly. Eched’s voice carried a hint of amusement as his careful hand smoothed her disheveled hair.

“Your hair has grown a lot.”

“It’s been a while since I cut it.”

She had cut her hair simply because she found it bothersome.

Managing it was a hassle, and washing it was tiring.

The day she cut her hair, the ducal residence had echoed with the screams of her sister and Kirin. Short hair was an uncommon sight for noble ladies in the empire.

It had taken quite some effort to console her sister, who had clung to her skirt and sobbed.

She had no regrets. Her continued preference for short hair was proof of that.

After all, who said only men could cut their hair while women couldn’t?

She grumbled softly, her fatigue loosening her tongue. Eched gently patted her head.

“You must be tired. Get some rest.”

“You must be tired from work too. Go to sleep.”

“I still have some things to finish. You go ahead.”

“What… Don’t leave the room…”

She was still scared to be without Eched by her side.

Gripping his clothes tightly, she whined softly. He chuckled quietly, his voice a soothing melody to her ears.

“Don’t worry. I’ll stay right here.”

Reassured by his words, she let go of his clothes.

Eched pulled the blanket up to her chin, patted her a few more times, and then turned off the light near the bed. He sat at the desk, flipping through documents.

The soft rustle of paper and the scratch of a quill filled the room.

‘I shouldn’t get used to this…’

Even though she knew it was dangerous, she couldn’t help but be drawn in.

The more she tried to push aside her worries, the more they consumed her.