Celia paused for a moment and asked Cassion.

“Have you been having nightmares?”

“Yes, I have.”

Cassion tried to listen to Celia’s words calmly, but he couldn’t.

Baron Shifield’s death, how it changed Alicia’s life, and even the nightmares…

Just as she said, he had been having nightmares shortly after Baron Shifield’s death. Though not frequent, each nightmare left him with an incredibly unpleasant feeling.

“When your destined meeting was prevented, it had negative effects on both of you.”

“So that’s why you intervened?”

“That’s right.”

Celia wasn’t a sorceress with a kind enough nature to help others out of goodwill. Nor was she particularly meddlesome. She was simply a wandering sorceress who worked for payment.

Though rumors occasionally spread about her being eccentric, she never acknowledged them, considering herself an ordinary sorceress.

The reason she helped Alicia was out of sympathy.

When they happened to meet, she was shocked after reading the circumstances surrounding Alicia. A woman who should have been happy became miserable, while the person who committed evil deeds lived happily…

If Alicia had been destined for an unhappy life originally, she should have left it alone, but since magic had interfered and distorted her fate, she couldn’t stand by and do nothing.

So she impulsively decided to help Alicia.

However, reconnecting a relationship severed by a curse wasn’t easy.

The places where Alicia and Cassion lived were so far apart it took three days by carriage, making even a chance encounter difficult.

Originally, she had planned to think for three days about how to help, but when Alicia said she only had one day, that wasn’t possible. As a result, Celia had to use a simple yet extreme method to connect the two.

That method was swapping their bodies.

She couldn’t manipulate their minds to force them to meet, and it wasn’t easy to create an event where they could meet. Since too much interference or intervention didn’t seem right, she came up with what might be considered an unusual solution.

So when she knew in advance that a servant from the Lowden household would come to buy sleeping medicine for Duke Lowden’s insomnia, she arranged through a pharmacist she knew to have them take the medicine she had prepared.

“Duke, you’ve noticed that your nightmares have decreased recently, haven’t you? Since the destined connection has been restored, the nightmares will gradually disappear. In about two or three months, you’ll stop having them completely.”

“Since you know how to make the nightmares disappear, I assume you can prepare a medicine to return our bodies completely.”

After the shock, Alicia remained silent, so Cassion continued the conversation with Celia.

“That’s right. But your bodies might return completely even without medicine. Once Lady Shifield’s androphobia is completely cured, the swap will no longer occur. After all, her initial wish to me was about that. The reason your bodies didn’t swap when you two met at that place was because her fear of men had significantly diminished there.”

Ah…

When Cassion had suggested something similar, Alicia wasn’t sure, but after hearing Celia’s words, she realized he was right.

Having Cassion nearby, being in the same space where he lived, made her unafraid of anyone. Because she knew he would protect her.

That seemed to be why their bodies didn’t swap when they were together.

“Shall I make you medicine to return your bodies?”

Alicia wanted to ask her to make it right away, but Cassion seemed to have different thoughts. He smiled at her and said,

“I don’t think it’s been so bad acting as each other’s stand-in.”

“What? What do you mean?”

While a flustered Alicia hesitated to respond, Celia asked Cassion.

“Are you sure that’s alright? I can’t control when your bodies swap or return.”

“Then I’ll ask you to make the medicine. However, we need to discuss further when to take it.”

After making the request to Celia, Cassion’s gaze immediately turned to Alicia.

He seemed to be enjoying the body swaps, which left Alicia at a loss for how to respond. But that wasn’t the important issue right now.

Deciding to determine that gradually, as Cassion suggested, she needed to address more urgent matters first. Forcibly suppressing her rising anger for a moment, Alicia turned her gaze to Celia.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to escape from the Shifield household. How can I repay this kindness?”

“I’ve already received help. So it’s fine.”

“The reward seems excessive compared to the help I gave you.”

“It’s really fine.”

Seemingly having said all she needed to, Celia rose from her seat first.

“The medicine doesn’t seem urgent, so I’ll prepare it in three days. I’ll send it through the Lowden household’s butler then.”

Feeling she might not see Celia again, Alicia urgently asked.

“Um, will I be able to meet you again in the future?”

“If our paths are meant to cross, we’ll meet again, won’t we?”

Celia smiled and was about to leave. Alicia stared at her intently.

Could she really let her go like this after receiving such significant help? She was so grateful, she didn’t know what to do.

Lost in these thoughts, Alicia unconsciously grabbed the hem of Celia’s clothes. Celia stopped and tilted her head to one side.

“Is there really nothing I can do to help you?”

Celia’s eyes rolled slightly before she grinned.

“Well, if you insist, just promise me one thing.”

“Anything, just tell me.”

“If you hear rumors about me, please correct them. There’s a rumor that I’m an eccentric sorceress, but that’s not true.”

It was such an unexpected request that Alicia was momentarily speechless, but she soon smiled brightly.

“I will. I’ll say you’re not an eccentric sorceress but a savior who rescued my life.”

“You don’t need to go that far, but… it’s not bad. I wish you both all the best in your future.”

Celia gave a respectful bow and gracefully left the mansion.

* * *

“What should I do? I simply cannot forgive that man.”

As soon as Celia left the mansion, the anger Alicia had been suppressing erupted again. Her clenched fists trembled slightly.

She wanted Henry to pay for his crimes, but it was infuriating to know he couldn’t be charged with murder without evidence.

To think she almost married such a man…

The thought of nearly marrying her father’s murderer filled her with indignation and frustration.

‘Alicia, let’s make it work this time for sure!’

Alicia let out a long sigh, and at the end of it, she recalled her father’s face, smiling brightly despite the hardships. Despite repeated failures, wasn’t he always full of hope and dreams?

Those dreams could have come true, but instead, they were sacrificed to a man’s schemes before they could bloom…

The more she thought about it, the more furious and resentful she became, to the point of grinding her teeth.

She hated the man who ruined her father’s life for his own advancement. How could she bring about his downfall?

While she was thinking this, Cassion carefully embraced Alicia, who was on the verge of tears.

“…Please help me.”

Alicia grabbed the edge of Cassion’s clothes and spoke in a strained voice. He was the only person she could rely on now.

By herself, she could never take revenge on Henry. She would only be used and then miserably discarded.

But Cassion was different. He had the power not only to break Henry’s ambitions but also to send him to prison, even if he had to fabricate a reason.

So she wanted Henry to pay for his crimes, even if it meant receiving Cassion’s help.

“I have no intention of letting that man Henry act as he pleases either.”

Only after hearing Cassion’s words did her body stop trembling.

Why was this man so willing to help? Why did he so easily agree to what she wanted? Was this why she trusted him? Because she felt he could do anything for her?

Alicia realized at some point that she had come to rely completely on Cassion. Considering everything he had shown her so far, it was a natural response.

Burrowing deeper into Cassion’s embrace, she said,

“Thank you.”

“It’s only natural. But it would be disappointing to help without anything in return.”

Cassion answered while gently stroking Alicia’s back. He smiled as he saw her eyes waver for a moment.

“W-what do you want?”