The strange flicker of doubt soon turned into memories of the past.
Now that she thought about it, there had been many similar moments before.
Whenever Jaina wore a particularly striking or beautiful dress, Violet would inevitably appear at her side with some ‘gentle advice’. Violet would claim that Cadel disliked a particular color or type of fabric, disguising her sharp, unpleasant barbs as thoughtful concern.
Yet Jaina had never once heard Cadel complain about such things himself.
‘He doesn’t even have a color he dislikes, does he?’
The Cadel she had known had never seemed to care about such things. He wore a variety of garments, favoring no particular color and avoiding none.
What she had once endured in ignorance began to become clear after her regression.
With hindsight, it seemed possible that Violet had deliberately tried to provoke her, driving her into a frenzy of jealousy.
‘Could it be… that even the things she said about him buying her rings and accessories were lies?’
The thought sent an indescribable feeling sweeping through her body.
In the past, she had not been in a position to verify such matters in detail. She hadn’t even dared to ask him. She had liked Cadel and had willingly put herself at a disadvantage.
And Violet had known it.
Perhaps she had exploited that imbalance, wearing her down with calculated lies until she finally broke.
‘Ah… not this time.’
The corner of Jaina’s lips curved faintly, coldly.
‘If it’s true or not, I can simply ask him myself. It’s hardly difficult.’
She was no longer the Jaina who had trembled at the thought of Cadel disapproving of her. Nor was she the helpless woman who had been of no use to the North.
In the past, she had failed in her duties as a Grand Duchess and as a saintess. She had lingered idly within the Grand Ducal estate, feeling confined and diminished, as though she were worthless.
Now, however, she had become indispensable — not only to the North, but to the Empire itself.
She was the only saintess with divine powers. A woman blessed by countless spirits.
Through her marriage to Cadel, she had formed a bond that protected her divine power from being consumed by treacherous dark magic — a living testament to their union.
She was the Empire’s only hope against monsters and dark sorcerers.
***
“Why does this human keep trailing after you like that?”
After a long absence, Elysion appeared and shot Amelie a look of open displeasure.
Jaina wished she could respond, but as Amelie could not see Elysion, it was difficult to speak aloud. Elysion was aware of this and did not press her for an answer.
“And that husband of yours who brought the curse upon himself—he has all that money, yet he assigned you only a single guard?”
It seemed he had some vague understanding of what she had endured.
At his words, Jaina cast him a sidelong glance.
‘I was the one who refused to have more than one….’
When her escort was first arranged, there were seven of them in total: three aides responsible for managing her schedule, and four knights solely responsible for her protection.
She was told that Cadel had personally interviewed and selected each of them.
However, travelling throughout the Empire with all seven of them would have been impractical and burdensome. After much discussion, it was agreed that only Amelie, who could serve as both an aide and a guard, would accompany her.
Initially, Cadel refused to compromise, insisting that all seven remain with her. However, he finally relented when Jaina calmly pointed out that having more people to shield with her divine power would only complicate matters should they encounter monsters.
“Well, at least he assigned someone competent.”
Elysion continued to scrutinize Amelie from head to toe, looking satisfied. A sudden curiosity stirred within Jaina—just how much did Elysion know?
“I want to be alone.”
“I will wait outside the door.”
“Would you prefer to organize the schedule that starts in a few days? It would be best to visit the Grand Sanctuary on the first day. First, we must resolve the withering of the Elim Tree. Only then will the saintesses there regain their divine power.”
“I understand.”
Amelie bowed her head in acknowledgement. After telling her that she was counting on her, Jaina went into her bedroom. As soon as the door closed, she turned to Elysion.
“Where have you been?”
She lowered her voice as much as possible, mindful that Amelie might still be outside. Elysion looked at her as though she had asked the most absurd question.
“Where else? I was at my home. Your field was overrun with weeds. I nearly broke my back pulling them out.”
It seemed he had been tending the land she had cultivated. She had been gone only a few days, yet already she found herself missing the spirit village.
“Thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank me. Now that you’ve made up your mind, restore the Elim Tree as soon as possible. The spirits are worried that they won’t be able to eat its fruit this year.”
Looking faintly embarrassed by her gratitude, Elysion moved towards the sofa by the window and sat down. Jaina followed and gave a small nod.
“I had planned to leave for the Empire tomorrow, but a sudden snowstorm swept through the North….”
“Ah, that.”
Leaning back against the sofa, Elysion looked at her.
“The ice spirits and the water spirits turned the rain into snow.”
Jaina’s eyes widened.
“…What?”
“Your self-cursed mate—doesn’t he lose his senses whenever it rains?”
Elysion let out a quiet snort, speaking as though Cadel’s condition were obvious to him.
“The rain that’s falling now isn’t natural. It was summoned. The person who placed the curse wanted rain, and that’s why the spirits were able to turn it into snow.”
“The one who cast the curse….”
“Yes. The one who cast it.”
Elysion explained that Cadel’s visits to Violet’s room on rainy nights were not the result of childhood trauma relating to his abduction, but rather the consequence of a curse placed upon him.
The person who had cast the curse was currently hoping for rain in the north.
This suggested that the person responsible for Cadel’s suffering could be located somewhere in the North.
Of course, it was possible that someone within the Empire was trying to hinder Cadel’s journey in this way. But that seemed unlikely. Only those within the Grand Ducal estate and the imperial palace were aware of his movements.
‘The people of the palace would want the Empire—now in ruins because of dark magic—restored as quickly as possible. It cannot be them.’
“Don’t worry about the person who cursed the man you call your husband. Whether or not you discover who it is, there is nothing you can do about it right now.”
As though he had read her thoughts, Elysion frowned faintly and spoke.
Jaina hesitated, then asked carefully.
“Is it someone I know?”
There was only one person on her mind: Violet.
For reasons she could not fully explain, Jaina felt that only Violet would want it to rain in the North at that moment.
Of course, it was nothing more than a suspicion. She could not imagine Violet having the power to curse Cadel, whose body was steeped in dark mana. If she were a dark sorceress, she would never have been allowed to stay at the Grand Ducal estate, which was also saturated with black energy.
“Is that truly important? Whether you know or not, for now, there is nothing you can do.”
“…….”
“You do not even know what it is you truly want.”
He was right.
Elysion seemed to understand her circumstances and her feelings. She found herself wondering whether this insight stemmed from the blessing of light he had given her or whether it was simply an innate spirit ability.
“I… want the Empire to stabilize quickly. And then I want to return to the spirit village.”
At her words, Elysion stared at her.
His mysterious golden eyes moved slowly, as though seeking to uncover every hidden corner of her heart.
“As I thought. You still do not know.”
“Know what?”
“Your own heart.”
Rising from the sofa, Elysion continued.
“Well, it’s only natural. Just as you can’t choose to go back in time, you can’t choose what’s going to happen in the future.”
“…I don’t quite understand what you mean.”
Jaina’s expression revealed her complete confusion.
Elysion gave a single nod.
“Of course you are confused. In any case, endure it well. And when it becomes too much to bear, this one will help you whenever you call.”
Leaving behind words heavy with meaning, Elysion vanished without so much as a farewell.
‘Endure it well….’
Jaina stood by the window, silently pondering his cryptic words.
Before her eyes, the water spirit Edric and the ice spirit Islunn were working together to transform the artificially summoned rain into snow. The scene unfolded like a quiet spectacle. Snowflakes collided with the fierce wind, sometimes twisting into brief spirals of white.
It was a beautiful sight, yet also a stark reminder that this was the unforgiving North.
‘Was the rain summoned through dark magic?’
Elysion had told her that the rain was artificial, but she still didn’t know how it had been summoned. This unanswered question lingered in her mind, tugging quietly at her curiosity.
Now that she thought about it, she had always been this way — more curious than she had let on. It felt almost unfamiliar to realize how much of that curiosity she must have repressed in the past.
Knock. Knock.
The door opened after a soft knock.
She hadn’t given permission, but there was only one person who would enter her bedchamber without waiting.
As she expected, it was Cadel.
“Where is your knight? Why are you alone?”
Translator
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Xesene
And just like that the answer is handed to her? That’s disappointing. Like this is a build up with a let down. All that pain that would not be explain suddenly just explained. Not even by the dumb husband either.