As I stepped outside through the hall, where a refreshing breeze was blowing in, I saw Princess Abigail, her hair disheveled from avoiding the dog. She was still beautiful, but at the same time, she looked unsightly. I forced myself to suppress a laugh and shouted at the dog.
“Puppy! Come here!”
A huge white fluffy ball of fluff stopped barking at Princess Abigail and looked at me. As if it knew I was calling it, it poked its tongue out and lunged at me. The maids beside mr, who didn't know what to do, screamed. It must have thought the dog was attacking me.
But dogs were never aggressive. If they liked people, they would die. I held out my arms toward the dog, and it put its face between my arms. It was a smart dog, knowing how to stop just before it could hit me.
Having raised many dogs, I knew that intelligent dogs were good at controlling their strength, and I believed this one would be no exception. Otherwise, what else would he do but roll around in the grass?
“Ahaha, so cute.”
I rubbed my cheek against the dog's long snout and burst out laughing. The fluffy white fur was so lovely. After cuddling with the large dog for a while, I realized Princess Abigail was still in front of me and cleared my throat. I lifted my bent knees and bowed toward Princess Abigail.
“Hello, Your Highness. I hope you had a good night’s sleep.”
Trying to act so docile all of a sudden was a little embarrassing, even for me. Princess Abigail looked between me and the dog with a shocked expression, then shook the hem of her skirt with a loud thud.
“The Grand Duchess Duchzan is truly reckless.”
No matter how much I disliked her, she was so arrogant to greet me with such harsh words in the morning. She was truly arrogant. I smiled, thinking of her as the older sister and the younger sister.
“Julian also told me that I was active.”
At those words, Princess Abigail's face hardened. Seeing the frustrated expression on Princess Abigail's face, who always ignored me, made me feel good.
"Yeah, you. Why were you in that room? Did you just barge into Yul's room?"
“I dare just barge in? I was just a wife going into my husband’s room.”
“Don’t forget that you are in a political marriage!”
Her venomous tone was filled with jealousy, along with possessiveness toward Julian.
It didn't feel good to know that there was someone else besides me who knew Julian was a good person. Perhaps Princess Abigail and I weren't all that different.
"You dare bring a dog into the Grand Duke's residence? Do you really think you're the Duke's mistress?"
When you yell so sharply, the dog can't help but be wary. Even at first glance, it looks like such a gentle dog.
I gently stroked the dog's neck and smiled. Unlike yesterday, I was brimming with confidence. Whether I was swaying or running wild, Princess Abigail would hate me.
"The new family barks at strangers. Please forgive the rudeness."
If I were to count the time I spent with a dog, Princess Abigail's time was longer than mine, so our encounter with this dog was fleeting. But even dogs have feelings, and they know who cares for them. I bowed my head briefly and spoke.
"Are you returning to the palace today? I will make sure you are fully prepared."
Princess Abigail spoke as I turned around.
“Young Lady Winsley, I never let go of what I wanted.”
I turned around without realizing it at the chillingly cold voice, but Princess Abigail was walking away, her back turned to me.
With Princess Abigail gone, peace returned to the Duchzan residence. While Julian still couldn't dine with me, we occasionally played chess.
When I saw him play chess with my family, I remember him being incredibly aggressive, but when I played with him, he seemed to back down every now and then. When I angrily told him not to let that happen, Julian responded with a look of embarrassment.
“It’s not that I’m lenient, but I don’t know where Madam’s number will go because it resembles Madam.”
I thought he was teasing me by placing it carelessly, but he looked genuinely troubled, so I decided to just watch with my arms crossed. It was also nice to see Julian pondering the chess piece, clutching it in the air.
Over the course of a few days, I became quite close to Marian. As long as we didn't have a man between us, she was a pretty good friend. She was eloquent and had a captivating aura. It was enough to make me think the Second Prince might not be so cold towards her.
And then the two long-awaited letters arrived.
One was a party invitation from the Marchioness of Eriant, and the other was a letter from Lete.
The invitation from the Marquis of Eriant had asked me to grace the occasion as I did last time. Since I had brought Marian, Kaiser's secret mistress, with me, she was undoubtedly curious about what was going on. Naturally, I wrote a letter of acceptance, knowing I had something to share with them.
Next, I opened the letter from Lete.
"To my precious friend Layla.
Layla, I told my mother about your friend.
Since you said it was a secret, I strongly advised my mother to keep it a secret too.
But it seems like your mother told her friends about your friend during tea time.
I'm really sorry. I'll apologize properly at the next party."
I burst out laughing when I read the letter. Shuan was a real rascal.
The letter I sent to Lete earlier was asking him to spread the word about Marian.
The rumor about Marian that I asked Shuan about was this.
'Marian, Kaiser's secret mistress, was a peerless beauty, a woman worthy of the envy of Lady Winsley. She was even more beautiful than Eri Eriant, renowned for her striking beauty, and for this reason, Kaiser, unwilling to hand her over to the Second Prince, kept her a secret.'
Shuan spread the rumor properly, and the details were kept so secret. It was amusing, as if they were exchanging codes.
But when I read the line below, my face hardened.
"Did you know that your friend's ex-boyfriend is friends with my second-oldest brother?
“Puppy! Come here!”
A huge white fluffy ball of fluff stopped barking at Princess Abigail and looked at me. As if it knew I was calling it, it poked its tongue out and lunged at me. The maids beside mr, who didn't know what to do, screamed. It must have thought the dog was attacking me.
But dogs were never aggressive. If they liked people, they would die. I held out my arms toward the dog, and it put its face between my arms. It was a smart dog, knowing how to stop just before it could hit me.
Having raised many dogs, I knew that intelligent dogs were good at controlling their strength, and I believed this one would be no exception. Otherwise, what else would he do but roll around in the grass?
“Ahaha, so cute.”
I rubbed my cheek against the dog's long snout and burst out laughing. The fluffy white fur was so lovely. After cuddling with the large dog for a while, I realized Princess Abigail was still in front of me and cleared my throat. I lifted my bent knees and bowed toward Princess Abigail.
“Hello, Your Highness. I hope you had a good night’s sleep.”
Trying to act so docile all of a sudden was a little embarrassing, even for me. Princess Abigail looked between me and the dog with a shocked expression, then shook the hem of her skirt with a loud thud.
“The Grand Duchess Duchzan is truly reckless.”
No matter how much I disliked her, she was so arrogant to greet me with such harsh words in the morning. She was truly arrogant. I smiled, thinking of her as the older sister and the younger sister.
“Julian also told me that I was active.”
At those words, Princess Abigail's face hardened. Seeing the frustrated expression on Princess Abigail's face, who always ignored me, made me feel good.
"Yeah, you. Why were you in that room? Did you just barge into Yul's room?"
“I dare just barge in? I was just a wife going into my husband’s room.”
“Don’t forget that you are in a political marriage!”
Her venomous tone was filled with jealousy, along with possessiveness toward Julian.
It didn't feel good to know that there was someone else besides me who knew Julian was a good person. Perhaps Princess Abigail and I weren't all that different.
"You dare bring a dog into the Grand Duke's residence? Do you really think you're the Duke's mistress?"
When you yell so sharply, the dog can't help but be wary. Even at first glance, it looks like such a gentle dog.
I gently stroked the dog's neck and smiled. Unlike yesterday, I was brimming with confidence. Whether I was swaying or running wild, Princess Abigail would hate me.
"The new family barks at strangers. Please forgive the rudeness."
If I were to count the time I spent with a dog, Princess Abigail's time was longer than mine, so our encounter with this dog was fleeting. But even dogs have feelings, and they know who cares for them. I bowed my head briefly and spoke.
"Are you returning to the palace today? I will make sure you are fully prepared."
Princess Abigail spoke as I turned around.
“Young Lady Winsley, I never let go of what I wanted.”
I turned around without realizing it at the chillingly cold voice, but Princess Abigail was walking away, her back turned to me.
***
With Princess Abigail gone, peace returned to the Duchzan residence. While Julian still couldn't dine with me, we occasionally played chess.
When I saw him play chess with my family, I remember him being incredibly aggressive, but when I played with him, he seemed to back down every now and then. When I angrily told him not to let that happen, Julian responded with a look of embarrassment.
“It’s not that I’m lenient, but I don’t know where Madam’s number will go because it resembles Madam.”
I thought he was teasing me by placing it carelessly, but he looked genuinely troubled, so I decided to just watch with my arms crossed. It was also nice to see Julian pondering the chess piece, clutching it in the air.
Over the course of a few days, I became quite close to Marian. As long as we didn't have a man between us, she was a pretty good friend. She was eloquent and had a captivating aura. It was enough to make me think the Second Prince might not be so cold towards her.
And then the two long-awaited letters arrived.
One was a party invitation from the Marchioness of Eriant, and the other was a letter from Lete.
The invitation from the Marquis of Eriant had asked me to grace the occasion as I did last time. Since I had brought Marian, Kaiser's secret mistress, with me, she was undoubtedly curious about what was going on. Naturally, I wrote a letter of acceptance, knowing I had something to share with them.
Next, I opened the letter from Lete.
"To my precious friend Layla.
Layla, I told my mother about your friend.
Since you said it was a secret, I strongly advised my mother to keep it a secret too.
But it seems like your mother told her friends about your friend during tea time.
I'm really sorry. I'll apologize properly at the next party."
I burst out laughing when I read the letter. Shuan was a real rascal.
The letter I sent to Lete earlier was asking him to spread the word about Marian.
The rumor about Marian that I asked Shuan about was this.
'Marian, Kaiser's secret mistress, was a peerless beauty, a woman worthy of the envy of Lady Winsley. She was even more beautiful than Eri Eriant, renowned for her striking beauty, and for this reason, Kaiser, unwilling to hand her over to the Second Prince, kept her a secret.'
Shuan spread the rumor properly, and the details were kept so secret. It was amusing, as if they were exchanging codes.
But when I read the line below, my face hardened.
"Did you know that your friend's ex-boyfriend is friends with my second-oldest brother?
He said he was a friend, but he seemed like a fool."
Shuan was the eldest son of the Marquis of Eriant. He had no older brother, let alone a second brother. And among us, there was only one man he could call his second-oldest brother.
The Second Prince. And Marian's ex-boyfriend must be referring to Kaiser. They're saying that Kaiser is the Second Prince's subordinate. Kaiser is the Second Prince's subordinate...
Since when? No, that fact didn't matter.
The important thing is that, before my regression, I was preparing to marry Kaiser at this point. And a few years later, I fell at Kaiser's feet, begging him to send me back to my family. At that time, Kaiser didn't even mourn the deaths of my family, let alone offer condolences, and treated me like an ignorant insect.
At that moment, a sudden realization came to me.
Kaiser clearly told me this.
'You should know that you're alive because you married me.'
At the time, I thought he was overconfident in his own identity. No, I didn't have time to think about it any further. But Kaiser, though arrogant, wasn't foolish. He clearly spoke as if he knew everything.
Because Kaiser may have contributed to the deaths of my family.
At first, I resented Kaiser, but that resentment gradually turned to anger. I also desperately wanted revenge on him. However, I never imagined Kaiser would be such a direct enemy.
The fact that I had shared a blanket with Kaiser and given birth to his child was repulsive and disgusting.
I tore the letter to shreds. Still angry, I swept the desk with my arm, making a mess. I picked up the teacup on the table and threw it at the mirror, shattering them both with a loud crash.
But no words came out of my mouth. No tears came out.
“Madam, madam, what’s the matter? Yes?”
Anna rushed over and began to stop me. I pushed her away. I didn't even notice Anna staggering as I began to pace around the room.
“Kaiser, Kaiser...”
What came out of my mouth sounded like the cry of a wretched beast. It was definitely not the voice of an elegant Grand Duchess. Anna looked at me with fearful eyes and then ran out of the room.
“Madam, I will bring His Highness the Grand Duke. Yes?”
“Ahhh... Kaiser...”
I groaned, covering my face with both hands. I wondered how long I'd been kneeling on the floor. My head was spinning, and I felt like I was floating in midair.
Someone grabbed my shoulder firmly and gently. I followed the hand and lifted my head. Red eyes were staring at me intently.
“Julian...”
“Layla.”
We called each other by our names, like people who can communicate just by saying that.
It was a funny thing to say, but that was all it was, and it was comforting.
Tears began to pour from my eyes, which had been so dry and clammy that they felt suffocating. Julian's large hands cupped my cheeks. My tears flowed down his knuckles.
“Julian, Kaiser betrayed me.”
“...I know.”
No, he doesn't. Julian couldn't know what I'd been through before my regression. Still, I found it comforting to think he truly knew everything.
Without realizing it, I hugged his neck. His arms supported my waist and back, trapping me in his embrace. His large, dark embrace seemed to hide me from the world.
I buried my head in his shoulder and muttered.
“I want to kill him. I’ll make him miserable until the moment he dies.”
“...Do whatever you want.”
"I'll cut off his limbs and throw them to the beasts. I'll let the rest of his body rot in the basement for the rest of his life."
“I’ll help you.”
I pulled away from his embrace and faced him. Julian still had an unreadable expression on his face. I asked with a wet face.
“Really?”
Julian nodded. His appearance reminded me of something I'd seen before. I snuggled into his embrace again.
“You are truly my savior.”
Shuan was the eldest son of the Marquis of Eriant. He had no older brother, let alone a second brother. And among us, there was only one man he could call his second-oldest brother.
The Second Prince. And Marian's ex-boyfriend must be referring to Kaiser. They're saying that Kaiser is the Second Prince's subordinate. Kaiser is the Second Prince's subordinate...
Since when? No, that fact didn't matter.
The important thing is that, before my regression, I was preparing to marry Kaiser at this point. And a few years later, I fell at Kaiser's feet, begging him to send me back to my family. At that time, Kaiser didn't even mourn the deaths of my family, let alone offer condolences, and treated me like an ignorant insect.
At that moment, a sudden realization came to me.
Kaiser clearly told me this.
'You should know that you're alive because you married me.'
At the time, I thought he was overconfident in his own identity. No, I didn't have time to think about it any further. But Kaiser, though arrogant, wasn't foolish. He clearly spoke as if he knew everything.
Because Kaiser may have contributed to the deaths of my family.
At first, I resented Kaiser, but that resentment gradually turned to anger. I also desperately wanted revenge on him. However, I never imagined Kaiser would be such a direct enemy.
The fact that I had shared a blanket with Kaiser and given birth to his child was repulsive and disgusting.
I tore the letter to shreds. Still angry, I swept the desk with my arm, making a mess. I picked up the teacup on the table and threw it at the mirror, shattering them both with a loud crash.
But no words came out of my mouth. No tears came out.
“Madam, madam, what’s the matter? Yes?”
Anna rushed over and began to stop me. I pushed her away. I didn't even notice Anna staggering as I began to pace around the room.
“Kaiser, Kaiser...”
What came out of my mouth sounded like the cry of a wretched beast. It was definitely not the voice of an elegant Grand Duchess. Anna looked at me with fearful eyes and then ran out of the room.
“Madam, I will bring His Highness the Grand Duke. Yes?”
“Ahhh... Kaiser...”
I groaned, covering my face with both hands. I wondered how long I'd been kneeling on the floor. My head was spinning, and I felt like I was floating in midair.
Someone grabbed my shoulder firmly and gently. I followed the hand and lifted my head. Red eyes were staring at me intently.
“Julian...”
“Layla.”
We called each other by our names, like people who can communicate just by saying that.
It was a funny thing to say, but that was all it was, and it was comforting.
Tears began to pour from my eyes, which had been so dry and clammy that they felt suffocating. Julian's large hands cupped my cheeks. My tears flowed down his knuckles.
“Julian, Kaiser betrayed me.”
“...I know.”
No, he doesn't. Julian couldn't know what I'd been through before my regression. Still, I found it comforting to think he truly knew everything.
Without realizing it, I hugged his neck. His arms supported my waist and back, trapping me in his embrace. His large, dark embrace seemed to hide me from the world.
I buried my head in his shoulder and muttered.
“I want to kill him. I’ll make him miserable until the moment he dies.”
“...Do whatever you want.”
"I'll cut off his limbs and throw them to the beasts. I'll let the rest of his body rot in the basement for the rest of his life."
“I’ll help you.”
I pulled away from his embrace and faced him. Julian still had an unreadable expression on his face. I asked with a wet face.
“Really?”
Julian nodded. His appearance reminded me of something I'd seen before. I snuggled into his embrace again.
“You are truly my savior.”
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