Episode 102

To give Lloydin and Ian some time alone after so long, I left the study first.

I headed straight to the library.

Once inside, I sat down on a chair and fell into deep thought.

Once could be a coincidence, but twice could not.

Both the events at the banquet and the conversation I just had with Ian were things I had experienced in dreams before they actually happened.

‘Precognitive dreams.’

I had to accept it now.

I had gained the ability to have precognitive dreams.

I still didn’t know why this was happening to me, but I could tell one thing for sure.

Given that the dreams were similar to the ones I had when I fell into a sleep due to my illness, it was clear that these precognitive dreams were related to my condition.

Had I gained this ability because I recovered from my illness?

If that were the case, would Daliah also be able to have precognitive dreams once she recovered from her illness?

If my assumption that the illness was linked to this ability was correct, then it was highly likely that Daliah could also have such dreams in the future.

‘But that’s not the most important thing right now.’

If Daliah developed the same ability, I could calmly explain it to her then.

What was more important now was determining whether our family was indeed accused of treason and annihilated.

I wanted to deny that my memory could be wrong, but the likelihood was low.

That left me with one option.

I had to find a way to avoid the dreadful future awaiting my family and me.

To do that, I needed to first figure out what had happened.

I resolved to uncover the whole story by thoroughly investigating every path in my next dream.

* * *

A week had passed since Ian returned to the ducal residence for his summer vacation.

Today, we were going on a short trip before Ian returned to the academy.

When I asked Ian a few days ago where he wanted to go, he said it didn’t matter where.

Then he asked if Daliah could come with us, and I replied that we could take her if her parents allowed it.

Ian immediately sent a letter to the count’s residence, and fortunately, Daliah’s parents granted their permission.

Thus, our travel destination was set to Lavlonia, a coastal city located at the westernmost end.

It was summer, and neither Lloydin nor the children had ever seen the sea, so I wanted to show them the cool, blue ocean with its rolling waves.

Of course, I was also excited about this trip because I had only been to the sea once as a child due to my illness.

As soon as we finished all the preparations for departure, Daliah arrived.

“Hello, Duchess.”

“Welcome, Daliah. How are you feeling?”

“I feel great and really excited. I’ve always wanted to see the sea.”

Daliah answered with a face full of excitement.

“And where is Ian?”

“Ian went back to his room because he forgot something. Oh, there he is.”

I pointed to the end of the second-floor staircase, and Daliah looked in that direction.

“Daliah!”

“Ian!”

The two children shouted each other’s names loudly upon seeing one another.

Ian quickly ran down to the first-floor hall to greet Daliah.

They immediately started chatting happily as soon as they met.

Watching them with a smile, I waited for Lloydin.

A little later, Lloydin, having finished his work quickly, joined us, and we all got into the carriage and headed to Lavlonia.

The carriage traveled without rest for half a day, and we arrived in Lavlonia late in the afternoon.

After unpacking at the villa overlooking the sea, we all went out to the beach together.

“Wow, it’s the sea!”

“It’s the sea!”

Ian and Daliah ran around the wide sandy beach in excitement.

“Wow, it seems endless.”

“Indeed. The sea is enormous.”

“Ian, look at this. The water is really salty!”

“Really? I want to taste it too.”

After tasting the seawater, he made a surprised face.

“It’s really amazing! Isn’t it?”

“Yes! Should we go over there too?”

“Sure, let’s go!”

“Don’t go too far! Got it?”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

Worried that they might go out of our sight, I quickly warned the children.

As we watched them, Lloydin and I held hands and strolled along the beach.

The salty sea air, the sound of the crashing waves, and the cool sea breeze brushing through our hair made me feel incredibly good.

“Duke, you said this is your first time seeing the sea, right?”

“Yes. It is indeed a fascinating place.”

Lloydin seemed to be in a great mood, and for someone who rarely showed his emotions, he looked quite excited.

“It’s also my first time seeing it up close for an extended period. It’s wonderful.”

“I’m also happy to see such a view with you.”

We enjoyed this happy moment in a special place together.

Afterward, we had dinner and had a light conversation with the children.

Late at night, after putting Ian and Daliah to bed, we returned to the beach and spread a blanket in the middle of the sandy shore.

“Wow, Duke, look at the sky. It’s full of stars.”

The sky I looked up to while leaning on his shoulder was a breathtaking sight.

Without the moon, the world was in complete darkness.

This made the stars in the night sky shine even more brightly.

“It’s truly beautiful.”

“This time, you’re talking about the sky, right?”

Remembering our previous conversation, I asked playfully, and Lloydin looked at me seriously.

“Wait, are you saying that about me again?”

“You are always the most beautiful to me.”

“Thank you for the compliment. But today, I want you to focus on the stars instead of me. It would be a shame to miss such a sight.”

With that, I gently held his cheek and lifted his head towards the sky.

“Look. It feels like the stars are going to pour down on us.”

“…It really does.”

“Right?”

We looked up at the night sky for a while without saying a word.

Then, suddenly, we found ourselves gazing at each other and, without knowing who moved first, we kissed.

Listening to the sound of the waves, which seemed like music in the silence, the kiss we shared became the happiest memory of our three days in Lavlonia.

* * *

After the enjoyable trip, we set off back to the capital to return to our daily lives.

Traveling in the carriage for a long time, I soon felt sleepy.

“My dear, we still have some way to go before we reach the capital. You should lean on me and get some rest.”

“Alright, I will.”

I didn’t refuse and rested my head on Lloydin’s shoulder.

His familiar scent and the calming aura he exuded made me feel at ease, and my eyes gradually began to close.

“I’ll wake you when we arrive. So, rest comfortably.”

“Yes, please wake me when we arrive.”

“I will.”

His voice grew fainter and fainter as I drifted off to sleep, eventually entering another dream.

‘Where should I go first?’

I immediately pondered where to start.

I had a goal, so hesitation was a luxury I couldn’t afford.

Thinking that I might have to see everything anyway, I set a criterion and decided to start from there.

I boldly headed down the path directly in front of me.

‘Where is this?’

After passing a longer path than last time, I found myself in an unfamiliar place.

It was a garden filled with blooming flowers, and I was having tea with other people.

‘Is this a tea party?’

I saw faces I recognized from the banquet and some I was seeing for the first time.

“Thank you for accepting my invitation, Duchess.”

“No, thank you for inviting me. The garden is very beautiful.”

“It’s my only hobby. Please try this tea.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“But, Duchess, you…”

I continued to engage in light conversation on various topics with them.

The atmosphere was quite pleasant, perhaps because none of the people who had spoken ill of Blighton at the Varion Marquis’ residence were present.

However, this wasn’t the future I wanted to see, so I waited for the situation to end.

Fortunately, my vision soon blurred, and I was back at the starting point.

I immediately ran down the path next to it.

This time, I was in the study where I usually stayed.

I was wrestling with the information I had gathered so far.

But this future wasn’t what I wanted either.