Episode 105

At the time, I was too overwhelmed to realize the situation had changed.

So, I dismissed it without much thought, but now I clearly understood.

The events I had seen in my dream had not played out exactly the same in reality.

‘So that means…’

It must have been the last part of the dream.

I remembered exactly what had happened because I had the dream the night before the banquet.

In the dream, I tried to turn my head away quickly after making eye contact with the Crown Prince, whom I had never met before.

At that moment, Lloydin blocked my view, and the dream ended.

In reality, at the banquet, I had tried to see if the dream and reality would be the same.

So, I deliberately moved my head to look at the Crown Prince, but before I could see him, Lloydin blocked my view.

Pondering why the dream and reality had diverged, I realized it was because I had acted differently due to my curiosity.

In the dream, I hadn’t anticipated making eye contact with the Crown Prince, but in reality, I was aware of it.

Driven by curiosity to see if it would happen, I had acted on my own thoughts, creating a different outcome from the dream.

This meant that future events could also be changed.

‘I can save them!’

With hope surging through me, I felt a renewed determination.

I would change things, no matter what.

I resolved to defy fate and create a better future.

“My dear?”

I must have been lost in thought for too long.

Lloydin called out to me, probably finding my silence unusual.

“What were you thinking about so seriously?”

“Oh, did my face show it?”

I snapped out of my reverie and looked at Lloydin.

“Yes. You were frowning deeply, lost in thought.”

He gently touched my furrowed brow.

“I was thinking about what you said earlier.”

“Earlier? About me not letting anything bad happen to me?”

“Yes. You told me not to worry because you wouldn’t leave me alone.”

“That’s right.”

“You must keep that promise. Do you understand?”

“I promise.”

“Good. Then everything will be alright.”

The complicated feelings I had earlier disappeared entirely.

In their place, I filled my heart with new hope and steeled myself once more.

* * *

The next morning, as I entered the dining room for breakfast, Ian was already seated.

“Good morning, Ian. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes… Did you sleep well too?”

“Yes.”

Ian, still cautious from yesterday’s events, watched me with a careful expression.

“Oh, did Dalia get home safely last night? I was too preoccupied to see her off.”

“Yes. I escorted her home.”

“Good job.”

I praised Ian as I took my seat.

“Um…”

“Yes?”

“Are you really alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. You were quite startled yesterday, weren’t you?”

“Well… yes, a bit.”

Ian nodded, honestly admitting his feelings.

“You see, I had a nightmare while I was napping in the carriage.”

I repeated to Ian what I had told Lloydin.

“A nightmare?”

“Yes. It was such a horrible nightmare that it lingered even after I woke up.”

“Even so, I’m glad it wasn’t anything serious.”

“Yes, it wasn’t. Thank you for worrying, Ian.”

He looked relieved, though a bit perplexed, as he processed my explanation.

Just then, Lloydin entered the dining room and joined us.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning, Duke.”

“Good morning.”

We exchanged greetings, and Lloydin gave me a reassuring look, silently communicating his support.

We enjoyed a quiet breakfast together, the atmosphere slowly easing back to normal.

With the determination to alter our fate, I felt a new sense of purpose.

I would protect my loved ones and change our future, one step at a time.

**Episode 105**

“Ian, were you worried about me?”

I asked playfully, smiling at him.

“Of course. We’re family now.”

Hearing Ian naturally refer to us as family brought back the resolve I had made yesterday.

We’re family.

Family should be together.

I won’t let Ian be left alone.

“Yes, we are family.”

I emphasized, smiling warmly at Ian.

As we conversed, Lloydin entered the dining room.

We talked about the enjoyable trip while sharing a delicious meal together.

After breakfast, Ian mentioned that he had plans with Dalia and went out.

Lloydin and I saw him off and then took a walk in the garden, holding hands.

“Are you feeling better today?”

“Yes, I’m fine. I feel really good.”

I smiled brightly, trying to ease his worries.

“I’m glad.”

“And how about you, Duke? Are you feeling well today?”

“I’m feeling good too.”

“That’s a relief.”

Lloydin smiled softly at me.

We strolled through the garden, engaging in light, everyday conversation.

Seeing a bench ahead, we decided to sit down and rest for a while.

“Do you remember when I told you I had something to say and asked you to listen?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“I would like you to give me that time soon.”

“Well, I’m always available when I’m with you, so feel free to tell me anytime.”

I didn’t know what he wanted to say, but it didn’t seem like anything bad.

Though curious, I decided to wait until he was ready to share.

“Thank you for saying that.”

“It’s nothing. Shall we head back inside now?”

“I’d like to stay with you a bit longer.”

Worried that I had taken up too much of his time, I suggested going back, but he gently declined, sensing my thoughts.

“I actually wanted to stay longer too.”

So, we continued to enjoy the warm morning sunshine together.

* * *

After our walk, Lloydin went to his study, and I retreated to the library.

There, I pondered and rethought my plans for the future.

In the original story, there was no mention of the Blighton family being wrongfully accused of treason.

It was only mentioned that Lloydin stayed in the north while Ian attended the academy and did not return to the capital.

But in my dream, the Blighton family, along with ours, was implicated in treason, and Lloydin was killed.

‘Sigh.’

Just thinking about the dream brought out a deep sigh.

It was painful and overwhelming to even think about it.

‘Is it because I married Lloydin?’

If it weren’t for our marriage, there wouldn’t have been any reason for the Anaïs and Blighton families to be connected.

In the original story, it was likely that my father, realizing something was wrong, cut ties with the Blighton family to protect our own.

In that timeline, I would have died from my illness before any of this could happen.

But by marrying Lloydin to seek treatment, I had altered the future.

Now, I had to find a way to change the course of events caused by my actions.

‘What should I do?’

I had to figure out a way for all of us to survive.

‘First, I need to visit my father.’

After much deliberation, I decided to address the most urgent matter.

When I last spoke to my father, he had advised me to do nothing.

Back then, I had no idea what the future held, so I agreed.

But now, both he and I needed to act with caution.

We needed to gather more information and proceed carefully.

To do that, I needed more dreams, but dreams couldn’t be summoned at will.

‘I’ll go to the Anaïs residence first. I wonder if Jade will be home.’

As I briefly considered my plan, Princess Diana came to mind.

I wasn’t sure why, but her image stuck in my head.

I decided to meet my brother Jade, suspecting that there might be something between him and the princess.

Perhaps I could gather information about the princess through him.

I quickly prepared to leave for the Anaïs residence.

After informing Lloydin, I was about to get into the carriage when I heard his voice behind me.

“My dear.”

“Duke?”

Turning around, I saw Lloydin approaching quickly.

“I heard you’re going to the Anaïs residence.”

“Yes, I asked the butler to inform you. Did you come out just to see me off?”

“Of course. It’s only natural to see you off when you’re going out.”

“You’re busy; there was no need for that.”

“I always have time to see you off.”

I couldn’t help but smile at his words.

“Alright then, I’m off.”

“Take care.”

“I’ll be back in time for dinner.”

“You can stay longer if you need to.”

“No, I want to be back with you.”

Lloydin smiled at my response, looking pleased.

“Alright then, I’ll be waiting.”

“See you soon.”

Using his hand for support, I climbed into the carriage.

As the door closed, the carriage set off for the Anaïs residence.