Episode 71

Yvonne’s expression turned icy as Yurian spoke.

“It’s impressive that you know something I don’t, Grand Duke.”

He fiddled with the ring as he approached Yvonne. Although he still couldn’t remember her, his body reacted as if he were meeting a long-lost lover. Yurian, quick to sense things, knew that something was affecting him. And judging by Yvonne’s wary attitude toward him, it was clear that this ability was connected to her.

However, he didn’t believe Yvonne possessed any powers. The scent emanating from her was definitely that of a guide.

“You do not love Marquess Rohan as much as you claim. I wanted to hear that.”

“Stay out of matters between husband and wife.”

“I didn’t expect you to deny it.”

“….”

He inhaled Yvonne’s sweet scent again, confirming that she hadn’t bonded with her husband. A suspicious duchess who seemed to love her husband yet did not share a bed with him, and his heart that pounded as if he had seen someone dear to him.

Yurian, who had felt frustrated thinking they were a married couple, now felt a strange sense of relief, as if he had found a clear answer.

“I feel strange when I see you, my lady.”

“….”

“I want to do everything you desire, and if you dislike something, I don’t want to do it. Yet, I still want to stay by your side.”

“You must be mad.”

“Yes, I believe I am.”

He smiled warmly as he met Yvonne’s gaze. For some reason, those eyes were so similar to the ones he had seen in the underground before that she momentarily hesitated.

“This is for you.”

Yurian handed Yvonne a ring. It bore the emblem of a noble family—the Helcias family crest.

“Among my close maids is Marchioness Ebony Le Meredin.”

“….”

“Her maiden name was Helcias.”

Yurian suspected that the Duchess of Rohan, Yvonne, might actually be the missing princess, Yvonne Ferrite Bricesys. The suspicion that had arisen when he first saw her eyes transformed into certainty as he realized the emotions he felt toward this stranger.

No matter how many times the Marquess erased his memory, the lingering emotions remained vividly.

Yurian began to recognize Yvonne again.

“And what of it?”

“There was a daughter among her maids.”

Yvonne recalled that Ebony’s daughter had died when she was young, and that Ebony had cherished her as if she were her own daughter. She assumed that since she had fled from the emperor, Ebony must have left the imperial palace as well.

“And the maid served a princess.”

“I have no interest in the Bricesys Empire. Explore the temple alone.”

Yurian reached out to grab her hand but hesitated. Yvonne also paused as Yurian, startled, tried to grab her wrist.

“That maid is Your Highness’s true mother.”

“….”

“And someone erased all traces of that.”

Yvonne found his words puzzling. While Ebony had treated her like a daughter, she had never fully considered her as one. Yvonne knew she was adopted, but even so, she had always thought she inherited the blood of a branch of the imperial family.

Perhaps Yurian’s words were true. Her original hair color was not silver, but now it was platinum.

“What… does this have to do with me?”

Even as she spoke, Yvonne’s voice trembled.

Ebony is my mother?

Suddenly, her head began to throb as if it would split apart.

“Let’s go to the temple.”

“Let go.”

“I haven’t held on to you yet, my lady.”

Yurian felt strange addressing her as “my lady,” as if he were speaking to his own wife. He couldn’t discern whether the pounding in his chest was a desire to possess her, a murderous impulse, or love.

“If we go to the temple now, the high priest will come out to greet me.”

“….”

“Do you trust Marquess Rohan?”

“Yes, I do. I trust my husband.”

She said this and then straightened up again. The throbbing pain in her head seemed to disappear as soon as she spoke.

“Do you know about Marquess Rohan’s abilities?”

“Yes.”

“That he can manipulate memories?”

Yvonne didn’t answer, feeling as if he was testing her.

“Even so, I still like Kes.”

After saying this, she left Yurian standing in front of the fountain and walked away. Left alone, Yurian felt the intense gaze that Yvonne had directed at him, like a scar that wouldn’t heal. He couldn’t figure out what to call this unfamiliar emotion.

And yet, he was certain that the Duchess of Rohan, Yvonne, was actually Yvonne Ferrite Bricesys—the princess the emperor had lost his mind searching for.

* * *

When Yvonne returned to the mansion, she thought about meeting with Marquess Rohan and headed to his office. He hadn’t returned yet, likely because the sun had not yet set.

She reached the Marquess’s office and was about to head to the sofa when her eyes caught something familiar on his desk—a cross-shaped amulet. It looked holy yet wasn’t. The magic emanating from it was unusual.

Yvonne was briefly startled by the faint scent of hydrangeas coming from the amulet.

“My lady.”

“Oh….”

Just as she was about to reach out, Marquess Rohan opened the door and entered.

“What about the imperial meeting?”

“I finished early today and came back because I heard you went out with an envoy.”

“That didn’t go well. I got upset and left halfway through.”

“Were you angry?”

He smiled, pleased by the thought that Yvonne had left Yurian behind. But Yvonne found it odd that his green eyes appeared dull, with a red tint pooling within them, giving her a chill.

It was as if Hildebrandt’s power had seeped out each time it manifested.

“Why were you angry?”

“We just… didn’t get along. I don’t even remember.”

For some reason, Yvonne felt she couldn’t reveal everything to Marquess Rohan. The scent of Hildebrandt’s power emanating from him and the suspicious signs she could see made her uneasy, along with the circumstances suggesting he had used his power on her.

“Kes, did you manipulate my memories?”

“….”

She looked directly at Marquess Rohan. He approached her slowly, still smiling.

“What part did you manipulate?”

“As long as it’s not discovered, it’s fine, you said.”

“Well, now it’s been discovered.”

As Yvonne said this, she glared at him coldly. Marquess Rohan knelt at her feet near the sofa, looking up at her with a sorrowful expression.

“It’s okay because you’ll forget this too.”

“And why?”

She had a vague idea of the reason, but it made it harder to accept.

Yvonne knew she didn’t love him. That’s why she had tried to take responsibility, believing that feelings would develop eventually, doing her best for him. But when she sensed that even those feelings might be false, she became uncharacteristically anxious.

“Because I love you too much, my lady.”

“Why do you think I can’t love you, Kes?”

“Because I’ve been with other women.”

“Do you really believe that’s the reason?”

“Yes.”

Marquess Rohan wanted to erase even those memories from her mind, but he couldn’t because the Yvonne he loved was not someone with a blank slate of memories.

Finally, he made up his mind.

“I don’t think we can continue, Kes.”

“What do you mean?”

“That you actually believe I can’t love you because of that.”

As they continued to talk, Marquess Rohan unknowingly began to cry. He felt as if Yvonne was about to leave him.

He took her hand and placed it on his cheek, but unlike before when she would have caressed him, Yvonne now looked at him coldly without moving a finger.

“So what caused the rift between us?”

“Kes, I’ve been sincere with you all along.”

“…So have I.”

“Yet, despite that sincerity, you manipulated and erased my memories. I can’t even tell if what I remember is real or fake.”

“I’m sorry.”

Yvonne, thinking this would be the last time, spoke her mind entirely.

“I’m sorry, my lady.”

Her heart ached at the sight of him crying so bitterly, but at the same time, she realized that this twisted relationship had become a tangled mess she could no longer unravel. She decided that she had to leave this place on her own.

From the beginning, it was a mistake to involve Marquess Rohan.

“My lady, are you going to leave me?”

“….”

“If you leave, how am I supposed to live?”

Marquess Rohan’s desperate words only made Yvonne feel colder. She was reminded once more of how he had deceived her, even though he claimed to love her. His plea not to be caught was, in a way, a warning. It was his firm resolve to make her believe in him despite everything.

But she never imagined he would go as far as to manipulate her memories to this extent. She thought that at most, he would have tampered with minor details.

She wanted to trust him.

“I’m sorry, my lady. I’m truly sorry.”

Marquess Rohan wept so much that her hand was drenched with his tears.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t erase everything perfectly.”

And then, his eyes turned a deep, glowing red as he unleashed his power on her.

“Ugh…!”

He caught Yvonne as she collapsed, losing her balance. He gently laid her down on the floor, still crying, and looked down at her before smiling.

“I’m sorry, my lady. Forget everything.”

Marquess Rohan pressed his lips against hers.