‘If I could go back just one day…’
“I really came back.”
It felt strange.
Should I be happy about this or not…?
‘Let’s think positively. Maybe I need to see Sion to wake up from this dream.’
Thinking of Sion quickly shifted her previously chaotic feelings toward ‘excitement.’
After grasping the situation, Laila moved immediately. She called for Marie and expressed her intention to go out.
Just as Laila, having quickly finished getting ready with Marie’s help, was about to leave the bedroom, Henry appeared.
“You’re going out?”
Laila didn’t miss the suspicion that crossed Henry’s face.
‘He’s probably suspicious that I’m trying to escape because I know I’ll die tomorrow.’
She hit the nail on the head.
So she couldn’t be caught. Laila smiled.
“I’m going to buy some jewelry to wear at your birthday party.”
“Jewelry? You can just call the merchant to come to the castle.”
“What if there’s nothing I like among what the merchant brings? You’re not suggesting I look at a catalog, place an order, and then wait, are you?”
You can’t have forgotten when your birthday party is.
As Laila added this, Henry narrowed his eyes but ultimately backed down.
Then, seeing Laila ready to go out with just a small handbag, he nodded.
“Have a good time. Choose something pretty to brighten up my party.”
Oh, how delightful. Tsk tsk…
“I will.”
After shaking off the escort Henry had assigned to her at the dress shop, Laila got into the carriage alone.
‘I need to try on this dress myself. Sir, I can wait here.’
The methods she had used in the past worked just as well in the dream. Laila exited through the back door of the dress shop and climbed into the carriage that the staff had called for after receiving payment. Once the coachman started the carriage, he asked for the destination.
“Where to?”
Laila first requested to get away from the Marquis territory and then fell into thought.
‘Where could Sion be?’
Of course, this wasn’t something she could solve just by pondering alone.
Just as the carriage crossed the boundary of the marquis territory, Laila asked the coachman.
“Do you happen to know where the hero resides?”
As soon as she asked the question, the answer came back immediately.
“The Duke of Axid’s residence? Of course, I know it.”
“What?”
Laila responded without thinking. Noticing her reaction, the coachman asked.
“Why do you ask?”
“…It’s nothing.”
Laila shook her head reflexively, even though the coachman couldn’t see, and quickly added.
“Take me to the Duke of Axid’s residence. I’ll pay you generously.”
“Understood!”
The coachman drove the carriage with an excited demeanor. From the looks of it, the Duke of Axid’s territory seemed quite far from here.
In other words, the fare for the carriage would be substantial. That didn’t matter much. Laila’s handbag contained several expensive jewels and gold coins.
Sitting in the speeding carriage, Laila gazed out the window, swallowing her surprise.
‘Sion has become the Duke of Axid even in this dream…’
Laila, who was prepared to go abroad just in case, found it strange that Sion was in this country and soon realized.
‘That’s right. Sion’s family is in this country.’
In reality, Sion received his title and settled in this country solely because of Laila.
However, the Sion in Laila’s dream was different. The Sion who had become the hero that the entire nation desired was held back in his homeland by his living family.
Laila, still keeping her gaze fixed outside the window, smiled faintly.
Sion, living happily without her.
She didn’t feel upset. She was simply happy.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
The Duke of Axid, who had been on an inspection tour of his territory, returned to his mansion in the capital.
“Sion!”
Baroness Dimart, a retainer of the Duke of Axid, came out personally to welcome Sion.
“Cecile.”
Baroness Dimart was Sion’s older sister, Cecile.
Sion’s entire family had received titles. This was because Sion had demanded that his family also be treated well in exchange for receiving the title of “Duke of Axid.”
The king gladly accepted the request to secure the hero. He granted baron titles to all of Sion’s parents and siblings, along with property and a mansion.
Initially, Sion’s family left their own mansion to live with him, but as each of them found partners or began pursuing their own interests, they dispersed to their respective homes.
Sion’s parents also left the duke’s household, stating they wanted to establish and run an orphanage.
Sion didn’t hold anyone back.
There was no reason to cling to them when they weren’t parting forever.
Instead, Sion genuinely encouraged and supported his family as they built their own lives.
‘I know you won’t wither away in loneliness just because I’m not here. Still, I want to be here.’
Cecile said that when all her siblings, except for her, left the Duke of Axid’s household.
Sion, who hadn’t held anyone back when his family left the duke’s household, didn’t add much in response to Cecile’s choice.
It had already been several years since Sion and Cecile began living together.
After habitually smiling at his family welcoming him, Sion opened his mouth.
“Looks like you’re not busy today.”
He said this because she had come out to greet him personally instead of sending the butler.
However, Cecile approached Sion with an unusually serious expression.
“…Sion, do you remember Marquis Hildegarde?”
Sion paused for a moment before answering.
“Yeah.”
There was no way he could forget.
Marquis Hildegarde.
He was the one who had set fire to the orphanage where Sion lived in the distant past.
Fortunately, Sion had sensed the approach of suspicious individuals and managed to escape with his family, so they were safe, having only lost their home.
Yet even now, thinking back to that day, Sion felt his heart sink.
What if he had been away from home that day?
What if he hadn’t been with his family…?
Sion learned that the identity of those “suspicious individuals” was the soldiers of Marquis Hildegarde when he was a boy, and from that moment on, he had wanted to make Marquis Hildegarde pay for his crimes someday.
After that, an opportunity truly came to Sion, who had become both a hero and the Duke of Axid.
While watching the Hildegarde family, Sion discovered that one of the marquis’s children, “Henry Hildegarde,” was planning to kill the marquis.
After obtaining this information, Sion secretly assisted Henry Hildegarde’s plans from the shadows.
As a result, Marquis Hildegarde was ultimately killed by his own son.
For reference, Cecile did not know that Sion had assisted Henry Hildegarde.
She believed that Marquis Hildegarde had received divine punishment.
“Haah. Don’t be surprised.”
Cecile, with a serious expression, began to speak.
“The daughter of the Marquis Hildegarde is currently at the duke’s estate.”
“What?”
“I’m talking about the deceased Marquis Hildegarde, of course….”
Henry Hildegarde was still unmarried.
Sion suspected that Henry Hildegarde would never marry or, even if he did, would not have children.
Considering how Henry became the Marquis of Hildegarde, it was a natural conclusion.
Of course, if Henry Hildegarde turned out to be just as arrogant as his father, Sion’s prediction could be proven wrong.
Marquis Hildegarde had killed his parents to take over the family and had many children. He met the same end as his parents.
What would happen to Henry Hildegarde?
In truth, Sion didn’t care about Henry’s fate. That’s why, after the death of the former Marquis Hildegarde, Sion had lost interest in the Hildegarde family.
Just a moment ago, that is…
The daughter of Marquis Hildegarde.
Sion lowered his gaze.
Why had the daughter of that deceased man come to the duke’s estate in his absence?
Did she harbor a desire for revenge?
Against the Duke of Axid, who had assisted her brother’s disgraceful actions?
That couldn’t be. Sion quickly dismissed the thought.
Even Henry Hildegarde, who had received help, did not know that it was Sion who had assisted him.
So how could the deceased marquis’s daughter possibly know that?
“When did she arrive?”
When Sion asked, Cecile replied.
“Ten days ago.”
A strange look crossed Sion’s face.
“That early? And she’s still staying at the duke’s estate?”
“Well, you see…”
Cecile’s expression was slightly twisted. Sion noticed his sister looking confused.
“That woman is working as a maid in the mansion.”
