“Episode 71”
I really didn’t wish for such results, but the world I returned to had become a little more comfortable. The existence of the “Ariacne” magic stone, which had been passed down since the founding of the empire, had disappeared without a trace, and consequently, the practice of experimenting and torturing the next candidates for the throne had also vanished. Naturally, the imperial family started selecting the next emperor according to lineage, and Lucian, who had been the emperor, returned to the position of an illegitimate prince. Perhaps it was because Yoon had forcibly extracted the magic stone from Ariacne before the regression. After the regression, Lucian not only reverted from emperor to prince but also became physically weak. Of course, Juliana and Evan merely nodded, saying it was all ‘heaven’s will.’
Lucian, who should have quietly accepted his punishment from the heavens, was instead brazenly approaching the duke and duchess, disregarding people’s eyes. So Juliana was blocking Lucian’s approach in every insulting way possible. Despite Juliana’s attitude of openly snubbing and avoiding Lucian, he shamelessly appeared near the duke’s residence frequently, quite unlike someone who used to be an emperor. With a glint of anger in her eyes, Juliana whispered,
“If he comes again, I should tell him this: Don’t come unless you’re ready to be kicked in the butt. That should keep him away, right?”
“Being kicked by you would be an honor for him.”
Evan said sincerely. Her husband speaking like that was so cute and lovable that Juliana laughed heartily and showered his cheeks with kisses. It was a day of such happiness that it felt like these joyful summer days would last forever.
* * *
However, things in the world never go as one wishes. The next day, as expected, Lucian Bull Ariacne came again. When she mentioned the ‘kicking in the butt’ comment, he readily agreed to it. In the end, Juliana decided to face Lucian directly to see just how crazy he was. Partly, it was an impulsive decision made out of frustration. So, as Juliana faced an unwanted guest in the drawing room, she said with sharp eyes,
“I don’t know if you have any pride. A prince loitering around the duke’s residence. His Majesty would be surprised.”
Juliana wanted to say, “I can’t believe someone who was an emperor is behaving like this,” but she held back. There were too many eyes watching. It wasn’t necessary to say that much. Proper disrespect was enough to insult him effectively. Sipping the tea that the servants politely brought her, Juliana shrugged her shoulders at the man, who was thinner than she remembered.
“I hope your behavior doesn’t get noticed.”
Even with Juliana’s arrogant words, whether the servants heard it or not, Lucian, now just an illegitimate prince with no real power, said nothing. Lucian still had his dazzling golden hair, and his captivating smile was charming enough to steal anyone’s heart, but now he was nothing more than a well-titled beggar.
“Why are you silent? You said you wanted to meet me so badly.”
After the regression, like them, Lucian retained his memories due to the once-held power of Ariacne. Even though everything Lucian had done was undone, Juliana had no intention of forgiving him. Lucian had let Evan die. Moreover, even before Yoon intervened in the story, he had been obsessed with the throne, doubting and doubting his friends, even trying to extend his hand to her. Thinking back on those facts, no matter how pitiful Lucian had become, she couldn’t muster even a shred of sympathy.
Juliana, tired of Lucian remaining silent before her, shook her head as if she found him tedious. She then placed her teacup down openly and said,
“If speaking is difficult, please leave.”
When Juliana made a gesture to chase him away, Lucian finally opened his lips.
“Duchess, could you please have the servants leave for a moment?”
“Excuse me? That’s quite a difficult request.”
Juliana clicked her tongue as if troubled, then smiled slyly and replied,
“You must have something important to say. I don’t, but at least I’ll listen.”
What could he be thinking? Juliana and Evan, who had also regressed, would scare him enough to stay hidden in a remote countryside, yet here he was, brazenly wandering around the duke’s residence. Juliana wanted to pry open Lucian’s sly head to see what was inside.
“Hmm—.”
Eventually, with a deep sigh, Juliana dismissed the servants. In the drawing room, with all the servants gone, she looked out the window, ignoring Lucian’s presence. The blue rose garden, a gift from Evan, was sparkling in the sunlight, making her feel good just by looking at it.
‘Even with such a person in front of me.’
Seeing the blue roses swaying in the breeze softened Juliana’s gaze. At that moment, Lucian spoke cautiously in a low voice,
“Duchess, I don’t wish to make excuses for my past behavior.”
“All your lingering actions are excuses themselves. Why are you acting so foolishly?”
Juliana smiled. Lucian, letting go of his expressionless face, gave a bitter smile.
“No matter how much I recount my story, it wouldn’t reach you. But I thought you might be more understanding than Evan, which is why I came.”
“Seems you’ve already spoken with my husband. I can’t say anything different from him.”
“Is that so? Then why are you entertaining me, a lowly person…?”
“Oh. You haven’t noticed yet? It’s because I want to see your foolishly distorted face.”
Juliana smiled over the teacup, meeting his gaze. Lucian, instead of responding, calmly spoke with honesty.
“That woman must have returned to her world. I don’t know how you managed to fend her off and return to the past, but we have to do what must be done. As you know, the barbarians will rise soon.”
“That’s a story for a year from now.”
Juliana felt a twinge of tension. She unclasped her hands from around the teacup. Meanwhile, Lucian, holding a teacup for the first time, murmured,
“In a year, Evan will go out to the conquest war. Do you wish for that?”
“This time, he won’t. I won’t let him go.”
“Even if you don’t, Evan will still go. He is the Sword of the Empire and the Captain of the Imperial Knights. You wouldn’t want to be apart from your husband for a year.”
“Your Highness, can you prevent that war from happening then?”
Juliana spoke sharply, her tension rising. Even in a world where the Ariacne magic stone had disappeared as if it had never existed, conflicts with the barbarians threatening the Empire’s foundation could not be avoided. Juliana, who wanted to ignore the clear fact that Evan would soon go to that war, whispered,
“There is still a year left. I plan to find another way to prevent that day from coming. By the way, it’s the first time I hear you care so much about Evan. In the past, you didn’t care whether he lived or died.”
Juliana chuckled, channeling her simmering anger into a different form of expression. Her coldly mocking gaze swept over Lucian’s frail body. He met that gaze without shame and answered,
“I made wrong choices, and this is the result. Duchess, you won’t be appeased by mere words of apology.”
“So, will you apologize in another way? It would be great if you could go to the war instead of Evan.”
Of course, that wouldn’t happen. Who would entrust a significant war of the Empire to a sickly prince? Juliana pursed her lips, thinking of the future, her mouth going dry.
‘Even after achieving a perfect happy ending, there are still trials left.’
Fairy tales were indeed different from reality. As Juliana’s face darkened with worry, Lucian cautiously spoke,
“People don’t care about the reasons behind the war; they only focus on the result of the Yahaat tribe’s aggressive actions. I was the same. But thanks to the Duchess reversing time, I became a different person. I was able to focus on the reasons behind the war.”
“Do you have a means to placate those people?”
Juliana spoke as if willing to listen. Lucian replied respectfully,
“Two years ago, after Sir Kelton, the eldest son of the Duke’s family, died, the conflict ended. The Yahaat tribe was driven to the more dangerous northern mountains and now live in peril on a small land. However, the Walter family, settled at the northern border, continues to push them further into the frontier under the pretext of land development.”
“So, you’re saying the start of that war was due to the Walter family’s tyranny?”
“The head of the Walter family is a very greedy man. It might have been natural for him to covet the lands even given to nearby barbarians for short-term gains.”
“But that man is the father of Her Majesty the Empress.”
Lucian responded to Juliana’s breathless exclamation,
“That’s correct.”
“So, you’re saying you plan to go to your in-laws. But why are you telling us this? Do you have a reason for us to intervene?”
After a brief silence, Lucian answered,
“My life is being threatened by your husband, which is why I’m telling you. Evan insists on leading a reconnaissance team to the land where signs of conflict have arisen to demonstrate His Majesty’s authority. He believes that the royalty, who were the foundation of the Empire, should set an example. It suits my father’s wishes. Whether before or after the regression, he prioritizes the secure inheritance of the throne.”
Lucian continued with a crude tone,
“He always wanted to get rid of the useless offspring he sired… such great fatherly love.”
The illegitimate prince, who mocked his father, whispered,
“How much of a thorn in his side must I be? Sickly and living with my nose in books.”
“Still, shouldn’t you follow His Majesty’s command?”
Juliana, leisurely resting her chin, said. Lucian, unaffected by her attitude, replied flatly,
“Evan probably thinks the same. In fact, he might be waiting for the war to break out. If I lead the reconnaissance team and die in vain, he could then command the knights to march north for the Empire’s safety.”
“Evan would never do that.”
He wouldn’t leave me to go to war. Juliana scoffed. To her, Lucian whispered,
“He is someone who believes in swiftly dealing with unavoidable matters. While he may act sweet towards you, do you think he would hesitate to join a war he has already fought after a year of stalling and reconnaissance? Especially a war that’s already won?”
Lucian’s somewhat gaunt cheeks twitched and curled inward. Juliana frowned. He was smiling.
