144.

Marguerite’s eyes widened in shock.

“Lucian?!”

But Lucian didn’t have the luxury to respond to her call.

It felt as though every nerve in his body was burning up.

But the most intense pain of all was…

“My head… my head…!”

It felt like someone was relentlessly pounding his skull with a hammer, breaking it apart with each blow.

The agony spread throughout his body, as though his entire being was shattering into pieces.

Lucian gasped for air.

‘I don’t want this.’

His blue eyes, stained with pain and despair, trembled violently.

‘I don’t want to remember.’

Marguerite’s sweet whispers caressed his ears.

[Don’t hurt too much, Lucian.]

A voice like magic, easing the guilt he had carried for so long.

[It’s just a fleeting dream. I told you, this world is a lie.]

A warm smile directed at him.

[Once I return to Sevrang, you will be freed from this false world too.]

…Really?

Lucian was filled with intense doubt.

The unsettling feeling he had never been able to let go of when dealing with Marguerite.

Was this world truly a lie?

Was it really just because Elze didn’t choose him that it all had to end this way?

‘…Can I just break it all apart?’

At that moment…

‘Ah.’

Lucian found himself standing on the red earth.

It was a familiar place.

The garden full of blooming red roses that he had only ever been able to gaze at from the solitary confinement window during his time at Rosenkreuz Academy.

Back then, Elze had taken pity on him, taking him out for walks when he felt suffocated.

[Marguerite…?!]

Lucian muttered in a daze.

The silver hair flowing gently before him was Marguerite’s—her only act of comfort to him.

And in front of him, the red hair staining the earth red was…

‘Lady Lepherian?!’

Lucian’s eyes snapped wide open.

Why was Lady Lepherian lying there in such a pitiful state?

Lucian instinctively tried to rush to Elze, but Marguerite’s command came first.

[Kill that child.]

Lucian froze in place.

But his lips only produced a foolish response, like an actor reciting lines in a play.

[But… they’re just a civilian… killing them…]

What was he saying?

The person before him was Elze.

The only one who had ever treated him like a human being in that terrible Rosenkreuz Academy.

Why was he just standing here, unable to stop Marguerite?

‘Why am I just standing here?’

Lucian’s face betrayed his confusion.

It was as if…

It felt like he didn’t care whether Elze lived or died.

But Marguerite’s hand had already drawn the silver blade, which gleamed in the dim light.

Thud!

Blood splattered from Elze’s body.

The silver blade was drenched as blood dripped from it.

The garden that had once been filled with red roses turned red once more.

‘Lies.’

Lucian’s eyes trembled.

At the same time, a blood-curdling scream echoed through his mind.

[Elze!]

The red eyes, filled with rage, fixed on Lucian.

[You… you…]

Dante shouted at Lucian, his voice harsh.

[You killed Elze!]

At that moment,

A sharp realization pierced Lucian’s chest like a knife.

‘This isn’t the first time.’

Silver hair fluttering white.

Red bloodstains on the ground.

Lucian and Benedict surrounding Marguerite like guards.

‘I—’

Lucian’s body shook uncontrollably.

‘I’ve never saved her, not once.’

Click.

Lucian felt something snap within him.

‘I’ve never saved Lady Lepherian.’

With a blink, Lucian opened his eyes.

Marguerite, who had been staring at him with concern, finally called his name with relief.

“Lucian!”

Lucian clenched his teeth tightly.

The remnants of burning pain still ached all over his body.

But compared to the suffocating despair consuming him right now…

The pain didn’t matter.

“I…”

Lucian whispered with a hoarse voice.

He raised both hands to cover his face.

A whisper, like a groan, escaped him.

“I… I might as well have killed Lady…”

At the same time, Marguerite’s expression grew as cold as ice.

Watching the pitiful sight before her, she calmly processed her thoughts.

‘Why did he suddenly regain his memory?’

There had been no reason for him to do so.

The biggest threat, Dante, had been locked away from the beginning.

And Lucian was the most crucial tool and ingredient for the time-reversal magic.

Marguerite had always taken the utmost care in looking after him.

But then, an epiphany struck her like a bolt of lightning.

‘The magic circle!’

Come to think of it, Benedict had altered the formula to improve the efficiency of the magic circle.

Marguerite quickly turned her head.

‘Could it be… Benedict?’

Even with the fierce atmosphere, Benedict wasn’t surprised.

He simply met Marguerite’s gaze with a calm expression.

“It was you.”

Marguerite sneered, her lips curling in disdain as she shot a sharp remark at Benedict.

“After Dante, now you too are trying to stab me in the back?”

But she couldn’t continue pressing Benedict for the truth about this situation.

“Marguerite.”

Just then, Lucian suddenly raised his head.

“Did you know?”

“…”

Unlike Lucian, whose face was twisted in anguish, Marguerite remained completely indifferent.

“What about?”

“I… I!”

Lucian clenched his fists tightly.

“That I turned my back on Lady Lepherian!”

“What does that matter?”

Marguerite replied nonchalantly.

The moment she spoke those words,

Lucian felt a sharp pain deep in his chest, as if his heart were being pierced by an ice-cold needle.

‘She knew.’

Marguerite had known it all along.

And yet, she deliberately concealed the truth.

She was afraid Lucian wouldn’t help her.

Without his magic, the time-reversal magic couldn’t be executed…

“I… I didn’t even know…”

Lucian glared at Marguerite with piercing eyes, but it was only for a brief moment.

Guilt quickly spread across his face, and he crumbled.

“Because Lady didn’t choose me, I was just so bitter about it…”

Lucian fell to pieces.

This was nothing but a fake world.

Elze, who didn’t choose him, was just a wicked woman trying to deceive him.

By helping Marguerite, he would be freed from this false world.

Those sweet words had eased his guilt, making it light.

But in reality, what had he done?

In all those hundreds of repeated cycles,

Had Lucian ever once looked back at the Elze who was being murdered?

Simultaneously, Lucian made a decision.

“I’ll stop.”

Lucian declared, no longer swaying, standing firm.

“I won’t…”

He spoke clearly, without hesitation.

“I won’t help you, Marguerite.”

Looking back, Lucian had always said he loved Elze, but he had always put his own desires first.

He had tried to force her to stay by his side, caging her in a gilded birdcage, even though she wanted to soar freely.

He knew that what Elze truly wanted was one thing—freedom.

And yet, he had selfishly acted, calling it love.

As Lucian reflected on his feelings,

Marguerite’s lips twitched.

It was as though she was trying to suppress a laugh that was about to burst out.

But her attempt failed.

“Ah, hah, hahaha!”

Marguerite burst into laughter, as if she had heard the most ridiculous joke in the world.

Her laughter echoed loudly in the silent basement.

“Haha, hahaha… What? Stop?”

After laughing for a while, Marguerite wiped away the tears from her eyes with her slender fingers.

Then,

“Don’t make me laugh.”

She shot Lucian a cold glare.

“You’re trying to rebel against me with your pathetic guilt over that woman.”

“You…!”

Lucian snapped, furious.

But Marguerite’s question came faster than his response.

“Did you really think you deserved to be by her side in the first place?”