Meanwhile, Henderson couldn’t understand why Helena was punished for spreading such rumors.
The Helena he knew was not someone who would act foolishly.
He had met Helena a few years ago at an academy in the Ramsey Empire.
She had treated him well when he had nothing, and while he had developed a fondness for her, that feeling never blossomed into love.
Even after graduating from the academy, they met occasionally, but he still didn’t feel any fluttering in his heart for her.
He was still on good terms with Helena as friends.
‘What could have happened to her, someone so intelligent…?’
Of course, he had no disagreement with the fact that Helena deserved to be punished.
She had done something worthy of punishment, and she should face the consequences of her actions.
But the person he was more concerned about was Riley.
It felt like he was having recurring dreams about her because he hadn’t gone to see her.
So, he thought it was time to stop waiting for her to come find him first.
‘I need to go see her myself.’
As soon as he reached that thought, Henderson’s expression began to twist.
This was because he recalled the rumors surrounding her.
According to what he had heard, Riley was soon to marry another man.
Henderson didn’t like the news of her impending marriage.
He wanted to see her before she became someone else’s woman.
That desire drove Henderson, who rarely left the duke’s residence, to take action.
His destination was the imperial palace.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
If things went well with Henderson, I planned to go on a picnic with him and Eddie, the three of us.
If we could safely get through the upcoming winter and spring brought forth new life.
At that time, I wanted to hold Eddie’s small hand between us and walk side by side with Henderson.
I waited for time to pass, dreaming of such a happy future.
I foolishly believed that the deteriorating relationship with Henderson would be resolved with time.
Relationships between people are not always good.
No matter how good a relationship is, there are times when distance grows.
But while I did nothing and simply hoped for time to pass, hoping he would look at me again, my child died.
I found that fact devastating.
‘If I had known you would die so unexpectedly, I wouldn’t have stayed still.’
Now that I had returned to the past, I didn’t want to create any more regrets.
I intended to take action first to prevent hesitation and regret. To act independently, so I could protect Eddie.
Thinking of my beloved Eddie, I looked up at Matilda.
“Tell Duke Graham that I won’t be meeting him. No, it would be better to say I’m out.”
I couldn’t face Henderson, who had driven my child to despair.
Even if I would never see Henderson again.
“Yes, understood.”
Matilda left the room without asking any questions. She was someone who knew when not to ask.
As soon as I was alone, a dry sigh escaped me.
It must have been because I heard the name “Henderson,” which could never again be mine.
Even though he had come to love another woman and shared a separate room with me, that didn’t diminish the beautiful memories we had together.
The memories of the man I once loved passionately remained beautifully idealized in my mind, refusing to fade.
I knew in my head that I shouldn’t meet him, but perhaps my heart still hoped for even a small reunion with him.
Of course, I didn’t love Henderson.
Since the time we shared separate rooms, my feelings for him have gradually cooled.
Perhaps there were a few uncertain facts that lingered as questions, leaving me with some lingering attachment to him.
I didn’t know whether Henderson was involved in the incident where “Helena and my father killed Eddie.”
The only thing I was certain of was that Helena and Henderson had shared an emotional bond.
When I returned to the past, I was so focused on saving Eddie that I hadn’t gotten around to resolving that issue.
‘But no matter how I think about it, I don’t believe Henderson could have killed Eddie.’
It was much more likely that Helena and my father were responsible for that act.
Didn’t the sorcerer also not mention Henderson?
“Sorcerer…”
I rose from my seat to stop thinking about Henderson.
What I took out from a nearby drawer was a reply from the back alley guild I had received a few days ago.
The document contained the results of an investigation that had taken quite a while.
– Regrettably, we were unable to locate the residence of the sorcerer residing in the Lopez Empire. However, it is known that sorcerers live more frequently in the Ramsey Empire.
Below that were various accounts related to sorcerers, and a note added at the end read:
– …Some nobles from the Lopez Empire even go directly to the Ramsey Empire to seek the help of sorcerers.
It seemed that even the back alley guild, which had helped me a lot, couldn’t do anything about the sorcerer.
However, it wasn’t entirely fruitless.
‘Some nobles from the Lopez Empire cross over to the Ramsey Empire to meet with sorcerers.’
As I quietly contemplated this part, Helena, who had cursed my child, came to mind.
Now that I think about it, I had heard that when Helena worked as Eddie’s tutor, she traveled back and forth to the Ramsey Empire during her vacations.
Did Helena recruit a sorcerer there to kill Eddie?
What a twist of fate, as I was also planning to cross over to the Ramsey Empire.
‘Will I be able to find both the sorcerer who cursed my child and the sorcerer who helped me there?’
I didn’t know why, but I wanted to meet the sorcerer again.
The one who had helped me without imposing great conditions, even while speaking in an intimidating manner.
If I met him again, I wanted to start by thanking him.
And what should I do if I find the sorcerer who cursed my child?
Could I leave him alive, like Helena? If I killed him, would it not lead to another person’s hatred, causing Eddie to die again?
After thinking a lot, I felt a bit of a headache and leaned completely against the sofa.
As I lowered my increasingly heavy eyelids, a deep silence enveloped me.
⁝
I only received news that Henderson had returned to the Duke’s residence late at night after waiting for a long time.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Henderson had been visiting the palace for several days, and of course I did not meet him.
I even went to great lengths to avoid him to ensure we wouldn’t run into each other by chance.
Despite receiving only responses that I was unavailable, Henderson waited for me late into the night each time before leaving.
His stubborn behavior eventually became gossip not only in the palace but also in social circles.
‘Duke Graham has fallen deeply in love with Princess Riley, who is about to marry Prince Gran of the Ramsey Empire.’
Fortunately, it hadn’t become known that he and I had spent the night together.
What did Henderson want to confirm by meeting with me?
Did he just now realize that I was the woman who spent the night with Eddie?
Was he going to ask why I disappeared that night?
I couldn’t punish Henderson for coming to see me every day.
Though I still felt betrayed by him, I couldn’t treat the past version of Henderson, who hadn’t cheated, harshly.
So, I decided to simply turn away from him.
Of course, I couldn’t wish for his happiness.
I hoped that Henderson would suffer as much as he had hurt me.
Perhaps waiting for me for several days had caused him great pain.
My long thoughts were interrupted by Mathilda.
“…Duke Graham returned early today. It seems he didn’t stay long because the princess’s wedding is tomorrow.”
I nodded at Mathilda, who had come into my room to inform me about Henderson’s movements.
“Okay.”
“The Grand Prince is scheduled to arrive in the Lopez Empire tomorrow morning.”
Finally, tomorrow was the day of my wedding with Gran.
I suddenly became curious about what expression Gran would have upon learning that the bride had run away.
Would he blame me?
But it would probably be better for him to meet another woman than to be with me, who had Henderson’s child.
I regretted not being able to share this useful information.
Looking out the window, I saw the sky near the horizon turning reddish as if the sunset was approaching.
‘This will probably be the last time I watch the sunset from here.’
It was now time to put into action the plans I had been preparing.
