Meanwhile, in the depths of the imperial palace, a secret conversation was taking place.
A luxurious curtain was draped over the main seat, and inside, a middle-aged man with golden hair sat.
He rested both arms on the armrests of the golden chair and gazed at the woman standing outside the curtain.
The woman had luscious red hair and a voluptuous figure.
A dry voice escaped from between the man’s lips.
“What was my child’s reaction after you revealed your relationship with Henderson?”
“She was furious. I had never seen him, who was always so noble, lose her temper like that. She even threw her tea in my face.”
A faint smile hovered on the woman’s lips as she responded.
It was a smile that seemed unfazed by the fact she had been mistreated.
“Lady Riley must have been convinced that Duke Henderson and I were romantically involved.”
A faint smile also appeared on the man’s lips inside the curtain.
‘Of course she had no choice but to believe it. I deliberately kept them apart for a year to make her suspicious of Henderson.’
“Well done. You’ve faithfully carried out your role.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The two speaking were Helena and the Emperor, who had been conspiring in secret for a long time.
It was only possible because their ultimate goals were somewhat conflicted.
“Helena. So what you desire is…”
The Emperor trailed off, expecting Helena to finish his sentence.
As if she had a prepared answer, as if it were something she should rightfully pursue, Helena revealed her desire.
“The only thing I desire is Duke Henderson.”
Their ultimate goals were somewhat aligned.
Helena desired Henderson, while the Emperor wanted Riley to divorce Henderson, who was an illegitimate child.
It didn’t matter if Riley got hurt in the process or if Eddie, their child, was affected.
‘The son of an illegitimate child? There’s no way I can accept that into the royal family. Impossible. And considering the prophecy, it’s better for my child to divorce Henderson.’
The Emperor’s lips twisted stubbornly.
“If you make sure to finish the job, the Duke will be yours.”
“I hope he becomes mine soon.”
Helena had liked Henderson for a long time, even before he fell in love with Riley, back when he was being shunned by his family.
But the woman Henderson ultimately chose was Riley.
Helena hated Riley with burning passion and loathed their child, Eddie.
Yet she kept her feelings tightly hidden and lingered around them, especially staying close to Eddie, looking for a chance to kill him.
To Henderson, she acted like a close friend, listening to his troubles with the Emperor’s oppression.
Thanks to that, Helena learned about Henderson’s secret dealings with the Emperor.
That deal was the reason Henderson purposely ignored the woman he loved, Riley, and it was something he could never tell her.
Helena then went to the Emperor, showing her determination to assist him.
She also whispered promises to Henderson whenever he was struggling, saying, “Let’s dream of a happy future together.”
Thinking back on this, she let out a small laugh.
“A promise of the future.”
“A secret he cannot tell the Duchess.”
The thought of how shocked Riley must have been by such trivial words amused her.
A few nights ago, Helena noticed that Riley had secretly watched her and Henderson.
Thinking Riley might have been eavesdropping on their conversation, she had intentionally exaggerated her words…
‘She didn’t doubt my confession that I was romantically involved with Henderson. She believed it right away.’
It seemed Riley had taken her exaggeration at face value.
‘How pitiful and foolish she is.’
The Emperor then brought the conversation to a close.
“That depends on how you handle it.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You may leave now.”
Helena bowed deeply before ending her private audience with the Emperor.
Meanwhile, the Emperor remained seated alone for a while.
He recalled what he had once said to Henderson.
“One year. If Riley still loves the Duke even after a year of separation… then I won’t bother the Duke anymore. You can take it as my approval.”
It was unfortunate for Henderson, but the promise was a lie.
The Emperor wanted Riley and Henderson’s relationship to completely fall apart.
His suggestion to keep them apart for a year had been the foundation for achieving his goal.
He had urged Helena, who desired Henderson, to break them apart completely, and that plan was nearing its end.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
I was having a long dream.
In the dream, fragmented memories of the past, long forgotten, surfaced like a panorama.
My younger self. A large room. The room was filled with towering red pillars of fire.
As a young child, I was trapped in a room engulfed in flames, crying endlessly.
I screamed for help until my voice was hoarse, but no one came to find me.
Overcome with fear, I felt completely hopeless.
‘I’m scared, so scared. Please, someone, anyone, save me.’
Just when my throat started to sting from inhaling too much smoke—
Bang!
With a loud crash that shook the ground, the door, which had been tightly shut, flew open.
The one who came through was a boy around my age.
He approached me boldly, as if the violent flames didn’t scare him at all.
When he reached me, he wrapped his arms around me.
His hands, which held me close, were warmer than the flames, and his scent was refreshingly cool.
I remember thinking it was a pleasant contrast to the acrid smoke.
I clung tightly to his neck.
“Don’t worry. I’ll save you.”
His voice echoed in pieces, as if broken, lingering in my ears like a fading whisper.
“…!”
When I woke from the dream, both the flames and the boy who had embraced me were gone.
I lay there, panting, my breaths uneven.
That dream always left me with a strange sense of longing.
I had dreamt of it a few times before.
Yet, whenever I woke, the images from the dream would become blurry.
I was sure someone had saved me, but I couldn’t remember who it was.
Those forgotten memories were probably connected to the fire accident I experienced when I was ten in the Ramsey Empire.
After being rescued from the fire, I didn’t regain consciousness for nearly a month.
When I finally woke, I couldn’t remember anything from the day of the fire, or even other events from my time in the Ramsey Empire.
The trauma of being caught in the flames had left a deep scar.
Those forgotten memories often surfaced in my dreams, as if urging me to recall something.
“Don’t worry. I’ll save you.”
Should I try to remember the boy who said those words?
Of course, I had once begged my parents to tell me more about the accident that day.
But they only shook their heads.
“Trying to remember might cause you more pain, dear. Some memories are better left forgotten.”
I was persuaded by them to bury the memory deep inside me.
Maybe they were right, and forgetting was for the best.
Anyway, what mattered now wasn’t the accident from my childhood or the recurring dream.
I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair a few times, clearing my thoughts of the dream.
As I did, the events before I fell asleep came rushing back.
Eddie’s death.
The disappointment I felt toward Henderson, who had been intimate with Helena.
And the deal with a certain man.
“Did I… manage to return to the past safely?”
I belatedly looked around my surroundings.
