In the end, I tightly closed my eyes, and at that moment…

“…!”

A soft, warm body temperature gently touched my cheek and then pulled away.

Immediately after, the beautifully folded narrow eyes also slowly moved away.

“…This is enough.”

…Ah.

Suddenly, relief washed over me.

Immediately, I pushed him away and created distance between us. Then I quickly turned my body away from him.

It was because I didn’t have the confidence to face him.

But even so, my wildly beating heart wouldn’t easily calm down. I must be crazy, I must be crazy.

‘If someone saw this, they might think I have feelings for Lord Joseph.’

Let me say in advance, that will absolutely never happen. My physical changes are merely physiological.

I heard a small chuckle from behind me, but I didn’t even have the presence of mind to snap at him to be quiet.

To hide my flushed face, I quickly searched for my fan.

“Then I’ll be going now, as I have some business to attend to before it gets too late.”

“…Alright.”

It was fortunate that my voice didn’t tremble.

I didn’t forget to ask Lord Joseph to call Loretta before he left the room.

After sending the maid who was waiting in front of Lieselotte’s room inside, Joseph immediately covered his face.

‘That was close…’

He almost lost control.

Although he pretended to be nonchalant, in truth, Joseph had been half out of his mind all day today.

But to understand how today came to be, we must mention the events of the past week.

A week ago, after mentioning marriage, Lieselotte had been avoiding Joseph.

She didn’t come out for breakfast, and even had dinner in her room, so there was no opportunity for physical contact.

As a result, a subtle headache constantly tormented Joseph.

Although he was used to this level of pain and could hide it behind a mask of pleasant expressions, it was inevitable that he would become sensitive.

‘Should I not have said anything?’

He even regretted bringing up the topic of marriage.

He felt pathetic for being swayed by Chersion’s words.

It’s truly strange.

Until now, Joseph had endured even worse pain for years.

Yet, just because he hadn’t felt this level of neuralgia for a few weeks, it bothered him this much.

‘Should I do something reckless?’

When the morning headache reached its peak, Joseph had such thoughts.

If he went to wait in front of Lieselotte’s room early in the morning like last time, wouldn’t he at least be able to kiss her fingertips when they met?

As he got up, he remembered her schedule for today.

‘Ah, it’s today.’

The day she was supposed to meet Prince Raphael at the opera house.

In other words, today is the day when Wilhelm York Baden’s fate would be decided and conveyed to her.

Joseph wasn’t particularly curious about what would happen to Wilhelm York Baden.

What Joseph was curious about was whether he could create an opportunity to talk with her today.

For that purpose, he had even obtained permission to go out under the pretext of visiting the hotel, matching her schedule.

‘It’s the perfect day.’

The day to settle things with Lieselotte.

Joseph thought that he had waited long enough with a week.

Thus, according to the schedule, Joseph left the mansion.

Of course, he had no intention of visiting the hotel where construction had been halted due to rain.

Instead, his carriage stopped at a specific location. It was on Lieselotte’s way back home.

Timing it to when the opera would end, he deliberately damaged the carriage’s wheel and then calmly pretended to be a gentleman waiting for assistance.

And as planned, he boarded Lieselotte’s carriage.

“My carriage broke down and I was in quite a predicament, but to run into you like this by chance. I’m grateful, madam.”

It was fortunate that he had asked Prince Chersion to keep the fact that he was a magician a secret.

Otherwise, this sharp-witted woman would have realized that Joseph had deliberately damaged the carriage.

See, even now she was asking why he didn’t just turn back time.

Joseph brazenly replied that if he had done so, he wouldn’t have been able to meet her, and then decided to get straight to the point.

Sitting face to face with her made it even harder to endure the pain.

Knowing that just reaching out his hand would instantly clear his mind made him impatient.

“So, what do you think? Have you given it some thought?”

He needed to hear an answer now, whether it was a rejection or acceptance. Joseph, feeling his limit approaching, asked.

But she once again tried to evade with an excuse.

“There are people listening outside.”

“Hmm.”

That was certainly a valid reason.

Joseph pondered for a moment.

Using magic to prevent sound from leaking outside would be very simple.

It’s not even using chronomancy, time magic, so the monster in his head wouldn’t go berserk demanding payment.

‘But if I do that, I’ll have to reveal all of my abilities.’

It’s not impossible, of course. But Joseph always preferred to keep at least one trump card up his sleeve.

“Does that mean you’ll finally spare me some time after we return to the mansion today?”

“…”

Lieselotte’s cold and beautiful face slightly contorted.

He understood her reaction.

No matter how you heard it, it sounded like he was pressuring her for an answer to his ‘proposal’.

But Joseph had no room to back down either.

If he didn’t get an answer today, or if he received a rejection…

‘It would be best to turn back time.’

To when he brought up the proposal? No, that was after he revealed his curse.

Then to when he saved her life from Baroness Baden? That’s also dangerous.

‘Rather, that morning would be better.’

Early in the morning, when he visited her while she was still half-asleep.

Although there was pain that made him want to scream right after turning back a week’s time, fortunately, it subsided instantly…

‘When there was direct contact with her body temperature.’

Having finished his calculations, Joseph waited for Lieselotte’s answer with his usual mask-like smile.

The woman who could make people restless just by looking at her finally grudgingly agreed, saying, “Very well.”

The problem was…

“M-Madam, we have a big problem!”

As soon as we arrived at the mansion, trouble had already occurred.

Baroness Baden had died. Joseph could only click his tongue in disappointment.

According to his calculations, she shouldn’t have died today.

Today, she was only supposed to collapse from arsenic poisoning due to the moisture filling the green room. He had only planned for her to be taken to the Baden mansion.

‘I thought she wouldn’t die until about a week later.’

The variable was her maid.

Joseph clicked his tongue in frustration, not having expected that the maid would kill her mistress.

He thought that the betrayal would have been forgotten when the memories were manipulated, but it seems that wasn’t the case.

Indeed, memory manipulation isn’t his specialty, so there are many side effects.

Do emotions remain even when memories disappear?

Joseph had to wait for Lieselotte to handle the situation, swallowing his rising irritation.

Honestly, with each passing minute and second, he felt more anxious, but he could endure it knowing that his opportunity would come if he just waited a little longer.

But there were more events to unfold that day.

‘Sergei…?’

The visit of Sergei, the sage of the Tower of Honor, was something that had never happened before, even for Joseph who had repeated his regression.

It seemed that the day Wilhelm York Baden was dealt with happened to be before Sergei took his sabbatical.

Yes. Up to that point, it was still fine. Even though his turn was pushed back a little more.

‘…I could have endured it.’

Lieselotte, who was sharing the joy of reunion with Sergei, even introduced the children in the middle…

The next morning, she said something absurd.

“It might be a bit unfair to Lord Joseph, but I talked with the children yesterday.”

“What could be unfair, my lady?”

“I’m thinking of remarrying Lord Sergei.”

At that moment, Joseph realized that something inside him was breaking.

I see. This woman would be fine even without me.

‘But I can’t be without this woman.’

This woman had alternatives. Therefore, she would never choose him of her own volition.

The moment he realized this, it felt as if his heart had been pierced. What should he do?

“Is that so?”

What should he do to be chosen by this woman?

No, is there a need to be chosen? Couldn’t he just take her?

“Then what becomes of me?”

He stood up abruptly.

Should he just destroy everything around this woman? Should he eliminate everything one by one until she’s left with nothing and has to rely solely on him?

“You clearly said you’d die without me.”

Then she would come to me. Because there would be no alternatives.

No, that’s not right. That’s not what this woman wants.

He doesn’t want to destroy her. He just wants her to choose him.

His head felt like it was about to split open. It seemed as if bursting his head would end this agony.

“What becomes of me?”

No, if that happens, he would die. He didn’t want to die.

‘What should I do?’

What do I want to do?