Diana, who put down the newspaper, silently headed to her own space.

‘First, I want to organize my thoughts.’

It was clearly a good thing. Diana fully supported the love between the two.

She was even glad that Ayla was carrying out her missionary work healthily, just like in the original story.

However, her feelings were strange.

She felt resentful towards the kind Raoul over that mere handkerchief.

‘He shouldn’t have given that… I embroidered it…’ Such childish thoughts came to her.

It was like Ayla came to pour cold water on her head whenever she was happily worrying. As if to say, you’re just an extra, so get a grip.

‘I’m just staying still… why do you two keep shaking me up?’

Diana lay down with the courtyard at her feet and covered her eyelids with her hands.

‘I’m lonely…’

For the first time since her regression, the world felt scary and desolate.

Diana wasn’t chosen in the original story, wasn’t chosen by Raoul, and didn’t have parents who cherished and cared for her.

“Angela…”

Even her only ally was busy with love affairs these days.

Unlike before the regression, she met a kind and cool man and couldn’t stop smiling. Of course, this was also something to be grateful for.

‘I’m happy that Angela is happy.’

Angela was one of the people Diana would risk her life to repay.

When Diana was pointed at for her ominous appearance, she was the one who took the arrows of this world in her place.

Even at the moment of death, she was the one who fought barehanded with the boatman while worrying about Diana. Angela absolutely had to be happy.

‘They said married knights lay down their titles and retire from the front lines.’

If the two were to leave the Duke’s service and live an ordinary life, Diana was willing to let Angela go.

Even if she had to board the ship alone in this life… that would be better.

[This is the timeline separator]

While the sun high in the sky was blazing hot enough to dry the sky, strangely it was raining.

The water droplets flowing down the eaves seemed just like Diana’s mood.

Suddenly, Diana, who had been wallowing in self-pity, slapped her cheeks hard and regained her original resolve.

‘I don’t care how Raoul feels now. If he’s struggling between the two of us, I’ll let him go without hesitation.’

When she closed the gate and cleared the grass, a clear sky appeared.

It was after the brief shower had passed and the forest had regained its vitality. It was time to go back.

A frog with its body moistened comforted Diana’s mood with a pleasant croak.

“After crying, my heart feels refreshed…”

It was when she was about to run out of the forest, gathering her voluminous dress.

“Aah! Aaah…”

Her body, caught on a sharp stone, tumbled forward.

How unathletic she was, she didn’t even think to put out her hands and planted her face straight into the ground.

‘This is driving me crazy…’

It was a day of terribly bad luck. Diana wiped off the dirt irritably, unable to hide her annoyance.

“It hurts.”

Her ankle was more swollen than expected, making it difficult to move.

As she was momentarily calming the throbbing pain, the bushes shook uneasily behind a large tree.

‘Could it be a monster…?’

As she regretted not coming with Sebastian and picked up a stone from the ground,

Rustle.

Someone poked their head through the jungle-like overgrown grass.

“Diana?”

It was Raoul, who had come to meet Diana after finishing training.

Shaking off his wet hair, Raoul slowly approached.

The water droplets running down his cheeks reflected the light, making his skin sparkle like diamonds.

“What are you doing here?”

“You weren’t in your room. Are you hurt?”

Raoul knelt down and lifted her swollen ankle.

“How did this happen?”

“I just fell a moment ago. If I wait a bit, it’ll be fine.”

“Why wait?”

Raoul turned his back and gestured for her to climb on. Diana was about to refuse but then put her arms around his neck.

‘Just act normal! It’s not like you’re sulking or anything!’ Hands wrapped around her knees and her bottom floated in the air.

Raoul walked slowly so Diana wouldn’t be uncomfortable and asked,

“Were you visiting the land where mana flows?”

“Yeah.”

“When will you tell me about it?”

“Actually… I was thinking of not telling anyone.”

“Why?”

“Just, I want to use it when I want to be alone sometimes.”

Raoul adjusted Diana as she was slipping and muttered a bit glumly.

“Do you have times when you want to be alone?”

“Sometimes…”

“That’s the opposite of me.”

“Don’t you ever want to be alone?”

“Never.”

He spoke slowly as if soothing a child.

“Why would I want to be alone when you’re here?”

‘Again! Again with the unintentional flirting!’ Diana buried her face in his small shoulder, perfect for her small face, with a frustrated heart.

If you’re going to leave anyway, don’t give me hope… I misunderstood twice because you’re too kind! It’s embarrassing!

When Diana, perched like a turtle shell, didn’t say anything, Raoul asked quietly, unable to turn around.

“Are you in a bad mood?”

“…No.”

“Really?”

“Just a little…”

“Can I ask why you’re in a bad mood?”

Diana shook her head silently.

Raoul pondered what to say for a moment, then asked a different question instead of prying into the reason for her bad mood.

“Have you been alone all this time?”

“Yeah.”

“If you had told me, I would have stayed with you.”

“…I wanted to be alone.”

I wanted to be alone for a while because I felt so pathetic for still liking you when you’re so indecisive.

Diana silently hugged Raoul’s neck tighter.

As if noticing her gloomy mood, Raoul quietly spoke as if soothing her.

“That’s a lie.”

“It’s true.”

“No. You don’t like being alone. I should go and play with you.”

What’s with this self-conscious comment? Diana let out a small laugh and slightly raised her head so only her eyes were visible.

“Really…”

“So don’t be upset alone, come to me.”

“…”

“I’ll keep staying with you. Okay?”

‘Fool. You’re so kind I can’t even say anything.’

When she nodded slightly while leaning on his shoulder, Raoul smiled brightly and rubbed his cheek against hers.

The sound of rustling leaves could be heard again, and the sight of friendly geese rubbing their wings together could be seen.

‘…I like you. You can’t say anything about it now.’

It’s all your fault. Raoul walked very slowly, as if deliberately taking a detour.

Very slowly, until Diana’s mood improved.

[This is the timeline separator]

Several months passed after that.

During that time, Diana took care of Dunkel, exchanged letters with the young ladies, and pondered Sebastian’s destination.

Recently, a letter arrived from Dilaia, the daughter of Duke Homeren.

The content was that Sebastian was her pair mate and had completed his mission, so she wished for his prompt return.

‘To think that the voice Sebastian heard was Dilaia’s voice…’

Why did she, the prophetess, help Diana? She was the daughter of the villain, and Dilaia was the protagonist’s helper.

‘Has the fact that I’ve changed been reflected in Dilaia’s prophecy as well…?’

It was a plausible guess. If Dunkel is raised well, Raoul can escape without pain.

Interpreting it that way, it wasn’t strange that Dilaia had sponsored the support of the sub-male lead.

As Diana was writing a letter to persuade Anthony, a clamorous noise erupted at the entrance of the mansion.

‘Are they back?’

Diana put down her pen and opened the bedroom door. Leaning on the corridor windowsill, she could see knights washing off blood in the training ground below.

Among them was a small head that didn’t fit in.

The pale silvery-gray hair was a mess, tangled with dark red blood.

As Biche, standing next to him, poured water over his head, black bloody water flowed down to the ground.

Watching Raoul gradually becoming whiter, Diana sighed.

This too was an unexpected situation.

She returned to her bedroom and unfolded today’s newspaper.

Monsters with mouths torn in all directions were attacking the vulnerable population living near the outer city.

This was already the third time this month.

At some point, monsters that only inhabited the Bihern Gorge began appearing in civilian houses within the territory.

Raoul too stayed outside the outer city for as short as half a day or as long as three days to eradicate monsters.

‘I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.’

As the defense of the castle became urgent, naturally the momentum for territorial expansion waned.

Unlike before the regression, the time Raoul spent inside the castle increased.

Before the regression, Raoul was deployed in the conquest of uncharted territories and was busy without a moment’s rest.

The face of the man returning with alien race slaves was always mixed with deep anguish and darkness.

‘I’m grateful that Raoul isn’t suffering, but… this wasn’t in the original story…’

The environment surrounding them was changing.

‘Maybe we should leave sooner.’

As Diana was pondering, rubbing her chin with her index finger, Angela knocked on the door.

“Young lady, may I come in?”

“Yes.”

“Lady Dilaia has sent a letter.”

“Already?”

It was even before she had written a letter confirming that she would return Sebastian.

The eyes that had been calmly reading the letter gradually darkened.

‘What is this…?’

Dilaia invited Diana to a prayer meeting and specified that she would receive Sebastian back on that day.

The point that surprised Diana was not the bold attitude, but the list of attendees she attached.

Peniche, Anya, Anthony, and Trian?

How could Trian? He had recently left the empire to study abroad in the neutral kingdom of Portecha.

The Kingdom of Portecha is a small country with a solid economic base as a hub of maritime trade, but no military power.

Crown Prince Albert manipulated the Emperor’s will to send Trian away as the fiancé of the powerless third princess.

‘The episode where Trian dreams of rebellion and escapes from the kingdom is at least after the location of the holy relic, that is, after the Goddess’s sword is prophesied. The original was from Ayla’s perspective, so I didn’t know anything about the content before the escape. Was he in separate communication with Dilaia from before that?’

Thump. Thump. Her surprised heart beat rapidly. This meeting looked suspicious at a glance.

The face of the rebellion, the source of funds, and the guide all put their names on it.

“Should I join in?”

If she joined the rebel group meeting, she might have to act as a double agent. But if she didn’t?

That was suspicious in its own way. She hadn’t been able to answer the letter Trian sent recently either.

She couldn’t find the messenger bird he sent, and she was wary of sending a letter to the imperial palace because of the princess’s watchful eye.

‘Ugh… what should I do? The only excuse for refusing is our father, but I don’t want to be lumped together with the villain…’

After days of agonizing, Diana finally decided to attend the prayer meeting.

‘If you can’t avoid it, enjoy it. I need to find Paisar anyway.’

It was a combination that made her legs tremble, but in another sense, it was an excellent list-up.

In fact, this prayer meeting could be seen as the northeastern alliance bordering the Hyperion territory.

‘If I build friendships here, I’ll be able to freely visit the surrounding territories.’

Once she finished deliberating, it didn’t take long to write a reply. She sent off the messenger bird and smiled with satisfaction.

‘Right. Since I’ve started this, I might as well buy lots of jewelry. Enough to use as travel money when we leave.’

The messenger bird that took off high into the sky in the morning sunlight pierced through the cold snowflakes and crossed the castle walls of the Homeren Duchy.

Anyway, Dilaia knew the contents without reading it.

[This is the timeline separator]

Time passed quickly like flowing water.

During that time, Diana returned Sebastian to Dilaia and attended prayer meetings to build connections.

The prayer meetings were neither political nor aristocratic at all.

In the morning, they studied the temple of the goddess Iona, and in the afternoon, they visited the territory’s monastery to lend a hand.

Comforting imperial citizens suffering from poverty and disease, clothing, bathing, and putting children to bed, a day passed in the blink of an eye.

They repeated similar routines, visiting each other’s territories once a month.

Three girls sitting at the tea table just before the temple meeting chattered away.

“They say they don’t know the name or age. No one has seen the face either.”

“Poor Lady Peniche. How did she fall for a street artist?”

“Shh! Anthony. That’s not how she fell for him.”

“Then?”

“She found her muse.”

“Muse?”

“The source of inspiration. How ignorant.”

Anya answered haughtily, sweeping back her lavender-colored hair.

Her originally high nose bridge seemed to reach the sky.

Anthony, used to being ignored, munched on cookies while worrying about Peniche.

“Is there no way to meet again?”

“Well, it’s like finding a needle in a haystack. They say she couldn’t even see the hair or eye color because the robe was pulled down low.”

“Aww… To find a muse but have no clues…”

Diana asked while fiddling with her cup.

“Couldn’t it be someone living nearby?”

“It’s impossible to know. There must have been an unusually large number of people that day. The population that flowed into the capital for the Goddess Festival alone was roughly 100,000.”

“Eek!”

Anthony put down the cookie she was eating and clutched her cheeks.

“It seems impossible to find!”

Anya narrowed her eyes and waggled her finger.

“But there’s still some hope.”

“How?”

“They say after finishing the painting, he prayed. Though shabby in appearance, he recited the prayer from beginning to end. Without missing a single word.”

“Gasp! Could he be from a monastery? Monastery children memorize Chapter 1 of the scripture by heart.”

Anya whispered secretly, looking around.

“That’s why… She’s been so passionate about monastery service these days…”

“I had no idea…”

“I heard she’s already thoroughly searched the capital area. But it seems she couldn’t find anyone giving off a similar vibe.”

Fortunately or unfortunately, thanks to Peniche, the search range Diana had to look for was gradually narrowing.