“Is the curse really completely lifted?”

Looking at Tablo, who asked in surprise, Moses smiled and nodded.

The curse that could only be broken by loving enough to give up one’s life has been lifted?

Tablo recalled Mercian, who looked haggard as if she hadn’t slept properly for days.

And looking at Ruan lying down with all the solid lines on his wrist gone, as Moses had said, he muttered.

“Truly an amazing duchess. He was a guy who normally had not an ounce of emotion, but she changed him from someone who thought only dying for the empire was honorable and dying in battle was the best death, to someone who could risk his life for love. By the way, we shouldn’t tell anyone about this yet. Elder, please keep this a secret for now.”

“Yes, I’ll keep it secret. The duke has done so much for us. I’m so glad the curse is lifted like this.”

“Thank you, elder. Then I’ll escort you out.”

Tablo looked at Ruan lying asleep once more before leading Moses out of the room.

“Count, what about Ruan?”

“Don’t worry. They said he’ll wake up within 2-3 days. However, as you know, since the poisoning has progressed quite far, he may have difficulty moving right away.”

“But he will wake up?”

Though it pained him to lie to Mercian, whose usually round face had become gaunt, Tablo told her reassuringly.

“Yes, madam, don’t worry.”

“Thank you so much. I’m really grateful to the doctor as well.”

Seeing Mercian bow politely to him, Moses waved his hands and said.

“Not at all, madam. I just briefly examined the duke. Then I’ll take my leave…”

After Moses and Tablo left the duke’s residence, Mercian looked at Ruan sleeping.

Ever since Ruan mouthed those words to her, they had been echoing in her mind constantly.

She had held back so well until now…

Her heart that fluttered every time he glanced at her during meals with affectionate eyes…

The sound of his footsteps lingering in front of her room for a long time just to see her once more after returning to the duke’s residence…

When they slept together, she would wake up to find herself in his arms, and pretending to be asleep to feel his warm touch gently caressing her, which she loved so much…

She had tried to brush it all off as nothing, just a fleeting emotion for someone who would leave her soon.

She had turned a blind eye to it all…

But the moment Ruan collapsed before her eyes, the moment she felt he could suddenly leave her, the moment he told her he loved her with such sorrowful eyes, those feelings she had kept hidden deep in her heart burst forth.

What should she do now?

It seems she can no longer hide or erase these feelings…

In just a month and a half, you’ll be gone from here…

Will I be able to live without you then, carrying these overflowing feelings for you?

“Ruan, confessing to me like this is cheating. You know? Do you know how hard I’ve been holding back? I could have quietly left the duke’s residence in just another month and a half, but why are you doing this to me? You know what? When your heart stopped earlier, it felt like mine stopped too. When I held you tightly in my arms and heard your faint heartbeat, I could breathe again too. You’ve shaken the feelings I was holding back with all my strength to the point where I can no longer control them, and now you’re just sleeping. I’m so angry at you… but I love you. So please, wake up now.”

While Mercian was speaking softly looking at Ruan, his fingers moved slightly, little by little.

Not noticing Ruan’s movement, Mercian looked at him for a moment longer before leaving the room.

A few days later.

News that Ruan Canoloup, the empire’s war hero and most respected figure among the imperial people, had sadly passed away with about a month left of his 6-month life expectancy, unable to fully detoxify the poison he was exposed to in the war, was published on the front page of the imperial newspaper.

.

.

.

Six months later…

At a sandwich shop in the village of Phenomenon, far from the capital, Mercian was busily making sandwiches from early morning.

“Rosalyn!!”

Seeing Zelda enter the shop with a bright smile, Mercian quickly finished the sandwich she was making, placed it on a plate, and approached her.

“Zelda. What’s all this?”

“Hohoho, I went to the capital and bought all the new teas that came out. I know you like tea too, so I brought some for you.”

“The capital?”

Mercian’s expression darkened momentarily at Zelda’s words, but she soon smiled and examined the teas Zelda had laid out.

“Oh? It’s chamomile tea.”

“Why? Do you have insomnia, Rosalyn? It’s good for insomnia.”

“Ah. No, someone I used to know had insomnia. They’re fine now, but… I’ll take this chamomile tea.”

“Alright, take it. By the way, are there any sandwiches?”

As Zelda looked at the empty shelf near the counter, Mercian smiled and said.

“Heh, I already prepared some knowing it was about time for you to come. Just a moment.”

As Mercian went inside, Zelda packed up the teas she had spread on the table.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks, you’re the best, Rosalyn. See you later then.”

After Zelda left, Mercian brought hot water and steeped the chamomile tea Zelda had left.

“Hmm. It’s been a while since I had chamomile tea.”

It was the tea she always kept ready when she knew Ruan was alive and had insomnia.

Ruan, you must not be in pain or have insomnia now.

Mercian took a sip of tea and walked over to the window to open it.

When she first came here, it was early February, but now June was approaching.

“I wonder how everyone is doing?”

Ruan, who was said to wake up in 2-3 days, opened his eyes two days later, just as Tablo had said.

Looking at her and telling her not to worry, that he would no longer leave her alone, that he would tell her directly all the things he couldn’t say before, so please wait a little longer, Ruan ultimately couldn’t keep that promise.

Whether it was due to the crown prince’s provocation or not, Ruan, who continued to suffer and cough up blood even after waking up with no sign of improvement, finally couldn’t hold on for even a week and left without even completing the expected 6 months.

She had wanted to see his last moments so badly…

Whether it was because he coughed up too much blood or because of the poisoning, Olivia and Tablo all stopped her from seeing Ruan’s corpse, saying his dead appearance was too horrific, and in the end, she couldn’t even see his final form.

When his death was officially announced, the imperial family postponed Prince Harman’s wedding and held Ruan’s funeral as a state funeral for 5 days, and the imperial people mourned his sudden death for 2 weeks after the funeral ended, grieving the loss of their hero.

Even until the moment the funeral ended, Mercian couldn’t believe Ruan’s death.

She could have sworn that just the night before he died, he had stroked her head and whispered that he loved her and would come to her soon, so please wait…

Perhaps even the heavens mourned Ruan’s death, as it rained throughout the 5 days of his funeral.

And on the day they returned after laying him to rest in the family tomb of the duke’s residence, Mercian collapsed in her room and burst into tears.

After the incident with the crown prince, Mercian, who couldn’t leave the duke’s residence because Ruan had collapsed, ultimately couldn’t contract the house in Yoteri village.

Although Mercian had nowhere to go after leaving the duke’s residence, she felt there was no reason to stay at the duke’s residence now that Ruan was dead, so on that day when it was pouring rain, she secretly left the duke’s residence without anyone knowing.

Leaving behind the 1000 gold coins she had saved from her living expenses, as well as the dresses and accessories she received when entering the duke’s residence, and even the name Mercian Canoloup…

Usually, knight guards protected the duke’s residence, but after Ruan’s funeral ended, they were busy preparing decorations to hang at the duke’s residence during the mourning period, so there was no one guarding outside the duke’s residence, allowing Mercian to quietly slip out without anyone knowing.

Although she left because it was difficult to stay at the duke’s residence, Mercian had nowhere to go and collapsed after walking endlessly in the rain, lost. The one who found and saved her was Zelda.

Zelda, who nursed her for days as she battled a high fever on the brink of death, brought Mercian, who had nowhere to go, to the village of Phenomenon, and Mercian was sick for over a month even after coming to Zelda’s house.

“Thank you so much for saving me.”

“It’s nothing. My name is Zelda. Come to think of it, I don’t know your name yet. What’s your name?”

“My name is Me… Rosalyn. My name is Rosalyn.”

Wanting to forget everything about the duke’s residence and start anew, Mercian thought she should use a new name as well and gave Zelda the first name that came to mind.

“Rosalyn. If you really have nowhere to go, how about living in this village?”

“He-here?”

“It’s quite far from the capital and very rural, but everyone here is kind and nice. I already spoke to the elder, and he said he’d repair an abandoned house for you to live in. You’ll just need to pay some rent monthly.”

“Can I really do that?”

“Of course. First, let’s get you recovered, then we can think about the next steps.”

And so, Mercian settled in Phenomenon under the name Rosalyn.

The elder, Joseph, mobilized the villagers to repair an abandoned house for her, and thanks to that, the house that looked like it would collapse soon was transformed into a cozy and beautiful home.

“Wow. Can I really live in this house?”

“Of course, Rosalyn. The rent is 50 pein per month.”

Considering that rent in the capital usually ranges from 100-200 pein, this was an incredibly cheap price.

“Th-that cheap?”

“It was an abandoned house anyway, so it’s better for us if someone lives there than letting it stay abandoned. How about it?”

“Th-thank you, Elder.”

Joseph smiled warmly at Mercian’s thanks and said.

“Now that you’ve become a part of our village, let’s try to get along well. I’ll introduce you to the villagers tomorrow, so if you need anything, you can ask them.”

“Yes!”

The village of Phenomenon was a village with a population of about 100 people, neither too big nor too small.

It wasn’t the village with wide plains and a lake that Mercian dreamed of, but it was a peaceful village with a small mountain perfect for walks and a beautiful small pond.

It’s unclear how Zelda had spoken about Mercian, but they treated her warmly, and Mercian, who had been struggling for a while because of Ruan, slowly began to adapt to village life.

At first, she started making dishes she learned from Jang for Zelda, who had saved her and helped her settle here, but Zelda suggested opening a shop, saying her skills were too good to enjoy alone.

That’s how the sandwich shop started.

The shop, which she started to earn rent money, unexpectedly did quite well, and after 4 months, Mercian bought the abandoned house she was living in from the elder, making it entirely her own.

She raised chickens, ducks, and a dog, tended a small vegetable garden, and was able to live the life she had always wanted.

When she wakes up in the morning, she feeds the chickens and ducks, waters the vegetable garden, goes to the shop to sell sandwiches all day, then returns home to wrap up the day. She’s busy, but when she has a moment like this, she thinks of Ruan, the people at the duke’s residence, and Olivia.

“They’d all be surprised if they saw me now.”

Mercian muttered, looking at her reflection in the mirror.

After Ruan left, Mercian was sick for a month and lost a lot of weight, now only about half her former size.

Moreover, living alone, her long hair became bothersome, so she cut it to shoulder length, making her completely unrecognizable from her former self.

Of course, she’s gained a little weight since first coming here, but compared to her former self, she’s still extremely thin.

Well, enough thinking, time to start work?

Mercian finished the remaining chamomile tea, cleaned the shop, and began making sandwiches.