“A big deal? Why? Did Teddy run away or something?”

“No. No. It’s not that… It’s… It’s… Someone else has started buying Hephria cotton!”

“Huh?”

Sesenia tilted her head and looked at her. What is she talking about? Hephria cotton is a cotton with almost no demand, who would have bought it?

“So…?”

Is there someone else who read the market? In the past, no one except Sesenia bought Hephria cotton. Rather, they only laughed at Sesenia for buying it. But now someone is buying it.

‘Has something started to change from the past?’

“But the person who bought it… The person who bought it…”

Lizbeth, who was panting, shook her head.

“They say it’s Lady Elzere.”

“…What? Elder sister?”

“Yes. They say she suddenly started buying it three days ago.”

“Why?”

The word ‘why’ came out involuntarily. This never happened in the past.

“I don’t know about that… But apparently she bought up all the cotton in the market that you couldn’t purchase.”

How could this happen? Was Elzere that smart? In the past, Elzere laughed at Sesenia for buying Hephria cotton. She would stick by Father’s side and say it was a foolish thing to do. But now she’s buying it?

‘Is she eyeing the business I’m doing?’

But that didn’t make sense. To others, no, to all those doing business in the empire, they all pointed fingers at Sesenia for buying Hephria cotton.

‘No. She can’t be that smart. Or… Is she trying to corner me?’

Whatever it was, she had to meet Elzere.

“Where is elder sister?”

“She’s in her room.”

Sesenia left the room, feeling that something was going wrong.

‘I thought everything was moving according to my will, but is this happening for such an absurd reason?’

Her steps moved more urgently than before. It must just be a coincidence. Thinking such thoughts, she arrived at Elzere’s room.

“Lady Sesenia.”

“Will you inform elder sister of my visit?”

“Yes.”

The maid at the door knocked without much enthusiasm.

“My lady. Lady Sesenia requests to see you.”

“Tell her to come in.”

An unusually bright voice. As soon as the door opened, Sesenia entered the room. Elzere, who was leisurely getting her nails done, waved her hand with a grin.

“What brings you all the way to my room?”

“I have something I want to ask.”

At those words, Elzere raised her hand. Then, not only the maid who was doing her nails, but everyone in the room went out.

“What do you want to ask?”

“Did you buy it following me, elder sister?”

“What?”

“Hephria cotton.”

At those words, Elzere clapped her hands with a grin.

“The rumors have already spread that far, huh.”

“So, did you buy it following me or not?”

“Following you? I just read the flow. That’s always your problem. You think you’re the smartest in the world and the only one with thoughts?”

“…So you just bought it after seeing the flow?”

“Yes. Why not? There’s no guarantee that only you can buy it, right?”

She seemed like a different person. The look in her eyes was different. Elzere’s eyes, which had always been immersed in vain dreams, were now alive and intelligent.

“…I guess so.”

“Why. Do you feel like something’s been taken from you?”

“…”

“You acted like you could win, but now you’re worried? Seeing how urgently you came to find me?”

Elzere, who had been looking at her well-maintained nails, got up and patted Sesenia’s shoulder.

“But you know what? In the end, business is about money. I’m going to buy more than you bought. In the end, I’ll be the winner.”

“…”

“Not just this, I’ll take everything you’re doing. So don’t make the mistake of thinking the marquis family will be yours just because you did something like this.”

“…What?”

“You’re still thinking about it now, aren’t you? That you’ll make it big with this and get Father’s approval to make the marquis family yours. But it won’t work this time.”

For a moment, her head felt dizzy.

“This time?”

“Yes. This time.”

It wasn’t an illusion that something felt strange about Elzere. Elzere had already anticipated that Sesenia could get the marquis family through this business. The thought of ‘how’ followed.

“No way.”

“Hm?”

“You… Elder sister, you…”

Looking at Elzere tilting her head, Sesenia’s face hardened.

“You… Do you know everything?”

“What?”

“Do you know everything that’s going to happen?”

“Of course. I’m smart. Unlike you. You can’t beat me.”

Sesenia had clearly declared that she would give up on the marquis family. Yet, the fact that she thinks Sesenia will make the marquis family her own… It means she knows the future.

Through this business, using Hephria cotton, preparing for the unexpected winter cold that no one could predict, Sesenia would make a big success in business. Thanks to that, she would gain Father’s approval and make the marquis family her own. Elzere already knows this.

And her words were strange.

“You… Have you returned?”

It was just a casual question. The strange feeling kept growing, and it seemed like those facts Elzere knew weren’t just because she was smart, but for some other reason, so she asked. But Elzere’s expression momentarily hardened.

“Returned? What, what are you talking about?”

Elzere, who had been sneering, tried to harden her expression as she looked at Sesenia.

It was a very suspicious expression and behavior to anyone who saw it.

“I’m asking if you’ve come back in time.”

Normally, if asked like this, a normal person would laugh and say it’s crazy talk. The Elzere she knew, the Elzere in Sesenia’s memory, would have definitely sneered at this and said you’ve finally gone mad.

But Elzere’s reaction was different.

“…”

She didn’t say anything.

That’s when she knew. The reason why Elzere suddenly started buying Hephria cotton. Why she spoke so confidently.

‘She knows. The future.’

Everything that hadn’t been explained was explained by that one assumption.

“That’s right. You… You’ve returned. You…”

“Don’t tell me you’ve returned too?”

And finally, Elzere opened her mouth. She looked at Sesenia with a pale face.

“This is… This is really interesting, Elzere. Why? Why did you come back?”

“…”

Elzere didn’t say anything to Sesenia’s question.

“Tell me. After killing me, you should have lived well, right? But why, why did you come back? Tell me. Did you come back to torment me again this time?”

“Stop talking nonsense and get out.”

“Don’t think about denying it now. I thought something was strange. You. There’s no way you would buy Hephria cotton, elder sister. No, you who have no business sense at all couldn’t possibly have such a brain. You wouldn’t even follow what I do… I wondered why you suddenly bought cotton… It’s because you know the future.”

Sesenia couldn’t help but laugh.

“In the end, the thing you do after coming back to the past is just imitating what I did. Is that the only way you can beat me?”

“Don’t worry. In the end, I’ll win everything, you know? You’re not the only one who knows the future, Sesenia. In the end, you’ll die by my hand again. If you don’t want that, you should stay cooped up in your room now. Then, even out of pity… I might let you live, don’t you think?”

“You must be quite anxious. Seeing how long you’re talking. But elder sister… The fact that you came back in time means… Didn’t you die too?”

The corners of her mouth twitched involuntarily.

“Wh-what…?”

“Think about it. If you really lived happily there… There’s no way you’d be here, right?”

In reality, she came back because of the family curse.

‘But Elzere wouldn’t have come back because of that.’

There was no way Elzere, who would have been happier than anyone there, would have come back to this time, even hoping for her own death.

‘Strange.’

Coming back to this time when you die? That assumption didn’t make sense either. If that were the case, her family would have turned back time again and again and prospered more than any other family.

‘Then what could it be? Is there another condition for regression?’

She couldn’t know now, but the conclusion was one thing. Not only herself but Elzere had also regressed. That was enough.

A smile spread across Sesenia’s face. Rather, she was grateful. Even the little guilt in her heart disappeared.

Because the person in the future and this person are different. The worry about whether she could be cruel to this person was instantly forgotten.

“I see. Our elder sister died. How pitiful. After killing even your younger sister, even framing her to death, you should have lived well… Why did you die.”

Sesenia patted Elzere’s shoulder. Perhaps finding it unpleasant, she roughly shook off Sesenia’s hand.

“What are you doing!”

“What am I doing? I’m comforting you. You should have at least lived well. Coming back after dying. It’s too funny.”

“Don’t. I think you’re more pitiful. If I were just Elzere, you would have taken everything… But this time, because I know the future, you’ll lose everything, won’t you?”

“That’s why it’ll be more fun. Alright, Elzere. Try your best. Let’s see who becomes the real winner.”

“…”

“This time, don’t die or anything, and do well for once. Let’s see who creates a more perfect future. And try to do well with Prince Ian, who loves elder sister so much. Fighting! Cheer up! Go, go!”

She even clenched her fist and waved her hand. At that action, Elzere’s face turned red as if she couldn’t contain her anger.

“Then I’ll be going. Let’s see how well you do. While diligently following what I did in the past.”

With those words, Sesenia turned and left the room.

‘This is interesting.’

She never imagined Elzere would have returned.

‘But in the end, all she does after coming back is just what Sesenia did in the past. She still has no thoughts of her own. Stupid woman.’