Elise instinctively sought warmth and nestled into it. Something soft and fluffy enveloped her comfortably.
Heaven?
With the moderate temperature, the gentle breeze, and the cozy scent, how could she think of hell?
Elise slowly opened her eyes. The bright light hurt her eyes, as she hadn’t seen it in so long.
The stinging pain made her close her eyes again.
“Would you like to sleep more?”
Someone spoke to her.
“No, I’ll get up.”
If this was the afterlife, there was no time to dawdle.
She needed to meet someone, apologize for her sins, and ask for another chance.
“Oh, why the formal speech all of a sudden, miss?”
Miss, a title she hadn’t heard in nearly eight years.
It had been that long since she succeeded her father as a baronetess.
“You can’t sleep more, even if you want to. Remember, Lord Chase is visiting today.”
Chase? Lord?
Sensing something odd, Elise narrowed her eyes.
In that short time, her eyes adjusted to the light.
“Are you in pain?”
The face of the person approaching her was familiar, yet strangely unfamiliar.
“…Regina?”
Elise abruptly grabbed Regina’s outstretched wrist.
“What are you?”
“Miss, ouch, that hurts! You’re so energetic this morning. It’s me, Regina. You’re not still dreaming, are you?”
Regina’s forehead crinkled.
Regina? The young one?
Elise looked around with suspicion, taking in the familiar surroundings.
The desk, chair, wardrobe she used in the baronet’s house, and even the view outside the window – everything was the same.
“You’ll make Lord Chase wait. Miss, please get up.”
Regina, securely fastening her apron, snatched away the blanket.
Beneath the thin nightgown, Elise’s white and smooth legs were fully exposed. Her eyes widened.
“No scar?”
In the autumn of her 20th year, Elise had been seriously injured during a Gate investigation.
She had sustained a large wound on her leg, leaving a scar, but now her leg was smooth.
Elise tensed up. Slowly turning her head to Regina, she asked.
“Regina, how old am I this year?”
“You’re acting really strange today. You’re 19 years old.”
“19? Then what month is it?”
“Why are you like this?”
Despite her skeptical gaze, Regina readily answered.
“It’s Galmary month. Are you eager to become an adult? Just wait a few days. The new year is coming.”
It was the tail end of winter.
“Are you nervous? Because Lord Chase is bringing an engagement ring?”
Elise abruptly stood up.
The winter of her 19th year, and the engagement ring!
Elise jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom, turning on the faucet. Cold water poured over her head.
Her body shivered, and she snapped back to reality.
“Miss! You’ll catch a cold! Even if you’re in a hurry, how can you shower fully clothed? Come out, quickly!”
Despite Regina’s frantic pacing, Elise didn’t budge.
‘Back to nineteen? Or is this a dream?’
But the pain was too vivid.
Her ankle, crushed by Gabriel, still throbbed.
Her fingertips, worn away from drawing the magic circle, burned.
‘This wasn’t a dream. Then…’
Had her wish before death come true?
Was the regression circle real?
Elise turned to the bathroom mirror. She frantically felt her face.
Alive and returned!
Joy wrapped around Elise’s body and then vanished, replaced by a question.
‘Who activated the regression circle?’
A faint memory emerged. A voice, desperately calling her.
Karan.
The one who had been scandalously associated with her, had come looking for her.
Could Karan have activated it? But he was not a magician.
To activate a Regression Circle, a magic circle of immense power, a sage-level magician was needed.
Was he a magician?
Had he hidden the fact that he possessed such immense mana to use a Regression Circle?
If so, it was possible.
Still, doubts lingered.
Sage-level magicians, regardless of their origin, were treated with immense respect.
Even a family cast out for rebellion could be restored by a sage-level magician.
Every country bragged about having a sage-level magician.
But he hid it?
Even in Titris, a land scorned for being forsaken by the gods for not producing magicians?
It was all too confusing.
“Miss, Lord Chase has arrived!”
Elise tensed at Regina’s words. The excitement in her eyes quickly turned cold.
Now was the time to be alert and face Chase.
“Elise!”
As Elise entered the drawing room, Chase rose abruptly.
A flower-like smile adorned his face.
My beautiful woman.
Chase hurried to the door and tightly grasped Elise’s hand.
“Let go, Your Highness.”
But Elise’s demeanor was different than usual. The smile that used to bloom like wildflowers at the sight of him had vanished.
“Elise, is something wrong?”
Chase examined her face.
“No. The troubles will start now.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Elise looked up at Chase.
His clean face, his mature and sturdy body. She had made it all.
And now it was time to destroy it.
The moment she saw his face, she couldn’t bear the thought of a future with him.
‘I feel like I’m going to be sick. Let’s end this.’
Elise forced a smile.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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