“You’ve come all this way on your own two feet, you.”

The corner of my mouth curled up without me realizing it.

Seeing my smile, she grinned even more brightly and said.

“Does the northern manor always turn away guests at the door? Your Grace the Grand Duke?”

The Grand Duke did not descend from the carriage, looking down at Medeia.

The immense killing intent emanating from him enveloped the surroundings.

Astute Medeia gripped the hem of her dress and bowed to the Grand Duke.

“I greet Your Grace, the Shield of the North, the Grand Duke of Belfast.”

Only then did the Grand Duke open his mouth.

“I don’t recall inviting you.”

“Invited or not, where is there that the Empire’s Grand Duchess cannot go.”

‘Revealing your emotions!’

You’re smiling but you’re furious to the tips of your hair, Medeia.

The Grand Duke let out a slight chuckle.

“You, perhaps, are not one to forget something once learned?”

“That’s right, Your Grace.”

She smiled brightly.

“Very well, you have a good head on your shoulders. Then learn one thing before you go today. Don’t dawdle around the north’s property.”

“……”

“Understood?”

“…I wanted to meet the Shield of the North who blocked the monsters on behalf of the south, and give my proper thanks. Hearing you say that pains my heart.”

Medeia smiled brightly again.

“I see. For a show of gratitude, you seem rather sparsely attired.”

“Is that so? My apologies. I haven’t even been let in the door yet.”

“I received the gift you sent well.”

“……”

Medeia looked up at the Grand Duke with an innocent face.

“What gift are you speaking of… Ah! Could you perhaps mean the thief who stole my diamond mine ownership deed without permission?”

“……”

“Come to think of it, my assets had been transferred to the north. Witnesses said the thief was a man with red hair, but they lost him. They don’t even know who he is. Did he perhaps go all the way to the north to slander me? Did he commit some misdeed? Could you explain in detail?”

I tried hard to hold back an empty laugh.

“If I explain in detail, what will you do.”

At the Grand Duke’s words, Medeia replied nonchalantly.

“I would have to calculate the damage you suffered and compensate you.”

A tone asking why he would ask something so obvious.

She says this knowing there is no evidence that can put her and the red caterpillar in the same frame. She would have already received all the reports via transmission stones from him who had escaped.

“But if you suffered no damage, then I too am a victim, so I ask for your generous mercy.”

“……”

“By the way, will you be keeping my stolen diamond mine as is, Your Grace the Grand Duke?”

The thick veins on the Grand Duke’s clenched fist came into view over his stoic demeanor.

My vision also went white with rage.

‘Medeia! You dare to insult my liege.’

The Grand Duke spoke.

“To Belfast, wealth is like dust. If the south who treasures every penny asks, I shall return it.”

Immense killing intent.

Medeia, who had been pretending to know nothing, flinched at the Grand Duke’s energy.

At that moment.

Another carriage approached the front of the manor.

The one who descended from the halted white carriage was Daisy Anthoine in a chick flower-like yellow dress.

“Your Grace!”

Daisy ran over with short steps and bowed deeply to the Grand Duke in the carriage.

“Your Grace! I wanted to… see you.”

The young girl’s voice trailed off as she shrank back. It must be due to the unfamiliar murderous aura filling the air.

The Anthoine Marquess, who was scheduled to stay in the capital for only a few days before returning, also exited the carriage and bowed to the Grand Duke.

At this, Medeia put on a bright smile.

“Ah! Pink hair. They must be the Empress’s niece and nephew.”

“!”

How dare she.

To speak of Her Majesty the Empress and her blood relatives with that filthy mouth.

“Your Grace.”

I called out to the Grand Duke without realizing it.

“Please grant me permission. I will go out.”

The Grand Duke nodded.

I exited through the opposite carriage door, then walked towards Medeia.

She stared at me, her red eyes flashing.

Within those eyes, countless words and emotions were blazing.

I greeted Daisy Anthoine and the Anthoine Marquess.

“Young lady, as an uninvited guest has arrived, shall you head in first by carriage?”

“An uninvited guest?”

“Yes.”

Daisy glanced at Medeia. Medeia flashed a sharp smile at the girl. Daisy trembled slightly and grabbed my waist.

“Sir knight, who is she?”

“Someone you need not know.”

“A knight, huh.”

Medeia muttered softly.

“You became a knight, Bella?”

“We are in the middle of a conversation, Lady Medeia.”

At my words, Daisy cried out loudly.

“Ah! That shang!”

“?”

Medeia tilted her head.

I knew the rest of what she was going to say.

“Young lady, please head inside.”

“Huh? Yes.”

Daisy kept muttering.

“What was it Earl Nugent said. Shang…”

The Marquess put his sister back in the carriage and entered through the main gate.

As I watched the Anthoine siblings’ carriage drive off, Medeia’s voice came from behind.

“Did you swear the knight’s oath too? Bella.”

A cold voice.

Yes, this is your true voice. A voice with only callous killing intent left when the hypocrisy is stripped away.

I turned to face her.

She was smiling with effort, her face having turned pale.

I approached her closely.

“My name is no longer something like Bella.”

“What?”

“That kind of name you charitably bestowed upon me, I discarded long ago.”

“!”

Medeia’s hand gripping her dress hem began to tremble.

“You dare… You survived quite cunningly. Is this an aftereffect? Have you gone mad?”

“You came to check if I was still alive.”

“!”

She smiled bitterly.

“What are you talking about. I came out of concern that you might have been injured in the battle against the monsters. With the entire empire nearly put in danger because of the monsters, how could I not know about that?”

“……”

“Bella, I’ll forgive you so return to your true self. This isn’t like you.”

I took one step closer to her. And whispered softly so only she could hear.

“Go back, Medeia. Wait until I come find you.”

Medeia glared at me in shock. I smiled at her. Then I turned around.

I got on the carriage.

The Grand Duke spoke.

“Lady Medeia, I hope your learning is not cut short.”

“!”

The Grand Duke smiled gently.

“Let’s go.”

The carriage started moving again.

After letting us in, the guards immediately closed the huge iron gates.

I did not look back at Medeia.

[This is the timeline separator]

“That’s right! Shang! Nyeon! It’s a southern slang used to disparage lowly people!”

Daisy Anthoine boasted of her knowledge.

“Arcadia taught you well. He even taught you this kind of thing in his busy schedule.”

The Grand Duke shook his head.

Hans exclaimed.

“Truly absurd. Does she have an iron plate for a face, to dare act like this here of all places!”

“Our butler must be furious that she couldn’t even set foot on the dirt in front of the main gate! Hmph!”

Moby, Ergo, and Hans were on the verge of going into convulsions from rage.

“Medeia saw Lady Anthoine and the Marquess arrive.”

I said to the Grand Duke out of worry.

The Grand Duke also nodded.

“We’ll have to be careful. Moby, strengthen the security around the manor.”

“What’s there to discuss! That wretched woman. She should be grateful I didn’t draw my sword and charge out!”

Moby yelled towards the main gate in the distance.

The Grand Duke said.

“Moby, she’s not even worth getting angry over. If the Empire’s Grand Duchy could be brought down by rage alone, I would have torn them all to shreds and scattered their corpses in all directions long ago.”

The Grand Duke’s blue eyes burned red.

I thought that sight looked like a sea set ablaze by the sunset.

“I will not forgive them. So don’t let yourselves be consumed by anger.”

“Your Grace, please calm yourself.”

“Are you alright, Your Grace?”

Everyone’s anger turned to concern for the Grand Duke. At that, the Grand Duke grinned.

“Yes, is everyone feeling better now?”

“!”

He got angry on our behalf.

Everyone started chuckling.

Seeing that, the Grand Duke also wore a faint smile. But soon, the mirth disappeared.

After everyone dispersed to their own rooms, only the Grand Duke and I remained in the hall. I waited to see him off to rest.

He quietly spoke.

“Esther.”

“Yes.”

“When I think of what they did to you… I too cannot sleep. But let’s stay levelheaded.”

‘Your Grace.’

“Don’t engage in lengthy conversation with Medeia. Be careful until you get shot with the same poisoned arrow they shot you with, and get thrown into the river tied to a sandbag.”

You haven’t forgotten what I went through as a child.

“I am Your Grace’s knight. I will not lose.”

“Yes. But you are lacking without a sword.”

“Pardon?”

“Learn more hand-to-hand combat… Right, sleep with your sword and don’t let it leave your side.”

“Your Grace. It seems Your Grace is still angry.”

“Oh my, so I am.”

I smiled, grateful for his concern.

“I worry you will act on your own again. Don’t forget my request.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

[This is the timeline separator]

However.

‘I’m sorry, Your Grace.’

To not act on my own as you say, there are too many things I can do.

That night.

I donned a black cloak and leaped over the wall of the northern manor that was as tall as a castle. And I went to Sharhen Street where the Lahert’s capital residence was located.

The capital’s finest downtown area.

In that place overlooked by the execution grounds stood the southern Grand Duke’s mansion, identical to its appearance in my previous life.

‘I’ve returned to this hellish place.’

I can still hear it when I close my eyes.

The golden-covered corridor over 1 rena long, and Medeia’s secret room at the end of that corridor.

‘I said I would come, but I didn’t say I would announce my arrival.’

I wanted to find the evidence she must have hidden somewhere.

Evidence that the red caterpillar is your subordinate.

And the details of how the poison you cultivated ended up with Swantus.

If not that, anything else would do.

I wanted to find it no matter what it was. Arcadia also went to the underground to create that evidence, giving up his life.

I couldn’t lie comfortably in a cozy bed in a pleasant room by myself.

I entered through the passage used by assassins at the back of the mansion.

Then once darkness fell completely, I hid in the shadows.

I reached Medeia’s secret room without making a sound, picked the lock, and went inside.

Into that room where I had died in my previous life.

[This is the timeline separator]

At the same time.

The butler Hans carefully knocked on Esther’s door.

But the clear voice saying “Come in” did not respond.

He knocked once more.

“Excuse me, Sir Esther. I apologize for the late hour. His Grace the Grand Duke is urgently looking for you, are you perhaps asleep?”

Still receiving no answer, Hans cautiously opened the door.

The room was empty.