If I had left even one person alive, I could have shown them to Salode and Lisana and then quit.

Because I didn’t, I must live for now.

While sending people to search for any remaining relatives who might still be alive, Idren thought that way.

There were too many remaining duties to give up.

Even if Ophelia was everything that made him who he was, she wasn’t everything he was responsible for.

Deciding to organize his thoughts, Idren resolved to go see Ophelia’s coffin one last time.

Once closed, the royal tomb would not be opened again until his death.

He was trying to end everything like that, but when he set foot in the tomb, time reversed.

After being thrown under the sky overlooking the Reden Canal, he had run to Reden Palace like a madman. And he encountered it.

Ophelia, who had always kept her door closed to him, opening it wide and looking down.

But upon seeing those blue eyes directed at him for the first time, what Idren did was flee right away.

Reason said that he shouldn’t do that.

That he should listen to what the living Ophelia had to say. That she might not have really abandoned him.

However, Idren did not have the courage to do so.

If he harbored hope again only to have it dashed, how was he supposed to endure then?

If, when facing Ophelia, she said it was true that she had taken her own life, Idren felt he would not be able to bear it.

So he first organized his situation. He got rid of everything that could get in Ophelia’s way.

It wasn’t difficult to deal with as it was just a few nobles. To the point where he wondered why he hadn’t done it long ago.

He may not have been able to handle everything, but if any rough edges appeared, he could fix them right away.

Now that Brinwell could no longer hold him back either.

He thought he had somewhat restored his reputation which had hit rock bottom, but when he actually faced Ophelia, he still felt utterly inadequate.

Isn’t it still the same now?

Ophelia asked about the past, but Idren could not bring himself to tell her about the despair he had felt and the irresponsible actions he had taken because of it.

If he did, it seemed it wouldn’t end with just looking pathetic.

In the end, even though he was given the opportunity to convey the emotions he had felt towards her, only obvious facts came out of his mouth.

“After you died, evidence of suicide by poison emerged. Poison remained in the medicine bottle you had drunk from. I believed it was murder and investigated, but there was no particular proof. Still, I had things to do, so I tried to finish the funeral, but…”

It was then that Ophelia interrupted the recitation of facts flowing like someone had put the words in his mouth.

“Wait, suicide by poison?”

Ophelia sighed and rubbed her face. She muttered.

“…I didn’t know that medicine was poison.”

It was closer to talking to herself than something meant for him to hear, but Idren did not miss it. Of course.

Because what those words implied was only one thing.

He asked again in a trembling voice.

“Then, are you saying you ate it without knowing it was poison…?”

At that, Ophelia removed the hand covering her face and said, almost shouting.

“Of course! Don’t you remember what I said?”

“What…?”

“After I planted all those expectations in you… logically, how could I take my own life after doing something like that!”

Though she wasn’t exemplary, she did have common sense.

Even judging by that common sense, taking one’s life after raising such expectations was not something to be done.

If you can’t take responsibility, shouldn’t you not give it in the first place?

So it was an obvious thing to say, but color immediately returned to Idren’s face which had been deathly pale.

“Well, that’s true, isn’t it?”

Letting out a hollow laugh, he pressed his trembling hands firmly against his eyes.

“It was something that made no sense logically, I knew that, but since you were dead…”

Saying that with a face that was hard to tell whether he was crying or laughing, the man eventually contorted his expression.

When he inhaled deeply, unable to contain the surging emotions, Ophelia embraced him without saying more.

Idren hugged her back as if he had been waiting and began to shake his shoulders.

Stroking the back of the man who was sobbing loudly while holding her tightly, Ophelia sighed. Oh my.

“We should find a doctor. You said you’re from the Egelbaum imperial family, right?”

Leaving aside the fact that she had been poisoned, she couldn’t just let it go when Idren was crying like this.

That’s right…… Idren replied in a voice already soaked with tears as he cupped the back of her head with trembling hands.

“I thought there was no way you would abandon me like that, but because time didn’t turn back, I couldn’t confirm it…”

And he murmured in a voice dripping with sorrow and relief. Clearly, my wish has not yet been fulfilled, but…

Wish? Ophelia frowned at the words that didn’t fit the situation. What did that have to do with this situation?

Before she could inquire, Idren said.

“There’s something I want to ask.”

His tightly locked voice was pitiful. Ophelia stroked his back and allowed it.

“Tell me.”

“Why did you take your life?”

There was no exact point in time, but Ophelia immediately understood what he was referring to.

He must be asking about the reason she threw away her life in her first life, which now felt so distant.

Idren had asked such a question before.

However, at that time she had been quite cold towards him, so she did not answer.

The reason she had taken her life was closely tied to Haslen’s existence, and at that time Ophelia believed that even mentioning that eternally young and radiant youth would tarnish him.

But now her thoughts were different.

If Haslen was a part of her, then Idren also had the right to know everything about him.

He was hers, and she had decided to give herself to him as well.

So opening her mouth wasn’t hesitant… The problem was that Idren was crying too sorrowfully right now.

Though she wasn’t used to comforting men, she knew enough not to talk about a former fiancé in front of a crying husband.

Moreover, Idren, though he would surely deny it, was quite jealous.

Ophelia opened her mouth to postpone her answer until he had calmed down somewhat. But Idren withdrew a little faster.

“No, no. It’s better if I don’t hear it.”

He was clearly trying to run away out of fear.

Ophelia hugged the man who was trying to pull away a little more tightly.

Though Idren could surely break free if he wanted, he remained nestled obediently.

Stroking his heaving back, Ophelia whispered.

“I’ll tell you later.”

As if the word ‘later’ made him anxious, the man’s words trembled again.

She was about to tell him that he could trust that nothing would really happen this time, but Ophelia closed her mouth.

Come to think of it, the future was unknowable, so it was difficult to make promises.

The only certain thing was that no matter what happened, she would not abandon this man.

Ophelia decided to prove that through her actions. She had to, for the sake of her anxious partner.

Without letting him go, Ophelia said.

“More than that, I have something to tell you too.”

She wasn’t sure if words like this would help lighten the mood, but it was something close to good news anyway. She confessed.

“I killed Netepel.”

Surprised, Idren immediately asked back.

“What did you say?”

“I said I killed Netepel. I took care of it in advance because I thought he would get in the way again.”

And Ophelia added gently. He also spoke ill of you.

The nerve of him, Netepel had constantly tried to belittle Idren since her past life.

She didn’t care at all about being insulted herself, but Ophelia could not let the things she loved be insulted.

That’s why she killed Mahanas and made Reden barren.

It was better if there was no Netepel for Idren, whom she loved most, to worry about.

Carefully detaching the man, Ophelia wiped his wet cheeks and reassured him.

“I made sure he was dead, so don’t worry.”

She had confirmed with her own eyes that Netepel had become a corpse.

Gently rubbing his wet eyelashes, Ophelia kissed him again.

She didn’t know before, but physical contact seemed quite effective in reassuring people.

Idren, who had been quietly receiving the kiss, looked down at her blankly as their lips parted.

“I know it’s a cliché expression. But I just can’t believe it…”

And the man blinked his beautifully wet golden eyes.

“How can I be sure this is reality?”

Everything was bleak, but suddenly things are going this well. It doesn’t make sense.

The mumbling man raised his hand to touch her cheek. Fingers with roughly calloused tips caressed her cheek, ear, neck, and hair.

Letting him do as he wished, Ophelia thought she would ask later how he had fared when she wasn’t there.

She couldn’t understand what kind of experience would make a person so relieved one moment, then anxious the next, and then anxious again even after being reassured.

Grabbing his hand that was now rubbing below her ear as if trying to feel her warmth, Ophelia kissed the tips of his fingers.

Idren’s face immediately turned red, as if ticklish.

Red wasn’t a color she particularly liked, but looking at it like this, it was pretty.

Kissing his rough fingertips once more, Ophelia whispered.

“Do you remember what you said to me a long time ago?”