Ophelia wondered if horseback riding had always been this difficult.

The pony that Haslen had bought her when she was young had surely been warm and cute, but the warhorse she rode as an adult was nothing like that.

“I’ll bring a gentle one,”

Hazel had said, which now seemed like a lie.

Her legs were shaking, and her thighs were sore. Her shoulders kept hunching forward, but she had to keep her back straight or risk falling off.

It was hard, but what could she do.

Ophelia knew how important appearances were. She also knew that when dealing with people, especially enemies, one must act unpredictably.

That’s why she was riding a horse she’d never learned to ride. Netepel would think she didn’t know how to ride.

Before that, he would be surprised just by her appearance here, since he would think she was in Reden, but that alone wasn’t enough.

Ophelia didn’t want to look foolish in front of her bastard childhood friend. Especially not in a situation where her one and only husband was in that cursed man’s hands.

[This is the timeline separator]

Two weeks ago, Ophelia had come up from Reden to Edegrun with the sole intention of somehow outsmarting Netepel. Knowing it would take terribly long to travel by land, she used the sea route.

Though to call it a sea route wasn’t quite accurate.

Unable to wait for a decent ship that would sail directly from Reden to Edegrun, Ophelia resorted to an unconventional method.

“Pirates are…”

“If you refuse a lady’s request, you’ll have bad luck for three years.”

Starlet, whom she had hurriedly sought out and met, smoothly cut in.

And the handsome pirate, whom she was meeting for the first time in this life, grinned.

“Luck is important in my line of work, you see.”

For someone who said that, he seemed to have quite refused her requests in her past life, but Ophelia simply nodded at the man’s words.

Of course, no one agreed with enlisting the help of pirates.

Even Hazel, who had put the black foam in the chimney on her orders, was against it. Though he understood her argument that they would waste time without this route, the knight said they couldn’t work with pirates.

“Please reconsider. How can we trust those…”

Ophelia knew Hazel would eventually be persuaded by her, so she didn’t take his opposition too seriously. It would be crazier to agree to have the royal you serve spend over ten days with pirates.

It was then that Starlet poured oil on the fire from the side.

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m kind to noble ladies.”

It was unclear whether he was trying to reassure or just irritate them. Hazel drew his sword, saying he would cut the man’s throat right now if he said another word. But Ophelia took the side of the pirate kneeling before her as if he had learned chivalry.

“That’s true, so you can put away your sword.”

“Oh, as expected, our queen knows…”

“I do.”

She probably knew more about him than Starlet expected. When you live several lives, you come to see a person from multiple angles.

Ophelia pressed her index finger firmly on the forehead of the pirate looking up at her with intensely sparkling green eyes.

“But it’s best not to dream of becoming my lover.”

Starlet didn’t even blink at her words.

“All married women say that.”

“That’s right. But it’s not just because I’m married.”

And Ophelia gave the reason that would be easiest for Starlet to understand.

“Actually, my husband is more handsome than you.”

Though it was meant to convince Starlet, it was the truth. Hazel turned his head away, and Starlet blinked.

“Mo-more than me…?”

“Yes, more than you. Don’t you know who my husband is?”

“No, I mean, I do know, but… more than me… more than me…?”

“My husband is the most handsome man in Aglante, of course.”

At least among the men she had seen in Aglante, Idren was the most handsome.

It was then that Hazel, who had been turning his head away beside her, made a strange sound.

The knight who coughed as if choking on something despite not having eaten anything, said:

“…Let’s board the ship. I will escort you.”

It was a statement that made her feel oddly ambivalent, even though things had gone as she wanted.

Anyway, Starlet provided her with a swift sea journey, along with some seasickness. When they arrived at Galisa Port in less than two weeks, even Hazel marveled at how fast it was.

Just before she disembarked, Starlet held her back and said:

“…I cannot accept this.”

The man mumbling seemed to have dark circles under his eyes, as if he had stayed up all night. Ophelia asked him:

“Accept what?”

“Your husband may be the best in Aglante. But I’m not from Aglante, am I!”

And the pirate, filled with inexplicable indignation, said:

“I-I’m a man of the sea, so I’m the most handsome at sea!”

Considering that the only things at sea were fish and his own crew, it was unclear what he was trying to compare himself to.

Ophelia replied to the pirate who had chosen the wrong competitor:

“Yes, but still not as handsome as my husband.”

Though it was time to accept the fact, Starlet wailed as if the sky had fallen.

“That can’t be! I-I’ve been polishing this face for years…!”

“My husband was born with it, so there’s nothing you can do.”

He was handsome even when he was always crying and sulking, so it could only be explained as innate.

But Starlet couldn’t accept it readily.

“I was born with it too!”

While that might be true, hearing him say it so blatantly was a bit off-putting. Ophelia grudgingly agreed.

“…I see.”

“It’s not just ‘I see’! I was born with it too! I was…!”

The man, who seemed about to throw himself on the deck and pound the wooden planks in frustration, couldn’t accept it until Hazel berated him for his rudeness.

No, he seemed unable to accept it even after hearing Hazel’s rebuke.

Even as he was forced to retreat by the knight’s hand, Starlet couldn’t let go of his lingering attachment and muttered:

“You’ll see. You’ll surely acknowledge it.”

“…Alright.”

“When that time comes, I will certainly…”

Feeling sorry for the man who was grandly circumlocuting his intention to make an impossible attempt, Ophelia finally extended her hand first.

Briefly dismissing the knight, Ophelia spoke to the man who was acting as if the world had turned upside down when he had merely learned the reality:

“It may be disappointing, but accept it. You can never surpass my husband.”

It might be cruel, but what could she do? That was reality.

Among the men in her life, there was no one who could surpass Idren, not now and not ever in the future.

And Ophelia didn’t want to see any man inferior to him. She concluded:

“So you can’t be my lover either.”

“…You’re really resolute till the end, aren’t you?”

She couldn’t understand why he said that with an attitude like a wronged mistress. Ophelia cleared her throat.

“Anyway, you can’t be my lover.”

“…”

“But the position of friend is open. How about that?”

At those words, Starlet’s eyes widened.

Ophelia looked at his emerald green eyes, probably the most praiseworthy feature of his face, sparkling in the sunlight. It was a color that suited perfectly his face, tanned just right by sea breeze and sunlight.

“Ah, but I can’t guarantee your safety if my husband finds out.”

Just as roses have thorns, Idren had his sharp edges. To her it was close to endearing, but it probably wouldn’t be the same for a pirate.

So Starlet needed to be wary of Idren for his own safety. Ophelia warned him of this fact in a palatable way.

“My husband is very jealous, you see.”

[This is the timeline separator]

In Edegrun, which she reached after almost a month, were Penrel with half his face gone, and Salode with a noticeably more irritable expression.

They had already received urgent news that Idren had disappeared.

“I should have stopped him more firmly.”

Salode expressed regret openly, which was rare for him. Ophelia said to the man who was probably experiencing the greatest crisis of his life:

“Don’t blame yourself.”

Idren wouldn’t have listened even if he had tried to stop him.

Originally, it was Mahanas who kidnapped her that had messed things up. She had hung his head on the walls of Reden Castle, but Ophelia thought that if she could, she would like to kill her brother again. She wondered if she had let him off too easily by acting impulsively.

“…I also apologize for failing to secure the castle properly.”

“The king must have already punished you for that. So don’t apologize to me.”

Anyway, words of apology were of little use. Rather than dwelling on minor faults, they needed to prepare quickly against Netepel.

“More importantly, have you heard any news about Egelbamont? I don’t know the exact situation since I used the sea route.”

“Actually, I have something to tell you related to that.”

The words that followed from Salode’s mouth were something she had never heard in her past life.

“The 2nd Prince of Tesendot and the 1st Princess of Egelbamont have come to Edegrun.”

In her past life, Ophelia had no connection with them.

She had met Rahellica Runtalis, the 1st Princess of Egelbamont, a few times. When they were young, they all attended conferences regularly.

However, Ophelia didn’t mingle well with people at the conferences. The only friend she had made, if you could call him that, was Netepel, but it would have been better not to have befriended him from the start.

Therefore, Ophelia only had vague memories of Rahellica Runtalis. Wavy blonde hair. The Crown Prince Orien, who was the eldest in the group, often calling her “my sister”. The sisters who were always on bad terms. The fan-like thing she always held in one hand.

The woman she met again resembled these fragments of memory, yet was subtly different.

“It’s been a long time.”

When Rahellica extended her hand to her with those words, Ophelia saw the bright smile that had clearly become a habit for the woman, and the fatigue it couldn’t quite hide.

Beside her sat a man she had never seen before. He was the 2nd Prince of Tesendot.

The 1st Princess led the conversation.

“Netepel Runtalis has staged a rebellion. He assassinated the Emperor, the Empress, and the Crown Prince, and has taken the 2nd Princess captive. The country is in chaos, so we came to Aglante as an allied nation… but the Grand King wouldn’t meet with us.”

There was bitterness in the woman’s voice. It had been a long time since Ophelia had met a woman of similar status and age who wasn’t close to her, so she was momentarily unsure how to treat her. Finally, she spoke in a voice softer than usual.

“My husband has given me the decision-making authority, so please speak freely.”

“Then, Queen, may I ask just one thing? Has the Grand King perhaps left his seat?”

At this sudden question, Ophelia’s eyebrow twitched. It was just a brief moment, but the 1st Princess seemed to have read something from it. She said:

“…I see that’s the case.”

And Rahellica explained before she could say anything:

“Word hasn’t leaked from within the castle. Aglante’s ministers were faithful to their positions. It’s just that my brother owns a merchant guild, and one of its members saw someone who looked like your husband in southern Aglante.”

It seemed there had been a witness when he came looking for her.

The 1st Princess continued speaking.

“If the Grand King is unable to return due to unavoidable circumstances, then I have no choice but to speak to you. Please, save my sister.”

And the 1st Princess explained what had happened until they reached Aglante.

“The 2nd Prince uses strange sorcery. I don’t know where he obtained such a thing, but it seems he can control people around him.”

And the woman hesitated for a moment before asking:

“Don’t you think my words sound absurd…?”

Ophelia shook her head. She had experienced equally implausible things herself.

If Idren hadn’t gone through the same experience, she too might have desperately wanted to convince someone.

“You seem to know something too.”

Ophelia didn’t answer that statement. Fortunately, the 1st Princess didn’t press the matter.

“It doesn’t matter, as I have only one wish. If you can just retrieve the 2nd Princess, I’ll give you everything I can.”

It was a strange thing to say for a woman famous even in neighboring countries for not getting along with her sister, but Ophelia didn’t doubt it. There were many things in the world whose inner workings others didn’t understand.

It wasn’t surprising that one of those things was with the woman in front of her.

[This is the timeline separator]

After meeting the two, she underwent a medical examination.

She had been examined in the south and in Rohos territory, but Hazel took her even to a doctor from Egelbamont.

She didn’t particularly want to meet that elderly doctor who had been involved in her death in her past life, but the knight was adamant.

“We still haven’t identified the type of poison.”

That was true. The poison that Mahanas had reportedly received from Netepel still remained in her body, but no doctor had been able to determine its exact composition.

Since it didn’t seem likely that Netepel would kill her, Ophelia hadn’t given much thought to the type of poison. The drug that Mahanas had first given her was a sleeping pill she had taken before in the past, and whatever he had put into her body afterwards didn’t seem to be lethal.

In fact, as long as Idren was gone, it didn’t matter what happened.

Though she dared not think it would happen, if something had happened to Idren’s safety, Ophelia planned to do exactly what he had done first without delay. That was one of the reasons she had brought the sacred object from Reden.

What did it matter how many times they started over? If it were her, Idren would have made the same choice.

However, since Hazel wouldn’t understand her thoughts – even if she told him, he’d probably think she was crazy – Ophelia called for a doctor as the knight suggested.

The old man looked much more haggard than when she had last seen him. She had heard that the master he served had recently passed away.

The man looked too old to be serving someone, but Ophelia didn’t ask for details. He was just someone she’d have to deal with eventually, nothing more, nothing less.

Until unexpected words came out of the old man’s mouth.

“Who used this medicine…?”

After drawing her blood and testing it with several drugs, the gaunt old man asked with a pale face.

“This is the medicine I made and gave to my master.”

At this point, she was curious enough to wonder who this master was.

It wasn’t so much that she was truly interested, but rather that it was that annoying. Ophelia answered.

“It’s a drug commissioned by the 2nd Prince who started the rebellion.”

“Ah, I see…”

And the old man began to shed tears. Ophelia frowned.

“Why are you suddenly crying?”

The only man who looked pretty when he cried was Idren. Ophelia didn’t really want to know about other people’s emotions. Especially in times of turmoil like now.

Then the old man said with a miserable face.

“If it’s not impertinent, may I tell you about my life?”

The story wasn’t long. It ended at an appropriate point just before her patience ran out.

The doctor said it was about his life, but it was more about his master than himself. The doctor’s master was young, a doctor in the imperial palace, a disciple cherished by the 2nd Prince’s attendant, and ultimately one who lost his life by his master’s hand.

In other words, he was sacrificed when Netepel Runtalis staged the rebellion.

Just as Ophelia was wondering what this had to do with the current situation, the doctor said.

“So that medicine must have been what my master’s master gave to the 2nd Prince.”

“…How can you be so sure?”

“Since I’m the only one in the world who can make this medicine, the 2nd Prince couldn’t have gotten it any other way.”

Hazel, who had been listening to the conversation nearby, interjected as if he couldn’t stand it anymore.

“So what effect does it have on the body?”

Only then did Ophelia realize she had forgotten the main point. The doctor seemed to realize it too and hurriedly answered.

“It makes the person who takes it appear as if their breath has stopped temporarily. The heartbeat slows down to the point where it’s barely felt, and because blood doesn’t circulate, the flesh gets cold and the body stiffens.”

Something came to mind at those words, sending a chill down her spine. Ophelia unconsciously lowered her voice and asked.

“…How long does one sleep after taking the medicine once?”

“That depends on the dosage. However, it shouldn’t exceed two weeks, because after two weeks, the probability of not regaining consciousness and dying increases significantly.”

“Then, does that mean one could be unconscious for two weeks?”

“Yes, but if one sleeps for such a long period, the efficiency of internal organs decreases…”

Ophelia didn’t listen to the end of the doctor’s words and rubbed her face.

“I thought you wouldn’t abandon me like that, but time didn’t go back, so I couldn’t confirm…”

Idren had said that while crying.

Ophelia knew that besides her own death, he was upset because time hadn’t gone back for a long time.

But she didn’t know why she hadn’t immediately returned to the past either, so she couldn’t explain it to him.

If she had taken this medicine then.

While she tried to sort out her complicated thoughts, Hazel conversed with the doctor in her stead.

“Are there any side effects to the medicine?”

“Other than the body becoming weak after taking it once, there are no other side effects. Even that shouldn’t be a problem if Her Majesty the Queen rests sufficiently, given her youth.”

Hearing the doctor’s words, the knight visibly relaxed.

“That’s a relief, Your Majesty. It seems there won’t be any major problems.”

She should have responded something to that, but Ophelia couldn’t bring herself to speak readily. The image of her husband crying in front of her kept lingering in her mind.

She worried about how Idren would react if he knew this fact. Would he be happy that the mystery was solved, or…

Would he be shocked to learn that he had put her in a coffin while she was still alive.

Whatever the outcome, it was certain that she couldn’t hide the truth from him.