A storm arose.

As time rewound, Guinevere watched the afterimage of her son stabbing his own heart in the midst of a magical storm meant to protect her.

‘So this is how you turned back time.’

William wasn’t a wizard, but he could use simple magic through blood as a medium.

However, turning back time is the realm of gods and dragons. He wouldn’t have even dared to think of attempting it.

So the first two time regression spells were probably unintentional…

‘Did you want to die that badly?’

Thinking of William stabbing his own heart three times made her feel as if the ground beneath her feet was crumbling.

As the storm passed, Guinevere struggled to stand upright, staggering.

‘There’s no time for this.’

She knew where William was. Probably at that place where he first met Larisa.

She dutifully summoned her magic and teleported. Standing in an alley a little distance from William, Guinevere exhaled the breath she had been holding.

‘He’s safe.’

William was alive and well, having forgotten all despair and sorrow. Guinevere clenched her fist as she watched William’s back.

Blood began to flow as her long nails dug into her flesh, but she didn’t feel it at all.

‘My son will be safe from now on.’

Guinevere vowed.

‘I’ll make sure nothing can plunge that child into despair ever again.’

So that he would never think of turning back time again. Guinevere bit her lip and teleported once more.

She arrived instantly at a dilapidated hut tucked away in a corner of the slums. It was Larisa’s house, which she had visited during the second regression.

“Who are you?”

A woman with a pale complexion asked, startled by Guinevere’s sudden appearance.

‘She’s about to die.’

This woman must be Larisa’s mother. She was destined to breathe her last even before Larisa could steal William’s wallet and call for a doctor.

And unable to afford even a common grave, she would have been buried in the front yard of this house, as other poor people were. Guinevere opened her mouth.

“Guinevere Rodante.”

That was all for her introduction.

With an expressionless face, Guinevere looked around and turned to the woman who was clearly Larisa’s mother.

“Your name?”

There’s no one in this empire who doesn’t know the name Guinevere Rodante. The woman, greatly surprised by her name, stammered.

“Ma, Marina.”

“Marina.”

“Why are you in a place like this…”

“You will die today.”

Marina closed her mouth, her face turning white. For someone who had just uttered such a terrifying statement, Guinevere had remarkably sad eyes.

Her tone was calm, as if stating a fact she truly knew, rather than threatening or intimidating.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have the power to save someone who is destined to die. I’ve tried in my own way for the past 50 years, but to no avail. Instead, I’ll grant you one wish. Anything but asking to be saved. If it’s something I can do. In exchange, give me your daughter.”

Marina, unable to understand the situation, couldn’t say anything and stepped back. Frustrated by Marina’s frightened response, Guinevere urged her.

“There’s no time. Larisa will be back soon. Tell me your wish before then.”

“My, my only wish is for Larisa to live a long and happy life.”

To this, Guinevere muttered with the saddest eyes,

“Our wishes are the same then.”

*

Larisa awkwardly fiddled with the hem of her skirt. The black leather shoes were so thin and soft that they hardly felt like she was wearing them, and the velvet dress that enveloped her body was warm and cozy.

It was the first time she had worn such nice clothes. Yet, she felt no joy at all.

“Come, Larisa. It’s your turn now.”

Startled by the voice calling her, Larisa clutched white flowers in both hands.

As she stepped up onto the platform a few steps ahead, she saw her mother lying in the casket.

Her mother, wearing a beautiful white dress she had never seen before, lying among flowers, looked like a sleeping princess from a fairy tale.

“Mom?”

Larisa was only seven years old. She vaguely understood what death was, but it didn’t feel real.

For the past few days, her mother seemed to be just sleeping. Larisa wanted to greet her mom in the morning as usual, laugh and chatter with her, but she couldn’t, and that made her sad.

“Now we must send your mother off.”

Larisa nodded like a good child. She placed the white flowers she was holding on her mother’s chest and kissed her cheek as she always did.

“Sweet dreams.”

As she came down from the platform, a scary-looking lady met Larisa’s eyes and spread her arms. It looked like an awkward posture.

“Come here.”

Larisa hesitated for a long time before falling into those arms. In an instant, her view became much higher.

‘Is she really Mom’s friend?’

Even a three-year-old would know who Guinevere Rodante is. At seven years old, Larisa knew that the Great Witch Rodante would never be friends with a commoner from the slums.

But because her mother said so. Because her mother was a good person and had many friends.

‘Lala, Mommy needs to sleep for a long time now. Tomorrow morning, Mommy’s friend will come to pick you up. Mommy’s friend has agreed to take care of our Lala until you become an adult. So cry just a little and be good, okay?’

She didn’t expect her mother’s friend to be the Great Witch Guinevere Rodante who appeared in the newspapers.

Larisa was so uncomfortable being held by someone that she forgot to be sad. She squirmed uncomfortably until Guinevere adjusted her hold, and then she became still.

By then, the funeral had ended.

The priest recited the final prayer, and the casket was lowered.

As the earth was being covered, the choir sang a funeral hymn. When someone started sobbing, people who had been watching carefully began to cry one after another.

The priest, who had only officiated quiet and solemn funerals of nobles, frowned, but he couldn’t rebuke their sorrow.

Amidst the sobs of many people, Guinevere thought.

‘At least her journey won’t be lonely. With so many people crying for her.’

Whether they were really Marina’s friends, or if they came for the piece of bread distributed at the funeral, Guinevere had no way of knowing, but she hoped that they would pray for Marina at least during this funeral.

After watching the crying people for a moment, Guinevere turned around.

“Let’s go, William.”

“Yes.”

Larisa unconsciously looked at the tall boy called William, but when their eyes met, she quickly lowered her head.

She pretended to sleep with her face buried in the Great Witch Rodante’s shoulder, but the boy’s gaze didn’t leave her.

Larisa regretted it. Of all things, the wallet she stole had to belong to her mother’s friend’s son.

‘I’m sure I’ll be scolded. Maybe even bullied.’

As long as she wasn’t kicked, it would be fine. That hurts too much. Larisa was worrying about her future with such thoughts when she ended up falling asleep.

Guinevere carefully laid the sleeping Larisa down in the carriage. She thought the child hadn’t cried, but there were dried tear stains around her eyes.

It was ridiculous that a mere seven-year-old child knew how to cry in secret.

“What are you going to do with her?”

William, sitting opposite her, studied her expression.

Even though he had turned back time and forgotten everything about Larisa, his heart still seems to go out to her out of habit. Guinevere smirked.

“Why, are you worried?”

William didn’t deny it.

“She’s not your friend, is she? That person.”

“You’re right.”

“It was a face I’d never seen before.”

“I met her for the first time yesterday too.”

‘You’re not the type to make friends with someone you’ve just met, are you?’

William skillfully swallowed the words he wanted to say. His mother was an unpredictable person, but she had never acted this much out of character.

No, in a way, she might be the simplest person in the world. All of her incomprehensible actions had the common thread of magic.

“Are you going to… um, teach her?”

William was suspecting that the little girl might have some tremendous magical talent.

“No.”

But that wasn’t it. Moreover, the following answer made William faint.

“I’m going to have her marry you.”

“…”

After a moment of silence, William barely regained his senses.

“What?”

“I said, I’m going to have her marry you.”

“…What?”

“Are you deaf?”

William barely managed to hold back from shouting, “Have you gone mad?”

No, he couldn’t hold back. William shouted quietly.

“Have you gone mad?”

“…”

“She’s too young.”

“She’s young now. But 10 years will pass in no time.”

Guinevere closed her eyes as she stroked Larisa’s forehead. It felt like all the fatigue from the 50 years that had disappeared was rushing back at once.

Who are you calling mad? You madman. Is there another madman who would stab his own heart in front of his mother? Guinevere exhaled as if sighing.

“You will fall in love with this child. You won’t listen even if I try to stop you. Even death won’t be able to separate you two. If death tries to take her away, you’ll turn back time even if it means offering your heart…”

William was at a loss for words.

His mother often said things that were more cringeworthy than a pubescent boy, but most people would praise even her boastful nonsense as the wise words of a great witch. Because she had the skills to back it up.

But this time was really too much.

“Please don’t say things like that anywhere else. I’m begging you. Really…”

Stop showing off, please. It’s so embarrassing I could die.

But Guinevere had already fallen asleep, not hearing her son’s complaints. Only William, who remained awake, pounded his chest in frustration.

‘This damn household. I’m going to run away!’