The story I heard was shocking in itself.

No, it was more like a shock and horror itself.

I listened to the story blankly, not knowing how to process this information.

So, to summarize, it was like this.

Leoprick and Lloyd had returned to life once.

Leoprick had magical power, and Lloyd took an object imbued with his magic to a magic circle to activate the spell.

As a result, they traveled back in time and repeated their lives.

… Is this even possible?

I thought blankly while listening to Lloyd’s screaming voice.

Magic, you say.

Does that mean Leoprick already knew everything that would happen in this life?

Did he know how I would behave too?

Well, judging by how he was anxious about how to treat me, maybe not everything.

But didn’t he know everything I was going to do?

The same goes for Lloyd.

If his appearance at the wedding, his attempts to persuade me by following me on my honeymoon trip, and his constant attempts to meet me were all because he had returned…

… Thinking about it that way, all those incomprehensible actions suddenly made sense.

There were still many unanswered questions about Leoprick, but in Lloyd’s case, everything was completely explained.

So that’s why he suddenly clung to me like that.

It wasn’t because he had changed or truly developed feelings for me.

He just wanted to perfectly achieve his goal this time too.

I let out a bitter laugh.

At the same time, I felt betrayed.

In Waynes, the person who sold me the bracelet said I was a beneficiary of magic.

And they told me to forgive someone who had received the same magical benefit as me, just once.

At that time, I asked Leoprick if he knew anything about magic, and he said he only knew about what was in the imperial library.

As if it was just a legend that no longer existed.

And yet, he was actually the one who turned back all this time?

Knowing everything after turning back time, pretending not to know, pretending to care for me.

He deceived me like that?

Once I knew the truth, my thoughts wouldn’t stop.

The thought that all the kindness and consideration he had shown me, and even the affection filling his eyes, might have all been calculated actions.

And that thought became a complete certainty with his last words I heard.

Amelia shouldn’t know about this, Lloyd.

She’s happy enough now. If only you disappear, she’ll probably be perfectly happy.

His low whisper seemed to be mixed with regret.

But even putting those things aside.

This is unacceptable.

It shouldn’t have happened.

Leoprick deceived me.

And he did it perfectly.

Realizing this fact made my whole body tremble.

Just a few hours ago, I was completely happy in his arms, and now I hated myself to the point of grinding my teeth.

When his overflowing affection seemed suspicious.

When I was still wondering whether I should leave his side or not.

I should have stopped then.

At that time, I should have firmly decided to leave his side.

Forgetting that feeling, forgetting my initial resolution, caused this disaster.

It made me get involved in this nonsensical situation.

Ah. A sigh escaped involuntarily.

I wish I hadn’t given him a chance to be by my side.

I wish I had just stayed confused back then, instead of trying to resolve it.

If only, if only.

The regrets continued endlessly.

If it hadn’t been for Leoprick, who turned around and met my eyes right then.

If it had been that way, I would have continued to regret and blame myself incessantly in that place.

To the point where even breathing was painful.

“…Amelia.”

But the moment I met those eyes.

The moment I met those eyes brimming with pure affection, which I had thought it would have been better not to know about.

I crumbled helplessly.

“Was it fun?”

The words that came out without being processed in my mind were sharper than I thought.

Sharper than I thought, and more bitter than I thought.

“Was it fun watching me, who knew nothing?”

The blade of words doesn’t just cut the other person.

Even as I was hurt by my own words, I couldn’t stop wielding them against him.

Even as I was deeply cut and bleeding from my own words, I could clearly see his gaze towards me – apologetic, pitiful, and still shouting love.

That’s why I was in more pain, and more sorrow.

“Regression! Ha, magic. How hard it must have been pretending not to know.”

How ridiculous I must have looked, desperately worrying and trying to set everything right.

It was painful to see those eyes of his that were shouting that it wasn’t like that.

His eyes that were saying he just wanted to protect me until the end.

It felt like they were blaming me for not being able to stop speaking out of emotion.

In fact, it was me who couldn’t stop blaming.

“I thought I had finally found it.”

I thought I had finally found it.

The person I had been searching for after wandering for such a long time.

I thought I had finally found a way to repay him and atone after going through life over and over again.

That’s what I thought.

But…

“…I don’t think I can do it anymore.”

Gasping for breath, barely connecting my voice that seemed about to break at any moment.

The last words I managed to say were like that.

No more, no more of anything.

Anything.

“Amelia!”

With his voice calling out as if screaming, I lost consciousness.

Since that day, Leoprick had been stuck by Amelia’s side without moving an inch.

The doctor said she was unconscious due to the shock and that she would naturally regain consciousness over time.

He said there was nothing they could do except stay by her side and talk to her.

There was no appropriate medicine for this condition, and all they could do was wait for her to wake up.

Betty was angry, and Arnold was frustrated.

Hayley, who came after hearing the news, said she would try to find another doctor.

Leoprick just remained still.

Holding her hand that seemed like it would never turn towards him again, by her side.

Just quietly.

He did nothing.

He didn’t badger the doctor, nor did he urge them to save her quickly.

He just stayed by her side.

So that he could notice whenever Amelia woke up.

“Shouldn’t we stop him?”

Of course, it didn’t look very normal.

Saying he would stay here until Amelia woke up, Leoprick kept guarding that place without eating or sleeping.

He even drank the little water he had only by Amelia’s side.

He was so cautious, drinking in tiny sips while watching her lying there, as if feeling guilty.

It was enough to make Betty, who was watching, feel embarrassed.

“What if His Highness collapses like this? It’s really going to be a big problem.”

“You think we haven’t tried talking to him? He’s not listening at all, what can we do?”

Arnold shook his head at Betty’s words.

How many times had Arnold, Gale, and even Derrick gone to him saying His Highness would collapse first at this rate?

Yesterday, even the Emperor came and scolded him, they said.

But still, what could they do when he wouldn’t even pretend to listen?

Arnold sighed and buried his face in his hands, while Betty looked at Leoprick visible through the door crack with a pitiful expression.

“It’s surprising that Her Highness collapsed, but it’s also surprising to see His Highness so devoted.”

“His Highness has always been devoted.”

Arnold shook his head.

Betty narrowed her eyes as if she couldn’t believe it, but as far as Arnold knew, his master had always been this devoted and passionate.

How many times had he seen him move solely for Amelia Vermerian, without anything else?

He could bet everything he had that if Amelia didn’t wake up like this, his master would follow right after her.

“Let’s just watch for now. If Her Highness doesn’t wake up by tomorrow, we’ll have to think about how to persuade His Highness again.”

“We should. We really can’t leave him like this.”

From Betty’s perspective, even leaving him like that for one more day was extremely worrying and concerning, but Arnold said that with his trained body, he could endure for a few days easily.

Even so, a person shouldn’t be able to do that.

As they were exchanging various concerns about their master like this, it happened.

“Is His Highness inside?”

Suddenly, a very angry voice poured out behind them.

So angry that the emotion was palpable just from the voice alone.

Stomping into the palace, Viscount Vermerian was exuding a murderous aura as if he was about to kill someone right away.

He had exploded with anger like never before at the news that his precious daughter had collapsed.

He came to the separate palace with an air as if he was about to kill the Crown Prince right now.

As he was walking down the corridor, seething with anger, he heard talks about Leoprick staying by collapsed Amelia’s side for days.

And in between, he heard nonsensical talk about how romantic the Crown Prince was and how lucky the Crown Princess was.

It’s only natural to stay by the side of someone who has collapsed, so why are they saying she’s lucky for that?

Is that something to praise the Crown Prince for?

Hearing those words made him even angrier.

The Crown Prince had clearly come to him and expressed his determination to embrace Amelia well.

Although he had been uneasy about this marriage, he had sent his daughter with tears, calculating that at least the Crown Prince would be better than Lloyd Alois.

But to cause this disaster.

Unable to contain his desire to confront immediately, Viscount Vermerian finally stood in front of the room where Amelia was said to have collapsed and where Leoprick was.

“Tell His Highness that I have come.”