In a room where the morning sunlight warmly illuminated, Lina, who had awakened, looked at Velige.

“It’s not a dream.”

Even as she looked at the man in front of her, as if not believing, she gently tapped Velige’s sleeping face.

However, except for a slight twitch of the eyebrows, the Duke was quietly exhaling even breaths.

Feeling bolder, her hand moved from the man’s hair down to his forehead. She enjoyed the vivid sensations felt through her fingertips.

Like the summer day when she first met Velige. How long had she been doing this?

Smiling brightly, Lina stood up and approached the mirror. Then, while adjusting her appearance, she gazed at her own face.

“Come to think of it.”

Suddenly, Lina tilted her head curiously at a thought that came to her.

“Why is it still the same?”

Sitting in front of the mirror, she scrutinized her face once again. She had thought that the curse would be lifted when the day broke.

“Does it take some time?”

However, she couldn’t hide her disappointment at seeing no change in her appearance.

“They said the curse would be lifted if I truly loved him.”

Of course, there was no doubt about Velige’s love. But how long had she been waiting for the moment when the curse would be lifted?

Hoping that there might be a slight change, she carefully examined herself.

“Is there really nothing different?”

Still, there were the same ash-gray hair and a lean body.

“Sigh.”

When the once highly anticipated moment turned out to be disappointing, Lina let out a low sigh. Suddenly, one assumption crossed her mind.

“Maybe I misunderstood how to lift the curse.”

As that doubt arose, she reconsidered how she came to know that she was under a curse.

“Surely, some man told me….”

Lina recalled the first moment when she opened her eyes.

At that time, apart from her name, she didn’t remember anything else. She initially thought she was just an ordinary person who had lost her memory due to an accident. Quite foolishly.

While reminiscing about her past when she knew nothing, Lina chuckled.

Luckily, a kind elderly couple warmly welcomed her when she was lost. So, she lived a simple life, farming with the elderly couple, mingling with the villagers. Although she lost her memory, she was happy.

Until the man appeared by chance.

Initially, she dismissed the man’s words as nonsense. He rambled about her being under a terrible curse and that to lift it, she needed true love.

However.

As her body, which she initially thought was just a little late in growing, ceased growing, and when the villagers began to question her unchanged appearance, she began to doubt.
The man’s words might be true.

Leaving behind such ominous words, the man suddenly departed. Lina tried to recall his face.

However,

“I don’t remember at all.”

While she vaguely remembered the words he spoke to her, his face remained hazy, as if shrouded in mist.

Eventually, Lina, who gave up recalling the man, looked at the sleeping Duke reflected in the mirror.

“It’s over now.”

Since that man was by her side, she resolved not to think about the curse anymore.

Considering the vague curse might not leave us with much time.

When Velige returned to the inn with Lina, it was the moment when Lawrence and Philip were about to depart as guards.

Lawrence, who spotted the Duke at the inn entrance, rushed over with surprised eyes.

“Duke!”

Concerned if there were any injuries, Philip and Lawrence examined the Duke closely.

The day Velige left alone. How much self-blame did she feel for not following him, sensing something dangerous?

Philip tried to reassure Lawrence that the Duke wasn’t easily killable, but after two days with no return, Lawrence became certain that something was wrong.

Although it was an unofficial visit, the disappearance of the Imperial Duke was a significant matter.

They had planned to inform Festius of the Duke’s disappearance and request cooperation in the investigation. However, he returned unharmed.

The expressions of the two who breathed a sigh of relief inside were visibly relaxed. However, the Duke’s expression darkened abruptly as they discovered bandages visible through his shirt.

“Is this wound… Are you hurt?!”

Examining the Duke, Philip and Lawrence frowned at the signs of fresh injuries on Velige’s face.

“We were attacked by unidentified assailants.”

“Who on earth…!”

“It must be the Empress’s doing.”

Lawrence bit his lip as if suppressing anger and spoke.

“Let’s go inside for now. It doesn’t seem like the right place for this conversation.”

“Yes, I understand. If you’re upstairs, I’ll go get a doctor right away…”

As Lawrence hurried to seek a doctor upon the Duke’s words, turning to follow, the moment he left, a familiar woman subtly revealed herself behind the Duke.

“…You.”

“…It’s been a while.”

Awkwardly swaying her body, the woman who emerged was none other than Lina. Everyone, including Lawrence, who had desperately searched for her, involuntarily held their breath.

‘She’s alive.’