Blytheus was right. In the situation where the Mage Tower was involved, in order not to align with the First Prince, they had to pull Lena to their side, and the only way to do that was through marriage with Blytheus.

However, even if they were in a hurry, they were a married couple who followed proper procedures.

And, a marriage where both parties would rather die than live together.
There was absolutely no possibility that the two would part voluntarily.

Eugenie, as if trying to figure out what Blytheus was thinking, looked at him with narrowed eyes.

“Right, you’re right.”

The Empress, who had become calm, suddenly sat down in the chair in front of her.

“So, is there a solution? Just in case, when I looked into it separately, there seemed to be no problem with their wedding. It was a marriage with noble witnesses and priests present.”

“Yes, it seemed like a trouble-free wedding on the surface.”

Blytheus, trimming rose thorns with scissors, started putting roses one by one into a vase.

“Blytheus.”

She called his name again, urging for an answer, but his scissors didn’t stop.

“Isn’t it pathetic how social status can be so fleeting?”

And when the sound of scissor cuts trimming the flowers began to feel eerie.

“Someone who was a commoner becomes a noble overnight, and someone who was a noble becomes a commoner overnight.”

The vase was filled with blooming roses.

She was beautiful.

Sparkling silver hair like sunlight hitting the sea, clear eyes like the sky.

Even a sunny smile that made everyone feel good.

Everything living and breathing on this land loved her, admired her, and worshipped her.

And by her side.

There was always that man.

Lena’s closed eyes opened.

“Another dream…?”

It started after the hunting competition. Unknown dreams began to come to her.

And strangely, in all her dreams, the silver-haired Velige always appeared.

If there was one problem.

“Why can’t I say a single word?”

It felt like she was fervently in love with the Duke in her dreams.

For over two weeks, Velige had appeared in her dreams almost every night, but she just watched from behind like a fool. She couldn’t say a word to him.

“Fool, like a spineless person.”

Lena sighed deeply, recalling the dream she had just had.

Again, the same woman appeared today.

Although she couldn’t remember the face in detail, she knew one thing for sure.

There was something between the silver-haired Velige and that woman.

“No matter how it’s just a dream… how can I be stuck with it all day?”

Feeling disgusted.

Even though it was just a dream, it felt so annoying. Lena shook her head in disbelief.

“It’s not the time to worry about dreams like this.”

After the magical verification, discussions about what to do with Lena continued in the palace.

The faction supporting the Second Prince insisted that Lena should be affiliated with the royal family, while the Emperor faction supporting the First Prince argued that Lena, who had already become a Duchess, could not be affiliated with the royal family.

The expression on Lena’s face darkened as she remembered the shocked faces of those who looked at the crystal bead that day.
Velige only said not to worry about her and didn’t tell her how the meeting was progressing.

Because of that, anxiety about being dragged to the palace would sometimes come to her.

“It should end well.”

And on this evening.

Her whereabouts were decided.

“You just need to go to the palace for magic education twice a week from now on.”

“Magic education?”

The Duke, who returned from the palace, said as he loosened his tie.

After a long meeting that lasted for several days, both sides dramatically agreed that Lena would commute to the Palace and learn how to handle magic.

“Yeah, at first, they insisted that she come every day. Shameless guys.”

Velige frowned, thinking about the arguments that took place in the conference room. Going to the palace only two times a week.

Where is that?

“Still, I’m relieved. I was worried that she would be dragged to the palace.”

“If you don’t want to start a war with our family, you can’t do that.”

It had been just over six months since the war ended.

The army was disbanded, but the soldiers who followed Velige remained in the Fermannes territory.

And the noble faction guarded and feared the Duke of Fermannes because if he decided, he could start a war again.

‘Anyway, it’s fortunate that it ended well.’

Lena breathed a sigh of relief only when the tension was finally released. Velige was just standing there, looking at Lena without saying a word.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Is something on my face?”

“No, just a little…”

He mumbled, avoiding Lena’s gaze.

Wondering what had changed in his attitude, Lena looked into the mirror. Where did the girl who used to look like a fairy go? Instead, a mature Lena’s figure was reflected.

Really, had the curse been completely lifted? The appearance that she thought would return after a few days remained unchanged.

Lena scratched her neck awkwardly.

“It’s a bit unfamiliar, isn’t it? It still feels awkward for me too.”

She always hoped to live as a beautiful woman in the past. But now that it had actually happened, she couldn’t feel any excitement.

Rather, it felt awkward.

And perhaps the Duke had the same thoughts because he sometimes looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“Maybe you liked the way you looked before…?”

“It’s not that…”

Without making eye contact with Lena, the Duke spoke, and his ears turned red.

“More worried. Worried that useless guys will stick to you.”

“Ah…”

Lena shook her head at the man’s words that tickled her chest.

Outside the window, when the autumn leaves were changing into red clothes, the faces of the two also turned red.