Having completed all her business, Biare got off near the count’s residence and, with Joyan’s help, boarded the Luscheff family carriage.

The coachman, oblivious to her activities, seemed refreshed as if he had just woken from a nap, and Biare sighed in relief, having evaded his suspicion.

The journey back to the duke’s residence was lonely and gloomy, blending with the night, and Biare remained silent, her mood somber.

Entering her dark room without lighting a single lamp, Biare collapsed onto her bed, her tension released.

Her slender hand, clenched into a fist, trembled faintly, and in a burst of anger, she repeatedly struck her pillow.

“Why can nothing go right!”

She had been confident that using the ‘Eye of Truth’ to return to the past would at least reveal a clue related to his death.

Her plan was to thoroughly investigate the truth and prevent such an incident from repeating.

But everything seemed to go against her will, as if a cursed deity intervened, making her furious.

Since returning to the past, all she had done was remain as the demure eldest daughter of the Luscheff family, nothing more.

Biare stared at a cufflink she had been holding in her pocket for a long time.

“I still haven’t figured out anything about this emblem.”

She hadn’t expected it to be so difficult to meet ‘the Absence of God,’ who was supposedly this person.

Biare’s palms, unable to suppress her unease, were marked with nail imprints.

Her skin was so delicate that those marks would take days to fade.

Nevertheless, Biare was indifferent to the pain. Such trivial discomfort paled in comparison to the anguish of his death.

Feeling powerless as time relentlessly flowed, she tucked the cufflink into a mahogany drawer, trying to settle her troubled heart.

About to ring for water to soothe her burning throat, Biare withdrew her hand, not wanting to wake the servants at such a late hour.

Heading to the kitchen with a lantern, she was puzzled by the faint light seeping out from there.

Upon entering, she discovered the maids gathered, reading a book.

“What are you all doing here?”

“Ah… Miss!”

As they scrambled to hide the book, it fell to the floor. It was “To Reclaim Destiny.”

‘To Reclaim Destiny.’

That book held a chapter of the most memorable and brilliant memories of her life.

Picking up the dropped book and gently caressing it, Biare was lost in the memories of that day.

In the midst of a harsh winter that seemed unrelenting, Biare was wrapped in a blanket in front of the fireplace.

Particularly sensitive to the cold, she preferred to stay indoors during winter, using the weather as an excuse. However, today the chill seemed to abate.

Startled by a sudden cool breeze, she frowned and turned to see Manolin had opened the window.

“Why open the door in this cold?”

“Miss, on a day like today, you should go out for a walk.”

“In the middle of winter? That’s too much for me.”

Shivering from the cold, Biare waved her hand dismissively and burrowed deeper into her blanket.
In such cold weather, Biare preferred to avoid going out if possible, so she planned to stay in her room today.

However, it seemed like everyone was determined not to let her day go as planned.

Even Henderson, the butler, knocked on her door three times, causing her to sigh softly.

“Miss, the Duke has sent a message.”

“Oh, what did father say?”

“He’s sent a carriage. He wants to have lunch with you at Arkan Square.”

The one who seemed happiest about this was Manolin, concerned that Biare, who was still growing, was spending too much time confined to the estate.

To her, Biare still seemed like a young and fragile lady.

Pouting her lips and getting ready to go out, Biare soon arrived at the entrance of Cheilo Trading Company, shivering from the cold.

Once inside the warm trading company, her breath rough from the cold, Biare gradually found her calm.

Noticing her, the manager greeted her and offered to guide her, but Biare, not wanting to disrupt their busy work, firmly declined.

Stating she would wait there, she gazed around at the bustling activity.

Not long after, Guyzen, wearing an overcoat, emerged from the office.

Noticing Biare immediately, he was surprised and quickly came to greet her.

“Sister, how long have you been here?”

“Not long.”

“You should have told me. You’re so sensitive to the cold.”

“It’s quite warm here. I’m fine.”

After a while, the Duke, apologetic, joined them.

“You were all waiting for this old man.”

“Why did it take you so long?”

Guyzen frowned and grumbled at their father, who chuckled.

“Huh, I was cleaning up the mess you made, son. You can’t even check the order items properly.”

Guyzen’s eyes wavered, and Biare, sensing the joke, stopped her father.

“Father, that’s enough.”

Confused, Guyzen looked back and forth between them, and the Duke playfully pinched his cheek.

“Kid, it’s a joke. A joke.”

Realizing he’d been tricked by his father’s jest, Guyzen pouted all the way to the restaurant.

Watching him, the Duke whispered just loud enough for Biare to hear.

“I wonder who he gets his narrow-mindedness from.”

Hearing this, Guyzen, who had been walking ahead, turned sharply and glanced back at his father.

“I heard that, Father.”

“Clearly, he got his sharp ears from me.”

Despite outwardly appearing displeased, deep down, both were very caring for each other. Watching them, Biare let out a small chuckle.

This was a typical day for the Luscheff family – so peaceful it seemed unbreakable.

At the restaurant, an urgent matter arose, forcing the Duke and Guyzen to return to the company. Their lunch was cut short, and though they seemed apologetic, Biare smiled and saw them off.

Probably unaware of the situation, the coachman and Tonyo were likely roaming nearby.

Biare considered returning to the duke’s residence but decided to enjoy her rare outing.

However, usually confined to the estate with only occasional social events, she struggled to think of a destination.

Finally, she decided to look for a good book and headed towards the large bookstore she had visited before.
During lunchtime, the bookstore was usually quiet and had a serene atmosphere.

Biare, who usually headed straight to the mystery novel section, suddenly stopped, recalling a conversation with the young ladies at a recent tea party.

“Was it popular fiction?”

Although it wasn’t a genre Biare usually read, a flicker of curiosity held her back.

Eventually, she found herself at the popular fiction section, where a particular book caught her eye.

“Yes, this is the one.”

She remembered the young ladies mentioning that it was hard to find, but being a large bookstore, there were still a few copies left.

Satisfied, Biare gently pulled the book from the shelf.

After paying for it, she briefly stopped at her carriage, then entered a quiet dessert café, holding the hardcover book.

Entering the café, she was greeted by the subtle aroma of coffee and sweet tea, with tempting desserts neatly displayed in a glass case.

Biare chose a seat by the window where winter sunlight filtered in and placed the book, titled “To Reclaim Destiny,” on the table – a romance novel with a sad narrative.

“I only intended to browse at first…”

She smiled ambiguously, pondering how she ended up purchasing the book.

According to the young ladies, reading this book made them reconsider their thoughts on love.

“Can a single book really provoke such thoughts about love?”

To Biare, love was just a trivial play of emotions, but the notion that one could learn about love from a book intrigued her.

A café attendant brought her a delicately brewed Earl Grey tea. Refreshing her throat, Biare began reading.