Staring blankly out the window, Riena carefully folded the letter and put it back in its original place.

She had to look at the part she had stopped reading earlier, but she didn’t have the courage to open the book. Just looking at the cover made her eyes wet and her nose sting.

‘But……’

She mustered up her courage and opened the page she had been reading until a moment ago. She couldn’t just turn away from it, as the last content she read kept lingering in her mind.

Apart from the sadness that Cassel may have had a lover he loved more than her, she had to find out about this strange phenomenon that was happening to her now.

Riena took a deep breath through her nose and focused on the words again.

“Do you see this red wound on my heart? This is the proof that I turned back time. I stabbed a dagger right into this heart.”

“…!”

“The price for using the goddess’s power is death! The goddess tests your desperation. And even if you choose death, it doesn’t mean your wish will always be granted. If you’re unlucky, you’ll just die a dog’s death! I dare not even imagine how many people have died like that!”

Claudine’s eyes flashed towards the silent crowd.

“Now, is there anyone here who has the courage to sacrifice their life to save the kingdom?”

This time, Riena definitely couldn’t read the book and closed it with a loud sound. She felt more dizzy and nauseous than when she discovered the mysterious letter.

Putting the book back in its original place, she staggered back to her room. Without even thinking of calling Amy, she collapsed weakly on the bed.

‘The price for using the goddess’s power as a human is death…..’

Cassel’s wound hovered over her closed eyes. A wound that seemed to be pierced by something sharp. The wound was similar in size to a small dagger rather than a large sword.

‘Such a thing can’t be possible.’

Something like turning back time couldn’t happen.

And Cassel sacrificing himself for someone was something that shouldn’t happen either.

Riena gripped the pillow tightly with both hands.

At this moment, she wasn’t curious about who Cassel really loved.

She just missed him.

It was when Cassel and a few of his subordinates arrived in front of the apprentice knight’s house in question. He stopped his subordinates who were trying to quietly open the door and brought his hand to his waist.

“He’s not alone. I feel a murderous energy. Everyone, be on guard.”

He brushed past his subordinates and approached the door himself. Then he kicked the flimsy wooden door hard and rushed inside.

“Who’s there!”

A voice full of vigilance came from inside. Cassel drew his sword from its sheath, his mouth tightly shut. At the same time, he slashed the leg of the masked man rushing towards him.

While the opponent was staggering, Cassel completely blocked his movement and instructed the subordinate who followed.

“Keep him alive. We need to find out who’s behind this.”

Then he rushed towards the young man surrounded by assassins. The man, who looked between a boy and a youth, was clearly the apprentice knight of the Dyke family that Cassel was looking for.

He was holding a sword that wasn’t properly sharpened and confronting them, already covered in blood here and there.

“Damn it, finish him off quickly!”

The assassins tried to attack the apprentice knight swiftly, but Cassel was faster than them. He moved so fast that ordinary people’s eyes couldn’t properly see, subduing the assassins.

His subordinates hurriedly gagged the fallen assassins’ mouths with hastily made gags. It was to prevent any possible suicide.

Only after all the assassins were down did the apprentice knight seem to relax, leaning against the wall and sliding down. But before he could feel relieved, his face was grabbed by Cassel.

Cassel asked with a force as ominous as the assassins.

“You’re Anthony, right?”

“…Who are you?”

“You were an apprentice knight under the previous Count Dyke, weren’t you?”

At the mention of Count Dyke, Anthony’s eyes trembled.

He seemed to have finally realized that the person standing in front of him was not a savior who had come to rescue him, but another grim reaper after his life.

“Y-you’ve got the wrong person. I’m not someone named Anthony, and I’ve never been under Count Dyke.”

“I don’t like long talks.”

“…..”

“If you were going to play dumb, you should have denied it from the moment I asked your name. You dare to try to deceive me now? I admire your courage, but….”

Cassel’s hand gripping Anthony’s chin and cheeks tightened with strong force. Anthony groaned in pain at the grip that seemed to crush his bones.

“You should act according to who you’re dealing with. Why do you think I spared your life?”

“Urgh.”

“If you don’t remember what happened at the Count’s house, I can make you remember.”

“I-I’ll tell you everything!”

Anthony shouted hastily with his eyes tightly shut. He already seemed to know why this was happening.

“I’ll give you the information you want, so please spare my life.”

“Is your own life precious to you even after causing such a thing?”

Anthony barely moved his arm and clasped his hands like a fly.

“I didn’t do it because I wanted to. Really. Please believe me! I, too, have been tormented and unable to sleep properly since that day.”

Cassel smirked with one corner of his mouth.

His lovely Riena didn’t know. He, the family head, was someone who could become as cruel as necessary to get what he wanted.

Riena was upset by the rumors about him circulating in the world, calling them ‘absurd slander’, but in fact, they were not groundless rumors.

“I’ll let you live if you give me only the information I want.”

It wasn’t a lie. Cassel had no intention of killing Anthony.

He was just going to give him a life so miserable that he would beg to be killed instead.

“So spill everything you know.”

Cassel, who did not even have dinner with her, did not return until Amy prepared Riena’s bed.

“His Grace often goes out this late. He’s a very busy person. There’s no separate contact, so don’t worry. If something had happened to His Grace, we would have heard by now.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Amy seemed to think that Riena was worried about Cassel’s safety, but Riena’s true feelings were completely different.

‘Of course, I’m actually worried about Cassel since this has never happened before, but he’s someone who won’t get seriously hurt….’

She knew that Cassel was someone who could sufficiently protect himself.

But her mind was complicated for another reason.

Just a moment ago, Riena, who had been struggling in agony on the bed, eventually couldn’t resist the urge and headed to the library.

Even though she knew it was a Pandora’s box that shouldn’t be opened, she took out a thick book written about the previous Winkler Duke.

She thoroughly searched to see if there was another Winkler Duke who had the name Cassel.

She hoped there was, but despairingly, there was only one name Cassel.

The most recently recorded Cassel Winkler. The very man she loved.

It was now certain. The recipient of the letter written by a woman named R was Cassel, her lover.

The very man who had lain in the same bed and whispered love to her just last night.

“Young lady, you don’t look well. Are you feeling unwell somewhere? Should I call a doctor?”

“No, I’m fine. I’m not sick at all. I guess I was just a bit tired from having a busy day.”

“Then please go to sleep quickly. I’m worried you might collapse.”

Was her complexion that pale? Riena stroked her cheek and impulsively asked Amy, who was leading her hand towards the bed.

“Hey, Amy. What are some women’s names that start with the letter R?”

“Names starting with R? Why all of a sudden?”

“No, just… in case I might use it later?”

Riena couldn’t think of a good excuse, so she glossed over it. Then Amy covered her mouth and shyly said, “Oh my, oh my.”

Riena could roughly guess what imagination was unfolding in her mind. Amy seemed to think that Riena was considering a name for the second child she had with Cassel.

It was clear from the way her gaze naturally went to Riena’s lower abdomen.

Riena wanted to correct Amy that it wasn’t what she was thinking, but she decided not to, as it might make the atmosphere even more awkward.

It was a casual question for Riena, but Amy pondered quite seriously.

“Rebecca? Is this name too classic? Then Regina? Rachel? Renée? Ah! The name Rose would be pretty too.”

“Renée, Rachel….”

Riena was about to ask if there were any noble ladies with names starting with R who had interactions with the Winklers. It seemed too blatant a question.

‘I want to ask if Cass had a lover, but I can’t ask that either.’

It was when Riena was groaning inwardly. Amy, who had still been muttering names, said as if it was interesting.

“Come to think of it, this is irrelevant, but your name also starts with R, young lady!”