Mental magic is an unfamiliar field to me.

‘I’ll need to study if I want to understand it.’

I wonder if I can find books on mental magic? If I had known, I would have stopped by the library when I went to the academy.

My brows furrowed involuntarily as I encountered this difficult problem.

Seeing me lost in thought, Cedar gave a bitter smile.

“I’m sorry. For involving you in such complicated matters.”

Another apology. I shook my head.

“No. I don’t think it’s your fault at all. And it’s your family. As your wife, I should naturally face problems together with you.”

At my words of comfort, Cedar’s silver-gray eyes widened.

“Wife.”

What was important now wasn’t apologies or placing blame, but Lady Briar’s safety. I rested my chin on my hand and spoke seriously.

“More importantly, Cedar, I think we need to go to the Granite duchy. Since it’s a serious issue, as soon as possible… What’s wrong?”

But Cedar’s expression as he listened to me was quite peculiar.

With a face flushed red as if he’d received a love confession, his sparkling eyes were fixed on me.

What conversation did we have that made this man suddenly so shy?

Blinking, I pondered the words I had just spoken and frowned.

“…Don’t tell me you’re so happy because I called myself your wife?”

I was correct. When I mentioned the word ‘wife’ again, Cedar’s face turned even redder than a tomato, with his neck and earlobes flushing as well.

He quietly rose from his seat.

“Just a moment. Let’s talk again in a bit.”

And with that, he simply ran away.

“Cedar!”

It wasn’t just taking a moment to gather his thoughts, but completely disappearing? I blinked in bewilderment as I stared at the door through which Cedar had vanished.

“What the, really.”

Did he really run away just because I said ‘wife’?

I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand.

‘For such a big guy to look cute, my eyes must finally be broken.’

As I rubbed my eyes, I cupped my cheeks.

I could feel a burning heat on my cheeks as well. As if Cedar’s shyness had been transferred to me.

[This is the timeline separator]

Lady Briar, sitting in the carriage, clenched and unclenched her trembling hands.

‘What was that child?’

Her startled heart, even after being left alone in the carriage, wouldn’t calm down easily.

‘She asked if I was a mage. It seemed like she could identify what kind of magic it was just by holding my hand.’

It was a mistake to feel relieved when there was no particular reaction at the ball.

Who would have thought she’d discover traces of magic as soon as she grasped my hand.

‘I suppose she’s not called a great mage for nothing.’

Her hands trembled uncontrollably from being struck at her core.

Her ice-cold hands couldn’t regain their normal temperature. Lady Briar bit her lip as she continued rubbing her hands together.

‘I was unsure because of her delicate appearance, but her skills seem certain. Objectively, it’s not bad. With Cedar being a Sword Master, having a wife who’s a great mage is rather splendid.’

Cedar was that kind of child from birth.

A child to whom golden nuggets would roll in on their own even if he just stood still.

After resisting marriage for so long, when he brought home a woman who couldn’t even fulfill the duties of a wife, it felt like the world was crumbling. But rather, that turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

‘I worried and nagged for nothing. Now that it’s really time to nag, he won’t listen to me.’

Seeing Cedar, who kept saying harsh things without realizing they were for his own good, made her blood boil.

Should she be thankful for the anger? The hands that were cold as ice regained their warmth.

The problem was that her head started to ache as well.

‘Somehow, I need to get Cedar to firmly agree to the succession as soon as possible. If he disappears in the current situation, there’s no solution.’

To do that, she had to use everything at her disposal.

What came to Lady Briar’s mind was none other than Nelly.

‘It seemed Cedar had certainly taken a liking to her. Even at the ball, I was unsure but…’

Perhaps if Nelly said she wanted to become a duchess, there was a high possibility he would soften.

‘The problem is if that child notices something like earlier, it’ll be troublesome.’

Now that she had caught on once, it was clear she would try to make contact first next time.

In the current situation, she was just the right person to use, but if mishandled, it could end up being an own goal, which made her uncomfortable.

Lady Briar’s eyes sank deeply as she pouted her plump lips.

‘At least she’s better than her father.’

It wasn’t just because he was her son, but Duke Granite couldn’t even be compared to Cedar.

Lady Briar recalled unforgettable memories from the past.

That shameless face that only spoke selfish words.

[I love you. But I can’t marry you. My marriage is a promise between countries, not something I can break just because I don’t like it.] [Fortunately, Cedar takes after me a lot. The vassals won’t oppose recognizing this child as the legitimate heir.] [Isn’t that enough?]

If he had just drawn the line there, Lady Briar might not have truly aimed for the position of duchess.

But Duke Granite’s words didn’t end there.

[There is one way for you to become the duchess…]

Now she would scoff, but Lady Briar was young then too.

And despite her beautiful face and intelligence, she was full of resentment for a fate that only took away because of her innate status.

So she was easily swayed by Duke Granite’s words and willingly became his tool.

It was much later that she realized she had been used to dispose of a princess of high birth who couldn’t leave this country except through death.

‘He was a wicked man to the end. Using his cunning to keep his own hands clean.’

Nevertheless, his words of love for her were also true.

He meticulously covered up the evidence she left behind, and instead of cutting her loose as the duchess’s murderer, he took her in as his primary wife.

‘Humans have many facets, after all.’

Lady Briar summarized her passionate love with Duke Granite in that one sentence.

Like a burst dam, once the memories started surfacing, they gushed forth.

The next person Lady Briar recalled after Duke Granite was none other than the deceased duchess, Grisha’s mother.

Just once before she was poisoned to death, she came to see Lady Briar alone.

[What brings you here, Duchess?] [You poor woman. Unable to reveal yourself unless you cling to a trivial man.] [You speak as if you’re not the same.] [I didn’t come here to snap at you, so you should stop picking fights too.]

It was the duchess herself who cut short the conversation filled with sharp words, like a hedgehog raising its quills.

She held out a bottle filled with a deep purple liquid.

[This is a gift for you. Something you’ll desperately need later.]

The previous duchess was a mage. Grisha becoming a mage was due to maternal inheritance.

The bottle she offered contained a suspicious magical potion. At first, Lady Briar frowned, thinking it was poison.

[Are you planning to kill him if his love leaves you?] [That’s not poison. It’s…]

The duchess whispered to Lady Briar in a very low voice, revealing what the potion was.

The elegant and dignified princess looked like a witch at this moment.

[Remember. It can only be used on dead people.]

Why did she hand over a potion to be used on dead people, not living ones?

The intention, unclear at the time, was fully revealed only after her death.

She truly was a devilish woman.

Lady Briar swept back her hair. What happened in the past wasn’t important.

‘Everything went according to my plan. Cedar will become the duke, and those who stand in the way no longer exist in this world.’

She was now the duchess, and her son was about to become the duke.

The son of a lowly maid would become the duke of this country.

‘I just need to change Cedar’s mind. Now if Cedar just nods his head…’

That was the only obstacle. Lady Briar bit her lip.

On the night of the ball, after Cedar carried Nelly out, Lady Briar had a conversation with the emperor.

She hoped the emperor would persuade Cedar, who kept refusing the ducal succession.

Of course, the emperor rejected that proposal.

[We too would like Sir Cedar to become Duke Granite. However, isn’t his opinion the most important?]

His attitude suggested he wouldn’t mind passing it to Grisha if Cedar kept refusing.

Recalling the relaxed emperor, Lady Briar chewed her lip.

‘Cedar, please.’

How could it come to this situation? She couldn’t bear to see her son overturn a fully set table at the last moment.

Lady Briar’s face contorted. Her heart was desperate, but she had no methods at her disposal.

‘There’s no choice. Even at the risk of exposing the magic, I’ll have to persuade Nelly.’

Now Nelly was the only one who could move Cedar.

Lady Briar thought she should meet Nelly as soon as possible.

By the time she had organized her thoughts, the carriage had arrived at the Granite duchy.

Servants rushed out in droves to attend to her.

“My lady, have you returned?”

“Yes.”

As soon as she returned home, Lady Briar’s steps headed towards Duke Granite’s room.

She waved away the maid’s hand trying to assist her.

“For the master…”

“I’ll nurse him, so don’t let anyone in.”