《Marriage B》


 Chapter 1 - Prologue (1)

    Chapter 1 ¨C Prologue (1)


    ¡°Today, will you stay out late?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Nothing in particular. I thought to myself, merely looking at him with sorrow.


    In the beginning, he had told me he couldn¡¯t get mad at someone who approached him in a friendly manner. However, looking at his frowning face right now, I was sure that¡¯s no longer the case. Not to me, at the least.


    And as he put on the coat he rarely wore, he started to speak with a cold voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, Goyo.¡± Terio looked at me with an unfeeling expression. ¡°Don¡¯t expect anything from me.¡±


    Of course.


    Goodbye.


    I hid the anguish in my eyes and smiled at him, silently bidding him farewell. However, Terio didn¡¯t react at all, not even giving me another glance as he swiftly left the mansion. And without regard to my position, the servants also followed suit and left me behind.


    I stared at the spot from where Terio disappeared from my sight with vacant expression. Then I quietly raised my head to the sky. I heard a storm was going to come today, but the sky was clear, showing no sign of turbulent weather.


    It was a strange day.


    ****


    It had been a long time since I first met my husband, Terio Alte.


    He and I descended from the only two duke households, whose position was right below the emperor, in the Solaris Empire. Terio descended from Alte while I descended from Rubiet.


    The two households shared a good relationship with one another. So, it was only natural that I got along with Terio. And that¡­ That was the beginning of everything.


    Because of the amiable relationship between our families, we came to know each other since we were very young, eventually becoming each other¡¯s best friends. And we were close enough to know everything about the other. From preference, specialties, worries, up until our future¡¯s dream, there was nothing we didn¡¯t know about each other.


    There was a strong friendship between us, and I once believed that it would last forever.


    Until Terio confessed his love to me.


    At first, I was confused before denial swiftly came followed by anger. I had never even once expected that he would feel romantic feelings for me. But ever so slowly, I came to accept it and at last, I fell for him.


    All through that year, my emotions stirred constantly in a way that was foreign to me and made me realize that the eternity I swore as a child was a truly fleeting thought. But what was more fleeting was my heart.


    It took too little time for the firm friendship between us to melt away into love.


    I loved him. I loved Terio Alte.


    And I was anxious that I would lose the comfort of our friendship. But in the end, I surrendered because I failed to overcome my feelings. Because I simply couldn¡¯t deny what I felt.


    It¡¯s fine, nothing has changed. I believed that despite losing eternal friendship, I had gained eternal love in its place. Thus, once again, Goyo Rubiet foolishly believed in eternity.


    After that, the situation flowed smoothly. A clumsy love grew as time passed, and the heart-throbbing excitements, once so frequent, eventually stabilized.


    And when we became adults, we got formally engaged.


    However, it had only taken three years for my relationship with Terio changed once again. And it began when he first spoke to Melissa, my step sister.


    Melissa Rubiet, a sister who didn¡¯t share the same blood with me, but still had Rubiet in her last name. She was Mrs. Kazel¡¯s, who became the next duchess after the original duchess died, daughter.


    Melissa came to Rubiet¡¯s household when I was 13 and she was 10 years old. And at first, Terio wasn¡¯t interested in her when he first spoke to her.


    And since I neither like nor hate my sister, I let Terio and Melissa conversed with each other freely.


    At that time, I didn¡¯t know that it would lead to me feeling distress.


    I didn¡¯t know then. And I still didn¡¯t know if I was subconsciously turning away from the fact or not either. I truly didn¡¯t know which one was the truth.


    Thus, I ignorantly let myself be formally engaged with Terio and set our wedding date. Despite that, I still noticed that as the date approached closer, Terio¡¯s expression gradually became sour.


    When I enquired about that, he told me he was nervous. Although on the surface I nodded my head and accepted his reasoning, deep down inside, I couldn¡¯t convince my heart that he was telling the truth. Nevertheless, when I thought it over again, I think the reason he gave me was plausible as he was not an easygoing person in the first place.


    In the meantime, I got a marriage proposal. The partner was the Marquis of Bethelgius, who made a great contribution in the war. He quickly became known as the marquis born from common people.


    I thought my father would refuse it at once because it was very rude to propose to a person who was about to be married, but surprisingly, my father didn¡¯t do it. Instead, he asked me before my marriage whether I would be willing to go through with marrying the marquis or not.


    And there were two reasons why that happened. One was the political aspect, and the other one was¡­ the rumor about the relationship between Terio and Melissa.

 Chapter 2 - Prologue (2)

    Chapter 2 ¨C Prologue (2)


    When I heard the second reason from my father, I ran out from the house and went straight to Terio.


    I wanted to ask him personally whether his heart had changed again. To ask if it was true that he had my sister in his mind instead of his marriage to me. I wanted to directly hear it with my own ears that he would deny the accusation and to say that he was not like that.


    However, as soon as I met Terio, I realized everything.


    Terio Alte no longer loved me. There was someone else in his heart now. And yet, despite realizing that, I couldn¡¯t let him go.


    So, when Terio asked what was going on, I merely smiled at him silently.


    I returned and went straight to my room. And when I looked into the mirror, I saw that my face looked very calm. People wouldn¡¯t even be able to realize that a typhoon was blowing in my heart if they saw that calm face of mine.


    From this, I realized that I was truly an aristocrat to my bones. I couldn¡¯t let myself laugh or cry freely in front of others. That day, I cried myself to sleep after 10 years.


    The next day, I decided that since it was Terio Alte who made me like this, he had to take responsibility.


    Thus, I refused the marriage offer and decided to prepare for my marriage with Terio. As such, the marriage offer I turned down was offered to Mellisa, and she became the marquess¡¯ fiance.


    I was the only one smiling while everyone else was worried. But it was fine.


    Until the day before the wedding.


    I have something to tell you.


    Terio came to see me, drunk out of his mind with glassy eyes.


    ****


    ¡°If you need anything, please ring the bell.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thank you.¡±


    I beckoned everyone to leave me alone, and all the maids went out of the bathroom without hesitation.


    It was the first time I said I would take a bath alone, but no one even tried to question my decision. Was this what it felt like to be openly ignored?


    I was so accustomed to this kind of treatment that I laughed.


    As my laughter died down, I smiled while laying down in the bathtub. Because I hated strong scent and didn¡¯t like fancy things, I usually only put some petals in the bathtub, but today was different.


    The bathtub was filled with red roses¡¯ petals that covered my whole body and the bath bomb with an intense scent. And I also arranged the maids to add some luxurious things like the glowing purple light that was placed next to the bathtub and to let me bathe accompanied with the sound of classical music. This was the first time I asked for such changes to the maids.


    It was me who asked for the change of mood, but it didn¡¯t fit me and I couldn¡¯t bring myself to like it.


    The color, the light, and the scent were so intense that I felt suffocated.


    Thus, buried in a pile of roses, I closed my eyes.


    *****


    The wedding had begun. I wore a white wedding dress while Terio wore a black tuxedo to contrast nicely with my own color. However, as the ceremony progressed, the groom did not smile at all. Not even for once. Still, despite that, it was still enough for me.


    Goyo Rubiet turned into Goyo Alte. I became Terio¡¯s wife, and Terio became my husband. That was enough for me.


    Even after getting married, Terio continued to wander around. And that was because there was another person in his heart instead of me. Since he married someone he didn¡¯t want without even being able to confess, Terio acted colder than usual to me.


    He treated me perfunctorily as was his duty as a husband, but no more than that. All the while, he always looked sad and distressed. However, the moment Melissa married the marquees, his behavior changed as if he had given up.


    With that, I had my husband back. A friendly voice, a friendly laugh, and a friendly gesture. However, sometimes he looked elsewhere, far away from this place. At those times, I worried that he would disappear from my side. But when I called him, he returned his attention to me once again.


    So, I thought everything was back in place now. I believed that I would not have to pretend to not know anything because of my jealousy to Melissa and cry again because of that.


    Until the Rubiet Family went extinct.


    At first, I didn¡¯t want to believe it and thought that what I heard was wrong. I didn¡¯t want to believe that my father who didn¡¯t love me, but respected me; his wife, Mrs. Kazel, who sympathized with me and felt sorry for me; and my half-brother, who was not even an adult, died. But, it was the truth. All of them had died without exception.


    And I was told it was because of a treason. And the one who executed them was my brother-in-law.


    I couldn¡¯t understand the rationale. Although the man who ascended the throne was not one who my father supported, Duke Rubiet also didn¡¯t oppose the imperial family¡¯s decision. So, although he didn¡¯t actively support the new emperor¡¯s reign, neither did he aggressively contend against it.


    After all, we already had plenty of possessions. From authority, dominion, to wealth¡­ We had it all. As such, there was no need for Rubiet to risk everything in order to vehemently oppose the new emperor. Even so, the emperor still ordered for the extermination of Rubiet Household without hesitation.


    Before long, only Melissa and I, who had moved into other families¡¯ registers, were able to survive. And the only reason we were able to do so was because of the fact that the Imperial Law didn¡¯t enforce ¡®guilt by association¡¯ punishment.


    However, before I could even think that Melissa and I were lucky, my step-sister was found dead in the Bethelgius Mansion.

 Chapter 3 - Prologue (3)

    Chapter 3 ¨C Prologue (3)


    Although Bethelgius claimed it was an unfortunate accident, no one believed in his words when they heard the news. Because it was Bethelgius who commanded the extermination of the Rubiet Family.


    Thus, in just one day, I lost a lot of things. My birth household, my properties, my blood relatives, and I even lost my step-sibling who did not share the same blood.


    I thought I had lost enough, but apparently God didn¡¯t think it was sufficient for I lost another precious bond.


    You killed Melissa. If you hadn¡¯t refused to marry him¡­ if you had just let me go¡­ Melissa would be alive now. And I¡­ I would have that woman, who didn¡¯t share a drop of Rubiet¡¯s blood, in my arms now. She would be hale and hearty and both of us would¡­


    His words rang in the space between us. It was just like that day before the wedding. Terio had come home drunk out of his mind and his true feelings, that were hidden deep in the depth of his heart, were liberated without hesitation.


    But this time, I couldn¡¯t cover his mouth and spoke over him like that day. I merely stood there in a daze even as I tried to block his words from reaching my ears in vain.


    Then, as if his senses had returned from the sea of resentment he felt for me, Terio apologized to me and staggered away from me.


    And I could only watch on as he haltingly stepped towards our room, mind whirling with one question I dearly wish I could ask him.


    What about me?


    If I had let you go, if I had married Bethelgius, then I would¡­


    Terio, you¡­ did you want me to die?


    In the end, I had chosen to keep my silence, fearful of the answer he would give. And that became a life-long regret that I would bring to the end.


    *****


    Even though I didn¡¯t soak in the bathtub for long, the scent of the roses clung all over my body. I had never expected that the scent would be this strong, and for a moment, I wondered where it came from. Then I thought that it could be from the bath bomb the maid used. It must have had the same rose scent as the petals I had them add.


    I dizzily staggered out of the bathtub and put on a bath gown over my body.


    When I stepped on the slippery tile and opened the door, I could hear the classical music that was played over the door even louder. And for an instant, I let it wash over my tired soul.


    I shook my weariness aside and wore the slippers that were placed in front of the bathroom. I then stepped on the carpet and headed towards the middle of the room before I sat down in front of the glass-rimmed table. As I opened a wine bottle that was placed next to me, I looked at the water drop that was dripping down my hair.


    Then, I turned to look at a silver pill on my hand. It was a heart medicine that I personally asked the butler. I broke the small pill and dropped it down on the wine, peering at the way the white powder scattered over the wine before it sank and melted away.


    Suddenly, I heard a loud thunder strike and looked out through the window in a lethargic manner. It was pouring rain from the black sky even though it was a clear day before.


    So, the storm DID come. Though, I wish I could have seen the stars instead of watching the thunder¡­ I grumbled a wordless complaint to myself as I took a sip from the wine that had the melted silver pill in it.


    Terio was not going to return for a while. He said he was going for a business trip, but I didn¡¯t know whether it was the emperor¡¯s order or he was going to meet his secret lover. And as she lacked the courage to question him, doubt was her only freedom and refuge in this relationship.


    Leaning against the chair, I took another sip.


    A wet, rose-scented body; a gown that wrapped and clung to it, hinting at the curves that lay beneath; a fluffy chair that supported my back; a stormy day with occasional flashes of rain and wind.


    Truly, there was no harm to choose a day like this one.


    As I gazed out at the stormy weather, my mood soon clouded over and I sighed, leaving the rest of the wine be for the time being. After all, there was no need for me to rush to drink it.


    Besides, the scenery and atmosphere was good. Drinking wine on my lonesome while listening to classical music that was accompanied with the sound of the rain, made the ambience even better.


    Why did I feel such a messy day like this feel very suitable for my death?


    Well, regardless of the weather, I picked a good day.


    Bang. I could hear the sound of the wine glass falling off. It sounded faraway.

 Chapter 4 - She Hadn’t Died (1)

    Chapter 4 ¨C She Hadn¡¯t Died (1)


    ¡°Miss, Lord Alte is here.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then, I¡¯ll be right out.¡±


    A young lady murmured gently to her maid. But when her maid, Annie, was about to leave the room, she suddenly called out to request her for something, ¡°Can you bring me some tea?¡±


    Before she left, Annie bowed politely with a promise to bring the young lady¡¯s tea as soon as possible.


    As the door closed shut behind her, the young lady exhaled deeply. It was her, Goyo Rubiet, herself who had called Terio here. However, despite that, she couldn¡¯t remain calm and composed when the time to meet him came. In fact, she was very nervous at this moment.


    So, she looked into the mirror once again and tried to make sure that there was nothing lacking in her appearance.


    She checked herself over again and nodded approvingly. Her brown hair cascaded down to her chest was neatly combed with not a strand out of place. The black velvet dress she wore was also not flashy, but still showed off her figure enough to attract others¡¯ attention to her. Her make-up was a natural one that emphasized her features and made her look more charming.


    Goyo thought that her appearance right now was good enough for her to go out. But even if she thought so, her body was rooted to the spot before the mirror. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off it. And it didn¡¯t only happen today, but several times already.


    Ever since she woke up after being ill for three days straight, Goyo had been having a hard time taking her eyes off the mirror. Perhaps it was because she felt nostalgic, but whenever she faced the mirror, she would always trace her features.


    From her roundish forehead to her dark eyebrows that hid the slight gloominess on her face. It was without a doubt, a face that was too young for a thirty years old woman. And no matter how she tried, she was unable to find the familiar dark bags under her eyes, her pale complexion, and her thin cheeks that was caused by long-term insomnia.


    Instead, the face that was reflected in the mirror was the face of a young woman who had just become an adult. Her 22 years old self who she didn¡¯t ever want to see again.


    ****


    It was Eden, the loyal butler of the House of Alte, who provided her with the silver pill.


    Goyo had told him that she needed a better medicine for her blood pressure than what she had been taking regularly, so Eden brought her the silver pill.


    Or so that was the reason on the surface.


    After all, only Goyo knew that though the silver pill was an effective medicine for others, it was not the case for her. For her, the silver pill could only provide Goyo a good eternal rest.


    Thus, she didn¡¯t hesitate to swallow the melted silver pill on the wine and closed her eyes. Death was more peaceful than what Goyo had imagined.


    It was only when her whole body was burning that she realized it was not an instantaneous end. The pain crept slowly all over her body, making her wish she could just die immediately.


    It was more terrible than the flu she had after her mother¡¯s death when she was 13 years old. The pain the vicious fever inflicted on her body right now was worse than anything she ever felt. Even counting in the pain she felt after Rubiet Family¡¯s demise. It burned her as if a hot fire was flowing on her vein instead of blood.


    Her whole body felt damp from the cold sweat and her hazy eyes were filled with tears. The pain was unbearable.


    And still¡­ she hadn¡¯t died.


    Despite the fact that her consciousness grows hazy with each passing second, Goyo could still see the hazy outlines of the ceiling and people¡¯s shadow. And she knew that she wasn¡¯t going to die alone like she planned.


    How come? Was I discovered earlier than expected I wonder? Or perhaps the silver pill was not as effective as I thought. Or, perhaps, if it wasn¡¯t these two reasons¡­ did it mean he came back early¡­?


    Within the deep dark recess of her mind, Goyo threw out hypotheses over hypotheses before she decided to stop thinking.


    What did it really matter?


    What really mattered was the fact that her suicide attempt ended up in failure and that she, Goyo Alte, had to continue living this weary life. At that thought, a different kind of pain ravaged her heart and mind.


    And compared to the pain that was tormenting her body, this pain was one hundred fold more excruciating.


    It had been five whole years since the extermination of the Rubiet Family. And that also meant she had lived with the irreversible change in her relationship with Terio for that whole five years.


    At first, she had believed that time would heal the chasm between them. Just like when Terio, who previously only had Melissa in his heart and mind, had given up and returned to her. She had waited because she knew that his resentment towards her would subside in the end.


    However, there was no chance for that now. Her hope had been shattered completely by his action before she knew it. Although Terio had apologized for the verbal abuse he heaped on Goyo that day Melissa died, Goyo knew that it was merely a perfunctory apology. It was not sincere at all.


    And since then, Terio¡¯s behavior towards her has become colder than winter. The way he spoke was freezing without the slightest bit of warmth. Not to mention their sexual relationship, if there was even one.


    For Terio Alte, the man who had accompanied her since childhood, was gone and buried with the dead Melissa. Although she didn¡¯t know it at the time.


    It was not until a little later on, after Terio¡¯s anger had subsided, that she really gave up everything. Because she could finally see the futileness of her effort and patience.

 Chapter 5 - She Hadn’t Died (2)

    Chapter 5 ¨C She Hadn¡¯t Died (2)


    Terio¡¯s anger indeed had subsided slowly during the course of one year after Melissa¡¯s death as she had predicted. And he also started behaving like a gentleman once again, neither friendly nor harsh. However, he was a changed man. He became a person that was tough to approach and only gave people as much respect as they deserved.


    Seeing the light fading from his blue eyes with each day Melissa¡¯s gone, Goyo at last realized that everything had become irreversible. There was nothing left she could do.


    There was nothing left for Goyo Alte. She had lost her family, her relative, and even her lover, Terio Alte, who was her only friend since childhood.


    If only she had some sort of dreams or goals to aim for, she might feel better. However, there was nothing Goyo wanted to achieve. Goyo Alte was an empty shell of a woman.


    There were some days when she felt that it would be good for her to simply stop breathing. And the only reason why Goyo didn¡¯t hang herself in spite of her weariness and desolate life was the sense of responsibility she had as the matriarch of the Alte Family.


    Besides, although Goyo herself knew that neither her marriage nor Melissa¡¯s death was her fault, she was unable to stand strong when she heard Terio repeatedly blaming her. No one could. Thus, no matter how firm her faith was that it was not her fault, it began to falter.


    Furthermore, she had no allies as Alte¡¯s people hated Goyo to their bones.


    For them, Goyo was like a witch who made their beloved master suffer. And sometimes the pointed gaze they gave her was more piercing than Terio¡¯s glare. They didn¡¯t say anything, but their gaze was enough.


    So, in the end, her original belief that she was not responsible with the changes in Terio started to waver. Instead, the thought that it might be indirectly her fault started to permeate her mind. Thus, even if she originally thought she was innocent, she began to question whether they had the right to force her to death like this.


    And even though it was not as much as Goyo, she bet Terio also thought the same as her.


    After all, he married a woman he didn¡¯t love just because she was his childhood friend. And he had to watch as the woman he loved married another man and died at the hand of that same man.


    Goyo could guess in her mind about what Terio felt.


    For Goyo, aside from whether she was guilty or not, she had a guilty conscience. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to escape even if her life was overwhelming with tragedy. Not even when she had to stay together with Terio, who had the leading role to those tragedies.


    The marriage with Terio was her choice, not anyone else. She had to be responsible for the consequences of insisting on a choice that other people didn¡¯t approve of.


    Besides, Goyo was sure that the reason why she was still alive even though all other Rubiet people had died was thanks to Alte. So, she had the responsibility to make sure that outsiders wouldn¡¯t talk rubbish when she died.


    Goyo murmured habitually.


    Bear with it. Hang on. I¡¯m sure someday, when the time is right, Terio Alte will find another love. I only need to hang on until then.


    And fortunately, Terio¡¯s new spring came sooner than expected.


    She just knew that he had a new lover since his frozen expression melted away like spring had come. He looked alive and not dead as usual. Furthermore, the time he returned to the mansion was getting later and later.


    Seeing the people whispering behind her back about Terio¡¯s secret lover, Goyo finally knew that the moment she wanted had come.


    Although he had crushed her broken heart once again, she felt some joy in it, and some part of her even rejoiced at her imminent freedom.


    And with the least consideration she had left, Goyo did not hang herself or jump out of the window.


    She picked a more secretive and private way. That way, there would be no bad rumors about how Mrs. Alte chose to suicide because of Terio¡¯s affair. So, she planned to make it look like an accident. A so-called accidental death. In this way, he could mourn and receive condolence from others without being burdened. And it would also pave the path to let the new duchess enter the household without difficulty.


    Yes, just like the story of her father with Mrs.Kazel.


    ¡°Miss, are you awake?¡±


    All she wanted was that, but the world was so cold-hearted to Goyo.


    Because, as soon as she opened her eyelids, which she didn¡¯t want to open in the first place, the shadow of the dim person became cleared. And the figure that came to her eyes was someone she had never expected. Stunned, Goyo stared blankly at that person and whispered.


    ¡°Annie¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, your voice was cracking! Here, drink some water first.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t Annie dead? Goyo was sure that on the day of Rubiet¡¯s extermination, all the people who worked at the house were also killed.


    The crime pinned on Rubiet Household was treason, and not any other crime. There was supposed to be nowhere for anyone to escape. Not even for those workers who were not blood related with Rubiet. After all, the knights didn¡¯t know what they had seen or inadvertently helped in, so they should have killed everyone without any exception.


    Goyo hid her shock and rose up from her bed with her hand to support her back calmly. And as the warm water trickled down her throat, a pain she didn¡¯t feel before arose sharply, making her cough a few times. Seeing this, Annie, who was the one providing the water for Goyo, immediately approached near to her and patted her back in a soothing manner.


    ¡°Are you all right, Miss?¡±


    ¡°¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Are you alive? Even so, why are you in the Alte¡¯s residence?


    However, the sound of the door opening prevented her from voicing out the uncontrollable questions she harbored in mind ever since she opened her eyes.

 Chapter 6 - Dead Person

    Chapter 6 ¨C Dead Person


    Despite the confusion, Goyo raised her head at the sound of familiar footsteps. And her eyes widened slightly as the face of a dead man appeared before her eyes.


    ¡°You had already woken up.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Father.¡±


    ¡°I heard you had the flu for three days. Are you feeling better?¡±


    Goyo was familiar with this formal way of showing concern coming from him, so she didn¡¯t feel uneasy about that. What she was shocked about was the sight of the man before her alive and talking.


    The middle-aged man, who dressed in perfect order, was obviously Coloros Rubiet, Goyo¡¯s father.


    She heard that her father was dead. No, she didn¡¯t just hear it, but she saw it herself. She saw the dead body of her father with her very own eyes.


    And the reason why she was able to see his dead body at all was thanks to the ¡®consideration¡¯ the new emperor showed her as the last living flesh and blood of her father. In fact, it could be considered as a cruelty for him to make Goyo see the sight of her decapitated father with her own eyes, but what could she do? He was the emperor.


    Anyway, even before that sight, all Goyo remembered of her father was her pale and wrinkled face. It was certainly not as young-looking as he looked right now.


    That was not the only thing that was strange to her. The whole place in Rubiet Household, including the room that she had woken up in and the bed where she sat now, was familiar to her.


    It was Goyo Rubiet¡¯s room from before her marriage to Terio Alte. She woke up not in Goyo Alte¡¯s room, but Goyo Rubiet¡¯s room of her maidenhood.


    The room which she used before her marriage and the room that had burned after the extermination.


    Didn¡¯t I fail in my attempt to suicide? Or did Goyo Alte really die?


    And if I really died, is it possible to see a dead person and talk to him?


    With a surge of unfamiliarity, she grasped the bed with her hand. The texture of the sheet was so vivid in her hand that it gave her goosebumps.


    She believed that death would be the end of her life.


    So, how? And why?


    ¡°Goyo?¡±


    She had learned how to hide her emotions since she was young, therefore, it was not difficult for Goyo to hide her flustered feelings. Nevertheless, despite her training, the current situation she was in was a little too much this time. So, for a while, she was unable to conceal her feelings, and it was shown in her eyes and expression.


    And perhaps because Goyo looked strange and didn¡¯t answer his question before, the Duke of Rubiet called her name with a slight concern in his tone.


    Jolted back to reality by his call, Goyo tried to look as calm as possible and raised her head.


    ¡°My throats hurt a little. Other than that, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay, thank God.¡±


    ¡°What about Walter?¡±


    She didn¡¯t know if it¡¯s because she had exerted herself, but her voice sounded very cracked and dry. Though at the very least, she could make herself be heard.


    The Duke, whose expression seemed to be puzzled before, returned to his usual expressionless face.


    ¡°I know that you¡¯re sad that he¡¯s not here, but he¡¯s taking a nap now. The kid is still seven years old.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m just worried that he was infected with my flu.¡±


    ¡°He was perfectly healthy, there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°All right father¡­¡±


    Goyo swallowed her saliva. In fact, she wasn¡¯t truly curious about Walter¡¯s safety. However, considering the strange situation she was in, she had to use him as an excuse. Thus, she used a clumsy reason about how she worried that he might have gotten a cold from her, so it would not be awkward to ask about other people¡¯s condition.


    Then, her mind turned to her. Honestly, it was the most difficult name in the world for her to utter, still¡­ with a heart that was beating so hard, Goyo asked.


    ¡°Is Mellisa okay?¡±


    ****


    Goyo felt her head was heavy and numb because of the slight fever she had. Even so, she couldn¡¯t rest as she wanted to investigate her current situation as rationally as possible.


    And she was not ready yet to meet with everyone else. So, she chose to avoid them, using her fever as an excuse while secretly digging up information from Annie and Jeffrey. Fortunately, those two were not suspicious of her in the slightest and offered information freely. Thus, she stayed cooped in her room for a long time.


    Three days later, not knowing whether she was merely dreaming or was in hell, Goyo could figure out some things about this illogical situation.


    The first was the date. The day of Goyo¡¯s death was September 151, while the date now was October 144 in the calendar. So, there was around seven years difference between when she closed her eyes and reopening it.


    The second was the people. All those who should have died were all alive and well. Starting with Annie, her maid, the Duke of Rubiet, Mrs. Kasel, the little lord Walter, and even Melissa.


    And the third was¡­


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    There was nothing more to think about. With these two alone, it has become clear that the time when Goyo opens her eyes and breathes is not the present but the past.


    Goyo could not fully accept the nonsensical fact that she had returned to the past.


    But if it was true that she really came back in time, then she could guess one reason why this happened to her. However, she still thought it was more plausible that she was merely dreaming that she had returned to the past. Or perhaps she was wandering through hell right at this moment. In either cases, she had something she had to do irrespective of which scenario she was in.


    Goyo opened the door of the living room.


    ¡°Hello, Terio. Long time no see, huh?¡±


    Whether it was a dream, hell, or reality, there was one thing that she had to do as Goyo Rubiet

 Chapter 7 - Do You Remember?

    Chapter 7 ¨C Do You Remember?


    Goyo didn¡¯t feel like it had been a long time since she last saw Terio. After all, it had only been a week since she took her life in the future. So, although she didn¡¯t know the state of their relationship at this time in the past, ¡ª her memory of this time had long since faded away ¡ª she only looked at him impassively.


    However, she couldn¡¯t help but marvel when she looked at Terio¡¯s younger face. From his vibrant and youthful look, Goyo could clearly see how long a time had passed and how harsh it had been on both of them in the future.


    It was his visage that hammered home the fact that she had really gone seven years back in time. Not anyone else. Not even her own.


    So, she went back in time to seven years ago, to the time she was in her early twenties. To be honest, the face in front of her was more unfamiliar than she had imagined despite the fact she was only twenty nine years old.


    Because she had become used to the cold and stone-like face Terio always showed her in the future. So, the fact that he was this lively in the past, shocked her very much. To think that she could see the sight, albeit with a little shadow in his eyes, once more¡­ suddenly made her feel overwhelmed with guilt. She felt like it was her fault that Terio had changed.


    Looking at Goyo¡¯s pale complexion, Terio began to question her with a concerned voice.


    ¡°I heard the servants were saying you are sick, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°That was a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°Even so.¡±


    Instead of trying to assuage Terio¡¯s concern for her health further, Goyo stopped that line of conversation by closing her mouth.


    Terio only sighed at Goyo¡¯s reluctance to talk and came closer. He then tried to kiss his fiancee in the cheek as usual. However, he was taken aback when Goyo¡¯s hand pushed his shoulder away. He didn¡¯t understand.


    Goyo¡­? Terio gazed at her quizzically, but Goyo pretended not to notice his strange gaze and proceeded to sit down on the sofa. She then turned her head to look at Terio and invited him to sit down as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I asked you to come instead of going to your place. I wanted to, but I still had a fever.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, it¡¯s not that far.¡±


    Goyo took the teacup that the maids gave her and pondered to herself while Terio sat down. She thought about how she should begin this talk as she sipped her tea. Carefully choosing her words, she started the conversation while placing the tea on her lap.


    ¡°There¡¯s something that I want to say. No, it is more like, I thought you might have something to tell me.¡±


    Terio Alte had never told her about his feelings until the day before the wedding. And the things that revealed his true feelings were the ever growing shadow in his eyes as their wedding approached along with the fading laughter.


    It was not until the day before their wedding that he came to her drunk out of his mind to tell her his inner thoughts. However, at that time, Goyo did not want to listen to him. So, the truth never came out from Terio¡¯s mouth personally. Until the day Melissa Rubiet eventually died.


    And Goyo was faced with a catastrophe.


    Should I call that heartbreaking or should I call myself foolish? Unexplainable feelings surged within her heart. Even though it was she herself who had stopped Terio from speaking¡­


    Even though it was her choice to not stop the wedding from proceeding.


    It was not only her foolishness, though. Terio was also ludicrous. To think that he had waited until the day before the wedding to try to reveal his true feelings¡­ when everything was essentially fixed and unchangeable¡­


    What exactly was Terio thinking? To only open his mouth when everything was all over¡­ Was it because of his lingering attachment towards her? Or perhaps it was because he wanted to have an excuse to blame Goyo Rubiet for it.


    She didn¡¯t know.


    She especially didn¡¯t know what was on Terio¡¯s mind as the date of their marriage approached closer. And she didn¡¯t want to guess. Because it was painful. So very painful to her. And she still felt the same even now when everything in the future was erased.


    ¡°Our engagement is about to be formalized soon. And we are going to get married next year.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Right.¡± Terio stiffened at Goyo¡¯s reminder, and the light in his eyes dimmed even further. However, Goyo paid no heed to the change as she suddenly switched track.


    ¡°Do you remember Terio? What you said when we were still children? You said we will be friends forever.¡±


    When she was young, Goyo was very shy. She didn¡¯t really like interacting with people, so she had no one around her. It could be imagined just how much joy his words gave to Goyo Rubiet.


    The memory of that simple joy brought a little smile on her lips. But it was accompanied with bitterness.


    ¡°I was broken the day you confessed to me.¡±


    ¡°Goyo.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the day I accepted your confession? You cried a lot then.¡±


    Goyo said, recalling that day. Terio was crying when she told him that she accepted, causing her to be taken aback since it had been a while since she had seen his tears.


    And she remembered that for a second she felt very nervous as she tried to calm him down. She also recalled the laughter she let out when she saw him turning his head away from her like a child. To her, he looked like a prideful little boy who didn¡¯t want to show his tearful face to anyone.

 Chapter 8 - I’ll Love You Forever (1)

    Chapter 8 ¨C I¡¯ll Love You Forever (1)


    However, soon, she grimaced as Terio¡¯s promise rang once again in her mind.


    On that day, Terio said those words again.


    ¡°Even if I¡¯m in tears, I will tell you again. I¡¯ll love you forever.¡±


    It would have been better if he didn¡¯t say that.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been together for a long time. And I know about people¡¯s fickleness and their inability to keep their promises.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡±


    ¡°Do you really?¡±


    Terio tried to keep his expression even, but Goyo could clearly see his agitation since she had spent more than a decade with him. For a moment, she questioned herself whether she should try to appease him or not. But after she thought it over again, she lowered her slightly raised hand and kept it to herself. She didn¡¯t want to do it anymore. She was done.


    ¡°Keep this in mind, Terio. I don¡¯t want to hear anything after our engagement is legally formalized. At that time, even if you cry, get angry, or make a fuss, you won¡¯t be able to do anything to reverse the decision. And I won¡¯t help you either. So, if you don¡¯t tell me now, it¡¯ll be all your fault.¡±


    Goyo said blandly. However, even though she thought she had spoken quite explicitly, Terio didn¡¯t answer. He merely looked at Goyo in the eyes as he kept the same expression. Confusion.


    Terio looked utterly confused. And that in turn puzzled Goyo. Was he unaware of his feelings yet? Or did he think that he had to keep his promise to her? Or did he think it was burdensome to break up the marriage from his side?


    Did he need time to think first?


    While thinking that, a smile graced Goyo¡¯s serious face and she shrugged her shoulder.


    ¡°I called you just to tell you that. Everything is a mess, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Goyo¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not feeling well, so I¡¯d like you to go home for today.¡±


    Goyo rose up from the sofa. She turned her back and tried to leave the living room, but Terio¡¯s arms suddenly encircled her and held her back. He was hugging her as he buried his face on her shoulder.


    It¡¯s been a long time since Terio hugged me.


    Alas, all Goyo felt from the act was indifference. There was not even the slightest ripple in her emotion that she could feel.


    Before, she had loved him so much that she always hoped he would return to her. But now, her heart didn¡¯t even move. It was as if her heart had been buried along with her death in the future.


    Although Goyo had never let out any words about eternal love from her mouth, she was still saddened about the fading feelings in her heart.


    ¡°¡­ Since when did you know?¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t known you for just a day or two.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Goyo. I¡­¡±


    His voice was shaking. And though his face was buried in her shoulder, she could hear his guilt mixed with joy, that came from the bottom of his heart at the chance of parting amicably, from his voice.


    ¡°The engagement, please let it never happen.¡±


    ¡°Ok, Terio.¡±


    Without feeling any sorrow, Goyo merely nodded her head in agreement.


    It had finally come to this.


    Still, now she didn¡¯t have to hear the resentment he harboured for her anymore. She didn¡¯t have to bear the blame for Melissa¡¯s death. Or the resentment he felt because of said woman¡¯s death. She didn¡¯t have to wait for Terio to have a new lover or think on when she should choose to die. She didn¡¯t have to think over those things anymore. For everything had been rewritten due to this decision.


    ¡°You will tell our parents.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°And one more thing, there¡¯s a condition for this.¡±


    Goyo said as she pushed Terio away. When she mentioned she had a condition, he looked baffled as he asked, ¡°Condition?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big thing. I just want you to come with me to the imperial ball next month. It¡¯s a hassle to find another partner.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you liked the ball.¡±


    ¡°I had another reason. It doesn¡¯t matter if you tell our parents first.¡±


    She looked at him questioningly, silently asking ¡®You¡¯ll do it, right?¡¯ with her eyes. Considering it was an easy request to fulfill, Terio easily nodded his head in acquiescence.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± With an excited face, Terio thanked Goyo.


    What is he thankful about? Because I¡¯m the one who ended our relationship first? That I have gently let him go? Or is he thankful because I notice his feelings first without him speaking up and he thinks I am being considerate of his feelings?


    Thank you for what?


    Despite her thoughts, she still smiled back when she saw Terio smiling at her.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to thank me, just be happy.¡±


    You killed Melissa. If you hadn¡¯t refused the offer, if you had let me go, she would be alive now.


    Honestly, Goyo was curious. The man who blamed her for Melissa¡¯s death, the man who could not let go of his resentment until the day she died¡­ what kind of thing that he would face this time around?


    If it was Goyo, and not Melissa, who was driven to the edge of the cliff due to his whims and died¡­ who would he blame at that moment?

 Chapter 9 - I’ll Love You Forever (2)

    Chapter 9 ¨C I¡¯ll Love You Forever (2)


    If you don¡¯t tell me now, it¡¯ll be all your fault.


    ¡­ No, even if he had told her the truth, it was still his fault. Because it was his choice and responsibility that led to our future. In the end, it was Terio Alte who changed his mind. And it was due to that he suffered.


    ¡°It¡¯s your choice, so don¡¯t regret it this time.¡±


    Despite telling him that, Goyo, by all means, hoped that Terio would blame himself.


    Her mind flashed back to the time she had spent enduring the guilt and responsibility alone; to the place that should be filled with love, but was filled with resentment instead, and she couldn¡¯t help but to resent him.


    Honestly, Goyo couldn¡¯t figure out her feelings. She didn¡¯t know whether she wanted him to be happy or not.


    The only thing that was certain was there was no Terio who loved Goyo or Goyo who loved Terio here.


    And that¡­ that was a sad thing to be certain of.


    ****


    It might be a blessing for some people that they were able to go back in time. They could restart their lives from scratch. They could hold onto something they had missed in their first life, whether it was money, lover, or life.


    But not to Goyo. Because there was nothing Goyo thought she could change just because she went back in time.


    As the eldest daughter of Rubiet House, Goyo Rubiet was born with many things in her hand. There were so many things she had that others would envy her for whether it was money or power. However, there were also many things that Goyo didn¡¯t have.


    Goyo¡¯s parents were married because of political reasons. The couple did not love each other, nor did they love their descendant.


    The only one person who was affectionate to her was the nanny, who was employed by the House of Rubiet. But she died in an accident when Goyo was five years old. Since then, the only care she received was a mere formal one without any warmth.


    By the time she was thirteen, the mother who didn¡¯t love her was gone, then the Duke of Rubiet married his new lover.


    He looked happy when he married his loved one, and his family looked happy too. Even his stepdaughter, who didn¡¯t even have a drop of Rubiet blood, was happy.


    Spring has come for everyone, except for Goyo.


    So, as she grew up, Goyo Rubiet only wished for one thing. A happy family. She wished to have a happy family of her own, where she didn¡¯t have to feel like she was an intruder.


    At first, she felt lost at Terio¡¯s confession. But in the end, when she accepted his feelings for her, she could feel his love for her. So, she believed that she would be able to attain her only wish.


    But Goyo was unfortunate.


    So, when the twenty nine years old Goyo Alte became the twenty two years old Goyo Rubiet, she didn¡¯t try to change anything.


    Goyo¡¯s choice remained the same. One, she would marry Terio Alte and repeat her previous life.


    And the other one, she would accept the marriage proposal from Marquis Bethelgius and disappeared into history with Rubiet House.


    Either way, it was a catastrophe for her.


    But she had no other choices aside from those two since she was aware of her own responsibility as a Rubiet. That¡¯s why it was hard for her to choose. And although Duke Rubiet didn¡¯t love her and would respect the choice of the eldest daughter of Rubiet, Goyo was strict with her own responsibility.


    Goyo could not forsake her responsibility. She was born and raised as a child from a prestigious family. She couldn¡¯t leave everything behind and ran away. Not only because it was her duty, but also because she was not a person who could live alone.


    Even if the duke was more generous than Goyo thought and allowed her to choose another person to marry, the end result would be the same.


    Even if she didn¡¯t marry Terio or the marquis¡­ even if she offered to marry someone else who the duke might allow if they fulfilled his standard.


    Someone who might just truly love Goyo¡­ Still, even if Goyo was happy, it would be tainted by a constant anxiety she would no doubt feel.


    But Marquis Bethelgius wouldn¡¯t let the remaining Rubiet alive. In her last life, because Goyo was Mrs. Alte, she was able to survive. It was all thanks to Alte Family¡¯s status. After all, excluding the Rubiet, the only other duke household was Alte House. The emperor¡¯s sword. And that was why she could breathe until the day she chose to end it herself.


    In fact, when Marquis Bethelgius, whom she had met at the ballroom after the fall of Rubiet, saw Goyo, he spoke to her.


    Mrs Alte is a very lucky person. He said without any hint of laughter.


    Thus, Goyo had no real choice. And no one in the right state of mind would say that the ridiculous option of choosing how to be destroyed could be considered as a choice.


    That¡¯s why Goyo Rubiet decided to choose the path that was more certain.


    She chose the path she was certain wouldn¡¯t get her hopes up and wouldn¡¯t break her heart again. She chose to completely let go of the lingering feeling of being happy.


    At least, despair didn¡¯t bother Goyo as much as hope.


    Thus, Goyo Rubiet decided to be Goyo Bethelgius.

 Chapter 10 - Marquis of Bethelgius (1)

    Chapter 10 ¨C Marquis of Bethelgius (1)


    Instead of immediately returning to Alte¡¯s residence after the talk about ending their engagement was over, Terio remained in Rubiet¡¯s residence. And the reason was because he wanted to wait for Duchess Rubiet and Melissa Rubiet to return.


    And he looked especially nervous when he asked her when Melissa would be back, causing Goyo to laugh gently. However, his excitement soon turned to nervousness once the couple returned with Melissa.


    After all, there was the promise between Alte and Rubiet households about their engagement. And at this time, he was about to talk about ending his engagement with the eldest daughter of the Rubiet with the duke and duchess. So, it was awkward and burdensome for him.


    Furthermore, he also wanted to get engaged with the younger step-sister, Melissa Rubiet. Thus, making the situation even more disconcerting for Terio since he couldn¡¯t expect to be given justified consent.


    However, despite Terio¡¯s nervousness, the duke easily gave his permission regarding the relationship between Terio and Melissa. Of course, that was after he asked Goyo whether she was okay with that or not.


    Nevertheless, Goyo could tell how the duke truly felt when she saw him looking at Melissa¡¯s joyful expression. It was not only him, but also Mrs. Kazel. She looked incredibly delighted at the news.


    Still, Melissa and Terio had to wait until the imperial ball was over to hold their engagement ceremony. And that was because Terio had to fulfill the condition Goyo set forward. To escort her to the ball. After all, not only would it be inconvenient, but it would also be uncomfortable for Terio to proceed with his engagement to Melissa before that particular event.


    Nonetheless, despite the lack of formal announcement, the news of Terio and Goyo¡¯s separation seemed to have slipped out of the mansion and spread out in the capital. It was so widespread that even now there weren¡¯t just one or two glances thrown at the two as they entered the ball.


    And this shocked Terio. Because, although Terio had known that he couldn¡¯t exactly keep the information a secret, he didn¡¯t expect the news to spread this fast. As such, he carefully apologized to Goyo.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Goyo. I guess I was being too hasty.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be. I¡¯ve long expected this situation.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Before he could continue, Goyo thanked Terio for the escort, neatly cutting off his apology. She then let his hand go and proceed into the ballroom. In any case, the reason Goyo asked to be escorted by Terio to this ball was because of the useless condition imposed for the participants.


    Since the imperial ball had a rule that forbade people to participate, should they be without a partner. Thus, now she had entered the ballroom, there was no need for Goyo to hold Terio Alte¡¯s hand any longer.


    Goyo looked around and noticed that the ballroom was exceptionally crowded. However, that was to be expected since it was the first imperial ball held after a long time. And that was why so many people swarmed in like bees.


    Still, despite the crowd, the imperial ball was not lacking in any way in regard to the ambience. The musical performance it chose resounded above the chatter and filled every corner of the venue. Furthermore, the food found on every table was abundant, seemingly enough to feed half of the capital.


    But as Goyo walked under the yellow light provided by the chandelier, a frown crossed her face.


    Ever since the Rubiet¡¯s extermination, Goyo had rarely stepped into the ballroom. If it wasn¡¯t for the royal family¡¯s birthday, then she wouldn¡¯t even step out of the mansion. She mostly stayed in the mansion. And near the end of her life, she didn¡¯t even attend that event.


    Since Terio was reluctant to escort Goyo there. Then again, she was fine with that because she felt it was better than being among the whispering crowd.


    Though it seemed that she couldn¡¯t escape the whisper since even now, people were still whispering about her. But that didn¡¯t bother her anymore. Her heart had turned into stone, and nothing could create a ripple in her heart any longer. Goyo¡¯s heart was already immune to being hurt by such things.


    So, she walked forward with a straight back and elegant demeanor in place. Although she could hear Terio calling her from behind, she didn¡¯t turn back nor care about his call.


    She continued walking forward. And once in a while, someone would recognize Goyo as Miss Rubiet and came to greet her. And at the same time, they tried to dig up information about the latest news surrounding her situation with Terio. Not having the patience to deal with this, Goyo merely passed by them after she had swept their attempt at digging in a slightly rude manner.


    Whether it was before or after her return to this time, Goyo held no interest in the ball. But for today, there was a reason why she was here.


    In actual fact, it didn¡¯t have to be today. Even if it was not on this occasion, there would be another ball for her to achieve her aim. And even if she couldn¡¯t find it at the next one, there would still be the talk about marriage between them soon. So, even if Goyo didn¡¯t go around to look for him, she would still have the opportunity to see his face. No, in fact, she would have no choice but to see his face.


    Still, despite that fact, Goyo insisted on looking for him right now. And the reason was because she wanted to see his face before the talk of their marriage commenced.


    It could be called curiosity or perhaps determination. Nevertheless, she was stubborn. Fortunately, after looking around for a few minutes, Goyo stopped on her track. Her gaze locked on a man that stood at a height above the crowd.


    It was Marquis of Bethelgius

 Chapter 11 - Marquis of Bethelgius (2)

    Chapter 11 ¨C Marquis of Bethelgius (2)


    Suddenly, a trumpet sound rang across the venue, loud and clear.


    ¡°The bright sun of Solaris, the emperor and empress are entering!¡± The footman announced in a deafening voice.


    At the moment the trumpet sounded, Goyo felt like their eyes had met. However, she couldn¡¯t be sure since she had to bow her head in a hurry to greet the imperial family. Even so, while bowing, she felt as if his eyes were glued on her. But she couldn¡¯t make sure that was the case with the current situation.


    The roar of the trumpet lasted for a minute, as if it was compensating for the dignity of the deficient emperor. It was only after the sound of the trumpet was over that the people were allowed to straighten their backs. Goyo stood straight, looking as if she was interested when the emperor started his greetings as the sound of trumpets died down.


    This imperial ball was held right now in order to commemorate the victory of the war after it started almost one year ago. Thus, the content was about their victory and a word of consolation for the dead knights, praise for the living knights, and glorification of the empire¡¯s strength.


    And though less than 10% of these people at the ballroom realized that Solaris was at war, it didn¡¯t prevent them from nodding with a proud face.


    You must be happy to have your share back.


    Goyo thought cynically.


    ¡°And since it¡¯s also a ball to commemorate the victory, I couldn¡¯t help but to mention the best person who deserves it. Marquis Bethelgius, please come forward and take this glass.¡±


    Bethelgius?


    Goyo lifted her head to look towards the center of the venue at the emperor¡¯s words. And she saw that man taking a slow step towards the emperor, looking like he enjoyed the gazes that were directed towards him.


    Even from afar, she could see that the man walking forward had sharp features under his rare reddish blonde hair. And she noticed that his height was not something that other knights could compare to. And the way he walked was incredibly elegant, something she had never expected to see in a common-born military man.


    Annecy Bethelgius. Originally he was a commoner, but he became a marquis after making great contributions during the war between Solaris and Ubel where he made his name known.


    During that war, he was only a mere common soldier, who was not even a knight. Yet, he quickly rose through the rank, becoming a captain by leading all battles he fought in to victory.


    It was somewhat a surprise for everyone. Although few people predicted Solaris defeat due to the difference in national power between the two nations, they never expected that Solaris would get an overwhelming victory. After all, Solaris Empire didn¡¯t exactly have an overwhelming advantage over Ubel Kingdom.


    Furthermore, although significant damages were unavoidable, Bethelgius managed to minimize the damages as much as possible.


    And by reversing the seemingly impossible situation several times over, Bethelgius was able to make his name known. Thanks to those factors, he was able to enjoy a manifold rise of status from commoner to marquis.


    Well, this ball wasn¡¯t only held just because he had risen to become the marquis, though. Goyo murmured those words from the bottom of her heart.


    ¡°I¡¯m very grateful, your majesty.¡±


    The new marquis received the emperor¡¯s cup with a relaxed bearing. He didn¡¯t have any sign of nervousness in him like what she had expected commoners would have. Moreover, his etiquettes were also perfect even to his fingertip¡¯s movement.


    It was very unexpected that the man¡¯s demeanor was so noble-like despite the fact he only came up to the capital and received his title less than a year ago.


    Because of his perfect noble comportment, the nobles, who were trying to catch his fault due to his recent ascension to aristocracy, had to back down and grabbed a glass of wine to hide their emotion. And those, who were reluctant to stay ignorant of the war, became the marquis¡¯ followers.


    Meanwhile, some aristocrats, who were trying to consolidate the empire¡¯s power by overthrowing the current emperor¡¯s reign, accepted the marquis. And this faction even had the idea to draw the marquis to their side.


    Because the marquis¡¯ ability was monstrous as he was able to become a major force in the nobility circle in the short span of less than a year.


    The emperor patted Marquis Bethelgius on his shoulder with a smiling expression, but Goyo noticed that there was a hesitation in the emperor¡¯s gesture.


    ¡°It is because of God¡¯s blessing that a man like you is born in Solaris. Do not hesitate to let me know if you want anything. Unless you ask for an empire, I¡¯m willing to give you anything you want.¡±


    The ballroom immediately buzzed with astonishment at the emperor¡¯s promise. Meanwhile, the expression of the empress and the two dukes was stiff and strained with consternation. It seemed that the emperor¡¯s grand promise was not in their plan at all.


    After all, the fact that a commoner had received the title of a marquis was already an unprecedented event in the history of the empire. His achievement was great indeed, but in people¡¯s opinion, being rewarded with a title as a marquis was already greater than he deserved.


    The only one who didn¡¯t show much reaction towards the emperor¡¯s promise was Goyo Rubiet, who knew that the emperor would do this. Furthermore, she even knew why he did this.


    While Goyo didn¡¯t come to this ball in the past, she still knew about it because the emperor¡¯s words were notorious.


    ¡°Your majesty, the marquis have already been rewarded with his title, so¡­¡±


    ¡°How can you say it is sufficient just by giving him the title of marquis?! If the positions that commoners can climb to at once are not limited to the rank of marquis, he could have climbed to the duke position in one stop! Besides, how can I call myself the Emperor of Solaris if I end my congratulations just by giving him a poor title?!¡±


    The emperor exclaimed with a hard tone at Duke Rubiet. And though they secretly agreed with Duke Rubiet¡¯s words, no one stopped the emperor from reprimanding the duke. So, everyone was silent as the atmosphere became strained.

 Chapter 12 - A Dance (

    Chapter 12 ¨C A Dance (1)


    Done with the duke, the emperor then looked down at the marquis again with a slightly awkward smile, ignoring the disquiet that fell upon the ballroom. Meanwhile, the marquis only kept a calm smile on his face. As if¡­ he had guessed that this would happen.


    ¡°Now, do not mind Duke Rubiet¡¯s words. You may talk freely about your wish, marquis. Is there anything you want?¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯d like to request one thing.¡±


    The marquis replied with a low voice. And the audiences¡¯ eyes were all gathered at the marquis, half-interested and half-worried about what would come out of the marquis¡¯ mouth.


    Only Goyo Rubiet knew what Marquis Bethelgius would say. She knew that everyone¡¯s anxiety was in vain since the marquis wouldn¡¯t ask for anything noteworthy from the emperor.


    From the news she heard in the past, he just asked for the eldest son of a count to take the 1st knights¡¯ entrance exam. Though the excuse he gave was because he couldn¡¯t bear the thought of wasting an excellent knight just like that, some people told her that it was just a trick so he would be easily accepted by the nobles.


    And though Goyo didn¡¯t remember who the count was, it wasn¡¯t something that mattered to her since it didn¡¯t concern her at all.


    While everyone waited with bated breath for the marquis¡¯ request, he opened his mouth.


    ¡°Please give me the first dance of the ball, your majesty.¡±


    However, what the Marquis said was not what Goyo expected.


    First dance?


    Goyo¡¯s eyebrows creased in confusion and she frowned. However, even when she looked around to check in case she misheard it, everyone around her was also uttering the word ¡®first dance¡¯ to each other.


    Then, is my memory wrong?


    Goyo thought that she might have heard the wrong information about the ball. After all, she had only heard the news from other people instead of witnessing it with her own eyes.


    But still¡­ Goyo bit her lips, feeling doubtful with her memory now.


    The emperor was also flustered with the unexpected request from the marquis. And after being silent for some time, the emperor slowly opened his mouth and spoke.


    ¡°¡­ Oho. The first dance, is it? I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to dance with me, so it should be with other people. Which lady in this ballroom had stolen your attention and heart, I wonder? Well, never mind that. Anyway, your request is fine, and the ball should start after that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very grateful.¡±


    The marquis bowed his head with polite reverence and turned around. He came down from the emperor¡¯s place and walked slowly through the crowd. His white tailcoat fluttered gracefully and followed his steps.


    As the marquis drew closer to her, his face became clearer in Goyo¡¯s sight.


    It wasn¡¯t something she had never seen up close, but it had been a long time since they encountered each other during one of the balls. So, their single encounter was buried by the time in her mind and she couldn¡¯t remember it. The only thing that lingered in Goyo¡¯s mind was the impression that he was a dangerous man.


    And now, she was seeing him once again. Her eyes couldn¡¯t help but take in the sight of the man coming closer.


    His perpetually cool expression hid his smiling eyes beneath his long eyelashes, accentuating the sharpness of his nose. And even from afar, she could see that his facial features were also gorgeous.


    Just looking at him reminded Goyo of thorny roses. She then recalled the pile of roses that was laid all over her room before she died. The colors and the scents were extremely vivid.


    And she just knew that a man like him¡­ wouldn¡¯t fit in with her, much like roses was not suitable for her.


    This man was the one she chose for her certain destruction. Even his appearance alone seemed to symbolize the end for her. So, unconsciously, her mouth dried up.


    ¡°Miss Goyo Rubiet.¡±


    Goyo, who was looking blankly at the Marquis, was surprised as she came back to her senses. Marquis Bethelgius, who she originally thought would pass by her, actually stopped in front of her.


    It was clear what it meant. Without a doubt, for the first time in this timeline, their eyes met.


    Beneath the long eyelashes, his shadowed gray eyes were reflected in Goyo¡¯s eyes. The moment didn¡¯t last long for the marquis soon bowed gracefully and extended his hand out to her.


    ¡°Would you like to dance with me?¡±


    Goyo, who had toughened up, was once again in the center of people¡¯s eyes. However, amidst the countless eyes that were fixed on her, Goyo Rubiet could only feel one gaze on her.


    Annecy Bethelgius¡¯

 Chapter 13 - A Dance (2)

    Chapter 13 ¨C A Dance (2)


    At that moment, the familiar opening for waltz began to play. Even though Goyo had yet to take the marquis¡¯ hand, some people began to flock to the dance floor and took position.


    And since the emperor had approved it, no one in their sane mind would dare refuse. As such, Goyo had no choice but to take the marquis¡¯ hand.


    As she placed her hands into the marquis¡¯ own, Goyo¡¯s heart shook and her body tense for a moment. But she immediately hid her unsettled emotion behind the veneer of composure and smiled, showing the elegance and grace that had been trained into her bones. And they began to dance along with the tunes. When they started to move, the sound from musical instruments was interwoven with the whispers.


    This slightly unnerved Goyo because to her it had been a long time since she had danced in the ballroom. So, she silently wondered to herself whether she had made some misstep somewhere or not; all the while keeping her expression perfectly serene. However, it was unnecessary worries on Goyo¡¯s part as her movements were graceful and natural.


    While Goyo was lost in her worries, a firm arm tightly wrapped around Goyo¡¯s waist and pulled her closer, startling her out of her thoughts. When he did that, she took a measured breath to calm herself even as she was almost brought into that man¡¯s embrace.


    And her body instinctively tensed up when that pair of intense gray eyes focused on her. It was as if she was the only one in the whole one in his eyes. The marquis opened his mouth to speak, and due to how close they were, his low whisper seemed to permeate into her whole body.


    ¡°I apologize that my first greeting to you is done like this. I¡¯m Annecy Bethelgius.¡±


    His voice was deeper and lower than what she remembered. Originally, she had thought that Terio¡¯s voice was also low¡­ But compared to the marquis¡¯ voice, it felt light.


    ¡°Despite your words, there was no hesitation in you when you chose me. Regardless, greetings Marquis Bethelgius. I am Goyo Rubiet, the eldest daughter of the Rubiet Family.¡±


    ¡°Likewise, I don¡¯t think you were surprised by that.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, sir.¡±


    Goyo sincerely answered. And indeed, to her, it was not a big deal. Nevertheless, as expected, no one would be free from embarrassment when something they didn¡¯t expect happened. Thus, whether it was out of embarrassment or fear, she got an urge to avoid eye contacts with him as she moved her body to the music.


    And as he looked at her attempts to keep her eyes on him, Annecy¡¯s eyes danced with mirth.


    ¡°I had wanted to arrange for us to be seated together without others¡¯ presence in the terrace. However, I was afraid of people¡¯s eyes and wagging tongues. As such, I shelved that idea in.¡±


    ¡°Then, why did you decide to talk in front of everyone right now?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a good moment and place to hide the conversation?¡±


    Indeed, he was right. No one would be able to eavesdrop on them when they were whispering to each other while dancing in the middle of the ballroom. Even if someone happened to overhear their conversation, they would only hear bits and pieces. And that would only fuel a trivial story that was easily refuted.


    This is unlike what I knew from the past. For what reason did the marquis ask me to dance? Goyo wondered in her mind. But then, she suddenly realized something.


    Simply put, the reason was most probably due to Goyo Rubiet¡¯s presence in this event. Because¡­ unlike what she had done before, she had attended the ball. Moreover, she had even broken up with Terio.


    But in that case¡­


    Will the events proceed in the same way as before this time?


    Will the marquis propose to me once again?


    It was only at this time that Goyo belatedly questioned it.


    In her previous life, Bethelgius had proposed a marriage to Goyo, so she thought it would happen again this time. And she thought it would be easier now since Goyo had broken her engagement ties with Terio.


    However, she didn¡¯t take in account how her actions would be viewed by others. Especially since Marquis Bethelgius was known as an unpredictable person.


    Moreover, there was a chance that in the past, the marquis dared to propose to her because she was engaged to Terio.


    What is in the marquis¡¯ mind right now? What if, for whatever reason, his actions change? What should I do then?


    The sudden rush of emotions coming out from her worn out heart made her eyebrows twitched in consternation. Not wanting to feel anything, Goyo decided to stop worrying and bluntly questioned him.


    ¡°What do you want to say?¡±


    ¡°You broke off your engagement with Sir Alte, Miss Rubiet.¡±


    He is quite a rude fellow, isn¡¯t he? Goyo thought.


    But without waiting for Goyo¡¯s response, the marquis brought his face closer to her and continued speaking.


    ¡°Do you love Sir Alte?¡±


    At that question, Goyo flinched slightly and opened her lips. But for some time, she couldn¡¯t make a sound as she struggled to answer.


    ¡°¡­ I loved him.¡±


    ¡°To me, it sounds like you¡¯re saying that it¡¯s not the case right now. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°You like to play with words, don¡¯t you, Sir Bethelgius?¡±


    ¡°Oh, did you hate it Miss?¡±

 Chapter 14 - Why Do You Care (1)

    Chapter 14 ¨C Why Do You Care (1)


    Bethelgius said as he reached out to Goyo¡¯s hand, reconnecting their hands which had split apart moments ago. Since it was already at the end of the song, Goyo implicitly followed his lead and placed her hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Did you put me on stage just to play a word game with me?¡±


    ¡°Then, what do you think is the reason I chose you?¡±


    ¡°Marquis.¡±


    She twirled her body in tandem with music and moved according to the dance steps. Her moves made the hem of her gown to spread around for some seconds before gracefully falling around her legs. She then took a step back, once again placing her hand on his shoulders, and looked straight into his intense gray eyes with her own dark-colored ones.


    ¡°I know more than you think.¡±


    ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°And.¡±


    At that moment, the sound of the violin stopped, closing this part of the dance when her alluring red lips were about to speak. As soon as the orchestra¡¯s music stopped, a light applause filled the space and the dancers politely bowed to their partners.


    It was over¡­ Goyo thought as she let out a sigh. And no one, not even she herself, knew whether the sigh she let out was done in relief or regret.


    ¡°The dance is over.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­¡±


    Although she knew it was discourteous of her, Goyo still turned away and left Bethelgius behind without answering his question. However, the marquis only shrugged as he watched the sight of her back disappearing into the crowd with an unnoticeable smile.


    ¡°You ran away.¡±


    ****


    Goyo opened the door to the terrace and took a deep breath. Behind her, another music had begun playing, so people were flocking to the dance floor, making the place almost empty of occupants. It was a heaven-sent timing for her.


    ¡°Huh.¡±


    She felt it was better for her to clear her head with cold air before coming back in. So, she leaned by the door and touched her forehead.


    And she carefully considered everything that had been happening ever since she awoke in her younger body. She had been too focused on tidying her problem with Terio Alte as fast as possible that she didn¡¯t think much about anything else.


    At first, she didn¡¯t get serious because she was still confused whether it was a dream or something else. However, right now, she had to reconsider everything. Especially since everything was still as vivid as reality even after some time had passed.


    After all, if this was a dream, it wouldn¡¯t last for this long. And if this was hell, Goyo wouldn¡¯t have been able to break up with Terio.


    However, considering everything that had happened up until now, there was a rising credibility that the unbelievable assumption she had was in fact correct. As such, she had no choice but to believe it. She had returned to the past.


    In that case, her thought turned back to her predicament now.


    What would the marquis be thinking?


    She had only spoken a few words towards Bethelgius when she was dancing with him. It was not something that brought any benefits to him, unlike when he asked for a qualification for knight¡¯s entrance exam for one of the count¡¯s sons. So, why did he ask for a dance with her and drew people¡¯s attention? Wouldn¡¯t it be more beneficial to him if he asked for that knight¡¯s entrance exam?


    However, soon she closed her eyes and stopped delving into it. It might just be a whim of the marquis, she concluded and straightened her body.


    Alright, let¡¯s go back.


    Not only was it impossible to know the marquis¡¯ intentions, but it was also irrelevant for her. So, there was no need to think too much.


    If Bethelgius didn¡¯t propose to her, some situations would turn out differently than she had thought. However, the end results were still the same.


    The marquis¡¯ decision to exterminate the Rubiet Family would remain unchanged.


    Whether it was for personal reasons or political one, she was sure that Bethelgius would exterminate Rubiet Household around one year from now.


    And since there was only one end waiting for her at the end of the road, Goyo didn¡¯t care about the process. So, with mixed feelings, Goyo decided to leave everything up to fate. Anyway, she thought that even if she left the situation alone, it would still lead to her end. And she would finally achieve her aim. Peace.


    With her feelings and mind settled, she was determined to return back to the mansion. However, at that time, the door to the terrace opened again. But since she was going to leave, she didn¡¯t care about whoever was coming out, so Goyo just tidied her clothes without identifying the person.


    Yet she froze when she heard a familiar voice speaking to her.


    ¡°Are you all right, Goyo?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Terio.¡±


    ¡°You seem to have a headache.¡±


    Terio Alte looked at Goyo with concerned eyes, but Goyo felt nothing in the face of that concern. All she felt was deep weariness that came from the depth of her soul when she looked at him.


    And her fatigued body, which had been slightly alleviated right now, felt heavy again. Her tired eyes flickered a couple of times before she replied without a shred of hesitation.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Why did Marquis Bethelgius ask you for a dance? What were you talking about with him that made your expression like this?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a big deal. You didn¡¯t have to mind it.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be like this if that was just a light conversation.¡±


    Why do you care? Goyo derisively thought to herself, but held herself back from her desire to say that. Instead, she chose to divert the conversation away.


    ¡°Why are you here? What about Melissa?¡±


    ¡°What about Melissa? It was the Duke of Rubiet who escorted her here. And right now, I¡¯m your partner.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that your partner would be more valuable to you than your fiance.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that, Goyo.¡±


    What in the world is he talking about? He acted as if he was not the one who made this relationship difficult¡­

 Chapter 15 - Why Do You Care (2)

    Chapter 15 ¨C Why Do You Care (2)


    And it was only because of her exhaustion that Goyo did not sneer at Terio or spat at him. Instead, she chose to ignore him entirely and stayed silent. But when Goyo chose to not answer his interrogation, Terio¡¯s expression hardened, which was something she rarely saw after her return and she inwardly flinched.


    ¡°You¡¯re a little strange these days.¡±


    ¡°In what way am I strange?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know how to explain it¡­ but it feels like there¡¯s a space between us.¡±


    ¡°It was not strange at all. Everything had just changed between us after all. Huh, anyway, I don¡¯t want to talk about this. I want to rest, so do please get out of here¡­ Wait, never mind. I¡¯ll be the one who will leave, so please step aside.¡±


    Goyo tried to go past Terio to leave the terrace. However, for reasons unknown to her, Terio Alte blocked her way. And he looked at her with a fierce expression, one that she had rarely seen and asked with a demanding tone.


    ¡°What has changed?!¡±


    At that point, Goyo could no longer suppress her irritation from bubbling in the depth of her heart.


    She didn¡¯t understand what was Terio¡¯s aim nor what he was doing here. She had already stepped away from his path with Melissa. She had even smoothened the way for him to be able to be with Melissa without opposition from her side. So, wasn¡¯t this supposed to be a busy time for him to stick with Melissa and love her?


    He couldn¡¯t make an excuse that it was because he was concerned for her. He should have known better than this as this act of his could only be considered as rude. To chase after someone to the terrace even though the talk of their marriage had already been broken was not something commendable. At all. Especially since Goyo was already in the spotlight because of the marquis¡¯ action.


    She had returned to the past and broke off her engagement with him. At the same time, she had also released all of her responsibilities towards Terio. Thus, his actions right now felt even more aggravating to Goyo.


    But like what she had always done, Goyo swallowed her irritation back in and took a deep breath before she asked with an incredulous tone.


    ¡°Did you really think that things will be the same? Things change. I changed. The person I was, who loved you dearly, is gone. And the person I am¡­ no longer loves you.¡±


    ¡°Goyo¡­!¡±


    ¡°¡­ Leave. Get out of my way before I call someone. This is the last warning I will give you on account of our past relationship.¡±


    Goyo tried to push past Terio once more, unwilling to stay for even one second longer. However, he grabbed her shoulder and stopped her, making an expression that practically told her that he still didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Why?! We were friends before we were lovers, weren¡¯t we?! We¡¯ve known each other for over ten years already¡­ So, why are you doing this to me out of the blue?!¡±


    Out of the blue? Did he just¡­


    Goyo¡¯s eyes blazed with anger so intense that it looked like flame was dancing in it. While she understood that the present Terio didn¡¯t know of the painful time she went through because of him and his action, she couldn¡¯t help but to feel red-hot anger coursing through her veins.


    It had been seven years for me!


    She recalled those painful times. She had completely given up her feelings towards Terio Alte. Not even a speck of love or fond feelings remained. Nevertheless, she still stayed by his side and endured everything that was aimed at her. Because of her responsibility towards him as his wife.


    Logically, she understood that it wasn¡¯t her fault and that everything was out of her hands. Logically, she understood that it wasn¡¯t right for them to do this to her. However, her heart couldn¡¯t understand that. Her heart felt that everyone else was right and she was to blame for everything. It screamed and writhed, drowning her with feelings of guilt.


    Therefore, she silently accepted everyone¡¯s treatment and endured. Until Terio managed to find a new lover. Until someone else was able to stand by his side! Only then would she be able to achieve her peace.


    But in that instant, Goyo felt that Goyo Alte¡¯s patience and pain felt like trash on the side road.


    Would he have thought of me after I died? Would you wonder how come I suddenly died even though I was just fine not long ago? I bet you don¡¯t even know that I committed suicide and only think I was punished because of my ¡®crime¡¯.


    Goyo Rubiet knew that her anger wasn¡¯t reasonable. But the feelings that she had buried deep in the depth of her heart burst forth within seconds and drowned out all her logical reasoning on why she had to be silent.


    When Goyo, who couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, was about to scream, someone appeared and pulled Terio¡¯s arm off her. And because of their increasingly loud exchange with each other, she didn¡¯t notice someone was coming in. So, her eyes couldn¡¯t help but grow round at the unexpected interruption.


    And just like a needle pricking a swollen balloon, the stormy emotion within her disappeared like a gush of air.


    ¡°Did I help you?¡±


    Marquis Annecy Bethelgius asked as he turned his head to look at Goyo. She was so surprised that she reflexively opened her mouth and retorted.


    ¡°¡­ I thought you were afraid of people¡¯s eyes, but here you are. You are rather quick in changing your mind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still afraid, but I overcame my fear and came here to help you, Miss Rubiet.¡±


    Bethelgius said before he shrugged and added with a belligerent tone.


    ¡°Ah, did my presence accidentally interrupt your tryst?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s meant to be a joke, it¡¯s not funny in the slightest.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I apologize for that. But surely, if miss were from the east, you would have found it funny.¡±


    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t laugh at the joke from a war fanatic?¡±


    Her words were blunt and discourteous, but unexpectedly, it didn¡¯t bother the marquis at all. On the contrary, his countenance somehow felt relaxed and he even offered a bright smile at her. And Goyo couldn¡¯t help her thoughts that the marquis sure enjoyed strange jokes.


    ¡°Marquis, if you have something to do here, please do it later as Goyo and I are having a private conversation right now.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re Sir Alte?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Terio Alte.¡±


    Terio, who was excluded from the conversation between Goyo and Marquis Bethelgius, felt the situation was unpleasant. Therefore, he interjected and spoke strongly while shaking off the marquis¡¯ hand on his own.


    Not only that, he also glared at the marquis. However, the marquis didn¡¯t return his glare nor pay any attention at Terio, disregarding his existence completely. Instead, all his focus was on Goyo.


    ¡°I see. Then, by private conversation here, did you mean that you were talking to someone who didn¡¯t want to talk nor hear what you want to say?¡±


    ¡°Marquis!¡±


    Terio indignantly exclaimed, but marquis only pointed his long finger towards the terrace door and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s you who have to go away from this place.¡±

 Chapter 16 - Witch’s Moon

    Chapter 16 ¨C Witch¡¯s Moon


    Terio Alte soon left the terrace. Surprisingly, despite the terrifying expression he made, he didn¡¯t lash out at the marquis. In fact, he was docile in front of him.


    But Goyo speculated that the reason was most probably because he didn¡¯t want to draw people¡¯s attention to this place. And bickering with the woman he broke up with, would certainly draw no small amount of gossip. Or perhaps he thought it was too burdensome to pick a fight with the marquis since he hadn¡¯t inherited his title yet.


    Nevertheless, Goyo was grateful to the marquis. After all, he had helped her to chase away Terio. So, she softly conveyed her gratitude to him. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Instead of responding, the marquis only briefly smiled at her before he moved towards the railing. After a slight hesitation, Goyo followed suit while keeping a respectful distance for them to converse comfortably.


    Momentarily, a tranquil silence fell between them. The sounds of merry-making in the ballroom seemed so far away from them. Then the marquis looked up at the sky, causing Goyo to follow his gaze unconsciously. Inadvertently, her gaze landed on the moon.


    In the eve of nighttime, she could see the reddish moon with color darker than even the marquis¡¯ hair gently climbing up to stand atop them.


    ¡°It¡¯s the witch¡¯s moon tonight. Something strange usually happens on a day like this.¡±


    Witch¡¯s moon.


    It was what people called the moon when its light turned from yellow to red. It was the day when the mana, which usually flows along with the atmospheric current, for some reasons, stagnates.


    On these days, the stagnant mana would condense in the atmosphere and distort the view of the moon, thus making it look like a blood red.


    And because of its eerie colors, it became known as the witch¡¯s moon.


    It didn¡¯t earn its name only from the eerie color, but also because strange things often happened on the night of the witch¡¯s moon. Though that might be due to the increase of mana activity.


    This bizarre phenomenon was something that couldn¡¯t be done with human magic and its occurrence was extremely irregular.


    It¡¯s a moon that invokes bad feelings.


    Goyo frowned. As she recalled, it seemed that the day Goyo Alte closed her eyes forever was the night of the witch¡¯s moon. And the same moon also rose on the day Goyo Rubiet opened her eyes.


    Although she still couldn¡¯t completely believe that she had returned to the past, to some extent, the existence of the red moon on those two day convinced her that it¡¯s real.


    ¡°I¡¯m usually grumpy on a stormy day. However, I¡¯m good on a clear day without clouds¡­ Fortunately, it¡¯s sunny today.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Pardon me? Didn¡¯t you come here because you have something to say?¡±


    For some reason, Marquis Bethelgius seemed to enjoy speaking freely without adhering to the convention. However, Goyo was not used to this, thus she shifted the topic to one they talked about before.


    Only then did Bethelgius turn his gaze away from the moon and moved his eyes to focus on Goyo¡¯s own.


    Though neither Annecy Bethelgius nor Goyo Rubiet had red eyes, due to the witch¡¯s moonlight¡¯s influence, their eyes appeared to be rose-colored to those looking.


    Two pairs of eyes, dyed with the same hue, looked at the other with


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that our previous conversation was cut short, but¡­¡±


    The marquis¡¯ fingertips brushed across Goyo¡¯s bangs and touched her forehead. Startled by his action, Goyo reflexively took a step back. In her shock, she didn¡¯t notice that her move brought her quite close to the railings.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re in a bad state, miss. So, I¡¯ll postpone our conversation.¡±


    This time, it was the man who turned around first. In fact, it was not the first time he did this. It was the second time already that he had disappeared after he was done talking with her.


    Goyo frowned, displeased. Despite the fact that Goyo had decided to let things go as it would, she was still frustrated by the marquis before her. And how could she not be frustrated? The marquis had kept wandering around in front of her, but he always kept his mouth shut about what he wanted.


    If his intention was to make Goyo Rubiet frustrated, he was good at that.


    Unwilling to let him go just like that, Goyo decided to call out to Marquis Bethelgius before he could take another step away from her.


    ¡°Marquis.¡±


    ¡°Yes, miss?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to propose to me?¡±


    The marquis, who initially didn¡¯t even stop his footsteps at her call, suddenly halted in place. Then, he slowly turned his head around to look at Goyo. At this time, the perpetually polite smile he had on his face was gone, and all she could see was an impassive expression.


    Then, he spoke quietly with an expressionless face, as if he was speaking to himself.


    ¡°It seems that was the only thing you knew.¡± Then, he added. ¡°Well, if you know that I¡¯m trying to get closer to the nobles, you might have expected it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not planning to show up at any other balls for the time being. So, I won¡¯t have the time to meet Marquis. Thus, unless you are willing to brave society¡¯s eyes on you and come calling at my mansion, please tell me any intentions you have towards me right now.¡±


    ¡°If that is your wish, miss¡­¡±


    Annecy Bethelgius murmured and came closer to her. Alarmed, Goyo was about to step back. However, at this time, she realized that her back was already touching the railings. Before she could move away, Bethelgius¡¯ large hands gripped onto the railings on either side of Goyo, leaving her with no way to retreat. At this moment, with her appearing as if she was trapped in the marquis¡¯ arms, they looked quite intimate with each other.

 Chapter 17 - Will You Accept My Proposal?

    Chapter 17 ¨C Will You Accept My Proposal?


    And this time, Goyo could sense a scent that she couldn¡¯t perceive while dancing with him before. It came from him. Although she didn¡¯t know whether it was cologne or the marquis¡¯ natural scent, she couldn¡¯t believe that she didn¡¯t perceive it in the ballroom before.


    After all, though the scent itself was not a strong one, it was thick enough up close. And she had been very close to him while they were dancing. Then again, perhaps the scent itself was buried under all other fragrances floating inside the ballroom. Still, that didn¡¯t prevent her from being irritated, whether it was at her inattention or from the scent itself. Thus, she bit her lips in frustration.


    Then, not satisfied with only that, the marquis leaned towards her and tilted his head a little. Because of that action, for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. However, instead of doing that, the marquis only smiled at her while looking down.


    ¡°Will you accept my proposal?¡±


    The brown eyelashes trembled imperceptibly at that question.


    Goyo hated the thick scent surrounding her since it only made her nauseous. It only exacerbated her lingering headache from before. Combined with the cold air out here, Goyo felt a chill invading her body.


    Not only that, Goyo also sensed that the marquis¡¯ tone was that of a mockery rather than a serious one when he spoke.


    Putting all of that together, she inwardly seethed. She hated the situation she was put in right now.


    Regardless of the despair she felt for life and marriage, she still felt annoyed at this situation where he made it seem like she truly wishes to marry the marquis.


    Unable to withstand the stress, Goyo Rubiet held her face in front of him. And then, when Marquis Bethelgius¡¯ face came close to her¡­


    Annecy Bethelgius was taken aback, surprised that a lady would do such a thing. But it had already happened, and there was no turning back. Thus, for the first time today, the marquis covered his mouth with a befuddled expression. And he was so surprised that his fingertips even trembled a little.


    ¡°The marquis¡¯ proposal¡­ I¡¯ll accept it.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t send the proposal too late.¡±


    She felt better now that she had broken the delicate situation surrounding them. Moreover, the marquis¡¯ state also left her inordinately pleased. So, Goyo Rubiet walked past the marquis with a satisfied expression and left the terrace. Her business with him was over.


    Then, she left all her family members along with Terio back at the ballroom, choosing to return to the duke¡¯s residence and lay down on the bed.


    She originally thought that it was only a simple headache because of the cold she got when she returned to the past. However, when she touched her forehead, the skins felt hot to touch. She realized that she was having a fever. Her mind then flashed back to what the marquis said after touching her forehead, and she finally understood why he did that.


    ****


    ¡°I love you Terio.¡±


    One year later, she returned Terio¡¯s confession to her. However, Terio Alte¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest when he heard that.


    Seeing this, anxiety began to spread all over Goyo¡¯s heart, which was already feeling tense from her confession. And for a moment, she thought that Terio¡¯s mind had already changed during the course of one year.


    However, much to her shame, the brief anxiety she felt turned out to be superfluous after seeing tears falling from his expressionless face.


    ¡°Terio¡­?¡±


    ¡°Thank you Goyo. I¡¯ll treat you right. I¡¯ll really¡­ really treat you right.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll also treat you right. It¡¯s all right, don¡¯t cry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not crying! Who¡¯s crying?!¡±


    But with the way his face was covered with tears, he was not convincing at all. Goyo had taken out her handkerchief and was trying to wipe away his tears. She reached out towards him, yet, her lover was turning his head away and hid his face, unwilling to show her his teary face.


    So, although Goyo¡¯s hand was eager to touch his face, she couldn¡¯t do it at all.


    Thus, due to his obstinacy, Goyo Rubiet eventually gave up on her effort to wipe away his tears. And she burst into laughter, feeling that the situation was too funny. It was a big hearty laugh, something no noble girls would reveal easily.


    That unfamiliar sound attracted Terio¡¯s eyes, who were initially busy avoiding her. And he was transfixed with the carefree smile on Goyo¡¯s face.


    Unable to help himself, Terio suddenly brought Goyo into his arms, hugging her tightly.


    ¡°Ah! What are you doing suddenly?!¡±


    ¡°I love you. It¡¯s real. I¡¯ll love you forever, and this fact will never change. Goyo, I love you. I love you.¡±


    Listening to his fervent confession, Goyo¡¯s face turned red.


    How could he repeatedly say such embarrassing things such as this without looking fazed? I have only said it once, and my heart is already beating so fast! Goyo thought, feeling her heart was going to explode even though she had only said it once!


    However, sweet words continued to pour out of Terio¡¯s mouth without ceasing, continuously shaking Goyo¡¯s heart and mind. Unable to endure her overly full heart any longer, Goyo reached out her hand and returned Terio¡¯s hug.

 Chapter 18 - A Long Nightmare

    Chapter 18 ¨C A Long Nightmare


    At first, when Terio confessed his love, all Goyo felt was betrayal so great it felt as if the world had collapsed under her. She couldn¡¯t believe that Terio, her only friend who she had thought would eternally be her friend, was looking at her with different eyes. It was hard for her to accept the change from a perfectly stable relationship as friends to an unstable relationship as lovers.


    But in the end, Goyo Rubiet lost the fight against her heart. Even her mind could no longer see him as her eternal friend, who would stand by her side. She began thinking of Terio as a potential lover. And even if Terio¡¯s declaration of eternal friendship had collapsed, his proposition that we became lovers was beyond reproach.


    Besides, wouldn¡¯t this be okay as well? After all, though this sweet excitement won¡¯t last forever, if she married Terio and had children, she would still be able to have a harmonious family that she had been dreaming of.


    And in her young mind, perhaps Terio could love her forever.


    After all, he had vowed so. It was a vow of love from the mouth of a man who fell in love with her and who she loved in turn. How could she not believe it? And though he had betrayed her once, it was because his affections for her were greater than his friendship with her. And not for any other reasons.


    Content with her conclusion, Goyo closed her eyes while still being held in Terio¡¯s arms. At that moment, her mother¡¯s words, which she had kept close in her heart, flowed through her head.


    ¡°Goyo, you should marry someone you love. A political marriage wouldn¡¯t bring anyone happiness¡­ To have a child with someone you didn¡¯t love¡­ can only be considered a tragedy rather than happiness. That¡¯s when the hells begins.¡±


    ¡°Mother, why do you say that¡­?¡±


    ¡°Goyo, you must be happy. Even if I was unhappy with my life, you should do your best to strive for happiness.¡±


    You¡¯re right, Mother. If I had married someone I didn¡¯t love or had a political marriage with someone, I would never have known this happiness.


    And because they were Alte and Rubiet, they never faced any opposition from their parents. So, Goyo was able to receive love she yearned for.


    Thus, Goyo believed that her ending would be different from her mother, who died miserably. At this moment, Goyo believed that her life would be full of happiness. She felt incredibly happy, so much so that she was unable to restrain her joy, making it spill over from her mouth.


    ¡°I love you, too, Terio. If your love is eternal, my love will be the same.¡±


    I love you.


    You killed Melissa.


    I love you.


    If you hadn¡¯t refused to marry him¡­ if you had just let me go¡­ Melissa would be alive now.


    I love you.


    That woman, who didn¡¯t share a drop of Rubiet¡¯s blood, would be hale and hearty in my arms now.


    ¡°Terio?¡±


    The one who hugged Goyo pushed her away. He then threw Goyo to the floor and said with an incredibly cold voice.


    It¡¯s not you that I love.


    In an instant, the dream collapsed and the long nightmare was over.


    Goyo opened her eyes in a hurry and took in a deep rough breath, heart still racing. It was beating so violently that she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if her heart suddenly popped out.


    She feebly raised herself up from bed and leaned against the bedhead. Her whole body damped with cold sweat as flashes of the nightmare or rather her past came to the forefront of her mind.


    Damn you, Terio Alte.


    She was so incensed that a rough word she had never ever used in her life popped out in her mind. But in no time, she willed herself to calm down and tightly closed her eyes shut, flipping the bangs that got stuck on her forehead due to the cold sweat.


    It had been a long time since she dreamed of the past.


    At that time, the room opened and Annie, Goyo¡¯s maid, came in. Noticing that her lady was up, Annie gave her morning greetings like she usually did before she realized that something was off with Goyo.


    ¡°Miss, are you up? No, wait a second. Miss, what¡¯s wrong with your face?¡±


    ¡°Annie.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, look at your sweat! Did you have a nightmare?¡±


    ¡°I just had a rather unpleasant dream.¡±


    It was not uncommon for Goyo to have nightmares. So, Annie was not surprised. She merely looked sorry for her. Fortunately, she quickly covered up her emotion and nodded her head while handing over the cup of water that was placed on the tray to her.


    As she felt the sensation of the cold water passing through her throat, Goyo seemed to come back to her senses.


    ¡°It¡¯s past nine?¡±


    ¡°No, miss. It¡¯s still 8:30¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why did you come so early? I told you to wake me up at nine the next day after the ball.¡±


    ¡°Miss, it was because¡­ I need to tell you something urgently.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Goyo asked while handing over the cup. After a little hesitation, Annie opened her mouth.


    ¡°A proposal for marriage had come from Marquis Bethelgius.¡±


    Goyo momentarily paused at that news as she blinked in slight surprise.


    She was wondering silently whether Annie had already known that the marquis and she were dancing together at yesterday¡¯s ball or not. However, at this time, Annie carefully asked her about the matter, as if she had been ordered by the duke to get the answer before going. Unfortunately, it did not reach Goyo¡¯s ear as she had already drifted back to her mind.


    Goyo still couldn¡¯t believe how fierce her dream was, and how it still sent her heart racing even after it was over. Yet, right now, her heart was pounding with a different reason from before.


    And this made Goyo helplessly laugh at herself since she had never known how agitated she could get just from her dream and that piece of news.


    ¡°You should marry someone you love. You couldn¡¯t be happy with a political marriage.¡±


    No, mother. Marriage with a loved one was the most painful hell for me. So, although the other path available for me is surely going to lead me to death, I will never choose that path again.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    The only things she could do was to choose a less painful death.


    Isn¡¯t that right, mother?

 Chapter 19 - The Past (1)

    Chapter 19 ¨C The Past (1)


    [The Past]


    ¡°The storm is too strong right now¡­ Can¡¯t you just sleep over today? Is the matter truly that urgent?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ellie. I¡¯m a pathetic man for not being able to keep his promises with you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that duke! You aren¡¯t pathetic!¡±


    The woman exclaimed as she pouted at him, seemingly displeased with Terio for slighting himself. Seeing this, Terio smiled softly at her with a gentle light shining in his eyes.


    The woman before him looked almost like Melissa Rubiet with her soft blonde hair, gentle countenance, and a slender voluptuous body.


    As Terio looked at her again, he couldn¡¯t hold himself back from kissing the woman¡¯s forehead. From the angle he was standing, he was able to see the traces he left on that woman under her one-piece dress, satisfying his masculine ego greatly.


    As his lips touched her skins, a memory where Terio was holding Melissa in his arms surfaced. And for a moment, Terio felt like Melissa was alive and had come back to him. It was a beautiful dream.


    It¡¯s a pity that I couldn¡¯t bring her back with me to the residence.


    ¡°Fine. I will reluctantly let you go, but you have to come back soon, alright?¡±


    The woman whined coquettishly, earning her, Terio Alte¡¯s affectionate smile as he indulged in his fantasy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, Ellie.¡±


    I¡¯ll be right back, Melissa.


    ****


    Creak.


    The gate opened with a dull sound. And the Alte Family¡¯s servants all bowed respectfully as they welcomed their master back.


    Terio glanced at the butler with an indifferent look in his eyes and nodded his head. At this time, Eden, the butler, had straightened up from his bow as he approached his master and greeted him with a wan voice.


    ¡°Have you been well, master?¡±


    It was unlike the butler¡¯s usual modus operandi, eliciting another look from Terio. In his mind, this loyal butler had never looked nor sounded like this. The loyal butler who had never even turned a suspicious look at Terio, when he said he was going away on a business trip, nor questioned him why he suddenly returned without a warning, was acting strange. Not only that, Eden¡¯s face also looked strangely pale. As if he had lost a lot of blood somehow, causing a slight concern to rise in Terio¡¯s heart.


    But, unwilling to think too much, Terio assumed it was because of the time coupled with the heavy atmosphere the storm brought with it, which made people¡¯s heartstrings dispirited. Thus, Terio decided not to ask.


    ¡°All the imperial airships are broken due to the witch¡¯s moon.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yeah, as such, the plan to go to Ethiopia would be delayed until the airship was repaired. Therefore, for now, I¡¯ll stay here. And I¡¯ll inform you as soon as I get a call, Eden.¡±


    Although everything he spoke of was the truth, Terio still felt like he was making excuses to everybody. No, to some extent, those words he uttered WAS an excuse. After all, Terio Alte didn¡¯t immediately return to his mansion after he found out his scheduled trip was cancelled.


    Instead, he directly went to visit his lover as if it was only natural for him to go there when he had time. Furthermore, he not only ate together with her, but also slept with her as a feeling of exhilaration and happiness suffused his body and heart. However, the happier he became, the more anxious he felt.


    The inexplicable anxiety plagued him throughout the day he was with his lover. And in the end, the feeling escalated to the point he couldn¡¯t even enjoy his time with his lover.


    Eventually, he gave up his promise to spend the night together with her and lied so he could return back to the mansion, feeling something was amiss.


    Yet, when Terio Alte had returned to the mansion, nothing was out of place. Still, from the time the gate opened to the time he received greetings from his servants and exchanged light greetings with Eden, he was on the lookout for the things that were setting off his senses. Yet, he found nothing.


    As such, he thought that nothing had happened in the mansion. However, even though he thought that, the anxiety that had been plaguing him all day had not gone away. In fact, if he thought back, this feeling started¡­


    ¡°Today, will you stay out late?¡±


    Ever since he heard Goyo¡¯s question this morning.


    It was because Goyo Rubiet had acted unusual and that caught his attention. Resentment filled him at the thought of Goyo since he didn¡¯t like the thought that she was still able to sway his feelings with a single word of hers. As such, an imperceptible frown crossed his face.


    Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t seen her since I returned home. Terio thought as his mind recalled the way that woman always stood quietly among their servants while welcoming him home with a graceful bow. However, today, he didn¡¯t see her face among them. So, Terio asked.


    ¡°How about Goyo?

 Chapter 20 - The Past (2)

    Chapter 20 ¨C The Past (2)


    As soon as he got to the second floor, his ears began to pick up a faint sound of music. And hearing this, Terio¡¯s countenance contorted, feeling dissatisfied with Goyo¡¯s action. While the mansion was not sound-proofed, it didn¡¯t mean that sounds could travel through the wall easily. However, this time, the sound of the music could be heard beyond the wall, which indicated that the music was turned loud enough for it to pass through the wall.


    Meanwhile, noticing the unpleasant expression on Terio¡¯s face, the maid who was guiding him became scared. On the other hand, Eden¡¯s expression was still pallid as he silently watched his master with peculiar feelings. And he just looked on as the maid began to give out an excuse with a fearful expression, hiding his queer feelings from notice.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t turn it off because Lady Goyo told me not to come in until she called, master.¡±


    ¡°And how long ago was that? Didn¡¯t you say that she had been alone since the time she took her bath? Did you even know how many hours had the music played?¡±


    Terio thought that perhaps this was Goyo¡¯s initiative to protest. However, all this only served to make him feel contempt for her. So, he scoffed and let out a mocking laughter to add up the insult to injury.


    Still, he was bothered by the loud music. It was so loud that he could feel the vibrations in his hand when he held the door knob. But when he was about to open the door, Eden suddenly started speaking.


    ¡°Let me open it for you, milord.¡±


    ¡°Never mind, just go back to your work now.¡±


    Terio waved Eden away and opened the door. It opened smoothly without making a single sound, yet for some inexplicable reason, Terio felt as though he was twisting open a heavily rusted iron door. Shaking off that perception, he immediately noticed the sound cranking up a notch. And it was so loud it made his ear rang.


    ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind.¡±


    Terio muttered as he marched towards the recorder¡¯s direction and turned off the music, feeling irritated. Once that was done, he decided to find Goyo Rubiet to castigate her action.


    And it didn¡¯t take long for him to find her since she was actually not far away from his position. He only needed to raise his head to find the woman lying face down on the table.


    Aside from that, he took in the sight of the damp carpet, the fallen wine glass, and the half-empty wine bottle nearby Goyo, allowing him to form a picture in his mind.


    The wine had caused the color of the carpet to turn dark while Goyo Rubiet was sitting there on the chair beside the table. Furthermore, she was letting her head lie down on the table, looking unusually disheveled. The sight looked extremely innocuous.


    However, her long hair that was flowing down the table looked as if it was bleeding.


    For a moment, everything seemed to be frozen as a surge of anxiety rushed into Terio¡¯s heart because the sight before him was too eerie. Yet, Terio forced himself to breath, trying to ignore the eerie feelings he felt.


    He acted as if nothing had happened as he approached her like normal.


    But as he neared her, he perceived the scent of roses that usually wouldn¡¯t be found on her person becoming more intense. It was the scent Goyo Rubiet had hated with her whole heart, yet right then, it was wafting off her body.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing? The lady of the duke household shouldn¡¯t be in such an ugly drunken state such as this.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, You didn¡¯t even come to greet me when I returned. What was that about? Weren¡¯t you the one who said to pretend we¡¯re fine to the outside world? So, what are you doing right now?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Are you protesting right now? For what? Because I didn¡¯t answer you when you asked me whether or not I will stay out late?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°How many times should I tell you to not expect anything from me? Doing this kind of thing won¡¯t make me change my mind. So, you should just give up.¡±


    At last, Terio frowned when he still received no response from her, and thought to himself that it was because she was quite drunk. He was trying to convince himself of that fact.


    However, he could only see one bottle of wine by her side. Furthermore, half of the wine seemed to have been wasted, so she couldn¡¯t have drunk so much that she became inebriated.


    Then again, it had been a long time since he had drunk with Goyo. So, regardless of how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t quite remember how high or how low Goyo Rubiet¡¯s alcohol tolerance was.


    Being unable to recall that knowledge, Terio simply decided to wake her up. Alas, when he put his hand on her shoulder, her body felt cold and damp to the touch. It was as if the wine had splashed on her body as well, as if he was touching a moss.


    A chill ran down his spine. Nevertheless, Terio didn¡¯t want to entertain the thought that was creeping up his mind, so he kept shaking her shoulder.


    ¡°Wake up. Wake up!¡±


    ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Eden. I told you to go, why are you still here?¡±


    ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s good. It looks like she was drunk, so please move her to the bedroom. If people knew that the duchess is doing this, it would also damage my reputation.¡±


    ¡°Master¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I think you are also tired from your work. In that case, I¡¯ll be the one who will move her. How bothersome¡­¡±


    At this time, someone¡¯s hand held onto his arm, stopping Terio from speaking any further. It was Eden¡¯s hand. And for a moment, Terio questioned the reason behind Eden¡¯s action. After all, as far as he knew, Eden was not one who would carelessly touch his master¡¯s body.


    Then, anger followed closely behind his astonishment.


    Who are you to dare to stop me?! Terio thought, raising his head with flames dancing in his eyes. But soon, his anger disappeared when his eyes fell on the other man.


    ¡°You hated her.¡±


    For before him, stood a man with a sorrowful expression as he looked at him.


    ¡°You resent her.¡±


    ¡°Eden¡­?¡±


    ¡°Master, I did it for you¡­.¡±


    What the hell is he talking about?


    Terio scowled as he tried to see Eden¡¯s face properly. However, to his befuddlement, everything was blurry to his eyes. And with each passing second, his sight became more and more hazy. Because of that, he was doubtful of the view he saw, wondering if the grief that he saw painted on the butler¡¯s face was correct.


    ¡°But why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m crying?¡±


    What are you talking about?


    Terio thought, confused before he tried to rub his eyes to clear his blurry vision. It was at that time that he felt it. He felt that the hand touching his face was filled with cold and damp things.


    Only then did he realize the reason why his eyes were so blurry.