“Are you alright?”

Ann wiped the tears on Rubica’s face. She had not been able to stop crying before, but now she couldn’t shed even a drop of tear.

“Should I prepare warm water and, um, bring a puppy?”

Ann couldn’t ask Rubica if she had convinced Edgar. The duke had come out with a firm face, so there was no need to ask. Ann just pitied the girl for having to argue with her husband for the family. She had come to an unfamiliar place and was supposed to be loved by her husband.

She could stay up all night if only she could console her.

“No, there’s no need for that.”

However, Rubica only shook her head.

“You shouldn’t overwork yourself because of me. Just go and rest. You should have gone to bed hours ago.”

Was it because she had cried for so long? Her voice sounded hoarse. Ann felt even more worried about her.

“But how can I leave you like this and go to bed?”

“I want to be alone for today.”

Rubica spoke firmly, so Ann was forced to shut her mouth that wanted to say something more.

“I see, but please, pull the rope if you need anything. I will come right away.”

Rubica nodded instead of shaking her head. If she had refused even that, Ann would have thought she was in serious condition and would have never left her.

Ann had a maid bring a kettle of hot water and wiped Rubica’s face clean with a hot towel. She left the room after hesitating for a long time. Although it was less than twenty steps from the bed to the door, she looked back ten times.

The sudden announcement of the duke about mana quartz and the fight between him and his wife. Ann pitied Rubica so much that she completely forgot that it had been her who had insisted on not getting mana quartz only yesterday.

The moment Ann closed the door behind her, Rubica quickly opened a drawer next to the bed. Then, she took out the ring. Some kind of strange guilt absorbed her. It had been only for a moment, but she had been attracted to Edgar. Moreover, it had been different from being dragged to beauty.

“Arman.”

Rubica carefully lifted the ring as if it were made of fragile glass and called the name of her beloved. She could almost see him saying ‘yes’ to her call, but she hadn’t seen him for almost a month by now.

Even though she managed to find Arman in this time, there was no guarantee he would be the same Arman in her memories. Nevertheless, she wanted to see him. She wanted to check her heart beating when seeing him once again.

Moreover, she wanted to be relieved. Arman was the man she loved. There was no way her love was shaken so easily. Rubica was easily impressed by beauty, but it didn’t mean she loved its owner.

She had found out what love was only at an old age. And now, her heart was attracted to someone else in less than three months after coming back in time…

Yes, Edgar was handsome. He was rich. He was capable, too. They had the worst relationship at first, but she found out he wasn’t hopelessly bad. It was rather strange that she hadn’t fallen in love the moment she first saw him, but that was exactly what made her hesitate and feel guilty.

She wanted to argue to someone what she wasn’t a snob who fell in love for money and pretty faces.

It was hilarious. He was literally the best man in the continent, and she was wondering if she was a snob for being attracted to him…

However, loving someone else other than Arman felt somewhat wrong.

“Arman, what is wrong with me?”

She wished she could ask him if only she could. Why was she doing that? And what was she supposed to do? Where was her strange heart going toward? She wanted to ask the man who was much smarter than she was and had always supported her during the hard times.

However, he wasn’t here. There was no one she could confess her complicated and sad story and discuss with. So, she chose the ring as Arman’s avatar. It was the only thing that linked the future and present that had once been the past.

“… he tapped on the table when thinking.”

That was Arman’s habit. He would tap on the table or the ground when he was stuck or couldn’t come up with a good idea.

“And you like the same fruits.”

Arman wasn’t a picky eater. He always ate what he was given. Still, he had preferences. After she got to like him, she naturally learned about his tastes.

On the other hand, Edgar was a picky eater. So, she knew what he ate although she never wanted to find out. And surprisingly, he liked the same things Arman liked.

Was it because of that? Was it because of such similarities? She had seen Arman in Edgar for a second.

Although she had failed to express herself because of her foolish head and mouth and had a small quarrel, he understood her and came up with the best way to make it happen.

Although there had been a quarrel in the middle of the process, he had come up with the same result with Arman.

That was why she had been reminded of Arman and it had confused her heart. It had all been an illusion.

Rubica closed her eyes and tried to recall Arman. It wasn’t like it had been a long time, but a corner of her memories was already being damaged. She could easily recall his face, but she couldn’t remember the details like the shape of his hands and how many wrinkles he had on his wrist.

“I went too far.”

She shook her head. Edgar and Arman, similar to each other? No way. Edgar had gracefully long arms and legs, but Arman had a bent back and his legs were not at all beautiful to look at. He was clearly different from the handsome duke, although the two had a similar calm attitude and refined manner…

“Oh my, I’m looking for similarities again.”

Rubica stared at the ring on her palm for a long time. In the present that was also the past where everything had dramatically changed, the ring was all she had. She blamed her own foolishness and prayed all night to quickly meet Arman again.

But sadly, she couldn’t even guess what she was supposed to do to meet him.

***

Edgar left the bedroom and arrived at his office. Carl was, of course, next to him. He really wanted to ask about the conversation Edgar had with Rubica, but he kept his mouth shut. He was Edgar’s butler and his loyal servant. He was only supposed to do as his master wanted.

Advising wasn’t part of his job. That was the duty and responsibility only the family’s retainers had. He rather regretted crossing the line for the last two weeks. About matters related to Rubica, it was pretty much impossible for both Edgar and him to do as normal. What was it about? Was it because she was the lead for breaking the curse of his master?

“I want to leave before sunrise. Prepare a carriage.”

Edgar looked at the sofa and bed in the resting room right next to his office as he spoke.

“Are we going to the king’s castle?”

“Yes.”

“I will make arrangements. We will be able to arrive tomorrow evening.”

“And I want an audience with the king as soon as I arrive.”

The king had sent many pigeons asking when he could go to the capital. He couldn’t stand it more and even sent a messenger on a mana stone carriage yesterday.

Edgar had been postponing his journey to the capital, making excuses about his research and management of the dukedom. So, if he suddenly changed his mind and arrived at the king’s castle, the king was going to be delighted. He was a utilitarian.

“I will have Sir Stephen leave first and guard the house.”

“Okay.”

Edgar halfheartedly replied and lay on the bed. Carl pitied him for that. The duke, sleeping in a small bed in the resting room in his own mansion.

Edgar always lacked sleep. It would have been better if he could sleep on a comfortable bed, but it wasn’t like he could openly use the room adjacent to his office as a bedroom. In that perspective, the house at the capital, that had few workers, was rather better.

Edgar had it renovated and cleared an entire floor, so he could move around freely without worrying about being seen in the daytime.

The servants and maid who had been replaced at once had been ordered not to come upstairs as the duke was quite sensitive, and they diligently obeyed that order.

There he would be able to sleep on a comfy bed during the daytime.

“Then please rest.”

The butler was about to drop a few drops of lavender oil on dried flowers for a goodnight’s sleep, but then he stopped. Edgar had been having nightmares after what had happened three years ago and hadn’t been able to fall asleep easily.

But now, he was so deep in sleep that he couldn’t even hear Carl. It happened the moment his head hit the pillow.