Katrina’s birthday banquet was the first the two of them were attending as a married couple.
According to the original schedule, the New Year’s Festival should have been their debut, but the appearance of the magical beasts had forced the cancellation of subsequent events. Because of this, Lina and Mely poured their hearts into dressing Blair as if it were a high-stakes mission.
“Lina, how is this style?”
“Oh, it’s lovely.”
The two had grown quite close in the meantime; they shared opinions and worked in tandem to adorn Blair.
Blair watched them in the mirror. Seeing Mely perform tasks that only Lina had handled in her past life brought a satisfied smile to her face.
*Even if I leave this place, Lina will be fine.*
The thought eased her mind.
“Your Grace, you’re all finished.”
“How do you like it?”
At last, their work was complete. Blair laughed, watching their eyes sparkle with anticipation.
“I like it very much. Thank you, both of you.”
It wasn’t just empty praise; perhaps because of the care they had poured into it, she felt truly satisfied with her reflection.
When Blair finished and appeared on the stairs, Headrin, who had been waiting in the main hall, sensed her presence and looked up. His gaze lingered for a moment, then trailed her as she descended.
If Blair in her wedding dress had resembled a snow fairy, today she looked like a flower that had bloomed in the dead of winter, defiant of the frost.
Headrin approached and held out his hand. Blair studied him for a moment before placing her hand atop his.
“Have a safe trip, Your Grace, My Lady.”
The two boarded the carriage, seen off by Mason and the staff, and soon they were underway. Blair sat lost in thought, watching the city lights blur past the window.
*What happened on this day in my past life?*
Because her memories spanned only two years, she didn’t recall every trivial detail—only the major, intense events. Yet, no matter how deeply she searched, nothing came to mind.
*Thankfully, there doesn’t seem to have been anything significant.*
As she reflected, she recalled the conversation she’d had with Headrin about the future. After that day she had run into Miella, he hadn’t brought the subject up again.
*Well, I suppose it would be unbelievable from his perspective.*
It was likely something he didn’t want to believe, either. Regardless, it was a relief not to have to speak of it anymore.
As she turned her head, she locked eyes with Headrin. He had been watching her for some time.
*……Since when were you looking at me?*
His blue eyes, submerged in the shadows of the carriage, were quiet and steady. They felt deep enough to overwhelm her.
Headrin leaned forward suddenly. The distance between them closed in an instant, close enough to feel the warmth of his breath. Blair instinctively held her own. However, Headrin simply reached past her to close the window, then pulled away.
As if reading her flustered mind, he stared straight into her eyes.
“What were you thinking about?”
“……I wasn’t thinking of anything.”
“You don’t look like you were thinking of nothing. You did call me a molester once before, too.”
“That is because you speak in such ambiguous terms…….”
“Ah, so you admit you *were* thinking of that?”
Flustered by his teasing, Blair glared at him with wide eyes, then whipped her head back toward the window. Saying anything more would only mean losing the exchange.
A low chuckle reached her ears.
Since that night, their relationship had shifted. They ate one meal a day together, and whenever Blair showed a hint of vulnerability, he would tease her. Honestly, she didn’t dislike the change.
*But whenever the memories of my past life surface, I hate him so much I don’t know what to do.*
He was the man who had left her with unforgettable scars, yet in this timeline, he hadn’t committed those wrongs. Her painful history was hers alone to bear.
The fact that her resentment could not be justified created a stinging sense of dissonance. The more that feeling grew, the more she hated him for remembering nothing at all—even though her head knew the current Headrin was innocent.
The carriage shuddered to a halt.
“The Duke and Duchess of Del Marc are entering!”
As they stepped into the Imperial Palace, the attending nobles swarmed toward them. A war hero and the only Imperial Princess; their presence was a magnetic draw.
While they exchanged pleasantries, the true focus of the evening arrived.
“His Majesty the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, Her Imperial Majesty are entering!”
Katrina appeared, escorted by her son, Ivan. With Blair married and the position of Empress currently vacant, Katrina was the only woman who could be escorted by the Emperor. It was her way of asserting her status.
“A banquet is meant to be enjoyed. I hope you will enjoy it as much as you celebrate my mother’s birthday.”
With Ivan’s toast, the banquet began in earnest. The nobles competed to present the most precious gifts, a laughable sight: they spent their own fortunes, and Katrina reaped the prestige.
Blair had worried that Headrin might show his disdain, but fortunately, he remained composed.
Just as the two finished presenting their own gift, a middle-aged woman approached. It was Countess Magrid, Katrina’s lady-in-waiting.
“The Empress Dowager wishes to see you both.”
Blair hesitated. Katrina had always been difficult, but today, the air felt particularly tense.
“Headrin.”
Blair gripped his arm slightly. Headrin leaned his head down, bringing his ear close.
“You don’t need to accommodate her unreasonable demands. Just ensure you don’t give them any reason to question your standing as a husband,” she whispered, mindful of how they had previously pushed him toward war. “I don’t want you to suffer any loss because of your marriage to me.”
“Don’t worry,” he replied, his tone nonchalant. “I don’t engage in losing trades.”
Seeing his confidence, Blair set her worries aside. He was not a man to be dragged along by their schemes.
When they approached, Katrina was standing with her closest confidant, Marquess Balten.
“You called for us, Mother.”
“You are hard to see, Blair. You should have come to me first. You left in such a rush at the New Year’s Festival, too; I was quite disappointed.”
Katrina wore a mask of faux-resentment—an elegant, familiar performance.
“……There were so many guests, I thought I might be a bother.”
“Even if you are busy, you must see me. Aren’t we family? Now the Duke is my family, too.”
It was a sharp remark, binding Headrin as kin while blaming him for his distance. Marquess Balten chimed in to smooth the edges.
“I don’t have a daughter, so I am no expert, but they say the less a couple visits their in-laws during their honeymoon, the better it is.”
“I suppose so. If they get along well, that is what matters. It is just a mother’s heart, worrying when the child she raised has left her side.”
Blair listened half-heartedly, searching her memory. It seemed nothing had happened with Katrina on this day in her past life.
*Or has it changed because there are so many new variables?*
As she mused, a group of young noblewomen approached. Katrina caught the movement instantly and squeezed Blair’s hand.
“Go on, Blair.”
As Blair walked toward them, Headrin moved to follow.
“No matter how lovely one’s wife is, it is a husband’s virtue to excuse himself from women’s chatter, Duke.”
Headrin’s steps faltered. The implication was clear: she had business with him. He looked at Blair, who was already smiling amidst the crowd, and then remained by Katrina’s side.
Confidants gathered around, their flattery thick and syrupy.
“It is truly remarkable, the heart with which you two have decided to cut off the chains of the past and become family.”
“Indeed. For both of you—no, for everyone, it must not have been an easy path.”
One corner of Headrin’s mouth curled upward as he listened.
Only now did he understand. The reason Katrina had insisted he stay.