“Even though this news should have reached Duke Estel’s ears by now, there is no movement from House Estel. The Duke Estel I know is someone who cares deeply about his heir, but I can only guess that the reason he is still silent is because he holds information that we do not yet know.”
In fact, one couldn’t say that he was entirely wrong. The Marquis of Castana was convinced in his own way that there must be a clue connected to the Duke of Estel after reasoning like a mage.
“Perhaps the Duke of Estel might have the answer the princess wants, right?”
****
Aria stared blankly at her hand, paying no attention to the conversation between the princess and the Marquis of Castana, who stood at the pinnacle of imperial power right in front of her.
Blood leaked from the center of her white, jade-like palm. Earlier, while being questioned by the princess, she couldn’t control her emotions and had clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh.
A while ago, Aria had answered the princess, but as if a moment had been cut away, she didn’t remember anything.
Actually, that wasn’t entirely true. While she lacked memory of the moment itself, she recalled one thing clearly.
She still remembered the face of Cain von Estel, who had saved her from despair—the enormous sun falling toward the ground, the smell of death that filled every corner.
He had saved her again. There wasn’t even a smile this time. How many times had this happened? How long would he continue to extend his hand toward her, and how long could she keep holding on? Until when would she keep receiving help from him?
Her body trembled. A mixture of shame and guilt welled up within her—the realization that only she had been placed in a safe position made her shudder unconsciously.
But this time, there were no tears like before. She wouldn’t allow herself to feel disappointment.
Aria, too, had hardened her heart. Sitting quietly on the bed, blaming herself or shedding tears would not change anything. Only those who took action could alter the present.
Aria’s gaze grew firm with determination.
Yes, she would admit it: Bianca del Castana had won the first round. This was undeniably Bianca’s victory. But from the second round onward, Aria had no intention of conceding.
‘Next time, Bianca del Castana… if I meet you again, if we stand face to face… I will repay today’s humiliation.’
‘I will make sure that your face is contorted—so twisted that it will remain imprinted in my memory forever.’
‘Yes. Definitely.’
****
[Cain’s POV]
“…Umm.”
I opened my eyes.
Slowly, my consciousness began to return.
When I awoke, I realized that I had opened my eyes in an unfamiliar place.
“…Ah.”
A pounding headache greeted me. It was as if I had emerged from a long, long dream, and the strange sensation that lingered in my mind was difficult to shake.
“…Where the hell is this?”
I half-raised myself from the bed I had been lying on and surveyed the room around me.
It was a cozy cabin. The cabin itself, along with the decorations inside, had an adorable, harmonious feel to it—like something from a children’s storybook.
But there was one problem. I couldn’t remember anything.
And an even bigger problem—nothing felt familiar. Not the circumstances that had led me here, nor the cabin itself.
Worst of all, I had no idea who I was.
“Is this… amnesia?”
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. I never imagined I’d experience memory loss, that cliché of folktales and old stories. I supposed I could find solace in the fact that I hadn’t forgotten everyday knowledge. If I had, I might’ve ended up like a dementia patient, struggling even to remember how to hold a spoon.
‘…No, did I really lose my memory?’
Something felt off. It was as if my head was too full, and the memories just couldn’t surface. I had the strange feeling that, given the right trigger, this mental fog could lift.
Kiik—
The door to the cabin creaked open, and a woman stepped inside. Her gaze met mine, and upon seeing me awake, she smiled warmly and approached with slow, deliberate steps.
“You’ve finally opened your eyes. I thought you might wake soon, though it came a little earlier than I expected.”
“…You.”
The moment I saw her red eyes, my head throbbed painfully once more.
It was certain—I knew this woman. I couldn’t recall the specifics of our relationship, but I knew that whatever it was, it wasn’t ordinary.
“Don’t push yourself too hard. You’ve been unconscious for over three days. Honestly, you really are someone who gets into a lot of trouble.”
Her gaze carried warmth—an affection so clear that even in my current state, I couldn’t miss it. Without thinking, I opened my mouth to speak.
“…I want to ask you something.”
“What is it? Ask anything. I’ll answer all of your questions.”
She smiled gently, waiting patiently as I gathered my thoughts.
“…Who are you? And what is our relationship?”
At my question, her smile deepened. She lifted a finger, pressing it lightly against my lips. Then, with a playful chuckle, she answered as if she had been waiting for this very moment.
“I am your only lover in this world. And…”
She withdrew her hand from my lips and raised her right hand, brushing her fingers gently across my cheek. Her touch was tender, as if handling the rarest treasure in existence.
“We are deeply in love with each other.”
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Things are Not Looking Good: Yes, things are not looking good. As you know, translation requires a lot of time and energy. I translate, edit and proofread the chapters on my own. I will be honest here, I started translating as a hobby, then it evolved to a hope of earning a living by doing something I enjoy.
However, I suffered a chain of misfortunes during and after the pandemic, and earnings from FSM and RTV helped me a lot. It became a significant part of my life. As long as my monthly income bordered around $200, I could make the time to translate in the middle of other works. Then RTV ended, and the earning decreased. Now, it has decreased to around $90-$100. And with PETTV nearing completion, that would decrease even more. A*dsence gets me about $ 0.50 per day, and you can’t get the payment until it reaches $100, so I can’t depend on that either.
It wouldn’t be an issue in normal circumstances, but it matters a lot to me since I am still dealing with a lot of financial troubles. I am currently looking for a job, and will have to invest my time and energy in it once I get it.
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