After that, I had several conversations with the Duke of Decaraznan, but unfortunately, I couldn’t focus on a single word he was saying.
My attention was entirely consumed by the sight of Sarah, whom I had just seen.
‘Why the hell is Sarah here?’
As far as I remembered, Sarah never had any connection to the Duchy of Decaraznan in the future.
‘Has the future changed?’
No, to be honest, the future had already changed beyond recognition. So much had shifted that the past I once knew had shattered without a trace.
In the original timeline, a woman named Aria wouldn’t have existed in the present, and Bianca wouldn’t have been stuck in the Castana Marquis family. Incidents like the princess and Ariel rushing to Estel’s house while fixating on me would never have happened.
However, there weren’t many people involved with Sarah after my return. Of course, our breakup had accelerated because Aria had unwillingly been caught sleeping soundly in my bed, but aside from that, there wasn’t much to it.
It’s not that I’m bold or magnanimous enough to consider breaking up with Sarah as insignificant, but…
‘No way.’
Suddenly, my mind replayed the conversation I had with Sarah at the imperial palace. She had smiled sadly at me, pleading to be taken back to the Duke of Estel.
[…You don’t know anything. You have no idea what I had to sacrifice just to tell you this.]
‘D*mn it.’
As I finished my conversation with the Duke of Decaraznan and stepped out of his office, I let out a deep sigh. I no longer had any lingering feelings for Sarah, yet I couldn’t stop my gaze from trailing after her.
Especially when I recalled the “promise” I had made to her that night on the terrace.
When I entered the drawing room, I immediately noticed the presence of others.
Sarah was pacing back and forth, visibly unsettled. She tried to mask her nervousness, but the tension in her body was undeniable.
Seeing Sarah, who had always exuded confidence in front of me, looking so uneasy made irritation bubble within me. Suppressing it, I called out her name.
“Sarah.”
At the sound of my voice, she turned toward me. The moment our eyes met, her tense expression softened slightly.
“…Ca—no, Heir Estel.”
She hesitated, correcting herself, as if suddenly remembering that things between us were no longer the same.
It felt strangely foreign to be reminded that we were no longer engaged—that we were, in fact, strangers. I no longer loved her, yet there was a bitter sting in realizing just how far we had drifted.
“If you don’t mind, can we talk for a moment?”
“…”
I reached out a hand toward her. Sarah hesitated, but after a brief moment of indecision, she extended her hand as if coming to a resolution.
“…If it’s alright with you, then I will, Heir Estel.”
But just as our hands were about to touch, a middle-aged man standing beside her—a sword fastened at his waist—roughly seized her arm.
“Sarah, where do you think you’re going?” His voice was laced with disdain. “Even after all these years, you’re still reckless. We are not here to play. How dare you act so thoughtlessly, knowing better than anyone what’s at stake?”
“…Uncle, I…”
“Enough.” His tone hardened. “I don’t want to raise my voice at you in a place like this.”
Sarah flinched as his grip tightened around her arm. Pain flashed across her face, but the man showed no concern as he yanked her closer, treating her like an object rather than a person.
“…Sarah.”
I clenched my fists. She was the golden daughter of a noble family—yet she was being handled like this?
Anger surged through me. Without hesitation, I stepped forward, positioning myself between Sarah and the man.
“What do you think you’re doing?” My voice was dangerously low. “Treating a defenseless woman in such a way?”
The middle-aged man frowned at my words but, after a moment, finally released his hold on Sarah.
“…Ugh.”
Sarah bit her lip as she cradled her arm, clearly still in pain.
Red marks were already forming where he had grabbed her. Yet, despite the evidence of his mistreatment, the man remained unfazed. His expression remained impassive as he spoke with shameless indifference.
“This is a family matter, Heir Estel. As her uncle, it is my responsibility to discipline a wayward niece.”
“Discipline?” I scoffed, my voice laced with disbelief. “You call this discipline?”
I gestured toward Sarah’s forearm, now marred by bruises against her pale skin.
“Since the engagement between you and Sarah was broken, you no longer have any ties to her, Heir Estel,” the man continued, his words dripping with veiled mockery. “So why are you so concerned about her?”
Ignoring his implication, I swiftly took Sarah’s hand. There were many things I wanted to say to that b*stard, but right now, he wasn’t important. I could deal with him later.
Right now, Sarah was.
“…Ca—Cain?”
“I’m borrowing Sarah for a while,” I declared firmly. “Don’t worry—I’ll just treat her arm and send her back.”
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