Chapter 35
“Brother, did someone come by while I was gone?”
Returning from the secret room conversation, Freya noticed her untouched, now-cold teacup.
“Yeah. Some guy.”
Martin shut his half-read book with a thud and got to his feet.
“What guy? Who was he?”
Freya frowned at her brother’s vague answer. Unless the guest was a major figure, no one should’ve been allowed in during a reserved time slot.
“Some man who looked at rings for a whole hour.”
Martin shook his head in disbelief, recalling the incredibly persistent stranger.
A man who spent an hour picking out jewelry for his wife—Martin, a lifelong bachelor and self-proclaimed bookworm, simply couldn’t relate.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“If you’re done, let’s go.”
Pouting, Freya followed after him. As expected, getting any more out of her quirky, book-obsessed third brother was futile.
Imperial Year 321, June 5
Clack, clack…
The rhythmic sound of hooves gradually slowed, and the carriage gave a soft jolt as it came to a halt.
“Hold on.”
“Thanks, Michalis.”
With his escorting hand, Eliana stepped down from the carriage and looked up.
Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, the Espensen family’s grand estate already had its lights blazing in welcome.
“We’ve been looking forward to your arrival. I am Karl Espensen, eldest son of the Count.”
Karl, standing ready to receive the guests as they alighted, greeted them with grace. It was a formal gesture of respect to have the heir welcome them personally.
“It’s an honor to meet you. Michalis Ascher.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
“A pleasure to welcome you, Your Grace, Duchess. Allow me to show you inside.”
Karl, who had inherited his platinum blond hair from his mother rather than the Count’s signature pink, was a strikingly handsome man. Currently serving in the palace guard, his poised movements and etiquette were unmistakably of noble courtly training.
Finally…
This was the moment she’d been preparing for.
Eliana lightly rested her hand on Michalis’s arm and steeled herself as she watched Karl’s back lead them into the enemy’s den.
“Hahaha, thank you for accepting our invitation.”
Inside the lavish foyer, Count Espensen welcomed them with a genial smile.
“From left to right—my wife, Alicia; our second son, Victor; third son, Martin; and my youngest, whom you’ve met before, Freya.”
With the entire family present—including several of the capital’s most famously attractive faces—it was quite the display of nobility.
“I am Michalis Ascher, from the South. This is my wife—”
“Eliana Ascher.”
Michalis spoke with calm poise, and Eliana followed with a gracious introduction.
“A small token of appreciation for your invitation.”
After the introductions, Michalis handed over a small box tied with an elegant silk ribbon.
Noticing the label on the box—Plencia 319-#17—Count Espensen’s eyes lit up.
“Ah, the ocean-aged Plencia wine?”
Numbered bottles of Plencia wine, aged beneath the sea, were a specialty of the Ascher Duchy—only 20 were produced annually.
“I’ve been eager to try it. What a treat!”
Just as Eliana had predicted, the Count—an avid wine lover—was clearly thrilled with the gift.
“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, Duchess.”
While Michalis and the Count exchanged polite words over the wine, Freya approached Eliana with a smile as sweet as cherry blossoms.
Wow… The portrait really didn’t do her justice.
Eliana was inwardly impressed by Freya’s natural grace and beauty. If she hadn’t known better, she might’ve been completely disarmed by that smile—even as a fellow woman.
“And I’ve been wanting to meet you, Lady Espensen.”
Still lacking the polished acting skills to match Freya, Eliana struggled to lift the corners of her mouth into a convincing smile.
But there was a mission to carry out. She had come here for a purpose—no room for hesitation.
“I don’t know anyone in Wespa, and I was so worried about the investiture ball.”
She had to project the image of a clueless young bride who had miraculously survived poison—pure luck, nothing more.
“Oh, I understand! Don’t worry, I’ll help you navigate Wespa’s social circles.”
“To meet someone like you today, Lady Espensen… It’s such a relief.”
Hiding her tension, Eliana gently took Freya’s hand and smiled.
“Haha! We can talk more at dinner.”
Pleased by the seemingly warm rapport between Freya and Eliana, Count Espensen let out a hearty laugh and led the group toward the dining hall.
Ah… the legendary customer from the jewelry shop.
As they walked, Martin briefly caught eyes with Michalis and gave him a respectful nod. Michalis returned it without a word. The ring purchase was still a secret—he had no intention of discussing it with Eliana yet.
Dream.
While walking toward the banquet hall, Eliana discreetly summoned her system.
[Yes, I’m listening. Please select a function.]
Real-time image search.
[Beginning real-time scan. User safety system active—search will automatically terminate after one hour.]
Before the message even faded, translucent pop-up windows began to appear in front of Eliana’s eyes.
[Use]: Decoration
[Grade]: A
[Material]: Marble
[Price]: 30,000,000 RM
[Function]: None
[Craftsman]: Rodeo Clodel
[Special Notes]: None.
A cascade of pop-up windows filled with this sort of data began to overwhelm Eliana.
Names of wallpapers, wall clocks, art pieces, even the make and creator of the carpet beneath her feet—all of it appeared in real time. Her eyes ached, and a dull headache set in.
Ugh, my head…
She finally understood why the safety system kicked in during real-time search.
“Dream.”
[Yes, I’m listening. Please select a function.]
“Can you mark any items with magical properties in red pop-up windows while scanning in real time?”
[Yes. That function is available.]
“Please enable it.”
With the filtering system set up, Eliana calmly continued observing her surroundings, pretending to be merely admiring the estate.
Her true purpose for visiting the Espensen household was, of course, to locate any traces of time-reversal magic. That meant she had to visually scan as many objects as possible.
“Look at her—totally screams country bumpkin.”
Freya let out a faint smirk as she watched Eliana roam the hall, feigning wide-eyed amazement.
Or maybe I shouldn’t let my guard down. That might just be part of her innocent act.
As Eliana scanned the estate, Freya was scanning her just as closely.
As long as this woman was alive, Freya could use her as a channel to get closer to the Duke of Ascher. But when it came time to remove her, it would have to be done flawlessly, without leaving a single trace.
I’ll have to find a way to kill her… discreetly.
And her own home was not the place to make such a foolish mistake. Freya wasn’t reckless enough to attempt poison at a first meeting.
She’s probably trying to figure me out right now too…
Once seated in the dining hall, Eliana finally turned off the real-time image scan and allowed herself to enjoy the meal.
Leaving it on was mentally draining. Not to mention the constant pop-ups listing ingredients and cooking methods were totally killing her appetite.
“Here, Liana. Try this.”
Michalis placed a plate of carefully cut meat beside her.
“Ah, thank you, Michalis.”
What the—?!
Freya had chosen the seat beside Eliana to monitor her eating habits, allergies, and preferences—but that all flew out the window the moment she saw the Duke’s behavior.
Is that really the infamous Ice Duke?
To openly display affection like this in someone else’s home—Freya was stunned. Even more bewildering was how naturally Eliana accepted it.
Was he always like this?
Freya had never paid much attention to Duke Ascher in any of her past lives. She hadn’t planned to leave the capital, so they’d only exchanged a few polite greetings when she was Crown Princess.
But even with minimal contact, she knew his reputation—he was considered one of the coldest men in the Empire.
“Liana, this wine is a bit strong. Just moisten your lips with it.”
“Okay.”
Their soft whispers reached even Freya’s ears across the table.
What the hell? Even his voice sounds different!
Her hand trembled around her fork. The Duke of Ascher had completely changed from the man she’d known in her previous life.
What is this woman? A sorceress?
Turning a stone wall into marshmallow—now that was a miracle.
Freya, raising her fork with an air of grace, sneaked a glance at Eliana’s face. She looked pretty enough, sure, but fragile. Like a sickly doll.
This is bad.
Just the fact that a woman who was supposed to die had lived was enough to alter one of the Empire’s most powerful men.
And if he changed, could others have as well?
A sudden, gnawing worry crept into Freya’s heart. The future she thought she knew might already be slipping out of her control.
“Hahaha! You two look truly lovely together.”
“Oh my, you remind me of when we were newlyweds!”
Unaware of Freya’s internal chaos, Count and Countess Espensen beamed warmly at the affectionate couple.
“Does it look that way? Truthfully, I’m quite fond of my wife.”
“Oh my! Then perhaps we can expect some good news soon?”
“We’re working hard on that, actually.”
“Pfft—cough! Cough!”
Eliana choked on her water at the sudden bombshell.
“Liana, are you alright?”
As Michalis patted her back in concern, Eliana wished she could disappear under the table.
Why would you say something like that here?!
Her eyes watered, and her face turned crimson.
He’s out of his mind.
Momentarily forgetting to keep up her own act, Freya stared at Michalis with a stunned expression.
Wow. A real man, huh.
Across the table, Martin gave a slow, approving nod, clearly impressed by the blunt declaration.