“Robert?”
Miragen frowned, spotting Robert approaching from the far end of the hallway. He wasn’t coming from the entrance.
His expression was somber.
Had sothing happened?
“I apologize for the delay. I encountered the Crown Prince. I should have inford you.”
“It’s alright. I haven’t been waiting long.”
They hadn’t set a specific ti.
She had only been waiting for an hour after hearing of his arrival. A shadow flickered across his face as he smiled.
Perhaps it was because of her recent visions, but she sensed his smile wasn’t genuine.
Had he heard sothing unpleasant from Kaitel?
She had many questions, but now wasn’t the ti. She decided to start with pleasantries.
Asking about the masked figures would seem strange, so she feigned ignorance.
“You don’t seem well. You look worse than the last ti I saw you.”
“I’m fine. Just a little tired.”
“You didn’t have to co if you were tired. I shouldn’t have asked.”
Robert rubbed his eyes.
He had seed fine yesterday. He must be troubled by his conversation with Kaitel.
He could kill without hesitation. He had done so countless tis. He didn’t hesitate.
But Kaitel’s order to kill Adele had shaken him, even though he had anticipated it.
He had planned to use it to his advantage, to undermine Kaitel. But hearing the words… he had almost lost control.
He had barely managed to restrain himself.
It had only been a few minutes since their conversation, yet the change in Robert’s deanor was evident.
He had a headache. He could barely rember why he was here.
The reality of Kaitel’s words was far more impactful than he had anticipated.
“Robert.”
He hadn’t heard her call him. He was still reeling from the encounter.
He forced a smile and looked at Miragen.
“I apologize. I was lost in thought.”
“I’d like to know what you’re thinking. You have so many secrets. Sotis, I feel like you live in a different world.”
Miragen knew Robert was secretive.
She hadn’t pressed him because she was indebted to him. She wouldn’t be where she was without his help. But her questions grew, fueled by her recent mories.
His complex expressions whenever he looked at her, his sudden ambition to beco the head of the Taylor family.
If he had planned it all along, he would have prepared earlier. But his ascension had been abrupt, more opportunistic than strategic.
He had beco Duke less than a year after eting her.
While it could be attributed to his skill, she couldn’t understand why he had endured years of mistreatnt only to suddenly seize power.
She noticed the long scar on his chest, visible even through his clothes. She knew how he had gotten it.
She knew his position within the Taylor family, the abuse he had suffered.
She believed she understood him to so extent, but she knew there was more to his story.
Adriana knew things she didn’t.
Adele, the Grand Duchess of the North, knew things she didn’t.
She had pondered the reasons for this discrepancy countless tis, but couldn’t find an answer.
‘Do I have to tell you how I feel about you?’
She knew her feelings were complex.
She wasn’t sure if it was love, or just a fleeting infatuation. She felt neglected when he didn’t contact her, frustrated when the only news she received was of his injuries.
She was happy to see him again, but their ti together was always too short. She couldn’t keep him by her side. He had his own responsibilities.
If he were still just the son of a Duke, she would have found a way, but she didn’t have the power to keep a Duke tethered to her.
If she had to define her feelings, they were closer to romantic love. But she didn’t say it.
She looked at him, then sighed, realizing how foolish she sounded.
“Forget it. I was just frustrated. You always prioritize others. Will you only co when I call you?”
“I haven’t… visited you on my own initiative, have I?”
Co to think of it, Miragen had always been the one to initiate their interactions in this life. She had given him the artifact, encouraging him to contact her.
They had a casual relationship, unusual for a Princess and a Duke. But he always felt a sense of heaviness whenever he was with her.
He had always responded to her summons.
Even his previous visit to the Imperial Palace had been at her request. He turned away from her intense gaze.
“It wasn’t intentional.”
It was intentional.
He had avoided her, fearing that frequent contact would trigger his mories, the complicated emotions he wanted to suppress.
This room, their shared bed… he couldn’t look at her.
He looked away.
They had been close in his past lives, but in this life, their relationship was strained compared to others.
Where had it gone wrong? It was his fault, his behavior.
He scratched his cheek and pulled up a chair beside her.
“You seem upset. You’ve never said that before.”
“I am upset.”
Miragen admitted. She couldn’t deny it. Nothing would change if she did. Her recent “delusions” had emboldened her.
“I was upset. But not anymore.”
Seeing him again, she couldn’t stay angry. She was easily swayed by his presence.
She couldn’t fault him for apologizing as soon as he saw her.
Robert smiled, a genuine smile this ti.
Being with Miragen eased his worries, even if only for a mont. But there was still sothing he had to do.
Miragen had been considerate, avoiding the main topic, but he had co to the Imperial Palace to tell her about his past lives.
He hesitated, then Miragen spoke.
“You know why I called you, don’t you? There’s sothing I wanted to ask.”
“I can guess. You ntioned sothing before.”
“Do you know what I’m talking about?”
“If you’re asking if I know… yes, I do.”
“Robert, please don’t think I’m strange. Just… listen to .”
Miragen’s voice, transmitted through the artifact while he was with Adele, had trembled.
He wouldn’t have noticed if his senses weren’t heightened, but he had sensed her distress.
Her subsequent words confird his suspicions about her mories.
“I rember being with you, even though we weren’t. We only walked in the palace gardens once, but I rember doing it many tis. The sa day, repeated. That shouldn’t be possible.”
“I see.”
“I rember confessing my feelings to you. I rember you confessing your feelings to . I rember us kissing. It’s not… a delusion. I thought it was, but… the feeling… it lingers.”
It couldn’t be a delusion.
Miragen touched her lips, her face flushed.
She felt a warmth spreading through her.
These were mories, real mories of her and Robert.
But they couldn’t be real. They weren’t that close. They had never confessed their feelings.
She could understand if she had been hypnotized, but there were too many mories for that to be a plausible explanation.
“I understand what you’re saying.”
He knew she had regained her mories. He knew there was no point in denying it. Her gaze was intense, filled with unspoken emotions.
He sighed, accepting the inevitable.
“Before I explain, there’s sothing you need to rember. Will you promise ?”
“What is it?”
An old story.
A story he had kept hidden, too painful to share.
He had hoped no one would rember, but now, he couldn’t hide it any longer. He had to tell her. They had shared countless lives, countless monts.
He smiled wryly.
“Promise you won’t bla . Not even for a mont.”
[Translator Notes]
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