As the couple boarded the carriage, the cheerful voices of Cassia’s younger siblings rang out behind them.
“Big sister, safe travels! You too, Baron!”
“Take care, sister! And Baron, please come visit again with Elder sister sometime!”
Not only the siblings, but even Zester seemed reluctant to part ways. Even after the carriage passed the drawbridge and left the castle far behind, Zester continued to glance out the window.
Cassia watched the scenery of Ruberno pass by then lowered her gaze to look at the glass bottle in her hand. The white pills inside reminded her of Raergo. His mysterious silver hair that seemed to have a blue tint, his silver irises like a full moon…
He was, without a doubt, a person she had never met before.
She could understand that he was involved in her return in time for some reason, but the almost overt familiarity he showed her was hard to explain.
It was a gaze that could only come from having met dozens of times, not in this life, of course, but perhaps in the last. Familiarity, longing… Oddly enough, it wasn’t just Raergo who felt closeness to Cassia.
Cassia hadn’t realized it at first, but she also felt an inexplicable sense of déjà vu while facing and talking with Raergo. He was undoubtedly someone deeply tied to her two lives, and the secret behind her return.
However, mulling it over wasn’t going to bring her answers. Cassia tapped her temple a few times with her knuckles, trying to shake the confusion away, and turned her eyes back to the window. Then, Raergo’s parting words suddenly surfaced in her mind.
『This bottle should last you four years, minus the pregnancy period, which should be enough until you’re ready for your second child in five years’ time.』
『Until you’re ready for your second child in five years’ time.』
『Five years’ time.』
A gasp escaped Cassia’s lips. She had only told Raergo that she wanted to have her two children again; she had never told him when the first or second was supposed to be born.
And yet, Raergo knew.
With this, she was now certain. That mysterious man named Raergo might be the only person who knew the details of Cassia’s ‘previous life.’
***
The Ruberno family, Drian, and Raergo remained in place until the Greze carriage left the castle and disappeared into a dot on the horizon.
It felt as if warmth was still lingering on his shoulder. Raergo absentmindedly rubbed the spot where Cassia’s arm had been and his eyes remained locked on the trail left by the carriage for a long time.
『I had two children in my past life. I want them to be born safely again.』
He quietly recalled the desperate look in Cassia’s eyes.
Considering her personality, perhaps it was only natural. It was almost absurd that he hadn’t even considered that she would want to see her children. Why hadn’t he thought of it?
Just as he had desperately wished to see her again, it was only natural that she would desperately want to see him.
Raergo chuckled lightly, covering his eyes with one hand.
‘I truly didn’t think she would try to repeat a life she hated so much, just for her children.’
No, saying he hadn’t expected it seemed foolish in hindsight.
That Cassia… why had he ever doubted her?
‘And unlike before, their relationship seems to be going quite well this time, no?’
He let out a quiet laugh. Contrary to his worries, Cassia was doing just fine.
The only worry now was that his own existence was on a time limit.
‘Can Rael and I exist at the same time?’
Probably not. The moment Cassia and Zester conceived Rael, Raergo’s existence would inevitably disappear. He was a being that could not exist at the same time as Rael.
Should he be glad that he was at least guaranteed a definite two years?
『Please…save my….』
A voice echoed quietly in his mind.
Cassia hadn’t gone back in time. If she had, her fated death would only repeat again, and there could be no wish more meaningless than that.
No, she had simply come back to life. And someone had paid dearly for it.
Or rather, they would pay dearly.
Raergo felt pity for the one who had saved her. He wanted to find a way to free that person before the time came when they would have to pay the ‘price’ to the gods.
But as he’d painfully learned firsthand, nothing could be gained without paying that damned price.
To free that person’s bound life, Raergo himself would likely have to give up his own.
In the end, his life was one where he was just waiting to disappear, but he had no regrets.
Raergo simply wished for Cassia and Zester, that pitiful pair, to be happy.
‘Ugh… It hurts like hell…’
A searing pain, as if his body were being torn to pieces gnawed at Raergo’s insides. Ever since he’d tried to indirectly inform Cassia about the rules of this world, the ‘shackles’ had tightened their grip, sensing the taboo had been broken.
“Ah…”
A pained gasp finally escaped his lips. That bone-splitting agony had been tormenting him ever since he’d met Cassia again after such a long time.
『Father, no! Let me do it instead—!.』
『You know you were so precious to Cassia…』
“Ugh.”
“Master Philosopher, are you all right? Are you ill?”
『I’m sorry… for being such a useless father. The last thing I can do for you…』
『..Please, this time, your mother…』
Fragments of memories buried deep within him stabbed at his mind like daggers. The echoes of voices, scattered and broken, were blurring his sense of self more and more as time passed.
A wave of nausea surged. A hot clot of blood spilled into the palm he clamped over his hand over his mouth.
“Master Philosopher! What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Goodness me! Quick, bring him inside the castle!”
Looking at the faces surrounding him with alarm, Raergo once again put on a playful smile.
“Haha, I must have overdone it a bit. I’m fine. Really.”
He truly was.
If it was for the ones he loved.
***
After returning to Greze, Cassia and Zester resumed their busy routines.
Cassia was deep in preparations for her wig business, such as preparing the sample wigs for the north while Zester devoted himself to training the soldiers.
For an estate that had lacked any real military force, the Greze army was establishing its system at a remarkably fast pace. The Rakan tribe, who had settled in the Rubent village near the castle, solidified their position as the elite soldiers of the Greze army. Zester’s old mercenary comrades, who had previously drifted from guild to guild without a proper affiliation, now served as official soldiers of the territory.
This was all thanks to Count Ruberno’s support, along with funds from Axios and Varnan. And that was, ultimately, all because of Cassia.
“Phew… I’m beat.”
As usual, Jerome had thrown himself into grueling training. Taking a brief rest in the corner of the training ground, he watched as the Rakan warriors, skilled with spears but poor with swords, trained under Zester’s instruction.
Zester, who was also about to take a pause, saw Jerome lounging and approached with a smirk. He was rather fond of Jerome, who was seventeen, the same age as Cassia.
“What could be so tiring that you’re slacking off here?”
“I’m not slacking off! I’ve been working the hardest.”
“Heh…”
“Hey, leader.”
Jerome sat up abruptly. The title ‘Leader’ once used for his half-brother Jerd, was now reserved for Zester.
“What?”
“Um… just wondering. Does your wife ever come outside? Haven’t seen her around at all.”
At the carefully posed question, Zester’s head snapped around with a fearsome look. His scowl made Jerome flinch.
“What does that matter to you?!”
“I-I mean… just curious! People need sunlight, right? She seems like she’s always cooped up inside, so I was worried…”
“She’s busy!”
“You’re too sensitive.”
Jerome shook his head with a sigh.
“The village folk say things have finally gotten better since the baroness arrived. Was the territory really that much of a mess before?”
“You little—”
Jerome had asked innocently, but his tribal way of speaking often led to awkward, blunt comments like this.
Zester bit his lip with a displeased expression, then let out a deep sigh and flopped onto his back.
As embarrassing as it was, everything Jerome said was true. After Cassia arrived, the atmosphere in Greze had changed rapidly. , the territory had transformed. Her welfare reforms gradually turned things around and the residents, who had been on the verge of collapse, were now full of motivation in their respective livelihoods and praised the lord and lady.
‘Honestly, I haven’t done anything.’
He just rode her coattails and got praised along with her. It felt a little shameful being called a ‘good lord’.
“I was never meant to lead or rule a territory. I only received this territory because His Majesty forced it on me. If Cassia hadn’t come, Greze would still be a mess. You’re right.”
Just a while ago, he had been leading a small mercenary group, cleaning up other lords’ messes. Now, he was training his own army. It all felt like a dream.
And above all… Cassia. That was the most surreal part of all.
These days, Zester went to sleep every night afraid that when he woke up, this would all have been a dream.
“I’m jealous.”
Jerome’s quiet comment made Zester sit up.
“You little… What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Sensitive.”
“How can I not be?”
Jerome pictured Cassia’s face, which he hadn’t seen in a while. At first, he couldn’t tell if she was human or one of those sirens from barbarian legend that were said to lure men to their doom. But after coming to Greze, all the residents were singing the praises of her kind nature and abilities, and Jerome had no choice but to nod in agreement.
Of course, he fully understood Zester’s sensitive reaction. Even he would be an anxious, bristling hedgehog if he had a wife like that. There would be no shortage of men trying to get their hands on her. Thinking about the trouble, it wasn’t something to be jealous of.
“Don’t worry. I don’t have a hobby of coveting other people’s wives. I’m just saying I want to have my own clever wife and cutesy kids soon.”
He spoke with a pout and Zester couldn’t help but laugh. But then, at the mention of children, he suddenly felt awkward and his face turned red.
‘Well, I’m working quite hard, so maybe it’s not that far off.’
When he’d been a mercenary chasing coins, he’d never imagined a life like this. Having a wife, having children, building a happy family. He truly never imagined it would become a reality.
Jerome looked at Zester, who was smiling with a red face, and his expression looked disgusted.
“You’re definitely thinking something weird.”
“What’d you say, you punk?”
“Master!”
Right at that moment, a slightly urgent voice cut through their bickering. It was Paul. Zester was surprised as Paul was rarely one to come all the way to the training grounds unless it was something important.
“What is it?”
“Are you busy with training?”
“No, it’s fine. I was just taking a break.”
“Then may I have a moment?”
Paul gestured toward the castle and began walking. Zester stood and followed.
When they were a good distance from the training grounds, Paul adjusted his monocle and got to the point.
“There is something I must ask you about immediately.”
“What is it?”
“A physician visited the castle today.”
Zester’s memory sparked, and he let out a small “ah” and nodded. On their way back from Ruberno, Cassia had asked to find the village physician and have him visit. She said she wanted regular checkups. Zester had felt a fresh pang of guilt at the fact that she didn’t even have a personal doctor and had to call for the village physician.
‘Next time I visit Count Axios, I must ask him to introduce me to a skilled physician.’
With that thought, Zester spoke.
“Cassia wanted to get a check-up, so I asked him to visit. Why? Is something wrong with her?”
He suddenly realized that there must be a reason Paul had come all the way to the training grounds, and he felt a wave of fear.
“No, it is not that, but…”
“Then?”
Zester exhaled in relief, but Paul’s expression remained troubled. He hesitated for a moment, as if debating whether to speak, then finally said in a stiff voice.
“Master, the Madam is taking contraceptives.”
It took Zester nearly a full minute to understand the meaning of those words.
Then, a dazed sound escaped his gaping mouth.
“…Huh?”
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