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17. Common Ground
“Yes?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Could it really be that bringing the wedding forward is exactly what the culprit wants? Perhaps to ruin the ceremony itself? But something about the way Rael spoke kept nagging at me—almost as if he already knew who the culprit was.
Just as I was about to ask, he spoke first.
“This isn’t someone who killed once. They killed three people. Do you think such a person would be satisfied with just delaying or canceling something? If I were the culprit, I’d strip everything away from the one I bore a grudge against, right before their eyes, until they were utterly destroyed. Whatever it might be.”
“……”
“……”
His words were harsh, but they rang true. After all, hadn’t the culprit deliberately chosen three people connected to Angelica and killed them in such a cruel way? Each death staged to look like an accident.
It was all for a single purpose: Angelica’s endless despair.
If that’s really the case, just how deep must their hatred run?
There was no one as kind and gentle as Angelica. If someone hated her so much, was it because of Rael? Could the culprit be one of the young ladies who harbored feelings for him?
If my guess was right, then it made sense why Rael seemed to already suspect who it might be. Who on earth could carry out something so ruthless and daring?
Clearly, they’re not an ordinary person. But was there ever a lady in the original story who would do something like this out of love for Rael?
Most of the women who admired him were nothing more than minor background characters. With one exception—“Tiana.”
Could it be that someone like Tiana existed in hiding? Maybe they didn’t appear or receive attention in the original story, but here in this altered world, things might be different.
This world was already diverging from the original, after all.
There could be other transmigrators, like Lady Even, or perhaps a background character elevated to the role of saboteur. Either way, they would be a troublesome existence. And maybe, just maybe, such hindrances appeared precisely because Angelica was the heroine.
The comfort I’d felt earlier while drinking tea gave way to heaviness in my chest again. My head started throbbing, and I leaned back slightly.
Noticing my condition, Lucius asked in a worried tone,
“Tiana, are you all right?”
“…I’m fine, Lucius. Just a slight headache.”
“Oh dear, does it hurt much? Perhaps you should go lie down—”
“No, it’s not that bad. Don’t worry.”
I shook my head and forced a smile to reassure him. But still uneasy, he reached out, taking my hand and shoulder.
“Then at least lean on me for a while.”
“What? But His Majesty is right here—how could I…?”
“Still, you’re not feeling well.”
“No, even so…”
Rael was right in front of us. How could I rest on Lucius’s shoulder like that? No matter how unwell I was, it felt improper—both embarrassing and discourteous.
And yet, Lucius, who would usually yield in such matters, was unexpectedly insistent this time. While I struggled to hide my flustered thoughts, Rael spoke from across with a hint of amusement in his voice.
“Duchess, it’s fine. Do as Lucius says. You’ll only get better if you’re comfortable.”
“But how could I, in front of His Majesty…”
“What does it matter? We’re in a secret garden, where no one else comes. Right now, you’re not the duchess before the emperor. You’re simply my younger brother’s wife before his elder brother. Among family, there’s no need for such formality.”
“Mm…”
Even with family, isn’t some level of formality expected, male lead?
Still, I was surprised Rael would say such a thing. I knew he valued family bonds deeply, but I hadn’t expected to be included in that circle.
Is it because I’m Lucius’s wife?
In the original, it was different. He never treated Tiana like family; if anything, he despised her. Was that because she betrayed Lucius and loved Rael instead?
I thought for a moment. To those he accepted as “family,” Rael could show warmth. But to others, he could be endlessly cruel. That duality was just part of his nature.
He was as much a textbook male lead as Angelina—cold, indifferent to anything outside his interests, tender only to those he acknowledged, and devoted wholly to the woman he loved.
And yet, unlike most male leads, Rael had the experience of regression. Perhaps that gave him a broader, calmer perspective.
Whatever the case, he was a complex figure—both stereotypical and unique. More troublesome to me than Lucius ever was. Thankfully, I wasn’t Angelica; I loved Lucius best.
“Tiana. His Majesty has already given permission. Lean on me.”
“…All right. Then, excuse me…”
With Rael’s approval, Lucius pressed more firmly. I’d just been praising my husband, but now I almost wanted to take it back.
Both men’s eyes were fixed on me, leaving me no choice. Embarrassed, I leaned my head lightly on Lucius’s shoulder.
…Strangely, my headache only seemed to worsen.
As I rested against him, silence fell. With only rustling leaves and birdsong in my ears, my eyes drifted shut—and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.
“……”
“She’s asleep. Best not to wake her.”
For a moment, let me simply watch the sleeping face of my old friend.
Rael murmured this as he looked at Tiana, who had resisted at first but ultimately fell asleep against Lucius’s shoulder. Lucius nodded in agreement.
Though somewhat recovered, her body was still weak. She had slipped easily into deep slumber, her complexion darker than usual. Stroking her hair with a gentle hand, Lucius looked down at her with concern, his heart aching at her frailty.
Seeing this, Rael spoke.
“She must have suffered lately—inside and out.”
“She’s had many burdens to bear.”
“Yours included.”
“……”
Lucius flinched, his brow twitching. A shadow crossed his face, but he quickly regained composure. Rael, noticing his swift recovery, remarked in mild surprise,
“You seem to have overcome it. I thought it would take longer.”
“It’s thanks to her.”
“Indeed. She must have had a great influence. Good. I worried you might never accept it, but it seems you’ve come to terms with it.”
“Yes.”
Lucius answered firmly, his gaze never leaving Tiana.
It had been hard, but he’d made his decision—thanks to the woman now asleep against his shoulder.
“At first, I couldn’t believe all of Your Majesty’s words. Yet even then, part of me reconsidered the ‘possibility.’ In truth, I’d been doubting ever since her first accident.”
The sudden changes in the woman he loved—the lost memories, the altered personality. He had explained them away as aftereffects of the accident. But the feeling of unfamiliarity struck him every time he faced her.
“Outwardly, she was the same Tiana I knew. But inside, she was different. I never imagined she was truly someone else. Yet that strangeness kept telling me the truth.”
That she was not the Tiana he had known.
The dark blue hair fluttering in the breeze, the warmth of her body resting against him now—everything felt real. But back then, none of it did.
Her touch had been cold, her atmosphere sharp, her voice—though the same—had sounded different when she spoke his name. Everything about her had been different.
“Emotions don’t lie. I realize now: if I had truly believed she was my Tiana, I would have tried harder. No matter how she pushed me away, I would have loved her still. But I didn’t. Because she wasn’t the one I loved.”
“……”
“And that’s why I didn’t truly care for her then. Because she wasn’t my Tiana.”
Lucius’s raw confession dug deep into Rael’s ears, his voice rising as if he wanted someone else to hear it too.
Following Lucius’s gaze, Rael saw its destination: the peacefully sleeping Tiana, unaware of his heart.
His old friend had yet to feel the depth of his younger brother’s love. Though there was still a gap between them, Rael felt satisfied—things were unfolding as he’d hoped.
At least one side now knew the truth and had resolved their heart. The other would follow in time.
“Now I can say with certainty—my feelings are truer than ever. Because the real her is here, by my side.”
Lucius finally turned his golden eyes toward Rael, their light flickering with sincerity. Rael could feel the depth of his resolve.
Shall I test him one more time?
He hardly needed to, but Rael found himself wanting to hear more of Lucius’s fervent heart.
Setting Rose down from his lap, ignoring the child’s protest, Rael fixed his gaze on Lucius and said,
“She doesn’t yet realize she’s the real one. Her soul hasn’t fully awakened, though her body and memories are settling back into place. Too much time was spent apart.”
“……”
“I don’t know when she’ll awaken to the truth. It might take longer, or it could be soon. But the important thing is—eventually, she will return.”
“Yes. I believe it.”
“Then let me ask you this. When she does, she won’t be exactly the same as before. Just as the Tiana you love now isn’t identical to the one from before. Can you still say you’ll love her then?”
“……”
Change is inevitable. If she regained all her memories, she still wouldn’t be the same “original Tiana.” Too much had mixed and shifted.
Could Lucius accept that? Rael wanted to know.
As he watched in silence, Lucius slowly met his eyes and replied,
“The Tiana I love is only the one before me now—and the true one who will return. No one else.”
“……”
“No matter what form she takes, the only one I’ll devote my heart to… is this Tiana.”
With firm resolve, Lucius lowered his head and pressed a kiss to Tiana’s forehead.
Rael smiled, satisfied with the clarity and truth of his answer.
