WARDV 45

CHAPTER 45

“Since you got married, you’ve been rejecting every dance invitation. I thought you were upholding some great virtue… and yet here I am, seeing you dance with another man—my own younger brother, no less.”

Before I knew it, Deon had closed the distance and leaned in to whisper toward us.

“So the Duchess’s virtue was all an exaggeration, huh? Turns out you’re not that hard to get after all.”

It was obvious why Deon—one of the men I’d previously turned down—was bringing that up now.

‘You had the nerve to reject me and bruise my ego, so now it’s your turn to suffer.’

Even as he blatantly revealed his petty intentions, Deon still managed to shine with elegance.

As if to remind everyone that this man was the next Emperor.

His glittering face made me sick.

I didn’t want to listen to another word of his nonsense.

I was about to snap back at him when Idris stepped forward in front of me—

—almost like he was shielding me from Deon.

“Well, there’s no need to dance with unpleasant people when you already have a partner.”

“…What did you say?”

“Some men use dancing as an excuse to grope women… Better to come off as rude than to dance with someone like that.”

At Idris’s bombshell comment, a stunned silence swept through the ballroom.

He hadn’t named Deon directly, but in this context, there was no doubt who he meant.

And with that, the triumphant gleam in Deon’s eyes—like he was some knight of justice—froze over.

But that was all. He didn’t argue back.

Because denying it too strongly would only make people more suspicious.

Whether Deon was choking on his indignation or not, Idris ignored him and turned back to me.

“Leticia, I think you twisted your ankle earlier. Want to go rest for a bit?”

I hadn’t actually twisted my ankle.

That was a considerate lie—an excuse so I could leave the scene with grace.

I looked between Idris’s outstretched hand and his still-bruised face.

‘If I choose this man… I might regret it.’

And yet, despite that…

‘I still want to take his hand.’

That’s when I realized it.

Even though my mind told me it would be wiser not to, my heart had wanted to hold his hand from the beginning.

The way he cared for me, the hand that once healed my wounds—it didn’t feel like a lie.

“Okay.”

I took Idris’s hand and made a vow to myself.

‘Just like he changed my life… this time, I’ll change his future.’

And the moment I made that vow—

‘…!’

The darkness that had clouded Idris’s face lifted, and a sparkling effect shimmered around him.

Just like the first time I’d met him at the grand duke’s residence.

It was as if the effect itself was telling me:

The future can be changed.

I smiled softly at Idris’s brilliantly handsome face—

—and held his hand even tighter, making sure not to let go.

We left the ballroom and stepped into the corridor.

Immediately, the gazes of passing attendants and others turned to us.

Sure, our mere presence was enough to draw attention, but more likely the real reason was…

“…Idris. I’m fine now, could you please put me down?”

Idris had carried me out of the ballroom in what could only be described as a “princess carry.”

“You twisted your ankle. You shouldn’t overexert it.”

I felt mortified, like we were the main act in some overly dramatic romance play—but Idris didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed.

“Everyone knows that was a lie.”

“Even so, I can’t just carelessly put a lady down without considering her dignity.”

Excuse me, but my dignity is currently being crushed.

But Idris just laughed, spinning slightly as he looked at me trying to avoid the stares in embarrassment.

‘He’s enjoying this again…’

So mischievous, really.

‘But… isn’t this heavy for him?’

No matter how strong he was, it’s not easy to carry a grown woman like this for so long.

Yet Idris showed no sign of strain—he even looked relaxed.

Seeing him like that reminded me of the firm muscles I’d glimpsed beneath his robes before.

‘Well… with a body like that, maybe it’s fine…’

Flustered by the thoughts creeping into my head, I let out a nervous cough just as we arrived at an empty balcony.

Finally, Idris set me down.

“Wait here.”

As I blinked in surprise, Idris briefly stepped away and returned moments later—holding two glasses of wine.

I accepted the glass he handed me.

“Thank you. For this… and for earlier.”

The image of Deon’s face twisted in fury as he turned away flashed through my mind.

Idris’s reputation as the beloved prince had changed drastically after the former Empress—Deon’s birth mother—died.

It all started when Idris, returning victorious from battle, visited the Empress and suffered a mana outburst.

Fortunately, the incident was contained early, so the Empress wasn’t killed on the spot…

‘But the shock left her in a weakened state, and she eventually passed away.’

After that, public opinion toward Idris flipped completely.

They said he was an ungrateful bastard who dared to attack his stepmother—the very woman who had legitimized him.

Even though Deon defended him, saying it was an unintentional accident, the more he defended Idris, the worse the backlash became.

For someone with such a terrible reputation to publicly humiliate Deon was only adding fuel to the fire.

But Idris didn’t seem to care—he still stood up for me.

“Are you feeling better now? You didn’t look well earlier.”

I looked at Idris, who still prioritized my feelings first.

The shimmering effect from the ballroom had faded, revealing his annoyingly handsome face again.

I no longer wondered what made him special.

But I couldn’t tell Idris that I had returned from the future.

“It’s nothing. I was just in a bad mood. As you know, he’s not exactly the most pleasant person. Sorry for worrying you.”

“Did something happen between you and Deon?”

“Nothing too shocking. Just… similar things to what you mentioned.”

They were unpleasant memories, yes, but I didn’t want to dredge them up after all this time.

Idris’s golden eyes turned cold after hearing that.

“…Maybe I should’ve killed him.”

His muttering was drowned out by a knock at the door.

“Your Highness, are you inside?”

It was his aide, Heather.

“What is it?”

“His Majesty is asking for you.”

“Just me?”

“Yes, only Your Highness.”

In other words, they were asking for Idris—but deliberately excluding me.

‘A clear statement: they will never acknowledge me.’

It didn’t feel great, but I understood the Emperor’s perspective.

“I’ll rest here. Go ahead.”

I gently pushed Idris toward the door as he sighed in visible exhaustion.

‘Perfect timing, actually. I should use this time to re-examine the events that led to him being framed for treason.’

To change his fate, I’d need to recall the past and prepare accordingly.

“It’s not ideal to leave my partner alone, but I’ll be back soon.”

After Idris left, I calmly began to retrace my memories.

‘Idris is accused of treason but later cleared. Then Deon becomes the next Emperor.’

If Idris wasn’t the real culprit behind the Emperor’s poisoning, then the person who benefited most from that event was Deon.

‘If Idris didn’t kill Azeph, the next most likely suspect is Deon Zahir.’

But then, a thought occurred to me—one I had never considered before.

‘…Wait. Why did Deon become Emperor? Prince Rudian may be young, but he was alive and well, wasn’t he?’

As I pondered the question, I recalled a forgotten memory.

The young crown prince had fallen into a pond and lost consciousness—never waking up, even by the time the Emperor died.

‘And the day that happened…’

When I remembered the exact date, I gasped and shot to my feet.

‘It was on Foundation Day!’

Today.

Prince Rudian would soon have an accident while playing alone near the pond.

My heart started pounding rapidly with unease.

‘I have to stop it.’

To change Idris’s future—and the future I chose by taking his hand—I had to act now.

Without hesitation, I burst out of the balcony and ran.