Chapter 9
Now that I’ve decided what to do going forward, it’s time to focus on my role.
Maybe it was because of my name, but Lucious seemed much less wary than when we first met. I continued playing the part of Tiana who had lost her memory.
“But… why are you here?” I asked.
“Oh, um… I wanted to see you before I left.”
“Then why didn’t you tell the butler or the servants?”
“I didn’t think that far ahead. After I met the Duke, I somehow ended up here. From the garden, your room is visible, so I thought I might catch a glimpse of you…”
“…”
Seriously? He was completely turned away at the door all this time? And they were lovers, with a marriage arrangement already in place? Could Inabelle have misunderstood their relationship? Maybe they were only lovers in name, like in the side stories.
No matter how nasty she was, how could a mere duke’s daughter treat a grand duke like that? Just how shameless was she? I had my suspicions from how she behaved in the side stories, but I never imagined it was this bad.
Ah, so that’s why Edwin, the butler Alfred, Inabelle, and the other servants were all acting so awkwardly.
Even with my memory gone, my behavior was so different from the old Tiana’s that it was obvious. Judging from their reactions, it seemed like she’d looked down on not only Lucious, but everyone in the duchy—even her own father.
That’s probably why they found my ordinary behavior strange, but also a relief.
‘Still, how awful do you have to be to ignore your lover and your own family?’
She had Edwin’s exact hair color, so she clearly wasn’t adopted. So why was she so repulsed?
Either way, I couldn’t sympathize with the old Tiana. She rejected such a warm family and a wonderful man. I couldn’t understand it—not someone like me, who had nothing.
She had all the things that others longed for but couldn’t have, and she rejected them, used them for her own ends.
Even though I now occupied her body, if I’d possessed someone else and met her, I probably would’ve slapped her ten times.
I was so frustrated I couldn’t say anything. Lucious looked at me curiously as I bowed slightly and said,
“I’m truly sorry. It seems I was terribly rude to you. No one told me about our relationship, so I didn’t know…”
“…No one told you?”
“Yes… but even if I’ve lost my memory, I was the one who did those things. I’ll take responsibility. Please accept my apology.”
“…It’s all right. Just being able to talk with you like this makes me happy enough. You’ve been through a lot, and I know this isn’t your fault.”
“Still, I feel so guilty. Apologizing doesn’t erase everything I did…”
“…In that case…”
He looked at me quietly for a moment, then slowly reached out his hand.
Carefully, gently, he reached toward my shoulder and picked a yellow petal from it. Placing it in his palm, he offered it to me shyly.
“Let’s pretend I had my eyes closed and imagined all those past things. From now on, let’s say this is the beginning. Since this is the first time we’re meeting, it’ll be the first time for me too… Let’s start from here.”
“…”
“…It’s nice to meet you again. I’m Lucious Eyarl Roderick.”
The petal on his hand trembled slightly, as if it would fly away at any moment. At the same time, his eyes wavered with a subtle nervousness.
His anxiety, fear, and the faint spark of excitement came through clearly.
To all the readers who won’t get to witness this scene, I’m sorry. But I have to say it: the man you all cursed as a villain is actually an angel.
There are no luxury cars here, so maybe I should compare him to a top-class carriage? Or better yet, since this is a world of magic and dragons, he’s like a gold dragon—one of a kind.
Internally, I thanked the wretched woman Tiana for switching bodies with me. Then, quickly taking the trembling petal from him before it flew away, I said,
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Tiana Queen Celeste.”
Let’s make this relationship a happy ending this time. No—I will make sure of it. I’m ready to be your prisoner forever.
Thank you, author. Thank you for giving me a husband like this.
‘Ah, I can’t wait to see him as my husband.’
So… can’t we just get married now? I’m ready to whisk him away today if I have to.
But then I remembered how many problems I’d have to overcome to marry such a good man. The first was convincing my father, Edwin.
From the way he tried to stop today’s meeting with Lucious, it was clear he had no intention of pushing this marriage forward. He might even be thinking of calling it off.
Perhaps they’d already talked about it. I paused before asking Lucious,
“I heard you originally came to see me… but my father was worried and wouldn’t let me out. I regret not being able to greet you personally… I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. It hasn’t been long since the accident—it’s understandable.”
“Did you have a good conversation with my father?”
“Yes. I could tell the Duke is very concerned about your well-being. I actually came to check on your condition and discuss the engagement, but… I received an unexpected response.”
“What did he say…?”
“…He asked that we postpone the engagement.”
…As expected. It wasn’t a surprise, but at least he didn’t cancel it. Still, it wasn’t good news.
With only two months left, I had to push the engagement forward by any means.
Even if I couldn’t match the original novel’s timeline exactly, getting married around the same time was essential to ensure Angelica and Rayel’s marriage went smoothly.
The seasons and dates in this world mirrored the real world, and May was considered the ideal wedding month.
They even said “May Bride,” and Angelica and Rayel’s wedding was set a year after Lucious and Tiana’s—also in spring. So at the very least, we couldn’t go past May.
The biggest reason for the delay was probably my physical condition.
Once married, I’d be moving to Lucious’s estate far from here. With my recent accident and memory loss, it was natural for my father to feel uneasy.
But there was a solution.
“I understand the Duke’s concern. Any parent would worry after such an accident. However…”
“It’s all right!”
“…Huh?”
“I’ll try to convince my father!”
If his concern was about my health, then I had plenty of ways to reassure him. More than enough.
Lucious looked worried at my confident expression.
“But the Duke doesn’t seem like someone who’d change his mind easily…”
“Don’t worry. I’ve recovered enough to move around, and I’m physically fine. As for my memory, that’s just a matter of time. And I have a solid alternative.”
“Alternative?”
“My father’s biggest concern is that I’ll have to live alone far away once I’m married. Didn’t you get that sense when you talked to him?”
“Yes, he did mention not knowing how your condition might change.”
“Then, if I don’t move far away, there shouldn’t be any problem with proceeding with the marriage.”
“Oh… that’s a possibility…”
“But of course, I’ll need your permission and help, Lucious.”
“My help?”
“Yes. I need your help more than anyone’s.”
He looked genuinely surprised—he hadn’t expected to be needed. I smiled gently.
It was his maternal grandfather who arranged this engagement. In the original novel, he was Marquis Calvino, a powerful noble aiming for imperial power and using Lucious as a pawn.
Though from the same aristocratic faction, he saw Edwin as a thorn in his side and wanted to marry Tiana and Lucious as soon as possible to trip him up.
If Edwin now wanted to postpone the engagement, the Marquis would definitely pressure the Duke’s household.
So the only solution was to offer a convincing alternative—one that would reassure Edwin and satisfy the Marquis.
“I’ll talk to my father. It’s not such an unreasonable idea—he won’t be able to say no.”
“…But why…”
“Yes?”
“Why are you going so far to make this engagement happen? I’m not trying to interrogate you, but considering your past… you didn’t even want to talk to me, and you hated this marriage… so why…”
“…”
“…I’m sorry. I know you’ve lost your memory, but even saying this feels unreal… I promised I’d pretend I didn’t see or hear anything… and yet…”
He looked pained, turning away slowly. His quiet sorrow made it hard for me to speak.
I understood why.
Even if he tried to forget, the situation was still strange and frightening for him. We might say we’d start over, but that couldn’t happen instantly.
Memories, once etched into your mind, don’t fade easily. Unless they’re overwritten by newer, stronger memories, everything Tiana had done would remain in his mind.
…No matter how many times I cursed the old Tiana, it wouldn’t be enough. My resentment for her wouldn’t disappear, even after marrying Lucious.
Right now, with his memory of her still fresh, all I could do was make the “new me”—this Tiana—shine brightly enough to erase her shadow.
He had taken the first brave step. Now it was my turn.
I stepped toward him, held out my palm, and showed him the petal I held.
“I want to be with you, Lucious.”
“…!”
“Isn’t it strange? I’m meeting you for the first time, yet I feel so close to you—so unlike the old me.”
“…”
“And somehow… I think the old me felt the same way.”
“…What do you mean?”
“She wanted to marry you too.”
“…!”
He stepped back in surprise, just as a gentle breeze blew from behind him. I covered the fluttering petal with my other hand and stepped closer.
“You might think it’s contradictory, but I’m certain.”
“Why…?”
“Because I remember feeling happy when I saw you. I don’t know when the memory is from, but I was happy to see you then, and I still am now.”
The yellow petal he gave me stirred something in me—a faint, forgotten memory from the old Tiana.
The feeling I had when he handed it to me, the strange sense of déjà vu—it had to be something she experienced. Seeing Lucious’s astonished face made the memory even clearer.
Probably from their first meeting. That petal he had handed me in courage really had been the beginning.
‘Nice to meet you. I’m Tiana Queen Celeste.’
‘…Lucious Eyarl Roderick.’
Tiana, smiling brightly, greeted him. Lucious returned it with a gentle smile.
That scene played vividly in my mind, like a lingering echo.
