TSMMT Ch 168

Realization

[Dianna] "How... did you know? Did Tarascus tell you?"

He shook his head.

[Adelheit] "Strictly speaking, he only told me half of it."

[Dianna] "..."

[Adelheit] "While tracking the rift back then, he spoke of various matters regarding the world, explaining how this world was repeating itself from a certain point in time."

[Adelheit] "At first, Tarascus believed you were the rift itself, Dian, and intended to kill you. Furthermore..."

[Dianna] "..."

[Adelheit] "Furthermore, you spoke with cynicism when you read the regression novel."

Indeed, she had spoken to him about regression novels in the past, noting how returning to the past didn't guarantee making better choices. She had assumed it was a casual story, yet he remembered it.

[Adelheit] "To anyone looking at the evidence, the conclusion is obvious. Dian, you alone retain the memories of the previous world."

There was no reason to deny it. Dianna gave a slow nod, and Adelheit continued.

[Adelheit] "Once I reached that conclusion, everything began to make sense: why you acted as you did, and why you attempted self-destruction the moment Guiscard took you."

[Dianna] "..."

[Adelheit] "It must have been an unhappy marriage. Anyone could see that."

He had read her completely.

[Adelheit] "That is why you became the most miserable bride with a deathly expression, and why you came to my side to escape it."

[Dianna] "Adel."

Her crumbling expression hardened once more. Seeing her reaction, he stiffened as well.

[Dianna] "Stop."

She cut him off with sharp coldness.

[Dianna] "This is not something for you to know. Don't pry into my life as you please."

Her voice trembled slightly.

[Dianna] "It is the past, and since I alone experienced it, I alone should bear it."

Claiming she was unshakeable was a lie. She was wavering, and at times she felt lonely. No one comforted her regarding her past.

She wanted to spill her pain, lean on someone, and confide in someone about how arduous her journey had been across so many mountains. Yet doing so meant dragging events that never happened into the realm of reality.

Dianna had already made numerous blunders by treating non-existent events as real.

[Adelheit] "I am sorry. I sometimes pry beyond proper bounds."

She shook her head with a bitter smile.

[Adelheit] "And foolishly, I suppose a flicker of hope sprouted within me without my realizing it."

Her eyes widened.

[Dianna] "Do you love me?"

[Adelheit] "I thought I made it quite clear?"

Dianna blinked. Had his feelings not been mere curiosity or favor? Though he acted strangely at times, she had assumed he flirted with her just as he would with any other woman.

[Adelheit] "Why else do you think I rushed all the way to the capital?"

[Dianna] "Because as the Dean, you couldn't overlook the situation..."

[Adelheit] "Then why would I go so far as to oppose His Majesty?"

[Dianna] "Because you were insulted as a noble by Guis... no, by His Majesty the King."

[Adelheit] "Then why did I stand by your side during the audience ceremony?"

[Dianna] "Because you felt pity for me?"

[Adelheit] "That is disappointing. I asked you out multiple times, yet my confessions never registered with you."

He ruffled his hair and let out a light sigh. A sullen look crossed his face.

[Adelheit] "I am sorry, but may I ask just one more question? Regarding 'that past.'"

She gave a subtle nod. He asked with cautious solemnity.

[Adelheit] "Did I do nothing at all in that past of yours?"

[Dianna] "Pardon?"

[Adelheit] "Did I say nothing to you? Surely I would have fallen for you the moment I saw you."

[Dianna] "You didn't. We shared no connection."

She spoke the simple truth. She had never exchanged a word with Grand Duke Blake. She had rarely even seen his face, since he remained locked away inside Neust Academy and his tower.

[Adelheit] "I must have been blind."

He muttered a low curse at his past self, then forced a smile.

[Adelheit] "Very well. I understand, 'Dianna.'"

[Dianna] "..."

[Adelheit] "Thank you for letting me know there is not a shred of hope for me."

Though he sounded sarcastic, he appeared oddly relieved. Dropping the nickname "Dian," he spoke her full name instead.

[Dianna] "I am sorry for not taking you seriously. Looking back, your gestures were clearly born of deep affection."

He chuckled awkwardly at her sincere apology.

[Adelheit] "No... Thinking back, it makes sense. I never approached you under my true identity from the start, nor did I ever offer a formal confession."

[Dianna] "..."

[Adelheit] "I am content with being friends. We are friends, are we not?"

He offered a bright smile, and she nodded.

---

Tarascus looked up at Guiscard. Standing on the upper balcony, the king watched Adelheit and Dianna drink tea in the garden below.

His violet eyes gleamed with a chilling light, dark flames flickering within them. He was dangerous. Suddenly, Tarascus realized his own body had stiffened.

Tense against a mere human?

Tarascus stared at Guiscard. Shadows deepened in his violet eyes, resembling Fafnir's sinister glare.

[Taras] "Dragon slayer."

Guiscard turned his head, his emotionless eyes looking down at the dragon. The child's form reflected in his gaze.

They usually ignored one another. Though he had once inflicted near-fatal wounds upon Guiscard, Tarascus had aided Dianna. Above all, she wanted the dragon alive, keeping the conflict between them at bay.

[Taras] "Why do you merely stand by and watch?"

[Guiscard] "..."

[Taras] "When you despise seeing her with the mage so intensely?"

[Guiscard] "Mind your own business."

He grimaced at Guiscard's snap.

[Taras] "I despise seeing that."

[Guiscard] "What?"

Murderous intent flared across Guiscard's face.

Tarascus kept his arms crossed and looked back down at the garden.

Dianna laughed as brightly as sunshine beneath her wide hat. Warm light filtered through shimmering leaves while the two chatted below. They were a well-matched pair.

[Guiscard] "Say that again."

At his fierce threat, Tarascus spoke in a flat, emotionless tone.

[Taras] "I despise it. I respect the mage, for he is remarkably clever for a mortal. Yet I despise seeing him together with her."

Jealousy. That was what humans called it.

Guiscard glared at him with a menacing expression.

The dragon's gaze toward Dianna held no lust or dark intent. Instead, it radiated pure affection.

Dragons didn't comprehend love, and in their ignorance, they remained untainted. The purity, so vastly different from his own dark nature, drew a cold smirk from Guiscard.

[Guiscard] "Don't set your eyes on what is mine."

[Taras] "Is this what setting eyes on something means?"

Tarascus tilted his head. He stepped closer to the window, pressing his forehead against the glass to watch Dianna.

[Taras] "Still, seeing her smile is pleasant."

A faint smile touched his lips.

[Taras] "Dianna was always suffering. Thus, she is allowed to smile."

Guiscard closed his eyes, then opened them.

Bathed in sunlight, her smiling figure was breathtaking. She belonged in the light, completely distinct from a man crouching in the shadows, his eyes gleaming with desperate craving.

[Guiscard] "Indeed. That is right."

[Taras] "..."

[Guiscard] "She ought to smile even more."

Tarascus' eyes widened.

As Guiscard spoke, the dark shadow looming over his heart dissolved, replaced by a gentle warmth.

[Guiscard] "She should smile without a single worry."

His words carried a quiet weight. Having reached a firm resolve, his gaze turned resolute.

---

Time flowed rapidly, and Dianna's life settled into a dull routine. She fell asleep waiting for Guiscard, only to wake in an empty bedchamber each morning. Soon, Guiscard stopped joining her even for meals, claiming his duties consumed all his time.

There was little she could do. She talked with Lady Kragel, went for walks, and attended to her administrative duties. All the while, she pondered how to eliminate Fafnir and sought to understand the dragon's true motives.

Citing recent monster attacks and ambushes by Duke Levian's remnants, Guiscard issued a strict order forbidding her from leaving the palace unescorted.

Dianna accepted his reasoning, trusting him implicitly. To soothe her mind, he showered her with lavish gifts: luxurious fur cloaks, vibrant gemstones, and exquisite gowns. Looking at them, she offered only a bitter smile.

In her past life, she had received identical gifts. Dripping in jewels and wearing grand gowns, she had withered away while the court condemned her as a wasteful queen.

Before long, guards posted along the corridors outside, and even Lady Kragel's visits grew sparse. Dianna sensed that something grave was unfolding in the palace. She needed to speak with Guiscard, yet she couldn't even catch a glimpse of him.

[Dianna] "I wish to see His Majesty."

[Knight] "Your Majesty, the King detected signs of rebellion and departed to quell the unrest."

The knight bowed respectfully.

[Knight] "It is far too dangerous outside. Please remain safely within your chambers."

The knights showed genuine concern for her. Looking at their earnest faces, she could press no further. Nothing had changed, or so she believed.

Yet in a sudden flash of clarity, she realized the truth.

This feels just like when I was confined in my past life.

No single event triggered the realization, yet her heart sank into her chest.

Lady Kragel had completely stopped mentioning palace rumors. Dianna realized her movements were being tightly controlled. Her walks grew discouraged until stepping into the corridor required explicit permission from the guards. Even the maids stopped speaking to her. An icy silence replaced the once warm atmosphere.

She was not merely feeling trapped. She was being confined.

One day, she reached a definitive realization.

Guiscard Lodbrog had imprisoned Dianna Brienne.

---

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