Chapter 77.2

Perhaps Marquis De Flon might have had a plan to destroy the Carthia family even before Yurina and Lydia confronted each other over Curtis. Seizing the position of the Princess in the meantime was just a convenient opportunity to put this whole plan into action.

But doubts remained.

‘So why did the Marquis strike a year earlier, unlike the original?’

Shaking her head, Yurina reached a new conclusion.

‘Could it be because of Ray?’

Two years ago, Yurina almost died because of Reynard in the Crohn Kingdom. She brought him in to rewrite her fate, but now history has changed too much.

Marquis De Flon had also seen Reynard before. Wouldn’t that have affected him?

In fact, Yurina was skeptical about her thoughts. After all, there was no objective evidence for this, and it is unlikely that Marquis De Flon would have gone on such a big adventure.

If he was aiming at Yurina, it would be more careful to do everything quietly than to arrange a massacre in the tournament. He quietly managed to send Emily to their house. So poisoning Yurina’s food would be much easier.

However, perhaps because Yurina was killed by Marquis De Flon in the original story, the current Yurina blamed him for everything.

Seeing Yurina’s serious face, Marquis Carthia rubbed his temples tightly. He didn’t ask why his daughter was suddenly suspicious of Marquis De Flon. He didn’t even criticize it as a stupid idea.

After a moment’s thought, the Marquis said seriously:

“If that’s what you think, I will also keep an eye on the De Flon family.”

Even if Marquis De Flon were the real culprit, there was little chance that Marquis Carthia would find anything. However, Yurina felt that this answer made her heart feel lighter.

“Thank you for trusting me, father.”

* * *

After leaving the Marquis’s office, Yurina couldn’t immediately return to her room. She stared down the empty hallway for a moment before moving into the back garden of the mansion.

Unlike the Jenus Mountains, where it was warm and flowers were blooming, the capital had just begun to bloom. As night fell, the deserted garden looked even bleaker.

Yurina sat down on a stool in the corner of the garden and stared stupidly at the plants.

“It’s windy.”

After a while, she heard Reynard’s voice. At the same time, something heavy covered her shoulders. Yurina looked down and saw that it was a large coat that clearly belonged to Reynard.

“How did you know that I would be here?”

“I just felt it.”

He smiled and sat next to Yurina.

“I would like you to go inside. But you don’t think so, do you?”

When Yurina nodded her head, he carefully buttoned the buttons on his coat without asking twice. Then he reached out and gently put his arm around her shoulder.

Unlike Yurina, who easily got cold, Reynard was warm. Yurina rested her head on his shoulder and muttered,

“It’s warm.”

“Your body is cold.”

Raynard rubbed his palms and squeezed Yurina’s cheeks.

“What were you thinking that you couldn’t even sleep?”

“I don’t know.”

Yurina closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against his palm.

Raynard briefly withdrew his hand for a moment, surprised by the sudden gesture, but then squeezed her cheek even tighter.

“We’ve been through a lot. Naturally, you will be confused. In fact, I haven’t really recovered yet.”

There is such a thing, but…

Yurina sighed and then continued.

“I think I’ve been pretty self-confident up until now.”

“What?”

“Yes, confident.”

“Why would you suddenly have such thoughts?”

“It’s just…”

Yurina couldn’t explain further, so she paused.

As the only being who came from outside, she didn’t know this world, but she thought she knew everything and everything, being also the only being who saw the future. When she found Reynard, she was blinded by a sense of accomplishment, as if she had changed her destiny with her own hands.

She thought that everything would turn out well. She relaxed, having got Reynard before Marquis De Flon.

But what really happened? She was fooled by a maid she trusted, and her mother was cursed to be barely alive. Even Reynard got hurt saving her.

In the whole process, she was helpless. Even as she pursued her forces behind the scenes, there was nothing she could do.

In the end, she achieved absolutely nothing. All the efforts of the last seven years flew in the wind.

It seemed like it was all in vain.

‘And now that Marquis De Flon is targeting me again, will I be able to respond properly?’

Even if it wasn’t Marquis De Flon’s plot, it could be that Yurina would actually run into him sometime in the future.

And if so, will she be able to stop him with her own powers?

Of course she could protect her own life. But for Yurina, survival was no longer paramount.

‘There are many precious people to me.’

‘My parents, my three brothers, Betsy, Dave. And even Reynard. There are people who are dearer than my life. Will I be able to save them and do everything right?’

‘I’m not so sure of myself anymore. I feel helpless and I’m afraid of what’s to come.’

“I don’t know what to do now. I feel lost.”

“Yurina.”

Raynard carefully gathered up her wind-blown hair and slung it over her left shoulder. Then he pressed his lips to the back of her head.

“You need to sleep.”

As he muttered this, hot air hit the back of her head. Yurina was frightened for a moment and grabbed his hand at her waist.

“You have something that no one else will ever have.”

His lips ran down the back of her head and touched her earlobe. His soft lips lightly nibbled on Yurina’s earlobe and let go.

“What?”

“Me.”