The One Who Knows the Past
Yet to the seasoned eyes of the Duke and Duchess, her cheeks were faintly flushed.
They must have summoned her for something important.
“What is it, my dear daughter?”
The Klein Duchess asked, casting a brief glance at the Duke.
Perhaps Tiana had changed her mind and intended to reveal everything that had happened at Grace Monastery. She had refused to speak of it before, so they had simply watched and waited.
The moment Tiana gave her testimony, the Duchess planned to march straight to that arrogant monastery, winter or not, and turn the place upside down.
Those who tormented my precious daughter—I will never forgive them. They deserve to taste the true flavor of hell! I will make them suffer as cruelly as I possibly can!
Come to think of it, Tiana resembled the Duchess more than she realized. The fine, light-brown hair, the noble air that graced her porcelain-white face.
Her eyes might resemble the Duke’s, but she was the daughter I bore through pain and love. She took after me in beauty and grace—every inch a true noble lady.
Even a hedgehog finds its own young beautiful, yet the Duchess’s affection for her daughter only grew deeper with time.
Her proud gaze turned toward her only daughter.
And the words that slipped from the precious lady’s lips were entirely unexpected.
“I… I know what is going to happen.”
“What?”
Dot swallowed hard and leaned forward.
“I had a dream. The Goddess gave me a terrifying yet certain prophecy. No—there is no need to fear. I simply wanted you both to know before it comes to pass. You are my parents, after all. But please do not tell anyone else, to avoid unnecessary confusion.”
“The Goddess? A dream? Tiana, tell us everything.”
The Duke’s expression hardened, far more than the Duchess, who had expected the conversation to turn toward the monastery.
‘Yes. This is it. No matter how much else changes, the great and terrible event—the dragon’s attack on the ducal estate—will remain the same.’
Her interest in the matter was markedly different from usual.
‘Besides, that dragon will only last a short while before collapsing and being safely subdued. A few knights will be injured, but no one will die. It is not truly dangerous.’
Dot had calculated every angle before speaking.
‘But if I warn them first, my standing will surely rise.’
This would be the beginning. She intended to prophesy several more events that would soon shake high society. Rather than letting the past flow by unnoticed, she would use it to expand her influence.
The first: the attack of the massive black dragon upon the ducal estate.
The second: the matter of the Marquis of Huyante’s headache remedy.
Chronologically, this would happen first.
Some time after the Spring Ball, the Marquis would suffer from an inexplicable headache. A physician’s mistaken prescription would bring him great agony. The herb meant to relieve pain had actually been a toxic plant with a similar appearance that caused paralysis. His mouth would twist, his speech would slur, and he would vanish from society for a time.
‘I nearly burst out laughing when I saw his crooked face by chance. It was so hard to hold it in.’
The third: the faulty weaponry supplied to the Count of Queisar’s estate.
After ordering a large quantity of arms, they would receive blades forged from improperly smelted iron. When the heavy rains of the monsoon season arrived, the weapons would fail all at once.
Since ferocious monsters frequently appeared near the Count’s territory, this would be a serious disaster.
If she hinted at this to the Duke and helped him stockpile extra equipment before summer, she could gain considerable favor.
Other minor incidents came to mind, but compared to the prestige of the family, they were insignificant.
What use was there in warning anyone that Barbara Gahel had been married off to a remote estate only to die of some endemic disease? She had no luck and no status to begin with—what did she expect from me? Even if she tried to avoid that marriage, she had nowhere else to go. She might as well have picked out her grave early.
‘Heh. Perfect.’
Dot’s clasped hands trembled slightly as she began her performance.
“In a year and a half, late summer… around the time I first arrived here… a terrifying dragon will cover the skies above this estate!”
“W-what did you say, Tiana?”
“You dreamed this? The Goddess spoke to you directly?”
While the Duchess recoiled in horror, the Klein Duke remained gravely serious.
After all, Tiana had survived thanks to the Goddess’s protection. She had once resented the temples after the tragedy at age six, yet she had returned unharmed—lovely and untouched. It would not be strange if the Goddess had granted her a measure of foresight out of pity for all she had endured.
“Yes! But because the Goddess protects us, no one will die. We will overcome the disaster safely. When that day comes, I… will not run away. I will stay and defend our family to the very end.”
The lady clenched her small fists, trembling.
“Oh, what are you saying! A dragon… No. You said late summer next year? I will send you to the safety of our estate’s castle before early summer arrives!”
The Klein Duchess sobbed wretchedly.
Having said all she intended, Dot approached and embraced her, whispering gently.
“I am not afraid. I am Tiana Marietta Klein, the beloved daughter of my father and mother. This is the only place I have to live—or to die. Rather than flee from death, I will protect the glorious name of Klein until the end.”
“Tiana, my daughter… I will protect you!”
‘It is done.’
Dot cheered inwardly, yet her calves trembled beneath her dress.
Even with all her preparations, fear still gripped her.
‘I am anxious. I feel like I am going mad with fear.’
With so many eyes upon her, she could not even approach the heart of the underworld guild. On the surface, she had only placed a single request with an ordinary guild.
It was nothing special—just a request for pomegranates from a particular territory.
Unable to travel alone as a noble lady, Dot had naturally reported it to the Duchess. The woman had smiled and said she would have obtained them if asked, her tone faintly hurt.
“I wanted to do something with my own strength. Before… I did not even know what I truly wanted. Achieving small things makes me happy.”
“I see. Then do as you wish from now on.”
Good. Once reassured, she could gradually expand her reach and eventually contact the underworld guild.
…Yet despite her meticulous planning, Dot often woke in the middle of the night, startled from sleep. There was only one reason.
‘Morgana! It is all because of you.’
Surely not. It could not be. She had to believe it could not. But what if her rival Morgana also retained memories of the past and had made different choices?
Why else would that fool have rushed to the Magic Tower so late? It made sense if she had awakened her memories.
She had known her own talent before. Perhaps she had simply preferred staying at the ducal estate and kept silent.
‘If she had stayed buried in the Tower, it would not matter. But now that she has set foot in the Imperial Palace, she will surely try something.’
That wretched girl!
‘If she interferes with the Marquis of Huyante’s medicine or the Count of Queisar’s weapons, that will be clear proof she remembers her time as Eina. Just you wait!’
‘Morgana, you can never defeat me. No matter how you struggle with that dull head of yours, I will end your life with my own hands—no matter what it takes!’
Dot’s eyes gleamed sharply, her nerves stretched to the breaking point.
The Duke, having sent the lady who had spoken such frightening words back to her chambers, spoke sternly.
“My lady, forget everything Tiana just said. Forever.”
“My lord.”
“It may have been a nightmare or a true vision, but as Tiana herself said, it is not something to be spread carelessly. How could we allow such ominous talk of a dragon’s attack to reach other people’s ears?”
“You are right, of course.”
She claimed to have seen it in a dream.
There was no proof, yet because it came from Tiana, the words carried undeniable weight. One wrong move and they might have brought the wrong child into the estate and wasted precious time.
Considering that coincidence and the narrow escape, it was tempting to believe her—even if the implications were grave.
The Duke lowered his voice further.
“For now, say nothing else. Simply care for Tiana. Give her everything she likes, in abundance.”
“I understand.”
“…There is no need to worry, my lady. I will use my influence to ensure that gentleman escorts her at her debutante ball.”
To ease the heavy atmosphere, the Duke made a startling announcement.
“Truly? If it is possible, please do. It has been so difficult for me to meet His Highness alone.”
The Klein Duchess brightened at once.
Whether Tiana’s words were genuine prophecy or merely the remnants of a nightmare, as her husband suggested, did not matter.
That event would not occur until next year. What mattered far more was ensuring their daughter shone as the star of the upcoming Spring Ball!
“Do not worry and simply comfort Tiana.”
Having reassured his wife, the Duke immediately sought out Cassel.
Discussing matters within the estate, where so many eyes watched, would be unwise. It would be better to speak outside, so he hurried to arrange a meeting.
In a quiet reception room of the Imperial Palace, Cassel’s brows furrowed darkly as he listened to his father.
“…She said that?”
“I told your mother to forget it, but I must discuss it with you.”
“Yes.”
She spoke so freely to Father and Mother, yet did not summon me.
Cassel knew why Tiana, once Dorothea, avoided him so thoroughly.
Still, during the paternity test, there had been the silk robe incident as well.
Why did she demand that everything she said be kept secret? What was she so desperate to hide? Once she entered high society in earnest, every detail of a noble lady’s life would become gossip anyway.
It was deeply suspicious.
Moreover, for such a serious matter, the knight commander Cassel had not even been called—only his parents informed. That made even less sense.
Though their relationship remained awkward, they had been trying to grow closer.
Above all, Cassel had spent the entire previous day at the ducal estate. If she had spoken then, they could have acted faster. Why had she deliberately waited a full day?
“Dragon movements are a sensitive issue and strictly confidential. Can you investigate quietly on your end?”
“Of course. Depending on the situation, I may need to dispatch soldiers, so it will take some time.”
“Hmm.”
Cassel spoke with confidence.
“Do not worry too much. According to records from several hundred years ago, fewer than ten dragons remain, and they have long been confirmed to be on the verge of extinction.”
“Good. I will trust you.”
With those words, the Duke departed.