Hersia was quite flustered, but she respected my choice.

However, a few days later, Hersia came to me again and asked if she could become my maid.

“Hersia?”

When I called her name, Hersia sighed with a slightly sullen expression.

“I’m sorry, Duchess. I know… but His Grace insisted I apply again.”

“What?”

“His Grace said he’d like me to take up the maid position and asked me to reapply. He said he didn’t believe that was truly your intention…”

It seemed Sikar had looked into my memories and told Hersia that.

I was worried about the shock Hersia might suffer if I disappeared, but rejecting a close friend twice didn’t seem polite.

So this time, I accepted her.

“Alright. Hersia. I’m counting on you.”

“I’ll definitely fill Seo Yeon’s shoes well.”

Perhaps because she’d done it once before, Hersia performed her maid duties quite competently without me needing to instruct her.

Hersia, arriving early in the morning, prepared the outfit I would wear today.

Her taste in selecting clothes was excellent—she never just picked anything randomly. She prepared everything, from currently fashionable garments to accessories and perfumes.

And even all the latest gossip circulating in high society.

“They say Lady Barrett stood out at this debutante ball.”

I knew her. In the original story, she was strikingly beautiful, catching even Gillian’s eye, and ultimately met her death at the hands of Diane, who envied Barrett.

But that wouldn’t happen now.

“Everyone had long anticipated Lady Lucy’s debutante ball, but now that Lady Lucy is destined to become queen, they’re all disappointed she won’t appear at the ball.”

In the original story, Lucy successfully completed her debutante ball, received marriage proposals from countless noble young men, and rejected them all by kicking them in the shins.

Behind Lucy’s beauty lay such a rough demeanor, yet Kian fell for her all over again.

Of course, after becoming queen, she never lost her grace and refinement, though occasionally, when ministers angered her, she’d pull out a jackknife and throw darts.

Present-day Lucy would surely grow just as spirited with time, like in the original story.

Yes. Everything would eventually be alright with time.

Even if Seo Yeon disappeared, we’d slowly return to our daily routines—and even if I vanished… everyone would gradually recover.

Sikar would simply move on if he met someone else….

Suddenly recalling that thought, I remembered again how busy Sikar had been lately, desperately searching for a solution.

I couldn’t afford to soften my heart while he was working so hard.

“I’ve truly benefited greatly from your influence, Duchess.”

“My influence?”

“Dozens of young ladies, upon learning I became your maid, volunteered to be my bridesmaids at my wedding.”

“That many?”

“Yes. Everyone’s trying to get on my good side…”

Hersia paused mid-sentence, making a face as if realizing this wasn’t quite right.

“Actually, thanks to you, our café has become even more prosperous—we’re now planning to open another branch. Aaron’s been riding high on this success lately.”

She said people’s attitudes toward her had changed completely since I became queen mother.

“Even when I was the king’s cousin, they never treated me like this. Back then, people barely gave me a second glance.”

I suddenly recalled our first meeting. Back then, I’d only thought of her as Sikar’s wife from the original story, but now Hersia had become my colleague.

I sincerely hoped she wouldn’t suffer any harm because of me.

“Hersia. I’ll speak to the King and His Grace. If anything happens—even if I’m not around—promise me you’ll immediately inform the King and His Grace. Understood?”

Hersia gave me a puzzled look, as if she couldn’t comprehend what I was saying.

“The Duchess… won’t be here?”

“I mean, when I’m away from the palace.”

When I said this with a smile, Hersia finally seemed to understand and smiled back brightly.

“Thank you for looking out for me, Duchess.”

It had been over a month since Hersia became my maid.

During that time, Sikar and Reidox had neglected state affairs, tirelessly searching every day for a way to bring Seo Yeon back.

After a month of frantic searching, Sikar came to me one day with a resigned expression and said,

“There’s no way. Neither priests, nor shamans, nor wizards know anything.”

“His Lordship must be deeply heartbroken.”

“That’s why I’m saying this.”

Sikar grasped my hand suddenly and gave a faint smile.

“I’ve decided not to remove the curse.”

“Is it because I keep saying I wish your curse would break? Is that why you’re doing this?”

“Yes. It’s better than you disappearing.”

Sikar spoke as if it were nothing, pretending to be calm—but this wasn’t something that could be brushed off so casually.

So I couldn’t help but shout at him.

“It’s not that simple! If we leave it alone, you’ll eventually freeze to death! We must erase the curse seed planted by Agashion!”

But Sikar answered firmly.

“I can’t do that.”

“Knowing the King’s personality, he’ll be waiting eagerly for the day he can lift your curse. What will you tell him then? That you can’t let him break the curse because your queen mother might vanish?”

“Kian will understand.”

“He won’t understand. I don’t understand either. And the condition for my disappearance might not necessarily be tied to your curse. So don’t say things like that.”

“That’s precisely why hypothetical conditions are dangerous. If the condition for your disappearance really is my curse, then we’d be as helpless as Reidox was when Seo Yeon vanished—completely defenseless. I can’t risk lifting my curse under such uncertain, perilous circumstances.”

“Then we’ll be too afraid to do anything at all. I want to go to the seaside with Kian. I want to see Kian get married. I want to travel alone with you. If we follow your logic, we can’t do anything. We can’t live like that.”

“We can’t have everything we want. We can only live protecting what matters most.”

Sikar seemed to have steeled his resolve upon realizing there truly was no solution.

But I hadn’t been idle while Sikar spent nearly a month searching for answers. I’d thought deeply about many things.

Of course, I hoped he’d find a way—but I’d also envisioned multiple scenarios where he might fail.

If that happened, my disappearance would be the right thing.

Remaining here, using Sikar’s death as a stepping stone, felt meaningless.

I knew well how deeply Sikar cherished his family. Even as an adult, he couldn’t accept his parents’ deaths—which was why he ended up cursed by Agashion.

It was all because he’d tried to resurrect parents who had long passed away.

The Ancient Resurrection Tome.

Sikar firmly believed such a thing existed, but in the end, he only succeeded in becoming a cursed man while trying to save his parents.

I didn’t want to leave poor Sikar to spend the rest of his life merely trying to remove his own curse.

Just as he had healed my phobia, I too needed to heal him in some way. That was only right.

“I’ll disappear, but you’ll die. I believe those who vanish surely get another chance.”

“But no one knows where they go—no one has ever returned.”

“That’s something we’ll only know with more time. The curse will torment you until it kills you. I want you to be happy.”

Sikar stubbornly acted as if he hadn’t heard a word I said.

“My happiness is you. Without you, nothing else matters.”

Sikar’s sullen gaze looked unbearably sorrowful.

Ever since Seo Yeon vanished, he’d seemed like a soulless person lately—often sitting blankly, like a foolish doll incapable of thought.

Poor Sikar.

I stood up and gently cradled Sikar’s head.

“In the worst moments, we must choose the best possible option. Let’s do as I say.”

Sikar, leaning into me, tightly gripped my hand.

“There’s still two years before Kian can lift my curse. Until then, I’ll absolutely find a way.”

In the original story, Kian gained the ability to break Sikar’s curse at age twelve, meaning we had less than two years left.

If this world was built upon someone’s despair—and could only be escaped through someone else’s hope—then no matter what methods Sikar pursued, nothing could be changed.

Of course, it’d be wonderful if a solution existed—but having too much hope and then facing disappointment would hurt even more, so I dared not hope at all.

No, perhaps it was better not to hope.

And if we truly found no answer, our remaining memories would end up consumed solely by the search for a solution.

“Sikar. I wish we could build more memories together. While you spent a month searching for answers with His Lordship, we barely saw each other. Do you really want to spend our remaining time like that?”

Sikar pulled my arm, seating me beside him. His expression was quite stern.

“Have you considered how His Lordship felt—clinging to just a few assumptions, only to lose Seo Yeon in an instant?”

Of course, I couldn’t fully grasp that feeling.

“I didn’t realize His Lordship felt such deep guilt.”

“After Seo Yeon vanished, Reidox regretted most that he never considered any other possibilities while she was still here. He never sought any other methods. He simply relied on a few assumptions—that’s what he regretted most.”

“So seeing that, you decided you wouldn’t make the same mistake?”

“Yes. I won’t. I’ll do whatever it takes to find a solution.”

“Alright. Do whatever you must. But promise me this—if the King gains the ability, you’ll let him remove your curse. We still have two whole years left. At least promise me that. Kian can’t lose his father twice!”

Sikar sighed reluctantly, then promised.

“Fine. If I haven’t found a way by then, I’ll accept the King’s healing.”

But time was on my side, not Sikar’s.

Compared to the original story, Kian had received far more lessons much earlier and awakened his azure sun significantly sooner.

Was it for that reason? Or perhaps because he’d witnessed Sikar frequently suffering from the curse’s progression?

In the original story, Kian only gained the power to break Sikar’s curse at age twelve—but now, he’d already developed that ability.

A few months after Sikar refused to stop searching for a solution,

during breakfast, Kian suddenly spoke up.

“Mother. I think I can now lift Father’s curse.”