'I've returned.'
Where should I begin?
At the very least, my memories were still vivid.
After laying Rianna's body to rest, a few days later, the Transcendents launched a full-scale assault.
The kingdom fell, and I was killed by their armies.
That had been my fate up to this point.
"Brother-in-law? Are you feeling sick? Why are you acting this way?"
Alois was calling me.
Exactly as he had been 11 years ago.
At this point, I had to accept it.
'I really have come back.'
Energy coursed through my body.
My legs were fully functional.
Yet, my instincts, guided by my memories, clearly regarded Alois as an enemy.
"Brother-in-law?"
I couldn't ignore his calls forever, so I chose to confirm something.
"Alois, where are the bouquet and cake I prepared?"
"Ah, you're finally waking up? The maids have the bouquet ready, and the cake is set to arrive by evening."
Then, clutching his head in his hands, Alois pleaded desperately.
"Please, just go and cheer up my sister! It's absolute chaos in there right now."
"Alright, Alois."
I wanted to kill the red-haired man in front of me on the spot.
I nearly clenched my fist in an impulsive rage but managed to hold back. After all, he was also a Helmund.
The overwhelming physical prowess inherited by the Helmund family was beyond what a commoner like me could match.
At least for now.
So I walked past him.
'The bouquet, the cake, and the chandelier.'
Today, a lot would happen.
The bouquet had a blade hidden inside, the cake was laced with a stomachache-inducing drug,
And the chandelier would fall on me, crippling my right leg.
Today wouldn't just ruin the moment—it would destroy my future entirely.
'All of this… Alois, it was your doing.'
The one who ruined my life, The third son of the Helmund family, Alois Helmund, stood before me.
This time, I won't fall for it.
As I walked past him, I caught sight of the pendant hanging around Alois's neck.
It was a gift from my wife, Rianna, to Alois when they were young—a keepsake he always carried.
Inside the pendant was a letter Rianna wrote when she was a child.
And that pendant was the very reason Alois had destroyed my life.
'A twisted pervert.'
He was a lunatic who lusted after his own sister.
While outwardly friendly toward me, he hated me more than anyone.
Because of that, he sought to make me even more helpless, deliberately orchestrating the accident.
And yet, his end wasn't exactly glorious, either.
In this timeline, three years from now, Alois's inability to hide his feelings would lead to his disgraceful expulsion from the family.
*
**
*
When I stepped outside, the grand central hall of the Helmund estate greeted me.
A wide staircase led to the second floor, directly facing the main entrance. The vast and dignified interior was as well-maintained as ever. The weapons hanging on the walls hinted at the family's deep connection to martial arts.
And right at the foot of the staircase to the second floor,
A red-haired woman stood with her hands clasped.
"Rianna…"
The wife I had buried with my own hands.
The pride of the kingdom, who fought against the Transcendents until the very end.
The Crimson Rose, Riana Helmund.
"Isaac."
When I called her name, she slowly turned her head to look at me.
Her ruby-like eyes, resembling finely cut jewels, glared at me with reproach.
"One of Father's strict rules is that all family members must have breakfast together."
Her usual expressionless face was so familiar, even after 10 years.
For the record, I wasn't included among the family members allowed at breakfast. Even though I was her husband. This was just one of many subtle ways the Helmund family showed how little they regarded me.
"But today, I didn't attend breakfast. I had already informed Father in advance."
"Because of me?"
"Yes, because you prepared breakfast for our 4th wedding anniversary."
But in the end, it turned into an unfulfilled promise.
"....."
I suddenly noticed the ring on her left ring finger.
At the same time, I couldn't help but feel the faint sensation of the ring on my own left hand after so long.
Rianna.
Why have you kept the ring from your runaway husband?
The question remained unanswered, as always.
"Though it's a bit late, let's have breakfast."
Without a word, she accepted my escort and followed me to the dining room.
There, a small table set for two awaited us.
It was likely something the "me" of this world had requested the day before.
As we sat down, the servants quickly brought out bowls of soup.
Among the attendants, a familiar and welcome face caught my eye.
Millie.
The youngest chef working in Helmund's kitchen.
An impressive peer with sun-kissed, bronze skin.
I used to talk with Millie quite often.
As someone my age and of the same commoner status, she understood my struggles well. She offered not only comfort but also delicious meals to soothe my lonely heart.
'Seeing her again like this, it really is comforting.'
I had lost contact with Millie after escaping from Helmund.
"Millie."
"Yes, Sir Isaac."
I called out her name out of fondness, but Millie seemed to think it was the prearranged signal I had mentioned yesterday. She brought bread along with ingredients for a sandwich and set them before me.
They were simple and unrefined—something you wouldn't normally see in the Helmund estate.
'Ah, that's right. I had prepared these.'
Seeing it brought back memories. Recreating the first meal I had ever made for Rianna was my way of celebrating our wedding anniversary.
"..."
At the time, her expressionless face had unnerved me so much that I couldn't even make it properly.
'But now that I look at it…'
Now that I was calmer, I noticed a faint hint of anticipation hidden in her stoic demeanor.
After the attendants left, I began making the sandwich for her. I sliced the bread in half, added cheese, and cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces. For vegetables, there were just a few pickled cucumbers. Finally, I topped it off with mashed potatoes seasoned lightly with salt.
"Here you go."
"..."
She stared at the sandwich I handed her before carefully taking it into her hands.
Back when we first met, She had refused to hold food in her hands, claiming it was improper etiquette. Convincing her back then had been quite the ordeal.
As I prepared a sandwich for myself, I caught sight of Rianna cautiously holding the sandwich with both hands and taking a bite.
It brought a small smile to my face.
'It reminds me of the old days.'
Back when I worked as a ferryman, this was a staple meal; even on a boat crossing the river, it was convenient to eat.
Suddenly, as I watched her eat her sandwich, a wave of nostalgia hit me.
Everything felt so different now.
Back when we shared sandwiches on a tiny boat in the middle of a blue river, Our biggest worry was whether we'd get sunburned.
'I never imagined such a future awaited us.'
I glanced at her as she quietly ate her sandwich.
The sight of her nibbling at it,
Surprisingly,
Was the one thing in my memory that remained unchanged amid everything else that had changed.
*
**
*
As time passed, evening came..
At the banquet hall in the Helmund estate.
Standing on the balcony, Isaac gazed up at the starry sky.
Beside him stood his elegantly dressed wife, looking at the same view.
Her waist-length hair, pale skin accentuated by the crimson hues of the evening, and her fiery red eyes distinct from her rose-colored hair, Made her worthy of her reputation as "Rose of Helmund" and the kingdom's renowned beauty.
Today had been quite a busy day.
Isaac had prepared a fresh bouquet of flowers and arranged a small, modest cake with Millie instead of something luxurious.
Although the chandelier fell as per Alois' plan, Isaac, who had anticipated it, evaded it smoothly.
And so, After ten years, Isaac found himself back here.
'In my previous life, I fainted after being crushed by the chandelier.'
A gust of wind brushed past as he turned slightly to the side.
Rianna stood next to him, Her face as stoic and expressionless as always.
The icy sharpness in her crimson eyes never failed to put Isaac on edge.
"Riana."
"......"
Even when he called her name, she did not reply.
She continued to gaze at the sky as if waiting for something.
"I worked quite hard for today."
For Isaac, this event had taken fourteen years.
And now, for the final step.
In the empty rose garden of Helmund, illuminated by moonlight,
Isaac gently took Rianna's left hand into his own.
"We've been through a lot together."
"....."
"But we've managed to get by as a married couple, in our own way."
Even Rianna, who always remained expressionless, seemed a bit surprised at his words and blankly stared at him.
"I've thought about it countless times—what would be the best path for us as a couple?"
Isaac softly clasped her left hand with both of his.
"Rianna."
Then, carefully, he slipped the wedding ring off her ring finger and declared quietly,
"Let's get a divorce."
The breeze carried the scent of roses as it swept by.
"What?"
For the first time today, Riana expressionless face broke.