Episode 126: To Win His True Heart… #2
Rudella Bismarck.
Before the regression, she was known as Rudella Rozino.
There wasn’t much known about her, but one thing was certain.
A ruthless murderer.
When Crown Prince Fedelian ascended to the throne and Rudella officially set foot in the imperial court, she drew her sword without hesitation.
If an obstacle stood in her way, she cut it down without mercy.
She executed every noble faction that sought to challenge the imperial family and disbanded the meddlesome Senate, eliminating the elders without a trace.
Of course, she had justifications. Somehow, she had obtained records exposing even the most well-hidden crimes of her enemies.
Thus, no one could defy the imperial family.
Even the Four Great Houses could not escape death.
A tyrant and his greatest strategist.
Together, they ruled the empire with fear.
That was why Rudbeckia found the current situation incomprehensible.
That Rudella—the ruthless murderer—was now standing before Yohan, smiling gently.
The woman who always looked down with a cold gaze… was capable of such a smile?
The one whose eyes had always been filled with nothing but chilling sharpness… now held a gaze so sweet?
It was baffling.
‘Calm down. This world is different from the one I knew.’
Rudbeckia shook her head, snapping herself back to reality.
There was no reason to be surprised.
After all, even Fedelian had been executed as a traitor, and the Young Grand Duke had met his end beneath the guillotine at the imperial palace during sunset.
“So, focus on the goal first.”
Suppressing her confusion, she carefully listened in on the conversation between the three.
“I consulted the royal physician and specifically chose this restaurant. Does the food suit your taste?”
“Hm, it’s fine. The smell isn’t overwhelming, and it’s clean.”
“That’s a relief. Actually, Francia recommended this place, saying it would be good for you.”
“Is that so? Lady Francia Fervache, thank you for your consideration. Thanks to you, I can enjoy my meal comfortably.”
Francia hesitated awkwardly, trailing off at the end.
“…It wasn’t anything special. Since you’re pregnant, you need to be careful.”
“Fufu, Lady Fervache, you are not very honest, are you?”
“Hmph…”
Hearing their exchange, Rudbeckia was utterly shocked.
‘Pregnant?!’
That single word echoed through her mind.
Her mouth involuntarily fell open, and the green eyes visible through her mask trembled.
Did she hear that correctly?
Then… whose child was it?
Could it be Yohan’s?
Judging by the atmosphere and their conversation, Yohan’s second lover was Rudella.
There was no way she would bear another man’s child.
Which meant… it was Yohan’s.
‘W-What in the world…!’
Rudbeckia’s clenched fist trembled in midair.
Rage, despair, and jealousy.
Even after five years of marriage, she had never been able to conceive his child.
Yet Rudella, a mere concubine, was already carrying one.
And she hadn’t even officially married Yohan yet!
‘Unbelievable…’
Rudbeckia lowered her head, staring blankly at the table.
It felt as if the ground had collapsed beneath her.
The real threat wasn’t Francia Fervache.
It was Rudella Bismarck.
The Obsidian Saintess, the Flower of High Society.
Even compared to Francia Fervache, she was not lacking in beauty.
Her figure, maintained through constant training, was both slender and well-proportioned.
Smooth, porcelain-white skin.
Sky-blue eyes that shimmered like gemstones.
Silky silver hair that cascaded like fine threads of light.
An aura of nobility and dignity that could not be concealed, no matter how still she remained.
Rudella Bismarck was perfection itself.
‘At this rate… even the second position is impossible.’
Rudbeckia’s shoulders slumped.
Yohan’s first wife—the rightful main consort—would undoubtedly be Francia Fervache.
She had, after all, been the one to win Yohan’s heart.
Which meant Rudbeckia had to aim for the first concubine’s position.
But her rival was Rudella Bismarck.
And she had no confidence she could win.
Of course, Rudbeckia was also a renowned beauty, known as the Jewel of Freeche.
She had confidence in her looks and figure.
But compared to Rudella Bismarck, she fell short.
She knew Yohan well.
He would likely treat all his concubines with equal love.
But she couldn’t ignore the possibility that there could be an exception.
Rudbeckia’s eyes hardened.
‘I need to revise my plan.’
The first position was out of reach.
The second position seemed impossible.
Then she had to secure at least the third.
‘Even if I end up as the last one…’
One never knew what could happen.
‘I’ve to go.’
There was no point in staying any longer.
Watching their date would only bring her more pain.
She had already gathered plenty of information—though it came at a cost.
***
Purification Bureau.
Yohan was enjoying a leisurely cup of tea while gazing out the window of his office.
However, his gaze was not actually directed outside.
“…”
Glance. Glance.
He cautiously rolled his eyes to check behind him. Someone was staring at him with an intense gaze. It was so piercing that he could feel it burning into his back.
There was no way Yohan didn’t know who that gaze belonged to.
‘Rudbeckia.’
For some reason, Rudbeckia was engrossed in staring at him, as if she were trying to pierce through him and uncover all his secrets.
She had always looked at him frequently, but before, she would hurriedly avert her gaze whenever their eyes met. Now, however, it was as if she had developed some kind of technique—because their eyes never met at all.
‘I wonder why…’
Suppressing his discomfort, Yohan closed his eyes.
He had tried asking her about it once, cautiously. But she had simply brushed it off, feigning ignorance with a casual, “Did I really do that?”
It was difficult to push the matter further because, for some reason, whenever he looked at Rudbeckia, his heart softened. He felt as if he should treat her more kindly. It was an unfamiliar feeling.
And so, Yohan continued his strangely uncomfortable life as the Bureau’s director.
‘I don’t even know what this is about.’
Could it have something to do with the dreams he had been having lately?
Though he couldn’t remember them clearly, he had a vague feeling that Rudbeckia appeared in them.
But finding an astrologer skilled in this kind of thing was difficult, which only added to his frustration.
“Director, today’s workload is relatively light.”
Yohan, burdened by Rudbeckia’s gaze, had been staring out the window when Elena called out to him.
“Will we finish before lunch?”
As he turned slightly to ask, Rudbeckia, who had been watching him, hastily looked away.
Elena nodded.
“Yes. Most of the demonic lair investigation is complete, with only the final stages remaining, and the selection process for the elite unit is almost done. All that’s left is waiting for the scheduled time.”
Reports from the Purification Bureau’s officers, who were spread across the Empire, had nearly been finalized, as had the selection of elite forces.
“In that case, we should finish quickly and leave work early.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Yohan sat back down. Though he could still feel Rudbeckia glancing at him, he had grown somewhat accustomed to it, so it no longer broke his concentration.
Scratch, scratch.
Elena and Yohan quietly focused on finishing their paperwork. They were compiling information to be handed over to administrative officers in preparation for the next demonic lair suppression operation.
Glance.
Even as Rudbeckia organized documents, she continued to steal glances at Yohan, as if determined not to miss a single movement.
The reason she kept watching him was to observe the changes in him after the future had been altered by Francia Fervache.
‘His subtle expressions haven’t changed.’
Whenever Yohan felt uncomfortable, he had a habit of forcing an awkward smile. Since he himself was unaware of this habit, one could say Rudbeckia was the only person who knew about it.
Of course, this wasn’t his only habit. Whenever he heard good news, his eyebrows would twitch slightly.
It was such a minuscule reaction that no one else had ever noticed it.
Just now, he had displayed both habits.
He had forced an awkward smile due to his discomfort from Rudbeckia’s gaze, and his eyebrows had twitched slightly upon hearing that they would finish work early today.
“Phew…”
Rudbeckia let out a quiet sigh of relief. The fact that these small habits remained unchanged meant that, despite the future having shifted significantly, Yohan was still the same person she had known.
To win his heart, she needed to be attuned to even the slightest changes.
‘…Today seems like the perfect chance.’
She had been watching him for some time now, and although many things had changed, Yohan himself was still fundamentally the same.
That was already good news, but today, with work finishing earlier than usual, he would be free after lunch.
‘Alright…’
Rudbeckia made up her mind.
Today, no matter what, she was going to raise his affection for her.
Yohan stretched, letting out a long sigh.
“Haah…”
After spending so much time hunched over his desk, buried in paperwork and reports, his entire body felt stiff—aching, even.
“Are you finished?”
“You’ve worked hard, Director.”
It seemed that both of his aides had wrapped up their tasks as well. Yohan smiled faintly as he organized the documents.
“It’s still before lunch.”
“Yes, sir. Do you plan to eat now?”
“No, I’m heading home early today.”
Since he had the rare chance to leave work early, he figured he should spend some time with Rudella. Lately, her days had been filled with nothing but reading books and listening to music.
Of course, as an expectant mother, that was probably for the best.
“In that case, may I leave first?”
Elena asked, though she was already packing up her things. Yohan chuckled.
“You look like you’ve already made up your mind.”
“That’s correct.”
“All right, you can go ahead.”
“Thank you!”
She was usually quite expressionless, but there were rare moments when that poker face would crack—like now, when she couldn’t hide her joy.
“Then, I’ll take my leave first.”
With the corners of her lips twitching upward, Elena left the office. It was obvious to anyone that she was excited to go home.
“Rest well tomorrow—it’s a holiday, after all.”
“Thank you…”
After giving her a light farewell, Yohan also began organizing his desk to leave.
Now, the office was empty except for the two of them.
Rudbeckia swallowed nervously, the tension making her throat feel heavy.
“…Hoo.”
She took a deep breath, steadying her pounding heart. She couldn’t let herself waver—this was only the beginning. She needed to be braver.
Things were different now.
“T-Today…!”
Her voice trembled as she called out to Yohan. Her heart was still thudding wildly, caught between anticipation, fear, and anxiety about his response.
She clenched her fists tightly. Her breathing grew unsteady.
But she had to say it. This was the perfect opportunity.
“…What is it?”
Yohan tilted his head slightly. He stiffened at the sight of her unusually serious expression, despite the uncertainty in her gaze.
Rudbeckia swallowed back the words caught in her throat before finally managing to speak her true feelings.
“Tonight… have dinner with me.”