Chapter 19
The memory remained vivid.
I recalled that initial day when I first occupied the body of Tulia Frazier. A cursed personality restriction had rendered me mute, preventing me from speaking my mind to Assis Grand Duke Frazier.
Back then, a menacing crimson bar had hovered above the Grand Duke’s head. It took little effort to deduce that the gauge represented his level of affection toward me.
Now, that same display had returned, but it shimmered with a soft, pale azure light. The shift in hue was undeniably comforting. It was a shade that perfectly matched the polished marble flooring of this opulent bedroom.
I turned my head toward the massive window that stretched from the ceiling to the floor. My eyes sought the landscape that Assis Grand Duke Frazier had been contemplating just moments before.
The view was startlingly familiar.
In the original game, this place always looked far more grim and desolate. It was the Statis Plain. Before the catastrophic failure of the magical agriculture project, the area was as serene and breathtaking as a garden from a storybook.
I marveled at the strategic location of this room. Despite the plain being quite a distance from the castle’s central keep, the entire expanse was visible in a single glance.
“Grandfather,” I began, my voice soft and inquisitive. “Was this room once used by my grandmother?”
“It was the place she loved most,” he answered.
“I understand.”
The pieces fit together. Assis Grand Duke Frazier fell silent for a beat before reaching for a cream-colored tassel. As he pulled it, heavy curtains woven with intricate gold thread swept across the glass, plunging the room into shadow.
The Grand Duke turned to leave with decisive movements. I followed closely behind, though a sense of confusion lingered. For a fleeting second, I had caught a glimpse of his expression. His eyes had been heavy with a profound, bitter sorrow.
It made no sense based on my knowledge of the lore. In the history I knew, the Grand Duke was supposed to feel absolutely nothing for his late wife. They were always described as a cold, political match—a pair who shared only mutual indifference.
During the earlier assembly, I had even caught the older council members whispering. They mentioned that the couple had lived in separate quarters during the Grand Duchess’s final years. Their bond was strictly transactional, if not outright hostile.
Why, then, had he looked so deeply moved? I stared at his broad, imposing back as I followed him, trying to reconcile the image. If the real Tulia were standing here, she likely would have felt a simple sense of security from his presence.
But I realized then that the true history of their marriage would probably remain a mystery to me forever.
That night, I sat at my table, frozen with a spoon halfway to my mouth.
A brilliant, shimmering notification materialized before me, glowing with dramatic intensity.
[System] Special Perk Unlocked!
[System] You have surpassed 50% Affection with ‘Assis Frazier’ and are eligible for a unique reward!
[System] Character Tier: Assis Frazier — ☆☆☆☆
I was baffled. How had I managed to hit fifty percent already? I wondered if the blood relation between a grandfather and granddaughter made the points accumulate faster. My focus was entirely consumed by the colorful text.
[System] Now playing ‘The Vanished Ring’!
The phrasing struck me as odd. It said playing, not acquiring. Before I could process the thought or even let out a gasp, my surroundings vanished into darkness, as if a theater light had been cut.
The transition was instant.
A series of vibrant, high-definition memories flooded my mind. These were scenes never depicted in the original game. I watched a younger version of Assis Grand Duke Frazier engaged in a fierce, emotional shouting match with a woman.
Though it felt as if I had been watching for half an hour, when the visions faded, barely thirty seconds had passed in reality. The bowl of onion cream stew in front of me was still sending up curls of warm steam.
As the realization of what I’d just seen sank in, I let out a dry, incredulous laugh. The woman in those memories—the one screaming at the young Grand Duke—was the late Grand Duchess herself. She was Tulia’s grandmother and the true mistress of the Statis Plain.
Her face and their private history had never appeared in the game, no matter how many times I played. I took a bite of a salmon and chicory sandwich, my mind reeling even as the fish melted deliciously on my tongue.
So, the rumors of their hatred were a lie? They actually loved each other with a burning intensity? I struck the table with my palm in frustration. It was outrageous that a game could keep its players in the dark for over two years.
I wanted more. I wanted every detail of their hidden, turbulent romance. Even as I mentally demanded more information, I couldn’t help but smile as I reached for my dessert. The ‘Vanished Ring’ memory was undeniably captivating.
The story was a classic tale of enemies becoming lovers. The Grand Duchess, whose name was Rishian, had been a princess from a neighboring continent. She had no desire for a strategic marriage; her ambition was to rule her own kingdom, not to be a consort in a distant land.
They had clashed endlessly. However, Assis needed her royal status to secure his position as family head, so he had forced the union. Their marriage was a battlefield of thousands of arguments. The final breaking point came when the Grand Duke failed to honor a vital promise he had made to her.
Yet, despite the public perception of their mutual loathing, they had both harbored a secret, unrequited devotion to one another. That was the core of the memory I had just witnessed.
The revelation that the stern Grand Duke was actually a tragic romantic was almost enough to make me laugh out loud. I knew better, of course; he would likely have me executed if I ever teased him about it.
I was finishing my dessert in a wonderful mood when a soft rap came at the door.
“Lady Tulia?”
I preferred to eat in solitude and had dismissed my attendants, including Adel. However, the head maid entered with a look of urgency.
“The Grand Duke’s personal advisor has arrived,” she announced.
“Ruk? What is he doing here?”
“He didn’t specify, my Lady.”
I quickly tidied myself and followed Adel to meet him. As we walked, I noticed how rare it was to see Ruk and Adel in the same space. I stole a glance at Adel, but her head was bowed respectfully, her thoughts unreadable.
Ruk, however, looked at her with a flash of unmistakable sorrow. It was a brief, sharp moment of pity. I found myself wondering what their story was. Why was this world presenting me with so many mysteries that were never part of the game? It was maddening.
“Lady Tulia,” Ruk said as I approached. “I hope I didn’t interrupt your meal.”
“Not at all. I was just finishing.”
“Splendid,” he replied with a smile.
“Has something happened?”
“The Grand Duke has requested your presence. He wishes for you to join him for tea this evening.”
A collective gasp rose from the maids standing nearby. Since Assis Frazier had taken his title, he had never invited a grandchild for a private audience like this. In the original timeline, such an honor only happened much later, after the protagonist Coriko had spent ages earning his favor.
Ruk, being a cunning advisor, knew exactly what this meant. This single invitation would cause my social standing among the household staff to skyrocket.
He maintained a polite smile as he delivered the final blow. “His Grace also mentioned that he has a personal gift he wishes to present to you.”
