Chapter 20
What I Saw in the Future
It seemed Heredin and the knights still hadn’t noticed it yet.
“Hered—”
Before Blair could even call out to him, a massive hand appeared and struck toward them.
BOOM—!
With a deafening impact, trees shattered and the snow piled on them burst into a blizzard, blinding their vision.
“Blair!”
When Blair regained her senses, the first thing she saw was Heredin’s distorted face as he checked on her.
Just before the attack hit, Heredin had sensed it and pulled her into his arms, rolling away at the last moment. Their horse was gone.
“Your Grace! My Lady!”
The knights’ voices echoed faintly through the drifting snow.
Still disoriented, Blair instinctively checked the marten cub in her arms first. She had protected it without even realizing it.
It was safe.
“Can you stand?”
Heredin asked. Instead of answering, Blair tried to move—but her strength failed her. He lifted her up effortlessly.
As the snow settled, visibility slowly returned.
And then—there it was.
A one-eyed giant.
A Cyclops.
The monster locked eyes with Blair. She froze.
The Cyclops raised its arm to attack.
Heredin immediately coated his body in aura, lifted Blair, and dodged with inhuman speed.
At the same time, the knights fired arrows, trying to distract it. But the attacks only irritated the creature—they didn’t stop it.
Heredin regrouped with the knights.
“Sir Kyle.”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
“Escort the Duchess out of the forest with First Unit. Second Unit, remain with me and hold the monster.”
“As you command!”
Heredin removed his cloak and placed it over Blair.
“Please hold onto this for a moment.”
Blair stared at him blankly. There was no fear on his face. For someone who had lived on battlefields, it was natural.
But Blair was different.
Even if this follows the past… he shouldn’t die.
She knew the future—but fear still consumed her.
Without thinking, she grabbed his arm.
Heredin looked at her hand, then at her face.
“…Do you think I’m going to die?”
He gave a faint laugh.
Then he handed her to Kyle and turned toward the Cyclops.
Blue aura wrapped around his sword.
“Your Grace, we must go!” Kyle urged.
But Blair couldn’t move.
She watched Heredin charge the monster.
He ran up its arm, leapt high, and struck—but something was wrong.
His attack didn’t land properly.
My mana…?
It was weaker than usual.
The Cyclops roared and struck him mid-air.
“HEEREDIN!”
Blair screamed.
At that moment, a red magic circle suddenly appeared on her neck and collarbone.
And in Heredin’s mind—
A flash.
A vision of Blair, heavily pregnant, eyes filled with tears as she looked at him.
What… is that?
At the same time, his missing mana suddenly returned.
Without hesitation, Heredin unleashed his power.
His aura tore through the Cyclops’ arm.
Then he activated a massive spell.
Dozens of glowing blue swords appeared in the sky—then rained down like a storm.
CRASH!
The Cyclops screamed.
Heredin leapt forward and cut off its head.
Silence followed as the giant collapsed.
Blood splattered across his face. He wiped it away, frowning.
Why was my mana unstable earlier?
He had not trained with mana for two months due to wedding preparations—but that alone shouldn’t reduce total mana capacity.
It felt as if something had disappeared… and then returned.
“…Heredin.”
Blair’s voice brought him back.
For a moment, her face overlapped with the vision he had seen.
The pregnant Blair.
What was that memory?
The attack forced the entire festival to stop.
Ivan ordered investigations. The imperial banquet was canceled, and nobles were thrown into chaos.
But the New Year’s prayer still had to proceed.
At the temple, Blair and Heredin went to the annex to treat his broken rib.
No priests were available. A priest apologized awkwardly.
“Ah… all the priests are currently away.”
Only a small number of priests could use healing magic, so they were always busy.
“Someone should return soon. I’ll fetch them immediately.”
Before leaving, the priest added:
“By the way, Your Grace, for internal injuries it is better to remove clothing for proper treatment.”
After he left, only the two remained.
Heredin began unbuttoning his shirt.
Blair instinctively reached to take it, but he placed it aside himself.
He didn’t want her struggling with it.
Then he asked:
“Can you really see the future?”
Blair hesitated.
“…Didn’t you say you didn’t believe me?”
“I still don’t,” he replied calmly. “But if things like today repeat, I may have no choice.”
He removed his shirt completely.
Blair quickly turned her head away.
Heredin gently turned her face back toward him, holding her cheek.
“Tell me. What else did you see in the future?”
Blair looked at him.
His gaze was no longer mocking—but still cold.
She couldn’t tell him the truth.
That she had died, returned to the past… and that he might be connected to it.
And the future he was likely asking about was probably the palace fire incident—something she herself didn’t fully understand.
So she decided to lie.
That it was just a bad dream.
But then—
“Your Grace, Madam. I will enter.”
The door opened.
A priest returned with someone.
Blair turned—
And froze.
Behind the priest stood a woman.
“Hello, Your Grace. And Madam.”
Miela Elias.
The woman who had once been Heredin’s lover in his previous life…
…and would become so again.
