# 4 -
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When Lidya's name was mentioned, Yuan put down his fork and knife. With an expressionless face, he picked up his handkerchief and patted his lips delicately.
“What a trivial matter, Miss Enohater.”
His voice carried no emotion, but his gray eyes were frighteningly sharp.
It was the look of a man dissatisfied with the course of the conversation. Seret met his cold gaze. He seemed upset that someone had mentioned the woman he loved.
It was like that in her previous life. Yuan had always hated hearing Lydia's name from Sert's lips.
How dare you talk about my woman? Was this what he was thinking? Seret laughed softly.
“Wouldn't it be better to marry the person you love?”
“Seret.”
Baron Enohater called out to her in a stern tone.
But Seret did not take her eyes off Yuan's face.
“You are very romantic, Miss Enohater.”
“Aren't you, Your Highness?”
“Do you think a man can be like a woman in this matter?”
“So you mean that women who dream of romance are narrow-minded and foolish?”
Seret smiled faintly as she spoke.
“You are distorting my words.”
“If that's not what I meant, I apologize.”
“Do you wish to marry someone you love, Miss Enohater?”
Yuan's eyes sharpened, his gaze fixed on her face as if he wouldn't let any flicker of her expression escape him.
"Yes. I want to marry someone I love, and who loves me. I suppose I'm narrow-minded and stupid enough to dream of such things."
For a moment, Yuan's sober expression collapsed. But he soon got it back.
“If I were to misinterpret your words, Miss Enohater, would you say that you love someone other than your fiancé?”
“Cough!”
Baron Enohater's cough broke the air—a cough born of sheer embarrassment. His face quickly blackened. This was the most exhausting meal he had endured in years.
Seret did not answer Yuan. For her, nothing was so foolish as love.
Her husband's love cost her death by poison immediately after giving birth. For Seret, love only made people stupid and narrow-minded.
“I would like to hear your answer, Miss Enohater.”
Yuan pressed again, uncharacteristically persistent.
“In that case, will you call off the engagement?”
Seret asked, meeting his gaze directly.
"Oh, Seret! Please!"
The Baron, exhausted, finally raised his voice at the table.
"no."
Yuan answered firmly, without so much as a glance from the Baron. His tone was sharp and decisive.
“How generous you are, to take a crazy woman who loves another man as your wife.”
“Ha-ha-ha…”
The Baron laughed a half-mad laugh, as if his mind had left him.
“Don't think about it.”
Yuan quietly placed the cutlery back on the plate, signaling the end of the meal.
Thus, what had been a horrific dining experience for Baron Enohater finally came to an end.
Seret stared in amazement out of the carriage window.
Inside the wobbly cart, each vibration brought her mind back to the moment she drank the poison. She remembered the feeling of her insides shaking violently.
She was short, but alive enough that even now she could feel the poison coursing through her body.
She heaved a shallow sigh, pulling her gaze away from the window. In front of her, Yuan was flipping through documents.
Thinking about the breadth of the Freaktwister family's projects made her frown.
"Are you well?"
When he felt her eyes on him, Yuan lowered the papers and looked at her.
“No. Your Highness must be uncomfortable.”
“I wouldn't say that.”
He closed the file and he answered.
“The carriage must seem small compared to the Duke’s carriage.”
“The station is not far.”
He checked his pocket watch. The carriage was already cramped, but his tone implied that there was no need to worry—they would be leaving soon.
Seret didn't care whether he was comfortable or not. She spoke what was on her mind.
“The only reason I can accompany you to the capital is because of the imperial summons that I cannot refuse.”
"I still wish to break off the engagement. I hope Your Highness will respect that."
Yuan frowned at her words.
“What is your sudden reason for wanting this cancellation?”
“I don't want to interfere in your life.”
More frankly, she didn't want to come between him and Lydia. In this life, she didn't want any ties with them.
“That's a strange thing to say.”
“What's so strange about that?”
Her eyebrow furrowed.
“It's as if Miss Enohater thinks she can have a great influence on my life.”
He leaned back on the chair, speaking lazily, as if to say that she was no more important to him than a pen rolling across the desk.
At that, Seret's face turned red. I had briefly forgotten what kind of man Yuan Freaktwister was.
He was the type to treat his wife like a mere piece of furniture, just another possession meant to fill his mansion.
“I don't like when my plans fail. It would be good if you kept that in mind.”
“Then let me be clear as well. If you expect me to play a certain role in your plans, it would be better for you to find a more gullible miss.”
Seret's tone was firm. She knew why he chose to marry her.
Rumors circulated endlessly in the community that the Emperor opposed Yuan Lidya's relationship, forcing them to part ways. The exact reason was not known, but many assumed that he was worried that Lidya would be hurt by Yuan's cold temperament.
Thus, unable to be with Lidya, Yuan must have thought that anyone else would be enough. At that time, Syrit Enwhatir happened to catch his attention.
When he proposed to her, she knew nothing about his past with Lydia. She was just excited—she didn't realize that she was nothing more than a replacement for Lydia Elliot.
“I doubt there is anyone more gullible than Seret Enuhhater.”
Yuan smiled slightly coldly.
“You have misjudged me, Your Highness.”
"Is this correct?"
“Yes. Totally.”
Her response was decisive. At that moment, the carriage stopped at their destination, and the door opened.
Yuan glanced at her, then walked out first. He turned and extended his hand to her.
Seret hesitated briefly, then grabbed her and got down. His hand, in contrast to his demeanor, was warm.
The moment she got down, Hannah came running towards her.
“Miss!”
Hannah's face was bright with excitement, a wide smile breaking out at the thought of traveling by train.
“Thank you so much for bringing me.”
“This is the fourth time you've said that, Hannah. Enough thanks.”
Seret whispered softly.
In her previous life, she went to the capital alone, leaving Hana behind. She didn't care to remember the indignities she had suffered in a strange place without an ally by her side.
Yuan approached and offered his arm. Without thinking, Seret placed her hand on it—an ingrained habit from her past life.
“This is your first time on the train?”
“Yes—no.”
She corrected herself hastily. In her past life, she often took the train between the capital and the palace. At first it was exciting, but the long drives soon became boring.
Yuan raised an eyebrow at her strange response but simply smiled and led her to the station. They boarded the first class carriage.
The private cabin took up an entire train car, spacious and luxurious, with beds, a long sofa and a dining table.
"Oh, my God!"
Hannah gasped in awe, her mouth wide open. Seret smiled at her reaction. She herself had been equally astonished before. The trains she saw in books and magazines never looked like this.
Yuan and his assistant moved to the table, while Seret and Hana sat together on the sofa.
Seret removed her hat and put it aside, and glanced at Yuan as he conferred with his assistant.
Very few people in the Aelon Empire could afford such accommodation. Seeing Yuan among them reminded her once again how special he was.
"Ma'am, that's wonderful. What a luxury! Thank you very much for bringing me."
Hana's cheerful voice pulled Seret's gaze away from Yuan.
“Do you like all this?”
“Yes, of course! I will write to my brothers and brag about it.”
Hannah nodded enthusiastically, her cheeks flushed with excitement. She looked very lively. The thought that someone so full of life would die young from illness filled Seret with sadness.
“Hannah, I'll make sure you live.”
Sererite clasped her hand tightly.
“Why, am I dying?”
Hannah giggled.
“You must not die.”
Sererite gave an uneasy smile.
“Don't worry, I'll never die.”
Not knowing her lady's true feelings, Hannah happily sang a tune, staring out the window.
Seret looked at her tenderly, then returned her eyes to Yuan.
He sat at the table, flipping through documents while listening to his assistant. His attractive appearance made her wrinkle her nose.
Wherever he was, Yuan was shining extremely brightly. He was the type of person who attracted every eye. Even kings seemed to fade beside him.
Next to such a man, Seret Inuhhatir was painfully ordinary.
In her previous life, this contrast made her easy prey in society. An ordinary woman married to a brilliant man—a perfect target for whispers and ridicule.
She was even often described as an oblivious villain for “standing in the way” of Yuan and Lidya’s supposed love.
“Awful,” Seret muttered under her breath.
"Hmm? What is it?"
Hannah looked at her curiously.
“Nothing. Forget it.”
She shook her head.
If she wanted to avoid such misery again, she had to break off this engagement. Seret clenched her fist and stared intently at Yuan, immersed in his work.
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