He had noticed.

"When she drank tea, she would always add a spoon of lemon jam and sugar cubes."

He still remembered that.

Blake carefully put down the teacup and got up from his chair to come closer to me.

"Rose, I'll ask you again. You already knew me, didn't you?"

"......"

"You called me Blake."

"......"

"You also knew Edon."

"......"

"You burst into tears as soon as I got hurt. You worried about me and blamed yourself."

"......"

"I'll ask you again. Who are you?"

He wasn't simply asking me who I was. He was asking me whether or not I was Ancia.

Blake's stared at me. Just like in our childhood, his gaze on me was full of warmth.

Then, I realized why he was so kind to me. It wasn't sympathy.

He thought I was Ancia. Even if I had a different face, and no longer had the power of light, he had still recognized me.

"Tell me."

'I...'

"When I say a name, just nod your head if it's you."

Blake will understand. He will believe that I am Ancia.

I tried to answer, but suddenly, my body went limp and my vision blurred.

"Rose!"

Blake caught me as I fell.

I felt so dizzy that I couldn't say anything. Even sitting down in a chair was hard.

"Lie down. Rest for now."

Blake took me in his arms and helped onto the bed.

This is Blake's bed. I shouldn't sleep here. That was my last thought before the dizziness took over completely and I lost consciousness.

***

Blake called for a doctor right away. The doctor only said that there was no abnormality and that Rose had fainted because of temporary weakness.

It was the same as what Blake saw. After Blake's curse was lifted, he gained the power of light and although it was different from being a doctor, he could gauge a person's sickness.

There was nothing wrong with Rose physically.

Blake recalled the first time he met her.

Three months after his arrival in the valley of chaos, he saw someone collapse in front of the door of darkness. When he first arrived, he tried to open the door of darkness, but the tightly closed door didn't budge regardless of whether he used force or even the power of light.

Blake alone despaired while the whole continent rejoiced at the door of darkness being closed permanently.

While wandering aimlessly around the dark door, he saw a woman with white hair.

'Ancia?'

Blake approached the woman. But his expectations turned into disappointment. None of her features were like Ancia.

Then, she opened her eyes.

Her eyes were as blue as the sea. The woman's pupils dilated and her mouth moved faintly.

'Blake.'

She had certainly said his name. He only had the movement of her mouth to go by but he understood it.

Blake carried her back to the tent. The knights who saw the beautiful right side of the woman's face were amazed, but those who saw the left side of her face first screamed.

Blake laid her down in the tent, ignoring their reactions.

Ancia's body had always had a warm glow emanating from it. In the past, Blake had thought it was because he found her comfortable, but now he could see the glow. Ancia had the power of light.

Her powers were strong enough that it could be felt even when just holding hands. But this woman was different.

She didn't have any power.

Is she......

Blake transferred some of his power to her, but her scars were too old to be healed by it.

The woman soon recovered, but she could neither speak nor write.

Ancia was a polyglot. She knew every language in the world, but this woman didn't even know how to write her name.

She's not Ancia...

Her face, hair, and eye colour were all different. She didn't even know how to write.

The facts all pointed to the reality that she wasn't Ancia. Everyone knew his face anyway, so she wasn't special if she recognized his face. Besides, when she mouthed his name before, it wasn't clear. He only caught a glimpse of the shape of her mouth for a moment.

If it wasn't Ancia, he couldn't be bothered by her.

Countless women had approached Blake in those 7 years, but he was never interested.

Yet, the woman in front of him slowly resembled Ancia more and more. Especially when she was distressed and cried for him. He couldn't just ignore this coincidence.

Blake comforted her, Then he left her and went to his own tent. The woman's face continued to appear in his mind. Even though she didn't look like Ancia, he was attracted to her. He named the woman Rose. It was a precious flower that he had only given to Ancia. The word was forbidden, yet he thought it was okay for this woman.

Blake's doubt slowly turned into certainty. From her expression when she was hurt, to the way she ate the perilla leaves so naturally, to her habit of putting lemon jam and sugar cubes in her tea, everything she did was similar to Ancia.

'But why is she so weak.'

Blake sent the power of light to her as she lay unconscious.

Rose's breath steadied somewhat and she began to relax, her face glowing slightly.

Her eyelids trembled and she slowly opened her eyes.

Blake's heart sank for a moment.

Her eyes were the same as Ancia's.

He couldn't explain what was so similar objectively, but he had instinctively felt it.

Blake stroked her cheek.

"Are you alright?"

Rose nodded.

Blake touched her forehead to check her temperature.

His hand brushed over Rose's scar but he didn't pay it any mind.

Suddenly, he heard a commotion outside.

"There was an order not to let anyone inside!"

"Forget it, who do you think I am? Get out of my way! Your Highness, it's Joanna. I have something to tell you!"

"You can't!"

"Let go! How dare you touch me!"

The door was forcefully opened and Joanna stepped inside.

"That's rude. Were you not taught any etiquette?"

Joanna was startled by his cold response but she didn't give up and shouted while pointing at Jayden, who had also come inside to stop her.

"Your Highness, that knight dared to disrespect me..."

"Disrespect?"

Blake's gaze turned even more colder.

"Do you think you are of a higher status than those knights in the imperial palace?"

"Well- I-...!"

She was the only daughter of a Viscount.

As the most respected woman in this estate, all she wanted was for everyone to look up to her and bow before her.

Countless nobles in the capital city had kneeled before her to propose. She could've even become a Marquis' wife if she wanted to.

The man with crimson hair was merely a knight in the imperial palace.

Jayden lowered his head and tried to pull Joanna out of the room.

Joanna shouted urgently.

"Your Highness, wait a minute!"

"I said I didn't want to see your face again, didn't I? Did you forget that?"

Blake was getting angrier. However, Joanna could only see Rose's presence on the bed.

Why is she lying on the bed?

Originally, it was the bed that she was supposed to share with the Crown Prince.

Blake would definitely fall in love with Joanna.

If the Crown Prince spent just one passionate night together with Joanna, he would forget about all other girls.

Joanna thought so and organized everything in this bedroom. She had paid particular attention to the bed.

'So why is that girl lying on the bed. It should've been me! Why is the Crown Prince doing all this for such an ugly woman!?'

Joanna tried to suppress her anger. This was her last chance. She had to win him over by all means.

"Your Highness, I'm here to clear up a misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding?"

"Yes, Ms. Rose chose the room herself. I had no idea she would choose it."

Blake trembled with rage at the blatant lie.