Chapter 2
The mark on Raphaella’s neck was about the size of a fingertip.
“…Rafi, wait a second.”
Leah carefully rubbed the mark on her daughter’s neck with her sleeve.
She rubbed gently at first, then a bit harder, hoping it might come off.
“Ow, Mommy, that hurts!”
Rafaella flinched away, her neck stinging.
Only then did Leah realize what she was doing—scrubbing her daughter’s neck like a crazy person.
‘What am I doing? I can’t just rub her neck that hard!’Raphaella’s neck was turning red.
The mark still glowed faintly, unchanged.
“I’m sorry, Rafi.
Did that hurt a lot?”
Leah hugged her daughter and apologized.
The future she’d seen in her dream… it wasn’t just a bad dream after all.
Back inside, Leah handed Rafaella a mirror.
“Rafi, do you see anything on your neck?”
Raphaella tilted her head while checking in the mirror.
“There’s nothing there.”
“Nothing at all?”
“Nope.
Why, is something there?”
“…”
So… Raphaella can’t see the mark.
But it’s so clear to Leah.
“Take another look.
Are you sure you don’t see anything?”
“I said I don’t! Mommy, what’s wrong with you today?”
Raphaella frowned, confused.
‘I really hoped it was just a dream.’
Leah wanted to believe it wasn’t real.
She wanted to pretend the future she’d seen—one where both she and her daughter suffered—was just her imagination.
But the goddess had marked Raphaella’s neck to prove it wasn’t just a dream.
To make sure Leah wouldn’t forget.
‘Maybe it’s better that only I can see it.
Other people would probably freak out if they saw this.’
Leah decided to accept reality now.
Whether it was a prophecy from the goddess or her second time living this life.
‘The goddess told me to change my own life to change Raphaella’s fate.’
Maybe she couldn’t avoid her own death from that unknown illness…But she could change how she lived the remaining year and a half—for Raphaella.
And for that—“Mommy! Mommy!”
“Huh?”
“Didn’t you say you were going somewhere early this morning?”
“…I did?”
“Yeah! You said you were going to the city to sell that thing.”
Raphaella pointed to something: a large sword wrapped in cloth.
It was the only thing her husband had with him when he was found unconscious with no memory.
Just looking at it brought the memory back—The day she sold that sword.
Leah lived in a small village on the slope of Mount Lorem.
The people there lived off the mountain and rarely went down to the city.
Only Leah’s grandmother had ever really gone often.
But Leah ended up going because of the village chief, who had just returned from the city after preparing for his son’s wedding.
He came to Leah with a piece of newspaper.
There was a drawing of a man and woman on it.
Even though it was just a drawing, the man looked just like her missing husband.
The article below said that the Duke of Blumhardt, who had been missing, was now engaged to the Empire’s princess.
That newspaper was from about two years ago.
The only thing her husband ever remembered was the word “Hart.”
And now she knew—it wasn’t his name.
It was his last name.
‘So he left us… to return to where he belonged.’
Anger and betrayal made her body shake.
The man who once spoke of love…
had abandoned them.
She couldn’t stand the sight of the sword anymore.
‘Ugh, I don’t even want to look at it!’
She wrapped it in cloth and left Raphaella with a friend, then went to the city to sell it.
She didn’t even look around the city.
She went straight to a weapon shop, sold the sword, and returned home.
‘It’s like the memory came back naturally, like I already lived through it before.’
The emotions were still just as strong.
‘…Did I really come back in time, rather than just receive a vision from the goddess?’
Time travel, huh…
“Heh…”
It was almost too ridiculous to believe.
Grrrrrr~
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Raphaella’s stomach.
“…Oh no! We haven’t even eaten yet!”
Leah quickly made a meal, and they ate a late breakfast/lunch together.
‘After we eat, I need to really think about what to do.’
While doing the dishes, she remembered what happened before she died.
She had found her husband and gone to see him—with Raphaella.
And what he said was…
“I’m sorry, but I don’t remember you.”
“…What?”
“I’ve never seen you or that child in my life.”
He was cold.
He didn’t remember anything about their time together, or even their daughter.
‘At first I thought he was lying.
But he really didn’t remember anything.’
His eyes, his voice—everything was different.
He wasn’t the same person anymore.
He treated Raphaella like a stranger.
No warmth, no affection.
Just obligation.
Leah didn’t remember all the details, only bits and pieces of Raphaella’s life,but she knew one thing for sure.
A child raised without love turned into something twisted.
Her daughter had grown up like that.
By the time her husband realized it, it was too late.
Even when he got his memories back, Raphaella didn’t care about him anymore.
He tried to fix it, but she had already changed too much.
‘If he doesn’t love her from the start—regardless of his memories—it’ll all happen again.’
That’s why she had to make sure they met soon.
While she was still alive.
To help them build a bond.
‘…Winter is coming.
If we don’t leave soon, the roads might be blocked.’
Mount Lorem was in the north, and winter hit early there.
Once the snowstorms started and monsters came down from the “Black Mountains,” no one could travel.
‘We need to leave tomorrow morning at the latest.’
Leah made up her mind and visited a friend to let her know she’d be going to the capital for a while.
At dinner that evening, she brought up the topic gently.
“Rafi, do you want to see Daddy?”
“Daddy?”
Raphaella looked confused while eating stew.
“You said he’s really, really far away.”
When her husband disappeared, Leah had told her young daughter that he’d gone far away and wouldn’t be back for a few years.
“Well… he can’t come see us, but we can go see him.”
“Really? We’re going to see Daddy?”
Raphaella got excited, her feet kicking under the table.
“Yes.
But, Raffi… Daddy’s kind of sick.”
“Sick? What kind of sick?”
Leah’s throat tightened.
Would her daughter even understand?
“…He hit his head and forgot about us.”
“He… forgot us?”
“Yeah.
He won’t recognize us.”
“Not even Mommy or me?”
“…No.”
Raphaella’s emerald eyes filled with tears.
“It’s because Daddy’s sick, Rafi.”
“…Is that kind of sickness real?”
Leah knelt down and held her daughter.
“…Yes, and that’s why we’re going to remind him who we are.”
“…Mommy, do you think Daddy will remember us again?”
“He will.
I promise.”
Leah kissed her on the head.
“So, should we go see Daddy?”
“Yeah! Let’s go!”
Raphaella wiped her tears and raised her little fists with determination.
After giving her daughter a bath and putting her to bed, Leah started packing.
She had to travel all the way to the capital with her daughter, and she had only gone there once before.
She had to pack light but smart.
Too much weight would only make things harder.
When she finished packing, she looked down at the cloth-wrapped sword.
Once, it reminded her of her husband’s love.
Then, it was a symbol of betrayal.
Now… she didn’t feel much at all.
She placed the sword beside the luggage.
Back then, when she visited the Duke’s estate, no one believed her.
They thought she was a scammer because she had no proof.
Even though Raphaella looked just like her dad.
It wasn’t until the bloodstone test that they believed her.
She didn’t care if people called her a liar.
But she wouldn’t let her daughter go through that pain.
‘So do your job well, sword.’
—
The next morning, before the sun even rise, Leah woke up and changed clothes.
She didn’t have much time if she w
anted to catch the stagecoach to the capital from the city.
With everything ready, she carried her bag, lifted the sleeping Raphaella onto her back, and grabbed the sword.
‘Raphaella… This time, I’ll make sure you don’t grow up that way.
I’ll make sure you’re surrounded by love.
I promise.’
