My room was next to my brothers’. I didn’t know if that was a good idea. I kept thinking what will happen if my brothers decide to have a passionate time with someone they might meet here…

Well, maybe everyone will be careful. Physical relationships before marriage usually caused a huge scandal. And rumours spread really fast. Someone could blurt it out, or someone else would whisper it in someone else’s ear. There were guards constantly patrolling the corridors…

But maybe nobody will be brave enough to do it with the Princess staying here. No one wanted to make a bad impression on the members of the royal family. Ah, there is one person who wouldn’t care. The host himself.  

I finally could take that warm bath I had been intending to. I got rid of my clothes with Amy’s help and decided on a nap. Even though I was tired, and the bed was soft and comfy, I couldn’t fall asleep. After tossing and turning on the most luxurious mattress, I gave up on sleep and decided to think things through.

I really don’t know what this Grand Duke is thinking. He is a crazy man, indeed. Why does he want to marry me despite knowing who I was? He died in the prison because he avenged me?

He didn’t exactly say it was revenge. But he knew what he was doing. It was clear who he did it for. He had acknowledged his feelings too late. Since when did he feel that way for me? When did it start? I had never noticed. He had never even hinted at it. I had rationalised that what I felt for him maybe just an obsession or because of loneliness. I had convinced myself of that because I had thought he would never want me. And now that I had a normal life, I felt like I didn’t really need love at all. 

Ahhhhh, I am really very confused now!

I buried my face in the pillow and tried to empty my mind. But his words didn’t leave me. Suddenly something came to mind:

“If you are not interested in it, then I am not either. It doesn’t matter to me who dies and who kills.”

I jumped from my bed. Amy, who was sleeping on a bed beside me, also woke up. “I am sorry,” said I, “Go back to sleep Amy. It’s nothing.”

Amy blinked and lay down after a while. I lay back down on my bed and tried to remember his exact words.

“The ability to see the future isn’t possessed by the Kings and their heirs. Generation and generation of Grand Dukes have possessed that gift.”

“I think I can see the future.”

I jumped awake. Really? Amy startled awake this time and looked at me questioningly. Instead of urging her to go back to sleep, I gestured to her. “The Grand Duke has something he wants to give me. Could you bring that to me?” I asked.

“Something for you?” said Amy, eyes sparkling. I hoped she wasn’t thinking it would be a love letter of sorts. Amy was always so quick to jump to conclusions.  

“It’s just a document about advice on how to approach the royal family.”

“Ah…” said Amy, a bit disappointed. She left the room. I gave up on my plan for a nap and got up from the bed. I paced in the room. Future, past, past life, current life, murder, nobles, royal family…

Marriage.

No, that is definitely something I can’t resolve at the moment. I don’t want to think about it right now. 

Murder.

That was more like it! If this murderer is left unchecked, situation was going to get worse. He will target noble women and when the time comes, maybe even the royal family. By then it will be too late to take any action to find him. It would take a tragedy to shake the royal family to spring into action but too many innocents would be killed waiting for that to happen.

He will be caught. If he liked to showcase his handiwork, he doesn’t seem like a person who puts much thought and effort into hiding himself. There was no technology like forensic science and photographs in this world but still…

Solving this definitely won’t be easy. If people had seen him, it would be hard for them to describe. Human memory is fallible anyway. Hair and Fingerprints are out of the question as well. 

“This is going to be harder than I thought.”

I went to the middle of the room and sat down on a chair. There are no guns, explosives, or cars with lightning speed in this world. There were a lot of blind spots. There are no CCTVs or black boxes. When it comes to surveillance, all they have are servants and guards, but servants are used to pretending not to have seen or heard anything most of the time. There will be almost no one who can question the servants properly.