emely powerful, and even with a treacherous ruler he had leverage to get what he wanted.

"What are you talking about, sister? That's treasonous! If our father knew that you had such a profane words in your mouth, you would be in so much trouble no matter how old you are."
Mirabelle glanced around to see if anyone had overheard their conversation. Her cautious demeanor filled Elena's mind with questions. She couldn't figure out what this was all about.

"You're being strange today. Of course, there is only one Crown Prince of Ruford. Prince Carlisle."
Carlisle? As soon as she heard the name, recognition flashed into Elena's head.

Carlisle van Dimitri Ruford.

Who Mirabelle referred to was the prince who was assassinated twenty years ago. Elena had a sudden realization, and it was if a tangled silk thread unraveled all at once.

"Mirabelle, what year is it?"

"It's year 367 of the Empire. Did you forget that, too?"
At that moment Elena was unable to say anything, as if she had been struck by lightning. It was exactly twenty years in the past around the time of the crown prince's death. And it was only year or so before the royal family was destroyed.

Elena remembered it clearly. In the past, the crown prince was to appear in society for the first time, and Elena was accompanied by Mirabelle at the ball. At the end of the day however, they had gone home without seeing him. It was only later that it was revealed that the prince did not attend because he had been assassinated, then six months later the royal family began to decline when it had been revealed that the emperor had been fighting a long-term illness.

Yes, she remembered now. Mirabelle had also rushed into her room like this when she learned the crown prince was going to attend the ball this time.

Today was...

Was it really that day? What had happened so far passed through Elena's head in a panorama.

'I'm really back in the past?'
It was impossible to believe. How on earth? Why? A host of unsolved questions arose. There was no one to ask, and no one to give an answer.

She began to realize that this moment, which she thought was only a fantasy, was in fact reality. She turned pale as if she had forgotten how to breathe.

"Are you alright?"
Mirabelle held her older sister's hand carefully, gazing at her with anxious eyes. Despite such this small gesture, Elena was close to tears again. It didn't matter how she got back to the past. Now there was a real chance to protect her family she treasured so much. She would never let such a future come again.

Elena gripped Mirabelle's hand and spoke with a devoted whisper.

"This time, I promise to protect you. No matter what happens..."
Mirabelle slowly nodded at her sister's strong words. She was acting strangely today. At first she had thought Elena was under stress for having to manage the Count's affairs, but Elena had said some unexpected things.

"Are you really okay, my sister?"

"Of course, especially when you're in front of me like this. How could I not be okay? This moment is for me...I cannot describe how much I appreciate it. Thank you for being alive, Mirabelle."
Mirabelle's face flushed with embarrassment. She didn't understand why her older sister was acting this way, but she smiled shyly anyway because it meant Elena loved her. The fact the Elena was the best sister in the world would never change.

Elena leaned back, hugging Mirabelle tightly, and looked at her tenderly as if she was handling a fragile object. Elena couldn't almost bear to look at her, and her heart ached for the future that Mirabelle didn't know.

A thought suddenly came to Elena's mind.

"Where is Father now?"

"You said yesterday that Father had urgent business today and he wouldn't be back until evening."

"Oh, did I..."
Elena gave her an awkward smile then thought carefully. In order to avoid the same tragedy she had to do something at once. There wasn't much time left to change the future.

Should she run to her father and tell him about his future? Elena immediately shook her head. It was doubtful whether he would believe this outlandish story, which she found difficult to understand herself, and even if he believed what she said, the Blaise family was absolutely loyal to the royal family. Her father was a man who would fight to the death rather than run away. Because of this, he had been killed in his previous life by the Emperor Paveluc.

How could she stop Paveluc from becoming emperor? No one knew it now, but the 12th Emperor Sullivan was suffering from a serious long-term illness. The present emperor would die soon.

'...Should I assassinate Paveluc before then?'
Even if she returned to the past and her skills with the sword did not disappear completely, it would be necessary to train her body again to peak physical condition. She had failed in her original goal, but she was still the one who pointed her sword at the infamous Emperor Paveluc cut off his arm.

But even if the assassination was successful...

The royal family would hunt down the person who killed Paveluc, ignorant of his deeds. The Blaise family wouldn't be able to avoid responsibility. And if she failed...

She closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to even think of the outcome. Although she did not want to admit it, she had worked her whole life to kill Paveluc. Elena knew better than anyone how strong he was. She had already lost to him once. Was it possible to win with this second chance? There wasn't a guarantee that she would be able to kill Paveluc this time while concealing her identity. She could not risk the lives of her family against such a slim chance.

'...I can't afford to fail.'
Even if the worst possible outcome were to happen, she needed to be able to ensure that the Blaise family survived, but a good plan didn't come to mind. Even though she had valiantly sacrificed herself in her previous life, she was more ashamed that she could not avenge her family's deaths.

She had done everything that could be done alone. Now he needed an assistant to give her strength.

'If there was only someone who could help me...'
There was only one person that came to mind.

'...Prince Carlisle?'
To her knowledge, he was supposed to die in a few days. But...what if he didn't die? The crown prince, son of the present emperor, would be the biggest obstacle to Paveluc, even if Carlisle only accomplished half of his achievements on the battlefield. No, it would be very helpful if the rumors about him were true. Furthermore, if she could make him emperor he could stand in the way of Paveluc's rise to power.

She had to save Prince Carlisle, someone who should have died. It would be a decision that would further shake the whole continent. The effects of it would be unpredictable. After a moment's hesitation, Elena laughed at herself coldly.

'I don't care if the whole world drowns in blood. I only want to save my family...'
She would walk with a smile down this bloodstained road. Elena looked down at Mirabelle's bright eyes and made a deep vow once again.

She'll save her this time. No matter the cost.