Chapter : 1745

  He spat at her feet.

  "You," the Original Lloyd screamed. His voice was raw, a broken animal sound. "You did this! You left us to die!"

  Rosa froze. The pain on her face was excruciating. It was the look of someone who had run through hell to get home, only to find the door barred.

  "Lloyd, no," she stammered. "I... the invasion... it was a trick. I came back as fast as I could. I didn't know!"

  "Liar!" Lloyd screamed. He picked up the bloody Siddik banner from the ground and threw it at her. It hit her in the chest and slid to the mud. "Your banner! Your men! They laughed while they butchered my mother! They said you sent your regards!"

  Rosa stared at the banner. She looked at the faces of the survivors. They all looked at her with fear and loathing.

  She tried to explain. She tried to tell them about the trap. But to a man who had just buried his parents, it sounded like the excuses of a politician covering her tracks.

  "Mammon was watching," the Reflection said. "I didn't see him then, but I see him now."

  Lloyd looked up. In the shadow of a ruined tower, high above the courtyard, the androgynous figure of Mammon stood. He was watching the scene with a look of pure, orgasmic delight. He was feeding on the misery. He was drinking the misunderstanding like fine wine.

  "He takes delight in these subtle, world-breaking manipulations," the Reflection said. "He is the architect of my misery. He turned the one person who could have saved me into the object of my hatred. And I fell for it. Hook, line, and sinker."

  Lloyd watched as Rosa, rejected and accused, slowly lowered her hands. The hurt in her eyes was too much to bear. To survive the pain, she did the only thing she could.

  Her expression hardened. The vulnerability vanished, replaced by a glaze of ice. She straightened her back. She looked at her husband—the man she had tried to protect—and realized he would never believe her.

  She nodded once. It was a cold, stiff motion.

  "If that is what you believe," she said, her voice dropping twenty degrees, "then I will leave you to your mourning."

  She turned and walked away. She didn't look back. She isolated herself in a fortress of cold because the world had decided she was a monster.

  "And that," Lloyd said, feeling a heavy weight settle in his gut, "is how the Ice Queen was born. Not from pride. But from being accused of a crime she didn't commit by the husband she failed to save."

  "Exactly," the Reflection said, closing his eyes. "Mammon won that day. He didn't just take the North. He took the truth."

  The dreamscape shifted again. The smoke and blood of the battlefield faded away, dissolved by the swirling colors of Lloyd’s subconscious. When the world formed again, it was quieter. It was a few years later in the timeline of the first life.

  The setting was a small, cluttered room in the back of the Ferrum estate. It looked more like a storage closet than a laboratory. The shelves were packed with dried leaves, strange roots, and glass jars filled with murky liquids. The air smelled sharp and bitter, like crushed mint mixed with old paper.

  The Original Lloyd sat at a wooden table, his head in his hands. He looked older than in the previous memory. The baby fat was gone from his face, replaced by the sharp angles of stress and sleepless nights. His eyes were red-rimmed. He looked like a man who was slowly drowning but trying to pretend he knew how to swim.

  "I was so lost back then," the Reflection said. He stood beside the current Lloyd, watching his past self with a mixture of pity and disgust. "I had no spirit power. My mana channels were blocked. My 'Void' ability was asleep. In a world where strength was everything, I was a joke. A mistake."

  Lloyd watched as his past self sat up and began to grind herbs in a stone bowl. The motion was rhythmic, almost desperate.

  "So," the Reflection continued, "I tried to find another way. I couldn't be a mage, and I couldn't be a warrior. So, I tried to be a doctor. I didn't have the advanced medical knowledge you brought from Earth. I just had old books and desperation. I wanted to prove that I wasn't useless."

  Chapter : 1746

  The scene changed. It was late at night. The moon was hidden behind thick, grey clouds. The Original Lloyd was walking through the hallways of the estate. He wasn't walking like the master of the house; he was creeping along the walls like a thief. He wore a dark cloak, and he clutched a small glass vial to his chest as if it were a diamond.

  He reached the guest wing where the Siddik family was staying. He stopped in front of a large oak door. Inside, he could hear the sound of labored breathing. It was a wet, rattling sound, like air struggling to pass through water.

  This was the room of Lady Nilufa, Rosa’s mother.

  "She was dying," Lloyd whispered, remembering the history. "The curse. It paralyzed her and slowly shut down her organs."

  "Yes," the Reflection said. "And no one could fix it. The best healers in the kingdom had failed. The priests had failed. Rosa was spending a fortune on magical remedies, but her mother was just fading away."

  The Original Lloyd pushed the door open silently. The room was dark, lit only by a single dying candle. The smell of sickness was heavy in the air. Lady Nilufa lay in the bed. She looked like a skeleton covered in thin, pale skin. Her body was thrashing slightly, her muscles twitching in pain even while she slept.

  The Original Lloyd approached the bed. His hands were shaking. He uncorked the vial he had brought. The liquid inside was a dull green color. It wasn't a magical elixir. It was a mixture of rare sedatives and muscle relaxants he had distilled from poisonous plants. It was dangerous. If he gave her too much, it would stop her heart.

  "I was terrified," the Reflection admitted. "If I killed her, it would be war. The Siddik family would destroy us. But I couldn't just watch her suffer. I couldn't watch Rosa cry anymore."

  Lloyd watched as his past self gently lifted the sick woman’s head. He tilted the vial against her lips.

  "Just a little," the Original Lloyd whispered, his voice trembling. "Please work. Just give her some peace."

  A drop of the green liquid slid into her mouth. Then another.

  The reaction was almost instant. Lady Nilufa’s thrashing slowed down. The tension in her face relaxed. The rattling in her chest smoothed out into a steady, quiet rhythm. She wasn't cured—the curse was still there—but the pain was gone for the night. She settled into a deep, restful sleep.

  The Original Lloyd let out a long breath he had been holding. He wiped sweat from his forehead. A small, weak smile appeared on his face. It was the smile of a man who had finally done something right.

  Then, the floorboard creaked behind him.

  The Original Lloyd froze. He spun around, hiding the vial behind his back.

  Rosa stood in the doorway.

  She was wearing a simple nightgown, and her silver hair was loose, cascading down her shoulders. She looked exhausted. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her face was pale. She held a lamp in her hand, and the light cast long, dancing shadows on the walls.

  She stared at Lloyd. Then she looked at her mother, who was sleeping peacefully for the first time in months. Then she looked back at Lloyd.

  Her expression was unreadable. It was the famous "Ice Queen" mask.

  "What are you doing?" Rosa asked. Her voice was quiet, but it was sharp, like cracking ice. "What did you give her?"

  The Original Lloyd stammered. He stepped back, terrified. "I... I didn't hurt her! It's just... it's just herbs! Night-root and silver-leaf! It helps with the spasms! I swear, Rosa, I was just trying to help!"

  He expected her to yell. He expected her to call the guards. He expected her to accuse him of trying to poison her mother.

  But Rosa didn't yell. She walked past him to the bed. She placed her hand on her mother’s forehead. She checked her pulse. She listened to her breathing.

  Slowly, the tension left Rosa’s shoulders. She realized the truth. Her mother wasn't in pain. The agony that had kept them both awake for weeks was gone.

  Rosa turned back to Lloyd. The mask cracked. Her eyes widened, and for a moment, she didn't look like a powerful mage or a political leader. She just looked like a daughter who was scared and grateful.

  "You made this?" she asked, looking at the vial in his hand.

  Chapter : 1747

  "I... yes," Lloyd mumbled, looking at his boots. "I know I'm not a healer. I know I have no magic. But I read that silver-leaf can numb the nerves if you boil it right. I just... I wanted to do something."

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Rosa stared at him. For years, she had looked at him and seen a failure. She had seen a husband who was weak, insecure, and useless to her family. But now, in the dim light of the sickroom, she saw something else.

  She saw a man who had risked his reputation, and maybe his life, to ease her mother’s pain. She saw a man who had come in secret because he didn't want credit.

  "Thank you," Rosa whispered.

  The words hung in the air. The Original Lloyd looked up, shocked. It was the first time she had ever thanked him with genuine warmth.

  "It's not a cure," Lloyd said quickly, feeling his face get hot. "It's just... a diluted miracle. It won't last long."

  "It's enough," Rosa said. She took a step closer to him. The cold air that usually surrounded her seemed to fade. "Tonight, it is enough."

  The scene fast-forwarded. The days and weeks that followed began to blur together, showing a montage of small moments.

  The relationship between them began to shift. The ice was melting, drop by drop.

  Lloyd saw Rosa leave a rare book on medicine on his desk. She didn't say anything about it; she just left it there.

  He saw the Original Lloyd making sure Rosa’s tea was brewed exactly how she liked it—extra hot, with a slice of lemon.

  He saw them walking in the garden. They weren't holding hands, and they weren't talking much, but the silence wasn't heavy anymore. It was comfortable.

  "We were getting close," the Reflection said softly. "She was ready to open up. She was waiting for me to step forward. She was waiting for me to be the husband she needed."

  "So what happened?" the current Lloyd asked, feeling a heavy knot in his stomach. "It looks like things were working out."

  "Timing," the Reflection said with a bitter laugh. "Timing is the killer of all good things. Just as Rosa was starting to lower her walls... I found a door that was already open."

  The scene shifted to a library. It was raining outside, creating a cozy atmosphere inside. The Original Lloyd was sitting by the fireplace. But he wasn't alone.

  Sitting across from him was a woman with soft brown hair and a gentle smile. She was laughing at something Lloyd had said. Her laughter was warm and easy.

  It was Mina. Rosa’s elder sister.

  "Mina," Lloyd whispered.

  "She was everything Rosa wasn't," the Reflection explained. "Rosa was intense. Rosa was brilliant. Rosa was a challenge. Being around Rosa made me feel like I had to prove myself constantly. But Mina... Mina was easy. She didn't care about politics. She didn't care about magic power. She just liked me."

  Lloyd watched his past self lean in closer to Mina. He looked relaxed. He looked happy in a way he never was around Rosa.

  "I took the path of least resistance," the Reflection said. "I was a coward. I didn't want to climb the mountain that was Rosa Siddik. I wanted to sit by the fire with Mina. And that... that was the mistake that Mammon used to destroy us."

  ________________________________________

  The perspective of the dream moved. It floated upwards, passing through the ceiling of the library and landing on the balcony outside on the second floor.

  Rosa was standing there in the rain. She was protected by a thin shield of ice magic that kept the water off her dress, but she looked like she was freezing from the inside out.

  She was looking through the window, down into the library. She could see everything. She saw the firelight dancing on the walls. She saw Lloyd smiling—a genuine, wide smile that she rarely saw. She saw Mina laughing and touching Lloyd’s arm gently.

  Lloyd, the observer, stood next to Rosa on the balcony. He could see her face clearly. It wasn't angry. It was devastated.

  She looked down at her own hands. They were glowing faintly with blue mana. They were cold, deadly, and powerful. Then she looked at Mina, who had no magic but had warmth.

  "She thought she was the problem," the Reflection said. "She thought her power was a curse that drove people away. She saw Mina giving you the comfort that she didn't know how to give."

  Chapter : 1748

  Rosa griped the stone railing of the balcony. The stone cracked under her fingers with a loud snap, but the two people inside the library didn't hear it. They were in their own world.

  "This," the Reflection said, his voice dropping an octave, "is where the poison started."

  The shadows around Rosa began to darken. It wasn't just the night. The darkness seemed to move, to curl around her shoulders like a snake made of smoke.

  Lloyd saw it now. The faint, oily shimmer of Mammon’s influence. The Devil of Greed wasn't physically there, but his power was. He was whispering into the cracks of her broken heart.

  She is replacing you, the whisper said. It didn't sound like a demon. It sounded like Rosa’s own inner voice, but twisted. First, she took your mother’s affection. Now, she takes your husband. You are the Queen, Rosa. You are the genius. But she is the woman he wants.

  Rosa flinched. She shook her head, trying to clear the thought. She loved Mina. Mina was her family. But the whisper was relentless.

  He looks at her with love. He looks at you with fear. Do you see it? You are just a political asset to him. A bank account. A bodyguard. Mina is his wife in every way that matters.

  Rosa’s expression hardened. The sadness began to turn into defense. She straightened her back. The ice shield around her grew thicker, colder. If she couldn't be loved, she would be respected. If she couldn't be the wife, she would be the ruler.

  "She built the wall back up," Lloyd said, realizing the tragedy. "Because she was hurt."

  "And Mammon didn't stop there," the Reflection said.

  The scene shifted again. It was the dining hall of the Ferrum estate. A grand dinner was being served. The table was long and covered in silver platters, but the atmosphere was suffocating.

  Rosa sat at the head of the table. She sat perfectly straight, eating with mechanical precision. She radiated a cold authority.

  Lloyd and Mina sat on the side. The Original Lloyd was pointedly ignoring Rosa. He was talking only to Mina, joking with her, passing her food. It was rude. It was childish.

  But Lloyd could hear the whispers circling his past self’s head, too.

  Look at her, the whisper hissed in Lloyd’s ear. Look at how she watches you. She hates that you are happy. She wants to control you. She thinks you are embarrassing the family by being with Mina. She is jealous of your freedom.

  The Original Lloyd glanced at Rosa. He didn't see a hurt wife. He saw a judgmental tyrant.

  "The lie confirms the fear," the Reflection said. "I felt insecure, so Mammon told me she was judging me. She felt unlovable, so Mammon told her she was being replaced."

  Rosa cleared her throat. The sound echoed in the silent hall.

  "Lloyd," she said. Her voice was stiff. She was trying to start a conversation, but her nerves made her sound commanding. "The reports from the western mines. Have you reviewed them?"

  It was the wrong thing to say. She wanted to include him in the family business. She wanted to treat him like a partner.

  But the Original Lloyd slammed his fork down.

  "Is that all you care about?" he snapped. "The mines? The money? Can't we just have dinner without you acting like my boss?"

  Rosa froze. She looked hurt, but she quickly covered it with a scowl. "I am not acting like your boss. I am trying to ensure we have funds for the winter. Someone has to be responsible."

  "And I suppose that's you?" Lloyd sneered. " The Great Rosa Siddik. Carrying the weight of the useless Ferrum family on her back."

  He stood up, throwing his napkin on the table. He reached out and grabbed Mina’s hand.

  "Come on, Mina," he said. "Let's go somewhere where the air isn't so cold."

  Mina looked between them, her eyes wide with panic. She didn't want to hurt Rosa. She tried to pull her hand away. "Lloyd, please. Sit down. She didn't mean it."

  "She means exactly what she says," Lloyd said. He glared at Rosa. "She always does."

  He dragged Mina out of the room.

  Lloyd, the observer, watched Rosa as she was left alone in the giant dining hall. The servants looked down, pretending not to see.

  Rosa sat there for a long time. She didn't cry. She slowly picked up her fork and took another bite of her food. She chewed, but she didn't taste anything.