Chapter 274

Upon hearing Aendydn's words, Yelena tried to recall their past conversation.

It took her only a brief moment.

"The friend you befriended while you were away from the kingdom, the one who participated in the war against the northern migrants?"

"Yes, that's the one."

"He seems to have returned safely."

They had agreed to meet once the war was over and he had returned safely.

Fortunately, he appeared to have been safe from the demonic beast invasion.

Aendydn gave a faint smile.

"Yes."

"Great. So, when will you introduce us?"

Just then, a maid served tea in the drawing room.

As Yelena took her share of the tea, she casually inquired,

"If you're not too busy, can we arrange a meeting?"

"Let's do that then."

Although she had been busy until recently, she now had a fair amount of free time.

Meeting someone wasn't particularly challenging.

'A friend, huh...'

Sipping her lukewarm tea, Yelena curiously looked at Aendydn.

I wonder who it might be.

Even though she was the one who had initially asked for an introduction, seeing Aendydn readily accept and now following through on the promise, she assumed this friend was someone noteworthy.

Moreover, considering Aendydn befriended him during his time away from the kingdom, she might hear stories about what Aendydn had done during his absence.

'He wouldn't willingly share, though.'

Caught in this train of thought, Yelena suddenly asked,

"What's his name?"

If he was part of the support troops led by her husband, he might be a knight or a noble from the kingdom.

Perhaps she had heard his name before.

"Dennan."

"Dennan?"

"Dennan Trecis."

'I don't recognize that name.'

Yelena blinked, tilting her teacup.

She couldn't determine whether she had never heard it or had forgotten, but nothing came to mind immediately.

"Oh, no, my apologies."

At that moment, Aendydn corrected himself with a nod.

"I made a mistake. It's not 'Tresis,' but 'Milisto' now."

"Milisto?"

"He had adopted his father's last name, but he recently changed it to his mother's."

Saying this, Aendydn shrugged in his seat.

He seemed notably proud of this detail.

From the little she could discern, there appeared to be some intricate family dynamics on his side.

'Milisto...'

Yelena tilted her head slightly as she lifted her teacup to her lips.

It felt like a name she might have encountered before.

Yet, it also didn't resonate immediately...

Suddenly, a vivid scene and a voice flashed in Yelena's mind.

A future devastated by the demonic beasts.

With the assistance of a maid, she had desperately sought refuge in a bar.

Yelena had urgently knocked on the solid door of the bar.

Then-

"Who is it?"

"It's Yelena, Yelena Sorte. The third child from the House of Sorte."

"Yelena Sorte? Ah, Lady Milisto! Please, come in."

"Pffft!"

"Yelena?"

Yelena spat out her tea.

Surprised, Aendydn half-rose from his seat.

A maid, who had been waiting on one side of the room, rapidly approached and presented Yelena with a handkerchief.

Setting down her teacup, Yelena used the handkerchief to clean the mess around her mouth.

Her pink eyes shimmered with realization.

'Lady Milisto!'

She remembered.

That had been the title, Anna and Hans, the couple from a future 20 years later, had used to address her.

'Then, the friend Aendydn intended to introduce to me is...'

A former husband?

Upon this inadvertent thought, Yelena immediately shook her head.

The term "former husband" was misplaced.

What she had glimpsed wasn't the past but a possible future. Moreover, a future that was no longer destined to occur.

Dennen Milisto wasn't a man who 'had been' her husband, but someone who 'could have been.'

"Yelena, are you okay?"

"...I'm fine. But Aendydn?"

Yelena, having reined in her emotional turbulence, spoke.

Seeing her composed demeanor, Aendydn sat down from his half-risen position.

"Well, go on."

"About your friend... Let's forget about the introduction."

"What? All of a sudden?"

"I changed my mind on a whim."

The decision wasn't hard.

Even if it was a future that wouldn't come to pass, Yelena had glimpsed a life as Lady Milisto where she had a husband and bore two children.

'In that future, the maid who referred to me as "Lady" mentioned a young master and a young miss.'

Seeing his face would inevitably bring that reality to her mind.

Even if she tried not to care, she would naturally become conscious of him.

She didn't want that.

Especially not now, with her beloved husband by her side.