But I still felt it wasn't enough.

As dusk fell, I crept up to Joshua's door and poked a tiny hole in the paper window to sneak a peek.

Joshua was inside, his back to me, his hair draped across his chest. He was slowly peeling off his robe to reveal a broad back, apparently getting ready for a bath.

I found myself swallowing hard.

Just as he was about to drop his underwear, I heard footsteps behind me.

Panicked, I pushed open the door and slipped into Joshua's room.

Our eyes met, and we froze in silence.

Startled, Joshua clumsily tried to cover up, his hands darting back and forth.

Lucky me, it was the perfect moment. I lunged at Joshua, grabbing his waist and crying my eyes out.

Joshua stood there with his arms out, unsure what to do next.

Watching me struggle for breath between sobs, he let out a deep sigh and started to pat my back to help me catch my breath. "What happened?"

With my face buried in his chest, I whimpered, "Someone broke into my room, trying to... you know."

Joshua gasped, "What? That happened?"

I nodded furiously, my cries growing louder as I clung to his waist. "Mr. Quincy, I'm so frightened. Can I stay in your room?"

"Miss Stewart, that's not appropriate," Joshua said, his body tense, his voice strained. "If people found out, it would ruin your reputation."

"But..." I looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, gripping his hands tighter. "I'm still sick. I barely escaped today. Who knows if I'd be so lucky next time."

My fingernails gently traced his skin, causing him to shiver slightly. "You wouldn't want to find me dead next time, would you, Mr. Quincy?"

So, I ended up moving into Joshua's room.

I took the bed, and Joshua made do with the floor.

At night, I used a spell to shift Joshua up onto the bed.

When Joshua woke up the next morning, the first thing he saw was my face.

I opened my eyes slowly and caught his bewildered look.

He scrambled off the bed and checked that his clothes were in place, breathing a sigh of relief. Stammering, he said, "Miss... Miss Stewart, I... I have no idea how I ended up on the bed. I..."

When I didn't react, Joshua got flustered. He held up his right hand and swore, "Miss Stewart, I swear I didn't think anything inappropriate."

I nodded slightly. "Don't worry, I believe you. It was just too cold last night."

Joshua wasn't expecting that answer. He might have been ready to take responsibility. He hesitated, then asked, "Miss Stewart, why do you trust me so much?"

He had asked me this once before.

My response was the same as before. "Because you're a gentleman."

Then I got up, grabbed a basin, and left the room.

Left alone, Joshua sat on the bed in a daze. His ears turned red, and he yanked a blanket over his face. He cursed himself silently, murmuring, "I'm no gentleman."

With Joshua taking care of me, my "illness" cleared up quickly.

We prepared to continue on to Landon.

Checking out of the inn, the innkeeper's suggestive glances bounced between Joshua and me. Pulling me aside just before we left, she advised earnestly, "Miss, keep an eye on your man. He's quite the catch, and you don't want anyone stealing him away."

I turned back to see Joshua, catching his warm gaze.

Then, with a chuckle, I grabbed Joshua's arm. "Of course, I will."

After a grueling half-month journey, the towering city walls of Landon finally loomed before us.

I wondered how Joshua was doing academically this lifetime and whether he'd manage to secure a government position.

Anyway, I'd never been the wife of an official before.

"What's on your mind?" Joshua asked, catching my longing gaze.

I was munching on a candied apple, its sugary coating dissolving into a tangy sweetness in my mouth. "Just wondering if you'll do well on the imperial test and become an official," I said as I chewed. "Then I could have all the candied apples I could ever want."

Joshua gave a soft laugh, which sounded like music to me. "For your candied apples, Miss Stewart, I'll do my very best."

On the day of the exam, I packed a lot for Joshua, including snacks, a cushion, a blanket, and even pots and pans.

I didn't forget a good luck charm because I knew how much mortals valued such things.

Another woman, who was there to see her husband off, looked at Joshua and said enviously, "You're so lucky. Your husband is incredibly handsome."

Normally Joshua would blush at such comments, but this time, I was the one who turned red.

The place was packed, so it wasn't the time to argue with the woman.

Joshua caught my hand, his deep eyes locking onto mine. "No, I'm the lucky one, having married such a good wife."

Joshua had already disappeared inside the exam hall, and I stood there, still processing his words.

I mused, "What did he just say?"

It was just like him, keeping me on edge no matter the lifetime. He'd always enjoyed making me wait.

A few words from him once had me waiting for centuries.

This time, his offhand comment had me distracted for nine days.

"Joshua, you're such a rascal!" I grumbled as I poked at an anthill with a stick.

While crouching under a tree destroying another anthill, a pair of feet stopped in front of me.

I looked up to see none other than a smiling Joshua.

"Seriously, Joshua!" I exclaimed as I jumped up, my head spinning and stars in my eyes. Joshua quickly steadied me.

"Why am I always the one waiting?" I blurted out, annoyed.

Joshua looked a bit puzzled. I realized he didn't quite understand the full weight of my "always."

I cleared my throat and turned slightly away. "So, how did the exam go?"

He pondered for a moment, chin in hand. "Well, getting you endless candied apples won't be a problem, darling."

"I'm not your darling," I retorted.

"You haven't proposed yet, and I haven't agreed. How did I suddenly become your darling?" I mused silently.

"We're together, sure. But this lifetime's dating and marriage rituals still apply. How could I just marry him without that?" I reasoned.

Joshua wasn't just talking big. He could now buy me endless candied apples. And heck, he could buy the world's supply if he wanted to.

He had aced the imperial test, coming out on top, and the emperor himself had awarded him first place.

Riding high on his success, Joshua took me back to his hometown to break the good news. I braced myself to meet his parents.

Having faced many challenges, including meeting the parents of Joshua's past seven incarnations, a lonely old father once, and an orphaned younger brother another time, I was still nervous.

The day before we were to visit the Quincy Mansion, Joshua held my hand, trying to ease my worries. But the next day brought shocking news. His parents flat-out rejected our marriage.

They claimed Joshua was already promised to someone else since childhood.

I didn't need to look in a mirror to know I had turned ghostly pale.

"A childhood promise? And Joshua knew all along. What am I to him then?" I thought.

Joshua's mother, Fiona, looked at me with pity. She pushed a bag of silver coins into my hands. "Miss Stewart, the Quincy family appreciates all you've done for Joshua. This is a token of our gratitude.

You and Joshua aren't right for each other. If you truly love him, let him go."

My head spun, and I felt a chill run through me as reality set in.

I stood there, with the bag of silver coins in my hands, each one feeling like a ton.

I had never imagined Joshua could do this to me.

It felt like my heart was being squeezed out of my chest, shattering with a snap, impossible to put back together.

"Where's Joshua? I need to see him," I insisted.

Fiona waved her hand dismissively, and her servants began dragging me out of the Quincy Mansion.

Overwhelmed with grief, I'd forgotten how to use my spells. I struggled clumsily, tears streaming down my face as I screamed, "Joshua! Joshua!

Why won't you face me, Joshua?"

The servants dumped me in the street and spit after me.

"Mr. Quincy is the emperor's personally appointed top scholar. You think you're worthy of him?" one of them scoffed.

Another mocked, "This fool dreams of being Mrs. Quincy."

They burst into laughter.

Drained of all strength, I collapsed to the ground, coins scattering around me.

Spectators swarmed to snatch up the silver.

The pain of being trampled on and my face scraping against the ground didn't compare to the agony in my chest.

"You're so cruel," I murmured.

When I came to, I found myself in a woodshed.

The ropes around my wrists and ankles spoke volumes about my situation.

"Warren, she's awake," said a man.

A rough, dark hand grabbed my face, forcing me to look up.

The man was dark-skinned with a bushy beard. Beside him stood a short, skinny man who had spoken earlier.

This scene felt eerily familiar, though I couldn't quite place it.

Warren examined me for a moment before letting go. "Hmm, she's quite pretty."

"Exactly. And she's been with the latest top scholar. It makes her worth even more," the shorter man said with a wicked grin.

Warren frowned. "We aren't going to run into any trouble, right?"

"Not a chance. The Quincy family tossed her out. We're clear," the other assured.

"Good," Warren replied.

From their brief exchange, I realized they were human traffickers.

I leaned my head against the woodpile, feeling numb.

By now, what happened to me hardly mattered.

Whether I escaped or ended up being sold, it all seemed irrelevant now.

There would be no next life for me, no future with Joshua.

It dawned on me that all my previous lives had been built on false hope.

Lost in thought, I pondered, "If I hadn't been so persistent all these years, would Joshua have already married someone else?

He is such a big liar."