The first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the window, falling gently on Emily's face. She slowly opened her eyes, only to find herself lying in a strange, unfamiliar room.
The room was elegantly simple, decorated with deep oak furniture, with subtle thematic tones. A painting depicting a hunting scene hung on the wall. This was definitely not her room.
"You're awake," a deep voice came from across the room.
Emily turned her head and saw Edmund sitting in a chair by the window, bathed in the golden light of the morning. He was still in the same clothes as last night, but he looked a little weary, clearly having stayed up all night.
The memories flooded back in waves, and Emily's face immediately turned red.
"I... I... yesterday..." she stammered, "Did I... did I do something inappropriate?"
Edmund looked at her flustered expression, his lips curving into a slight smile. "You don't remember?"
"I remember feeling really hot, and then... then wanting to find you?" Emily asked cautiously, "We didn't... didn't..."
"Didn't what?" Edmund teased.
"Didn't do anything we shouldn't have?" Emily's voice was barely above a whisper.
Edmund stood up and walked over to the bed. "Do you think I'm the kind of person who would take advantage of someone in such a state?"
"No," Emily quickly answered, "I just... I just don't remember exactly what happened."
"You said some interesting things," Edmund sat down at the edge of the bed, "Like you said, only I could make you feel cool."
Emily's face reddened further. "I wasn't in my right mind…"
"And you also said," Edmund continued, "That I'm your husband five years from now."
"What?!" Emily's eyes widened. "I said what?"
System Alert: In fact, don't you remember? You said this the first time you met Edmund!
Emily suddenly remembered. She had indeed said that the first time she mistakenly entered Edmund's room. But back then, she was still conscious. Now, recalling it made her want to crawl into a hole and hide.
"I can explain..." she began.
"I'm curious," Edmund interrupted, "How did you know about the future, five years from now?"
Emily froze. She couldn't exactly say she was from the future, aware of the plot developments, could she?
"I… I…" she stammered, unable to find the words.
"Or perhaps," Edmund's voice took on a hint of danger, "Did you slip something into my wine cellar to make me have certain... delusions about you?"
"No!" Emily denied immediately, "I absolutely didn't!"
"Then how do you explain your weather forecast?" Edmund pressed.
Emily gritted her teeth, quickly brainstorming an excuse.
System Alert: Simple, come up with a reasonable reason!
What excuse? Should I say I can read fortunes?
System Alert: It's better to say you had a prophetic dream?
"I... I had a dream," Emily finally spoke, "A very strange dream."
"A dream?" Edmund raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, before I met you for the first time, I had a very vivid dream," Emily tried to make her voice sound convincing. "In that dream, I saw... our future."
"What kind of future?" Edmund's tone became teasing.
"I saw us… we got married," Emily's voice grew quieter, "And we were happy."
"So, you ran to my room and told me you were my wife five years from now?"
"I know it sounds absurd," Emily lowered her head, "But the dream felt so real. I couldn't tell the difference between reality and the dream."
Edmund was silent for a while, then suddenly broke into laughter. "Emily Smith, you're such an interesting woman."
"Do… do you believe what I said?" Emily looked at him in disbelief.
"I believe you didn't mean any harm," Edmund said, "As for the dream... who knows? Maybe it really was some kind of omen."
Emily let out a sigh of relief, but then grew tense again. "Then... how do you feel about our relationship?"
"What relationship?" Edmund feigned ignorance.
"Well... well, the kind of relationship in the dream," Emily's face turned red again.
Edmund looked at her bashful expression, a warmth rising in his heart. The way she sought comfort in his arms last night made him realize his feelings for this girl were no longer just curiosity.
"Emily," he said softly, "Would you like to make the dream a reality?"
Emily froze. She hadn't expected Edmund to ask such a question.
"I… I don't know," she answered honestly, "We've only known each other for a short time, and I've caused you so much trouble…"
"What trouble?" Edmund asked.
"Like last night's incident, and my embarrassing moments before," Emily said, growing more dejected. "I'm not a proper noble lady. I don't understand the complicated social rules…"
"But you're real," Edmund interrupted her. "In this hypocritical world, your realness is more important than any social skills."
Emily looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes.
"And," Edmund continued, "You're very brave. Brave enough to break into a stranger's room on a full moon night, brave enough to say such bold things, brave enough to be yourself."
"That wasn't bravery, that was recklessness," Emily gave a bitter smile.
"For me, that was bravery," Edmund said earnestly, "Because it showed me a different world."
Just then, a knock came at the door.
"Emily? Emily, are you in there?" It was William's voice.
Both Emily and Edmund froze for a moment, then realized how inappropriate the situation was. An unmarried woman in an unmarried man's room overnight was a serious scandal in Rome.
"I... I should go back," Emily hurriedly tried to stand.
"Wait," Edmund grabbed her arm. "Emily, I have a suggestion."
"A suggestion?"
"Since in your dream we're supposed to get married," Edmund looked into her eyes, "Why don't we start getting to know each other seriously?"
"You mean…"
"I mean, I want to officially pursue you," Edmund said, "If you're willing."
Emily's heart raced. This development was completely different from what she had imagined, but for some reason, she felt very happy.
"Emily!" William's voice became more urgent.
"We'll talk about this later," Edmund stood up, "For now, let's handle the immediate situation."
He walked over to the door and opened it. When William saw Edmund standing in the doorway, his face turned pale instantly.
"Your Grace, you... how come you...?"
"Your sister was under the influence of drugs last night and was disoriented," Edmund explained calmly. "I stayed with her all night to ensure her safety."
"And now…"
"She's fine," Edmund stepped aside, allowing William to see Emily sitting on the bed. "The effects of the drug have passed."
William breathed a sigh of relief, but then became concerned again. "Your Grace, if this gets out..."
"It won't," Edmund's tone was firm. "I'll handle it."
System Alert: Edmund's affection for you has sharply increased! Task completion: 75%!
Emily heard the system's alert and felt a mix of emotions. The task was completed, but she realized her feelings for Edmund had evolved into something more than just a mission.
"Emily," Edmund turned back to look at her. "Rest well. We'll talk later."
Emily nodded, watching him leave. A complicated emotion stirred inside her.
She had originally thought this was just a simple task, but now she realized that things were far more complicated than she had imagined.
Because she realized that she had truly started to like this man.