CHAPTER 76……………………
If it followed the original story, there should still be five years left until the war ended.
“Then… does that mean the King of Felek has already fallen?”
Just then, a newspaper boy shouted loudly.
“Extra! Hot off the press! Fresh papers for sale!”
“Can I get one?”
I handed the boy some money and bought a copy.
True to his words, the paper still carried the warmth of fresh ink.
I quickly unfolded it and scanned through the headlines.
After 15 long years, the war has come to an end. A historic moment for the Empire.
Near the Jakal Strait in the polar region, the Kingdom of Felek had descendants of the dragonkin.
Their king was a being no human strength could withstand, which dragged the war into a long stalemate.
Still, the Seriel Empire had refused to give up on bringing down the Kingdom of Felek.
The toll on imperial soldiers only continued to grow.
“So… who on earth killed the King of Felek?”
At that instant, a strong candidate flashed across my mind.
No way… it couldn’t be.
But if it was Lennox, who had even defeated a dragon, perhaps it wasn’t impossible for him to slay a dragonkin descendant too.
That would also explain why the war had ended so quickly.
But in the original story, it was also Lennox who returned with military merit, so if he was the hero of this victory, it wasn’t good news for me.
“Haha… no, that can’t be.”
I laughed awkwardly, shaking my head in denial, and continued reading the paper.
It said the war hero was a mere commoner.
At this point, I didn’t even need to check the name to know who it was.
“…Yeah. It’s Lennox.”
Looks like this life is doomed.
“No, wait. As long as he doesn’t remember, it’ll be fine, right?”
I clung desperately to that fragile hope and read on.
The Imperial Family was planning to grant him a marquisate.
Which meant the chain of support between us would truly be cut, just as he had wished.
“…Was I really that unwanted?”
A bitter feeling welled up inside me.
From his suspicious nature, there’s no way he would welcome a mysterious hidden sponsor.
If anything, he would only doubt them more.
And if his memories ever returned… it would be the worst-case scenario.
Because then he’d know just how shallow and selfish my sponsorship truly was.
Before long, the capital’s streets shook with cheers as the imperial army procession drew closer.
The nearer they came, the louder the voices grew.
“A hero has risen in troubled times!”
“Waaaaah!”
The thunderous roar hurt my ears so much I covered them with both hands.
Mellin, however, didn’t seem bothered at all. She blended into the crowd, her eyes sparkling as she watched.
“Sis, did you see? Ren’s back! Over there, look!”
“What?”
I followed where Mellin pointed and spotted a man riding at the head of the procession.
Blonde hair, familiar yet strange.
My heart thudded irregularly as I realized it was Lennox.
Thankfully, his necklace hadn’t been broken in the war—his hair was still golden.
As he drew closer, I instinctively hid behind a tall man in the crowd.
But then I realized how foolish that was.
“There’s no way he could see me in this massive crowd anyway…”
Feeling a little more at ease, I looked at him again.
Five years ago, I thought he was already grown, but I had been terribly mistaken.
He was taller, broader, his face completely shed of boyishness.
Now he looked like a being sculpted by the gods themselves.
It was no wonder the people of the capital were going wild—not only was he the war hero, but he had the commanding presence and stunning looks to match.
Standing face-to-face with him again, I truly felt how far beyond my reach he had become.
I stared blankly for a moment, until I suddenly remembered something important and quickly looked at his hand.
“The ring…?”
If the ring was gone, then his memories might have returned.
The protective artifact would shatter immediately upon use.
“Then… did he remember everything?”
I scrutinized his hand intensely.
But soon let out a frustrated sigh.
“I can’t see it.”
The distance between us was too great to make out the ring clearly.
Yet I couldn’t give up, and kept staring stubbornly—
Until suddenly, his deep green eyes turned in my direction.
I flinched and ducked behind Mellin, peeking out cautiously.
But it must have been my imagination—Lennox was already chatting with a knight beside him.
“Sis?”
Mellin turned around, surprised I had hidden behind her, then froze at the sight of my face.
“Sis, you look pale! Are you sick?”
“No, it’s just… too many people…”
I made a clumsy excuse, exhaling slowly as I climbed into the carriage.
The parade was already moving off into the distance.
Though I was relieved he had returned safely, I couldn’t celebrate it wholeheartedly.
He had truly become the war hero he wanted to be.
By his own power, alone.
And in doing so, he had severed his ties with me completely, the moment he learned I was his sponsor.
My thoughts tangled endlessly.
“Well… congratulations. Things turned out exactly as you wanted.”
The carriage slowly rolled out of the capital’s streets.
Meanwhile, Jade, who noticed Ren staring fixedly at a carriage, asked,
“Captain, is something wrong?”
“No.”
Ren pulled his gaze away and looked forward again.
But out of habit, his fingers toyed with the ring on his hand.
The magic stone at its center had long since lost its light.
The ring itself was damaged, ready to break apart at the slightest impact.
“They say that ring saved the Captain’s life when he slew the King of Felek…”
But it had already served its purpose.
Jade couldn’t understand why his commander still insisted on wearing it, but he held his tongue.
He had seen what happened to a fellow knight who rashly suggested throwing it away.
As soon as I arrived at Duke Dinero’s residence, I brought up the matter of settling my debt.
“So you came all the way here just to tell me that?”
The Duke clicked his tongue as he looked at me.
His gaze suggested I had too much time on my hands, and I couldn’t help but bristle.
“A creditor would never understand a debtor’s life.”
“Oh dear, how pitiful. Looks like this old man will die without ever knowing, then.”
“If you want, I could tell you.”
“Ahem, ah, these old bones… cough cough.”
The Duke feigned a dry cough as if he hadn’t heard me.
Even if it was an act, the thought of his worsening health made me uneasy.
“Are you really okay?”
“Can’t you tell just by looking?”
Even at a glance, his condition was poor.
He spent most of his days bedridden, and even now, our conversation was taking place in his bedroom.
“Feels like only yesterday we were chatting over tea in the drawing room…”
Who would have thought that in just a few years, the once-energetic Duke would decline so much?
At this point, it wouldn’t be strange if he passed within a few months.
Suppressing my anxiety, I glanced at the side table.
Thankfully, his medicine was right there.
“When do you take your medicine?”
“It’s about that time now.”
“I’ll get it for you.”
As I picked it up, I discreetly switched it with the fake medicine I had prepared.
Without suspicion, the Duke swallowed it down with water, grimacing.
“That’s enough. Let’s stop with these boring topics. Tell me about yourself instead.”
“You really want to hear a tearful tale about me paying back 60 million gold with interest?”
“Not that.”
The Duke raised his ring finger.
“I mean, don’t you have any fun news to share?”
“You need money to get married.”
I snorted. Truthfully, I had no intention of marrying anytime soon, but I hoped the remark would spark at least a flicker of guilt in him.
“Oh, so you finally understand the value of money. Tsk tsk tsk.”
The Duke chuckled, looking pleased.
Clearly, my intention had completely failed.
“So now you know that to get married or do anything else you want, you need money. Which means you’ll just have to work hard.”
“Sorry, but I’ve changed my motto.”
“What? Weren’t you all about indulgence and luxury?”
“It’s anbin-nakdo—finding joy in a simple life. I decided that five years ago.”
