CHAPTER~06
From the hallway I had already sensed something unusual, and it seemed this was the reason why.
“…….”
I lost my words and simply stared blankly at the magic circles formed all around the room.
At the center of all of them, of course, was Mela.
Mela was completely absorbed in reading—more precisely, she was flipping through the pages as if desperately searching for something.
Her hands were moving so fast they were almost a blur.
“……Mela?”
It seemed she didn’t even notice that I had approached.
Just as I was wondering about this strangely serious version of Mela, something she never showed normally—
“A-aunt!”
Mela finally sensed my presence and, visibly flustered, hid the book behind her back.
Of course, with her tiny body, I could see perfectly well what kind of book it was.
“……Uh, when did you get here?”
“I’ve been here for a while.
But what are you doing?
It’s late at night.”
“Ah, um.
Well…….”
Mela was so startled she couldn’t continue her sentence properly.
She was definitely hiding something.
Glancing past her shoulder, the book looked like an old rare text.
I quickly stepped forward and snatched it from her hands.
And then I was horrified.
“Oh my goodness, Mela……!
Don’t tell me you scribbled in this?”
The last page was filled with doodles.
Judging by the look of it, the culprit was definitely Mela.
After all, the quill pen lay right next to her feet.
Looking closely, some writing was there.
Half-erased and hard to read, but it was labeled: [List of Things I Want to Do].
[1. Hold hands with Dad and Mom and look around the flower garden.
Picnic too!
2. Always remember.
3. Find XXXXX!]
“…….”
I couldn’t even help her with number one, so what was I supposed to do?
I felt troubled and at the same time sorry for Mela.
From number three onward it was so smudged with doodles that I couldn’t even tell what she wanted to find.
“Hehe.
I couldn’t sleep so I thought I’d draw something.
But I didn’t have parchment……, and I didn’t know it was a really important book.
Aunt?”
Mela twisted her body in embarrassment, smiling sheepishly.
Judging by her reaction, she clearly had no idea what kind of book she had scribbled on.
Well, half the text was written in ancient script that even adults struggled to interpret—there was no way a five-year-old child could read it.
Even if she was the heroine.
“……It’s fine.
If you need something, just tell me, okay?
It might be inconvenient since this is a villa, but Aunt will help you as much as she can.”
I purposely didn’t mention the list she wrote, afraid she might grow sad.
“Ehehe, mm!
Aunt is the best!”
I set the book down and gently patted her round little head to show she didn’t need to worry.
Mela flinched in surprise, then smiled shyly.
Her expression was so much like a puppy that I couldn’t help smiling warmly.
Even though it was a strange place, she was adapting bravely—and yet the magic circles all over the room still didn’t make sense.
They looked as if someone had cast them deliberately.
Since Mela was the only one in the room, the situation was even harder to explain.
“Mela, by the way.
Did you feel anything strange?
Weren’t you scared being alone?”
“Something strange?
I don’t know.”
I subtly probed her, just in case.
But Mela only tilted her head with her usual innocent expression.
She clearly had no idea.
[Please name this child ‘Mela.’
I entrust her to you.]
Then was this the work of the person who entrusted Mela to me?
Just like the protective barrier that surrounded her when we first met.
This was something only a very skilled individual could do.
Meaning there might be someone watching and helping Mela from the shadows.
Surely it couldn’t be the Lopenter Marquis.
Then could it be another regressor or reincarnator like me?
“Aunt…… are you mad at Mela?
Your face looks super angry.”
My expression must have looked serious, because the once cheerful Mela now shrank timidly.
“What? No, I’m not mad.”
“No, you must be mad.
Mela acted on her own and made things difficult for Aunt…….”
Her voice trembled as if she were about to cry.
I quickly waved my hands.
“I’m really not mad.
Nothing happened, right?
So don’t worry too much, Mela.”
“Really? Aunt.
Evlyen Aunt won’t abandon Mela, right?”
Mela ran up and hugged my leg tightly.
Seeing her ask again as if confirming broke my heart.
Even if she remembered nothing, she clearly understood the situation she was in.
“Of course.
Never.”
Instead of answering further, I bent down and lifted Mela into my arms.
Her small, fragile body fit neatly against my chest, making my heart ache even more.
“But Aunt, Mela has a question.
Earlier today, that Duke—what’s your relationship with him?
You rode the carriage together!”
“……Uh, mm?”
Now out of my arms, Mela looked up at me with a mischievous grin.
“You looked super close with the black-haired Duke!
His eyes were like—bam! Shooting love everywhere.
Are you two really close?
Did you maybe get married before……?”
“Well, that is…….”
“You two looked soooo good together!
Like a couple who was married in the past!”
“Uh, mm?”
With her eyes sparkling, there was no way I could just ignore her question.
As I struggled to figure out what to say, his voice suddenly echoed in my ears.
‘Don’t even think about lying to me.
I’ve never fallen for an enemy’s lie.’
Remembering it made my hands clench automatically.
What kind of man called his ex-wife an enemy?
Even if he had no lingering affection, just thinking about it made my blood boil.
Forcing myself to calm down, I grit my teeth and said:
“We are absolutely! Never! Going to meet again.
So Mela, forget about what happened today.
Okay?”
“O-okay……!”
Startled by my intense reaction, Mela nodded hard.
Leaving her slightly troubled expression behind, I made up my mind once more.
No matter what happened, I would never face Frezen Decart—my damned ex-husband—again.
* * *
“For victory!”
Meanwhile, the 64th Subjugation of the Demonic Beasts ended successfully under the command of the Decart Black Knights.
To celebrate, a grand triumphal march was held, and the Imperial Family hosted a banquet.
This battle was even more special because they had captured one of the main bases of the monster horde with almost no major injuries, gaining a huge amount of spoils.
“…….”
While everyone washed away their fatigue with strong alcohol and food, Frezen alone stood apart from their revelry, staring blankly at the night sky.
Before long, under the soft moonlight, a second shadow stretched beside him.
Sensing the presence, Frezen merely flicked his eyes sideways before looking back up at the moon.
“So this is where you disappeared to.”
A lazy, melodious voice rang out.
The man beside him had brilliant golden hair, as if spun from pure gold.
He was Crown Prince Mikhail.
Though Frezen was three or four years older, the two had become close while fighting side by side on the battlefield.
He was also the only person who could stand at Frezen’s side without fear.
“The main hero of the banquet isn’t attending and is instead brooding alone?
How boring.
So stiff.
No wonder women don’t flock to you.”
Mikhail clicked his tongue teasingly, pouting his lips in a playful manner.
His soft voice matched his handsome face, and his gestures were just as flamboyant.
As he tilted his head with a smile, the luxurious red earrings dangling from his ears chimed lightly.
“I don’t need such things.”
Frezen answered, sounding not particularly displeased despite the sudden intrusion.
“Hm, still as dull and rigid as ever.
Well, that’s why I trust you.
There are too many people like me around.”
Mikhail grumbled at the unresponsive Frezen.
“Good to know, Your Highness.”
At his reply, Mikhail burst into laughter as if amused.
Then, as if a mischievous idea struck, he smirked and opened his mouth again.
“I heard there was a special event during the triumph march today.
A surprise appearance from someone who knows you very well.”
“…….”
“Ah, what a shame.
I wanted to see it with my own two eyes, but I missed it.”
“…….”
Frezen showed no response.
He seemed determined to ignore him entirely, which only piqued Mikhail’s curiosity more.
Sighing internally at Frezen’s utter coldness, Mikhail clicked his tongue again.
He hadn’t expected him to be this wooden.
“So how did it feel?
Meeting again after so long?
I mean your wife — the one you threw away because she was ‘useless.’”
At those words, Frezen’s emotionless face finally shifted.
For the first time, it turned icy cold, murderous enough to kill someone on the spot.
