~Chapter 68~
“Are you… angry?”
Who am I angry at? The husband that doesn’t even exist?
I couldn’t find the right words and was just mumbling, when Felix asked quietly, like a shady back-alley contractor.
“I’ll keep your secret. Just tell me who it is, and if I can, I’ll take care of him. We’ll get child support from him.”
“Do you really think that’s necessary?”
“Of course. He left his wife and child behind. What a bad guy.”
For some reason, I never gave Felix any details about my ex-husband (who doesn’t exist), but in Felix’s mind, he had become the worst kind of scoundrel.
Since I’d avoided mentioning him so much, Felix had probably assumed that was the case.
“Well… he wasn’t that bad, you know? He was kind, and he treated Shiz well… We just broke up because we weren’t a good match, not because he did anything wrong to me.”
I awkwardly explained the usual reasons why couples break up.
“…Really?”
“Yes, really!”
“Hmm…”
Felix still didn’t seem convinced, but after that day, he stopped talking about getting rid of or punishing my ex-husband, which was a relief.
Just when I thought I had finally gotten a grip on Aska and Felix’s behavior, another problem came up.
It was the crown prince, Reyester.
***
After the failed assassination attempt on the cruise, the secret project was delayed a bit.
It was delayed to verify my role in the project, since I was the core part of it.
“I may have cleared my name from suspicion, but it’s also true that there were problems with the energy source…”
To my surprise, Reyester took the lead in this. He gladly testified about how well I knew the structure of the magic stone-powered engine.
“When we escaped from the ship, I used the magic stone from that engine. It was possible because Lord Relshiz designed and created it. I don’t think a magician who showed such quick thinking in a situation where magic couldn’t be used would have made mistakes during the design process.”
Thanks to him, his image improved.
He had repaid the life debt he owed to a magician, let go of old feelings, and acknowledged the other person…
“Did the intelligence department get involved? The picture they painted was just perfect.”
At some point, people started framing Reyester and me as very close friends who had crossed life-threatening boundaries together.
The public’s influence was terrifying.
“So, is Shiz still home alone today?”
“Yes…”
I looked at Reyester casually walking through my lab and then at his assistant, who was awkwardly standing by the door.
I gave the assistant a questioning look.
‘What’s up with him?’
The assistant shrugged.
‘I have no idea. I wish someone would tell me.’
The crown prince, who used to call me only when he wanted to torment me during regular reports, was now coming to my lab on his own.
It seemed like the story about him saying “my people” wasn’t a joke.
“Why do you keep asking about Shiz? I already told you I’m not taking her back to the palace.”
Reyester leaned loosely against the window frame, his long blonde hair cascading over his shoulder.
“I wanted to apologize for showing a bad side of myself last time. I must’ve hurt you.”
Reyester seemed to genuinely regret it. He almost felt human for a moment.
“Let me meet her just once. If it’s hard to bring her secretly, I’ll tell you a secret passage.”
Secret passage? Should I even know about that?!
The shocking statement made the assistant panic. I saw him crossing his arms and looking frantic.
“Please stop it…”
I begged.
More than anything, I didn’t think Shiz would want to meet him.
Since the incident in the garden where Reyester had revealed his true identity, Shiz had been treating him like an enemy.
‘He’s not a fairy. He’s a bad prince who says bad things.’
In fact, all the gifts Reyester had sent to Shiz were just sitting in the storage room.
When Shiz found out they were from him, she wanted to burn all of them in the fireplace.
I decided not to mention that.
Shiz’s anger wasn’t cute at all.
If I made them meet in this situation…
‘Ugh.’
I could easily imagine Shiz being extremely rude to Reyester. I shuddered just thinking about it.
After a while of silence, Reyester spoke slowly, looking at me.
“By the way, are you still planning to stay this way with the Lord of the Dawn Tower?”
“Huh?”
“He’s Shiz’s father, right? Why aren’t you getting married?”
Ugh, I can’t believe he’s asking me about marriage now.
‘Aska that idiot, causing all these misunderstandings…!’
I felt like tearing my hair out.
“W-Why are we talking about marriage…”
“Then are you not? Are you just going to leave Shiz like this?”
Reyester looked at me like he didn’t understand.
It was true that for the sake of ‘maintaining dignity,’ I couldn’t just leave things as they were.
I had to explain this in a way that made sense, but with so many lies piled on top of each other, I didn’t know how to explain it.
I desperately hoped my face didn’t give away my weird thoughts as I tried to cover it up.
“Well, there’s a complicated backstory, so… it’s a little too early for discussions like that.”
Fortunately, Reyester didn’t press the matter any further. In fact, he seemed a little relieved, though I didn’t know why.
“Then what about your feelings?”
“My feelings?”
“Yes.”
Reyester’s eyes seemed to look right into my soul, piercingly blue.
“What do you think of Aska Willovis?”
“T-that’s…”
What should I say? Should I just admit I like him?
Ugh, just thinking about it made me want to throw up.
My vision started spinning, and like a fool, my lips just moved without saying anything. Suddenly, Reyester smiled in a pleased way.
“If it’s hard to answer, it’s fine. But you said bringing Shiz here was difficult, right? Is it okay if I go visit her?”
“Yes… yes?”
Both I and Reyester’s assistant stood there dumbfounded.
‘Once the crown prince steps out of the palace, a swarm of tailing reporters will follow…?’
Was it really possible that someone who has the power to manipulate gossip and scandal didn’t understand the impact of his actions?
“You look like you’re giving me an absolute ‘no.’ Is it really not okay?”
“Of course not…”
If Reyester came outside, it was clear that everything about me, Shiz, and Philippa would be exposed.
As I was trying to figure out how to stop this terrible situation, Reyester added in a light tone:
“Just kidding.”
“Ah, aah…”
I breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed my chest. I really hope he never makes such jokes again.
With that, Reyester left for his palace.
I watched his golden hair disappear in the distance, silently praying I wouldn’t see him again anytime soon.
***
Later that day
I think my prayer worked.
“I think I’m going to survive!”
For the first time in a long while, there were no guests at home.
Aska was busy with the Lord of the Dawn Tower’s work, and Felix was caught up in summer training. It’s funny that I even knew what they were up to. Since when were we so friendly?
Anyway, the house finally felt like my own again.
I smiled contentedly as I looked around the quiet living room. Ah, I hope these peaceful days last a while.
“Ugh, no one’s visiting.”
Little Shiz seemed to have a different opinion.
“Stop goofing around and review. Did you memorize the magic formula I taught you yesterday?”
“Mom, I hate you.”
“Hmm, your cheeks are puffing up.”
During Aska’s brief break from teaching, I thought Shiz had started to enjoy magic again, but she quickly lost interest.
‘Is she really my child?’
She looked like me, but her behavior was completely different.
When I first learned magic, I became obsessed with it and couldn’t focus on anything else.
I stared at Shiz suspiciously.
‘Yep, she’s definitely mine.’
It was impossible to ignore the resemblance.
Since Philippa came, Shiz had started dressing in different styles.
Today she wore a light green skirt, and her hair was tied in two buns on top of her head.
Every time she shook her head, her hair wobbled like little hamster ears.
‘Wow, I never got to do things like this.’
Changing clothes every day and styling my hair in cute ways.
