~ Side Story 40 ~
“Ho… how did you manage this…?”
“When we get back, open it then.”
“……”
“It’s your mother’s final words. You wanted to check them.”
Rosetta slowly nodded. Leviathan quietly clenched his trembling fist.
Was this really… the right thing to do?
But—
“Dad, don’t worry.”
Rubian’s whispered words before leaving the cave echoed in his ears.
He had no choice but to trust his daughter.
After that, they used the gate portal to return to Barmilon.
While Rubian reunited enthusiastically with Balrog, the Emperor (why was he still here?), and several other people who had been waiting for her—
“……”
Rosetta stood in her study with Leviathan.
The keepsake box she had only been able to look at with regret was now right in front of her.
“Then…”
After taking a deep breath, Rosetta placed the key into the box.
Click.
The box that had been sealed for decades finally opened.
The box her mother always hugged close.
The box she had received from the Baron—her mother’s greatest treasure.
She had been told a letter for her was inside.
“…What? It’s empty—”
Flutter.
A single sheet of paper fell like a butterfly.
Rosetta bent down and picked it up.
Her blue eyes widened as she read it.
My precious jewel, Rosetta
Your very existence brought me great joy
May all the happiness and love in the world
Fill your life completely
“…Ah.”
A small sound escaped Rosetta.
“This is…”
She stared at the letter in silence.
How much time passed?
A gentle smile slowly spread across her face.
“…It’s nice.”
“……”
“This is really… so nice.”
Clutching the letter tightly, Rosetta looked at Leviathan.
Because he stood against the window, she couldn’t clearly see his expression.
Still, Rosetta smiled with all her strength and hugged her husband tightly.
My gentle young master.
My gentle family.
“I feel like I finally got an answer to a long-standing question.”
Why was I born?
Did a hollow life still have meaning?
‘It does.’
Rosetta smiled.
It was okay to be born empty.
It was okay not to receive much love from her mother.
Because the things that would fill her life—
She could choose them herself as she lived.
Therefore—
‘I don’t know what the original letter said…’
She decided she would no longer wonder about her mother’s letter.
Her mother had been a maid and never fully learned how to write.
Whenever she needed something, she wrote to Rosetta in clumsy handwriting.
Even short words were misspelled, so Rosetta learned letters through them—and had to relearn them properly later.
So this letter was probably—
‘Rubian did something.’
Inside the keepsake box, there truly was something.
Cute love.
A heart that had been carefully washed clean.
“Thank you, Leviathan. I really love you.”
Rosetta whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Leviathan lowered his head and hugged his wife more tightly than ever.
He knew how dark and harsh her life had been before she could finally say “I love you” out loud.
His throat kept tightening.
Some kinds of love become strong through endless forging.
So my love would be stronger than any iron,
Hotter than any molten steel.
“I’m satisfied now.”
Rosetta smiled like a clear morning.
The next day.
Ugh, I’m starving!
As soon as morning came, I rushed down to the dining room.
After such a long journey, my hunger was intense.
The family hadn’t even woken up yet.
I slurped down morning soup with Khalid.
“You okay?”
“Totally fine.”
“You look fine.”
Gulp. I swallowed a huge potato and asked again.
“So… what exactly?”
Khalid glanced at me.
“The letter.”
I borrowed some mana and cast a soundproof spell around us.
Only then did Khalid speak seriously.
“I thought you might feel uneasy… since we kind of deceived the Duchess.”
“Huh? Why would I?”
I casually replied while chewing the cream cheese bagel Khalid skillfully prepared for me.
“Sometimes, not knowing is better.”
If I were still a kid, I might have felt guilty about lying to Mom.
But sometimes, lies are necessary.
Especially lies meant to protect someone.
“Mom suffered enough already. I don’t want to create anything else that could break her heart.”
I never wanted to show her that letter.
But I also didn’t want her relationship with Dad to heal while leaving behind something rough and unresolved.
‘Thank goodness I’m a mage.’
I erased the curse letter, rewrote it, and handed it to Khalid.
He swapped the letter inside the keepsake box and buried the original.
‘I even copied the handwriting perfectly with magic.’
I’d done it once before, so it wasn’t hard.
‘Nothing went wrong… right?’
We were in a hurry to return to reality back then.
‘If something had gone wrong, Dad would’ve said something.’
I kept eating my bagel.
“I see. If you’re fine with it, then I’m fine too.”
Khalid placed a piece of fruit into my mouth.
Since the topic seemed finished, I released the soundproof spell.
“So, Ruby.”
“Hm? Wow, this green grape is really good.”
“So… when do we get permission to marry?”
“…Huh?”
“Permission to marry.”
“Oh! Right!”
“Oh, right?”
Khalid let out a helpless sigh.
“Don’t tell me you forgot—”
“Kal! Let’s go. Now!”
“What?”
I stuffed bread into my mouth and jumped up.
“I can’t delay anymore! Who knows what variables might show up again?”
I learned something this time.
Life is full of variables!
When you think it’s late—
It’s really late!
So the best thing is to do it the moment you decide!
Soon, we heard voices.
The family was coming down to the dining room.
“I haven’t even put on my protective gear—”
“Huurry uuuup!”
“…Hah. Fine.”
Khalid clenched and unclenched his fists, then set his face.
A strange light appeared in his cool gray-blue eyes.
Wait—that’s the look he gets when he’s confident.
He slowly curled his handsome lips upward.
“After surviving damn time travel, this much hardship is nothing.”
“Oh, so your trial experience just leveled up?”
Guess so.
That day, a meteor fell on House Zebert.
“Everyone!”
After a pleasant breakfast, during tea time—
“I’m engaged to Khalid, and we’re getting married next year!”
Fiiiiiiwooooo—
BOOOOOM!
Rubian cheerfully dropped the bomb.
House Zebert was instantly devastated.
“I thought about saying it in a serious and elegant way… but it seems like everyone already knows about me and Kal.”
“……”
“And honestly, I don’t even know how to speak seriously and elegantly.”
Standing beside Khalid, Rubian grinned.
“So I’ll just say it!”
Drip.
Leviathan’s teacup tilted.
Rosetta instinctively counted the hidden weapons on her body.
A jackknife at the ankle, a folding arrow at the thigh, poisoned needles in her hairpin—
No. Why am I counting this?
Balrog froze like a statue.
Void and Liam exchanged messages, typing curses they couldn’t say out loud.
Rubian tapped her toes and spoke shyly.
“Khalid is really kind, cute, and full of affection, so he suits me perfectly. I think we’re the best choice for each other, so we decided.”
Where?
Which part of him is kind, cute, and full of affection?
“Ruby—are you sure you understand your boyfriend properly?!”
Void finally shouted, unable to hold it in anymore.
