Translator and Editor: Skye and Einna

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Chapter 33

✦

“Ah, I’m so tired.”

Lying on the bed, I turned off all the lights, leaving only a small magic lamp on.

I opened up my childhood notes and looked at each one I had written.

“It’s definitely the time when he should get along with Noah, so… why did he react like that?”

Tilting my head, I recalled Lucian’s reaction.

I thought he seemed a little upset… maybe it’s because it’s been a while since I’ve seen him?

“Did I ask way too out of the blue? But I know everything. What should I do? I am really curious.”

It is just my wish to see two people that have different charms be together.

Maybe I’ll faint.

I would be so happy.

“I can’t believe I’m actually seeing the two of them meet… I’d be a successful fan.”

Of course, Lucian was much better than Noah, but what I liked the most while reading the webtoon were the scenes where the two of them were together.

I liked that very short period of time when everything was rather sweet before it became regrettable.

“Oh, right.”

I wrote down what the Duke had said in my notebook.

“But I didn’t think he would be unable to catch the trash booger king for over seven years. I know he isn’t just a normal guy, but I did kind of expect the Duke not to catch him… ”

I tilted my head, flicking the magic pen I got from the Duke for my birthday between my fingers.

“So, the Duke didn’t catch my uncle either?”

My uncle, no matter how hard I think about it, was really suspicious. What the hell did he do to the trash booger king, how did he manage to join forces with him?

Didn’t he realize what would happen if someone with a powerful title and money is involved? Their plan was bound to fail.

“Wait… what happened to the Elrand County?”

My previous house was a place where I lived for only a year and a half after transmigrating, but I couldn’t ignore my parents who were nice to me.

“I’ll have to ask the Duke tomorrow. I don’t know if he’ll answer honestly though.”

I shouldn’t rely on the Duke too much.

I closed my notebook and turned around in frustration. I was lost in thought while looking at the top of the long canopy attached to the ceiling.

The Duke was very polite to the Duchess today, wasn’t he? Did their relationship improve?

I mean, if their relationship has improved, he should be nice to his son now, right?

He’s about to hand over the Duchy to Lucian after all…

I insisted on them spending a lot of time together. I told him it will be too late when you regret it, Duke.

I breathed out a long sigh due to the complicated thoughts in my head.

If Lucian becomes the Duke, he’ll have to prepare to stand alone, right?

Now the Duke says he’s happy with me living here, but wouldn’t Lucian think otherwise?

Besides, I want him to live with Noah again.

Although it has already changed a lot from the original, the flow of the main characters should not have changed much.

Just because Lucian has turned into a kind male lead, their love shouldn’t change.

Then shouldn’t Noah’s family problems be solved soon?

Noah, a Baron’s son, suffered from debts left behind by his father.

Perhaps Noah’s father will die soon.

Instead of his father, due to him having been ill for a long time, Noah was the one taking care of the family, but it was a family with a lot of debt and various other circumstances due to being nobles.

“Oh, was that debt owed to the booger king?”

Ah, I shouldn’t have ignored that trash booger king as much as I did.

What’s the point of reading only the parts I liked so carefully?

Everything I remembered correctly was just the parts where Lucian appeared.

“What should I do… How can I figure out more about this? I’m sure there’s a way to get information here, right?”

There’s always a prize for giving information in the fantasy world… Should I look into that method?

Can I ask Damian to do it? When I took a short walk with Doggy today, I remembered Doggy, who was smiling brightly and holding out the red bead.

“What kind of bead is this? And why did he give it to me with such a triumphant expression?”

I took a small box out of the side drawer by the bed. The jewelry box, which originally had a ring in it, contained a small bead about the size of a thumbnail.

“Hmm…”

I focused the light of the magic lamp on the red bead. I thought it would be transparent inside, but I observed it carefully because it seemed like there was something inside.

“What’s this?”

At that moment, something that looked redder than the rest of the red bead was swirling around in it.

“Ack! What is this!”

Surprised, I dropped the bead. The rolling bead bounced on the floor.

“Wow, that surprised me. Why did he give this to me? He’s supposed to explain it at least.”

Anyway, Doggy.

I should have realized something was up with him when he put on a high-spirited look.

Weird things always happened when Doggy looked so happy.

I soothed my surprised heart and picked up the bead again. I put it back in the jewelry box without looking into it anymore.

“Oh, I’m sleepy. I should go to bed now.”

It took a week to get here from the South.

The fatigue that had accumulated seemed to be pouring out. I fell into a pleasant and quick sleep.

✦

Lucian crept out of the darkness.

—You’re all grown up, Lucian.

Ignoring Enzo’s words, meant to induce guilt, that were ringing in his head, he still quietly stepped into the room from the corner.

Lucian looked down at Rachel, who was asleep, breathing evenly.

—She’s a fascinating kid no matter how much I look at her.

Lucian casually replied to Enzo’s little murmur.

—Don’t pay attention to her.

—Heh.

When Lucian blocked him to the back of his mind, Enzo couldn’t make any more noise. Lucian liked that better. As his head became quiet, the world felt calm.

Being with Rachel in a quiet space gave him a sense of security.

He had waited for Rachel to fall asleep. Having held the sword for a long time, he was able to feel the energy in the air and erase the traces of his existence so he could hide himself.

He could hear her muttering.

Even if he could hear it, it wasn’t like he could understand it.

“……”

Lucian wanted to make sure she was asleep.

Though there was no apparent reason at all. He just wanted to make sure she was in her room.

Just in case what he had seen today was a fantasy…

When that thought flashed across his mind, he couldn’t stop himself from sneaking into her room.

Just staring at her fast asleep, he stretched out his finger and poked her soft cheek.

“Mmm.”

Lucian instantly retracted his hand and frowned. His heart started racing strangely from the moment he saw Rachel as an adult.

In the past, Lucian’s heart would beat faster than usual when he would see Rachel, but it didn’t seem to be as strong as it was today.

The sensation of his heart beating so hard that felt like it’ll pop out had taken over his entire body.

Looking at her sleeping face, he stood there like a statue for a while.

Just confirming that she’s not an illusion and that she’s finally back where she was.

He came out of the room after he was convinced Rachel wouldn’t disappear and walked quietly down the hall.

Pedro was waiting in the middle of the hall for him, who didn’t even make a sound with his footsteps.

Pedro stared at Lucian in the middle of the corridor illuminated by yellow light.

“Where have you been?”

“……”

Pedro talked again when Lucian tried to ignore the question and pass by.

“What you are doing is not love.”

Lucian stopped due to his father’s words. Suddenly, he asked a question.

“Then what am I doing?”

“It’s just a delusion. You just mistook obsession and possession for love.”

Lucian stared down at Pedro, who answered without hesitation.

He was a father who had looked so large and intimidating when he was young, but Lucian didn’t think he looked big today, or ever will again.

He is not a boy anymore who is struggling to be recognized by his father.

Lucian looked at Pedro with cold eyes.

“If it’s a disease, can you cure it?”

Pedro was quite shocked to look into Lucian’s eyes.

It was because his sun kissed eyes, which were visible at all moments ago, felt unfamiliar.

Lucian wasn’t originally a child who showed a lot of emotion, but Pedro didn’t remember him as being that unfeeling.

He had the illusion that his heart was thumping painfully. He’s the one that pushed his son away in the first place.

Did he just pull away from me? It looks like he hates and despises me. But why am I feeling this strange feeling now?

Pedro answered, pushing back the uncertainty in his own gaze.

“…It can’t be fixed.”

His forced voice trembled relentlessly. He recalled what he had said to the previous Duke.

Pedro asked his father, who looked at him with the same eyes as he looked at Lucian, the same questions he was asking now.

At that time, Pedro’s father gave the same answer as he did just now. They had the same desire to not give up on the other person, so it was only natural.

But unlike Pedro at that time, Lucian smiled.

His smile was somehow sinister and yet strangely brighter than ever, it felt as fresh as a newly bloomed rose.

Pedro’s blue eyes trembled relentlessly, unable to pull his gaze off of Lucian’s smirk.

Lucian, who had already turned to him, looked blankly into space and replied with satisfaction.

“If it can’t be fixed… Then that’s good.”

Lucian already had this conversation with Enzo.

He felt better after hearing what his father said.

Unlike the dead Enzo, who took no shape, he was glad to hear that the exact same conclusion seemed to have been reached even when he heard it from his living father.

Pedro looked at him with a blank look on his face, while Lucian was smiling brightly as if he was truly overjoyed.

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