TVEWD 22

Fresa was lying on the sofa, resting after confirming that Rowan Gilespie had left.

“I’m tired, so tired.”

The body was feeling quite off, especially after a hot day filled with various troubles.

“You don’t look well, Resa,” Reese said worriedly, floating above Fresa’s face.

Fresa closed her eyes for a moment, then slowly opened them.

“Just a little tired.”

“People say that when you’re like this, eating something delicious can lift your spirits.”

Reese advised quite reasonably, almost like a person.

Fresa let out a small laugh.

She did miss when Lycaon occasionally cooked for her.

Though simple and modest, the dishes still tasted quite good.

It was only then that she remembered how warm it felt to dine with someone.

‘Ah, I unconsciously thought of him again.’

Because she had been deeply hurt by people, she tried not to get close to anyone.

But even so, the emptiness left by Lycaon’s absence had already grown so large.

“It seems you miss that person,” Reese said, looking at Fresa with a sympathetic expression.

Fresa didn’t want to argue, so she remained silent.

Since Lycaon left, the surroundings had become incredibly quiet.

At first, when she moved here, she wished no one lived nearby.

Now, knowing there was no one at all made her feel lonely—people truly heal with other people, after all.

“The contract holder looks exhausted, so even I’m feeling sluggish, Resa,” Reese sighed and tugged at Fresa’s hair.

“Ouch, that hurts.”

“Pull yourself together, Resa.”

“I’m just a little tired, that’s all.”

Of course, she was annoyed and incredulous about Rowan Gilespie’s sudden appearance, especially now that she was finally trying to start a new life away from the original story, only to hear him say, “The one I truly love is you.”

‘Crazy human.’

Isn’t he out of his mind?

Does Alicia know about this?

If she did, she wouldn’t stay quiet.

Everyone thought Alicia was a beautiful and kind person.

But Fresa knew well how cruel she could be to get what she wanted.

‘She tore apart the dress I was going to wear to the banquet—what a hassle.’

That dress was very dear to her, but Alicia turned it into rags.

Of course, Fresa had to pretend not to know at the time.

‘Because the original story hurt me again.’

Anyway, Rowan Gilespie had now become aware of Fresa’s existence.

It meant that it wouldn’t be long before the Count Thorpe’s ears caught wind of it.

‘Most likely, the Thorpe family would deny it.’

Especially the Count and Elias.

They valued their family’s honor more than Fresa’s existence.

So, Fresa had escaped as if she were dead, and they had mourned while burying an empty coffin—shameful as it was.

In the first place, Fresa was nothing to them—an useless daughter and sibling—so she wasn’t worried about them suddenly barging in.

They still believed she had no abilities.

‘So, it’s not really a problem. But…’

She was troubled by Rowan’s changed attitude.

‘How can people be like that?’

Loving Alicia and working hard to keep her close—what kind of nonsense is that?

“Resa, someone has come,” Reese said, floating aimlessly in the air.

At the same time, someone was pounding loudly on the front door.

‘Who could it be? I put a sign saying today’s a holiday.’

Maybe someone ignored the notice posted on the door and came anyway.

Fresa hastily tidied her messy hair and opened the door.

But standing there was someone she never expected.

‘Jerome?’

It was her second brother, Jerome Thorpe.

She didn’t know how he found her, but he was someone she didn’t want to see as much as Rowan.

Fresa hesitated for a moment, wondering whether to slam the door shut again or to grab Jerome’s hair and make him bald.

Jerome gawked as if he had seen a ghost, muttering uncertainly.

“You, you crazy…”

Surely, if someone you thought was dead was standing alive before you, you’d be surprised.

In that sense, Jerome’s reaction was perfectly normal.

But it was unpleasant when he reached out to Fresa.

“Today, we have many insignificant guests. Shall I handle them?”

Reese pressed his body close to Jerome’s face and asked.

Though she didn’t know how he’d handle that small and insignificant body, Fresa decided it was better to just close the door and turn away.

Until a bolt of lightning suddenly struck from the clear sky.

And until she saw Lycaon dressed in an elegant black formal suit.

Lycaon, standing confidently, greeted with a face unchanged after stomping on Jerome’s back as if it were a mat.

“Why have you come back so suddenly?”

Fresa was stunned.

She hadn’t expected Lycaon to return so quickly.

Of course, he had said he’d come back soon, but she hadn’t believed it.

Lycaon precisely stepped on Jerome’s back twice, like he was treading on a carpet, and said,

“I am here to greet you properly, Resa.”

His appearance, dressed so formally for an official occasion, and his tone and expression—all of it was unlike Lycaon.

His deep navy cloak fluttered gently in the lukewarm breeze.

“I am the Duke of Kanther, Lycaon Granadine.”

That greeting was so elegant and strange that Fresa felt like she was watching a short play.

“…Huh?”

Fresa opened her eyes wide in surprise at the sudden introduction.

So, the sickly neighbor was actually the Grand Duke of the Empire?

She mumbled in a dazed state.

“Is it true that the Grand Duke Granadine subdued a dragon…?”

“It’s become more widely known, I suppose,” Lycaon said casually, staring at Fresa.

“I apologize for not mentioning it sooner. I wasn’t trying to hide it.”

“Oh, yes.”

Fresa nodded weakly.

Honestly, she was just as guilty for lying.

Lycaon looked at her with strange eyes.

It was so unexpected she didn’t know how to react.

Finally, everything clicked into place.

The poison from the extinct dragon, the fact that an unusually strong person had come to this rural area for recovery, and Reese feeling a strange magical aura from Lycaon—all of it.

‘It was mentioned a few times in the original story. The Grand Duke Granadine was described as Rowan Gilespie’s internal rival.’

In the original, Lycaon was an object of Rowan’s inferiority complex.

But he was never directly involved; he was only occasionally referenced in Rowan’s lines, so she hadn’t recognized him until now.

Even his name was always “Grand Duke Granadine,” so it couldn’t be any different.

Having uncovered this huge truth, Fresa had more important matters to attend to.

“Mr. Lycaon, are you feeling alright?”

It was about Lycaon’s current condition.

More important than the fact that he was a powerful mage tower master was whether the poison had disappeared.

Lycaon chuckled dryly.

“Is that all you want to ask?”

“Yes. I’ve already told you everything else. That you’re a mage tower master, a famous grand duke of the empire. But to me, you’re just a patient who needs my medicine and a neighbor.”

And also a friend.

She didn’t say that last part aloud, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Lycaon took a step closer.

Thanks to his tall stature, the sun hanging over the ridge was slightly obscured.

“Your patient and neighbor are perfectly fine now. Of course, you still need more of my medicine.”

“That’s a relief.”

Fresa nodded once.

Certainly, Lycaon looked much better than before she left.

But she had a few concerns, and since it wasn’t something to say in front of Jerome, she decided to ask her immediate question.

“By the way, why did my brother end up like this?”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you earlier,” Lycaon said, turning his back and gazing at Jerome lying on the floor.

Unlike when he looked at Fresa, his eyes were cold.

“Before leaving, I cast a spell to summon me if you ever felt danger.”

Fresa watched Lycaon’s straight profile with a strange feeling.

She wasn’t sure whether she should be grateful for him preparing for such a situation or annoyed that he hadn’t told her about the spell beforehand.

Of course, since she had received help from Lycaon now, her feelings leaned more toward gratitude.

She scratched her slightly heated cheek and asked,

“Did you anticipate that I might be in danger?”

It was probably because she had encountered Rowan at the market.

Lycaon must have judged Rowan to be dangerous.

But Fresa was not afraid of Rowan Gilespie.

She just felt uncomfortable and annoyed.

“I apologize for not consulting with you first. I wanted to protect you from possible danger. I hoped nothing would happen, of course,”

Lycaon apologized, meeting Fresa’s eyes directly.

Protection.

That word was unfamiliar to Fresa.

No one had ever protected her before.

That’s why she drank the poison and ran away to this place to protect herself.

But now, meeting Lycaon—whom she barely knew—she was told she was someone she needed to protect.

It was strange, to say the least.

To avoid being overwhelmed by conflicting emotions, she changed the subject.

“Anyway… I think we need to discuss other things later, but what should I do about this person?”

“You can do as you wish. I don’t have the authority to decide,” Lycaon replied as if he had been waiting.

Fresa briefly watched Jerome, who was struggling to lift his head, trying to look at her.

‘Jerome has confirmed that I’m alive with his own eyes, so it’s problematic.’

But she didn’t want to give up the new refuge she had just gained.

She couldn’t run forever.

If she couldn’t avoid it, she had no choice but to face it.

After much deliberation, Fresa decided what to do with Jerome Thorpe.

~·~·* . * . *·~·~

Hey there, It’s Green Rose 😉

Since I human I might have make some mistakes while translating so please if you find them let me know here in the comments or in the Discord group so I can correct them and be careful in the future so they do not repeat.

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

~~~Next Chapter~~~

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