chapter 11
“What should I do? I’m really sorry, Your Grace,”
Godel looked at him with a face full of apology.
In truth, she didn’t feel the slightest bit sorry. She was just hoping he’d give up and leave now.
“It’s alright.”
Whether he sensed her true feelings or not, Eden stood up from his seat.
When they first met, she’d been too distracted by his face to notice, but now she realized—he was very tall. His broad chest filled her view even at a glance.
‘He really does seem like a hidden ending main character…’
“I hope we meet again.”
That line snapped her out of her brief trance.
What? Meet again? She quickly came back to her senses, but Eden was already smiling kindly at her.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
Before she could fully grasp his intentions, he grabbed the door handle. That’s when he noticed the skull hanging on the doorknob. He gave a small laugh and flicked it with his finger.
“See you.”
With that final word, the door closed behind him. The skull hanging on the doorknob clattered loudly.
“…He didn’t really mean it, right? It’s just something people say politely, isn’t it?”
She mumbled to herself with a hopeful heart, but of course, no one was there to answer.
“Duke!”
As soon as Eden stepped out of the Hildegard mansion, Miller ran up to him.
“Did the proposal go well?”
Miller asked anxiously, but Eden didn’t answer right away. He was still organizing the clues he had gathered in the mansion.
Godel’s father, Count Hildegard, clearly wasn’t just “away.” There were no signs of a man living in that house at all.
‘No… actually, there was just one trace he left behind.’
The daughter the Hero had supposedly brought home one day—that daughter was the only evidence of Gilbert’s existence.
A child born from someone else, left behind by the person you loved… It would’ve made more sense to hate her or resent her.
‘And yet she protects her so dearly.’
Yes, this gave him even more reason to keep watching.
While Eden was finishing his thoughts, Miller continued talking.
“…I heard the young lady of the house is very pretty. A bit shy, but she has a really kind heart.”
“A kind heart?”
Eden let out a dry chuckle.
If she truly had a kind heart, she wouldn’t have shown such obvious rejection.
Godel might not have realized it, but he certainly did.
That was a clear dismissal—an indirect way of saying get lost.
“What ‘bunny-like niece’? You’re the one who—”
“Pardon?”
Miller asked, confused, but Eden didn’t respond.
Instead, he recalled how flustered Godel was while holding Echo’s hand. A small, unconscious smile crept onto his face. Even he didn’t notice it.
It was just a game, but someone had proposed to him.
In books and movies, people say the world turns pink and sparkly when they receive a proposal.
But for Eden, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
He was more preoccupied with deciding what to eat for dinner.
‘Besides, it wasn’t really a proposal, was it?’
Who in their right mind proposes like it’s an argument? It was better to think of it as a brief, unexpected event that added some tension to his otherwise ordinary day.
‘Still…’
When thinking realistically, marriage itself wasn’t a bad idea. In this country, a woman wasn’t allowed to raise a child on her own without someone to support her.
Right now, Echo had both Gilbert’s name on the family register and her biological father, Lewis.
But once Gilbert was officially declared dead, it was unclear whether she’d be allowed to stay with Echo. If the authorities found out that Lewis couldn’t support the child, they would probably take Echo to an orphanage.
And then there was the money problem… The weight of reality made it hard to breathe.
“Lady Godel.”
To be honest, it felt unfair. Being thrown into a game world all of a sudden was bad enough—shouldn’t the basic support at least be fair?
“Lady Godel.”
And now, in this world, it was legally forbidden for a woman to raise a child on her own. A world that wouldn’t even pass a 21st-century law review…
“Lady Godel…!”
“…!”
A voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
When I turned my head, Echo was looking at me.
“Huh? What did you say?”
“…Shall we get started together?”
She pointed at the grocery bag in front of me—filled with food I had just bought for today’s meal.
“Oh, it’s okay. You just go inside and rest.”
I waved her off. It wasn’t something I needed help with.
“I…”
“Hmm?”
“I just… want to help.”
Normally, Echo would’ve said “Okay” and stepped back, but this time she didn’t.
I wondered why for a moment, then figured—why not? It might be nice to prepare a meal together.
“Alright. Then can you wash the carrots over there?”
“Yes!”
Echo’s face lit up brightly.
We began preparing the meal together. It wasn’t anything fancy, just a potato stew—her favorite.
Standing side by side in the kitchen, cooking with her, made me feel like a real mother. I was touched.
“Lady Godel.”
That’s when Echo spoke quietly.
“What is it?”
“…Are you really going to marry him?”
Thud.
I dropped the potato I was holding. Echo looked unusually serious. I fumbled for words as I picked the potato back up.
“…That’s kind of a sudden question. Is that what you were wondering about?”
“…Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Duke Bertanon is a duke… and he meets all the conditions you said you were looking for.”
Conditions? I tilted my head, confused—then suddenly remembered.
Everyone in this area knew Godel had been in love with her adopted older brother. Now that Gilbert was gone, it was hard to imagine any “good husband” being willing to marry her. Who would want to marry a woman known for obsessively loving her adoptive brother?
So Godel, full of frustration, had once said to Echo:
“Even if the world changes, a good man will never come looking for me! Who would want to marry a woman who already has a kid?”
Oh no. I remembered it too late and couldn’t say anything.
Echo wasn’t related to Godel by blood.
In other words, if Godel ever got married, she wouldn’t be obligated to take Echo with her.
So that cruel outburst from Godel was basically saying:
“If I find someone to marry, I’ll abandon you without a second thought.”
Horrible. How was I supposed to respond to that?
I chose my words carefully and spoke slowly.
“Echo. First of all, I’m not planning to get married. And even if I were, definitely not right now.”
“…But you think he’s a good person, right?”
“That’s…”
It was true. Objectively, there weren’t many people better than the Bertanon family.
If I were the real Godel, I would have accepted Eden Bertanon’s proposal without hesitation.
“Even so, just because his family is great doesn’t mean I should marry him.”
“…But it’s not a reason not to marry him either, right?”
Echo said this in a quiet voice.
She was right. Regardless of what Eden truly thought, this might be Godel’s one and only proposal. Who else would propose to a woman past the ideal marrying age, with a bad reputation?
“If it’s because you’re worried about me… you don’t have to be.”
“Echo.”
“You know I’m practically an adult, right? You’re considered an adult at seventeen here, and I’m fifteen. That’s close enough, don’t you think?”
She smiled brightly, forcing herself to be cheerful. But behind that smile, I could clearly see a young, quiet sadness.
“…So please don’t worry about someone like me.”
With those final words, Echo said she wasn’t hungry and left the kitchen. She moved so fast, I didn’t even have time to stop her.
“Echo…!”
I tried to go after her, but a sudden thought held me back.
What if she wasn’t saying that for my sake…?
What if she just doesn’t want to live with me anymore?
Even though things had gotten better between us since I entered Godel’s body, it hadn’t been very long. Just a brief moment compared to how long they’d lived together.
Maybe even my concern was a burden to her.
There was no good answer. I sighed again and again.
“…Still, at least come eat.”
I muttered the words, unsure if I was angry or just hurt, and let out another sigh.
Time passed.
The sun that had risen now began to set, casting long rays of sunset light through the window.
Knock knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
So many visitors lately… I slowly got up from my seat.
