~Chapter 97~
Armians no longer came to see me.
He started living a life of leaving early for work and returning late at night, just so he wouldn’t meet me even by accident at meals. He didn’t come to my room at night either.
I knew what he wanted from me.
“An apology.”
If I just said, “I’m sorry. I was wrong. I won’t do it again,” and reassured him, Armians would return to his old self.
He wasn’t really angry at me. He was avoiding me because he was afraid his worry might burst out as anger.
‘I know that… but I don’t like it.’
Not because of pride, but because I couldn’t give him what he wanted.
I don’t enjoy hurting myself, but if one of us had to be wounded, I wanted it to be me. Armians’s pain wasn’t mine — I couldn’t control it.
And I knew Armians thought the same way, ready to be torn apart by the world instead of me. That’s why I hated it even more.
House Rohiltern was my responsibility. If anyone had to suffer for it, it had to be me.
But if I went to him and just blurted out my refusal, only ruin or war would follow. Armians was emotional, and I needed to prepare how to deliver my true feelings. So I went to the Imperial Palace for work.
“Your health — is it better?”
It wasn’t because I came here to see this man.
“I never thought the Imperial Palace’s Mage Tower would have such poor security — letting in even peddlers.”
“What, peddlers? I know you’re ill and seeing things negatively, but isn’t that too harsh on your father?”
I smiled briefly.
“So it was Marquis Blancia behind it.”
He must have coached the Count, who was now trying hard to keep his expression straight.
Count Rohiltern frowned for a moment but didn’t show it.
“I brought medicinal herbs to help your recovery. You should know how valuable these are.”
He unwrapped the bundle.
The herbs were indeed top quality. He probably brought them sincerely to please me — which only made it more unpleasant.
“These herbs are needed by someone else, aren’t they?”
“Well, yes, of course! Everyone is desperate to get them! But I—”
“I meant Charlotte, working her hands raw to repay debts, or the Countess suffering in a prison cell under interrogation. Don’t they need these more than I do?”
“You dare bring them up again!”
The Count immediately raised his voice.
“Charlotte’s name is erased from the records, so she’s no longer my child. And I’ll divorce that woman soon! How could she do such things to my daughter?”
He insisted that what happened at the tea party wasn’t his fault, but the Countess’s.
“Think back to Rohiltern. Did I ever strike you once? It was always that woman who mistreated you!”
Not untrue. He hadn’t hurt me — he had simply ignored me.
“Yes, I wronged you in the past, but as family—”
Listening to his endless self-defense, I thought:
“They truly deserve each other.”
The Count and the Countess — a perfect pair.
“You must have worked hard to get these herbs… what a pity. I can’t use magic anymore after what happened the other day.”
I clicked my tongue openly, and the Count’s eyes shook.
“Th-That’s fine, Bella. Luckily His Highness loves you so deeply—”
“Don’t be foolish.”
I mocked him outright.
“He only kept me by his side because I am a mage.”
“You…!”
“And to hear such romantic words from someone like you — someone who doesn’t even believe in love more than I do — that’s surprising.”
The Count fell silent.
I crossed my arms and tilted my head, locking eyes with him.
“So, what about this ‘family bond’ you mentioned?”
“I… I…”
The Count began hurriedly packing the herbs back up.
“What a shallow love of family.”
I wasn’t sure when she had started listening, but I had sensed her presence faintly.
Camilla leapt in through the window, landing in front of me.
The Count froze only after seeing her Imperial Knight uniform, then gave an awkward smile, rubbing his hands.
“O-Of course I knew those words were lies. How could the Grand Duke ever cast aside someone as lovely as you?”
“Too late.”
With a burst, the herbs went up in flames. Only ashes remained, which I carefully wrapped and placed back into his arms.
“Take care on your way.”
That should have been enough of a message: I wouldn’t be swayed as he wished.
But the Count sneered.
“Do you think House Durnarn will treat you any differently?”
“What are you trying to say?”
“You think they’ll respect you? No, they’ll just suck you dry and throw you away—”
“Well… that’s not something I want to hear from a man who traded me to Marquis Blancia.”
I already knew. The world is full of people not to be trusted. But if I was to be sold, I wanted to be sold at my true price.
And I knew very well that wasn’t him.
I teleported him somewhere outside the Imperial City. I didn’t know where exactly, but hopefully he wasn’t bad at directions.
Camilla stood still until everything was over. I pointed her to a nearby sofa.
“Sir Afella, what brings you here?”
Since she wore her official uniform, I expected official business.
“Even if you’ve lost your magic, the adoption offer won’t be withdrawn. That’s why I came.”
“…And the real reason?”
“Actually, this.”
She handed me a small box. Inside was a pill the size of a baby’s fist.
The smell alone told me it was far superior to what the Count had brought. Such medicine was rare even with money.
“It’s made by combining herbs to restore strength when the body is weak.”
“From His Majesty?”
“Yes.”
It was too precious to eat so casually, so I closed the box again.
‘If I keep it, I’ll use it someday.’
“Please tell His Majesty I am endlessly grateful.”
“Yes.”
Camilla smiled. She didn’t urge me to take it right away, so her task was just to deliver it.
“One more thing — I wasn’t lying earlier.”
“Hm?”
“House Durnarn will welcome you even if you are no longer a mage.”
Before I could protest, she added:
“But you’ve already chosen to stay with the Grand Duke, haven’t you?”
“……”
“Even though you’re quarreling with him.”
“You know that from the Palace?”
“The Grand Duke has no duties here, yet he comes, sits at an empty desk all day, then goes home late. A man who never cared for the Emperor’s opinion — if he avoids home, there can only be one reason.”
“Ha…”
I laughed awkwardly.
“Your guess is right. We had a lovers’ quarrel.”
“Is that so?”
Maybe because she was in love too, Camilla seemed curious.
“Yes. We both hated the thought of the other being hurt, so we fought over who should bear the pain. Now we’re in a cold war.”
I dressed it up, but it wasn’t far from the truth.
“Oh dear. Then what will you do?”
“At first I thought I should just apologize… but then we’d only fight about the same thing again.”
I realized something as I spoke.
“I just hate it. I hate the thought of the one I love getting hurt because of me.”
Armians and I.
Camilla and Leon.
We were very much alike.
“…I feel the same,” she said.
