Chapter 5 ….

The next day.

After finishing work and returning home, Rea found herself facing an unwelcome visitor.

“Sir Oscar?”

Oscar Donon was sitting in the reception room of the Flynn mansion with a gentle smile on his face.

“What brings you here?”

“I brought him.”

At that moment, Raymond—who had been sitting silently in a corner all this time—suddenly shot up from his seat. He had been so shocked by Oscar’s presence that he hadn’t even noticed his own brother was in the room.

“What?”

“Yeah, do you know how much trouble I went through after you just disappeared like that? To treat Sir Oscar with such disrespect—!”

“Ray-mon-d.”

Raymond flinched under the rising killing intent.

‘If Sir Oscar weren’t here, I would’ve beaten that bastard into pulp.’

Of course, given Raymond’s personality, even if he were beaten to a pulp, he still wouldn’t come to his senses.

At that moment, Oscar stood up and spoke as if pleading.

“Lady Rea, I beg you.”

“Yes?”

“Just once… would you grant me the chance to have a proper conversation with you?”

Rea, who had been about to refuse sharply, found her resolve slightly shaken by his firm voice.

“Then please come up to my study.”

Oscar’s face lit up instantly.

“Thank you!”

Watching the large man radiating joy from head to toe, something came to mind.

Like the huge dog from the neighborhood grocery store that always wagged its tail whenever it saw her…

That would probably be rude to think of him like that.

Rea suppressed her thoughts and guided Oscar to her study.

“Please sit. Paula, could you bring some tea?”

After Paula left, Oscar looked around as if he had stepped into a foreign country. Rea sat down first at the table and gestured again.

“Please, sit.”

“Oh, I-I’m sorry. It’s my first time in Lady Rea’s room, so I got a bit curious.”

“I see.”

‘What’s there to be curious about?’

Strictly speaking, this wasn’t even her bedroom—just a study.

The furniture consisted only of a tall, large bookshelf, an old wooden table, and two armchairs. The moldy wallpaper and the ceiling that looked like it might collapse were better left unmentioned.

Just as an awkward silence was about to settle between them, Paula thankfully returned with tea and snacks before leaving again.

“The tea is quite good.”

The tea Oscar had just drunk was a 10-year-old antique blend. Rea quietly flinched inside but shook her head.

“Not at all. Anyway, what brings you here today—”

“Lady Rea.”

Oscar took out a document from his inner pocket. Upon closer inspection, it was the official marriage proposal letter previously sent from House Donon.

“I thought that matter was already settled.”

“Yes, I know.”

Oscar then grasped the proposal letter with both hands—and tore it cleanly in half.

“…I’m not sure what you mean by this.”

“I have no idea how much I regretted it after you rejected me that day.”

Oscar raised his head and met her eyes. Rea silently observed his face.

From his appearance alone, he looked very masculine, yet his tone and behavior were so gentle that it was almost strange.

“Regretted it?”

“Why did I recklessly propose such a marriage to you…”

“……”

“Why did I say something that would hurt your pride so carelessly…”

“It has nothing to do with pride.”

“Even so… if I didn’t properly convey my feelings like this, I thought I would regret it for the rest of my life.”

After saying that much, Oscar took a sip of the bitter tea.

“That’s why I came here, even at the risk of being rude.”

Rea could not stop a man who had gone that far.

“Then please say whatever you wish. So you won’t have regrets.”

“Thank you.”

Only then did a smile appear on Oscar’s lips.

“As Lady Rea already knows, I am a miserable noble born without any magical power. Because of that, my family wanted me to marry someone with strong magical abilities.”

“Yes, I know.”

“The second time we met, I told you—I had no romantic interest in you whatsoever, and I only wanted a strictly business relationship. I asked you to feel at ease.”

Rea nodded. Oscar’s voice grew slightly melancholic.

“But that statement wasn’t entirely true.”

“…Pardon?”

“In truth, I was never someone who even looked at marriage proposals decided by my family.”

A faint smile appeared on Oscar’s lips.

“The elders of my family used to bring all kinds of marriage proposals and pressure me to marry. At one point, they even suggested buying a bride with money, and I got furious, asking if they intended to marry me off to just anyone…”

When his eyes met Rea’s, Oscar turned red with embarrassment.

“The elder who brought that proposal said something like, ‘It’s not just anyone. It’s that girl from the Magic Tower whom you often saw for work.’”

“…Huh?”

Rea widened her eyes, and Oscar looked away. His already red face turned even redder.

His refined gentlemanly image vanished, replaced by something almost naïve… even a little foolish.

“Wait!”

“Haha.”

“The one who always worked hardest unloading cargo when Donon Merchant Guild wagons arrived!”

This was from two years ago—back when Rea was the lowest-ranking errand worker in the Magic Tower’s supply management division.

“Procurement management” referred to handling magical goods purchased from merchant guilds. Because it was tedious and physically demanding, everyone avoided it, so it naturally fell to the newest junior staff.

Rea Flynn had been no different.

“You’re from Donon Merchant Guild, right? You could just leave it there.”

Unlike other guilds that would drop goods and rush off, the Donon representative always carried everything deep into the warehouse.

Not only that, he would stay behind and help her organize everything until the end.

Rea had come to see him as a “being like an angel descended to earth” and felt a strange sense of camaraderie with him.

‘What a poor young man—coming from some countryside with big dreams, joining a large merchant guild, only to be drained by those devilish superiors.’

When she once asked his name, the man had replied:

“My friends call me ‘Oji.’”

“Oji… that’s a cute name.”

He had blushed deeply at her casual reply.

That innocent country youth… their connection had ended when Rea was transferred to the research division.

And that man… that “Oji”…

“You mean Sir Oscar is that Oji?”

They were completely different. Even with Rea’s poor memory for faces, this was practically a total transformation.

“So you finally recognized me. And you even remembered my name.”

Oscar scratched his head with a chuckle. Rea was still stunned.

“Wait, you’re telling me the heir of a noble house was personally unloading cargo?”

Perhaps due to shock, her usual speech slipped out. Realizing it, Rea flinched—but Oscar burst out laughing.

“I missed that way of speaking. When I met you at the Magic Tower, I thought your speech was very… free-spirited.”

Hearing that, a memory surged up—one fragment of conversation with “Oji.”

“Magic user, did you try last season’s goods? How were they?”

“Absolutely amazing. Donon Guild’s products are the best! Loyal loyalty!”

“That is too kind of you.”

“No, I mean it sincerely! Where else can you get such quality at that price? Donon Guild people deserve blessings! I almost want to bow deeply—no, wait…”

“Oh dear, please get up, Magic user!”

Memories flooded in like a tide. Embarrassment crashed over her like a wave.

Rea groaned and held her temples.

“Ahhh…”

“What’s there to be embarrassed about?”

“It’s just…”

“I liked it.”

“Huh?”

Oscar’s eyes curved gently.

“Truly, I liked it. I would replay our conversations in my head over and over.”

“Ah…”

“So when I found out my marriage partner was Lady Rea, I immediately decided I would accept.”

‘Wait, that’s an incredible story!’

No—this wasn’t something to react like a fan.

Rea forced her mind back into place.

“But why—”

“Why I acted like I didn’t know you?”

Oscar’s gaze turned sorrowful.

“Because I truly wanted to marry you, Lady Rea.”

He confessed that before proposing, he had investigated her thoroughly. In the process, he learned her personality.

A realist who did not believe in love.

To win her heart, he decided to approach the marriage entirely as a business arrangement.

‘That strategy wasn’t wrong.’

After all, in her previous life, Rea had accepted the proposal.

“Even so, I truly enjoyed every time I met and talked with you. Those days made me happy.”

Oscar fixed his wistful gaze on Rea.

“To me back then, you were like sunlight. Of course, I understand you may find such words burdensome.”

“Not really…”

Oscar smiled faintly.

“Even if it’s meaningless now, I still feel much lighter after finally telling you my true feelings.”

Rea, unsure what to say, let out a hollow laugh.

“Hoho… I see.”

Even that reaction was met with affectionate eyes from Oscar.

‘Right… I used to like that warm gaze and gentle smile. And his kind voice too.’

Even now, it wasn’t much different. Those three things still worked on her.

Above all, hadn’t she once spent nearly a year of married life with Oscar? Those memories were still vivid.

Even though she had rebuilt her emotional walls, they felt like they could collapse at any moment.

‘But memories are just memories.’

Meaningless memories that only she carried.

Just as Rea tried to steady her shaken heart—

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

“Paula, come in.”

Paula entered and whispered carefully into Rea’s ear:

“Kevin is here.”