23: Jealousy

‘Ella… smiled at me like that.’

Seeing Aella smiling brightly at him—not awkwardly, but genuinely showing her teeth—Kael’s lips curled into a smile.

‘She doesn’t hate me, right? You can’t smile like that in front of someone you dislike. Ella’s smile…’

Aella’s cheeks dimpled deeply, and her crescent-shaped eyes sparkled with joy. She looked like an innocent young girl as she laughed, and Kael couldn’t take his eyes off her. Suddenly, a scene flashed through his mind.

A young version of himself and a girl standing in front of him. The smiling girl felt just like the Aella standing before him now.

‘This memory… Is it mine? Yes, it’s my memory. Ella and I grew up as childhood friends… This memory must be mine. My younger self and Ella…’

Kael wanted to recall more memories—precious memories with the woman he loved.

As something began to surface, a sharp headache struck him, and he clutched his head with both hands, lowering it.

“Ugh!”

“Ka-Kael! Are you in pain?”

“Ah, Ella. Are you worried about me right now?”

“Of course I am.”

“Ah, hahaha.”

Although Kael didn’t like causing Aella concern, her worry made him secretly happy. He reached out and held her hand.

“Kael…”

“You don’t hate me, do you?”

“Of course not.”

“Then…”

“…”

“Do you love me?”

Kael’s earnest gaze was filled with longing, pleading for her to say she loved him.

Aella, too, wanted to tell Kael—the man she loved so much that she missed him even while looking at him—that she loved him. But in this dream-like reality, which could shatter at any moment, she couldn’t bring herself to say it easily.

“Ella.”

“I do love you. I married you and became your wife because I love you.”

“Ah…”

“I truly love you, Kael.”

“I love you more, Ella.”

As Kael spoke with a blissful expression, Aella smiled warmly and embraced his wide chest.

‘I don’t know when this will end… but even if it’s just for a moment, I want to feel this happiness. That way… when Kael regains his memories, I might be able to endure and move on.’

Aella closed her eyes.

The broad chest she had missed so much, his familiar scent… In this bittersweet and fleeting reality, Aella wanted to feel Kael’s love and the warmth he gave her.

‘Kael, I love you so much… too.’

***

Rensi had narrowly escaped being captured and executed by the duke thanks to the dark sorceress, who rescued her just before she was caught.

“You idiot. Why did you waste time? Because of you, I was almost in danger too!”

Rensi, who had been teleported from a spacious lobby to a shabby hut without realizing it, apologized to the dark sorceress and expressed gratitude for saving her life.

Since then, Rensi had been living in the sorceress’s hideout—a hut deep in the forested mountains.

While running errands, Rensi grew increasingly irritated about why she had to act like a servant to the sorceress.

She threw the rag she had been holding onto the floor in frustration.

“You’ll eventually face danger too, just like me, if you’re discovered.”

“…”

The dark sorceress had returned from an outing and showed Rensi a wanted poster. Her own face was featured alongside the sorceress’s, along with details about her crimes.

Rensi had been branded a criminal for conspiring with the dark sorceress and committing the worst act of insubordination against Duchess Hormons.

All Rensi had wanted was to make the thorn in her side—Aella—disappear forever.

She had even sought a love potion that would make the drinker fall in love with the first person they saw. Her plan was to make Kael Hormons fall for her, but it had failed miserably.

‘This… This is all because of that d*mn Aella! That wretch! If only she hadn’t provoked me! I want to kill her! I want to kill her!’

Letia, the dark sorceress, observed the woman in front of her closely.

‘Such intense malice. This is pure jealousy. They say jealousy can be as terrifying as hatred.’

Letia’s lips curled into a smirk.

‘Keeping this girl alive has been worth it. She’ll make an excellent puppet.’

Suppressing a laugh, Letia placed a hand on Rensi’s shoulder.

“Rensi, shall I help you?”

“What… What do you mean?”

“Manipulating human memories is as easy for me as breathing.”

“In that case, get rid of that woman!”

“Hm~ The woman you want to eliminate, Aella, has healing abilities, so it’s difficult to make her die from illness.”

“…”

“But there’s one way.”

“What is it?”

Letia smiled at the woman before her, who seemed ready to accept anything she said.

“You can curse her. An invisible curse. She’ll slowly weaken and die.”

“I want her to die quickly!”

“The intensity of your curse will determine how quickly she dies.”

“Then, right now!”

“Hold on. I haven’t finished explaining. When you curse someone, there’s a price to pay.”

“What price?”

Although Letia found Rensi’s attitude annoying, she decided to overlook it since Rensi would be a useful puppet in the future.

“Your blood and your curse directed at her. That’s all that’s needed.”

“My blood… How much do you need?”

“Half a cup.”

“!”

Rensi’s expression stiffened at the thought of giving up half a cup of blood.

“Don’t be so scared. It’s not like I’ll take it all at once. I’ll extract it gradually, so your body won’t be strained.”

“…”

“If you’re worried, we can forget this ever happened.”

“N-No! I’ll do it!”

“Good. While I extract the blood, just sit still and do nothing.”

“…Can I really just sit still?”

“Of course.”

As Rensi sat reluctantly on the living room sofa, Letia moved to the kitchen, suppressing her laughter.

‘Nothing makes people more foolish than love.’

She recalled a man who had once promised to do anything for her. He had loved her so deeply that he was willing to give her everything except his life. But one day, he suddenly died from an unknown illness.

[Aah, this can’t be! This can’t be happening! How could Ramios die so suddenly?]

After hearing the news of her lover’s death, Letia had tried to defy the will of the gods, who governed life and death, in order to save him.

She succeeded in reviving Ramios, but as a result, she was stripped of her status as a “saint” and exiled.

[The saint? Hah!]

[What a disgrace.]

Letia endured the criticism and stoning from those who had once called her “Saint Letia” and benefited from her kindness.

Even when her parents and siblings abandoned her, she thought she could endure it as long as Ramios stayed by her side.

[Ramios!]

[…]

[Ramios, you’re alive again. Do you know how much…]

[I’m sorry, Letia.]

[There’s no need to apologize. I brought you back…]

[I’m grateful you saved me, but I never want to see you again. I’m truly sorry. Please don’t come looking for me anymore!]

As Letia recalled Ramios’s hurried departure, she clenched her fists.

“That bastard… Worse than an animal, ungrateful for the life I gave him…”

Overcome with rage, Letia’s body trembled violently.

“I’ll end your life slowly. Very slowly… and painfully. Until then, enjoy your happiness as much as you can.”

Letia’s bloodshot eyes burned with hatred.

***

Having regained some strength, Aella was invited to a royal ball. Kael, worried about her, wanted to decline the invitation, but Aella insisted she was fine and boarded the carriage, reminding him that the invitation had been personally sent by the emperor.

“Ella, there’s no need to push yourself.”

Kael sat close to her, holding her hands tightly as he spoke. His expression was full of worry.

Seeing him like this reminded Aella of the times Kael had stayed by her side when she was sick from overusing her healing magic. He would hold her hands tightly and stay with her, just like now.

“I’m fine. As long as Kael is with me.”

“Th-hem. Hem.”

Kael, flustered by her words, didn’t know what to do. His face turned red, his eyes darted around, and Aella couldn’t help but find him endearing.

Watching Kael, whose lips twitched as he tried to suppress his joy, Aella smiled and looked out the window.

She had been so weak that she could barely leave her bed until now.

The scenery outside—the streets passing by and the clear sky—felt different.

After her relationship with Kael had soured due to her father’s unforgivable crime, the world had felt like a living hell.

But now, being by Kael’s side, where he had lost only his memories of her, the world felt precarious yet peaceful.

This fragile peace and the fluttering in her heart… Aella wanted to savor them for as long as she could.

As they arrived at the ball, Kael held her hand tightly, his palm slightly sweaty.

“Duke and Duchess Hormons have arrived!”

Eyes turned toward the couple as they entered the ballroom.

“So it’s true he only lost his memories of Lady Blueanz.”

“Poor duke. To marry the daughter of his father’s enemy…”

The whispers of the noblewomen were loud enough for Aella to hear clearly.

Meanwhile, Kael…

“The Duchess Hormons is as beautiful as ever.”

“She’s one of the empire’s renowned beauties.”

“It’s a shame she’s married…”

Kael’s anger boiled as he noticed the l*stful gazes of young noblemen directed at Aella.

Even though he wanted to confront them, he held back. He wanted to be a refined husband in front of the woman he loved.

“Duchess, do you remember me?”

“Baron Haruman, isn’t it?”

“Haha! You remember me! It’s an honor! You helped me during that carriage accident…”

Kael watched Baron Haruman, who was visibly excited, with narrowed eyes.

“I heard you were unwell. Are you alright now?”

“Thanks to your concern, I’m fine.”

“Haha! Y-you’re too kind.”

Kael couldn’t tolerate it anymore.

“Baron, if you’re done talking, please leave.”

“Y-yes!”

Terrified by Kael’s glare, the baron quickly fled. Kael took Aella’s hand and led her to the balcony.

“Kael? What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Aella’s worried voice came from behind him. Though he appreciated her concern, Kael was in a foul mood.

The noblemen’s impure gazes at his wife and Aella’s polite interactions with them—everything irritated him.

Unable to suppress his emotions any longer, Kael finally spoke.

“Ella.”

When Aella turned to face him, she immediately realized how angry he was.

“Don’t look at other men. Don’t even meet their eyes.”

Kael’s tone and his emphasis on “even” made it clear to Aella—this was jealousy.