Chapter 162

David straightened his bent back and firmly gripped Luman’s right shoulder as he spoke.

“You must have struggled spending money in my absence, Luman.”

“Brother…… about that.”

“Say no more. If my decision were overturned, it would shatter my pride as a noble.”

Luman knew this well. David was someone who always said he would rather die than have his pride trampled.

However, even for such a brother, Violet was an exception. Luman thought he might be able to appeal to her compassion.

“Oh, and don’t tell Violet. She’s not in good health right now.”

“What?”

Feeling as though his thoughts had been exposed, Luman stupidly asked, “What?” again. Inwardly, he imagined banging his head against a wall while maintaining an awkward expression.

“My Violet is pregnant.”

“What?”

“Luman.”

“Congratulations, Brother, haha.”

“Even if Violet and I were to die, the heir would be, Mei. So, please abandon any foolish thoughts.”

David’s words were not something Luman hadn’t considered.

“And in the worst-case scenario, if I die, and Violet and the child in her womb also die, and Mei is left without an heir and passes away, the Carpen Empire will become a vassal state of the Sirius Empire. I’ve already concluded discussions with my son-in-law.”

In other words, Luman was being told not to even dream of becoming Duke again.

“Luman, go back. We will take good care of Meryl until she gives birth.”

“Then, may I at least see Meryl one last time……?”

Bang!

David slammed the documents he was reviewing onto the desk and coldly spoke to Luman.

“No.”

Luman bowed to David and left the room weakly. Only the tears streaming down his face comforted his sorrow.

***

“Mei…… where is my father?”

“He has returned to where he was staying.”

Meryl, who looked anxious with clasped hands as if in prayer, asked Meia with desperate eyes.

“Meryl, you seem quite uneasy.”

“Mei…… what will happen to me now?”

“Meryl, are you nervous?”

As Meia repeatedly asked if she was nervous, Meryl began to cry and spoke.

“Sniff…… sniff, yes, I’m nervous! I’m terrified!”

At Meryl’s response, Meia smiled brightly.

“Why are you laughing? Do I look so ridiculous right now?”

“Meryl, are you truly scared and nervous?”

Meryl, now even more uneasy, glanced at Meia’s expression.

“Why do you keep asking if I’m scared or nervous?”

“To confirm something.”

“Confirm what?”

“To see if you’re ready to be unhappy.”

“What?”

Losing someone you love. Losing honor.

And if you become increasingly anxious and restless, eventually feeling fear for what lies ahead……

“I hope you struggle with the misfortunes to come, Meryl.”

“What are you saying……?”

Meryl trembled as she felt the coldness in Meia’s smiling blue eyes.

“I gave you plenty of chances, Meryl, and you made your choices.”

“What chances did you give me, and what choices did I make?”

“The chance to choose unhappiness.”

Standing up, Meia looked down at Meryl and spoke.

“I use up a bottle of ink every day.”

“Why are you suddenly talking about ink bottles?”

“Just as knights dirty their hands with soil, my hands were never free of ink. As the ink dried on the paper, my heart hardened as well.”

Even when my hands trembled from writing, I had to continue my work and studies.

“Even when the smell of ink lingered on my hands, and calluses formed on my fingers, I endured it…… for ten years.”

Through the hardships of learning and fulfilling the responsibilities of a noble.

“Those ten years were to become the Crown Princess. And despite my efforts, you easily took my place, Meryl. You made people pity you and trampled on my pride.”

“Meia, that was a mistake I made out of jealousy of you……. I’m sorry.”

“Even now, you call it a mistake.”

“I’m sorry. Meia, please forgive me.”

Meia’s lips curved into a beautiful smile as she blinked her eyes.

“Your child, unfortunately, will grow up as an illegitimate heir to the Earl of Kurundal.”

“What are you saying? Illegitimate? It carries the blood of the Hatzbellua family!”

“Do you not realize that the moment you claim it carries our family’s blood, it’s over for us?”

“I know I made a mistake……. But illegitimate…… illegitimate……!”

Knowing the treatment illegitimate children receive, Meryl began trembling like a leaf, imagining the misfortune her child would face.

Seeing that Meryl’s spirit might break if pushed further, Meia closed her mouth, feeling she had gone too far.

***

Meia rejected me to the end. She even bore the bloodline of the Grand Duke of Florence!

The pain of losing limbs was less shocking than this.

He forced his eyelids open.

As familiar scenery came into view through his blurry vision, a sharp pain struck the left side of his head, causing him to groan.

“Ugh, my head.”

And then he noticed something strange. His hands had been cut off by Theodore, but……? Yet his right hand was clearly holding his aching head.

Frowning, Demian sat up.

His last memory was of losing Meia and being mutilated by Theodore’s hands before being forcibly thr*st into ‘this place.’

He had lost consciousness while watching Theodore’s hand, scattering silver hair, fade away.

Regaining his senses, Demian stood before a mirror and looked at his reflection. His eyes widened, and he touched his face, laughing incredulously. Something unbelievable had happened.

The reflection in the mirror wasn’t his adult self but his childhood appearance.

“This…… this is me as a child……?”

What on earth had happened? Could time have turned back?

Knock knock.

“Prince Demian, are you awake?”

“Yes.”

The nanny, who had once been killed by his own hands, entered the room.

“Today, the Duke and Lady of Hatzbellua are visiting.”

“……!”

It was certain. Time had reversed.

“This is impossible!”

“Pardon? What do you mean it’s impossible?”

“Never mind, Nanny. Prepare me.”

“You must be excited. They say Lady Meia is as beautiful as Duke David.”

“You’re right, Nanny. I’m very excited.”

Very much so.

His heart pounded in disbelief at this reality.

He had to seize this newfound opportunity.

This time, he must avoid doing anything she disliked.

He refrained from doing anything she hated. He didn’t recklessly call her by pet names.

Shyly smiling, he presented flowers as a gift.

Seeing her bright smile only made his thirst grow stronger.

When her gaze turned toward a young puppy, his chest boiled with anger. He felt bad.

However, he knew that killing an animal in front of Meia would undoubtedly displease her. To make the most of this miraculously reversed time, he showed her the kindest version of him.

“Prince Demian, you are so kind.”

“Lady Meia, thank you for the compliment.”

He blushed like Theodore and tried to appear as shy as possible.

“Then, I’ll see you next week.”

“Could you come visit again tomorrow?”

“I’ll ask my father.”

After confirming that Meia returned to the Ducal Residence, he grew angry, thinking about the puppy she adored.

“What makes you think you can steal Meia’s attention! You little Theodore-like brat.”

Even throwing an expensive ornament from the table onto the floor didn’t ease his mood.

The more things she cherished, the worse he felt. So he made sure to hide them where Meia couldn’t see. Of course, he continued to console her whenever she expressed sadness over the sudden disappearance of her animals.

The thought of holding her trembling body in his arms and comforting her filled him with ecstasy.

The dark mage Teverin clung to him, saying he wanted to stay by his side.

He asked Teverin to kill David and Violet.

Teverin successfully killed the Duke and Duchess of Hatzbellua.

He stayed by her side as she grieved. After the funeral, Luman became the Duke.

He gave Luman a large sum of money to arrange his engagement with Meia.

And finally, he became engaged to her. Now, she was his forever.

“Please let me go outside, Your Highness.”

“No.”

He couldn’t let anyone take her away.

“Let’s go for a walk outside together.”

Gradually, the corners of her lips drooped. She frowned.

“Shall we get married quickly, Meia?”

In the past, she would have agreed, but now she only grew more silent.

And then one day, she disappeared.

He searched everywhere for her. 

Where could she have gone?

He told Teverin to find her.

“I can’t track her location… It’s as if she’s in the Mage Tower.”

The Mage Tower!

Come to think of it, Grand Mage Puring had connections with the former Duke and Duchess of Hatzbellua.

When time was reversed, I should have killed David along with the others…!

He recklessly went to the Mage Tower, but he couldn’t enter. And he became certain that she was there.

I won’t let this go.

“She is the fiancée of Prince Demian von Mavro of the Carpen Empire! If you don’t hand her over immediately—!”

In the end, the Mage Tower rejected him.

He needed to find a way to destroy the Mage Tower.

But the sentient Mage Tower disappeared with Meia.

He captured and tortured several mages, but they refused to talk.

The Mage Tower sent a letter to the Carpen Empire, declaring that they would not dispatch mages there anymore, citing the t*rture and murder of mages as the reason.

“Demian! What on earth have you been doing?!”

“The Mage Tower is hiding Meia and refusing to hand her over.”

“That doesn’t justify hunting down and killing mages! You’re making an enemy of the Mage Tower!”

His anger grew stronger. The uncontrollable rage surged within him. He wanted to sever the Emperor’s neck for scolding him, but he restrained himself.

Then, a letter arrived from the Sirius Empire, requesting to annul Meia’s engagement. No, it was a threat.