SRHNVW 01

chapter 01

“After saying we wouldn’t see each other again, why are you the one showing up first?”

“I wanted to, but I didn’t know things would turn out like this.”

How many people would actually enjoy facing their ex? Especially if they’d broken up on bad terms.

I hurriedly got to the point, wanting to resolve the matter quickly.

“Forget it. I won’t take much of your time. I came to tell you to give up custody. If you just sign the papers, you can take Artea and I’ll never show up in front of you again…”

“I can’t do that.”

As expected, it wasn’t going to be that simple.

“Artea is my niece.”

“She’s my niece too.”

Were we going to repeat the same argument over and over again?

Because of what I said last time, I thought he’d easily give up Artea, but here we were…

“Wait a moment.”

“Huh?”

“There’s a way that satisfies you, me, and even Artea.”

But it seemed Erios had prepared something as well. A mysterious smile crossed his pale face.

“Bellona. Marry me.”

“What?”

“Isn’t that the best way for both of us to raise Artea?”

I thought he would just give up custody…

“If you don’t like that, then you’re the one who should disappear, leaving Artea behind.”

This insane ex of mine, using my niece as leverage, is suggesting we get married!

I am Bellona Sortis.

I like money. I hate troublesome things.

My business was going smoothly, and I had no complaints about life.

Well, that’s a fairly ordinary way of thinking for an ordinary person. But apparently, some people saw me as a little… unusual.

“Hmm, the eccentric young lady? The witch of Sortis?”

People thought it strange that a noblewoman of twenty-three had never married.

“They say if you’re human, especially a noble, you must marry? And you should have a fiancé in your early twenties at the latest?”

Perhaps because I vaguely remembered my previous life, where marriage was a choice.

The values of this country, which treat marriage and childbirth as serious obligations, didn’t suit me.

“Even if it’s someone I want to be with for love, why would I bother with that annoying stuff?”

People came at me with reasons: to strengthen family ties, to produce an heir… but it never really resonated.

Life after death didn’t matter much, and besides, there were other relatives besides my own child.

“The inheritance can go to my niece.”

I hated anything troublesome, so very few people mattered to me—but my niece, Artea Killieth, was one of those few.

Artea’s mother, Licia, was my only family.

Even though I had no luck with parents in both my past and current life, it was my sister who protected me during the miserable life of a fallen noble.

Even if I had memories of my previous life, they were fragmented. My sister cared for my body and mind as a child.

“I’m human too. How can I ignore a niece left alone?”

Her husband died hunting monsters, and my sister died shortly after in a carriage accident.

Artea was in the carriage too, but thanks to my sister holding her tightly, she only injured her leg and survived.

Even as an adult, I floundered in despair for a while after losing my sister. For Artea, a child who lost both parents, it must have been even harder.

“I wish I could see how she’s doing, at least see her face.”

The child stayed at the Killieth mansion, but I hadn’t seen her since.

There was no other way.

“How can I visit if the person raising her is my ex?”

After her husband’s death, Erios Killieth, his younger brother, became the Duke of Killieth.

A man of exceptional skill, called the Knight of Dawn, wielder of the Sacred Sword… he had many titles, but for me, one fact mattered most: he was my ex.

“This is why you shouldn’t marry into the same family twice… Well, we didn’t marry, so maybe it’s not technically the same-family problem?”

Anyway, my sister was the Duchess of Killieth, and her husband, my ex, was the Duke. So we were practically in-laws.

So Artea was my niece—and also Erios’s niece.

“But I’m not going to neglect my niece just because of my personal feelings!”

Originally, Artea would have become the next Duchess, but at the time she was just a baby, barely able to walk.

It was natural for Erios, her uncle and a man of many achievements, to become Duke.

• I will raise Artea as the heir.

Erios said this to everyone.

But leaving a child aside to make Artea the heir instead of his own child? People doubted it. I did too.

“That’s part of why I’ve been so diligent with my business—Artea’s stake is significant.”

My sister was already compared unfavorably to the Killieths when she married her husband. If it was for Artea, our maternal family needed to be wealthy.

And most importantly… Artea needed somewhere to return to if she was ever cast out.

“At first, I thought stubborn Erios wouldn’t break his word. But what if he marries and has a child?”

Even if Erios cared for her now, to the future Duchess, Artea would be a complete stranger. Would he really be happy if a non-relative child inherited the dukedom over his own future children?

That’s why I deliberately avoided arranging meetings. I didn’t want my ex to think I was using Artea as an excuse to visit the mansion.

“The future Duchess might find Artea annoying. I don’t want to give Erios a reason to resent me.”

Of course… even though I couldn’t visit her, I still thought about Artea.

I was a renowned magical tool maker, after all. I often made toys while thinking of her.

• “You’re using a precious magical tool to make a toy?”

• “No, Lady Bellona! You can’t just make toys with that skill!”

People were shocked, but this was my way of caring for my niece.

I never got feedback directly from her, but I received letters saying she enjoyed playing with the toys.

Now the situation had changed. Artea was six this year—old enough to read and write.

“Hmm, maybe this year she’ll even send me a card she wrote herself?”

I put down the magical tool I was making. Progress was slow.

“I hope she likes this… If only I knew her tastes.”

I hadn’t seen Artea since she was a baby. Now that she was a child, I couldn’t guess what she liked.

When would Erios even marry?

I ignore marriage myself, but he’s the Duke, so it’s complicated.

“If only he would marry, and the Duchess had a child, I could visit more comfortably!”

I couldn’t remember how many years it had been since I last saw Artea.

“Ugh, what if I can’t see her face until she’s too old for toys?”

Bang! Bang!

Lost in thought, I jumped up at the sudden knocking on the door.

“What is it? I told you not to disturb me while I’m working…”

“L-Lady Bellona! You must come down!”

I had never seen my decades-experienced butler so flustered.

“The security officers are here at the mansion!”

What? I’d lived decades without ever dealing with the security force.

In a moment, every possible scenario I hadn’t caused flashed through my mind.

“Did something happen with the magical tools I sold? Or am I being falsely accused again because of my reputation?”

When I went downstairs, I saw the employees confronting the security officers.

“Are you Bellona Sortis, the mistress of the mansion?”

“Yes, but what is this about?”

I wasn’t the only one tense; the mansion itself felt strained.

The Empire’s security officers were skilled, but so were my bodyguards—ready to move at a moment’s notice.

“If anything unusual happens, I’ll send a signal,” I thought.

I had survived being respected and envied because I had resources—money and skill. I mentally laid out several contingency plans.

But the officer’s statement caught me completely off guard:

“A little lady has been looking for Miss Sortis. I came to bring her to you.”

“Huh?”

Amid the frozen adults, a small figure emerged from between the officers.

“A… child?”

The little girl stood confidently among the adults.

“You’re Bellona Sortis?”

It was immediately obvious that this child was my niece.

The Killieth family’s characteristic silver hair. The bright, clear features inherited from her father, the Empire’s famed beauty. And most importantly…

“Raise me!”

“What?”

“Raise me!”

Her cat-like eyes sparkled arrogantly.

The same violet color as mine and my late sister’s.

“You’re my aunt!”

Her proud, almost haughty voice left me completely stunned.