DTEYH 13

chapter 13

I Don’t Want to Die, So Please Break Off the Engagement, Duke

At her master’s words, Jordy leaned his head back and blinked. It was surprising to him that, when describing Lady Lindberg, the word “extraordinary” fit her far better than “unique.”

“Extraordinary… extraordinary, yes. That’s correct.”

He could also tell at a glance that, despite his master’s rigid tone, she actually wanted to brag about this to anyone she could.

‘If only Duke Reinhardt could visit again at times like this. He left immediately after yesterday’s incident, so he should be coming again soon…’

As he was thinking vaguely, he noticed one of the maids near the doorway signaling to him.

Jordy quickly approached her.

“What is it?”

“Head butler, a guest has arrived.”

“A guest?”

“The second young master of House Reinhardt.”

At the maid’s answer, Jordy looked slightly disappointed.

“The young master?”

“Yes.”

Although he was a little disappointed that it wasn’t Duke Reinhardt—his master’s close friend—but instead the duke’s second son, he turned back and reported it to his master.

“Master, the second young master of House Reinhardt has arrived.”

Jeremy’s reaction was similar to Jordy’s. There was unmistakable regret in his voice.

“The second young master of Reinhardt? It might be more appropriate to call him the Archmage now.”

“My apologies.”

“He didn’t come to see me, but to see Hazel, I assume. Inform her.”

“Yes, understood.”

*

Guided by the butler, I made my way to the reception room. There was a guest who had come to see me.

Timothy Reinhardt…

A boy who had been my friend ever since I was six years old, when I was adopted into House Lindberg. Of course, since Timothy was four years older than me, he was technically my older brother by age, but we had always been like real friends.

By the time I was ten, after all those youthful years together, I had developed feelings for him—and it was clear that he had feelings for me too. It was a sweet, innocent memory.

Until he entered the Magic Tower, our feelings for each other had remained warm and tender. But when he awakened as a Great Mage at a young age and left for the distant Magic Tower, things began to drift apart.

‘Since Timothy left suddenly, there was no way to contact him or meet him.’

A few years after he left, when news of my engagement spread among the nobility, Timothy suddenly came all the way to the Lindberg estate.

The place where we met then was the blue garden behind the mansion.

Even now, I could clearly remember his breathless voice as he tried to catch his breath.

“Hazel… an engagement?”

By then, I had already buried all those youthful feelings as beautiful memories of childhood. I couldn’t understand his deeply disappointed expression.

“I should have never gone to the Magic Tower… I didn’t know it would be the worst decision of my life.”

“What are you talking about, future Tower Master? The Tower elders would faint if they heard you.”

If I only considered those memories, Timothy could have remained just my first innocent love, blossoming in a green garden.

But…

The contents of the novel suddenly crashed into my mind like a wave, and I almost closed my eyes tightly.

Timothy was the kind-hearted man in My Father Is a Monster Duke—the one who had hidden the heroine’s death and raised her tenderly for seven years!

He cared for her so lovingly that readers nicknamed him the “substitute father.” The scene where he returns the heroine to Duke Romanov after the duke regains his sanity was so heartbreaking it brought readers to tears.

‘Hah, Timothy…’

The more I thought about it, the more absurd it became. I nearly tore at my hair as strands fell across my cheek.

My only friend in this mansion, my soft and gentle first love—he was that “substitute father” character!

If I hadn’t realized that I had been reincarnated into the book I read in my past life, I might not have felt anything upon seeing him. But now…

“Hazel.”

The reception room door opened, and a man stood up abruptly to greet me.

Timothy Reinhardt. A man with beautiful silver hair and pale blue eyes.

A man who, five years after awakening as a Great Mage, became the youngest Archmage in history. Yet in front of me, he still wore the same bright expression he had at ten years old.

Seeing his warm smile made my chest ache strangely. It felt like his image overlapped with the “substitute father” from the novel, making my mind spin.

Though my feelings were complicated, I couldn’t show it, so I put on a calm expression.

“Timothy, when did you return to the capital?”

At my question, Timothy replied in a gentle tone.

“I just got back. Father was worried about Duke Lindberg, so I came to check in. He couldn’t attend today’s meeting himself.”

Come to think of it, my father had been injured when Duke Reinhardt visited yesterday. The duke had to leave immediately, so he must have been concerned about his friend’s injury.

“Then shouldn’t you have gone to see the Duke instead of me? Did the servant make a mistake?”

At my question, Timothy smiled brightly and shook his head.

“The Duke said I would naturally be your guest, so he told them to guide me here. I’ll see him separately later.”

“Huh?”

I made a strange sound and stretched my mouth slightly, then quickly turned it into a smile. Memories of childhood painted themselves in my mind like watercolor.

Timothy, who once came to the Lindberg estate holding Duke Reinhardt’s hand. After that, he visited almost every day, until eventually a room was prepared just for him.

“It seems His Grace still sees you as the same little Timothy from childhood. You’re now the youngest Archmage in the Empire, after all.”

As I spoke jokingly, Timothy stepped closer and replied.

“True. I’ve grown so much now that I’m even taller than the Duke.”

I looked up at his suddenly close face.

“You’ve really grown a lot. Are you a giant? My neck is going to break if I keep looking up at you. Step back a bit.”

When I gently pushed him with my thin arm, Timothy carefully grabbed my wrist with his large hand.

“Hazel.”

“Hmm?”

“Shouldn’t you at least ask how I’ve been?”

I met his clear eyes and teased him back.

“Of course you’ve been fine. You’re the Archmage. If you weren’t doing well, the empire—no, the continent—would be in trouble.”

“Haha.”

The atmosphere felt comfortable. A warmth I didn’t feel when talking to others. He was my old friend, and also my first innocent love.

Moreover, those times were before I carried the guilt of being the one who caused my mother Vivian’s death.

‘I’ve always missed this feeling.’

I looked into his eyes and thought.

‘Timothy. You won’t have to take care of a child for seven years anymore.’

I felt relieved thinking his life would no longer be burdened by responsibility tied to my childhood first love.

At that moment, a hurried voice came from outside the reception room.

“L-Lady! A guest—”

Before the sentence even finished, the door opened.

And standing there was…

“Hmm? Duke Romanov?”

I frowned while still holding Timothy’s wrist.

“What is this all of a sudden…?”

Perhaps my tone was too rude. Duke Romanov glanced between my irritated face and Timothy holding my wrist, then spoke in disbelief.

“Have I come somewhere I shouldn’t?”

Then he narrowed his eyes and added sharply.

“But… why is the Archmage holding my fiancée’s wrist?”

I found his casual reference to me as “his fiancée” so strange it felt unfamiliar.

Even his slightly drawn-out tone made me ask again.

“My fiancée?”

“Did I say something wrong?”

It wasn’t incorrect. I was indeed his fiancée.

I shrugged.

“That’s not it, but what is going on?”

“First of all…”

Duke Romanov, clearly displeased, trailed off and stepped closer. Without hesitation, he reached out and removed Timothy’s hand from my wrist.

“Let go of that hand first, Archmage.”

Because of his touch, Timothy and I were separated by a single step’s distance.