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Chapter 14
I couldn’t answer the questions that came one after another. There wasn’t a single person there waiting for me, or missing me.
When I still said nothing and only hesitated, Murray Craig smiled warmly and said,
“What you are is shaped by the people around you. In this world, you have your husband, and you have me as your father-in-law, do you not? You are doing very well. Thanks to you, I’ve solved a huge headache.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“That can’t be. Not long ago, Deamon tried to move all that salt to my barony by magic, and it gave me quite the trouble. If you pile salt in a swamp, it’ll melt, won’t it?”
“That’s true.”
“And then my beloved crocodiles, insects, and mosquitoes would all die.”
“Oh, so you adore crocodiles. I didn’t know you were also so fond of insects and mosquitoes.”
“All life is lovable. You included, of course.”
It was the first time in my life I had ever been called lovable, and I felt strangely embarrassed.
He was probably telling me to make a good life with that hot-tempered Deamon. Realizing I shouldn’t miss this chance, I hurriedly opened my mouth.
“Um, Father. About the magic sword.”
“Oh, right. I’d meant to ask about that and completely forgot. Who did you hear it from—that the Crown Prince will go mad because of the magic sword? Hmm?”
“Ahem. I know about the future.”
Well, whatever. I felt like I could say anything at all in front of Murray Craig, so I blurted out something that was basically a bombshell.
“Oh, is that so? What did I say? I told you, didn’t I? That you’re a special child?”
Murray Craig’s eyes lit up with curiosity instead of surprise.
“You know about Deamon’s future too, don’t you?”
“…… Yes.”
“And in that future, Deamon avenges himself and restores the honor of the Roche family?”
“No.”
I had never read to the end of the novel before coming into this world, but Deamon was a villain and a supporting character.
The story would end with the male lead and holy knight, Ian, defeating evil and falling in love with the heroine.
“So Deamon fails, then?”
“Yes.”
“As I thought, you truly are a blessing from the gods. You really are a special child. You’ll be able to save him from failure.”
I couldn’t bring myself to say, Why on earth should I do that? So I only gave an awkward smile.
Murray Craig grabbed my hand with a delighted expression, as though I were Deamon’s savior.
“Please take care of him, child. Isn’t everything resting in your hands? If you ever need my help, tell me anytime. I am absolutely on your side.”
“Milon. Wait outside.”
When Deamon arrived at the remote village, he handed the reins over to Milon.
Traveling by carriage would have been easier, but it was far too slow. He had delayed himself waiting to have dinner with Clarissa.
He had sent people out, but they couldn’t find her. No one had even seen her this evening.
It looked like, for the first time since their marriage, she had gone out beyond the territory to show off the jeweled necklace he’d given her.
‘It wasn’t even something I chose myself. Milon just bought it and delivered it for me.’
Still, he was worried that after receiving a gift she might become even more troublesome than before.
“If I tell her plainly, that should be enough.”
Putting thoughts of Clarissa aside, Deamon strode into the building.
Then—
“Oh my, Father. Is fire magic this easy? It’s not a big deal at all, is it?”
Clarissa’s voice rang in his ears.
Turning toward the sound, he saw Clarissa happily making a tiny flame at the tip of her finger.
“Clarissa!”
Deamon twisted his face into a fierce scowl. What on earth was she doing here?
“What brings you here so late at night? Father, I think Deamon came to get me.”
“So it seems. Welcome, Deamon.”
Murray Craig greeted him with a warm smile.
“Did Clarissa discover your identity?”
“I told her myself. I couldn’t hide my joy at meeting my daughter-in-law, after all. So I told her everything—that I only pretended to be dead.”
So he had once asked to be declared dead because people coming to bother him was annoying, and now he wanted to live as a living person?
Deamon pressed a hand to his forehead and glared at Murray Craig in displeasure.
“I’m sure that’s a relief.”
“Of course, of course. I’ve said many times that I wanted to see my daughter-in-law, haven’t I? My wish has been fulfilled.”
“Now that your wish has come true, please return to the barony at once.”
At Deamon’s cold words, Murray Craig only laughed heartily.
“Haha! I was thinking that if Clarissa likes it here, I might go back to the barony with her and stay there. Child, my mansion has all sorts of fascinating magical tools. I’ve been thinking of taking you in as my apprentice and teaching you magic.”
“I’d like that.”
Clarissa clasped both hands together, overjoyed.
“No.”
Deamon said it firmly, then glared at Clarissa with a harsh expression.
“Go wait in the carriage, Clarissa.”
“…….Father, I think I should be going now.”
Looking sadly at Clarissa, who had been deflated, Murray Craig took both of her hands in his.
“It would be best to return for today. I’ll come find you soon.”
“Find me where!”
Just as Deamon was losing his temper, he noticed that her ring finger was wrapped in bandages.
He had no idea how she’d hurt it, but it left a bad feeling. The blood from a ring finger was essential when claiming a holy relic or a magic sword.
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
There was no way Clarissa had performed a blood ritual to become the magic sword’s master, and Murray Craig certainly wouldn’t have stood by and watched it.
His adoptive father loved Deamon far too much and was helping him with everything he did.
“Clarissa, remember what I say. You really are special. We’ll see each other again soon.”
“Yes, Father.”
In the brief span of a moment, they had grown fond of each other and now exchanged a deeply affectionate farewell.
After Clarissa went outside, Deamon quickly approached Murray Craig.
“Do not meet Clarissa alone again. This was a marriage in name only. So Clarissa is not my father’s daughter-in-law. Do you understand?”
“…… You old fogey.”
“W-what did you just say?”
“I said old fogey, you brat. You say even meaner things than that raccoon elder.”
Tch! With an expression of annoyance, Murray Craig snapped at Deamon.
“If you keep treating Clarissa like she isn’t even your wife, then of course people will say I raised my son wrong.”
“Who said something like that?”
“It does seem I raised you wrong. How dare you glare at your father like that!”
For the first time, the adoptive father who had only ever shown him love was glaring at him with outright resentment. It was unthinkable.
‘Did Deamon come to get the magic sword?’
Thinking that, I climbed into the carriage and stretched out my legs. A groan escaped me automatically.
I had only just recovered from the carriage accident, and then I had come all this way. There wasn’t a single place on my body that didn’t hurt.
Leaning my head against the window, I raised one finger and recited an incantation. Pop! A blue flame lit up at the tip of my finger.
“This is really amazing.”
Maybe because I was so weak, the flame vanished almost immediately.
It probably wasn’t useful since it couldn’t even produce heat, but being able to create magic fire at all made me happy.
“I can use it when I go to the bathroom at night.”
Still grinning, I soon calmed down. Murray Craig’s words came back to me.
“But if you feel Clarissa’s memories and emotions exactly as she did, then isn’t it because you are Clarissa?”
Even though I thought there was no way that was true, the unease didn’t go away.
“I just have to make sure I never live like Clarissa. That’s all!”
I simply sorted out my thoughts and lifted my bandaged left ring finger. To perform the blood ritual that would make me the magic sword’s master, I tore my skin.
When the red drop of blood fell, the magic sword let out a rumbling sound and trembled on its own.
Once Deamon gave the magic sword to Valentine, I would step in and recite the incantation along with him. Then I would become the true master of the magic sword.
According to the original story, whoever possessed the magic sword could protect themselves from any attack.
Even if you couldn’t wield a sword, the magic sword would protect you on its own.
‘If I become the magic sword’s master, life will be much easier.’
I wouldn’t have to helplessly suffer under Aileen because I lacked the strength to resist, and I would also escape Deamon’s murder threats.
Feeling that my efforts had been worthwhile, I closed my eyes. Heat seemed to rise behind my eyelids.
“I think I’m coming down with something.”
Feeling limp and exhausted, I drifted into a deep sleep.
“Please, stop. I admit defeat. I admit everything was my fault.”
Deamon eventually chose surrender after his ears grew raw from Murray Craig’s lecturing.
“Please go back to the barony for now. After Crown Prince Valentine’s engagement ceremony, I’ll come visit the barony.”
“And if I refuse?”
Murray raised his chin stubbornly and placed both hands on his hips.
“Father, you are supposed to be dead. You wanted people to forget you—so why are you staying outside the barony for so long?”
“This place is protected by the raccoon, so it’s not somewhere just anyone can enter.”
“The barrier could break.”
He had planned to reinforce the barrier even more carefully so that would not happen. But Clarissa had no malicious intent, so a barrier like that would be useless.
There was no doubt Clarissa would come again, trying to curry favor with her father-in-law Murray. And once the two of them got close, once they began to see each other as family, it would become truly troublesome.
‘I have no family.’
Deamon’s father, Count Roche. His beautiful and wise mother, Grace Roche. His kind and gentle younger sister, Astea Roche.
After losing them all in a single day, Deamon’s heart had gone completely hollow.
Warm times, affectionate feelings, the soft emotions of trust and mutual care that people shared with one another—all of it had disappeared.
To him, Murray was his magic teacher and benefactor, the one who had raised him.
He only felt a sense of duty to repay him properly and take responsibility for him.
“I need Father to stay in comfort in the barony for my own peace of mind.”
“You really do say ‘get lost’ in such a disgustingly elegant way.”
“Then I’ll be going now.”
The moment Deamon turned away, Murray used magic to chain the doorknob shut.
“Deamon. Clarissa is a child who lives for you alone. You cannot be happy when the wife you live with is unhappy.”
“Our family has been wiped out. Happiness? Father, never say something like that in front of me again.”
Bang! Deamon smashed the door with magic.
“Oh my, why did I teach him magic in the first place.”
“Exactly for this reason. Then I’ll see you in the barony.”
As Deamon passed through the broken door and chanted, the shattered pieces floated in the air like a puzzle, reassembled themselves, and snapped back onto the door.
“You taught me magic so I could restore a world that had been trampled and thrown into chaos to its original state.”
Deamon muttered bitterly.
