TMFC 59

Chapter 59

“So, you’re saying we should take him to the Imperial Palace?”

“That’s the right thing to do.”

At my words, Edgar let out a sigh.

“And what if the Imperial Family refuses to acknowledge your contribution?”

“Then we’ll make sure they can’t do that. Father is going too.”

“If those Imperial bastards find out I’m still alive, their faces will be worth seeing.”

A bitter smile curled onto Edgar’s lips. I nodded and handed him the medicine.

“Take this and hurry up and recover.”

“…Did that bastard give you this too?”

“There you go again! Not ‘that bastard,’ it’s Leon!”

“Fine. That Leon bastard.”

I clicked my tongue at Edgar, who stubbornly kept adding “bastard” to Leon’s name until the very end.

“There’s really no fixing that personality.”

“But what’s this about the Magic Tower?”

“Leon’s ability is actually pretty amazing. I mean, just look at how you woke up, Count.”

“More importantly, what’s that annoying thing on your wrist?”

Edgar grabbed my arm and turned it around as he examined it.

“It’s going to become a trendy item soon. You could call it a pattern cover.”

“…Then why are you wearing it yourself?”

“Oh, I’m wearing it as a demonstration model.”

But the truth was, I couldn’t take it off.

The red pattern I had drawn still hadn’t disappeared.

“It would be best if you stopped getting close to Duke Sen.”

“Why? He’s a big customer.”

“I don’t like the look in his eyes.”

“…Of course you’d say that.”

I let Edgar’s words go in one ear and out the other as I gave a halfhearted nod.

Seeing him say things like that meant he had recovered quite a bit.

“Delter was the one who did this to you, right?”

“Well, something like that.”

Edgar ground his teeth together. The murderous intent on his face made it obvious that the memories he had forgotten were coming back.

“Well then, how should we use this now?”

Just imagining Delter panicking and losing his mind made a smile naturally spread across my lips.

* * *

As soon as I woke up in the morning, I called for Diria.

“What about the letter?”

“It was sent. We received a reply immediately, and I think she’ll arrive today.”

Before entering the Imperial Palace, I planned to invite Jenis here first.

Then naturally leave together with her when she returned.

Or maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if Delter followed Jenis here instead.

“Ah, I feel refreshed today.”

“You seem happy about something.”

“Of course I’m happy. Leon is here, and the Count woke up too.”

“Oh! And Lord Verden sent a letter as well.”

“Really?”

Excited, I immediately opened the letter.

And unbelievably, I found an enormous amount of orders placed inside.

“…Wow, holy shit.”

I think this really hit the jackpot.

Edgar didn’t seem very pleased with my business, but with results this good, he wouldn’t have a choice.

He would have to acknowledge my talent for business.

I naturally began humming to myself.

“But seriously, this thing still won’t disappear.”

“It still hasn’t?”

“Yeah… Strange. There’s no way it should last this lo— huh?”

I tilted my head at the strange feeling coming from the pattern. It felt different from the one I had drawn.

‘What is this? This feels real.’

Without thinking, I scrubbed hard at my wrist.

But the sensation was different somehow.

“Is something wrong, Miss?”

“Hm? Ah, no.”

What the hell is this?

An unknown sense of anxiety made my mouth go dry.

It felt so dry that my lips seemed ready to crack apart.

I bit my lip and forced myself to look calm.

“You really are okay, right? Then I’ll leave the accessories out today.”

“N-no. I should wear them.”

“Huh? Doesn’t it bother you?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to emphasize how comfortable it is even when worn all the time?”

I laughed awkwardly and avoided her gaze.

‘What is this?! What the hell is this?!’

I had a very bad feeling about this.

* * *

“Our daughter really causes trouble in all kinds of ways.”

After hearing that Jenis had arrived in the drawing room, Edgar immediately summoned me.

“It’s necessary, okay?”

“But using it for promotion should’ve been enough. How long are you planning to keep wearing that thing?”

“Doesn’t it look pretty?”

“That’s exactly why I’m asking.”

“You really have terrible taste.”

I puffed out my cheeks and crossed my arms.

Then I glanced at Leon beside me, only to see that his expression wasn’t very good either.

‘He doesn’t seem pleased.’

Now that the pattern had appeared, feelings should have started growing too.

Then why did Leon still look so uncomfortable?

Whether he wanted it or not, he would eventually start harboring feelings.

And I understood that feeling very well.

I understood it too well, which made me feel even worse.

“But why did you bring that guy along?”

“Can’t you two just get along already? We’re leaving soon, so can’t you at least behave nicely?”

I smacked Edgar on the back and frowned.

“I thought we had already gotten fairly close.”

At Leon’s words, Edgar’s face twisted strangely.

“Send that guy away first. I need to talk with you.”

“…Only Leon?”

“I refuse.”

Leon stood firmly behind me and rejected it immediately.

Honestly, I hesitated too.

“If he refuses, send him back.”

At Edgar’s words, I reluctantly turned to Leon.

“Leon, sorry. Wait for me first, I’ll be there soon.”

“…Elle.”

“I’ll really be quick.”

Leon glanced down at his wrist before finally nodding.

* * *

Only after Leon left did Edgar finally speak.

“It seems Delter didn’t come. In that case, there’s no need for Jenis either, so send her back.”

“You don’t have to hate Jenis too.”

She’s your cousin.

I couldn’t finish those words and only moved my lips silently.

‘Would it be okay to say that I know?’

Edgar probably never wanted me to find out.

That was why he had hidden it all this time.

“Jenis didn’t do anything wrong.”

Of course, by that logic, neither had Delter.

But that bastard had killed me before and tried to harm Father too.

Now I had a perfectly good reason to hate him.

“…So you found out everything.”

“You were unconscious for quite a long time. If I was going to lead the Bellua family, then I had to learn everything.”

“Then what do you plan to do? It seems my daughter has come up with a rather interesting plan.”

“First, we need to restore the Bellua family’s prestige. We may live on the frontier, but we haven’t fallen.”

Besides, because Edgar hadn’t shown himself recently, all kinds of rumors had begun spreading.

That needed to be dealt with first.

“So you’ll have to come with us. We need to show the world that the Bellua family is still standing strong.”

“Well, fine.”

Surprisingly, Edgar accepted my words without much resistance.

Sir Hesen gave me a thumbs-up with a satisfied look on his face.

‘Looks like Sir Hesen already convinced him.’

For now, I needed to go back to where Jenis and Leon were.

I was curious what the two of them were talking about.

And I also wanted to know whether the appearance of the pattern really would make them fall in love.

With quicker steps than usual, I headed toward them.

* * *

“It’s been a while.”

“We saw each other at the banquet just a few days ago.”

Leon frowned slightly.

He came here because Elle asked him to, but he didn’t want to.

Jenis’s fixed gaze on him was burdensome.

And he hated how his heart kept moving toward her against his will.

“I wanted to see you every day. I kept thinking about you, Sir Leon…”

Jenis fidgeted with her hands as her voice trailed off.

She seemed to be watching for his reaction, but disappointment clearly showed on her face at his indifferent attitude.

“Do you dislike me that much?”

“…There’s no particular reason for me to like you either.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

Jenis smiled faintly.

But she had no intention of giving up on Leon.

“I hate this pattern with all my heart. Even if I cut it away, it carves itself back in. It feels like shackles, and it disgusts me.”

A chilling murderous intent flickered in his eyes.

Even so, Jenis didn’t avoid his gaze and instead stared at the pattern on his wrist.

“To me, this pattern feels like a key. A key that can free me.”

How could two people with the exact same pattern hold such opposite feelings?

Fate truly was cruel.

“You’ll eventually accept it too, Sir Leon. Just like everyone else, you’ll have no choice but to love me.”

Jenis gently touched Leon’s wrist before reaching up to cup his face.

The warmth of her hands made Leon flinch.

His mind screamed that he should push her away, but his body still refused to obey.

“P-please… t-take your hand…”

Away.

I hate this so much.

Leon couldn’t finish his sentence.

Because Jenis’s lips had already pressed against his.

Huu—

As if controlled by an unknown force, Leon wrapped his arms around Jenis’s waist.

Thump. Thump.

You must love her.

Because that is your destiny.

Someone kept whispering those words into his mind.

The door suddenly opened before he could even sense the gaze watching them.

‘No, no! Not now…!’

Despite Leon’s desperate resistance, someone stepped inside.

The one person he never wanted to show this side of himself to stood frozen at the doorway.

Elle.

The one and only person Leon truly loved.

She had witnessed the entire scene.