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Episode 10
In truth, among the villagers who remained, there were still many who harbored resentment toward Reina.
They blamed the lord who had failed to protect them.
Yet they remained in Hibei because they could not bring themselves to abandon their homeland, or because they simply had no means of leaving.
But after witnessing Reina’s incredible abilities with their own eyes, the hope that began to bloom slowly pushed their resentment aside.
‘That’s right. Hibei was peaceful when our lord was here.’
The war was over, and Reina Hart had returned.
Hibei would be able to regain its former appearance.
“L-Lady Knight! Please tell our lord!”
The people were overwhelmed with emotion as they watched their village being rebuilt.
Then they searched through their homes and brought out whatever they could find to express their gratitude to Reina.
Hibei had always been a warm and generous village.
The cart brought from the castle was soon filled to the brim.
Naturally, the three Imperial knights ended up taking responsibility for all the gifts that had piled up.
“Pontepon, I’m going to look around the village with the vice-captain and see if there’s anything else that needs repairing. You keep following Lady Reina.”
“Yeah, sure. See you later.”
Pontepon answered while holding the reins of the donkey pulling the cart.
Sitting beside him in the front of the cart was Kevenriac.
The cart followed behind Reina, who was touring the village with the village chief.
Pontepon glanced sideways at Kevenriac, who was sitting quietly and staring at Reina.
‘It really bothers me. Is it really okay to have His Highness riding around in a place like this?’
Reina had told Kevenriac to stay at the castle, but he had seemed determined to follow her somehow.
In the end, Reina had given in to Kevenriac’s stubbornness.
“You can come with me. As long as you don’t jump at people like you did just now.”
Naturally, Kevenriac had nodded and agreed.
And thanks to that, the three Imperial knights had become even busier.
No matter how inconspicuously the Fourth Prince had lived in the Imperial Palace—
There was no ignoring the Heteroven name attached to him.
“A horse?”
“Are there no horses left in the village?”
“Not a single one. They took them all for the war.”
They had tried to find a horse for the Fourth Prince, but all that remained was a donkey.
As if that weren’t enough, there wasn’t even a carriage.
In the end, the best they could do was prepare a cushioned seat on the driver’s bench of the cart.
The Fourth Prince didn’t seem to mind at all, but it still bothered Pontepon a little.
“Are you uncomfortable?”
Kevenriac didn’t answer Pontepon’s question. He simply continued looking ahead.
At the end of his fixed gaze was Reina, who was using magic to rebuild a collapsed wall.
“Magic really is amazing. I heard there are lots of mages in the Imperial Palace, too?”
Pontepon tried talking to him several times, but Kevenriac remained silent.
Come to think of it, from the moment they had left the Imperial Palace until now, Pontepon had never actually had a conversation with the Fourth Prince.
The only time he’d ever heard Kevenriac speak was when he talked to Reina.
‘I can’t give up now.’
Pontepon decided to change the subject.
If the prince was staring at Reina that blatantly and Pontepon still couldn’t figure out his interests, he might as well give up his knighthood.
“Your Highness must be happy. Having Lady Reina as your teacher.”
“Yes.”
An immediate answer.
Pontepon subtly clenched his fist in a victorious gesture.
Then he chose his next question.
Once again, it was related to Reina.
“Then Your Highness will learn magic from Lady Reina as well, won’t you?”
But at Pontepon’s words, Kevenriac simply stared blankly at him.
His reaction was as though he had never expected to hear such a thing.
Pontepon found it strange and asked,
“You have a grand mage as your teacher. Aren’t you going to learn magic?”
I’m a monster.
But if he said that, Reina might hear him.
Kevenriac closed his mouth and looked at Reina.
‘She’s shining.’
Reina, when using magic, shone more brightly than the stars seen at night, more brightly than sunlight seen during the day.
That was why he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
No matter how much he looked, he could never do something like that.
A monster could only destroy things and kill people.
“If His Highness the Fourth Prince says he doesn’t want to learn magic, Lady Reina will be disappointed.”
At Pontepon’s words, Kevenriac’s ears perked up.
Disappointed?
Why?
“Because I don’t learn magic……?”
Kevenriac asked Pontepon, feeling anxious.
Would Reina abandon him if he couldn’t use magic?
Pontepon had no idea about Kevenriac’s anxiety.
Instead, he remembered what Reina had said to him the previous day.
“Lady Reina said so herself.”
Before the attack.
Someone among the knights had been caught badmouthing Kevenriac to Reina.
“I did not take His Highness in as my disciple because I pitied him.”
Her gaze had been cold.
And then she had continued.
Pontepon had caught a glimpse of the grand mage’s pride in the Fourth Prince in those words.
“She said that His Highness the Fourth Prince would become a great mage.”
Even a grand mage’s mana was not infinite.
‘I got carried away and overdid it.’
Reina Hart’s magic was incredible.
As long as she chanted the spell, everything would quickly return to its original state.
She had gotten so caught up in the fun of it that she had used magic recklessly until the mana remaining inside her had reached a dangerously low level.
And on top of that, she had to deal with all the people who kept coming to thank her.
‘I’m completely exhausted.’
Reina entered the castle looking utterly drained.
“I’m back…….”
“W-Welcome back!”
Kevenriac hurriedly called out after hearing her words.
It was a greeting he’d heard right beside her.
Kevenriac had also just arrived at the castle with Reina.
Of course, Reina had taught him that this was how he was supposed to respond.
‘Hmm…….’
Reina felt that something was slightly off, but she chuckled and patted Kevenriac on the head.
‘He’s cute, so it’s fine.’
In truth, she simply didn’t have the energy to correct him.
Perhaps thinking Reina’s touch was praise, Kevenriac smiled, his eyes curving into crescents.
“Welcome back, my lady. You must be exhausted.”
The butler of House Hart approached Reina.
He was one of the few servants who had remained behind to guard the castle while Reina was away from Hibei.
‘There were six servants remaining in House Hart, right? Reina Hart didn’t like people in the first place, and she was picky about whom she kept around. She only allowed people she trusted to stay by her side.’
A butler, a cook, and two maids and two servants.
Now there was herself and Kevenriac.
And three additional burdens in the form of the Imperial knights.
‘Eleven people.’
It was a modest number, perfectly suited to the small castle.
“My lady, what would you like for dinner?”
“Meat.”
Reina answered immediately.
Fortunately, it seemed her tastes matched those of the previous Reina Hart, because the butler nodded without question.
“Does His Highness the Prince have anything he’d like to eat?”
“Meat.”
The answer was obviously an imitation of Reina, and the butler smiled faintly.
“Very well. I’ll prepare meat.”
“I’ll be in my room. Call me when it’s ready.”
Reina was about to head upstairs to the second floor when she turned around.
Then she used magic on both herself and Kevenriac.
“Clean.”
In an instant, they were both fresh and clean.
Reina was quite pleased.
A spell that had the same effect as taking a bath without even lifting a finger.
Magic really was wonderful.
Reina spoke to Kevenriac, who was looking at her in amazement.
“It’s good to use this magic after you’ve been outside. I’ll teach it to you later.”
“To me?”
“You’re going to be using magic soon too, aren’t you, Your Highness?”
“Uh…… But, Reina, I……”
Kevenriac hesitated.
Because of what Pontepon had told him earlier that day, he couldn’t bring himself to clearly tell Reina that he couldn’t use magic.
Now that Reina understood what was going on inside that little head of his, she clicked her tongue inwardly.
‘The Heteroven imperial family is the problem. They completely crushed this child’s self-esteem.’
Reina pretended not to notice and added,
“Or were you planning to keep making me do everything for you? A disciple ordering around their teacher. Goodness.”
I really don’t understand how the world works anymore.
Reina shook her head with a serious expression and continued walking.
Kevenriac, unable to see the mischievous smile tugging at the corners of her lips, hurried after her.
“N-No. I didn’t mean to—”
“Really? Then are you going to learn magic?”
Reina suddenly stopped.
Kevenriac stopped as well and vigorously nodded his head.
He’s going to get dizzy.
Reina crouched down, held Kevenriac’s cheeks in both hands, and pressed her forehead against his.
Kevenriac stopped nodding.
Beneath his thick eyelashes, his beautiful blue eyes met Reina’s gaze.
Reina slightly narrowed the silver eyes Kevenriac liked so much and lifted the corners of her mouth into a grin.
“Then study hard and spoil your teacher someday.”
Kevenriac would become a powerful mage.
That was how the original story was written.
‘But he won’t become the tyrant who reaches the villain’s ending. That only happened because Kevenriac believed himself to be a monster who could never be loved.’
I’ll teach him.
That there is no child who doesn’t deserve to be loved.
That he isn’t a monster.
Reina suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around Kevenriac.
Startled by the sudden physical affection, Kevenriac squirmed in embarrassment.
“Re, Reina?”
Reina ignored him and rested her cheek against the top of his head.
His soft black hair tickled her skin.
Ah, this is healing.
Is this why people raise pets?
“You’ll spoil me someday, right?”
“I will……”
“I can’t hear you.”
Forget about becoming a tyrant.
She hoped he would live as the grand mage’s disciple, eventually meet his destined partner, and live happily ever after.
Then Reina could peacefully spend the rest of her life enjoying a leisurely existence in Hibei.
‘Of course, that will be after I see how the protagonists’ story ends.’
Imagining the child’s happy future and her own leisurely retirement, Reina gently tightened her arms around Kevenriac.
“Re, Reinaa……”
