CLWE 18

Chapter 18

After returning to the castle, Kamin resumed the work that had been interrupted. But it took him twice as long as usual.

Ugh, seriously…

Kamin buried his face in his palms. Perhaps because the light was cut off and darkness settled in, the memories he had been desperately trying to forget began to resurface.

A slender wrist that looked like it would snap if gripped too tightly, lips trembling as if his heartbeat were thudding out loud, and cheeks flushed red like ripe peaches. That thin waist that fit perfectly in his arms as she clung to him…

Bang!

Unable to endure it any longer, Kamin slammed his forehead hard against the desk. Startled by the noise, Sir Ancre, who had been standing guard outside, rushed in.

“Your Majesty? Are you all right?”

“…It’s nothing.”

“Pardon?”

It was obvious to anyone that something was wrong, yet the emperor, his forehead red, pretended it was nothing.

Sir Ancre tilted his head in confusion. Unable to leave his loyal subject worrying, Kamin let out a sigh and stood up.

“My head is a mess. I should take a walk inside the castle.”

But what was this? The moment he stepped out, the castle corridor was filled with the rich scent of butter.

“…What is going on? Don’t tell me I’ve been shut in my office until dawn?”

For a moment, Kamin wondered if he had been lost in thought until breakfast time. As he stood there confused, Sir Ancre bowed his head.

“No, Your Majesty. It is currently time to sleep.”

“Is that so?”

Then why was the castle—where everyone should be asleep—permeated with the smell of buttery goodness?

Following the scent with a puzzled expression, Kamin soon discovered its source: none other than his grandmother, Lady Aurelian.

In the dining hall, Aurelian was diligently toasting bread. She beckoned to Kamin.

“Come, sit down here quickly.”

“Pardon?”

Kamin couldn’t help but be surprised. Aurelian, mindful of her health in her old age, usually avoided late-night snacks.

Someone who strictly controls even her daily meals suddenly having a midnight snack?

Still, the rich smell of butter made his stomach churn. Unable to hide his dazed expression, Kamin sat down across from her.

Aurelian spread something generously onto the freshly toasted bread, sandwiched it together, and handed it to Kamin.

“With such a delicious smell filling the air, I wondered when you’d come. Eat it while it’s still warm.”

“What is this, Grandmother?”

Almost absentmindedly, Kamin took it. Between the golden-brown slices of bread was a thick layer of pale potato salad, as thick as the bread itself.

Bits of cucumber dotted throughout, along with soft-boiled yellow egg, making it look irresistible.

Aurelian shrugged.

“Can’t you tell? It’s a sandwich.”

“A sandwich when I’m about to go to sleep? This is practically a full meal…”

“Try a bite before you complain.”

The butter-laden toasted bread alone was already a high-calorie, filling food, and now mashed potatoes on top of that. Feeling burdened, Kamin held the sandwich in both hands and took a big bite.

“…!!”

His eyes widened. It was rich and savory, yet the potato salad—expected to be dry—was moist and lightly sweet. Perfectly balanced sweet and salty flavors, with the cucumber popping fresh and crisp.

It felt familiar, yet new. Kamin stared wide-eyed, while Aurelian rested her chin on her hand and smiled.

“To live long, one should avoid late-night snacks. But then again, what joy would there be in life?”

“Th-this is…”

What was meant to be just one bite turned into the entire sandwich disappearing in no time. As Kamin finished it, Aurelian, who had been watching him with satisfaction, spoke.

“I heard you helped Rienna today.”

“Ah.”

An awkward look crossed Kamin’s face. He needed to reclaim the Ego Sword as soon as possible, yet here he was visiting her as if dropping by a friend’s house.

He mumbled an excuse.

“When I went to see her, she was repairing the ceiling by herself…”

“Well done.”

Aurelian’s response was simple. Instead of easing his mind, it left Kamin feeling oddly heavy. After hesitating for a moment, he spoke again.

“Grandmother, do commoners really live by doing everything themselves like that?”

Aurelian shrugged.

“Even if you have money, you need people to hire. And if someone living alone looks wealthy, they can end up facing danger. That’s why isn’t it admirable how Rienna handles everything on her own?”

“…”

Kamin pressed his lips together. Even then, the savory flavor of the sandwich tempted him to eat more.

With good food in his stomach, her image surfaced again. He muttered with a sigh.

“She hurt her arm today… I wonder if she managed to eat properly.”

At his words, Aurelian’s eyes widened, then she smiled so deeply that dimples formed in her wrinkled cheeks.

“That’s nothing to worry about. The potato salad is something Rienna made.”

“…What?”

Caught off guard, Kamin’s eyes widened. Aurelian pointed to a large food container.

“She made it to thank you for helping her.”

“What?!”

No wonder! So rich, sweet, and delicious—he had thought it wasn’t a flavor just anyone could make, but to think Rienna herself had prepared it.

And she had brought it as a thank-you gift. Feeling wronged, Kamin exclaimed,

“Then this is mine, isn’t it?!”

“If you eat it all, you’ll gain weight. Just think of it as sharing half with this old lady.”

“No! Grandmother!”

Kamin stared incredulously as Aurelian shamelessly scooped out only the salad and ate it. Aurelian burst into laughter.

A new day dawned once again.

Farmers are busiest at dawn by nature. As soon as I got up in the morning, I took out eggs and fed hay to the livestock I raised at home. By the time I finished all the chores, the sun had already risen high in the sky.

Only then did I finally sit down at home. Scooping up the potato salad I’d made yesterday, I popped it into my mouth and smiled.

“Ah, potato salad really is delicious.”

Even though it was made yesterday, it still tasted great. More than anything, I’d packed it with boiled eggs, ham, and cucumbers—ingredients I’d added because it was for Kamin—making it especially filling.

Kamin must have been surprised by the burst of flavor the moment he tasted it. I chuckled to myself.

“They say you can live three years with a wife who has good cooking skills. I hope Kamin gets hooked on my cooking.”

As I smiled with not-so-innocent intentions, Louis hummed and circled around me.

—Master, why are you so excited today?

“A girl in love is naturally excited.”

At my shameless reply, Louis tilted his head and asked,

—Love? Is that some kind of mental illness that makes humans suddenly act strange?

What a hopeless interpretation. I snapped at Louis.

“Mental illness? Love is precious! People fall in love, get married, and have children!”

Just when I was in a good mood, this sword had to pour cold water on it. When I glared at Louis, he replied flatly,

—But Master, that man is the emperor. Is that really okay?

“What?”

Even with Louis spelling it out like that, I didn’t immediately grasp the meaning. It was something I had never once imagined.

The emperor?

I blinked at Louis, then soon snorted and waved my hand.

“What are you talking about, Louis? Well, he is handsome enough to be an emperor. With that face, it’s a waste for him not to be the protagonist—he looks more like a lead than David.”

—No, that’s not what I mean…

What do you mean, it’s not? The empire is far away from here—why would the emperor be here?

And our kingdom is hostile toward the empire. Even if the emperor came, they’d never approve his entry.

And even if he did, he wouldn’t come to some remote countryside like this.

As I shrugged, Louis hummed in frustration. Then suddenly he turned serious.

—Master. There’s someone standing outside your house right now.

“Someone outside?”

At Louis’s words, my eyes lit up. If anyone would come looking for me, there was only one person.

“Kamin!”

I flung the door open with a bright smile. The man outside, apparently not expecting me to come out, put on a mask-like smile.

“It’s been a while, Rienna.”

My face stiffened the moment I saw him.

“…Father.”

First the nanny, and now my father.

If I had my way, I’d sprinkle salt and chase him off.

But it didn’t seem like he’d leave so easily, and I needed to hear why he had come. In the end, I let him inside.

Watching him hesitate before sitting down at the table, staring at it as if it were filthy, I let out a sigh through my nose.

Is that supposed to be a disguise?

He seemed to have put on commoner’s clothes in his own way, but his domineering demeanor made him look like a noble in disguise at a glance.

At least the nanny had taken me as far as Postin. My father had done nothing for me, so even serving him tea felt like a waste. I poured plain water into a wooden cup and set it down with a thud.

“It’s been a while. You seem the same as ever.”

He didn’t even glance at the cup of water, instead looking at me with a pitiful expression.

“How could I be the same? I’ve been worrying about you every day, my heart drying up with anxiety.”

I let out a short laugh. Worried? From a man who didn’t even look back when he cast me out.

“Is that so? You have five other daughters besides me. I wonder if you still mix up our names.”

At my blunt words, Father fell silent for a moment, seemingly unsure whether to be angry or pretend he hadn’t heard.

As my irritation boiled over, I gulped down the water in front of him. His gaze sank lower.

“…You’ve changed a lot.”

“I’m a commoner now. Wouldn’t it be strange if I hadn’t?”

And honestly, I only called him “Father” out of courtesy. I could just as well treat him like a stranger, considering what he’d done to me.

It’s not like I did anything wrong to break off the engagement. David was the one who changed his mind.

If only I’d committed some cliché villainess misdeeds, at least it would make sense.

Wait, how did the story even change like this? I haven’t done anything yet.

Overall, the story was progressing a bit faster than in the original novel. In the original, Kang Sena arrived in this world and only got engaged after two years—but here, she became engaged almost immediately.

Did I read it too casually?

I shrugged. Whether I’d read it carefully or not probably wouldn’t have made much difference. The story ended with the two of them getting married anyway.

Then this must be the story after the original’s ending.

I never imagined that after the story was over, my father would come looking for the exiled Rienna.

If I hadn’t regained memories of my past life, I might not have survived these harsh conditions. The original Rienna Pond might have died unable to endure this life.

The world isn’t that kind.

And the man who would have let me live or die without caring is standing right in front of me now.