MHOW 04

Chapter 04

Ares felt a strange sense of anticipation as Herina smiled so confidently and meaningfully.

Herina unfurled the guest list and began calling out names one by one.

“You probably don’t know this, but two years ago, there was a major war across the continent. Of course, you were involved as well. Fortunately, the Adenman Empire emerged victorious, but, as with all wars, many people died or were injured.”

Ares didn’t understand why she suddenly brought up the war, so he waited for her next words.

“Of course, being a noble didn’t exempt anyone. The people I just mentioned are those who sustained permanent injuries in that war. You may recognize their family names—they’re quite influential families, aren’t they?”

“……”

“Even if nothing else, they’ll be glad that at the table and on the dance floor, they won’t have to strain their injured bodies. In fact, after the war, it was uncommon for high-ranking nobles to dance at banquets.”

Ares nodded; though he hadn’t known this before, it made sense.

“Still, those close to you might be suspicious. Didn’t you notice immediately that I’ve gotten younger?”

Indeed, seventeen-year-old Ares and twenty-four-year-old Ares hadn’t changed enough to completely fool someone. His physique could be explained away by saying he lost weight, and looking slightly younger wasn’t a big problem.

But she didn’t deny his words. She wanted to keep this as a vulnerability only she could hold over him.

“If they were close to you, it’d seem even stranger. If you suddenly appeared younger, rumors might spread—maybe a divine curse, or the use of forbidden drugs.”

Herina agreed with him and decided to make the event seem as extraordinary as possible. It would make Ares more dependent on her.

“So, if a curse were said to have fallen on the head of the Havinnent family… back in the day, there were witch hunts! We might even face something like that! This secret should remain between us. It absolutely mustn’t leak.”

Whispering the word “witch hunt,” she made the younger Ares nod earnestly, completely taken in.

“But… that’s the problem. Is there a way to hide my face just enough? I want people to recognize me, but not see that I’ve gotten younger.”

Herina pondered this. While the nobles wouldn’t notice, she needed a proper way to fool even Ares completely.

Watching her think deeply, Ares felt something odd and spoke.

“But… how were you so sure from the start that I got younger? Normally, losing memory seems more believable, right?”

Ares’ sharp gaze fixed on her. Suspicion still flickered in his eyes.

“Was there a reason you asked my age immediately?”

Herina flinched slightly. She could have suspected her unusual situation because she was possessed, but the explanation didn’t come easily.

Revealing it could give him leverage over her. If she were dealing with the twenty-four-year-old Ares, maybe it would have been the right time to reveal it. But with this little one, was it really necessary?

After all, her goal was simply to arrange a marriage and enjoy the wealth and prestige of this ducal house. Love and truth didn’t matter, whether with the twenty-four-year-old or seventeen-year-old Ares. What mattered was that she was on the verge of deceiving him into marriage.

“Well… that’s…”

“If you’re going to brush it off with a weak excuse, you’d better stop. My suspicion isn’t gone. Explain properly.”

Herina scratched the back of her neck, then stiffened her face and raised her voice.

“Have you looked in a mirror? Until yesterday, I was sleeping right next to my beloved husband. Now you’re a full hand shorter, all your muscles are gone, and your face is soft and boyish! Isn’t it stranger to say you just lost your memory?”

Ares, feeling awkward at her tone, rubbed his smooth, stubble-free jaw.

“Does it show that much?”

Herina nodded emphatically. Although the change could be dismissed as minor by someone not very close to him, she planned to impose behavioral restrictions now.

“Yes, exactly. So what’s important? Not revealing your face! Imagine—a twenty-four-year-old duke suddenly reduced to a clueless kid! Do you think noble society will stay silent? Many would see this as an opportunity to shake the Havinnent family to its core.”

It wasn’t entirely wrong. While the Havinnent family was respected as one of the five sacred noble houses, many other families coveted their position.

“That’s quite a problem. Even if the wedding goes smoothly, if you can’t continue afterward… Honestly, I haven’t formally assumed the duke’s duties yet, so I don’t know much about them. Have you seen or heard anything about my future from being by my side?”

She hadn’t. Her life plan was simply to marry a reliable husband and enjoy a comfortable life he provided. Whatever the duke did, or whatever troubles he faced, as long as her position was secure, she didn’t care.

“I may not know everything, but I should be able to help you. After all, I’ve been by your side for a long time!”

Herina felt proud of her own instincts as she lied effortlessly. Before her mind even fully processed it, she instinctively spoke as if it were true.

“I believed… adults would be different. To become a duchess, you’d have to prepare in various ways. In any case, I look forward to working with you. I apologize for any rudeness at the start. You’re the only person I can trust and rely on.”

Looking at Ares’ polite, bowed face, she felt a tiny prick of conscience, like a pinprick. But as the era’s ultimate pragmatist, she quickly brushed the feeling aside and smiled.

“Don’t worry. As an adult and the duchess of the Havinnent family, I won’t let the ducal house fall into crisis.”

After all, if the ducal house remained stable, she would have more to gain. For now, she would at least pretend to be a wise duchess.

“Hmm. That statement was very reassuring. Perhaps my future self chose to marry out of a sense of responsibility to spend a lifetime with a partner. Now I understand a little of the reasoning behind the marriage.”

“Excuse me? Responsibility?”

Ares shuffled through some papers and nodded casually.

“Yes. Marriage in a ducal house isn’t about a man’s wife; it’s about finding a lady to help lead the house. If you showed twenty-four-year-old me this version of yourself, it would be a huge advantage.”

Ha! It wasn’t about responsibility at all. Even though she hadn’t been sincere with Ares, she had worked hard to seduce him. And his eyes had been brimming with love when he fell for her.

“You don’t need such grand reasons to decide to marry. Again, you were completely smitten with me.”

What he called “responsibility” was nonsense. Seventeen-year-old Ares’ reasons were different, but twenty-four-year-old Ares truly loved her.

Herina, confident in this, felt a prick to her pride at the notion that she had been “chosen out of necessity.”

“Yes. Understood. Continue your story.”

Seventeen-year-old Ares ignored her and busily organized the updated instructions for the changed schedule. Watching him with narrowed eyes, Herina’s determination flared.

“Maybe… this is fate.”