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CHAPTER~05
The reunion after five long years had been far more suffocating than I could have ever imagined.
“…”
Before I knew it, I was sitting inside the procession carriage, facing Ferzen as if we were on the best of terms.
My eyes still stung.
I rubbed away my tears with the back of my hand, sniffling quietly, when I felt an unwavering gaze fixed on me.
It was Ferzen.
Seriously… why has he been staring at me this whole time?
The awkward silence weighed heavily on me, leaving me with nothing to do but fidget with my fingers.
Everything had spiraled out of control because Mela had suddenly called Ferzen “Dad.”
It had happened so quickly that I hadn’t even had a chance to stop it, and now my head was a complete mess.
More than anything, though, I couldn’t stop worrying about Mela, who was riding in another carriage.
Unable to bear the anxiety any longer, I turned toward the window.
The carriage following ours was some distance away, so I could only make out a faint silhouette inside.
Thankfully, Mela seemed perfectly fine.
If anything, she was sitting there as comfortably as though it were her own bedroom.
I had worried for nothing.
She’s got nerves of steel…
Letting out a quiet sigh of relief, I settled back into my seat.
“That habit of yours hasn’t changed.”
“…”
“When you feel awkward, you always start moving your fingers. You did the same thing back then.”
Ferzen’s voice was strangely gentle—far gentler than it had any right to be.
Five years had passed…
And yet he still remembered a tiny habit like that?
The realization embarrassed me for reasons I couldn’t explain.
Afraid I’d get swept up in the atmosphere, I hurriedly changed the subject.
“I don’t know what you wanted to talk about, but could you make it quick? Being in this carriage with you is… extremely uncomfortable.”
I wasn’t exaggerating.
If even a single strange rumor spread, I’d be in serious trouble.
If people found out that Ferzen Descartes, the Empire’s war hero, had ridden through his victory parade with a woman who had contributed absolutely nothing—
And worse…
That woman had been his ex-wife…
Ugh. Just imagining it makes me sick.
To my surprise, Ferzen simply nodded.
“Very well. Then let’s get straight to the point.”
He looked directly at me.
“That child called me ‘Dad.'”
Just as I’d expected.
I answered immediately.
“You’re mistaken.”
“Then she misunderstood.”
“Meryl, was it?”
“…It’s Mela. And I told you, it’s a misunderstanding.”
Apparently, my explanation wasn’t reaching him at all.
It felt like two people endlessly clashing—an unstoppable spear against an unbreakable shield.
Just as I was silently despairing…
His voice became unusually quiet.
“It’s been five years.”
“…”
“Five years is long enough for things to change.”
What was he trying to say?
He was speaking so differently from usual that I couldn’t read him at all.
While secretly searching for the perfect chance to escape—
“When did it happen?”
He suddenly asked.
I blinked.
“…What?”
I had absolutely no idea what he meant.
Then—
“That child…”
His crimson eyes locked onto mine.
“…is she really my—”
“No!”
I lunged forward before he could finish the sentence and clamped a hand over his mouth.
His sharp eyes narrowed even further.
The intensity of his gaze made my shoulders instinctively tense.
“L-listen carefully, Your Grace.”
I swallowed nervously.
“You’re completely misunderstanding this.”
“A misunderstanding?”
His brows rose.
“So she’s my son instead?”
“No! That’s not what I meant!”
I nearly shouted.
“Mela is…”
I scrambled for the first believable excuse I could think of.
“…my niece. I’m only taking care of her temporarily.”
“…Your niece?”
Despite my repeated explanations, the dangerous edge in his eyes didn’t disappear.
For a brief moment, however…
His crimson eyes flickered with genuine surprise.
“…Your niece.”
He slowly repeated the word as though engraving the name of an enemy into his memory.
The sheer pressure in the carriage made my lips go dry.
Then—
“I was mistaken.”
To my astonishment…
Ferzen accepted it far more easily than I’d expected.
I stared at him in disbelief.
Just then…
He suddenly drew the sword hanging at his waist.
“Absolutely not!”
Startled, I shot to my feet.
At the same moment, the carriage lurched violently.
“Eek!”
Losing my balance, I pitched forward.
Just before I could slam face-first into the carriage wall—
“So clumsy.”
“…”
“You haven’t changed at all.”
His large hand caught me securely around the waist.
“I wondered what I’d do if you had.”
Embarrassed by his teasing, I hurriedly tried to pull away.
But his grip was impossibly strong.
No matter how much I struggled, I couldn’t escape.
Instead…
I only ended up looking ridiculous.
Without the slightest effort, he pulled me onto his lap, one arm firmly around my waist.
At that exact moment…
The carriage hit another bump.
“Gah!”
Instinctively, I grabbed onto the nearest thing—
“…”
—which happened to be his neck.
A dry cough escaped me.
This was unbearably awkward.
Then…
A quiet laugh reached my ears.
It was Ferzen.
“W-Why are you laughing?”
He didn’t answer.
He merely smiled.
A faint curve tugged at the corner of his lips.
For some reason…
That smile made my heart tighten.
A divorce changes nothing.
Our marriage was never built on love to begin with.
The memory struck me without warning.
That infuriating grin.
That irritating face.
Even though I had been the one to ask for the divorce…
Somehow, I’d been the one who’d walked away feeling rejected.
The memory made my fingers clench involuntarily.
Snapping back to my senses, I quickly slipped free the moment his grip loosened.
“…If you have nothing else to say, I’m leaving.”
I straightened my clothes.
“The parade’s almost over anyway. Just stop somewhere on the outskirts so no one sees me.”
Outwardly, I remained calm.
Inside…
I desperately wanted this parade to end.
I had never imagined simply sharing the same space with him would feel this uncomfortable.
The silence between us lingered.
Then—
“What are you really trying to say?”
“She’s not your niece.”
“…”
I froze.
His eyes held unwavering certainty.
Not suspicion.
Conviction.
“The way she looked at me…”
He spoke quietly.
“…was exactly like you.”
Exactly… what?
