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Chapter 22.
“Do you understand?”
Saying that, Mio placed a hand on Aletheia’s shoulder and gave it a gentle pat. Aletheia flinched and stepped back. Seriously. She’d been perfectly fine holding hands earlier. Grumbling inwardly, Mio awkwardly withdrew her hand. Seeing that, Aletheia forced out her voice as if in pain.
“……Sorry.”
“It’s okay. That’s not what’s important.”
Stepping back from Aletheia, Mio pondered how she could push this problematic marriage issue off into a far-off future that would never actually arrive.
For now, using the prenuptial contract as an excuse, the likelihood of divorce was extremely slim. No matter how she thought about it, not getting married at all was the best—and only—solution.
‘So I have to find the safe as quickly as possible, no matter what.’
Before Aletheia regained her memories, she had to find the pledge document and destroy it—just as she’d originally planned.
‘There’s no way I can find it just by tearing the mansion apart.’
Besides the explanation that it would even pick up a button dropped on the floor, there had been more information about that safe.
‘A safe that recognizes its owner. That’s what they said. I’m sure of it.’
Thinking that, Mio looked up at Aletheia. Aletheia lowered her gaze and met her eyes.
‘If the safe has been activated, that means it has an owner… And that owner is probably Aletheia.’
This was bad. If there was a spell on the safe that recognized its owner, then even if she found the physical object, she might not be able to open it. And if Aletheia happened to open it first someday…
Ugh, she didn’t even want to imagine it. It was horrifying.
‘The only saving grace is that the key is in my hands.’
She needed to learn everything she could about the safe as soon as possible. Mio was itching to leave this mansion immediately and investigate the auction house connected to the problem.
“Mio.”
“Aletheia.”
As if their minds had connected, Aletheia and Mio called out to each other almost simultaneously—then both fell silent again. Soon, the more pressed one, Mio, spoke first.
“You go ahead.”
“……If you give me time, I’ll prepare myself so that I won’t disappoint you.”
Time! That was something she could give in unlimited supply!
‘So even Aletheia thinks it’s better to take plenty of time before getting married, right? If that’s the case, I welcome it!’
Hearing such welcome words for the first time in a while, Mio broke into a bright smile. Seeing that, Aletheia continued, murmuring absentmindedly,
“……I’ll go study, so… let’s move the wedding up.”
“Yes. Taking plenty of time is—what did you say?”
“I think that would be better. It’s best to hurry the marriage after all.”
No. You said you needed time, so why does it end like that? And what exactly are you planning to study?
Mio barely managed to suppress the harsh words about to burst out and forcibly pulled the corners of her mouth into a smile. She spoke with difficulty.
“Aletheia. ‘Taking plenty of time’ and ‘hurrying’ are completely opposite things.”
She phrased it indirectly, as if asking whether he’d even forgotten such basic concepts after losing his memory. Aletheia replied with a face that showed not the slightest sign of being affected.
“I know. But I don’t think there’s any need to postpone the marriage until that studying… is finished.”
What kind of studying is it? Are you going to thoroughly study marriage law or something?
Unable to understand Aletheia’s words, Mio just tilted her head back and forth. After a moment, she made a decision.
No matter what nonsense Aletheia spouted, she didn’t have the leisure to listen any longer. Right now, the most important thing was the matter of the safe.
“Phew. Aletheia….”
“Yeah. Mio.”
“Rushing things is never good. You get indigestion if you eat too fast. Some people even die from acute indigestion. More importantly, like I said before, if you think about it, we haven’t known each other for that long. Since we don’t really know each other well yet, something as重大 as marriage should be decided only after very careful consideration.”
“My decision is final, Mio. Losing my memory for a short while doesn’t change that decision.”
“Haha. What—what are you talking about….”
You’re talking like someone who’s about to regain their memories any moment now.
At that chilling reply, Mio lowered her head, then snapped it back up. She had to calm Aletheia down somehow.
‘I don’t know why he’s so obsessed with marriage, but if this keeps up, either a real marriage or an adoption might actually happen.’
Mio decided she needed to divert Aletheia’s attention, even just a little.
“There are, you know, really countless people in this world, Aletheia. Take a look around you. Half the world is women, and the other half is men. No—forget gender altogether and just look around. You might change your mind.”
Anyone in the world could be your marriage partner—anyone but me.
But Aletheia was stubborn.
“There’s no one who can be with me except you. As you know, my curse—”
“Ability!”
“…Right. Because of that, I can’t even imagine having someone other than you by my side.”
Seriously. There was nothing left she could say now. Because of that genius ability called mind reading, he insisted he had to marry her.
No, to begin with, do you really have to marry someone at all, Lethe? Maybe not now, but in six years, no one will want to stand beside a crazed Aletheia.
‘And unfortunately, that’s your problem. My situation is far more important and urgent.’
Hiding those thoughts, Mio broached the subject.
“You know, I heard that the daughter of the Rutten family rushed into a marriage not long ago. You could say that marriage was her only escape. But now she regrets that decision terribly. Not just the wife—the husband does too. Both of them made a rash decision. Anyway, seeing that made me realize something. You should never judge a life-changing issue based on a momentary feeling.”
“I won’t regret it, Mio.”
She told him not to decide on impulse, and he answered on impulse. At that reply, Mio suppressed the sigh threatening to escape and quietly spoke again.
“Alright. Then let’s do this, Aletheia. Earlier, you said you needed time for that studying… right? I’m the same. Both of us need time.”
Do you get it? Time. I need time—absolute time to finish this infuriating original story.
As soon as she finished speaking, Mio walked past Aletheia. No matter what she added, it would just turn into a broken record with this stubborn man. At least it was a small mercy that the damned pledge document wasn’t in Lethe’s hands, so he couldn’t report it to the temple.
“Mio. Where are you going?”
Aletheia asked as he hurried after her. Opening the door, Mio replied casually,
“I’m going to head back for today.”
“But you just arrived….”
“Spending time apart and having time to yourself is important too.”
Mio hurried down the stairs. Watching her almost like a flying squirrel, Aletheia followed anxiously, worried she might slip and tumble down the steps. By the time he was worrying, Mio had already reached the front entrance on the first floor.
“You’re going back to the Kelt ducal estate? If you do, the Duchess will bring up the adoption again.”
Aletheia rushed ahead and subtly blocked the entrance. It was a clear obstruction. Mio fell silent and glanced at him. Aletheia deliberately ignored it and lightly bit his lower lip.
“And there’s something I want to show you.”
“……Show me something?”
“Yes. There was another matter, but I’d momentarily forgotten.”
At the mention of unfinished business, Mio hesitated slightly. Just then, there came a loud knock—thump, thump—from outside the front door Aletheia was blocking.
“Is anyone there? I’ve been sent from the Kelt ducal estate. I have something to deliver. Please open the door.”
