-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Divorce Recommended
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The ducal carriage was outfitted with all sorts of safety features.
For it to shake despite that meant the roads, aside from the ones around the castle, were not maintained at all.
Eventually, the vibrations grew so intense that my whole body trembled.
Unable to watch any longer, Menelik took off his outer coat, stained with monster blood, and sat me on his lap.
Menelik reached out to Kivrin as well, but was met with nothing more than a cold glare that seemed to ask if he was out of his mind.
Saddened by their unchanging father-son dynamic, Menelik muttered.
“If that marquis bastard causes any trouble over this, I'll send him to the next world, so don't you worry.”
*It’s your son who finds you bothersome, though…*
Besides, in , the one who sent Marquis Ingram to the next world was a curse-caster contracted by Sabrina.
Her name was Rebecca something. In the end, she went to prison just like Sabrina.
Afterward, a relative from a collateral branch, who was serving as a professor at the academy, took over the marquisate, which was drowning in debt with its reputation in shambles.
There was a brief description of him being quite resourceful.
As I mulled over the plot of , Menelik's large hand came to rest on my head.
“Sleep if you're tired.”
“I'm not sleepy at all.”
I forced my eyes open, trying to stay awake.
Menelik laughed, even though he couldn't see my face as I sat on his lap.
“Then shall we talk about how to spend Kivrin's upcoming birthday? Any good ideas?”
*The person in question is right across from us, so why are you asking me!*
I began, carefully watching Kivrin's expression.
“A birthday party…”
The moment I uttered the words, Kivrin flinched.
I quickly changed my tune.
“…is something we should absolutely not do! Let's just spend it by ourselves!”
Kivrin let out a sigh of relief.
Menelik, however, objected.
“I think a party would be nice, though.”
*Excuse me! Your son is openly showing his displeasure!*
I heard Menelik's laughter from above my head.
“In any case, he needs to show his face at an official gathering at least once. Then maybe the families that keep sending masks as gifts will stop.”
Masks?
*To cover the scales on his face?*
I tilted my head, and as if reading my thoughts, Menelik explained.
“The scales are one thing, but they seem to think he's tragically ugly because he looks nothing like me or Winter.”
“What?”
*Kivrin is incredibly cute whether you see him right before he falls asleep or right after he wakes up, though.*
And since mostly featured his adult appearance, there was no need to worry about him growing up ugly.
The author herself had certified Kivrin as a flawless beauty.
Unaware of my thoughts, Kivrin gave a half-hearted reply.
“It doesn't… matter.”
“But Cheria would worry if she heard people saying bad things about you.”
“…”
*Why have you been using me to blackmail your son this whole time!*
*You know better than I do why he avoids crowded places!*
I looked up and glared at Menelik.
Menelik confessed.
“I'll stop. It was just for fun.”
*Fuuun?*
I was about to say something, but Kivrin spoke first.
“Just… not… in winter, please. It's difficult.”
“…”
*My soft little mochi has surrendered!*
It meant he would attend a party as long as it wasn't in winter.
Kivrin didn't show any displeasure, even though he knew Menelik was just teasingly using me against him.
“See? It's fun.”
I returned the threat with a threat of my own.
“When we get to Crescent Moon Castle, I'm going to tell Mother.”
Menelik's brow furrowed.
“You wouldn't believe me if I said Kivrin just scoffed at me, would you?”
“Because that's a lie.”
*Don't you try to fool me when I'm craning my neck so hard to look up at you!*
“…I thought so. My apologies.”
Hmph!
***
It was already dawn when we arrived at Crescent Moon Castle.
Winter was in a meeting that ran late, and Menelik sent Kivrin and me upstairs.
He said he would get the details from Viscount Rose and Cesar.
Since Cesar also had his suspicions about the events in the marquisate, it seemed like it would take a while.
Thanks to that, I carefully stored the flower crown, finished my bath, and went straight to the bedroom.
I was about to dive into bed without a second thought when I heard a *tap* at the window.
Huh?
I wrinkled my nose and approached the window.
A note was tucked into the window frame.
*What's this? Mera wouldn't have left it here.*
I took out the note and unfolded it.
[I recommend a divorce.]
“…A divorce?”
*—You don't even have your memories, so what were you thinking, getting married! Divorce that human shield right now!*
Even without a sender's name, I knew it was from Cheshire.
He was the only one who would treat the empire's sole young lord as a human shield.
*Next time I see him, I'll have to tell him to drink in moderation. His handwriting is all wobbly.*
Kivrin's startled voice came from beyond the secret door.
“Ch-Cheria?”
My quiet muttering must have been crystal clear to Kivrin's ears.
I tore my eyes from the note and answered.
“I'll come over!”
Kivrin immediately opened the door for me.
I slipped into Kivrin's room.
Even in the dark, Kivrin's silver hair had a sweet color, as if sprinkled with sugar.
His golden eyes, like little asteroids, had widened at the mention of divorce.
I showed Kivrin the note.
“It's a note from Cheshire, the one we met earlier. It was stuck in the window like this.”
“Just now, you said… divorce…”
I quickly explained before his eyes could start to tremble.
When I said I hadn't told Cheshire that Jaehae and Kivrin were the same person on purpose, his silver eyelashes fluttered.
“It's… it's okay if you tell him. If you want to see him, Cheria, you can… you can bring him here.”
“…But you don't look happy about it, Young Lord.”
“I never… liked him.”
“You didn't get along?”
I recalled how terrified Cheshire had been of Jaehae.
Kivrin answered nonchalantly.
“He… he just hated anything that wasn't Del.”
I fell silent.
When I'd met Jaehae, even though he was packaged in Kivrin's cute face, he had still tried to torture Viscount Rose.
He'd threatened the servants, too…
I sheepishly placed the note on the table.
Perhaps because I already had the most bloodthirsty being by my side, revealing my identity to Cheshire didn't even feel like a problem.
“You know, I feel like even if Cheshire betrays me—betrays Del—you'd do something about it, Young Lord.”
As I muttered this, a smile bloomed on Kivrin's face.
“I can do something about it r-right now.”
“…”
*Why am I getting flashbacks of Jaehae saying he'd torture Viscount Rose…?*
But Kivrin didn't give me a chance to hesitate, returning to his usual self.
“You should… get some sleep now. I… I'm worried about your health, Cheria.”
*Okay, okay. I won't make you worry.*
I crawled into bed.
It was so warm, it felt less like I was under the covers and more like I'd sunk into a cup of hot cocoa.
Lying on my back, I saw the unadorned ceiling.
*Ah, right, this is Kivrin's bedroom. I was so used to it that I just lay down as if it were a matter of course.*
Kivrin didn't chase me out and lay down beside me.
*Ugh, what an incredibly long day.*
I swallowed a yawn and watched Kivrin pull the blanket over me.
I liked his hands, as white as the snow outside the window.
I smiled contentedly under the covers.
It had been an incredibly long day, but it was rewarding, so it was fine.
I wanted to quickly show Winter Kivrin's hands, now free of burn scars.
I also had to tell her that the marquis's family was suspicious.
“Next time, I'll heal you with my own power for real. But that doesn't mean you should get hurt again!”
“…Yes. I… I'll only trust… you, Cheria.”
Kivrin's eyes curved into half-moons as he smiled.
It was a cute expression that eased my tension, but I asked, just in case.
“Are you planning on torturing Cheshire anytime soon?”
“Not… yet.”
Kivrin said nonchalantly as he gently patted me.
*'Not yet'?!*
***
I didn't wake up until it was nearly noon.
It seemed Kivrin had left very carefully so as not to wake me.
I'd slept soundly, but I didn't feel very well.
My whole body felt stiff, and my head started throbbing the moment I sat up.
*Ugh, did I run around too much yesterday?*
I barely managed to hold up my head, which kept trying to slump forward.
I must have tossed and turned a lot in my sleep, because my hair was sticking out in all directions.
*How could the world's strongest look so pathetic?*
The gap between the Del from Winter's stories and my current state was so vast that anyone would have laughed.
