Carlothian returned to the room.

The family, who had been standing around aimlessly, unable to do anything, immediately surged forward when they saw Ariadeline unconscious.

“What happened?”

“The scars on her neck…!”

“Is something wrong with her? What happened?!”

One after another, Ariadeline’s father, Erwin, and her mother spoke as if pouring out water.

Carlothian laid her on the bed and replied.

“I don’t know the details either. But…”

Carlothian quietly looked down at the sleeping Ariadeline and brushed the hair sticking to her forehead, damp with cold sweat.

“There won’t be any more incidents from now on.”

It had to be so. His voice was filled with strong determination. Carlothian gazed at Ariadeline for a while before speaking.

“Anyway, I cannot give Ariadeline up. However, you are always welcome to visit her.”

“…So you’re saying you won’t give in after all.”

“Even if Ariadeline is awake, she probably won’t say she wants to go back.”

At that, the family let out a soft sigh. They knew well of Ariadeline’s stubbornness.

“It doesn’t make sense to forcibly take her when the divorce will naturally become void.”

Erwin glared at him quietly but nodded for now.

“I will take my leave for today.”

“Very well.”

“But if Ariadeline says she wants to leave this place, I will take her with me at any time.”

Carlothian nodded, as if such a thing would never happen.

In the end, Ariadeline’s family had to leave the room, looking down at the sleeping Ariadeline, damp with cold sweat, gently stroking her hair.

“What are we going to do about that child…?”

“It’s alright. Mother, we can see her anytime from now on.”

“Erwin, you should leave the palace immediately.”

“Understood. I’ll be returning to the Magic Tower after a long time.”

Erwin scratched his cheek. The three of them left the mansion with Carlothian seeing them off.

Carlotian quietly returned to the room and lay down beside Ariadelina. He could smell her scent.

He embraced her fully and buried his nose in the nape of her neck, inhaling deeply.

“When you open your eyes…”

Whisper to me just once that you love me. Carlothian murmured softly and closed his eyes.

It felt like it had been an eternity since he last held her.

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

Days passed like this.

Erwin literally came and went to the Denaves Mansion almost every day.

I looked at him with a vague expression.

[Do you have nothing better to do?]

My voice came out, but the pain was so intense that I always carried a notepad with me.

As I slid the notepad across the reception table, Erwin smiled broadly and handed me something.

‘What is this?’

What he handed me was a circlet to wear on the head.

It seemed you just had to lightly place it on your head, featuring small jewels embedded on both sides.

As I looked at him in confusion, Erwin puffed out his chest proudly.

“Try this on.”

‘Hmm.’

What kind of trick has he pulled this time? Erwin had always been magically talented since childhood and often played pranks on me with his magic.

I thought that now that he was older, he wouldn’t do such things to his sick younger sibling, but I still found him quite suspicious.

When I looked at him with narrowed eyes, Erwin spoke as if he felt wronged.

“Do you really think I’d bring something strange?”

‘Well, I guess I’ll trust you this once.’

I picked up the circlet and lightly placed it on my head. It fit perfectly, as if it had been sized just for me.

“And think of something you want to say.”

‘Something I want to say?’

I slowly blinked. Then, I conjured a sentence in my mind.

Suddenly, golden letters started to write themselves in the air before my eyes.

[What am I supposed to do?]

The elegant golden script swayed slowly like a jellyfish in water before fading away.

Oh.

As I blinked, Erwin became even more confident.

“It’s hard to jot down notes every time, right? So I made this.”

I slowly conjured another sentence in my mind.

[It seems that a genius is indeed a genius.]

“There’s no one in this world who calls me a fool except you.”

[Well, that’s because you’re a fool.]

Even though I said it with a sigh, Erwin chuckled as if he found something amusing. I glanced at him and then turned my gaze away.

I had spent a long time pondering what to do when I saw my family, so I was relieved that all my memories returned just in time.

Otherwise, it would have been quite awkward.

When I met my parents again, they shed tears, and I had to soothe them, sweating profusely. Erwin trying to hold back his tears by looking up at the sky was quite funny.

I let out a deep sigh and glanced at the clock. It was almost time for lunch.

[Are you going to have lunch?]

“No, I just stepped out of the Magic Tower for a bit, so I need to go back soon. I came out to give you this.”

He had rushed out just to give it to me right after making it. I nodded slightly.

[Thank you, I’ll really make good use of it.]

“Wow, I’m hearing you say thank you now. I guess you’ve really grown up.”

Hmm, considering the time I’ve been through, I’ve actually lived longer than my brother, but there was no way to explain that. I waved my hand dismissively.

[Hurry back before you get scolded.]

“I’ll come by again next time.”

[When you come, at least write a letter. I’ll need some time to prepare.]

Right now, I was sitting in the reception room with only a shawl draped over my thick pajamas, thanks to Erwin barging in unexpectedly.

“Alright, alright.”

He left like that, and I sighed as I returned to my room to change my clothes.

I finally got to change my clothes after he barged in this morning.

I hurriedly changed and headed to the dining room for lunch.

Then, I ran into Carlothian, who seemed to have come from the office. I met his gaze and smiled.

[Hello, Carlothian.]

“What’s that?”

[My brother gave it to me. He said it looked inconvenient to use a notepad, so he made this.]

“……That does seem more comfortable for you.”

[Fortunately, not everything I think of gets written down, so it seems usable.]

In front of my eyes, golden letters flowed smoothly, writing and erasing themselves repeatedly.

Carlothian, though it was something that could be considered amazing, was looking at my face as if it were perfectly normal, not the letters.

I stepped into the room that the maids opened for me, with Carlothian following behind.

We sat side by side across from each other and had a brief conversation until the servants brought out the meal.

“Are you feeling okay today?”

[Thankfully, yes. As long as I don’t need to make a sound, I don’t feel any pain.]

“Don’t you want to sing…?”

[I always want to sing. But it hurts too much. Of course, if I really want to, I just endure it.]

“So, I was thinking of trying to get some painkillers.”

[Painkillers?]

“Yeah.”

[Hmm, I hadn’t thought of that.]

My pain was fundamentally caused by the clash between dark magic and divine power. So, typical pain-relief magic didn’t work. Erwin had confirmed that, so it was probably true.

But I hadn’t even considered using medicine. I wondered if that would work.

I pondered deeply and then nodded my head.

[Let’s give it a try. If it works, great; if not, then so be it.]

“I think we need to find stronger medication since your pain is severe.”

[Alright.]

I thought while spooning the first soup that was served.

Painkillers would likely have some degree of addictive properties.

But I was fine. Thanks to the divine power within me, I wouldn’t get addicted, and even if I did, it wouldn’t matter as long as I could sing freely.

“……Are you feeling okay?”

[Just so-so.]

I was responding to him somewhat stiffly. To be honest, I hadn’t fully accepted the feelings that had returned.

I love him. But I also love singing. Those two things were perfectly balanced.

Ah, my past self loved him this much. The emotions I felt were both poignant and simultaneously unfamiliar. It was quite a refreshing stimulus.

‘Honestly, if it weren’t for Carlothian, I would have committed suicide long ago.’

Thanks to the precarious balance between my love for singing and Carlothian, I was able to have a normal meal like this.

Otherwise, I might have been struggling in pain, continuously singing.

Like the dancing shoes in “The Red Shoes.” Like a madman.

Thus, Carlothian and I exchanged light conversation as we finished our meal.

Just as I was about to get up from the table, Carlothian suddenly spoke.

Was it my imagination, or did he look a bit anxious?

“I’m thinking of hosting a banquet.”

[A banquet?]

I blinked at the sudden news of the banquet. He nodded.

“You need to let everyone know you’re still here.”

‘Ah, right. I guess the divorce must have been annulled.’

In my dazed state, I had forgotten. Hmm, I began to ponder.

‘I confirmed that all the noblewomen I used to associate with have turned their backs on me. Should I invite Dorothy and her group?’

[Since it’s been so long, can I leave the guest list to the butler?]

“Of course.”

[Preparing for the banquet will probably take about a month….]

Then he said firmly,

“One week.”

[A week…?]

I widened my eyes. Carlothian answered with a serious expression.

“I want it done within that time.”

[It seems like it’ll be tight just to send out the invitations.]

“The butler will handle that.”

[Oh dear, poor butler.]

A banquet, a banquet. Thinking about it, it had been a long time since I hosted one myself.

[I think it should be on a large scale.]

“I know that much.”

Since the Yermondi incident was resolved, I hadn’t stepped outside even once.

So, if I sent out invitations under the name Ariadeline Denaves, there would be many who wouldn’t be able to resist coming.

I might even receive a flood of letters begging for invitations.

[I’ll prepare the hall. I have nothing else to do anyway.]

“……Do that.”

He hesitated for a moment, casting a somewhat reluctant gaze at me.

I smiled, seeing Carlothian looking as if he regretted something.