Chapter 26. A Hell That Pretends to Be Heaven Is Better
From the standpoint of someone who had been anxious that the marriage might fall apart at any moment, the fact that the formal meeting between the families had been set was undeniably good news.
That said, for Riley, arranging a meeting that involved hosting both families felt like an immense burden. The very idea of having to present and escort her uncle and aunt—people she didn’t even want to call her parents or family—as her “parents” was already heavy enough. And on top of that, the other party was none other than the head of the Rianster family.
How many people could meet the Empire’s greatest noble without feeling tense?
“……When is it?”
“In two weeks.”
“That’s sooner than I thought.”
“We should move quickly. The longer things like this drag on, the worse it gets.”
So I really am going to get married. To this man.
Can I really do this well?
When they had agreed to the marriage, everything had happened so fast that she hadn’t had time to think deeply about it. But now that the date for the formal meeting was set, all sorts of worries began to surface.
Just because the meeting was confirmed didn’t mean the marriage itself was settled. In fact, if one were to be precise, the greatest obstacle in this marriage was that very meeting.
Even if Duke Rianster was friends with Father, marriage is a practical matter—it’s a separate issue. If he doesn’t like me or my family, if he strongly opposes it, then this marriage will… fall through.
Of course, Gibnen had said that he’d already prepared to initiate the guardianship process in case the marriage collapsed. But he’d also mentioned that the process was complicated and took a long time. In the meantime, her uncle might very well sell her off somewhere.
Just like when she’d been hurriedly engaged to Count Ermeintz.
“Are you worried?”
“……Honestly? A little.”
“You don’t need to worry. The marriage will proceed smoothly, without deviating from the plan.”
Will your family like me?
Riley couldn’t bring herself to say those words out loud and turned her head away instead.
It was a question she wanted to avoid—and she was afraid of hearing the answer.
The entrance exam for Horizon Academy, and now the formal meeting.
Until just a few days ago, her life had been unbearably dull, stretching on endlessly. How had it suddenly become so complicated and nerve‑wracking?
I have to do well. I really do.
If she wanted to never lose this man—this marriage.
Arpeggio’s intensive training began in earnest.
As he had instructed, Riley opened the door to the mana storage facility the moment the clock struck six in the evening and stepped inside.
Saki had mentioned that he despised anything disrupting his routine; every minute and second of his schedule repeated with machine‑like precision, and he wasted nothing. He was especially strict about punctuality.
As a result, Riley arrived at Horizon at 5:40 p.m., but she had to wait another twenty minutes—until exactly six—before she could see him.
Even then, he paid her no attention.
Despite the awkward situation of standing there watching him, he went about his work as if Riley didn’t exist. He cleaned around the mana storage unit, checked the mana fluctuation graphs, and inspected for anything lacking or abnormal.
He’s really busy…
To be honest, just based on his appearance, she’d assumed he was a complete slacker. It was a prejudice of sorts.
Unlike other departments, there was no sign of people working busily here. There was only Arpeggio himself. All that existed in the room were shelves filled with old, worn books, a small table and two chairs for simple meals, and a massive mana storage device. At a glance, it looked like there was nothing to do at all.
But the work he handled was quite complex and meticulous. Every minute, he checked the fluctuation graphs connected to the mana storage device, and the moment even the slightest abnormality appeared, he began analyzing it.
Only then did Riley truly understand why he always looked so ragged. While analyzing the graphs, he filled his stomach with bits of bread. Perhaps feeling awkward eating alone, he shouted toward her.
“Hey, there’s food in that box over there. Grab something and eat.”
“Yes.”
Riley went where Arpeggio pointed and opened the box.
Inside, chilled air spilled out, along with plenty of food and drink. Most of it was simple fare—bread and soup to get through a meal quickly—and even the drinks were all alcohol.
She grabbed a sandwich at random, crouched in a corner, and ate her late meal. The sandwich was cold, but surprisingly delicious.
After finishing her simple meal, Arpeggio dragged Riley into the study. He picked several books from among the dust‑covered volumes and tossed them at her.
“Read all of them. Memorize everything.”
“All of these?”
“What, why? Three books a day is the bare minimum. With your current state, you need to catch up on ten years’ worth of other people’s time in a month. Were you planning to half‑ass it?”
“No.”
“If you’re going to complain, get out. I don’t do things halfway, and I don’t need weak‑willed people.”
She had no intention of cutting corners. Clutching the books, Riley nodded with grim determination.
“I’ll do it.”
As she opened the book, burning with resolve, Arpeggio spoke in a voice laced with a sigh.
“Good. Then do it. Please.”
—Today, read and memorize all of those. And add two more hours of meditation. Every time your concentration wavers, add five minutes.
Reading and memorizing three books a day soon turned into five books a day by the second week, with additional meditation time.
As for meditation, every time her focus slipped, the duration increased. Watching how he caught even the briefest moment of zoning out made her think, once again, that a genius archmage truly was something else.
Still, Riley stubbornly completed every task he assigned.
At first, she’d wondered if it was even possible to memorize three entire books in a single day—but surprisingly, it was. Even when he raised the requirement to five books, she managed without issue.
Difficult words she’d never seen before made sense to her effortlessly, and knowledge she’d never encountered before felt strangely familiar, as if she’d seen it somewhere in the past.
As her comprehension improved, her memory followed suit. She didn’t even need to try to memorize things—they simply stuck.
How was this possible? Curious, she asked Arpeggio, who answered as if it were obvious.
“—The core of mana circulation is the brain. Blood is supplied and circulated through the heart, but mana is supplied and circulated through the brain. Do you think mages are treated as national assets just because they can use magic? Mages are, fundamentally, intelligent. Freely using magic composed of complex formulas demands extraordinary brain function. The more active the mana circulation, the more the brain develops. Ah, of course, this only applies to storing information and acquiring skills. Idiots stay idiots no matter what. The difference between a brain suited for study and a stupid brain has been proven through mages. And most mages are lazy and don’t train themselves. A bunch of fools who can’t even use what they were born with. That’s why the country’s in such a state.”
“—That said, it doesn’t mean all mages are smart. On average, they’re just more intelligent than ordinary people. And among them, there are the occasional insane hybrids like Gibnen Rianster. Research shows that the greater one’s innate mana, the higher their intelligence tends to be. On top of that, mages can pass down the knowledge they’ve accumulated over their lifetime to others. That bastard Gibnen inherited the previous tower master’s knowledge—and even some of his mana—so it’s no wonder he became tower master at that age. Of course, being young is his biggest weakness. Experience isn’t something you can learn from books or inheritance.”
“—You probably received knowledge and mana transmission from your father too. If it was your father, he’d definitely do it. And with your mana awakening, your brain function would’ve improved noticeably. Especially your memory—you shouldn’t have much trouble there.”
Arpeggio was prickly and acted annoyed, but he answered questions immediately and showed a surprisingly considerate side. At first, Riley had thought he was terrifying, but the more she got to know him, the more decent he seemed.
Unlike the first day, when she’d been afraid to even speak to him, Riley now chatted with him fairly easily.
“I won’t be able to come the day after tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“I have the formal family meeting.”
At her words, Arpeggio froze and stared straight at her.
Rubbing his chin, he examined Riley from head to toe before speaking in disbelief.
“A snot‑nosed kid is getting married?”
“I’m of marriageable age. If anything, I’m late compared to the average.”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty‑five.”
Arpeggio snorted.
“You’re a kid. Anyone under a hundred is a snot‑nose to me.”
“How old are you?”
“I turn exactly a hundred this year.”
Riley flinched in shock.
“I thought you were in your thirties.”
“Mages and ordinary people have different lifespans. The greater and more magnificent the mage—like me—the longer we live. Aging slows down too.”
“I guess my father also… did look quite young. He must’ve lived a long life, right?”
“No. He died at my age. Slower aging doesn’t mean you’re invincible. Your father didn’t die of natural causes.”
Seeing Riley grow gloomy at the mention of her father, Arpeggio clicked his tongue.
“At the very least, he could’ve walked you down the aisle at your wedding. What was so urgent?”
“……Yeah.”
“So is the guy you’re marrying decent? These days, there are so many worthless bastards that marriage itself is scary.”
“He’s a good person. Too good for me.”
“Who is it?”
“Gibnen.”
Arpeggio, who’d been picking at his ear, jolted and dropped the papers he was holding.
“You’re joking, right?”
“It might not suit me, but it’s not a joke.”
“Oh, wow. To think the most pitiful woman in the world, about to marry the world’s greatest bastard, was this close by.”
“If you talk about your boss like that, won’t you get fired?”
“Nope. I’ve got tenure.”
“I’m jealous.”
“But seriously, you’re not right in the head either. You’re the first person I’ve ever met who’s called Gibnen Rianster a ‘good guy.’”
At Arpeggio’s grave expression, Riley answered firmly.
“He’s kind and meticulous. He’s considerate, and above all, he’s the gentlest and kindest person I’ve ever met.”
“Good heavens.”
Arpeggio looked at her pitifully, then suddenly started checking her temperature.
“No fever… Is this a side effect of mana awakening? How can five words that should never be associated with Gibnen come out of a sane person’s mouth? Kind, meticulous, considerate, gentle, kind. Does that make sense? Do those words fit him? Do they? Do they?!”
He looked genuinely agitated.
Riley wondered if this really warranted such a reaction, but he was more emotional than she’d ever seen him.
“Listen carefully, you foolish girl. I’ll kindly enlighten you.”
“…….”
“The only way you survive is by blowing up that damned meeting.”
“……You mean call off the engagement?”
“You can’t handle him, and he can’t handle you. You’re the worst possible match.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Do you like him?”
“I don’t dislike him.”
“Doesn’t sound like love. What, then—some kind of transactional marriage?”
Riley held her tongue. She didn’t think an answer was necessary. Arpeggio, however, crossed his arms and looked at her as if she were hopeless.
“Well, it’s not like that bastard would rush into marriage. I figured it was a deal.”
“…….”
“You don’t even realize what you’ve done, do you?”
“Is marriage really that big a deal?”
“Marriage to him can never be trivial.”
“Why? He saved me.”
Saved her?
Rolling the word around in his mind, Arpeggio sighed knowingly and placed a hand on her head.
“Does he look like a savior to you?”
“…….”
“The person you believe to be your savior could just as easily be a destroyer who came to ruin you.”
“Why would you describe him like that? Do you hate Gibnen?”
“I do. And he hates me too.”
“…….”
“But this isn’t about liking or hating him. It’s even more so because you’re the daughter of Raisten. He’s more likely to marry you to use you than because he likes you. Do you want to live your entire married life without love, being used until you die? He’s an egotist who only cares about himself—infinitely vile, like a snake. And you’d be bound to someone like that for life.”
“We agreed that he’d grant a divorce if I wanted one.”
“Oh, sure. Like that’ll happen.”
“…….”
“He’ll never let you out of his grasp. Do you really think the kindness he shows you is without reason? His mentor’s last wish? Don’t make me laugh. He was the one who disobeyed Jung more than anyone while he was alive. You think that bastard would obediently follow his mentor’s will just because he died? No chance. He hates being bothered, especially cleaning up after others. He wouldn’t do that even if he died and came back to life. And yet he’s doing something he never does? That means there’s something behind it. And it’s something rotten.”
Riley said nothing. She thought his words were worth taking to heart.
Truthfully, she’d always harbored doubts about Gibnen’s intentions.
She could comfortably assume he was simply following his mentor’s last wish—but the kindness he showed her was too excessive to be explained by that alone.
She’d wondered if there might be another reason.
Even with blood ties, Ryan had failed to form trust or affection with his relatives.
If she couldn’t trust blood relatives, then trusting and relying entirely on someone who was practically a stranger made even less sense.
And yet, it didn’t matter.
“I also believe that kindness without reason doesn’t exist. And I don’t fully trust or rely on Gibnen either.”
“And yet you’re going through with this marriage?”
“Yes… If he wants to use me, then I’m willing to be used.”
“You’ve completely lost your sense of fear.”
“I have nothing left to lose.”
Even if Gibnen Rianster turned out to be far more despicable than she’d imagined—even if he were more evil than a devil, even a criminal—Riley didn’t care.
The fact that he had pulled her up from that hellish abyss would never change.
“My life has been hell every single moment.”
“…….”
“……Compared to a truly horrific hell, a hell that pretends to be heaven is better.”
Arpeggio sighed and muttered to himself.
Already struggling just to stay alive, and she chooses to cling to someone who might be even more dangerous, willing to be used… How am I supposed to take this? She’s not normal. Not normal at all.
