TFLMLD 42

Chapter 42

The Ex-Husband, Schubil Appears (feat. Coral, Daddy)

I barely managed to stop my mouth from stretching into a wide grin as I signed the contract. It would take a long time to build a mass-production line and begin full-scale operations. But just the thought that I had taken the first step filled my heart with hope and joy.

As I stepped outside, Madame Marie was waiting for me.

“Thank you so much. If it weren’t for you, I never would have gotten this opportunity…”

“What did I even do? This is all thanks to the invention you developed finally getting the recognition it deserves. If anything, it’s long overdue.”

Now that I thought about it, when I first greeted her, I hadn’t noticed it, but there was a strange shadow at the corners of her smile. She was clearly smiling, yet she looked sad—like someone carrying a heavy burden.

“Have you been well, Madame?”

“Well… yes, I’ve been doing alright.”

Just then, a man who looked like an employee of the trading company glanced at me nervously and approached her.

“About your daughter…”

I couldn’t catch the rest of his words, but Madame Marie’s face stiffened, and she looked uncomfortable.

“It seems you have something urgent to take care of. I’ll be fine.”

“But we met again after so long…”

“I’ll come visit often from now on.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Don’t worry.”

Looking apologetic, Madame Marie turned back several times to wave goodbye before leaving.

Has something happened with her daughter…?

Things with the Märchen Trading Company proceeded in a whirlwind. Their operations were so systematic that they decided on a mass-production site almost instantly. From then on, everything moved smoothly under my approval.

So busy was I with work that I lost track of time. Macaron became the perfect supportive husband. He praised the contract I had secured and celebrated it more joyfully than anyone else, while also carefully looking after the children as much as I was absent.

Yesterday, we completed the first round of samples and even toasted to celebrate. Remembering the last time I got drunk and acted like a fool, I only took a sip, which left me in a pleasantly tipsy state as I walked back to the east annex and fell asleep.

The next morning, despite how busy he was, Macaron didn’t cancel our tea time. His expression was unusually grave, as though he had something important to say. But what he said was unexpected.

“This time, the Crade territory will be hosting a masquerade festival.”

“…A masquerade festival?”

“I’ve always regretted missing the last one.”

“If it’s because of me, you really don’t need to go that far…”

“It’s because I want to. I wanted to go with you, but I couldn’t.”

He already had enough to worry about with estate affairs, yet he still thought of things like this. My heart warmed at the thought. Remembering how Kai and Coral had longed for that day, I couldn’t help but smile at how overjoyed they would be. Lord Momont, of course, wouldn’t show it on his face, but still.

“Is there anything I should prepare separately?”

“Just keep the date free. Leave the rest to me.”

The Day of the Masquerade Festival.

From the morning, Coral was bouncing around in excitement, and Kai was staring at her in awe again.

From the dressing room, I brought out Momont’s tear-stained mask, a tiara, and the dress carefully stored away. As I put them on one by one, Coral gasped beside me.

“Mom, you look like Snow White!”

She must have been into Snow White these days. When I dressed her up in a princess-style dress chosen exactly for her taste, she stomped her little feet in excitement.

Once we wore our masks and stepped out, Macaron and Kai were already dressed and waiting.

The streets were crowded. A loud fanfare rang out, and a long parade, dazzling and colorful, stretched endlessly forward. Just by its sheer scale and quality, I could tell how much effort Macaron had poured into the festival.

A circus troupe performed astonishing tricks, drawing gasps of amazement. Even apprentice magicians were mixed into the spectacle, adding to the fun. The children ran around everywhere, and Macaron and I chased after them, constantly busy.

After wandering for a while, we came to a street filled with food stalls. Kai and Coral curiously peeked into every shop. The lively street was overflowing with vendors luring in customers.

Coral’s choice landed on an ice cream shop.

“What do you want to eat?”

Standing before colorful pictures of ice cream, Coral hesitated for a long time.

“Strawberry? No, chocolate. No, strawberry… ahh… I want both.”

“That’s not allowed.”

Kai wanted to buy her everything. But not long ago, Coral had stuffed herself with too many sweets in one sitting and ended up with a stomachache.

Watching her still struggle between strawberry and chocolate, Kai made a decision.

“Two, please. Strawberry and chocolate.”

“…”

“We’ll share them half-and-half.”

Coral’s eyes sparkled, and she gave him a big thumbs up.

“Wow! You’re a genius, oppa!”

Being called a genius was nice, but there was something Kai wanted to hear even more.

“Oppa’s the best, right?”

Whether she understood his longing or not, Coral giggled mischievously.

“Just for ice cream?”

She really was a master at push-and-pull. But Kai, who had never even heard of such a word without Calypse’s special lessons, only looked downhearted.

“Then who is the best to you, Coral?”

“Yesterday, Daddy was the best. Today… I’ll have to think about it.”

As expected, Coral was a difficult girl. Kai, who until recently had always held first place in her heart, felt stung.

“What did Dad do yesterday that made him the best?”

“He picked me up from the academy, bought me a hairpin, and we ate waffles on the way back.”

Kai couldn’t believe his paper cranes, giant letters, and silks had lost to Dad’s routine errands.

“But Dad does that all the time!”

“That’s why it’s better. And also…”

“And also?”

“Daddy treats Mom well.”

Kai was at a loss for words.

Truthfully, since that day, Kai had wanted to get closer to Mom. But some unspoken awkwardness in his heart held him back, even though Mom herself acted like nothing was wrong. As he lowered his head, recalling the past, an unsettling moment interrupted.

A man who had come to buy ice cream wouldn’t take his eyes off Coral. A stranger. A chilling look directed at Coral. A face full of discomfort…

Sensing something wrong, Kai quickly handed the ice cream to Coral and stepped between her and the man.

“Let’s go, Coral. Quickly.”

At that moment, the man’s voice stopped Coral in her tracks.

“You… Coral, is that you?”

“…”

Coral turned, her big eyes wide. The man spoke in a tender voice.

“Coral… it’s Daddy.”

Schubil’s Appearance at the Masquerade

Schubil had come to the masquerade festival after receiving a tip from Rael.

He had first met her recently at a social gathering hosted by Little Duke Evelyn. Schubil hated such events, where haughty noblewomen gathered to chatter about trivial nonsense. The only reason he had been dragged there was because of Kiness.

Ever since Calypse left, Schubil’s life had been a mess. Paying off mountains of debt came at a brutal cost, and he was living entirely under Kiness’s thumb.

Not wanting to be there, Schubil had been strolling in the garden when someone approached him.

“Long time no see, brother-in-law. Ah—though I suppose you’re not my brother-in-law anymore, are you?”

Rael. She was as dazzling as ever, in stark contrast to her elder sister. A woman meant for one-night encounters, Schubil thought bitterly as he drained his champagne.

Their last meeting had been absurd. The younger sister in love with her brother-in-law. Her blatant seduction. When Rael had discovered he chose Calypse as his fiancée instead, she’d nursed a deep resentment. She even tried to seduce him to break off the engagement. But Schubil, quick to notice such things, had swiftly pulled away. To this day, he considered that one of the best decisions of his life.

“No matter what, I’m not such a fool as to do something with my wife’s younger sister. Surely you’re not still pining for me?”

His mocking smile enraged Rael. But she wasn’t the sort to back down.

“I hear you’ve been looking for Calypse lately.”

Schubil didn’t like her approaching him deliberately like this. Her face screamed of ulterior motives. But her information went far beyond what he expected.

“Too bad. Seems you’re already too late.”

Her taunting tone was nothing like Calypse’s. Schubil once again praised his past choice in his heart. Too late? Impossible. The Calypse he knew was not the kind of woman to move on.

“Why would you think I’m looking for Calypse?”

“Believe me or not. But I happened to see her recently. She looked… very happy.”

“…”

“So don’t go hanging around her. She looks like she’s enjoying marital bliss.”

She was deliberately provoking him—wanting him to stir up trouble. A younger sister who could never bear to see her elder sister happy, calling her ‘my sister’ with feigned affection—it was laughable.

Schubil saw through her game, but still couldn’t ignore it. Because the truth was, he was still looking for Calypse.

Remarried? What kind of bastard tricked her into that?

From that day onward, Schubil’s thoughts grew darker. Eventually, he clung to the single clue Rael had dropped: Crade Territory.

The more time he spent with Kiness, the more he found himself yearning for Calypse. He had taken her for granted, assuming she would always be there. Only when she was gone did he realize her worth. Compared to the selfish, foolish Kiness, Calypse was the complete opposite.

He had always planned to go back to her after Kiness. Surely she had been waiting for him all this time.

She took Coral with her because she wanted me to come back, right?

Back then, her transparent emotions had bored him. But now, looking back, wasn’t that exactly what made her wonderful? That firm, decisive final appearance of hers had been so captivating.

Before their divorce, he had accidentally come across some requests that shocked him—he discovered she was a brilliant businesswoman. When he realized that the divorce “gift” she left him was a criminal report, he was stunned. The crushing fines and being hunted down by guards had left him laughing bitterly.

Was that really the Calypse I knew?

What he had mistaken for revenge was, in truth, longing. He believed that once they met again, shaking her heart would be easy.

But finding her was harder than he thought. Rael had given him the mansion’s address, but with knights swarming the place, he couldn’t enter. Calypse must have been working there as a servant.

Then news spread of the masquerade festival, and Schubil had waited for this day.

Yet with everyone wearing masks, finding Calypse wasn’t easy.

Until… by chance, at the ice cream stall, he spotted a familiar back.