TMLOH 148

Chapter : 148

I blinked for a moment.

What did that man just say?

It didn’t feel real, so I pinched my cheek.

Hmm, yeah… it’s real.

“……”

In front of me, the Duke Regent was still kneeling. Tears streamed down his expressionless face, and his slightly clenched hands trembled faintly.

Why does he look so weak?

Watching him sit there, looking like he could collapse at any moment, staring only at me, gave me a really strange feeling.

“This doesn’t suit him.”

Even in the memories I had glimpsed of my biological mother, the Duke Regent had knelt before but had never cried. He had never looked this regretful either.

Honestly, I didn’t feel pity.

Unlike my father, who always seemed to be a victim of circumstances, the Duke Regent had caused the trouble himself.

Wasn’t he a textbook example of “you reap what you sow”?

Still… I couldn’t help but recall a conversation I had once had with Duke Edikels.

“Don’t you dislike the Duke Regent? You’ve said it’s been a long time since you could return because of him.”
“Well, that’s true… but I don’t hate him.”
“Why not?”
“Being unloved by someone you love is a painful thing, isn’t it?”
“Even if it’s his own fault?”
“To me, the Duke Regent seems like a lonely, clumsy human being.”

I couldn’t understand the altruistic, humanist mindset of such an idealist, but it was a memorable conversation.

“Ignoring him would be easy enough.”

But I didn’t want to do that.

Even if I ignored him, he wouldn’t give up on me.

Then he would linger around me, constantly clashing with my father, and there was no guarantee that another kidnapping wouldn’t happen.

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason.

“Sir.”

This man resembled me.

To be precise, he resembled me from my previous life.

Seeing the man in my mother’s memories suffer from repeated rejection, I projected my own past experiences onto him.

The memories of circling around someone who never paid attention, hoping for their recognition… the aching sensation of staring at the back of someone who would never look at you.

Maybe that’s why ignoring him felt so difficult.

He’s a bad person.

A really bad person.

But still… I cared.

“Ugh, why am I so kind?”

As I reached out my hand, I also thought that my past self, who had been trapped in wounds and pain, would never have done something like this.

All of this had happened because some little brat couldn’t stand to leave me alone.

“……This is.”

Seeing the Duke Regent staring blankly at my palm made me feel awkward.

Not long ago, it had been me clinging to him, begging to be sent back.

“He’s kind of annoying… should I not accept it?”

But the moment I thought that, tears suddenly streamed down his face like a faucet had been turned on.

“Ah—why is a full-grown adult crying like this? Stop it, please.”
“I thought you were going to die.”
“Honestly, unbelievable. You didn’t listen when I said it hurt.”
“……”

The Duke Regent pressed his lips together, seemingly without words. Watching him like this made me smile.

The man who had never yielded was now completely at my mercy.

It felt surreal.

“You know you were wrong, right?”
“Yes.”
“Very wrong?”
“Yes.”
“So you should treat me well, right?”
“……Yes.”
“Make an effort.”

Feeling my firm stance, the Duke Regent cautiously looked at me and asked,
“Are you forgiving me?”
“Not yet.”
“……”
“If you diligently atone for your misdeeds, I will forgive you someday.”

Seeing him nod as if even that was a relief felt strangely satisfying.

“So… you’re accepting me?”

I couldn’t let him think it was that easy.

“What if we make a few promises?”
“……Promises?”
“Listen carefully to me.”

The Duke Regent nodded immediately, as if it were easy enough. I added a warning.

“You must really listen. If you don’t, I won’t forgive you.”
“I will.”
“And don’t fight with Dad.”
“……”

His eyes dimmed again. After a long silence, he cautiously asked,
“Does that mean I can’t argue back at him either?”

Thinking about it, it wasn’t just him who disliked my father—my father hated him too.

“Hmm. In that case, it depends on the situation.”
“And anything else? Say what you want.”
“Treat Mom and Dad politely.”
“……”

The Duke Regent’s expression stiffened slightly. Unsure if this was correct, he asked,
“Mom… you mean Duchess Mehen?”
“Yes.”

Who else could be my mother besides Mehen?

Reluctantly accepting this, his face crumbled into disbelief as he nodded.

“I understand. I will treat her politely.”
“And Dad?”
“……”

A moment of silence followed.

“…Negotiation failed?”

The Duke Regent bent forward reluctantly.
“…I’ll try.”

Halbern Manor regained its peace.

“It’s really fortunate that the young lady regained her health so quickly.”
“Exactly. I was so worried, thinking something might happen again.”

After the initial commotion, three uninvited guests, who had slipped through the corridors, revealed themselves from a corner while gossiping.

“Your Highness, is it true that Arelin has returned to the manor?”
“You’re not mistaken, right?”

The uninvited guests were none other than Sperom’s mischievous twin devils and…

“No, I clearly heard Her Majesty speaking with Abba Mama.”

It was Crown Prince Pession.

The three rarely united, after being formally denied a request to visit Halbern Manor upon hearing that Arelin had returned.

“But Your Highness, you really know Halbern Manor well. Have you visited often?”
“Of course. I am now an honorary Halbern, after all.”

Pession had a history of visiting frequently just to see Arelin.

Halbern Manor wasn’t difficult to navigate, except for the many restricted areas.

“If the adults block us from seeing Arelin, we’ll just go ourselves.”

Thus, the three uninvited guests snuck into the manor.

“Go that way.”
“Is Arel really there?”
“Have you ever been inside Arel’s room?”

The mischievous kids, speaking so boldly despite sneaking in, soon faced a threat.

“Mehen, I order you as your lord: drive that child away from Arelin immediately.”
“I refuse orders that are so full of personal emotions.”
“No, I oppose this. What is our daughter even thinking?”
“She is thinking properly and kindly. Unlike someone else.”
“……Are you talking about me?”
“Fortunately, you understood. Your senses haven’t dulled yet.”
“Darling, that’s too much.”
“Do you really want to die?”

Duke Mehen and Duke Halbern arrived.

Watching the two bickering, the three children held their breaths and stayed silent.

“Hah, to think she is so kind… she really takes after someone.”
“Shione-noona?”
“……I love you, but honestly, you weren’t really kind.”

Normally, the three would have been discovered by Halbern’s keen senses, but the Duke’s attention was elsewhere, so they went unnoticed.

“Phew.”
“Thank goodness.”
“I thought we’d be caught and sent back.”

Each of the three, with their own reasons for seeing Arelin, quietly moved toward her room.

“The manor is so messy.”
“Arelin must have been really sick.”
“Will we really get to see her?”
“Is she still in pain?”

They whispered as they walked, unaware of the silver-haired man who had noticed the sneaky kids.

“What are these kids doing?”