I Picked Up My Amnesic Ex-Husband - Chapter 28

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I picked up my ex-husband after he’d lost his memory.
28

Elena Rosaria Dermis.
My sister, who received the flower name Rosaria—a variety of pink rose—as her alias.
Elena’s beauty and talent were renowned since childhood. Among us four siblings, she was the one Father took the most pride in. Indeed, suitors had never ceased calling even before she came of age.
After much deliberation, Father chose House of Zerban as her marriage alliance—a family ruling the mineral-rich Eastern Region, wielding power that even the Emperor found difficult to ignore.
Of course, Father had only wanted to forge a political alliance and never intended to send Elena beyond the family. Thus, rather than Maximilian, the heir, it was the third son, Riharde, who became betrothed to Elena.
That much was the extent of what “Wendy”—myself—ought to know.
After recovering my past-life memories, this was the first time I faced my family members other than Father without anyone watching. Despite my mental preparation, I found myself uncertain what expression to wear.
I hope my face doesn’t look strange right now.
“Hello, Elena. Claude is with you, I see.”
Fortunately, my greeting came out naturally enough. Behind my clenched fists, the two figures drew closer. Elena unfurled her fan and waved it slowly.
“So the two of you were having quite the pleasant time together?”
The question carried mockery, but Riharde answered brightly.
“The Grand Duchess didn’t look well, so I merely checked whether she was suffering from some ailment. Isn’t that right?”
This time I nodded in agreement with him. One careless word could spark scandal in such a compromising situation.
“How remarkable—to meet like this by chance in such a secluded place, just the two of you.”
“Dear me, my betrothed has taken quite the offense. Whatever shall I do to coax that smile back?”
Riharde grasped Elena’s wrist gently and pressed a light kiss to her hand, his eyes crinkling with warmth.
“I recently acquired a rare Ancient Book that might please you.”
“If it’s an Ancient Book by Peroche Ankelato, I could smile for it this very instant.”
“With pleasure.”
For what was meant to be a marriage of convenience, the exchange carried surprising warmth. To an outside eye, they seemed a perfectly matched pair.
I quietly recalled the depiction of these two from the Original Work. So that meant… after their marriage, they would truly become a showpiece couple, living separately as a matter of course?
At least in the Original Work, Elena had seemed to dislike him clearly. Riharde appeared indifferent, at best.
But that wasn’t the feeling I sensed now. If anything, they seemed to get along quite well.
“So you were looking for me, then? Rosa.”
“How could I be? I simply wanted to spend some intimate time with my younger sister, it being so long since we’ve met.”
Elena, rewording how she’d sought me out, fixed her gaze on my cheek. I responded as naturally as I could manage.
“That works out well. I had some business to attend to anyway.”
I was curious about what Riharde had meant earlier, but I couldn’t possibly claim to need to be alone with my sister’s betrothed—that would be madness. Unfortunately, I’d have to abandon that line of inquiry.
“I see. I was terribly thoughtless, interrupting your reunion.”
Fortunately, Riharde withdrew without protest. Elena shooed Claude away with a flutter of her hand.
“Claude, you’re to return to the Banquet Hall with Riharde.”
“Y-yes, understood.”
Claude, who had been glancing at me hesitantly, released a soft sigh and followed Riharde back to the Banquet Hall. I opened the door to the Reception Room nearby and led Elena inside.
After locking the door quickly behind us, I faced Elena, who stood with her arms crossed in haughty composure.
We were born as sisters, yet we differed in so much. While I had lived confined within the family’s dusty confines, she had been born a radiant beauty, loved by Father and all others alike.
Elena had shown exceptional talent for Magic from childhood and, hailed as a prodigy, had graduated from Sullivan Academy at the top of her class, only to grow more renowned thereafter. In the Original Work itself, she’d wielded her Unique Magic to orchestrate complicated schemes that placed Alec in difficult positions.
My sister, blessed with both beauty and talent in equal measure.
There was a time I’d envied her for it. But long since have I lost any attachment to the family; now I live for myself rather than languish over such sentiments.
“What business did you have?”
Shaking off my thoughts, I opened the conversation. Elena’s brow furrowed as though I’d said something absurd.
“Your manner toward your only elder sister is quite disrespectful, Wendy.”
“We exchanged greetings at the Banquet Hall already. Just state your business.”
“You’re such a bother. If you’d simply agreed to a private conversation with me yesterday, none of this tedium would’ve arisen.”
Elena, who had been fanning herself irritably, made a casual gesture. A magical circle appeared in the air, and a small box fell from it. Catching it, Elena handed the box to me.
“Take it.”
“What is this?”
“What else—it’s a gift Father sent.”
I accepted the box with reluctant eyes and lifted the lid. Inside lay a long glass vial containing a transparent liquid.
“This is a gift?”
“Don’t worry, it’s nothing like a love potion.”
“It can’t be plain water. Is it a Magical Potion?”
“As if you’d understand even if I explained it.”
I was used to being ignored outright, so that didn’t trouble me—but it made my premonition all the worse.
“All you need to do is feed it to Kaien at the right moment.”
I suppressed the urge to hurl the glass vial to the floor right then and there as I replied.
“Unfortunately, Your Highness is immune to poison.”
Though not to Alec’s degree, Kaien bore the Dragon’s Blessing as a member of the royal family, and thus possessed resistance to most toxins. How could a common poison harm a body that had inherited the dragon’s formidable strength?
So naturally it wasn’t poison at all, but a Magical Potion—but what kind, exactly?
“Of course it’s not poison. Do you think we wouldn’t know?”
The way she danced around the subject made it clear she had no intention of explaining what this liquid actually was.
I gathered my thoughts carefully before speaking.
“What if I can’t administer it?”
It was better to play the part of an incapable fool than to refuse outright. I couldn’t afford to have my relationship with Father deteriorate just yet.
“Oh, so you’ve grown attached to Kaien already? There were some rather amusing rumors circulating about that.”
When I didn’t answer, Elena laughed softly and added with an air of benevolence.
“Besides, I never said you should give it to him in secret.”
“…What?”
“There will come a moment when it must be administered.”
“When exactly?”
“You’ll have to judge that for yourself. I do hope you’ll live up to Father’s expectations.”
As I stood speechless, gripping the vial, Elena whispered to me in a gentle tone.
“I do hope this birthday will be one you’ll remember.”
With that, Elena left the room, and I was left alone in the Reception Room.
‘So there will be a moment when I have to give this to Kaien?’
I lowered my head slightly and stared at the glass vial in silence. The liquid sloshed inside, the bottle sealed tight with its stopper.
It had been only about half a year since Father told me my only worth lay in my face.
So I couldn’t expect him to have high hopes that I would accomplish anything remarkable. Besides, my greatest value now was as Kaien’s betrothed, and there was nothing to gain by giving him grounds to dissolve our marriage vow.
Yet there was no need to administer it in secret—rather, Father was saying a moment would come when I must give this to Kaien.
Which meant…
‘Perhaps it’s actually a potion that would help Kaien.’
Since I’d been pretending to obey Father’s requests dutifully of late, he might be taking measures to bring Kaien and me closer together in his own way.
Especially if the rumors Ciel mentioned about the distance between us were spreading.
The claim that it wasn’t poison was the most unexpected part, but I couldn’t trust it blindly.
Moreover, if it was meant to help Kaien, that meant a crisis situation requiring such aid would come—and that could only mean he’d fall under some sort of magic. A curse, perhaps?
Wait. Magic?
A possibility flashed across my mind. Unique Magic!
I quickly recalled several incidents from the Original Work. How Elena had wielded her abilities.
Once I’d thought that far, I had a rough idea of what the liquid in the vial was. In fact, since Unique Magic itself derived from the dragon’s power originally, it should normally be ineffective against royalty—yet…
‘But today is possible.’
This world had no distinction between lunar and solar calendars, and Kaien was born on the last day of October.
Which meant today, his birthday, was the New Moon. A moonless night of darkness.
The season when nightmares grew strongest—and when the blessing that enveloped him grew weakest.
Using Unique Magic recklessly was legally forbidden, but there were countless ways to avoid detection. After all, the most troublesome humans are the ones who are both cruel and clever.
A fierce certainty coursed down my spine.
Kaien is in danger!

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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