I Picked Up My Amnesic Ex-Husband - Chapter 30

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

I picked up my ex-husband who had lost his memory.
Chapter 30

His indifferent tone drew a line between them. Knowing his manner well enough, Wendy answered without particular concern.
“If I’ve offended you, I apologize. It’s just that seeing you both together surprised me a little.”
Officially, they didn’t know each other. Even ten years hence, they weren’t meant to be the sort to exchange familiarity so openly.
In fact, Rihert had never explicitly revealed his friendship with Kaien to Duke Zerban. That his actions concealed other motives would only come to light much later.
……Hmm? But is it all right for me to see them together like this now?
“As it happened, we’ve developed some acquaintance.”
Setting aside Wendy’s unspoken question, Kaien answered with a measure of sincerity. Wendy’s eyes widened in surprise as she pressed him further.
“Your Highness, have you perhaps eaten something disagreeable today?”
“What an odd remark.”
“Well, I wasn’t sure you should be speaking to me like that.”
Kaien’s lips tightened into a thin line. Before he could deliver something harsh, Wendy hurried to add:
“Of course, I have no intention of telling anyone.”
“You had better not.”
“Still, it’s rather unexpected. Prince Rihert isn’t exactly known for having a pleasant temperament.”
“If you mean to prattle on uselessly, you should leave now.”
She’d prodded carefully, but his response was predictable—and Wendy clicked her tongue inwardly. There it was, exactly the problem.
Even knowing of the betrayal that lay in his future, Kaien trusted only what he saw and heard with his own eyes and ears. With no real evidence in hand, he was hardly the sort to abandon a close friend on the word of his unreliable second wife, however much of a burden she’d become.
Of course, she had no intention of leaving someone as dangerous as Rihert Zerban at Kaien’s side. She simply didn’t wish to meddle directly in the story’s course—though neither did she mean to leave things to chance entirely.
It was all so far in the future, after all. She could always drop a quiet hint to Alec later. Surely he would believe his beloved aunt?
Wendy drew a light breath.
“That’s actually why I wanted to give this to the Grand Duke!”
Wendy produced from behind her back a small Boutonnière,
1)
which she held out to him. Its shape resembled a tiny bouquet—fluffy Ash Tree Flowers cradling a golden Marigold bloom the size of a palm.
“I chose the loveliest flowers from the Greenhouse, though I’m not sure if they’ll suit your taste. I did put quite a bit of effort into it.”
After parting with Elena, Wendy had gone straight to the Greenhouse and, with the gardener’s help, fashioned the decorative arrangement on the spot. She’d chosen golden Marigolds that recalled the color of his eyes.
With no way to know what Elena intended to do today, every protective measure for Kaien was worthwhile. Ash Tree Flowers, with their curse-mitigating properties, would prove quite useful.
Of course, Kaien was a powerful mage, and the fact that he’d survived unharmed even ten years hence suggested her concern might be meddlesome.
‘Just watching from the sidelines feels like being dragged along by Father all over again. I hate that.’
Whatever the Duke set out to do, she wanted nothing more than to thwart him with all her might. That was her most honest feeling.
Though it was true—nothing drove people forward quite like anger.
Kaien fell silent for a while. His gaze lingered on the small Boutonnière before shifting to Wendy’s face. Under the weight of his persistent stare, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“Is… is it not to your liking?”
It looked rather pretty to me, but perhaps his aesthetic sensibilities judged it differently.
The bright smile vanished from her face, replaced by a downward gaze—and the moment Kaien saw her like that, his mouth opened of its own accord.
“That’s not it.”
“Really? Then… may I pin it on for you?”
“Do as you wish.”
Wendy’s clouded expression cleared instantly. She stepped lightly toward him and fastened the Boutonnière to his left chest.
“……The scent is rather distinctive.”
“You don’t like it? I find it quite pleasant, myself.”
“It’s not unpleasant.”
The way he gazed down at her, as if appraising something enigmatic, made Wendy tilt her head slightly—but she let it pass. At least he didn’t seem displeased.
“Shall I leave first, then?”
When Wendy asked hesitantly, Kaien’s brow furrowed for the first time.
“What an odd thing to say, so suddenly.”
“Well, if the two of us leave together, it might look like we’ve had a secret meeting, you know? Prince Rihert mentioned something along those lines.”
As Wendy looked up at him and spoke in that hushed, careful way, Kaien felt something strange settle heavily against his chest for the first time in ages.
Just what was this woman?
One moment she’s kind to him, and the next she recites lies without blinking. Though she’s the Duke’s daughter, she acts as though genuinely concerned for him—yet she lets what might be a spy slip into the Grand Duke’s Estate and denies it all the same.
She approaches him without hesitation, extends her hand—and yet sometimes seems reluctant to become entangled with him at all.
It was bewildering. He couldn’t tell how much of this woman he should accept.
Part of him wanted to ask her outright what scheme she was playing, but as always, he swallowed those words unspoken.
I had far too many responsibilities, and far too many enemies. I couldn’t afford to be swayed by a woman like her.
“Your Highness?”
Kaien replied quietly to Wendy, who waited obediently for him.
“I’ll take my leave first.”
“Oh, of course!”
Leaving Wendy to nod lightly in acknowledgment, Kaien withdrew from the Balcony. The man’s cloak billowed as he departed, his expression settling into its customary languor, carrying with him the sharp scent of evening air.

* * *

Why does this feel like sitting on a bed of nails?
Muttering inwardly, I stole a glance at Kaien’s face as he conversed with the guests beside me. The way his right arm wrapped around my shoulders felt decidedly strange.
Was it just my imagination? He seemed to be in low spirits ever since we arrived.
He was a man whose expression rarely changed, so it would normally be difficult to tell—but after months of watching him, I’d learned to read his moods well enough.
Yet there was no reason for him to be displeased. This wasn’t the first time he’d been forced into such proximity with me.
When he visited the Imperial Palace, hadn’t he held me close and danced with me? So there was no reason for him to be put out by contact like this.
“Your Grace, I’ve heard rumors that the Imperial Family intends to construct a new canal……”
“How should I know of matters requiring the Emperor’s approval?”
“I heard that Your Grace the Grand Duchess has been purchasing mines, and I happen to know of some excellent properties for sale.”
“That’s kind of you. I’ll review it separately later.”
Was this a birthday celebration or a business exchange?
The guests gathered here followed a predictable pattern: they’d offer their birthday wishes, then pounce eagerly to fish for information about Profit Rights.
No wonder Kaien found his own birthday tiresome.
He was a man far more suited to leaping into battle and cutting down enemies than to laughing and trading barbs at gatherings like this.
After the death of the former Emperor and Empress and the current Emperor’s ascension, he’d been sent to the Battlefield from the age of fifteen to defend against foreign invasions at the borders.
War.
The thought of the calamity looming over this world settled heavily in my chest. It wasn’t something one could escape by simply wishing to avoid it.
Though I was doing what I could to prepare for the future, I had no certainty it would go well—or even that I’d survive when the time came.
Just as I was stifling a sigh that threatened to escape, someone suddenly seized my hand. I recognized who it was and glanced down sideways.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Hello, Wendy.”
Alec had approached my side unnoticed, flashing a cheerful grin. But the moment his eyes met Kaien’s, his expression twisted as though he’d witnessed something unbearable.
“What’s wrong? Why does Uncle look so old? He seems to have aged three times more than this morning.”
“Your Highness!”
“Your Highness has a keen eye. It’s because he’s been absorbing all your years for himself.”
Unlike me, who was flustered, Kaien responded with practiced indifference. At that, Alec began to pout.
“What? Give it back!”
“You still seem quite far from adulthood, so I’ll hold onto it for safekeeping and return it to you later.”
“I’m already grown!”
“Once you can eat your bell peppers properly, I’ll believe it.”
“Ugh, that’s—!”
Watching him deliver such nonsense without so much as a flicker of expression, I was struck anew by how thoroughly Kaien had raised Alec.
As I looked on with quiet amusement, Alec tugged insistently at the hem of my dress. His eyes sparkled with mischief as he looked up at me.
“That’s right, Wendy. Did you receive the Carrier Pigeon I sent you?”

Footnote

1)
Boutonnière: A small floral ornament pinned to the buttonhole of the left lapel of a man’s formal wear or tuxedo.

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