I Picked Up My Amnesic Ex-Husband - Chapter 6

—————
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 6

Who would dare look upon the Emperor of the Empire without reverence?
The fact that there was one more being who fitted this description suddenly rose back into my mind.
I opened my mouth carefully.
“Could it be… the Crown Prince?”
Instead of answering, the boy whirled around sharply. That arrogant gesture gave me all the confirmation I needed.
Alexei de Bailys Fray Elysion.
This boy, bearing such a grandiose name, was none other than the Crown Prince of the Elysion Empire and the protagonist of “How to Live as an Inexperienced Crown Prince.” Judging by the timing, he must be around ten years old now.
Wow, this is the first time I’ve ever seen the original protagonist!
“And who might you be, standing here?”
“Oh, I’m Wendy. I entered the palace with Kaien.”
As we spoke in hushed tones, the boy raised one eyebrow as if puzzled.
“With my uncle, you say. Ah…”
His eyes, which had been fixed on my face, suddenly widened as if he’d realized something.
“You’re the guest Father said would be coming today.”
“That’s right.”
“Then why are you hiding here eavesdropping on tedious conversation?”
“Well, it just didn’t seem like the right atmosphere for me to join in.”
As I scratched my cheek while answering, the boy narrowed his eyes, studying me with persistent intensity.
I met that gaze head-on, offering only an awkward smile.
If I hadn’t retained memories from my past life, would I have been even slightly shocked? My husband—someone I’d have to spend a lifetime with—had made his displeasure toward me abundantly clear.
But he’d been transparent about it from the very first night. There was no reason to be surprised now.
If anything, this level of behavior was exactly what Kaien had described—he was offering me at least minimal courtesy.
Bang.
Just as I was consoling myself with these thoughts, the boy kicked the door open with his foot. Startled by his high-handed behavior, my eyes met Kaien’s, who wore an expression of surprise beyond the now-wide-open doorway.
Ah, this is bad.

At the loud noise, both the Emperor and Kaien turned toward the dining room door simultaneously.
Through the wide-open doorway appeared a boy holding his chin up haughtily and a woman standing in an awkward stance beside him.
The moment Kaien saw Wendy staring at him with wide eyes, a thought crossed his mind.
…Did she hear?
“Oh. Welcome, Alexei. You’ve arrived earlier than expected!”
The boy responded to his father’s warm greeting with irritation.
“It’s Alexei, Father. I’ve already asked you not to call me so casually.”
“What does it matter when it’s just the two of us?”
“Just the two of us? There are more people here.”
A boy of ten lecturing an Emperor well over thirty. The Crown Prince pointed directly at Wendy, who was watching the rare spectacle with an open mouth.
The Emperor cleared his throat quietly, as if now remembering his dignity, and then Kaien spoke in a measured voice.
“When did you arrive?”
“Ah, I just got here and ran straight into this lady. Right?”
Alexei looked at Wendy—who was seeking his agreement—with evident disdain and turned his head away instead. The boy walked toward the chair prepared to the Emperor’s left and plopped down onto it.
Following suit, Wendy sat in the seat next to Kaien, and the Emperor spoke to her in a gentle tone.
“The Crown Prince doesn’t talk much, I’m afraid. I hope you’ll forgive him.”
“So it truly was the Crown Prince. I had wondered, since his eye color is different.”
When Wendy pointed out his blue eyes—not the golden iris symbolizing Imperial bloodline—the boy carelessly pressed the blue gem set into the center of the Brooch fastened to his chest.
At that, the blue drained from the boy’s iris, and brilliant gold took its place.
“It’s merely a trivial trick.”
“It’s a tool created by Magic. He suddenly insisted on having something like this not long ago.”
Following the boy’s dismissive remark, the Emperor added an explanation. Though Wendy already knew from the original work, she responded with practiced ease.
“My, how remarkable!”
“By the way, the Grand Duchess arrived quite quickly as well.”
“The estate is so vast that I hurried a bit, worried I might commit the rudeness of arriving late. I’m relieved we were on time.”
Wendy smoothly deflected that pointed question too, and she winked at Kaien, who was sitting beside her.
Watching the man turn his head away with visible distaste, I thought the road ahead would be long indeed.
Still, dinner proceeded in a surprisingly warm atmosphere. The Emperor cut the meat before him with his knife as he spoke.
“So, I think it would be perfect to introduce the Grand Duchess at the Imperial Ball in four days’ time. What are your thoughts?”
“If it pleases Your Highness, I have no objection.”
Wendy cast a shy glance toward Kaien, but he responded with icy precision.
“It is your command.”
“Good heavens, if it were my command, you’d even pretend to die!”
“Would you like me to?”
“Enough! You actually seem like you’d do it, and that terrifies me.”
The Emperor in exasperation, Kaien with his blank expression, and Alexei continuing to eat while completely ignoring them both.
A reptilian gaze found its way to Wendy several times, but she pressed on with stubborn indifference, moving her fork steadily across her plate.
The food was too delicious to let politeness rob her of enjoyment.
The meal concluded without incident, though she would have preferred the entire day to end as smoothly.
“Ungh…….”
Exhausted from the day’s tensions, Wendy had fallen asleep the moment her head touched the pillow, but a sudden sound jolted her awake.
The darkness confirmed it was deep night. She turned hastily to the right and found Kaien lying there, his face contorted in distress.
“Your Highness? Your Highness? Are you all right?”
She tried gently shaking his shoulder, but the man showed no sign of waking. His handsome face was drenched in cold sweat, and his limbs were rigid.
Right—this man suffered from nightmares with frequency, didn’t he.
Recalling the curse that ran through the Imperial bloodline, Wendy clicked her tongue softly. If that were truly the cause, it wouldn’t be easy to wake him now.
After a moment’s thought, she rang the bell on the nightstand to summon a maid.
“You called, my lady?”
“Cold water and a towel, and if you have any fresh Ash Blossoms, bring them at once.”
This is knowledge that only appears later in the story, but I can’t help it.
Rationalizing that he was asleep anyway and wouldn’t remember, Wendy arranged the Ash Blossoms the maid brought into a vase and placed it near Kaien’s head.
Then she soaked the towel in ice-cold water and gently wiped his face.
As the subtle, coffee-like fragrance of the flowers began to diffuse, the man’s ragged breathing gradually grew calmer. Releasing a sigh of relief, Wendy wrung out the towel again.
“What beauty could be worth all this trouble, I wonder.”
He was handsome enough, true, but taciturn and cold, always thinking of ways to discard her.
Even as she muttered this with resignation, Wendy’s hands never stopped moving.
Understanding the source material was one thing; feeling genuinely wronged by it was another. She hadn’t wanted this marriage—why should she have to marry him?
‘Though I’ll admit, the moment I first saw him, I did think he was rather handsome. Just a little bit, mind you!’
Anyone would be drawn to such striking looks, after all.
He was a fruit I couldn’t pluck—I mustn’t covet him, mustn’t let myself become further entangled.
Because he already had a predetermined future partner.
After reaffirming this resolve and confirming that Kaien’s breathing had grown steady, Wendy rubbed her aching arms and crawled back into bed.
And as morning began to brighten from all sides, Kaien’s eyes opened quietly.
Surprised at his clear, painless head for once, he suddenly realized he was holding something against him.
Wondering what it could be, he lowered his gaze and found a silver-haired woman sleeping soundly in his arms.
For a moment, Kaien’s mind went blank with confusion.
‘Why am I holding this woman?’

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