Episode 150: The Greatest Mage #3
The next day, early morning.
Fervache Duchy’s mansion in the imperial capital.
The room was quiet.
No one spoke.
Only the sound of breathing could be heard.
Yohan, Francia, the attending physician, and the healers were gathered together, observing the condition of Duke Fervache.
On the bed, Duke Fervache remained in a deep sleep with his eyes closed. Francia clasped her hands tightly, anxiety evident on her face. He was supposed to wake up yesterday, yet he still had not opened his eyes.
“His breathing is stable, and his pulse is normal. It seems he is simply asleep.”
The physician’s calm voice filled the room.
“It appears he is merely in a deep sleep.”
Despite those words, Francia’s anxiety did not fade.
“Wasn’t he supposed to wake up last night?”
Her voice trembled slightly. The restraints had been lifted, yet Duke Fervache remained unconscious. That was what worried Francia the most.
“He must be exhausted. Up until last week, he was occupied with the northern subjugation missions.”
The physician gave a gentle smile.
“Still…”
As Francia pursed her lips with a troubled expression, Yohan gently placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
“He’ll be fine. I don’t sense any lingering restraints. It truly seems like he’s just asleep.”
Duke Fervache had accumulated fatigue from subjugating the demonic beasts of the north, only to suffer an attack from the Tower Master on top of that.
Though Francia had assisted him, preventing serious injuries, the extreme depletion of his mana would have taken a toll. Sleep was inevitable.
“The Tower Master’s death has been confirmed. You don’t need to worry too much.”
“…Alright.”
Francia gave an awkward smile and tried to shake off her worries. All she could do now was wait for her father to wake up. There was nothing she could do to change the situation.
“In that case, you should rest, Lady Francia. I will check on the Duke’s condition every hour, so you don’t have to worry too much.”
The physician smiled slightly as he took out a few documents from his bag. It seemed he planned to stay and monitor the Duke himself, likely considering Francia’s concerns.
“…I’ll leave it to you.”
Francia bit her lip and nodded. She knew the physician was concerned about her own anxiety, so she did not insist on staying by her father’s side.
“Let’s go, Francia.”
“…Alright.”
Yohan led Francia to the room they had been staying in.
Everything remained the same.
A neatly arranged, cozy space.
“Your father is currently recovering his mana and mental strength. He will likely wake up after noon today.”
Yohan spoke once more to reassure Francia.
“There’s nothing to worry about, right?”
“Of course. Trust me.”
As she looked up at him with trembling eyes, Yohan smiled gently and nodded.
“Don’t worry too much. The Tower Master is undoubtedly dead.”
“Oh, it’s not that I don’t trust you, Yohan. It’s just…”
Francia lowered her gaze, her lips parting slightly as if to speak, but no words came out. She couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Before her regression, her father had died.
To the world, it was known as an accident, but Francia knew better.
He had been assassinated—by those four men.
The current situation was much better than that time, but she could not stop the memories from resurfacing, of when she had broken down in guilt and despair.
“…It’s nothing.”
Francia forced an awkward smile.
She couldn’t meet his gaze.
“…”
Yohan realized that Francia was hiding something, but he did not press her.
Even as lovers, even as an engaged couple, there were things people wished to keep to themselves.
“By the way, you haven’t slept since yesterday, have you? Please rest. I’ll ask someone to bring you some warm tea.”
He changed the topic of conversation.
Francia shook her head and gave a bitter smile.
“It’s fine. I’ll just lie down for a bit.”
“If that’s what you prefer.”
She leaned back onto the bed and slowly closed her eyes. It seemed the exhaustion from staying up all night was finally catching up to her.
“Please wake me up around noon…?”
“I will. Sleep well.”
Francia gave a faint smile before closing her eyes. Soon, the sound of her steady breathing filled the room—she had fallen asleep quickly.
And by the time noon had passed…
Fortunately, Duke Fervache woke up.
Just as the physician had said, it seemed that sheer exhaustion had taken its toll on him.
“I’m sorry for making you worry.”
Duke Fervache gave an awkward smile as he looked at Francia. She was holding back tears, her face on the verge of breaking down.
“I thought you wouldn’t wake up…”
“Haha, that would never happen.”
“Hic… I’m really glad…”
As Francia clung to him, sobbing, the duke gently stroked the back of her head a few times.
Then, he turned to Yohan and spoke.
“By the way, my son-in-law, you’ve helped us greatly this time.”
“Not at all, it was simply something I had to do.”
“And humble as well.”
The duke chuckled heartily.
“Defeating the Tower Master, the Transcendent known as the strongest on the continent… That’s quite the feat. It’s something that may never happen again.”
Duke Fervache gave a small smile as he continued speaking. His voice was still a bit hoarse, likely because he had just woken up.
“So, let me take this moment to express my gratitude. Duke Lahart, and my son-in-law, Yohan Lahart—you have done us a great service. Truly, thank you.”
He bowed his head. Yohan gave an awkward smile.
At this moment, reacting in shock and telling him it wasn’t necessary would be rude.
“I will always step forward if Duke Fervache or Francia are in danger. Even if it costs me my life.”
Those were the only words he could say now. And they were sincere—because they were family now.
“By the way…”
The duke stroked his chin thoughtfully before asking Yohan,
“Have you met with Viscount Harsen?”
“Not since I greeted him that day. I haven’t seen him once since then.”
Yohan gave a wry smile and added,
“We don’t have the best relationship. Well, it’s not bad either, but…”
Viscount Harsen—his father—was not someone he had a deep bond with. The same went for his mother.
His parents had wanted a third daughter, after all.
Of course, they had given him the minimum amount of affection.
But compared to his two older brothers, his treatment had been far from good.
It would be more accurate to say that he had grown up practically neglected.
It was just a typical noble family dynamic.
If he had been born a girl, things might have turned out differently.
But Yohan was born a boy—there was nothing he could do about it.
So, after leaving home, he never looked back.
“I see. Well, that’s something for you to decide. Though we are in-laws now, that is not something I can interfere with.”
The duke nodded in understanding. It was honestly unexpected. He had thought the duke would insist that he visit his parents. Contrary to his appearance, he seemed to have an open mind.
“Francia, you have about two months left in your service, correct?”
“Yes, I’m preparing for my discharge now.”
“Then we can start preparing for the wedding soon.”
He then turned his gaze back to Yohan.
“When is the northern purification scheduled?”
“I believe it will take place after I’ve had some time to rest.”
“Then all that remains is for Francia to be discharged.”
“That’s right.”
Two months until Francia’s discharge. And in the meantime, the northern purification mission.
Once everything was over, Yohan and his lovers would head back to their territory.
‘I need to meet Rudbeckia too.’
His leave had been extended due to unforeseen events. Well, at least the purification officers would be happy about it.
“Alright, I think I need to rest a bit longer. You two should go now.”
Francia responded,
“Huh? But I should stay with you…”
“I’m fine now. I’m as healthy as ever.”
The duke clenched his fist and raised it confidently. Even in his forties, he maintained a youthful appearance, a testament to the fact that he, too, had reached the pinnacle of transcendence as a mage.
Now that he had awakened, there was nothing to worry about.
“And Francia, you need to rest too. It would be foolish to get sick from worrying too much.”
“…Yes, I understand.”
“That’s my daughter.”
The duke smiled warmly.
“Now, off you go. My dear son-in-law, take good care of Francia.”
“You can count on me.”
Francia rose from her seat.
“If anything happens, you must send a letter immediately, alright?”
“Haha, I know. Don’t worry too much.”
“Alright…”
With a small smile, she left the room alongside Yohan.
***
As They Left the Fervache Estate
While walking down the corridor, Francia quietly reached for Yohan’s hand.
When he turned to look at her, she was smiling gently.
“Thank you so much, Yohan.”
“I’ve lost count of how many times you’ve said that.”
Yohan chuckled playfully.
She must have said those words at least ten times by now.
“But still… If it weren’t for you, I would have been miserable.”
Her voice was calm, but her eyes still trembled slightly.
The result of the past timeline, where Yohan had not been there.
It was too horrifying to even remember.
“Thank you, truly.”
Francia lifted herself onto her toes and pressed her lips to his cheek.
“I love you.”
***
During the Purification Bureau’s Leave
Rudbeckia paced inside her home.
She felt restless.
How many days had it been since she last saw him?
In the silent house, her footsteps echoed faintly against the floor.
Her mind was filled with thoughts of only one person.
It wasn’t just a selfish desire to see him. Of course, that longing was strong as well.
‘Is Yohan safe?’
But she hadn’t been able to see him with her own eyes.
Unconsciously, Rudbeckia fidgeted with the tips of her fingers. Her unease traveled all the way there.
‘I won’t feel at ease until I see him myself.’
She lifted her gaze toward the sky outside the window.
The morning sun hung high.
And she made up her mind.
‘Alright, I’ll go find Yohan right now.’
Rudbeckia hurriedly opened her wardrobe.
Her hands instinctively ran over the fabrics.
Something Yohan would like.
A dress that was both elegant and subtly highlighted her femininity.
A garment that lightly traced the curve of her chest and accentuated the shape of her waist—
A style Yohan liked.
If his gaze lingered on her just a little longer…
The thought alone made her heart flutter.
She quickly changed into the dress.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she carefully adjusted her hair.
If she were only going to check on his well-being, she wouldn’t have put this much effort into her appearance.
She wanted to see him.
She wanted to be closer to him.
And today, she had something to say.
‘I need to apologize.’
If the reason Rein Adriche targeted Yohan was because the Tower Master’s memories returned upon regression, then she bore some responsibility as well.
But was that all?
No, not at all.
‘And… I’ll close the distance between us even more.’
Step by step.
She knew she wouldn’t see immediate results.
But she wanted to ensure that he wouldn’t be able to erase her from his life.
Quietly, she opened the door and took a step forward.
Towards him.
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Check out my other translated novel:
The Son-in-Law of a Prestigious Family Wants a Divorce
Link: Chapter 0 to 114
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