The Villainess Who Was Dumped Got Married into My Family, a Mob Noble from the Frontier, and Turns Out, She's an Amazing Capable Wife? - Chapter 65: Edward Gran Aetherdam - The Foolish Baldy

Chapter 65: Edward Gran Aetherdam – The Foolish Baldy

I, Edward Gran Aetherdam, was being scolded in my father’s private room. He is the king of the Aetherdam Kingdom.

“Edward, you are not to leave the castle during the summer break. You can go to school, but remember to behave properly, considering how freely you’ve been living until now.”

“Understood.”

I replied, taking my father’s words to heart. 

“That’s enough, you may leave.” 

“Yes.”

“Really, how did things come to this…”

My father sighed deeply as he watched me leave. 

Since the incident in the Brave territory, I’ve lost many things. 

One of them was Patricia.

I had faithfully fulfilled the promise I made to Ragna Vel Brave and others through a written agreement.

If you’re deceived and come close to death, no matter how much you want to hold on, sometimes you have no choice but to let go. 

However, the memories with her still linger in my heart, for she truly healed my once hollow heart. 

I can’t deny those moments. 

But I’ve decided to firmly acknowledge my weakness and the lack of thought that led to being deceived.

The second loss was my hair, which had vanished completely.

It seems a famous healing mage was immediately summoned to the castle, but they couldn’t cure the lost hair follicles.

But, having my life is still better than not. 

The scars from burns painfully remain on my upper body. 

Probably, my face, which took a direct hit, was in a worse state. 

I must properly thank Mariana Ocean for saving me from a situation where death wouldn’t have been surprising.

The third loss was my right to the throne.

I understood that I wasn’t well-regarded due to my childhood whims, breaking off an engagement with a ducal family, and my conspicuous school life with Patricia, a commoner. 

The incident in the Brave territory dropped my standing to the very bottom. 

But I didn’t really care about it.

I could have given it up if I wanted to.

Even being called a fool, in a magical kingdom, the royal blood has high value.

My inheritance rights were only lowered because there was still some value left in me. 

But, my situation, valued only for my blood, hasn’t changed. 

Well, I got what I deserved.

After all, what flows in me is just a dull fate, destined to walk a path laid out before me. 

No matter how much I try to deviate, I don’t have the power to change it. 

The power, like that of the hero, has been erased from existence in this country.

“Haha, hahaha!”

Yet, I gained something too. 

I can’t help but laugh.

Patricia, the right to the throne, my hair, none of it matters anymore.

Because I’ve encountered it.

Probably, everything was meant to lead here.

I recall the records of an ancient hero written in the books I read out of curiosity in the castle’s forbidden library.

After getting caught and scolded badly, I was never allowed into the forbidden library again. When I sneaked in later, the ancient hero’s records I found were already thrown away.

Everyone underestimates my memory. 

By the age of 5, I had already memorized all the escape routes from the castle, the patrol routes of the servants and guards, and even the timetable of the shared horse carriages in the town below the castle.

Memorization is not hard for me, though I’m pretty bad at remembering things I’m not interested in.

But never mind that.

I’ve always been curious about the Brave territory. 

I was too preoccupied by Patricia to research much about Ragna Vel Brave, but after seeing him killing hundreds of ants without breaking a sweat that day, I was convinced. 

He must be the reincarnation of the Hero!

I pride myself on being able to use magic at a high level, almost like the reincarnation of the Sage within the royal family, but his power far exceeds mine.

If he’s not a hero, then what is he?

The more I researched after returning, the more the peculiarities of the remote Brave territory stood out, and I remembered the scorn they received at the academy.

Why didn’t anyone say anything about it? Now I wonder. 

Ragna Vel Brave stands by Alicia’s side as if defying fate, oppressed for so long. 

He’s like a hero from a story, and honestly, I admired that.

At first, after my fateful encounter with Patricia, a commoner, at school, I thought I was the hero, able to carve out my own destiny instead of just following the path laid out for me. But that was a huge misunderstanding. 

In the presence of the true hero, I am just a sage who can only hide within this protective barrier covering the sky.

“Hmm, can’t I somehow become friends with him?” 

I want to see the hero up close.

“Or should I first make it known to others that he is the hero?”

Wait, I just realized I’ve been thoughtless.

I need to stop my overeager thoughts for a moment.

“Maybe it’s better to just enjoy watching the hero from the shadows, smiling to myself. Isn’t that what they call a man’s romance?”

I’ve made up my mind; everything needs evidence. 

After the summer vacation, at the Sage Festival, I’ll nominate Ragna Vel Brave. 

If things go as usual, I would be the one to participate in the magic tournament based on grades.

It’s a strange event where students compete with their magic in a spirit of friendly rivalry, but by having him participate in my place, I can witness the hero’s power, and others can know and enjoy it too.

“Let’s do that, yes.”

The fate surrounding me was about to change significantly.

I failed to change my own destiny.

So, I think I’ll just quietly settle down, with a sense of reflection. 

But it wouldn’t hurt to watch someone who can defy their fate up close, right?

Meanwhile, at that time…

“Uhh, I feel a chill.”

“Do you have a cold? Let me see.”

“Wow, I’m jealous! Pressing foreheads together to check for fever is like a page out of a youth drama! It even makes me feel warm!” 

“Don’t be silly, Mariana. It seems like there’s no fever.”