Chapter 82

■ Chapter 81. Rekilis (5) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

After that, I had various conversations with Dmitri, and the topic we delved into most deeply was undoubtedly history.

Dmitri, being the head of the Rekilis family, boasted a broad range of knowledge, and I, though not at the professor level, also possessed a considerable amount of knowledge.

Thanks to this, the conversation never lagged, and it went on so long that even Mari expressed her boredom.

In particular, Dmitri had a deep knowledge of the cultures of other countries, and he explained in detail the reasons for their emergence and their current forms.

I took out my magic pen and notebook, which I usually carry, as if I couldn't afford to miss this unexpected opportunity, and diligently took notes. Even though I had read many books compared to my peers, I still had many shortcomings in understanding the cultures of other countries in detail.

"Do you usually carry a pen and notebook with you?"

While I was taking notes diligently, Dmitri raised an eyebrow at my magic pen.

He seemed more interested in my habit of always carrying a notebook than in the magic pen itself.

I paused my note-taking and answered in a gruff voice.

"Yes. I have a habit of writing down important information so I don't forget it."

"Really, it's a great habit. My daughter should learn from you."

"Hmph. I don't forget what I hear once, you know?"

When Dmitri criticized her, Mari turned her head sharply and expressed her dissatisfaction.

It was only natural for her to complain, as she was treated like a scarecrow while we talked about boring history.

"Did you lend me your notebook?"

"Hey!!"

Of course, when I explained unnecessarily, she immediately shouted.

I couldn't hide my embarrassment and laughed at Mari, who was blushing and fuming.

Not only that, but Dmitri also burst into rare hearty laughter. Only Mari couldn't laugh in the warm atmosphere.

Knock, knock.

Just as the good atmosphere was continuing, Sebastian's voice came from outside the door. Both Dmitri and I checked the clock in the guest room.

Is this when we say, "I didn't realize how time had passed"? Checking the time, it was almost lunchtime.

Sebastian knew I would go home without having lunch, but he probably wanted to remind me that lunchtime was approaching, just in case.

As lunchtime approached, Dmitri stroked his chin and looked at me.

"Time flies. Are you really going to go home without having lunch?"

"Yes. I want to meet my family as soon as possible. I plan to get takeout on the way."

"There's no need to spend money. Take some food prepared by our chef. I'll tell him to pack it for you."

"If you do that, I would be grateful."

"Sebastian."

With my acceptance, Dmitri called Sebastian, who was waiting outside the door, into the room. Sebastian then entered and approached Dmitri.

Dmitri, standing neatly beside him, gave a soft command.

"This friend is going home without having lunch, so there's no need to prepare anything. Instead, ask the chef to prepare something simple for takeout. It looks like he'll eat it in the carriage."

"Understood."

"And stop by my office for a moment and bring the 'Remover.' There should be a new one in the drawer."

"Yes."

Sebastian, having received Dmitri's instructions, moved towards the door.

I watched Sebastian's back as he walked out the door with a composed gait, and then, curious about something, I asked Dmitri.

"Your Grace. May I ask what a Remover is?"

"It's something you might like."

"Something I might like?"

"Hmm... You'll definitely like it."

While I was tilting my head in confusion, Mari, sitting beside me, chimed in, making it even harder to guess what it was.

After a while, Sebastian returned. In his hand was a long, white object.

I fixed my gaze on the familiar-looking item. Meanwhile, Dmitri received the item from Sebastian and showed it to me.

"This is the Remover. It's an item with a magic rune inside, like your magic pen."

"What is it used for?"

"Remember the notebook you were writing in earlier? Press the button and hold it up to the page."

Dmitri, thinking it would be better to show me how it works, handed me the item. I took it, still puzzled.

It looked like a club, or perhaps a very thick pencil.

To resolve my growing curiosity, I held the item like a pen and placed it on the notebook. The notebook contained the knowledge Dmitri had told me earlier.

When I pressed the button in the middle, something amazing happened.

"Huh?"

The black writing, recorded with the magic pen, disappeared.

Only the part where I placed the end of the Remover vanished, as if erased with an eraser or whiteout, leaving the paper clean.

"The Remover is a magical item. It can erase pen-written records for up to five minutes."

While I was staring at the notebook with a blank expression, Dmitri explained from the front. When I looked up, I saw him smiling.

I met his gaze and quickly checked if other writing had been erased. As he said, the writing from a while ago remained, but the recent writing had been completely erased.

This item was a treasure to me. I smiled brightly but quickly returned to my usual expression.

The magic pen alone is incredibly expensive, and this Remover item would likely be even more so. Even though he is a duke, I didn't think he would just give it to me as a gift.

"…May I ask why you are giving this to me?"

So I asked. I held the Remover tightly and asked Dmitri cautiously.

I indirectly expressed my desire to have the Remover, and if he offered a reasonable deal, I would be willing to accept it.

Dmitri, noticing my desire, smiled slightly. I tensed up, hoping he wouldn't make an odd proposal.

"It's just a gift. There's no particular reason."

Dmitri's mouth opened, and a nonchalant answer came out.

But I didn't accept it immediately and maintained a cautious attitude.

"Even as a gift, this is too expensive for me. A magic pen just converts mana into ink, but the Remover seems more complex, doesn't it?"

"You're right. If the magic pen is worth 1, the Remover is worth 10."

As expected, it was as I predicted. This Remover item was incredibly expensive, far beyond what I could afford.

Of course, if I think about the profits from the Zeon Chronicles, I would be willing to pay the price, but not as a gift. It's too expensive to accept as a gift.

Just as I was about to put the Remover down to politely decline, Dmitri stopped me with a loud voice.

"You don't need to feel burdened. I'm giving it to you because I like you. Surely you won't refuse, right?"

"…It's too expensive for me."

"Even for me, the Duke of Rekilis, it's just a small amount. Take it when I offer it nicely. Think of it as payment for teaching Mari history."

"…Thank you."

There was nothing I could do with the head of the Rekilis family offering it like that. But I couldn't hide my joy, and my lips kept twitching.

Just knowing such a magical item exists is a huge windfall, and to receive it as a gift is even more incredible. As someone who had to throw away the entire manuscript if they made a mistake, I couldn't be happier.

"Do you like it that much?"

Seeing my twitching lips, Mari commented. I held the Remover tightly in both hands and answered with happiness.

"Yes."

"I've never seen you so happy like a child. You really do like what you like."

As Mari analyzed, I am the type who really likes what I like.

When my father gave me the magic pen, I didn't express my joy and warmth, but my feelings were not much different from now.

"Since you like it so much, I'm happy too. If you want, I can give you something else."

"No, this is more than enough for me."

When I waved my hand and said no, Dmitri smiled subtly and muttered.

"More than enough… That's an interesting phrase."

* * *

As Isaac said, the purpose of his visit was just that, and he left the Rekilis mansion before lunchtime.

Before leaving, Mari asked if he could stay for one night, but Isaac firmly refused. He wanted to reunite with his parents as soon as possible and, more importantly, thought it would be improper.

"Then give me a kiss."

"Of course."

In the end, they replaced the regret with a kiss while Dmitri was temporarily away to call the carriage. After a long and short kiss, Isaac got into the carriage Dmitri had called and returned to his long-awaited home.

Mari stood quietly at the mansion's front gate until the carriage carrying Isaac was out of sight. Although it was only a month, the thought of not seeing Isaac made her heart heavy.

"Miss, it's time to go back."

"…I understand."

Finally, as the carriage passed through the gate and disappeared, Mari followed Sebastian's words and moved inside. She still seemed regretful and looked back before entering the mansion.

Even outside the firmly closed gate, she couldn't see the carriage Isaac was in. He had truly returned home.

"Phew…"

Mari sighed deeply, already feeling the impending longing. If she had more time, she would have bitten his soft cheeks after the kiss.

As she entered the mansion with a gloomy expression, a familiar voice reached her ears.

"You look regretful."

It was Dmitri. He was waiting at the front gate with his hands behind his back, along with Sebastian.

As a duke, he didn't personally see Isaac off, but he accompanied him to the gate.

During this time, Mari smiled bitterly at Dmitri's words.

"Was it that obvious?"

"As a father, I can't not know my daughter's feelings."

Dmitri's casual answer made Mari giggle. Despite being a duke and a respected figure in the empire, to Mari, he was just a loving father.

Mari looked around and gestured for Sebastian to leave. Sebastian bowed politely and moved to another place.

Finally, only Mari and Dmitri were left at the front gate. Mari checked again to make sure no one was around and asked Dmitri in a low voice.

"Dad, do you have a rough idea of who Isaac is?"

Again, Mari has the ability to instinctively read people's minds. This is why she sensed a certain tension in the conversation between Isaac and Dmitri and was certain when Dmitri gave her the Remover.

Dmitri had a vague idea of Isaac's identity, but fortunately, he didn't show it, so Isaac was unaware.

Meanwhile, Dmitri shrugged and answered as if it was no big deal.

"Mari, as you know, I am the Duke of Rekilis, who assists His Majesty the Emperor. I am informed of everything that happens in the empire, even if it's something the Crown Prince does privately. I've also investigated it separately."

"How long have you known?"

"I became certain recently. Because of this, I think we need to revise the law to prevent loopholes. There's a good chance it could be misused for tax evasion."

"…What do you plan to do now?"

Mari asked in a slightly lowered voice. Although her father is immature, he is the Duke of Rekilis.

Like when I asked Isaac, he is in the highest position among the "people who hold the pen." Therefore, she couldn't help but feel anxious.

No matter how much she liked Isaac personally, she had no idea what he might do. If he did something wrong, she would try to stop it, but her power was far from enough.

While Mari was feeling anxious, Dmitri spoke in a solemn voice.

"At first, I planned to take action. It's very dangerous for an individual, but as the author of the Zeon Chronicles, it's even more so. However, after a few conversations, I think it's fine to leave it as it is."

"Why?"

"Like the boy said, change is a natural phenomenon. Trying to stop it by force will only bring great harm to us. It's like trying to stop a flowing river; the dam will eventually break. Still, it's good to be prepared."

After saying that, Dmitri glanced at Mari and then smiled.

"Most importantly, you are his girlfriend now, right? As a duke and as a father, I approve, but if he does anything strange, tell me. I'll deal with him."

"…Dad."

Mari, momentarily anxious, shot a look of disdain at Dmitri's low-quality joke. Incidentally, his inappropriate tone, which doesn't match a duke's dignity, is all from his mother.

Regardless, Dmitri didn't stop teasing her.

"So, when do you want to get married? If you want to..."

"Right now."

"… …"

"Since I want to get married right now, send a marriage proposal to Isaac's house."

Did she realize that Mari was serious?

'…I need to reconsider this.'

Dmitri muttered to himself, unable to even answer.

"No, just send a letter. You can make it arrive in a day, right?"

"… …"

Mari's summer vacation began like that.