The World Has Become Kinder to Her

“Read some books and take care of yourself while you wait, Lotus. And make sure to eat well.”  

Those were his parting words, not quite a warning, but it was hard to predict whether Lotus would actually heed them.  

There were too many complications. The changes in her environment after the regression, the tension that kept her on edge, and her apparent lack of will to live—none of these things made for a healthy appetite.  

Furthermore, it wasn’t likely that the people in the Marquis of Estelle’s household understood her preferences or eating habits as well as he did.  

“Right now, I can only hope that Hession is a bit more perceptive and attentive.”  

「Anyone would be better at this than you. You’re an infuriating contract holder!」  

The moment Theodore arrived at the residence of the Marquis of William, it began to rain heavily. Salia, his contracted water spirit, seemed more annoyed than usual.  

Perhaps he had let his guard down—now that the tension had lifted, the pain from his injury became more pronounced. The hellfire’s energy, which he had kept at bay with water magic, was surging again.  

「I can’t stand this! The wound is acting up again!」  

Salia buzzed around him like a moth drawn to a flame, her frustration palpable. The irritation and anger of the Water Spirit King were not to be taken lightly. At this rate, the lower areas of the capital could flood from the rain.  

Theodore himself didn’t particularly care about the ripple effect his actions might have on others, but Lotus would.  

*She’d tell me there’s no need to earn anyone’s resentment unnecessarily… for my sake, even.*  

Though he didn’t fully understand her sentiments, it wasn’t difficult to respect them, especially in moments like this.  

“Salia, calm down.”  

「Calm down? I am calm! Completely calm! It’s just that the wound I was painstakingly healing has flared up again, but sure, I’m calm!」  

She didn’t sound calm at all, but Theodore knew better than to say that aloud. There was no need to provoke her further.  

Instead, he undressed and lowered himself into the bathtub that was slowly filling with warm, soothing water. The cool, refreshing sensation embraced him as it made contact with his skin, easing the burning pain.  

Even the terrible burn mark on his forehead, a remnant of the hellfire, was touched by the water, and the searing pain subsided, though only slightly.  

Salia’s constant healing efforts had reduced the wound caused by the hellfire to the point where it was no longer visible to the naked eye. However, the energy he had absorbed from Lotus earlier had aggravated the wound, causing the burn to resurface.  

「You and that damn mage are driving me insane! You’re undoing all my hard work!」  

“I’m sorry, Salia.”  

「How many times have I told you to be careful? If you hate my nagging so much, at least toughen up like that knight!」  

Unfortunately, the person she was comparing him to was beyond comparison when it came to physical strength. Theodore shook his head.  

“Even if I were to reincarnate, I doubt I’d have a 1% chance of gaining Sir Kenneth’s physical abilities.”  

「Then stop pushing yourself and stay put!」  

Salia placed her hand on Theodore’s forehead, her voice sharp with irritation.  

Thankfully, the energy absorbed from Lotus wasn’t as strong as it could have been, so with enough time, he should be able to restore his recovery rate.  

「And you still say this isn’t love?」  

“I told you, it’s obsession.”  

That was his conclusion, and he had no intention of changing it.  

Even if Salia asked him a hundred times, even if Frederick and Kenneth didn’t understand him, and even if Lotus herself were hurt by his answer, he wouldn’t budge.  

「What kind of stubbornness is that?」  

“People prioritize different things, and the way they protect those things also differs.”  

「Ugh, you’re impossible!」  

His answer might have seemed like nonsense to others, but it was the truth. He simply chose not to elaborate further.

Sometimes, silence and denial could become a protective wall.  

Theodore denied his feelings to avoid losing that part of himself.  

While Salia considered whether to use the surrounding water to shut her irritating contractor’s mouth, a light began to glow from the communication orb.  

Theodore knew who it was and responded without hesitation.  

“…Your wound has become more visible again,” Kenneth said in a low voice, staring at the scar on Theodore’s forehead.  

“It’s not a problem. This wound won’t affect anything significant moving forward,” Theodore replied calmly.  

Salia, who had been listening, couldn’t resist chiming in.  

「That’s a lie! The pain will distract you, making it harder to concentrate!」  

“My physician has a different opinion,” Theodore said, brushing off the comment, causing Salia to puff her cheeks in frustration.  

Kenneth sighed lightly before speaking again.  

“You should listen to your physician more carefully.”  

「See? Even *he* agrees with me!」 Salia gloated, clearly pleased to have Kenneth backing her up. Theodore, meanwhile, noticed that the sound of the rain outside had begun to subside.  

“I’ll take it into consideration,” Theodore said.  

「You always say that, but you never do! Hmph!」  

“The cleanup of the Zahard Marquisate is complete. All that remains is informing His Majesty tomorrow and officially assuming the title,” Kenneth reported.  

“Well done,” Theodore acknowledged.  

“Thank you for your assistance. You should rest for a while as well. I’ll reflect on my recent mistakes and be more cautious in ensuring Lotus’s protection,” Kenneth added.  

With Kenneth’s abilities, it would be more than possible for him to guard Lotus without her ever noticing.  

“I’ll say it again, Sir Kenneth, don’t engage him directly unless he reveals his claws. His options are limited, and we must also consider the involvement of false proxies.”  

Both sides were waiting for the right moment.  

“We all need to work on shoring up our weaknesses as quickly as possible. That’s the only way we’ll be able to end this, though it seems you’ve already made significant progress in overcoming yours,” Theodore observed.  

“I still have a long way to go, but I’m better off than before,” Kenneth replied, his steady demeanor providing a sense of reassurance.  

With the communication ended, Theodore sank deeper into the water, allowing it to envelop him.  

The Zahard Marquisate was taken care of, the rain had eased, and now, he could finally get some rest.  

***  

“Miss! Miss! It’s time to get up.”  

For the first time since the regression, Lotus woke to the sound of someone else calling her name.  

Her body felt heavy, like a waterlogged cloth, and she wanted to stay in bed a little longer, but the thought of her promise to Princess Asilia made her get up.  

“What would you like for breakfast?”  

“Just bring me whatever the kitchen prepares,” Lotus replied.  

Lately, she had only been eating small amounts of soup, stew, biscuits, or fruit. In consideration of her condition, the kitchen prepared a cream risotto filled with finely chopped beef tenderloin, cooked to a near-porridge consistency.  

While such a carefully tailored meal would have been unthinkable in the past, Lotus didn’t feel particularly grateful for the effort.  

‘The chef must have been cursing under his breath making this so early in the morning.’  

Though the sight of Frederick’s desperate state had dulled her will to die somewhat, the changes in others and their attempts to show kindness still made her feel uneasy.  

The tea party with Princess Asilia would be Lotus’s first step back into society since her debutante ball.  

As soon as she finished breakfast, several maids approached her, including her personal maid Jane, eager to help her bathe and prepare for the event. 

“Your behavior only shows how little you understand me. You don’t even realize what I truly want,” Lotus said, her voice tinged with frustration.

Thanks to Jane’s mediation, it was decided that Lotus would bathe alone but allow the maids to assist with her dressing and styling afterward.  

After washing up, Lotus, who disliked any lingering stickiness, applied only a minimal amount of scented oil. The light fragrance mixed with her natural scent, creating an aroma that was both refreshing and sweet, reminiscent of a lotus flower.  

“I’d like to keep things as simple as possible,” she instructed.  

The gaudy, lustful beauty that had once been ascribed to her in the past flashed through her mind—labels that had once scarred her.

Her striking red hair and prominent features meant she often looked better in more glamorous styles.  

*But that’s not what Princess Asilia would prefer,* she thought.  

Lotus had no intention of engaging in any subtle power struggles during the tea party.  

So, drawing from memories of Princess Asilia’s dignified and refined appearance, she decided to present herself in a more understated manner.  

She couldn’t match the princess’s elegance, but she could aim for neatness.

“I thought the gold dress would have looked stunning on you,” Jane muttered wistfully.  

Instead of the flashy gold gown, Lotus opted for a more reserved dress in soft green and white, with minimal jewelry. While her appearance was still delicately beautiful, it didn’t quite have the impact one would expect for an official social event.  

Perhaps it was Jane’s lingering desire to see Lotus in the same glamorous attire she had worn at her debutante ball, but now she understood why Lotus had chosen such a style—because of the tea party’s host.

All that was left was to put on the shoes, and the ensemble would be complete. Before Lotus could put on her deep green shoes, Bina, another maid, hesitated and then spoke up timidly.  

“Miss, if it’s alright, could you take a look at something?”  

Lotus, with a reluctant expression, didn’t refuse outright, giving Bina the courage to proceed. Along with another maid, Bina brought out several boxes.  

Each box contained a pair of shoes, five in total.  

Suddenly, a custom from the Bahamur Empire popped into Lotus’s mind.  

It was an old tradition for a mother to gift her daughter shoes after her debutante or coming-of-age ceremony, as a symbol of encouragement for her first steps into society.  

*Why would they give this to me?*  

Her heart began to race, and a strange sense of unease crawled up from her toes.  

The truth was, the Marchioness of Estelle and Lotus had the formal titles of mother and daughter, but they were truly stepmother and stepdaughter.  

Their relationship was not one of support and encouragement but one of mutual resentment and hurt. Both of them were acutely aware of this fact.  

Lotus, her face stiffening, made a move to close the boxes in front of the maids, intending to reject the gesture outright—until she spotted a letter inside the first box.  

The letter began:

*”I have resented and hated you all these years. Not for any fault of your own. I wished you would disappear from my sight, and though it may sound cruel, I even wished for your misfortune and death.”*

Lotus was shocked, but not by the Marchioness’s admission of hatred or her past wishes for her downfall. She had anticipated such sentiments.  

After all, what woman could love a child her husband fathered with another woman? Even if she knew the child wasn’t to blame, most women would harbor resentment, hatred, and even curses for that child.  

The Marchioness wasn’t exceptionally wicked—this was basic human psychology.  

What truly surprised Lotus was the raw and direct tone of the letter.  

The blunt, unsentimental language stood in stark contrast to the Marchioness’s usual demeanor, which always emphasized poise, manners, and grace. There were no unnecessary embellishments in this letter—just the unvarnished truth.