I began writing the letters: one requesting excommunication and another for the marriage annulment. It didn't take long to write them in fluent handwriting and place them in their respective envelopes. I had no doubt that once these letters were sent to the Babelloa and Hesman families tomorrow, my ties with the past would be completely severed.
'Everyone despises me anyway.'
The moment I thought of my family members, memories of Meldenik's childhood—which I couldn't read about in the original story—flashed through my mind.
"She's cursed blood!"
Meldenik clutched her small, thin hand to her face. She didn't want to cry. "No, I'm not! I... I wasn't cursed. I'm perfectly fine!"
"Lies! She doesn't wash well, and she smells!"
"Didn't you say she's a rice grub who only causes trouble for her family?"
The innocent children continued to bully and torment Meldenik. The instigator of this bullying was, surprisingly, her stepmother, Hildegard, who had just entered the mansion.
"I could kill you. But I'll keep you alive. Live as if you were dead."
"Yes..." Looking at Hildegard's swollen belly, Meldenik nodded blankly. My stepmother hated her, so I thought I should go to my father and ask for help.
"Father, the children don't like me. I wish I had a friend."
"You're being a nuisance. It's your fault you're bullied!"
"...What?"
"If you're so stupid, people will look down on you. Get out!"
In a just world, it's the perpetrator's fault that someone is bullied. But it was different at the Duke of Babelloa's mansion. All the fault was placed on Meldenik. Fortunately or unfortunately, the Duke of Babelloa had a strong sense of self-love. He didn't like to be harsh on his own blood, only caring for his own honor. People looked at the Duke and treated her as a formal princess. But that was all. None of Meldenik's tormentors were punished. The Duke of Babelloa disliked loud noises, but he didn't care much about Meldenik.
As Meldenik grew up, the direct bullying disappeared, but the scars remained. She was too broken to protect herself. In a world where no one was on her side, she had to be arrogant and high-minded. After possessing her, Meldenik's memories assimilated into my mind one by one, as if they were my own. I felt terrible, constantly recalling her gloomy and despised past.
'I really want to kill all my scumbag family, honestly.'
Of course, I didn't deserve to take revenge on behalf of Meldenik. In the first place, I had no power to resist the male protagonist, Duke Hesman, or the heroine's family, the Babelloas, having lost all my abilities in the original work. There was only one thing I could do right now: cut ties with this wretched family.
What if they tried to attack me without easily letting me go? Did I have the right to take revenge on behalf of Meldenik? I wasn't sure yet. But I rubbed the back of my stiff neck and whispered softly, "I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
"Me too."
How would the people of Duke Hesman's family, who received the annulment letter, and the Duke of Babelloa's family, who received the excommunication letter, react?
I stretched for a long time and drew the curtains on the windows. In an uncertain world, one thing was certain: tomorrow would be very busy.
The next morning.
We went to the Central Postal Center to send the excommunication letter and the dismissal letter. The aristocracy of the Empire generally communicated through family servants. However, when official documents were exchanged between nobles, they needed to be certified by an official institution. Therefore, there was a separate state-certified mail center established by the Imperial Palace. Fortunately, the mail receipt office was near the academy, so I was able to easily send the annulment papers.
'I wish I could break up with them completely.'
On the way out of the mail center, I quietly mailed the annulment papers and the excommunication letter I wrote yesterday. Dominic spoke to me in a quiet tone.
"The guy I saw yesterday, Duke Hesman, is ugly."
"Why?"
"I can see three spies from the morning. I think he sent them."
I scanned my surroundings. However, I didn't see anything suspicious, given my lack of ability.
"There are about five of them," Dominic whispered softly.
'What if there are five of them?'
Speaking of which, Madame Hildegard and Duke Hesman often put a watchdog on me. 'It was under the pretense that I was watching Sheria for fear of harassing her, perhaps.' I continued, "Ah, the people of the House of Babelloa and the Duke of Hesman sent them. They are watching my every move."
"...Despicable. If they try to touch us, we will kill them." Dominic, the apostle of justice, shuddered with rage.
"What... That's right." It would be good to be aware that the spies were in close proximity.
'After all, he'll appear in front of me soon.'
Hildegard's and Lennox's spies never hesitated to make their appearances because Meldenik didn't respond to them easily.
"Cover your eyes properly."
"That's really my specialty. Concealment, cover."
Hearing Dominic's enthusiastic words, I stopped trying to catch a public rental wagon standing on the side of the road. "It's a short distance, so let's take a walk."
"Yes. It's been a long time since I came out of the sword, and I feel like my body is moldy."
At Dominic's words, I pressed my lips together, holding back my laughter.
"Let's take a shortcut. It's not dangerous because you're there."
"Yes."
I smiled a little and walked away. I was about to talk about what to put in the stationery store. Dominic, who had been walking with me in silence, or rather, counting the number of spies to himself, frowned with a serious face.
"Mel."
"Huh?" I naturally stopped, turned to Dominic, and asked.
"Look ahead."
"Hmm? What...?" I briefly questioned and followed the end of his gaze. Even in the middle of the day, a dark-looking alleyway was revealed. And I saw something small in the alleyway.
'Is it a person?'
Upon closer inspection, I saw a small boy kneeling on the floor. His knees were stained with dirt. Perhaps if he looked up, there would be tear stains. Strangely, however, the child was dressed in very colorful clothes, unbefitting a commoner. It was a garment without decorations, but I recognized it as the kind high-ranking aristocrats wore with disdain. I might have pretended not to notice his plain clothes, but I had a flaw: I had experienced both the life of a commoner and the life of an aristocrat.
'But why is such a child from such a noble family lying down here?'
It was doubtful to say he was an academy student, even though this street was close to the academy. No way... Is it a scene of violence? Or a mugging?
"Dominic, stay here for a while."
If there was a scene of school violence, the child would be afraid of an adult man. In that sense, Dominic approaching and talking to the child would be dangerous.
"Yes." Dominic, as if realizing the meaning of my words, didn't follow me.
With Dominic behind me, I walked relentlessly toward the alleyway where the child was. When I finally came in front of him, I was greatly embarrassed.
"Ugh..."
It was so bad that he was grunting while falling. I put my hand out to the blond, high-haired boy who was lying on his face. "Wake up."
"M-I can't walk..."
Was he about ten years old? He managed to grab my hand and tried to get up, but he slumped down again. His legs seemed to be throbbing. I asked, carefully staring into his bluish eyes, "Shouldn't I call a doctor?"
"...I don't like doctors."
I looked down at the child, who was particularly disdainful of doctors. His face was covered in scratches. Having dealt with many nobles for business, I could tell he wasn't a high-ranking nobleman. Was he afraid that if I called a doctor, his family would scold him?
"I just fell for a while. Ugh, ugh. It doesn't hurt."
A timid and small voice echoed in my ears. I could hear moans in between. He looked really sick. I briefly exchanged glances with Dominic. Dominic caught my gaze and quickly picked up the boy, carrying him on his back.
"Hey, little one? Come with us. I'll treat you without calling a doctor." Dominic said solemnly. He looked young on the outside, but he was a knight with a long history of fighting on the battlefield. He could easily heal the child's wounds.
The child on Dominic's back groaned and continued to complain, "I'm not a baby! I'm more of an adult knight!" He was whining in pain, but he couldn't bear to be treated like a baby. This mysterious child is so cute!
Dominic and I made eye contact and laughed softly.
"Yes, adult knight."
The child rolled his eyes. However, he couldn't hide his satisfied expression.