The Strongest Magician Can Only Love His Dead Wife — After I Reincarnated, My Cute Younger Husband Turned Yandere - Chapter 17

Realizing they had entered a world of their own, Rubia hurriedly tried to create distance from Arsenio.

From Jimena’s perspective, her lover had just called another woman “wife” upon their first meeting and even went as far as giving her a passionate embrace. Beyond confusion, she must have found it utterly creepy.

“I-I’m sorry! This isn’t what it looks like—!”

The emotional reunion could wait. She needed to explain herself quickly.

As Rubia turned on her heel with these thoughts, Arsenio’s hand reached out from behind her.

“Lord Arsenio!?”

“Where are you going, Rubia? Why are you trying to pull away from me?”

Startled by the embrace from behind, she could only turn her head to look up at him. He was gazing down at her with a somewhat anxious expression. That look, paired with his lonely voice, reminded her of a clingy large dog.

Held with a strength that bordered on painful, Rubia had no choice but to remain in place.

“No, well… Lady Jimena is watching.”

“What does she have to do with anything?”

If it were a matter of relevance, it had everything to do with it.

Perhaps Arsenio was a bit insensitive when it came to other people’s emotions.

(What do I do?! Lady Jimena’s gaze is stinging me.)

Feeling Jimena’s piercing stare even more intensely than before, Rubia turned again to face Arsenio, who was casually twirling her hair from behind.

“Lord Arsenio!”

“What is it, Rubia?”

(His face is so handsome!)

When the beautiful young man tilted his head slightly and offered a soft smile, he looked like a painting come to life. If that painting had a title, it would be something like “A Lovely Smile in the Golden Sunlight.”

(—Wait, this is no time to be thinking such things!)

Ashamed of being captivated by Arsenio’s beauty, Rubia fixed him with a serious look.

“Generally speaking, it’s not pleasant for someone to see their lover embracing another person of the opposite sex. Some might even consider it cheating or infidelity.”

At her words, which sounded like a tutor admonishing a student, Arsenio tilted his head slightly and smiled awkwardly.

“Hmm? Yeah, I suppose so.”

“And you’re doing this even though you know that!?”

When he nodded as if it were obvious, Rubia couldn’t help but gasp in shock. If he was doing it knowingly, that made it even worse.

Or perhaps he didn’t see Rubia as a member of the opposite sex. If that were the case, it would make sense.

“Please consider Lady Jimena’s feelings more. Even if you see me as an older sister…”

“—An older sister?”

A cold voice struck her ears.

She recognized this sensation as if the temperature in the room had dropped.

It was the same as when Rubia had once told Arsenio, “You can call me ‘big sister’ if you want.”

The only difference was that the chilling aura clinging to her spine felt even more intimidating now.

“You could never be my sister. Hey, Rubia. Why would you say that? What did she tell you?”

Wrapped in a sinister aura—indeed, Arsenio’s own magical power was leaking out around him as a black mist—he asked in a low voice.

It seemed she had once again said something that touched a nerve.

“Um… well, isn’t Lady Jimena your lover?”

Though she knew he wouldn’t harm her, her body stiffened with instinctive fear under the pressure of his dense magical energy.

“Whaaat????”

Rubia had a feeling she’d be seeing that expression on Arsenio’s face in her dreams for a while. As a full-blown nightmare, no less.

“Who is whose lover, you say?”

Faced with a freezing, boiling rage, Rubia barely managed to repeat the same words.

“Lady Jimena is your…”

With a sound like roaring flames, the black mist surrounding Arsenio suddenly swelled dramatically.

Sensing the runaway magical energy caused by his intense emotional turmoil, Rubia felt the blood drain from her face. But Arsenio took a deep breath and seemed to successfully rein in his power.

“What is the meaning of this, Jimena?”

Though the killing intent in his voice remained unchanged.

Releasing Rubia for a moment, he turned to face Jimena. There was no trace of a sweet, loving atmosphere between them.

“What do you mean, ‘what is the meaning of this’?”

“I don’t recall making you my lover.”

“You poor thing, Al. Miss Rubia must have used a mind-control spell on you.”

While saying something Rubia had no memory of, Jimena gazed at Arsenio with tears welling in her eyes.

“But it’s alright. Once you spend time with me again, that evil magic will surely be broken easily. After all, you and I are lovers in love.”

At her singsong, saccharine voice, Arsenio furrowed his brow.

“…What are you talking about?”

“Or are you just shy? You kept me in your mansion because you like me, right? You told me I could buy whatever I wanted, live however I pleased—and you even entrusted me with the duties of the lady of the house. That must be because I’m going to become your wife someday, right?”

While Jimena looked dreamy and entranced, Arsenio wore an expression of genuine headache.