The Strongest Magician Can Only Love His Dead Wife — After I Reincarnated, My Cute Younger Husband Turned Yandere - Chapter 19

“Lord Arsenio, stop!”

Rubia instinctively threw her arms around Arsenio to halt his movement.

By any normal reasoning, a petite girl like Rubia stood no chance of overpowering a grown man through strength alone. Yet Arsenio froze as if turned to stone.

“…Rubia hugged me…”

A voice thick with emotion, as if savoring the moment, came from above her.

When she timidly looked up, she saw Arsenio’s cheeks tinged pale pink, his eyes narrowed as he gazed down at Rubia.

Before she realized it, the dark magical energy that had been rustling the trees and shaking the air had completely subsided, returning to within Arsenio.

“I’m so happy Rubia is hugging me.”

“Gweh!”

“Ah, Rubia. I love you, Rubia!”

He nuzzled his cheek against hers and held her tight. Despite his slender appearance, his embrace was surprisingly strong, holding her in a tight bear hug that made her let out a croaking sound like a crushed frog.

(Th-this is making my heart pound for a different reason.)

In this passionate embrace that felt like it might squeeze the life out of her, Rubia’s eyes rolled back as she desperately pounded on Arsenio’s back.

—Then, from far away, came the shrill voice of Viscountess Piatti.

“—Jimena, pull yourself together, Jimena!!”

Rubia leaned out from Arsenio’s arms and managed to turn her face in that direction.

The Viscountess, who had rushed to Jimena’s side at some point, was shaking her daughter’s collapsed body. Apparently, Jimena had fainted from Arsenio’s earlier attack. Her limp arms and legs didn’t twitch at all.

“Oh, why has it come to this. How terrible, Arsenio! Jimena loves you, and yet you toy with her pure feelings…!”

“To call one-sided affection ‘pure feelings’—it seems we’ll never see eye to eye, Aunt.”

Arsenio directed an utterly cold gaze at the grieving Viscountess.

“I have no intention of continuing this pointless conversation any further. Take that girl lying there and leave immediately.”

“You can’t be serious! If we’re driven out from here, where are we supposed to go!?”

Seeing the Viscountess clinging to him in tears, Rubia couldn’t help but feel pity. With their grandfather branded a criminal, there likely weren’t many places they could go.

“Lord Arsenio…”

Still, Rubia wasn’t in a position to interfere with his judgment. She looked up at Arsenio, watching to see what he would do.

However, it seemed her worry and anxiety showed on her face.

Arsenio looked at Rubia’s face and sharply drew in his breath before letting out a deep sigh. After a moment’s hesitation, he finally spoke.

“—If you truly have nowhere to go, then find yourselves work somewhere. Until you do, I’ll take care of you at one of my villas. However, you are never to approach the imperial capital again.”

The Viscountess seemed about to protest further, but in the end, she couldn’t say anything more in the face of Arsenio’s cold demeanor.

After a brief glance at the dejected Viscountess, Arsenio issued orders to the nearby servants.

“You heard me. Those of you with free hands, assist my aunt and Jimena with their move. Have them headed to the Tuberica region by carriage before evening.”

“Y-yes, my lord.”

The servants, who had been watching uncertainly until now, hurriedly sprang into action at their master’s command.

A male servant lifted the unconscious Jimena, while maids supported the stunned Viscountess Piatti’s shoulders and guided her back toward the mansion.

Watching this, Arsenio furrowed his brow.

“…Why are they taking Aunt and Jimena to the main house?”

“Um, Miss Jimena and her mother have been living in the main house.”

“Hah!?”

With a perplexed expression, Arsenio let out an undignified cry.

Apparently, he had been completely unaware that Jimena and Viscountess Piatti were living in the main house.

“I built the annex specifically to keep Jimena away from the main house, and they went and did as they pleased…! S-so, does that mean you’ve been living in the main house with them all this time?”

“No, I’ve been in the annex.”

Arsenio had probably suspected as much to some degree. Still, it seemed he had hoped his suspicions were wrong.

After making a disbelieving face, he let out a long, deep sigh.

“Move into the main house immediately. The servants will handle your belongings.”

“But the annex is quite comfortable—”

“Move in. Immediately. I don’t want to be separated from you for even a moment longer.”

Though she had grown accustomed to life in the annex and felt bad about troubling the servants, seeing his earnest expression made it impossible to refuse.

When Rubia nodded, Arsenio smiled with a deeply relieved expression.

“Good. Your old room has been kept exactly as it was. I’ve placed several preservation spells on it to keep it clean, so don’t worry.”

“Eh, exactly as it was?”

“Because I want to preserve every single memory of you without anything missing,” Arsenio said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

But keeping a room untouched for sixteen years seemed a bit excessive.

(Seeing how happy he looks, I can’t say anything!)

“Come, let’s go, Rubia. Just to be safe, we should check the room’s condition. If anything is missing, we’ll need to purchase replacements.”

As Arsenio cheerfully continued talking, all Rubia could do was nod.