Episode 122: Ex-Wife #4
The apocalypse had arrived.
The land was stained with blood, and the sky burned crimson.
And then, a woman turned back time.
With her emerald-green eyes, she twisted causality and returned to the past.
The power she used to distort causality came from the magic held by the five men who had died on the spot and the life force that had seeped into the mana of the archive.
When she crossed time, their magic and life force followed her as well.
Thus—
“Again, that dream.”
The Tower Master, Rein Adriche, sat up from his bed, feeling irritated. Dark shadows lay beneath his eyes, and his rough skin and unfocused gaze were steeped in exhaustion.
He had gotten somewhat used to it, so unlike before, his magic no longer went rampant and destroyed his room, nor did his emotions spiral out of control. But the feeling of disgust after having that dream remained the same.
‘Francia Fervache.’
The Obsidian Saintess. Known not only for healing wounds but also for purifying even dark energy.
She kept appearing in his mind. Something deep within him cried out, urging him to find her.
‘I don’t understand.’
Rein Adriche gazed out of the window with his weary face.
‘But… there was someone else besides me. Who was that?’
In the pitch-black darkness, where nothing could be seen or grasped, another presence existed—just like him, a single strand of light drifting somewhere.
All he knew was the nature of its magic. Even as the continent’s strongest mage, that alone wasn’t enough for him to identify who it was.
‘Well, it’s probably not important.’
He didn’t know who that blue strand of light belonged to, but one thing was certain. The rage simmering deep within him was directed at the owner of that light.
And, of course, at Francia Fervache as well.
***
Yohan narrowed his eyes as he carefully examined the name written on the personnel record.
Rudbeckia Freeche.
The eldest daughter of the Freeche Count’s family from the empire’s frontier.
A notable detail was that she had experience serving in the Imperial Bureau’s Second Division and had attended the same academy as Yohan. Even their enrollment periods overlapped.
‘Something feels off.’
Yohan tapped the paper with his fingertips. The moment he read her name, an inexplicable sense of discord settled in.
A name that wasn’t unfamiliar. Yet, a face he couldn’t recall.
Was it simply because she possessed the qualities of the capable assistant he was searching for? Because they were from the same academy and had overlapping public service records? No. It wasn’t that simple.
‘I don’t know what it is.’
Yohan closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. His head suddenly throbbed—not from fatigue but from something else.
Strange memories surfaced, yet when he tried to grasp them, the headache intensified, and nothing came to mind.
And when he thought of the name Rudbeckia, guilt washed over him. Along with an odd sense of longing.
A feeling as if he had forgotten something important.
‘Am I just tired?’
Yohan lightly shook his head. These unnecessary thoughts must be a result of accumulated fatigue. After all, he barely had any connections with Rudbeckia.
At most, they had briefly overlapped in the civil service and attended the same academy. That was it.
Yet, guilt and affection? Was he drunk or something?
‘Enough. Focus.’
Yohan took a deep breath and carefully read through the personnel records.
‘She has experience scouting the demonic lairs and is skilled enough to be classified as a first-class mage.’
Additionally, she had considerable proficiency in rune interpretation and mana manipulation.
There was a chance that some of the information was exaggerated, but if so, a simple test would reveal the truth.
‘There’s no reason not to hire her.’
Yohan stamped the approval seal and rang the bell on his desk. A cold, clear chime rang out.
Click.
“You called for me?”
His assistant, Elena, peeked in from the next room.
“I have something for you to deliver.”
“What is it?”
“These documents.”
Yohan pointed to two separate stacks of documents and continued.
“The ones on the left should be delivered to Eris— no, to the Highlander Special-Class Knight. And the ones on the right are for knights and mages who wish to join the Purification Unit. For those I’ve marked, send them a letter for their qualification test.”
The documents were categorized between those wishing to join the elite unit and those applying for the Purification Unit.
“Understood.”
Elena approached with steady steps and gathered the documents. The way she skillfully placed them into an envelope showed that she had now fully embraced her role as an aide.
After organizing the papers, she observed Yohan carefully before offering a light smile.
“You look much better.”
“Do I?”
“Yes. It seems much of your fatigue has lifted.”
Yohan touched his cheek with his fingertips and glanced at a small mirror mounted on the wall. Indeed, his complexion had improved significantly. His skin was no longer rough.
“Are you taking some kind of tonic?”
“No, not at all.”
“Then, perhaps a new skincare product?”
“I don’t use cosmetics.”
“…Then what’s your secret?”
Elena cradled the documents in one arm while lightly touching her own face with the other.
“I’ve been worried about my skin lately, too. Since you’ve suddenly improved so much, I can’t help but be curious.”
Her eyes sparkled as she asked. Though her expression remained unchanged, it was clear from her gaze that she held some expectation.
“Skincare, huh…”
Yohan chuckled softly.
In truth, there was a reason his skin had improved.
“I’ve been sleeping well lately, unlike before. I think it’s because my lack of sleep has been resolved.”
At some point, Francia’s demands had lessened. What had once been six times a week had now returned to three.
Thanks to that, Yohan had been able to get more sleep.
“I see. Fatigue is the enemy of the skin. I think I’ve been sleeping less these days, too.”
Elena slowly nodded before continuing.
“I’ve let this small talk go on for too long. I’ll deliver the documents now.”
“Alright, please do.”
She immediately turned and left the office.
Now that he had a moment to rest, Yohan leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
‘What exactly is this…?’
Rudbeckia Freeche.
Something changed the moment he saw her name. It felt as if something unfamiliar had mixed with the mana flowing through his body. It wasn’t bad, but it felt strange.
‘I’ll know once I meet her.’
***
“Phew…”
Rudbeckia let out a deep breath. A puff of white mist escaped her lips, briefly obscuring her face.
‘Stay calm.’
She had come to the purification hall for an interview. Like anyone else, she felt a mix of nervousness and anticipation before an important meeting.
But the reason for her trembling wasn’t just because of the interview.
Today, she would finally meet Yohan.
Because of that, her fingers kept curling unconsciously. Rudbeckia checked her neatly arranged bangs in the mirror, as if to reassure herself.
‘Yohan…’
Her reflection revealed eyes filled with longing.
Yohan had changed in many ways from before the regression, but Rudbeckia was certain—his heart would remain the same.
He would surely treat her with kindness, even as a stranger. That kindness was what made her fall in love with him.
Of course, she had to admit that, at first, she had been drawn to him for superficial reasons. Yohan possessed a beauty so artistic that any woman would wish for him as a husband.
But that wasn’t why she truly loved him.
He was upright, always considerate of others’ feelings, and carried out his responsibilities with unwavering commitment.
That was what she admired.
Their marriage had been a political arrangement—nothing more than a business deal that turned him into the son-in-law of the Freeche Count family. At first, Yohan had despised Rudbeckia, even if he never outwardly showed it.
But eventually, he opened his heart and tried to love her. Though he had been reluctant at first, they had shared intimacy multiple times, making an effort to have a child together.
She loved his warmth.
Even though he never once told her he loved her, Rudbeckia had loved him regardless.
Because even if her feelings weren’t returned, she believed that one day, they would reach him.
“Hoo…”
She exhaled deeply once more before opening her eyes wide with renewed determination.
She needed to leave a good impression on Yohan. This time, instead of being forced into a marriage, she had to win his heart sincerely.
“Lady Freeche, please enter.”
Just as Rudbeckia had steeled herself, a neatly dressed woman called out to her. The black uniform indicated that she was Yohan’s aide.
“I’ll be going in.”
Rudbeckia rose from her seat and entered the office with steps that were both stiff and filled with anticipation.
Click.
As the door opened, Yohan, who had been sitting on the central sofa in the office, stood up with a small smile.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Freeche.”
“Ah…”
Rudbeckia froze in place.
The slight lowering of his eyes when he smiled, the soothing and calm voice, the pale skin, and the lean yet muscular physique—everything was undeniably Yohan.
“It’s… nice to see you.”
Rudbeckia’s eyes were filled with longing. Before her regression, she had resigned herself to the sorrow of never seeing him again, but now, standing before him once more, her emotions surged uncontrollably.
“…”
Yohan felt an inexplicable emotion as well.
As he gazed at Rudbeckia, who was staring at him with an unreadable expression, a strange emotion washed over him—one he had never felt before.
And then, a single thought surfaced in his mind.
‘One day, I will atone to her as well.’
He didn’t know why that phrase suddenly came to him, but it filled his mind completely.
“…Director?”
Elena, sensing the odd atmosphere between the two, called out to him.
“Ah.”
Yohan finally came to his senses, shaking his head slightly to clear his thoughts.
He had an interviewee before him—what was he doing lost in thought? This wasn’t like him.
“Please, have a seat, Lady Freeche.”
“Yes… Thank you…”
Rudbeckia’s voice trembled slightly as she responded, her eyes glistening as if on the verge of tears.
Her green eyes wavered, yet they remained fixed on Yohan.
Only after both had taken their seats did the conversation begin.
“…I heard you can interpret High Rune Script.”
For a moment, Rudbeckia hesitated as if she were about to speak but held back her emotions, forcing a small smile.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“You’re also confident in your mana control?”
“Yes.”
“Could you show me?”
“Of course…”
Nodding, Rudbeckia slowly closed her eyes.
The chaotic mana that had been drifting aimlessly in the air suddenly gathered and stabilized.
‘Impressive.’
Yohan nodded slightly in approval. While the quantity of mana she could wield wasn’t large, her control was exceptional. It was clear she had a firm grasp of magic.
“Very good. Now, as for rune interpretation—can you decipher this?”
He handed her a piece of paper from the table between them.
Rudbeckia studied the paper closely before meeting Yohan’s gaze and speaking.
“Even if you already know how to fly, never lose the courage you had when you first took off.”
Her flawless translation made Yohan’s eyes widen slightly.
“Is that correct…? This is a mental-type spell, isn’t it?”
She asked cautiously, and Yohan responded with a small smile and a nod.
“Perfect.”
The rune script she had just interpreted was exceptionally complex, something only those who had reached the pinnacle of magic could fully comprehend.
“So… does this mean I passed?”
“You passed with flying colors.”
“Th-Thank you…!”
Rudbeckia celebrated inwardly—not just because she had seen Yohan smile.
‘My first impression was perfect.’
Yohan had a habit of smiling more broadly when he was genuinely pleased with something. Judging by his expression, she had clearly made a good impression.
Yohan remained silent as he tidied the table, then suddenly turned to look at her.
“…By the way.” he murmured.
“Yes?”
Rudbeckia tilted her head slightly, gazing at him curiously.
Yohan’s voice lowered as he asked,
“When you look at me… does anything come to mind?”