I Don’t Want To Be The Hero’s Wife – Chapter 009

The child gave a short reply, then quickly turned her head away. She didn’t seem like the sociable type… she added nothing more.

Soft-looking hair, big round eyes, a small nose, and delicate features.

She had a face that people might call “adorable,” but despite it, Rona carried a cool, distant air about her.

That contrast sparked Ophelia’s curiosity.

“I’m Ophelia.”

“Ophelia.”

“Yeah. My mom said we’re distant relatives. My family lives on an island, so we weren’t planning to come here, but we happened to be passing by because of my father’s business when we heard the news…”

Ophelia trailed off mid-sentence. She suddenly worried she might be stirring fresh pain in a child who had just lost her parents.

‘This is always my problem. I speak before I think…’

Fortunately, Rona tilted her head as if she hadn’t really understood what Ophelia meant. Looking at Rona’s dirt-stained clothes, Ophelia cautiously asked,

“By the way, do you have somewhere to go?”

“Somewhere to go?”

“Well… since you can’t live with your parents anymore, I was asking if you know who you’ll be living with now.”

Innocently confused, Rona asked back, and Ophelia patiently explained. Then, the child smiled brightly and answered.

“Anark!”

“Anark…? You mean the one who works here… that servant from earlier?”

Ophelia recalled the man with dark hair and pale skin.

‘I heard he’s two years older than me, but he looked too tall to be a teenager… he seemed more like an adult.’

He was tall and lean… and left a faintly grim impression.

“Yep! From now on, it’s just me and Anark living together!”

“Hm… I don’t think it’s going to work that way…”

Rona’s bold statement about living with a servant made Ophelia frown in concern.

She had overheard the adults saying that the child would likely be sent to an orphanage. And the servant, Anark, would have to leave the mansion since the owners were dead.

What kind of fool would take in a child he wasn’t even being paid to care for? And yet, here Rona was, saying she’d live with him.

‘She must not really understand her situation.’

Ophelia thought this as she looked at Rona’s face… there wasn’t a single trace of tears.

Even after her parents had died, she didn’t cry and played as if nothing had happened. Perhaps she didn’t yet grasp the meaning of “death.” She probably had no idea what lay ahead for her either.

Ophelia felt a pang of pity for the girl’s ignorance.

She feared that, one day, when Rona grew up and remembered all of this, the sorrow might come crashing down on her all at once.

Maybe that’s why…

Ophelia suddenly blurted out a suggestion she hadn’t thought through.

“Do you want to come with me?”

“Huh?”

She regretted saying it without first discussing it with her parents, but she didn’t take it back.

She was afraid of seeing the child’s disappointed face if she did… and maybe it was also her youthful pride… Ophelia wasn’t mature enough yet to let go of that part of herself.

“I mean, come live with me. My family’s not super rich, but we can handle one more person. And even though we’re technically strangers, look… we’ve got the same hair and eye color, don’t we?”

That wasn’t actually true.

Though their yellow eyes looked somewhat alike, Ophelia had red hair, not the same color as Rona’s.

Still, she continued speaking, as if trying to build a connection. She talked about her father’s magical artifact business, how successful he might become, anything she could think of to win Rona’s favor.

But no matter what she said, Rona didn’t react.

Ophelia finally decided it might be better to tell her the truth.

“Rona, I know you’re young and might not understand everything yet, but…”

Starting carefully, Ophelia began to explain what happens to children after their parents die… how hard life can become, trying to gently help Rona understand the reality waiting ahead.

No matter what the situation, the child had lost her parents, so it was time she faced reality. No matter how young you are, reality doesn’t wait for you to grow up.

“So come with me, Rona.”

Ophelia thought the child would cry out and throw herself into her arms. Or maybe clutch her hand with eyes full of fear.

But Rona, even after listening to everything Ophelia had said, didn’t seem to think much of it. Seeing the confusion in Ophelia’s eyes, Rona called out as if to reassure her.

“It’s okay! I’m getting married!”

“Married…?”

“Yup, I’m going to marry Anark.”

Ophelia blinked at the absurdity.

That little girl was talking about marriage…? Even she herself hadn’t thought about something like that.

“Wait, Anark? You mean that servant?”

“Uh-huh! If we get married, we won’t have to be apart! My parents told Anark to take care of me before they died.”

As she processed Rona’s words, Ophelia’s mouth finally dropped open.

“They asked him before they died…? Then it’s their dying wish. But why would they say that to a servant…?”

Ophelia had studied various things to prepare for inheriting her father’s business, including imperial law. As far as she knew, the laws around marriage hadn’t changed since the days of the Kingdom of Valencia.

In other words, the old laws were still in effect.

Which meant…

Rona’s parents must have asked the servant to protect their daughter after their deaths, using marriage as the means to do so.

If he had stepped in as a guardian, it would have drawn unwanted attention.

A commoner man supporting a noble girl? People would have scoffed, telling him to worry about himself. They’d question how he planned to raise a child, judging him harshly.

In the aftermath of the war, the most vulnerable were always the children without guardians. Street kids would vanish overnight.

Many were raised from childhood, brainwashed to become tools of criminal organizations.

But marriage was different. Marriage came with responsibility. He would be obligated to protect her under the title of “spouse.”

Especially if it had been her parents’ dying wish, then people would be watching closely.

Only now did Ophelia understand why Rona’s face held no fear of the future.

“But Rona…”

Ophelia caught her arm, her expression uneasy. Rona, perhaps uncomfortable with physical contact, took a small step back.

Still, Ophelia didn’t give up. She met Rona’s gaze and spoke seriously.

“Marriage isn’t something you should decide so easily.”

A child that young… marrying the man who had worked in her house… It was clear she didn’t understand the weight of death, so how could she understand the weight of marriage?

‘So many women are ruined by marriage.’

Unlike in fairy tales, the real world was harsh. Ophelia knew that all too well. And maybe she would become one of those unhappy women herself someday.

She clenched her fists.

She had suggested Rona come with her without much thought, but now she genuinely wanted to change her mind. She was confident she could persuade her parents.

‘If I say I want a companion like other noble kids, that should work. Mother’s always wanted that for me… always trying to make me fulfill her dreams. If I explain it like that, she’ll agree…’

Ophelia made up her mind and was about to reach for Rona again when….

“Rona, if you’d like… I could be your sister…”

A shadow fell over their heads.

“…!”

Startled by the man’s sudden, silent appearance, Ophelia pulled back and couldn’t reach Rona.

The man met Ophelia’s eyes directly and placed a hand on Rona’s shoulder. Then, bending down to meet her eye level, he whispered softly into her ear.

“It’s time to eat.”

In that moment, Ophelia felt something she couldn’t put into words.

Was it the eerie silence with which he arrived? Or the striking beauty of his face? No… was it the unmistakable hostility she sensed from behind the curtain of his dark hair?

No… it was none of that.

What shocked Ophelia was the man’s tone and manner.

It was as if he were speaking… to a creature he was raising.