A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law-Chapter 24: Confession

If I’d just polished up those facts and mixed them into an answer, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here watching her mood in silence like this.

‘That may be so, but...’

Yet somehow, that simple answer just wouldn’t come out of my mouth.

Especially not after seeing the anxious, uncertain look Meredia had shown me.

‘Why the hell am I acting like this?’

It wasn’t just that I was speechless because of Meredia’s unexpected expression.

When I saw that expression and sensed something buried deep in her chest for a long time, I felt something I couldn’t quite identify myself.

No—maybe realizing that was what made me go silent?

“Haa...”

‘I’m not even the one who should be sighing, but this is ridiculous.’

As my thoughts tangled and looped, I sighed—only to suddenly lift my head at the cold voice that came from across the carriage.

“You’re not going to answer me, are you?”

“No, that’s not it...”

“Do you need more time to think? Then answer this question first.”

Still, looking at Lady Meredia with her usual guarded expression somehow made my heart feel a little more at ease.

“How much do you know about the curse I’ve been afflicted with?”

“Me?”

“...Did you approach me knowing about it from the start?”

Just as Meredia began revealing the dark and painful secrets she had long kept hidden, I opened my mouth.

“Haha, I’m not sure what you mean...”

“I’d really appreciate it if you stopped pretending not to know.”

She had brought it up herself—something I never expected—and I stumbled through a halfhearted reply, only for her sharp voice to lash at me.

“How desperately do you think I’ve wanted to rid myself of this damn curse?”

I didn’t know why she brought it up now, but as someone who retained memories from a previous life, I knew how hard she’d worked to be free of it.

She had tried everything within the bounds of anonymity and her own convictions.

Even with covert help from white mages and priests of the sacred order, nothing could cure her curse.

In the end, as the main story progressed, Meredia, worn down by despair, gradually lost her beliefs—and that was what turned her into the final boss.

“To be honest, until recently, I’d half given up.”

“......”

“I figured I’d have to force myself to live like this, just like everyone else who has to.”

“...I see.”

As she gently rubbed the back of her hand, her voice low and subdued, I nodded, understanding her feelings to some extent.

“Yes, until someone showed up at the perfect time and unraveled the knot.”

At her next words, I couldn’t help but doubt my ears.

“You... mean me?”

“This is my last warning—stop pretending you don’t know.”

Again came Meredia’s icy tone, but I still couldn’t hide my stunned expression as I stared blankly at her.

“You can ease the pain of my curse just by tying a handkerchief, and calm the mark on my hand just by flowing your mana into it for a few seconds, can’t you?”

“...Me?”

Because the curse on Meredia was something not even Hestia, a saint, could completely purify.

If it had been possible, she wouldn’t have ended up as the final boss in most routes.

‘But I... can fix that?’

In the original game, I wasn’t even a character—I was just a nameless person Meredia killed offscreen.

Even though I was a white mage, my mana was so dark and murky that I was constantly mistaken for a black mage.

And yet, I was the key to solving Meredia’s curse?

‘Right... and now that I think about it, even Alfrezzine said something similar.’

I had dismissed it as nonsense at the time, but digging into my memory now, I could recall something.

That day I escaped the constraints of the cursed tome using my past-life knowledge—back at the mansion, Alfrezzine had said:

‘According to the information my father gathered, the key to normalizing my mana circuit lies with Lord Ringaarden.’

Honestly, I never considered that my mana circuit and Meredia’s curse might be related at all.

But if her words were true, then my ability must indeed interact with Meredia’s curse.

It was hard to deny that connection now. Even someone like Alfrezzine, who resembled Princess Katarina, would find that hard to refute.

“Haha...”

The pieces were coming together, and before I realized it, a dry chuckle escaped me.

Because if I really was the key to Meredia’s salvation, then the entire storyline of the original game had already gone completely off track.

“And that person who suddenly appeared is now shamelessly pretending to know nothing right in front of me.”

“Ah...”

“Juit Ringaarden, just admit it already.”

Lost in my thoughts, I was caught completely off guard by Meredia’s sharp voice and quickly turned to face her.

“You knew about my curse from the beginning, and you approached me knowing you had the cure.”

She looked like she knew everything already, even letting a faint sneer tug at her lips as she waited for my answer.

“...Will you give me a chance to explain?”

“Ha, go ahead. As much as you want.”

As I opened my mouth to dispel her misunderstanding, the jewel-like glint in her eyes grew ever so slightly colder.

“But no matter what excuse you make, you won’t be able to lie to my eyes.”

Just like she said—those gemstone eyes had already seen through my every move.

Lying would be pointless.

“If you can’t tell the truth now, then even if it ruins my reputation, I’ll call off the engagement.”

Of course, I had no intention of lying to her—so that was fine by me.

“I truly did know that I could alleviate your curse.”

“......”

“If my mana circuit really can help you in any way, I swear I’ll cooperate without hesitation.”

As I finally voiced what I had always thought deep down, Meredia’s expression suddenly twisted in anguish.

“...Why?”

Her eyes, filled with confusion, looked at me as if she couldn’t understand—and the fear and anxiety from earlier crept back in.

“Well, if I can’t maintain my connection with you...”

“You said your family would fall apart. So it’s just that this is a more convenient and beneficial arrangement for you than sticking to some fixed contract with me.”

I tried to explain again, but before I could finish, Meredia cut me off with a cold voice—and her face...

“...Forgive my bluntness, but... isn’t Her Majesty the Emperor quite terrifying?”

“And knowing that, you still defied her hand and gambled your life to save me? That doesn’t make sense, does it?”

Her voice now carried a faint trace of fear—something entirely unlike her.

“...Honestly, I don’t understand you.”

And somehow, I felt like I knew why. She couldn’t trust me anymore. In the game, Meredia had always been that kind of character.

‘If I really wanted to save my family, there were better options than her. Safer ones. But I chose her—chose the path with the most risk.’

“......”

‘Even now, think about it. Even if I didn’t know about that weird ability of mine, wasn’t that the perfect opportunity?’

Arrogant, cynical, always looking down on others before eventually assassinating them. A villainess so twisted and broken that even Parsha, her closest companion in the game, couldn't earn her trust in the end.

‘To her, I must have looked like just another transactional partner. A pawn. Just another disposable sacrifice.’

That was the truth behind Meredia Embergreen, the woman portrayed as a ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ ruthless player in the original game.

“But our contract...”

“Contract? Business relationship? That doesn’t matter anymore. That only applies when both sides hold equal cards.”

That’s why this one-sided kindness I was showing her—must have looked like nothing more than a contaminant.

Something unknown. Unreadable. Something that made her instinctively wary. Something she’d eventually want to get rid of.

“But even though you clearly want something from me, even though you could take advantage and get it anytime...”

“......”

“...you’ve only ever moved in ways that benefit me. Never once showing what it is you actually want.”

Just as I expected, Meredia pinpointed the very thing that had been bothering her. She clenched her jaw for a moment, then asked again in a voice full of restless urgency:

“So answer me now. What is it you truly want from me?”

“Haha...”

“If I can’t understand it, then say it yourself. Right now.”

There was fear in her voice—fear of someone she couldn’t figure out, even with her so-called analytic mind.

‘What answer... should I give her now?’

To be honest, the only thought in my head was wanting to give her an answer—any answer—that would put her at ease. Just get this over with.

But somehow, from the moment she asked, the words wouldn’t come out easily.

Because what she said... wasn’t entirely wrong.

Right now, my ultimate goal was to prevent my family from falling into ruin by surviving the cruelest of scenarios.

Helping Meredia was supposed to be just a means to that end. A secondary goal, nothing more.

‘But even if the Emperor route is dangerous, was it really worth risking my life like that in that moment?’

The truth is, my life was equally at risk whether I chose the Emperor route or my engagement to Meredia.

If I had been thinking rationally, I probably would’ve taken the Emperor’s side and looked for a way to escape later.

No one in their right mind would’ve bet their life on Meredia.

‘It’s like... my desire to help her completely overtook everything else...’

That uncomfortable contradiction stuck in my head. I was still lost in thought, mumbling the question to myself when—

“Ah.”

It hit me like a hammer to the skull. A realization I hadn’t been ready for.

‘Right... that’s how it was...’

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Before Meredia became my favorite character, I’d had no dreams or hopes. That’s what I’d forgotten.

I’d played the game obsessively because I had nothing else. I was pathetic, a deadbeat. That game was all I had.

Living my first life, I’d blurred out those memories. But now I remembered.

And with that memory came the truth behind the weight I’d been carrying in my heart all this time.

‘Saving Meredia isn’t just some secondary goal...’

A boy suffering from a terminal illness no modern medicine could cure. A boy who never received love or attention from his family.

It was inevitable that he’d feel a deep kinship with a tragic villainess from a game who mirrored his own hopelessness.

‘...She was my dream.’

Unlike his own situation, hers could still be saved. He saw that unjust game as a sliver of hope—something worth dedicating his life to.

“You go silent after blurting out something weird again.”

“......”

“So in the end, you have no intention of answering—”

Even now that the game had become reality, it seemed that boy’s wish hadn’t changed.

“I’ll say it clearly this time.”

Interrupting her, I lowered the corner of my mouth—out of habit—and cut off her trembling voice.

“What I want from you, Lady Meredia...”

Honestly, I was scared. I thought maybe I should make up something—something clever, half-true, and safe.

Something that wouldn’t damage what we had right now.

But I held my breath—and said it anyway, with a small smile I couldn’t suppress:

“...is to see you happy.”

“...Why?”

Meredia stared at me, blinking in disbelief, her jewel-like eyes searching for even a hint of deceit—but finding none.

“Well... I guess...”

I scratched my head awkwardly, lowering my voice into a quiet whisper.

“...Because I’ve liked you for a long time?”

And in the eternity that passed in a single breath—

“......!?”

Meredia froze completely, not scolding me or mocking me—just... stunned. Her expression, for once, was vivid, new, almost alive.

“Hahaha... At this point, I couldn’t even pretend that was a joke.”

Yeah. That was probably the right answer, too.

***

Time passed. The sun had already begun to sink.

–Screech...

As the sky darkened and a gentle rain began to fall, a carriage pulled to a stop in front of the mansion.

“Well then, take care on your way inside, my lady.”

From inside, Meredia stepped out quietly, and behind her, Juit sat with a strangely satisfied smile, waving his hand.

The sourc𝗲 of this content is frёeωebɳovel.com.

“Write to me sometime.”

“......”

But Meredia didn’t even glance his way. She walked toward the mansion in silence, lips sealed tight.

“My lady! You’ll get wet!”

As a panicked maid rushed toward her and held out an umbrella, Meredia suddenly looked up and asked a single question.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

“Yes?”

“...What do you think the chances are that someone could genuinely love me?”

The maid’s mind froze instantly.

“U-uh, well, that... um...”

“......”

“A-anyway, you’re so amazing, my lady, it’s hard for anyone to even dare to feel that way, I guess? Haha...”

Flustered and fumbling, the maid tried to recover as Meredia’s eyes narrowed coldly.

“So you also think it’s impossible.”

“M-my lady!”

“That’s enough. Go boil my bath.”

Her jewel-like eyes flashed briefly. She shoved the umbrella aside and walked into the rain, issuing her order in an icy voice.

“B-but still... huh.”

The maid, trailing behind her timidly, finally stopped walking as Meredia threw her a chilling side glance.

“...She’s really mad.”

Muttering in a hushed voice, the maid stared blankly at Meredia’s back disappearing into the downpour.

“Why’s her whole face red like that...”

If she had seen Meredia’s face—burning red under the rain as she struggled to cool it down—

she probably wouldn’t have said that last part aloud.