The Story I Never Told

“It seemed like you brought a man home, Valkyrie.” Brother Vandrel’s voice sounded calm, but the way his eyes slowly examined Magnus from head to toe made the atmosphere uncomfortable. His gaze was sharp, almost like he was inspecting a suspicious guest.

Brother Vandrel… what the hell are you talking about?

Magnus stiffened beside me. His shoulders tensed, and his expression turned serious. Even Elara noticed it and glanced between the two of them.

“Stop it,” I said quickly. “You’re making Magnus uncomfortable.” Before the situation could get worse, Desmond stepped forward with perfect timing.

“Lady Elara and Sir Magnus,” he said politely. “This is the brother of Lady Valkyrie. Sir Vandrel Evergreen.”

Nice one, Desmond! Changing the topic like that was a brilliant move.

“Thank you for looking after my little sister,” Vandrel said.

Just like that, his expression changed completely. The overly protective brother from earlier disappeared, replaced by a polite nobleman. He even smiled.

A creepy smile, for me.

“I hope she didn’t cause you too much trouble.”

Magnus and Elara exchanged a glance. Then both of them nodded.

“Yeah,” Magnus said without hesitation. “We’re always in trouble because of her.” Elara nodded in agreement.

My eye twitched. How dare they!

“Hey!” I protested.

Magnus only shrugged while Elara tried to hide her laughter.

***

Soon enough, we moved to the small pavilion in the garden and sat down for tea. The Evergreen estate garden was quiet and peaceful. A light breeze moved through the neatly trimmed hedges, and white roses bloomed along the stone path.

For a few minutes, the conversation stayed casual. Vandrel asked about Allegria, Elara talked about magic lessons, and Magnus answered politely when spoken to.

But I didn’t come here just to drink tea. After a while, I gently placed my teacup down.

“Brother,” I called.

“What is it, Val?” Vandrel turned his attention to me.

His expression softened slightly. No matter how annoying he could be, he still treated me kindly.

“Can you arrange a meeting with the crown prince… Alexander?” The reaction was instant. Vandrel froze. His eyes widened in shock.

If this were a stage play, lightning would probably strike behind him.

“Do you…” he said slowly, his voice trembling. “Want to marry him again?” His face turned pale. “Did you change your mind?” He added.

“It’s the last thing I’ll do!” I shouted immediately.

My voice echoed slightly in the quiet garden.

“Then why?” he asked, still looking shaken.

I sighed. “Infiltrating the royal palace might get us in trouble,” I explained calmly. “I only need to talk to him for a short while. I can’t risk putting Elara and Magnus in danger.”

Vandrel remained silent for a moment. Then he nodded.

“Very well.”

I blinked in surprise.

“You’ll help me?”

“Yes, of course,” he replied casually. “But you’ll have to do exactly as I say.” He winked.

Wow. For once, my brother actually looked reliable.

I immediately stood up. “Thank you, Brother!” Without hesitation, I hugged him tightly. He looked surprised at first but eventually chuckled and gently patted my head.

After that, Vandrel spoke with Desmond about a few arrangements. The two of them walked back toward the mansion, leaving the three of us in the garden.

“I have to contact Alexander first,” Vandrel said before leaving. “You can stay here.” Once he disappeared from sight, Magnus spoke.

“Is your brother also a wizard?” I blinked.

“No,” I answered. Then something suddenly crossed my mind. “Ah…” Back then, when I was in danger because of the crown prince, I remembered seeing something strange from Vandrel. A faint black aura surrounded him for a brief moment.

At that time, I thought it was just my imagination.

But now…

“Your brother has potential,” Magnus said. “I sensed his mana earlier.”

Mana? I looked down at my teacup. Even if Vandrel had talent, I couldn’t imagine him becoming a wizard.

“I don’t think he would willingly become one,” I said with a small smile. “He’s the Duke’s heir. He has responsibilities to our family.”

Magnus nodded thoughtfully.

“It seems like your brother is close to the crown prince,” Elara said. She leaned slightly forward, her eyes curious.

She really noticed everything.

“Yes,” I said. “He used to be the crown prince’s right-hand man.”

Magnus raised an eyebrow.

“That’s why asking for his help is the best option,” I added.

Elara looked at me with a gentle smile. “You’re very loved by your family, Val.”

A light breeze passed through the garden, brushing against my hair.

“Well…” I tucked a strand behind my ear.

“I thought you gave up your noble title because your family was abusing you,” Elara said carefully. “That’s why you ran away to the Enchanted Forest.”

I laughed softly. “Ah, no. It’s the opposite.”

They both looked confused.

“My family was very protective of me,” I said. “I just didn’t want to marry the crown prince. That’s why I became a witch.”

“What?” Magnus and Elara reacted at the same time.

“I made a bet with the King,” I explained. “If I wanted to break the engagement with the crown prince, I had to become a witch.” Their expressions turned even more shocked.

“At that time,” I continued, “the King said witches and wizards are the freest people in the world.”

It felt strange talking about this. It was the first time I had ever told them the full story.

“I used to love the crown prince,” I said quietly. Neither of them interrupted. “He didn’t love me back,” I continued. “Actually, he hated me.”

I looked toward the rose bushes in the garden.

“The King loved me more than him. That made him angry.” The memory still felt distant. “Then one day… he pushed me down the stairs.”

Elara gasped.

“I fell into a coma after that,” I said calmly.

Magnus frowned deeply.

“When I woke up, I realized something,” I continued. “You shouldn’t force people to return the love you give them.” The wind rustled the leaves softly.

“Later, when he suddenly wanted me back and said I couldn’t become a witch…” I smiled faintly. “My mana awakened.”

Magnus leaned forward slightly.

“That’s when Master Eisen saved my life,” I said. “My mana was leaking everywhere. I could have died at any moment.”

“Gosh! I didn’t know!” Elara suddenly stood up.

“Well,” I laughed awkwardly, “I didn’t really have friends to tell my story to before.” I waved my hand lightly. “It’s just a boring story,” I added.

“You… really suffered,” Magnus said quietly. Even the usually calm wizard looked moved.

I scratched my cheek. “You think so?”

Elara suddenly slammed her hand on the table.

“Yes!” Her eyes burned with anger.

“That crown prince is the worst! How could he say he likes you now after pushing you down the stairs?!” Her voice lowered dangerously. “I should have made poison before we left the forest. Tch.”

“El,” I said with a straight face, “you’re going to have your head cut off.”

Elara crossed her arms stubbornly. That angel-faced witch really hated the crown prince. I laughed lightly.

“Haha… would you believe me if I said I was reincarnated into this world?” The words slipped out before I could stop them.

Sh*t.

Elara blinked. “What?”

Just then, several children suddenly ran into the garden.

“Lady Valkyrie!”

“Play with us!”

They rushed toward us happily.

Elara looked confused. “I didn’t hear what you said earlier, Val.” Relief washed over me.

Thank goodness.