“I Don’t Love You,” Said the Ice Magician to His Unrequited Love, Who Was Disguised as Me – Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Face-to-face meeting day

(Oh, what a delicious meal. . .! I can’t believe there are such wonderful things in this world. . .!)

Second day of the new life at the Duke’s house. 

Finne was tapping her cheeks with her hand, enjoying the leftovers from yesterday and breakfast. 

“Finne-sama! This meat is so tender and delicious!”

Mia, the maid, exclaimed with excitement. 

Although Finne’s master allowed it, he twisted his neck wondering about this maid’s professional ethics as she ate at the same table without any hesitation. However, Finne, who was completely absorbed in the delicious food, didn’t seem to mind. 

After the meal, she lounged on the soft bed to her heart’s content. 

She rubbed her cheek against the soft sheets and fully enjoyed the momentary happiness of her future life as a Duchess before preparing for the face-to-face meeting. 

“Zion-sama is scheduled to return in the afternoon. Please choose your attire for the meeting from here.”

A row of bright dresses lined up in the dressing room. 

Finne had been living in tattered clothes at the ghost’s mansion, so she was overwhelmed by the flood of colors. 

“Why do they make these fabrics so thin. . .? They should use thicker ones!”

She touched the dress nervously, afraid she might accidentally tear it. 

“Finne-sama looks so beautiful in that . . .”

Mia cried when she saw how beautiful she looked in that dress. 

Mr. Ghost laughed mischievously. 

[It suits you. ]

“Shut up.”

She felt embarrassed for some reason. 

As she whispered away, Finne’s mind wandered to the next head of the Duke family, whom she was going to marry. 

(I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before. . .)

A vague fragment deep in her memory seemed to be trying to tell her something. 

However, Finne couldn’t remember. 

It was at that moment when she was staring at the photo. 

(Maybe his hairstyle is different. . .?! No, there might be other differences too. . .)

The photos used for marriage are inevitably more dressed up than usual. 

(And if he looked completely different from usual when I met him. . .)

“Finne-sama, Zion-sama has arrived.”

The maid’s voice interrupted her thoughts. 

“I’ll be right there.”

When the man appeared, Finne was left speechless. 

(This person. . .is he the one from back then?)

She remembered. 

She remembered him covered in wounds and on the brink of death. 

Four years ago. 

A stampede of record-breaking demon beasts attacked the northern region, causing tremendous damage that is said to be the worst in the kingdom’s history. 

It was later revealed that the damage had been exacerbated by mistakes in the initial response. 

[A stampede of demon beasts in this area hasn’t happened in over two hundred years. ]

The lack of preparation and delay in initial response due to complacency proved fatal. 

In the midst of an obvious shortage of personnel, it was recorded that only one magician had stopped a group of demon beasts of an unprecedented scale. 

Three years later, at the age of eighteen, he became the youngest member of the 《Five Sages》 and was called the 《Ice Magician》. 

Finne does not know what Zion Creutzfeldt was thinking when he went to his death, defending the town of Scalagholt single-handedly despite the desperate situation. 

All she knew was that his body was found among countless dead demon beasts. 

Zion told Finne as she approached, defeating the remaining demon beasts, “Kill me.”

He seemed disappointed that he was still alive. 

Finne somehow felt that he wanted to die. 

The fine rain, like mist, soaked everything there. 

Zion’s face, as if he had given up on the world, irritated Finne. 

“I’ve decided. I won’t let you die.”

It wasn’t easy to help him, but Finne activated seven types of recovery magic in parallel and forcibly stopped his dying body in this world. 

She carried him to an unused mountain hut near the ghost mansion and continued to cast healing magic for a month, improving his condition to the point where he could be treated at a civilian medical facility. 

During that month, Finne talked to him about various things. 

Because she was annoyed that he wanted to die, she talked endlessly about the wonders of being alive as a form of harassment. 

Wrapping oneself in straw under the bedsheet on a cold and sleepless night and sleeping surrounded by a fragrant scent. 

Thanks to the leaky roof, being able to enjoy the sound of rain longer than others. 

The stars in the night sky seen from the roof were as beautiful as jewels. 

The “homemade grass soup” they drank at that time was the most delicious thing in the world. 

“Is it good? The world is such a wonderful thing. If you understand that, don’t think negatively about wanting to die. Try saying you want to die again next time. I’ll beat you up until you can’t stand up again.”

After harassing and threatening him thoroughly, she sent him to the town of Skarholt and returned to the ghost mansion feeling refreshed. 

However, using him to relieve stress would lead to an unexpected situation. 

“Is the 《Ice Magician》 looking for the 《Witch of Dawn》?”

“It seems like he has something he wants to talk about.”

“He’s offering ten large gold coins to whoever brings her to him.”

The rumors spread throughout the kingdom, reaching even Finne, who lived on the border. 

(Oh no. . .He’s definitely trying to get revenge for what happened last time. . .)

If it was just an ordinary opponent, there would be no need to fear as she could easily blast them away with magic. 

The problem was that he was a famous magician who had caused a stir in the kingdom as a child prodigy. 

The cold-hearted and merciless 《Ice Magician》 who had no human blood flowing through his veins. 

He always had a statue-like expression, and no one had ever seen him show any human-like emotions. 

He was an absolute zero-degree mechanical doll who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. 

Finne was at a loss as she heard the unsettling rumors. 

(Have I made an enemy of an incredibly dangerous opponent?!)

She had been harassing him for a whole month, not realizing how dangerous he was. 

If she were caught, she didn’t know what kind of fate awaited her. 

Fortunately, when she acted as the 《Witch of Dawn》, Finne disguised herself to prevent her true identity from being revealed. 

She hid her slender body under a robe made from torn curtains and covered her short stature with homemade secret boots. 

She changed her hairstyle with a wig she made by braiding her own hair and wore a mask made from scrap materials. 

(I don’t think anyone will be able to identify me. . .)

However, the movements of the 《Ice Magician》 far exceeded Finne’s imagination. 

She collected information about the《Witch of Dawn》 extensively and conducted a charity project that provided identification cards to impoverished women while buying up the poorhouse in the northern region. 

(He’s really trying to find me. . .!)

From where in their elegant and intellectual conversation did he deduce that 《The Witch of Dawn》 was a woman belonging to the impoverished class?

(I don’t want to die. . .I can’t let him find me. . .!)

It’s an opponent with a significant history. 

(My lack of interest in others is causing trouble. . .I can’t believe he was the next head of the Duke Creutzfeldt family. )

She may have heard of him in the course of her research, but she had forgotten all about it because she was not interested in his family background. 

That’s why Finne forgets how to breathe when she sees her future husband. 

(This person, did he notice my true identity and still proposed marriage. . .!)

It’s an impossible situation to escape from. 

She was terrified that she would be locked up in a prison called the graveyard of life and bullied with cold-blooded emotional abuse. 

His silver hair sways, and she feels the pressure of his magic clinging to her. 

His emotionless eyes are fixed on Finne. 

“I’ll tell you this first.”

Zion Creutzfeldt said. 

“I won’t love you.”

Finne is confused by his words. 

(What is he talking about. . .?)

It should have been a perfect opportunity for him to capture his long-standing opponent, revel in his victory, and feel good about himself. 

“This marriage is temporary and meant to strengthen the unstable foundation of the Duke Creutzfeldt family due to the change in leadership. I agreed because I heard that you dislike interacting with people and have been holed up in your mansion all this time. I judged it to be convenient since it wouldn’t interfere with my affairs.”

Zion said in a monotone voice, 

“Just stay in the mansion and do nothing. Don’t interfere with me. That’s all I ask of you.”

(Is this. . .could it be. . .)

Finne realized. 

(This person doesn’t even realize that I am the《Witch of Dawn》!)

A feeling of relief and joy filled her chest. 

There is no doubt. 

As her mother-in-law and sister-in-law have been spreading, she is thought to be a shut-in daughter. 

(Here it is. . .! It’s convenient for me, an indoor type, to be able to stay shut-in as much as I want. Moreover, information about the 《Ice Magician》 who is targeting me is leaked to us from the inside. What a too-good-to-be-true situation. . .)

Finne nodded with excitement in her voice. 

“Understood! I’ll be careful not to interfere with you, Zion-sama.”



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