The Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health Chapter 314

Most of the people invited to attend the imperial ball were high-ranking nobles, famous capitalists, or renowned scholars.

Among these illustrious guests, there was a group occupying a corner of the second floor—where the ballroom was clearly visible—gathered together and chatting amongst themselves.

“Ha! Just look at how pretty our youngest is!”

They were none other than the rank-grade mages who had come down from the Sky Tower.

“As expected of our youngest. Hehe.”

“Hmph. Indeed, I don’t see any young lady more beautiful than our youngest.”

“Shouldn’t we have added some magical effects when Arellin made her entrance?”

“We stopped because they’d notice us, but it is a bit of a shame, isn’t it?”

The mages, who vowed that next time something like this happened they would definitely help their youngest with magic effects, began evaluating the party in detail.

“But isn’t the music kind of lacking?”

“Right? Are performers these days always this bad?”

“I wish our youngest would play for us again.”

“Are you stupid? Master banned that. She’d end up using her powers.”

“Ah—! I was just saying!”

After realizing just how much attention they drew when they attended the Halbern estate party in the past, the rank-grade mages had come prepared this time, making sure ordinary people couldn’t see them.

After all, they were here for one reason only—

To see their ‘youngest,’ Arellin, make her debut!

“But is she even the youngest anymore? Luka joined recently.”

“Arellin is younger than Luka, so she’s still the youngest.”

“Ohhh.”

Perhaps because they’d known her since she was so young, the mages felt oddly proud—as if they’d raised her themselves. Even though she hadn’t married, only debuted in society, the moment felt touching… and strangely bittersweet.

“I don’t know why, but I feel like crying.”

“Tch, you idiot. But… me too.”

“Maybe because I still remember what she was like as a child. It feels strange.”

“Don’t you think so too, Master?”

Even Mercedes—who rarely showed up in places like this—was among them.

The great mage had come outside after a long time. It wasn’t because her youngest disciple nagged her.

It really wasn’t. Truly.

She’d only come to see her youngest disciple smiling as she found her place among people—and seeing her enjoy a normal life filled her with quiet satisfaction.

“Whoa, Master’s smiling.”

“So you can smile.”

As the mages stood dazed by this unfamiliar sight of their usually intimidating master, someone finally noticed that one person was missing.

“Huh? Where did Sir Zilo go?”

 

 

***

 

 

 

Zilo Gremwat quietly descended to the first-floor lobby while the mages were distracted by their own noise.

The reason he’d split off alone—despite normally needing to stay with them—

‘Olivia…’

His wife was here.

The very reason he’d come to this ball, despite avoiding outings altogether.

Even amid the crowd, Zilo’s gaze followed only one person.

He’d already once seen his wife and son from afar with Halbern’s help—but that hadn’t been nearly enough.

The son who’d been a speechless infant in his memories had grown into a fine young man.

And his wife—

Watching Olivia, whose presence had grown more mature than he remembered, whose smile now carried deeper lines at the corners of her eyes, Zilo’s expression became complicated.

 

 

 

****

 

 

Olivia, the eldest daughter-in-law of Duke Gremwat, found herself overwhelmed by the grandeur of the imperial party—something she hadn’t attended in a long time—and stepped back.

She’d come because she couldn’t refuse Empress Ageni’s invitation, and ended up seeing quite a spectacle.

The future Crown Princess being a Halbern young lady, of all things.

‘We should start looking for a match for Derek too.’

In any case, it was time to leave.

Just as Olivia turned to go, a noblewoman adorned with feathers suddenly spotted her and hurried over.

“Oh my, Madam Olivia.”

“Ah—Countess Lazrael.”

“Where are you going? Heading inside already?”

At the question from the only acquaintance who’d looked after her at this party, Olivia smiled.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been to a place like this. I think I’m a bit tired.”

“That makes sense. Honestly, I thought you’d just attend the Halbern party and leave. If I’d known I’d see you again, I would’ve asked you to come with me earlier~.”

“I planned to, but circumstances came up.”

“Well, the Gremwat household has been rather turbulent lately, hasn’t it?”

Olivia smiled and covered her mouth with her fan.

That wasn’t really the reason.

If Halbern hadn’t detained her, thanking her for accepting the invitation, she would’ve returned to her family home long ago.

“You’re lucky, really. Your husband passed early, so you inherited everything and left. If you’d stayed there until now, you wouldn’t have gotten a single coin.”

“Hoho…”

The year Zilo died, no one knew what House Head Gregory had been thinking—but he’d divided a vast fortune and sent his eldest daughter-in-law back to her family.

Olivia, who’d wanted to remain with Gremwat until the end, still didn’t understand her father-in-law’s intentions—but thanks to that decision, she’d avoided a life of hardship as a wealthy widow.

Even so, if her husband could return alive, Olivia would gladly give up every last coin.

If not for her in-laws’ advice—that a widow without a husband needed wealth to avoid being looked down upon—she wouldn’t have taken the money at all.

“Everyone else in that family just rubs me the wrong way. Except you.”

As Countess Lazrael whispered her complaints, the two ‘other women’ she mentioned spotted Olivia.

Olivia tried to slip away, but couldn’t escape her two sisters-in-law.

“Oh my, look who it is. Isn’t this our eldest sister-in-law?”

“How have you been? Well, I suppose you must be doing well—after taking the inheritance and leaving.”

“So you two are here as well.”

All of Duke Gremwat’s direct daughters-in-law were now gathered in one place.

All three were smiling—but the atmosphere was anything but warm.

“Oh my, Sister. I thought you’d left already—yet you’re still in the capital.”

“Surely you didn’t come crawling back hoping to get something from the family, did you? After leaving on your own two feet?”

Olivia’s expression stiffened.

“You’re being very rude.”

“Oh my, hoho. We saw you visiting the main house, so we almost misunderstood~.”

“You may not know, since you’re an outsider now, but things have been rather unsettled at the main house lately.”

They folded their fans and smiled gracefully, but to Olivia—already displeased—it all looked like mockery.

“I only wished to see Mother after so long. And wasn’t I turned away because you didn’t allow it?”

“Of course. You’re no longer part of our family, after all.”

“Don’t worry. I’m taking very good care of Mother.”

“What? Anyone listening would think you were the one caring for her.”

“Oh my—am I wrong? I’m the one serving her with utmost devotion.”

“I’m the one who truly—”

As if the eldest daughter-in-law with no ties left no longer mattered, the two women resumed tearing into each other.

They failed to regain their senses even after offending the Duchess of Spherome and being driven from the high table.

Perhaps because it was astonishing to see members of one of the Five Ducal Houses airing family disputes in public, people’s gazes began to gather.

And as a result—Olivia drew attention too.

“Feels like it’s been a while since we’ve seen Gremwat’s first daughter-in-law.”

“She killed her husband—how does she have the nerve to attend a place like this?”

“Tsk tsk. You’d need a truly vicious fate to end up like that.”

“Still, she got a lot of money. As expected of a Five Ducal House~.”

Olivia forced herself to ignore the murmurs, leaving the ballroom with a bitter smile.

 

 

***

 

 

Zilo clenched his fists as he followed Olivia with his eyes, watching her move to avoid people’s gazes.

He was relieved she’d lived without hardship—but rage boiled toward those wagging their tongues about her.

Still, the one he was angriest at—

Was himself.

The man who had died first, leaving Olivia unprotected for over ten years.

As Zilo swallowed his rising emotions and turned—

“—!”

Meeting someone’s gaze head-on, Zilo flinched.

He was clearly cloaked in concealment magic. How…?

Can they see me?

“I can see you, you know.”