30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?! novel Chapter 129

Rustle.

Ihan sat in the wooden pavilion he had built, reading a newspaper. Occasionally, he sipped lemonade made by Leyra, or—

"Here, have this."

"...I can eat it myself."

"Really?"

"...Fine, I'll eat it."

Unable to resist her innocent and pure gaze, he accepted the lemon tart from her. It was the first time in his life he had the luxury of being served food by a woman. He wondered if it was even okay for him to enjoy such a blessed moment.

Still—

...It’s delicious.

Was it just his imagination, or did this tart somehow taste better than any other he’d ever eaten?

"Would you like some more?"

"...Yes."

It was a temptation too difficult to refuse. Ihan found himself accepting the tart again, indulging in a luxury he never expected to have.

Even as he did, his eyes remained fixed on the newspaper.

...Things are getting interesting.

Unintentionally, Ihan had become one of the few people closely involved in the events unfolding within the kingdom. Thus, he was familiar with the causes behind most of the kingdom’s chaos and controversies.

To give a specific example—

Rustle.

"...That brat Goldie takes good pictures."

[Today, it was revealed that Aran Pendragon, Commander of the First Knight Division, personally moved to capture escapees from the underground tunnels, mobilizing both the First and Second Divisions under his authority. This honorable and noble act, befitting royalty, is being widely praised. Meanwhile, the aristocratic council faces public outrage after their absurd claim that this action constitutes an 'abuse of power.' Capitalizing on the situation, the guild council has expressed its discontent with the aristocrats...]

The entirety of the newspaper’s front page was dominated by a photograph of the Golden Prince. His decision to mobilize the First and Second Knight Divisions as a commander had indeed drawn significant attention.

"Well, let’s see if he does a good job."

Honestly, Ihan wasn’t convinced. His philosophy was that once a troublemaker, always a troublemaker. After all, anyone could talk a good game; what mattered were actions and results.

In that sense—

If he delivers results, I’ll reduce his scolding from twice to once.

He stopped himself at a mild level of expectation.

Rustle.

As he turned the pages of the newspaper, more news of people he was acquainted with or situations he was aware of emerged.

To summarize the notable ones:

"The owner of the salon leading the latest trend in the capital is the young master of Lionel?!"

"Has the Mercenary King chosen his successor?"

"The Guinevere family’s young lady is rumored to be in a relationship?!"

Somehow, they were all people he knew.

And then—

[Speculations abound that the imperial mage tower’s successor and the Sultan’s visit are to meet Galahad’s foster daughter. Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the person at the center of attention remain unknown, and the royal family and Galahad are under scrutiny for their response. Incidentally, Galahad’s foster daughter, Irene Windler, despite her youth, is being hailed as the holy prodigy of the magical world, representing this era.]

...And here was the so-called holy prodigy of the magical world, sitting beside him and muttering to herself while nibbling on a tart.

"Tch, I could feed him too. I’d do a great job, an amazing job...."

"......."

Hmm. Were all these bigwigs gathering just to meet that chick?

Ssshh!

Don’t these people have anything better to do?

To Ihan, the successors of the mage tower and the Sultan seemed more like idle rich kids with nothing to do.

How utterly pathetic.

Was it just bad timing, or perhaps the result of leaving the house unoccupied for so long?

Clatter.

"Master!"

Judging by the series of familiar faces showing up one after another, Ihan could tell his home was becoming noisier by the moment. freēwebnovel.com

Ring, ring!

A young woman on a bicycle, reminiscent of something out of a classic French film with its antique charm, called out to him energetically.

She was refreshingly beautiful, yet there was a hint of melancholy about her. Her pure aura made her the kind of person who’d catch anyone’s eye on the street, exuding an endearing charm.

She looked like the picture-perfect embodiment of a first love from one’s school days, complete with a straw hat, a white dress, sandals, and a picnic basket. She could easily be mistaken for a scene out of a magazine spread.

"...Am I watching a photoshoot or something?"

Even the chick next to him muttered under her breath, apparently thinking the same thing. With her hydrangea-blue hair fluttering as she rode the bicycle, she looked like she had stepped out of a movie. Still—

Does she have any intention of hiding her identity or not?

Watching her, Ihan couldn’t help but wonder if she cared less about hiding her true self than Taechang did.

Or maybe she was just clumsy and straightforward, perhaps even foolishly honest.

...Maybe all three?

As Ihan shrugged his shoulders, the young woman parked her bicycle and ran toward him with the enthusiasm of a loyal puppy greeting its master after a long absence.

"Huff, huff! Have you been well, Master?"

"First, catch your breath, Gomsuni."

"Huh? Oh, I’m fine, really. Huff, huff!"

"...You don’t look fine at all, though."

It seemed that Gomsuni—or rather, Levi—had pedaled all the way from the marquis’ estate to his home upon hearing that he’d returned.

"In that outfit, did you really ride your bike here?"

It must have been an exhausting trip.

Swallowing his words, Ihan showed concern, and she—

"Ah!"

She suddenly realized the state she was in and covered her mouth in embarrassment.

"I-I’m sorry, I must look terrible! I-I just wanted to do something with my time since His Grace gave me the day off. I was planning to go on a picnic alone, but staying still felt strange...."

"Is that so?"

"I-I didn’t even pick this outfit! The maids chose it for me, and I couldn’t refuse...."

"I see."

"...Master?"

"I see."

She’s grown more confident.

It feels like all the hard work paid off.

Why are they arguing like this in front of me?