Heroine On Strike

“Lady Mellin.”

“Lady.”

The magicians around Clara quickly ran over to her as she fainted. Cladis also rushed to her side and caught her before she hit the ground. Although he felt sorry for forgetting about Clara, he turned to look at Ella. Unfortunately, Ella’s expression was much colder than it was compared to earlier when they were arguing. It tore his heart to see this.

“Go ahead,” Ella snorted. “You should look after your beloved.”

“What about you?”

“I have things to do. Besides, what I do is none of your concern, your highness,” replied Ella sarcastically. “You should take Lady Mellin to a doctor or something. She doesn’t look well.”

What Ella said was true. Clara looked sick. Her face was so pale that it seemed a visit to a doctor was needed. As Cladis helped her to stand, he noticed that her small body was like the heaviest bag in the world. Feeling ashamed of his current dilemma, he couldn’t look at Ella.

Turning towards Xyle, Cladis requested, “Please take care of her, Master.” Then he left the building, and there was nothing but silence in the lobby.

Many magicians scurried off on their own, leaving Xyle and Ella behind. Confused, Ella asked, “What in the world was that for?”

He didn’t respond to her question as he teleported the both of them back to his lab. Only when they were truly left alone, Xyle, who was trying to sound as masculine as possible to distance himself from her, began to speak. “I have no intention of being your sidekick for the rest of my life.”

“So, you don’t want any part in this romance?” Ella lightly chuckled as she asked.

“I’m too old to take part in this teenage love story.”

“Is 39 years old that old?”

“I’m twice your age. If I married my first love, then I would have had a daughter around your age by now. After all, I’m only five years younger than your father.” 

‘Does that mean I’m only six years younger than the duke?’ This sudden realization shocked her. This also meant she was younger than the duchess by two years. The duchess seemed more like a sister than a mother to her. Then she shook her head to rid herself of these thoughts. It didn’t matter how old they were. No matter what, they were still her parents. Although she was actually Ranhee, she also was Ella. She was Ella to her parents while she was Ranhee to Xyle.

‘That sums up nice and easy,’ thought Ella as she nodded. She then made a serious face and mumbled as if she was talking to herself.

“Yeah… that makes me six years younger than my father actually. Never thought about that,” mumbled Ella.

Confused, Xyle asked, “What are you talking about?” 

“Did you think that I was the same age as the real Ella?”

From top to bottom, he scanned her. To be honest, there was something odd about her that didn’t seem to resemble a 17-year-old girl. Despite that, Xyle found it difficult to believe her words. “So, you’re claiming to be 38 years old? With that face?”

“Yeah, right? I even became prettier. Even though I had to leave everything behind, I like this body and my family. You become envious of young people once you’ve reached that age,” Ella said with a smile.

“It makes you realize how old you’ve become compared to the youth that you see in others. Now that I’m young, I’ll think of this as a trade-off for everything that I’ve left behind.”

She even had acquired parents that she wanted so badly in her previous life. For her, this was the price she paid for this second chance. Xyle was taken back by her words. Youth… It wasn’t something a true 17-year-old girl would value. Kids at that age usually considered themselves adults. Once one passes 30 and close to 40 would they realize such a thing exists.

Xyle couldn’t say anything as Ella became a bit bitter about things she had lost. She was yearning for things she had to leave behind. He couldn’t imagine what he would do if he lost all his achievements and was dragged into a foreign world. 

‘If it ever happens to me, can I give up and accept it like she does?’

There was no way he could accept it like her. He was going to lose his mind trying to find a way back. But this woman claimed she had accepted everything and wanted a peaceful life with her new family.

Ella soon found her smile again. He had to acknowledge that she was telling him the truth. Assuming this was on her mind, he asked, “Are you rejecting the prince because he’s too young?”

“No way. Younger men are better.”

“What?” replied Xyle. 

This was something that older men might say. Xyle accepted that Ella was a 38-year-old woman inside a young girl’s body. He was aware that women often say stuff like that, but it was usually when older women were talking to themselves.

“If he loved me like in the novel, I might have forgotten that I’m 38 years old. I would have done my best to love him. I don’t know what is going on with this entire system, but it never occurred to me that he was that young,” said Ella.

“He is only 19 years old. And you are 38 years old.” He sarcastically spat those words out of jealousy when she mentioned that she might have loved Cladis.

Ella, who noticed his frown, chuckled and corrected him, “I’m 17 years old.”

“I thought you said you’re 38?” Xyle intentionally made his tone sound authoritative, which he used to threaten magicians in his tower, but it didn’t affect Ella.

“And I thought you were 25. Oh, or were you 14?”