#23
The center of the garden was brighter than I expected. Unknown lights floated in the air, suggesting some kind of special magical device. Some lights gently brushed against my cheeks as they passed by. The light that briefly touched me felt quite warm.
However, it seemed not to suit the Duke’s taste, as he clicked his tongue softly. If he didn’t like it, he shouldn’t have installed such magical devices in the first place. I couldn’t understand what he was thinking when he decorated the garden this way.
The Duke’s footsteps finally stopped. But his large body blocked my view of what was in front. As he slowly stepped aside, I could finally see the large sword that stood before him.
It was a sword with a black blade. Though not elaborately decorated, it looked remarkably elegant. As I stared at it, mesmerized, I felt like I had seen this sword somewhere before. Was it in a dream? Or perhaps…
“Ah.”
“What is it?”
“Oh, nothing. It’s nothing. Why is this sword here?”
“It’s a trophy from the battle with the demons. I’ve kept it sealed in here.”
That’s when everything started to make sense. This sword was the weapon the Duke wielded in the game. He used this sword to turn the world to ash. That’s how powerful the force residing within it was.
Perhaps, just perhaps. This could be an opportunity. Until now, I had thought there might be another demon the Duke had contracted with in this garden. Or maybe an object connected to the demons. But in fact, what he had hidden in the garden was this sword.
In the future, he would use me as a sacrifice to awaken this sword. With this sword in his possession, he would throw the world into chaos. Then that person would face difficulties again. Persis, who would stand by their side, would also struggle.
I couldn’t let that happen. The future of those two needed to be happier than anyone else’s. There would be occasional difficulties, but they didn’t need a crisis that could tear the world apart.
“Father.”
I called out to him as he stood beside me. I don’t remember the last time I called him father out loud. He also seemed a little surprised.
I stretched out my hand and pointed to the sword before me.
“I want this sword. Please give it to me.”
This was the first time I had shown any form of rebellion toward him. Perhaps being stubborn this once wouldn’t be so bad.
If he could sacrifice me to obtain this sword, couldn’t I do the same? I would use my body as a sacrifice to get this sword. It was an extremely dangerous method and could fail, but it was far better than those two being in danger.
“Please, Father.”
I met the Duke’s bewildered eyes. His trembling eyes looked so unfamiliar. Suppressing the laughter that threatened to burst out, I kept my hand pointed at the sword.
This story hasn’t begun yet. The main stage isn’t now. Until then, I just need to do what I can. I’m merely a helper, a supporting character for them.
The goal that had become blurry in my mind suddenly became clear.
“Give it to me, that sword.”
I couldn’t hold back the laughter that was about to erupt.
This was what I needed to do until I met them again.
2.
I am a stranger in this world. It was only natural to think that way. Without anyone explaining it to me, I knew the past and future of the people living in this world. And that fact made me detached from this world. Often knowing secrets that person wanted to hide, sometimes I felt like I was committing a wrong.
Because of this, it was difficult for me to speak casually with anyone except Kara, who had been by my side since I was young. It didn’t matter how precious or close that person was. I couldn’t easily speak casually even to long-time employees, and the same was true for the man in front of me.
I was quite displeased with one of the pieces moving on the board. My furrowed brow showed no signs of relaxing. The worse my mood became, the better the man sitting across from me seemed to feel. He didn’t even try to hide the smile that appeared on his face.
Should I flip this board over like I used to? The thought briefly crossed my mind.
“There.”
As soon as my turn ended, the man moved his piece to threaten mine. His face, smiling as he leaned back in his chair as if challenging me, was truly annoying.
It wasn’t this bad before. Why has it become like this? In the original story, he had some sly aspects, but it wasn’t this severe. I was tempted to throw some of the pieces I had knocked down at him.
“It’s over, isn’t it?”
“…”
“It’s over.”
No matter how much he smiled with that handsome face, he would get nothing from me. Resting his chin on his hand as he smiled did look quite stylish. No wonder he had a reputation for making many women’s hearts flutter at the age of nineteen. Of course, my heart wasn’t fluttering at all, let alone trembling.
I calmly looked at the piece he had placed. There was nowhere to go. I couldn’t block that piece, nor could I think of a way to turn this situation around. In the end, all I could do was accept the result.
“I’ve lost.”
“I knew it.”
“Yes. You’ve taken your 132nd victory out of 584 matches.”
He had been winning more often lately, but most of our matches ended in my victory. I pointed this out, refusing to back down in front of him.
He shook his head as he arranged the pieces.
“You’re so petty. When you lose, you should just say ‘I’ve lost’ and be done with it.”
“Who are you calling petty? I just gave you accurate statistics.”
“Ah, yes. I understand, Young Master.”
I really didn’t expect him to grow up like this. At some point, he began speaking casually to me, and after our meeting in childhood, he would suddenly come to the Duke’s mansion and suggest we play this game. Now he visits the Duke’s mansion regularly, and I couldn’t stop him.
Rikin Parten. His Highness’s playmate. The Parten family’s son had grown into a nineteen-year-old young man. The time that passed by as if on wings was enough to grow that small child this much. I felt both deeply moved and my heart fluttered at the thought of getting closer to meeting that person.
Soon, I will be going to school. The school I was about to enter was a place where noble children and commoner children of this country gathered. It was established under the ideology that everyone should receive equal education, but various forms of discrimination were prevalent within. That was to be expected. After all, this country still had a class system.
At the same time I enter school, that person will also become a new student. I’m finally going to meet that person I’ve been waiting for.
I felt like I had been waiting for so long. Time sometimes feels fast and sometimes slow. This back and forth seemed very much like a person’s life.
“Soon our Young Master will become my junior, right?”
I didn’t want to think about it, but did he have to emphasize it like that to be satisfied?
I wonder how he digested my advice from childhood that he could be a bit more free-spirited. This Count family’s son had become too relaxed. He was known as an uncontrollable student within the school.
What I said was to have more flexible thinking, so it wasn’t my fault he turned out this way. I felt a bit guilty, but he couldn’t have changed his personality this much just because of something I said.
“That’s right. I’ll be in your care, senior.”
“Hmm, I don’t like being called ‘senior’ by Ana.”
“Yes. And I don’t like being called ‘Ana’ by you.”
My body flinched every time that form of address came up. After he started speaking casually to me, he began calling me ‘Ana’ like a certain someone. Every time he used that nickname, someone from my memories came to mind.
I couldn’t forget the small child who called my name with a smile as bright as his red hair, the child who resolutely cut me off in the final moment.
“His Highness seems to be planning to enter school this time.”
I thought as much. According to the flow of the original story, he would naturally have to enter school.
“I thought he would build up his position in the palace a bit more. They say it’s still premature. His Highness is quite cautious, isn’t he?”
Of course. There’s no way he, who handles everything according to logic, wouldn’t have thought of such a move. His current position in the palace was ambiguous. Though his abilities were excellent, it was difficult for him to aim for the position of successor. He didn’t yet have a proper power base.
In that sense, school was perfect for gathering people who would support him. There, he would meet many noble children and persuade them to follow him. That way, several families would naturally support him, and he could become the Emperor as he wished.
“There’s no need to tell me all that.”
“I was just curious if His Highness was entering school or not.”
“I wasn’t curious.”
It was obvious, after all.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
