“What’s wrong?”
“…No, just. I suddenly got this strange feeling.”
When the carriage stopped for negotiations with the Non-Human Race, I got out and quietly stared at the depths.
I’m not one to rely heavily on feelings like Adele does.
Many times my hunches have turned out wrong, but the fact is that my ominous feelings have never been wrong.
I can’t figure out why I’m feeling this way.
So, should I say it feels like I’m going to meet Miragen?
I heard that Miragen was under house arrest when we departed for the South.
If she’s here now, that means her house arrest was lifted sooner than expected, or she came out of her own volition.
Surely she wouldn’t have sneaked out defying the Emperor’s orders.
Thinking about what could pique Miragen’s interest in the South, I realized it’s not entirely impossible.
In the past, Miragen had come to the South before.
If she’s traveling with magicians, she can move quickly via teleportation,
but since the Non-Human Races don’t much like that, they usually prefer to travel discreetly.
The reason Miragen went to the South back then was because of a Relic.
It was a Relic that even the Imperial Family knew about, which would benefit Miragen directly if secured.
It was different from the Relic I was looking for.
What Miragen aimed for was something created by the Moon God, while what I sought was related to the Dead Dragon.
Last time, due to the Teranite mine incident, Miragen’s faction grew slightly in strength.
Now, she had enough influence to be somewhat vocal, but still, compared to Kaitel, she was quite weak.
If she’s still worried about that, maybe I could run into her here.
I hope that’s not the case.
“It feels like you’re thinking about someone else.”
“Did you learn mind reading from the North or something?”
When I asked that, Adele shrugged and approached me.
The negotiations with the Non-Human Race were Adrian’s and the Paladin’s business.
As such, we had nothing to do, so we couldn’t help but have a lot of free time until the work was done.
By the way, Adele’s intuition seems better than I thought.
It might just be a woman’s intuition, but she pretty much caught me thinking about Miragen.
That said, I don’t intend to be honest about it, so when I awkwardly smiled, Adele looked at me as if she understood.
Honestly, I felt quite guilty towards Adele.
I couldn’t tell her more about myself, even though there was a lot to say.
If I told her more, it would probably just lead to more confusion.
Still, if I take any comfort in this, it’s that she seems to be a bit cautious about the Crown Prince now.
If she’s cautious on her own, then there shouldn’t be a chance of her dying in vain like I saw before.
In case something happens, I can step in.
If I can get through this year, even if I lose the bet I made with her, I might still be able to find satisfaction.
“Once this work is done, are you planning to head straight to the Center?”
“Probably. I should start preparing for what I’ve been getting ready, right?”
Adele knew that I intended to become the Head of the Family.
I thought she’d have a decent grasp of the significance of this trip to the South, but she didn’t know my objectives after becoming the Head of the Family.
I thought so, but I didn’t know the purpose after becoming the Head of the Family.
Betrayal, I wanted to tell her that I was going to cause it… But it seems we couldn’t steer the conversation that way.
Once I become the Head of the Family, I’ll be busy for a while.
I have to absorb forces in my own way and gain the support of the Nobles to dominate above them.
At least, a mere Noble shouldn’t get in my way.
In that sense, Adele’s support was quite a boost.
If the Grand Duke supports me, doesn’t that mean 30% of this Empire supports me?
“If you want, I can help. That sister of yours has done things to you.”
Adele, with clenched teeth, didn’t look very happy.
Maybe it was because she read my memories; it was due to what I had told her in the past.
I’ve heard all the wounds on my body came from one person. It seems like a natural reaction anyway.
“…How could you do that to your younger sibling? What a curious mindset you have.”
“It’s in the past. Well, it’s not like it hasn’t happened once or twice.”
“I’m seeing it right now. So it’s inevitable that I’m irritated. I’ve held back countless times remembering it and trying to hit Taylor.”
Adele, who had hesitated for a moment, tore her gaze away from me and added,
“I couldn’t ruin the game you set up.”
“I suppose I should thank you. You don’t have to concern yourself with me that much.”
“I always say this, you have a knack for making people worry. Even when you don’t want to see it, it shows.”
Since we share memories, we were able to communicate easily.
At this point, I could probably only have a conversation like this with Adele.
Teresa, who knows about my other memories, well. She’s dead, so…
The parts she bothers me about have always been the same.
The anxiety from the feeling that I might vanish at any moment and the mental state that could collapse at any second.
From my perspective, it’s okay, but Adele seems to care about that more upon hearing that I’ve died a few times.
Looking at Adele, who is still staring at me, I finally chuckled and shrugged my shoulders.
“If you’re so worried, can’t you just come to the center? After all, there won’t really be anyone to say anything about it once I become the Head of the Family.”
“That’s not a bad idea. No, it’s worth considering.”
It was a joke, but Adele seemed to think about it pretty seriously.
When I asked if she really might come, she opened her mouth, as if it were obvious.
“Are you seriously thinking of coming? You must have things you need to do.”
“Lothos will handle it. It’s not like it hasn’t been that way before.”
It seemed I had brought up a useless topic.
Watching Adele ponder my words seriously, I quietly sent a moment of silence toward Lothos.
It appeared that Lothos suffering unjustly was not much different from his past life or this one.
Perhaps that’s fate.
It might be devastating for him, though.
#
Adele left, saying she was tired, and I was left alone again.
I had left the room, and it was me who was once again left alone.
When I’m talking to other people, it’s one thing, but when I’m alone, I naturally tend to overthink.
I wanted to avoid complicating my thoughts, so I decided to contact Miragen, whom I had just thought of a little while ago.
Adele… Adrian, and then Miragen.
They all have their own glamorous traits, but there’s someone I want to look after until the very end in this life.
Even if I were to die, it would surely be better for these people to live on.
I wish Miragen were in the Imperial Palace instead of the South, but I don’t know if things will go as I think.
It didn’t take long before the familiar voice reached my ears after the brief ringing.
As soon as I heard that familiar voice in my ear, an involuntary smile appeared.
“Have you been doing well?”
– I’ve been well. Thanks to whom.
Was she still hung up on what happened last time?
I chuckled at her somewhat blunt response, and Miragen seemed displeased, opening her mouth to speak.
– You’ve been contacting me quite personally lately; I hope you remember the purpose of this artifact.
“Wasn’t it originally given for casual conversation? If you prefer, I can talk only about official matters from now on.”
– … I didn’t mean you should do that. It’s fine to contact me often. Just don’t talk about other people.
“Understood. Anyway, I contacted you intending to speak with Her Highness the Princess today.”
Then, I heard a clearing of the throat, and this time a much clearer voice reached me.
Just hearing her voice, I could feel the excitement mixed in, which made me smile a little at Miragen’s tone.
– If what you just said is true, I might forgive the rudeness until now. I guess your heart has changed a little? Sometimes, you think of me and such, right?
“I do, indeed.”
– … Oh, really? Is that true?
“While I don’t think it’s something to joke about, did I perhaps upset you?”
– No way! Hmm, it was just unexpected, that’s all.
Miragen’s voice was full of emotions she couldn’t hide.
As a princess, she tried to maintain her dignity, yet her voice was filled with delight at what I said, making me smile softly.
When I talk with Miragen, it’s hard not to reminisce about the past.
Jealousy, affection—it’s probably because I’ve seen so much of it, but just hearing this voice tells me exactly what emotions are inside.
– So, what’s the reason for your call this time? I can’t believe you called just to ask about me.
“I genuinely wanted to ask how you are. I’m currently heading deep into the South, so I have a bit of free time.”
– I see you didn’t bring along any magicians. If you had, you’d have arrived much faster.
“Things can get awkward if there’s friction with the Non-Human Races. It can’t be helped, can it?”
While saying that, I focused on the sounds coming from Miragen.
Not just her voice, but all the sounds surrounding us as well.
When I called her the last time, there was a slight echo, but this time, I felt no vibration at all.
It was an entirely open space.
She might be in the garden, but using such an artifact in a place like a garden doesn’t seem to fit Miragen’s character.
It might be, but using such artifacts in a place like the garden isn’t Miragen’s character.
At least when she’s talking to someone she’s interested in, doesn’t she prefer places where there are no people?
It’s not the imperial palace. So where could it be? The sound that came from beyond resolved that question.
A sound of birds chirping in the sky that would never be heard indoors like the imperial palace.
Chirp-!
Realizing it was the call of a bird living in the south, not the center, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
I wished Miragen wasn’t here, but it seemed that this ominous feeling was spot on.
I squeezed my eyes shut. Just imagining it was giving me a headache.
“Just to be sure, are you currently somewhere other than the imperial palace?”
– W-What do you mean? You know I’m still under house arrest, right?
“Do you know that?”
Miragen was the type who couldn’t lie.
When she tried to lie, her voice would give her away, so she often got caught trying to fool Kaitel.
It might have been because we had spent so much time together.
Now, just by hearing her voice, I could tell what she was thinking, realizing that Miragen was lying.
“Your Highness, you’re really bad at lying. I heard that bird sound too. I’m sure you know what that means.”
– …So does that mean I’m in the south?
“Isn’t it right? I had a feeling, and there you are.”
Chirp-!
There was a time difference, but the bird chirping that came to Miragen also reached me.
This time it wasn’t coming from the artifact but directly from above my head.
What could that mean? The direction the bird flew in indicates that Miragen is deeper in the south.
When I asked once more, Miragen muttered in a resigned little voice.
– Please keep this a secret from my mother…? If I’m caught this time, I might have to stay in the imperial palace for a year.
“What on earth are you thinking—sigh.”
There was only one thing I could say to Miragen.
I don’t think she came all the way to the center by herself, but still, she was deeper in the south.
It was something that had happened before, and I remember Miragen coming back just fine then.
But I couldn’t help but worry. Miragen is like a painful thorn in my side, isn’t she?
I swallowed my silence for a moment and opened my mouth.
In the softest voice I could manage, so I wouldn’t sound angry.
“Stay right there. Don’t move an inch until we come to look for you.”
I felt like I wouldn’t be at ease until I could see her in my line of sight.
Speaking of which, if Miragen is here, does that mean Adele and Adrian will all be together?
For some reason, my head started to hurt, and I sighed while rubbing my forehead.
It was really a headache.
In so many different ways.
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