It feels like just a few years ago I thought…
“……”
“……”
Inside the rattling train, the person sitting across from Alice was someone she didn’t recognize.
Her shoulder-length blue hair was surreal. Unlike Alice’s memory, the ends of her flowing hair cascaded in waves, giving the impression that she might be a child of some noble family if seen from a distance.
Actually, it was undeniable that she indeed was a child of some noble family.
In her very early years, she had lived on the streets, then spent a short time in an orphanage that treated people like objects before she killed the director and escaped, but noble blood flowed within her.
Even more so than Alice, the legitimate child.
“Did you always do things like this?”
“What do you mean by ‘things like this’?”
Suddenly opening her blouse, Alice fixed her gaze on Claire, who seemed quite annoyed.
“You’re butting into things that the Emperor directly ordered and throwing a tantrum about wanting to do it too.”
“……”
Well, she did that before.
At a time when she had intense jealousy and inferiority towards Sylvia, she had attempted to replicate everything Sylvia did. Every time, Sylvia accomplished the task more perfectly than Alice could, and naturally, Alice felt even bigger feelings of inferiority.
Ironically, it was the first time Alice had a long conversation with Sylvia inside this train. Originally, Alice had felt uncomfortable being near Sylvia. But in the train, two even more uncomfortable beings were present, and Alice had no choice but to choose Sylvia over them.
And the conversation they had in the train had a huge impact on Alice.
“So, you did, huh?”
Claire made a huffing noise and looked out the window.
“I thought you must have gotten really close ever since you were little because you looked so cozy.”
Alice had no reply to that.
“Still, this time it can’t be helped. I met Charlotte for the first time here.”
“……If that’s the case, then it can’t be helped.”
Hah, Claire wiped her face.
“I thought for sure I could be with my sister.”
“……”
“Oh, I know. You’re saying I should be extra careful in this situation, right? You shouldn’t even bring up this kind of talk.”
Fortunately, Lucas and Jayden were engrossed in their own competition, so they didn’t react much to this side of the conversation.
Until now, neither Claire nor Alice had mentioned anything about Claire’s lineage.
Moreover, the target chosen by ‘Lucas’ this time wasn’t the untarnished blood of the Fanggriffon named Sylvia, but the very real blood of the Emperor that belonged to Claire, which made things riskier. If things went wrong, it could mean the world would unfold according to the ‘Emperor’s plan.’
“But your sister said, right? ‘It’s unlikely to roll that way.’”
After coming this way, Alice had only met Sylvia exactly twice.
Sylvia had become ‘Sylvia Grace’ instead of ‘Sylvia Fanggriffon’ and was working hard to participate in the ball being held at the Imperial Palace.
If Claire had become ‘Grace’ through her ‘swordsmanship,’ it seemed Sylvia stood out due to her unique knowledge. Thus, Sylvia was living a different life from Claire, who had devoted herself to swordsmanship as a child. If Claire was one of those who inherited the Grace-style swordsmanship, ‘Sylvia Grace’ looked like a true noble lady.
Unlike Alice, Claire, and Sylvia, who recalled the past, Leo, who attended as Sylvia’s partner, apparently had no memory of the two.
Meaning those unrelated to the Goddess’s plan like Leo were not properly remembering the world.
“That might not be the case.”
Having changed her tone once at Grace’s estate, Sylvia had said this. It was only natural, since they were in a ball. Even if the Baron’s daughter was on close terms with the Crown Princess, it wouldn’t be appropriate to speak casually.
But Claire made a displeased face watching Sylvia.
“The story’s introduction is different. The past where I got beaten in the carriage is, in fact, an impossible past. From the very beginning, I should never have faced that man since I escaped before it all happened.”
It seemed she had softened her tone a bit. Unlike her previous military-like speech, Sylvia seemed just like a baroness, earnestly explaining her situation. In some ways, more so than Claire.
Watching her with long black hair flowing down her back in a deep navy dress, Alice did wonder if they were even the same person.
…Alice wasn’t so clueless as to fail to notice something so significant during such an important conversation.
She tried to suppress a laugh.
“So maybe what we’re experiencing right now isn’t truly a ‘past.’ Either way, the Goddess probably didn’t like what I was doing, and that artifact we were holding at that moment wasn’t even a completed product. Plus, I still don’t know how some of the powers I held ended up shifting to Claire.”
“So, are we in some kind of illusion?”
“It probably isn’t just a simple illusion. But at the same time, the Goddess must have some intentions as well. If it wasn’t time that turned back but just a situation that was rewound and replayed, creating ‘such a situation’ might be part of the Goddess’s power.”
“……Does that mean my sister could become even more dangerous from now on?”
Claire asked with a serious face. Alice, who had been momentarily distracted, regained her focus upon hearing that.
“That might be a possibility. So we need to prepare as well.”
“How?”
Alice asked.
“Well…”
After a moment of contemplation, Sylvia replied.
“Finding the artifact beforehand would be best.”
“But you just said this might be an illusion, right?”
As Claire spoke, Sylvia narrowed her eyes slightly, taking time to gather her thoughts.
“Even if it is an illusion, if it’s a space where we can feel reality so vividly, it isn’t a place that can simply be dismissed as ‘just an illusion.’ It definitely wouldn’t differ much from the world we used to live in. The Goddess wouldn’t have enough power to create it from beginning to end. It must have been created based on or temporarily altered from the world we lived in.”
Sylvia gently shook the drink in her hand. The liquid inside gleamed as it sloshed around. It felt like something that couldn’t simply be made from mere imagination.
“In any case, the Goddess originally planned to repair everything from scratch. It’s likely this world is okay to get damaged for a moment during that process of removing impurities.”
“……”
“And besides, honestly….”
Sylvia slightly frowned for a moment before shaking her head.
“No, this isn’t definite yet, so when I’m sure, I will tell you again.”
That was everything that had transpired during Alice’s second meeting with Sylvia.
Since it had been recreated according to the Goddess’s intentions, Sylvia’s opinion was that it wouldn’t necessarily unfold according to the Emperor’s will.
“Even so, we shouldn’t just sit around without any worries.”
“……Right. Your sister is doing her best in her own way too.”
In response to Alice’s words, Claire replied in a voice mixed with a sigh.
*
After I returned like this, time flew quickly.
No, it really ‘flew’ fast.
This isn’t metaphorical. It felt as if, much like gaps in memory disappearing, scenes were abruptly cut like an awkward film frame, that the story was rushing forward without my will.
My will itself was being reflected. I could tell whether certain plans I made had succeeded or failed.
But the moments when I wasn’t focused, when I thought it was unimportant, or when I was spaced out, passed by at an unbelievably rapid pace.
Someone was rushing significantly.
And I felt I knew what that rushing entity was.
After I looked at those two for the last time, so much time had already passed that it was time to enroll in the academy. It felt like at least ‘a few years’ had gone by.
Did Claire and Alice realize this fact too?
“Ah—”
In a crowded corridor, from afar, a familiar voice rang out.
Unlike before, Claire was already certain of me being her ‘sister.’
But before Claire could come over and greet me, there was also another entity rushing towards me, excitedly.
“Sister!”
“Eek.”
Claire couldn’t help but let out a gasp at Leo’s voice.
“Leo.”
As I calmly answered Leo, Claire seemed frozen in place.
Hmm, she looked like she just saw a ghost.
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