If I were to gain the ability to turn back time…
If I had the power to erase all the mistakes I’ve made until now…
No matter how big those mistakes were, and no matter how many times I could correct them…
What choice would someone with that ability make?
The moment I started thinking that was when a dizzying scent of blood filled my nose.
It was when the person I swore to protect collapsed in front of me, spewing red blood.
Thud! How painful would it be to suddenly be flung onto that hard floor like that?
Ah, my always well-kept, shiny golden hair turned crimson with blood.
In that moment, my brain froze, and my whole body stiffened.
When I could barely start moving again, Alice was already lying on the ground.
I hurriedly moved. My legs gave out, and my knees slammed hard against the floor, but I didn’t care.
“…Alice…!”
In response to my voice, which I called too late, Alice’s eyes turned towards me.
Ignoring my body drenched in blood, I knelt beside Alice and pressed both hands tightly against her pierced chest.
Screams echoed from all around. I saw knights rushing urgently toward the sound of gunfire. Petals scattered through the air for the event. Those fake petals fell onto the blood-soaked puddle and turned red.
“Ah, ugh…”
Every time Alice opened her mouth, blood that regurgitated from her throat came up, muffling her voice. It seemed like she wanted to say something to me, but I couldn’t hear her words. Blood pooled in Alice’s mouth, choking her voice.
It’s okay, there’s no way we could say the same things. It was too late to say, “You can still live.”
Yeah, it was late—
So late—
*
—No, it wasn’t late.
When I blinked, I returned to the previous night.
I was alone in the room.
After it was decided that I would enroll in the academy, I could spend time with Alice normally.
Alice still found me a bit annoying, but she didn’t get truly mad like before. Maybe it was because we’d visited Lutetia together recently.
Just as I was starting to get close to Alice, she got shot in front of me.
I quietly lay on my bed, replaying that moment.
My memory wasn’t sharp enough to recall every detail of the situation all at once. My eyes weren’t as good as a camera; it was impossible to grasp that situation accurately.
I didn’t know the exact direction from where the gunshot came. I only knew that a bullet had flown from somewhere that could hit Alice’s heart.
That was enough.
I still had over twelve hours until that time tomorrow.
And for me, saying I had twelve hours left was like saying I had an eternity.
*
There were many houses in the Empire, but the place where the Emperor’s New Year speech took place was fixed. The direction Alice was looking at was the Emperor’s podium.
So, the place I’d need to search was every house behind the Emperor.
“W-who are you— Gahk!”
“Answer my question. Are there hidden weapons in this house?”
As I pressed the gun against his neck, tears flowed from the man’s eyes. The barrel, no matter how blunt, was as solid as a steel rod. Naturally, it must hurt and be frightening.
“N-no, there’s nothing, I swear, really! I don’t know who you are, but I don’t have anything—”
“You said the same thing last time.”
The gunshot rang out.
Probably, someone in this building, no, someone among the onlookers had been awakened by that sound.
Guh…
With blood dripping from his thigh and unable to speak properly, I whispered into the man’s ear.
“I know there’s a hunting rifle under the window sill.”
At my words, the man froze. Only his ragged breathing was audible in his ear.
I whispered again.
“Right now, you have two choices. Tell me the name of the person who commissioned the assassination of Crown Princess Alice. Otherwise, the next bullet will go through your head. If you deny my words again, the next bullet will blow off your male member.”
“I-I don’t know anything—”
The gunshot rang out again.
The man’s mouth opened wide, but no sound came out. No, there was sound—his scream was so high-pitched it was more like a shrill scratching noise.
“Do you know? Honestly, I wouldn’t particularly care. There’s a way to escape without getting caught here, and there’s someone who will be questioned even after you die from excessive bleeding.”
That wasn’t a lie. I could pretend I was never here, and someone else who might come back would be that man from the past who would die after excessive bleeding.
“So, speak. Then the next bullet will be in your head.”
“…”
The man didn’t respond.
He didn’t seem dead, but it looked like the bullet had just knocked him out.
I heard someone knocking on the door.
*
Gunfire was heard.
There were bullets lodged in both his thighs.
“I swear—I don’t know anything—”
Maybe his thighs hurt less?
*
The man opened his mouth only after seven out of ten fingers flew away from the large-caliber bullets.
In truth, those seven bullets were unnecessary.
After I recited the names of the man’s relatives, I sprinkled a handful of brown hair over his face and he opened his mouth in tears. It seemed that the life of a younger sister, which was more painful than having seven fingers shot off, was precious to him.
Even though he had thought of shooting a girl similar in age to that sister.
I heard someone knocking again, but the door was already blocked by the table. It would take some time for them to break through.
And honestly, I didn’t need to escape by myself from here.
“W-who it is I don’t know exactly…”
The man was shaking violently. Seeing his face turn pale, he would likely die soon without any intervention.
But it seemed he was fast-talking like he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to say anything before he died.
“When the gun and bullets were handed to me, it must have gone through several people—”
“If that’s the case, give as many details as possible about the person who commissioned you.”
“But if I say that, my little sister—”
“If you don’t speak, you will die in my hands anyway. At the very least, please hope that I go to kill that man for you.”
“…”
The man eventually described the appearance of that man.
And also how and where they met.
*
That man was a petty thug.
And the people above him were also human scum.
There were a few nobles mixed in, but they were all tight-lipped types.
But even tight lips can be pried open with a crowbar.
Going back, and back, and back—
Again, again, again—
After trying several times, I was finally able to find the one who commissioned it.
And the result—
“W-why…”
“Sorry, Alice.”
I quietly said, placing my hand on the shoulder of Alice, who was kneeling down looking at me with trembling eyes, murmuring in despair.
“But it had to be done. I needed to find the possibility.”
How far could I go?
That was important.
Until now, I hadn’t done it because it wasn’t necessary.
At the very least, I needed to know how the Emperor would act now that I had burned down the Imperial Palace.
Blood and blood and blood.
Soldiers and knights sprawled out haphazardly over that puddle.
Here and there, the palace that was once very beautiful and now scorched.
Could my stamina handle it? Ultimately, it could. As long as I minimized my movements and focused on shooting and throwing bombs.
And before that, if I repeatedly turned back time to set booby traps, changed the locations when discovered, and memorized the opponent’s patrol routes in advance…
If I could classify those who were capable from those who were relatively less capable, create an incident in the home of the capable, disguise it as coincidence to pull them out of the palace, set off bombs in less important places to divert attention, and place myself among the ‘people I need to hide’…
Then, burning down the palace like this was possible.
“Sylvia, what the hell…”
Leaving Alice as she was, I stood up.
And I turned to face the Emperor.
The children were all collapsed.
Wasn’t it said that the one who moves first in Go has the advantage? But for those who act unfairly by taking the first move, it didn’t mean anything.
If injury is not avoided, you can shoot until you are shot; if you are not hit, you can shoot until you are hit.
“Ultimately, it seems that my future self executed that plan.”
The Emperor said.
“With this, I’ve learned one thing for sure. Your ability is not ‘prediction.’ This isn’t merely the behavior of someone who predicts. There’s no need for someone who calculates everything within their expected range to get this angry.”
“Is this what someone says when they shoot their own daughter, just to see how I would act?”
I said as I aimed my loaded gun at the Emperor.
“But in the end, won’t you restore things back to normal? What’s the point of this?”
The Emperor spoke as if mocking me.
“If the opponent is alive, is there meaning in revenge?”
“I’m not focused on revenge.”
At my words, the Emperor closed his eyes. Then, with a slight smile on his lips, he said.
“I see. You are also just trying to see the possibilities. To know how I would act if you acted like this.”
Of course, there was some venting of frustration.
But… ultimately, if I acted this way, it would be Alice who became unhappy.
“Sylvia… please…!”
Even this man was ultimately Alice’s father.
“…”
I stood still with my finger on the trigger aimed at the Emperor—
*
“Is that so? Did you even predict that?”
The Emperor looked down at me with a serious expression.
Different from when he sat in the heart of the burning Imperial Palace, he looked intrigued.
“Since you already know, there’s no meaning in the plan now.”
“But you tried to execute it, didn’t you?”
“You know why I made that plan, don’t you?”
“Is it just to see my reaction that you planned to shoot your own daughter?”
“I thought this was a critical moment. If it were you from a while ago, you might not have acted this quickly.”
No, you do not know me.
Even if I couldn’t have a proper conversation with Alice, I would have acted for her.
Not just for Alice.
If the characters I loved were within my reach, I would have acted somehow for a happy ending.
…Though without this ability, I wouldn’t have been able to attempt that in the first place.
“You must have a reason for trying to put Alice on the throne. If someone like you can come up with such predictions, it means there’s a reason you wouldn’t ascend the throne yourself. Do you think you would be corrupted if you took the throne?”
“…”
I looked up at the Emperor silently, expressionless.
“Hmph.”
The Emperor, straightening his body that had slightly leaned toward me, leaned back against the throne.
“Then, I understand. I will do as you wish. Alice will be safe. After all, I’ve already gained the reason I made that plan.”
The Emperor raised the corner of his mouth slightly, as if satisfied.
No, it can’t be.
At the very least, you don’t know that I can ‘turn back time.’
Which means there will come a moment when I can truly take my revenge.
By some reason you do not know, without realizing it, and in a way that is inexplicable, you will physically be forced down from the Emperor’s seat.
One day, I will definitely make that happen.
It would be an event that never happened to you, but it won’t be for me.
Alice, who was still bleeding, was vividly imprinted in my mind.
What should I do so that when Alice separates from her father, it would have no reaction even if I died?
I might not know, but to discover all that information and test those possibilities will likely take a lot of time.
Thankfully, what I had in abundance was time.
I continued to stare at the Emperor when I turned my body away.
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