How long has it been since Estelle dragged Rev along?
It felt awkward to just stand there waiting, so I sat on a nearby bench. A cool breeze passed through the trees and brushed against my face.
My bangs fluttered and blocked part of my vision.
For some reason, I started to feel at peace and gently closed my eyes. As time passed, the sound of the wind gradually faded. When I opened my eyes again, a red gemstone necklace suddenly caught my eye.
“Did they say it was enchanted?”
According to the Tower Master, this necklace seems to have defensive magic, detection, teleportation, and even curse magic.
Even just lightly touching it, I could feel no hint of mana, which meant it was quite an intricate spell.
“Abel…”
Abel had handled my necklace earlier in the morning. Back then, I thought the necklace was actually spinning, but it seems that was just an excuse to cast magic.
“Was I really that concerning?”
I could accept the defensive and teleportation magic, but curse magic? I didn’t want to admit it, but as the Tower Master said, it did feel like overprotection.
Of course, when I thought about my actions…
“It was concerning.”
Wasn’t I reckless for directly confronting a mysterious knight to protect Lily at the auction?
During the Hunt Festival, didn’t I nearly die after being pushed off a cliff while facing a calamity-level monster?
I don’t know about Abel, but I died a total of three times in the imperial library. Reflecting on these events finally made me realize how reckless I had been.
From a third party’s perspective, it really seemed like my death didn’t scare me at all.
“Ha…”
It was bizarre to act as if I had multiple lives and not feel worried. I felt a bit sorry for Abel, having caused him unintended worry.
“Let’s be a bit more careful next time.”
Clack. Clack.
Familiar shoe sounds approached. When I turned my head, I saw Estelle awkwardly smiling. Rev wasn’t with her, apparently.
Well, having the Tower Master linger at a tea party wouldn’t be good for anyone. It must’ve been a hassle for Estelle to avoid unnecessary gossip too.
“I’m sorry. Rev caused a lot of trouble, didn’t he?”
I waved my hand at her, seeing her bow her head deeply. She wasn’t the type to dwell on such things, and it wasn’t her fault in the first place.
If anything, it was Rev’s fault for barging in without permission.
“No, I’m fine.”
“I’m relieved, but…”
Estelle still looked apologetic, standing awkwardly with her head down. Seeing her in discomfort, I lightly patted the seat next to me and spoke up.
“It must be uncomfortable; would you like to sit next to me?”
“If it’s alright, I’d be delighted.”
She nodded and gracefully sat on the bench.
Then there was an awkward silence again. Estelle seemed lost in her thoughts, not minding the quiet.
Just when the atmosphere started to feel stifling, she was the one to break the silence first.
“What do you think of Rev, Miss Adele?”
“How do I put it… I don’t know him well since we just met.”
In fact, I was close to disliking him.
I just didn’t want to gossip about someone else, so I kept that to myself. Whether she knew it or not, Estelle fell back into her thoughts.
“I see.”
Her suggestive smile made me tilt my head. Did I seem like I was interested in him?
If that were the case, I wanted to set the record straight. It didn’t seem like she was asking in that context anyway.
So why did she ask that? I couldn’t think of a valid reason.
While I was lost in thought, Estelle asked again.
“What do you think of the Crown Prince?”
The Crown Prince.
The man the original Adele adored.
And the trash who played all kinds of tricks on me.
‘What happened in the original story?’
The villainess, Adele von Este.
The only daughter of Duke Este and the fiancée of the Crown Prince. When the Crown Prince developed feelings for Estelle, Adele became jealous.
Driven by that jealousy, she committed all sorts of evil acts against her, thus becoming the villainess.
I wasn’t sure if it was because of that, but Duke Este was demoted to a Count.
Exiled from high society due to her fallen status and the infamous reputation spread throughout the capital, she eventually…
Made an extreme choice.
And the Crown Prince, rather than feeling pity, laughed at her right before Estelle’s eyes, calling her a stupid girl hung up on love.
It was something my friend, who liked the original work, had told me about why she was the only one among the male leads to dislike the Crown Prince.
‘…How did Adele end up liking such a person?’
The only ones who could answer my question had long disappeared. No matter how much I called out in my mind after being reincarnated, no voice would come out.
Though I took over that body, ironically, I had no interest in the Crown Prince whatsoever.
Things changed a bit after I approached Estelle to become friends, though.
“Now… it’s just whatever.”
At one point, I had resented the Crown Prince.
When I tried to approach Estelle, he pushed me to the brink with all kinds of tricks. I harbored hatred for him as I struggled through the pain of death.
However, at the first banquet I had with Abel, seeing the Crown Prince’s antics again made me feel regret. Why did I bear any hatred for such a pathetic human?
The decisive moment came from a remark Abel made.
“He’s like an idiot, isn’t he?”
Even objectively speaking, the Crown Prince was indeed an idiot. He only looked threatening because of the sword he held, but the way he wielded it was like a child.
Thanks to Abel, I realized that fact. Otherwise, I might have kept fearing and resenting him.
For being someone akin to a spoiled child.
“I’m glad. I was a bit worried.”
“Yeah?”
In response to my question, she paused for a moment to play with her wrist, then slowly spoke up.
“I learned about what the Crown Prince did to you.”
Looking a bit bitter, Estelle sighed. Her pumpkin-colored eyes were on me, filled with emotions like worry and guilt.
“How harsh it was.”
Harsh, huh?
That wasn’t wrong.
Assassination attempts were basic, and poison attempts were frequent. In severe cases, he even tried to erase traces using bandits.
Of course, most of that became nonexistent as I repeated my reincarnations. But that didn’t mean the wounds I received were erased.
“I didn’t know he meant it when he said he’d protect me.”
Did I say that to Estelle?
What an absurd statement. Did I not want to be hated by the person I liked?
“I’ll apologize on behalf of him.”
Now, I finally understood the reason behind Estelle’s kindness towards me. Although unintentional, she had felt responsible for putting another person in danger.
My wariness towards her had lessened a bit.
“No, you don’t need to do that.”
But this was a matter between me and the Crown Prince. It wasn’t something she could apologize for or should.
“An apology that one doesn’t give personally has no meaning.”
“…You’re right. I misunderstood.”
Estelle, who appeared surprised for a moment with her wide eyes fixed on me, soon nodded.
“It’s alright. It’s not your fault, Estelle.”
When I said that, she merely smiled softly and didn’t say anything more. Was she feeling some guilt towards me?
The one who should feel guilty was that Crown Prince. Another silence fell over us. Amidst the awkward atmosphere, Estelle seemed quietly pondering something.
To change the mood, I asked a question this time.
“Um… what do you think of His Majesty the Emperor?”
“His Majesty the Emperor, you mean.”
I flinched slightly at the grimace that crossed her face. The question I threw in to change the topic ended up being a landmine.
Just as I was hastily trying to redirect the conversation, Estelle looked at me directly.
There was a feeling I couldn’t quite put my finger on in her pumpkin-colored eyes.
It wasn’t anger but too calm for it to be hatred, and it was too quiet for sorrow.
There was something mysteriously complex in that feeling, making me unable to speak.
Before I could gather my thoughts, Estelle opened her mouth first.
“Do you happen to know where His Majesty the Emperor’s hometown is?”
“I’m not sure.”
“It’s the capital of the Kingdom of Prillecha, Ark.”
That name was familiar. I definitely heard it in history class.
“That kingdom is…?”
“Yes. It’s been long destroyed by the Empire of Arye.”
I faintly recalled that from the imperial history class Allen taught. The Kingdom of Prillecha had been the strongest kingdom among all the countries outside of the Empire of Arye.
If I remembered correctly, the Kingdom of Prillecha fell around the year 1014 of the Empire. The current Emperor ascended the throne in the year 1002.
Suddenly, I felt something was off.
The current Emperor’s hometown was the Kingdom of Prillecha. That kingdom fell to the Empire of Arye 12 years after the current Emperor ascended.
“Did you catch on?”
A chill went down my spine seeing Estelle smile slightly as she said that.
“What do you mean?”
Did the Emperor destroy his own hometown with his own hands? For what reason?
No, how could a person born in the Kingdom of Prillecha become the Emperor of the Empire of Arye in the first place?
“Could it be—”
“Shh.”
“…Estelle?”
“Did that give you a hint?”
She smiled as she said that, and I felt the chill deepen.
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