Erica, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, was full of energy.
If the outside was calm and refined, now it felt like her eyes were unleashed, like a puppy with its leash off.
It seemed that the mansion’s staff didn’t mind how she looked.
She talked so much during the meal that I thought maybe she wasn’t that hungry at first.
But with her asking for more food plate after plate, it was clear she hadn’t had a proper meal in the lab.
After all, she’s been under Ludwig’s guidance…
Thinking about that made it understandable why she had so much to say.
If it were Ludwig, he would’ve banned any useless chatter in the lab.
Erica must’ve been pouring out all the words she’d been holding back for almost two weeks.
“What? You’re planning to take 50 credits next semester? Is that even possible?”
“Well, if you live a little busy, I guess it could be possible. I don’t need to eat or sleep, right?”
“That’s not what I meant. I’m asking if the system allows for 50 credits.”
“Hmm… I think it will somehow work out?”
I hadn’t really thought about that.
Who am I?
The omnipotent owner, that’s who.
I just vaguely thought it would work out somehow.
*Hrmm* “Seriously, you worry about nothing, huh?”
“Of course not. Not at all…”
Erica’s words were true.
Nowadays, my worries had completely disappeared.
Hearing about tensions between nations or local wars used to make my heart skip a beat, but these days it didn’t bother me at all.
I just thought, “If they fight, let them fight,” and that was it.
But it was starting to make me a bit scared.
I felt like I was becoming less human.
It was unsettling, as if I was starting to see myself as an entity far removed from humanity, and that scared me.
What if, in the end, I became numb to human affairs?
What if I just watch them fight and destroy each other like arrogant gods from Olympus?
Just imagining it sent a shiver down my spine.
“Schlus.”
“…”
The moment I felt Erica’s breath beside me, I jerked in surprise, my body trembling.
Only after I felt her warm hand gently wrap around mine did I notice the cold sweat beading on my forehead.
“Worries? You’ll have plenty from now on. Sometimes I think you tend to be overly positive, Schlus, but your fiancées don’t necessarily get along well. You’re going to have a ton of headaches until your wedding. And after you get married and have kids? Then you’ll have nonstop things to worry about.”
“You’re right… That makes sense…”
“Look into my eyes, Schlus.”
“I’m looking.”
“You’re the one who seduced me, remember? Including me, there are six of us. You’ve got to take responsibility. It won’t be easy, and I’ll make sure you know it. You won’t get a moment of peace; sometimes I’ll bother you all at once, sometimes one after another. You better be prepared, Schlus.”
“Yeah…”
Me? Thinking too positively?
That was something I’d never heard before in my life.
So it made me laugh even more.
I snuck my wrist and intertwined our fingers, and Erica gasped, blushing in surprise.
How come she could whisper flirty things when she was this close but still blush about holding hands?
“The lake is beautiful. It looks like it holds the night sky…”
“Yeah. I’m glad we came on a clear day.”
“Why is it clear today, of all days?”
“Ah. Can it be… no, right?”
Watching Erica’s pupils tremble, I almost couldn’t hold back my laughter.
Of course, I had the power to change the weather, but I wouldn’t use it for personal matters.
I planned to use it only in public when it was absolutely necessary.
Like on my wedding day, for instance.
“But it really is beautiful.”
Sitting on the bench at the back of the garden, the view of the lake took my breath away.
The wide lake reflected the starry night sky perfectly, making it feel as if the world had flipped upside down.
I couldn’t believe I could see this from inside the house.
Truly, the rich are different.
“*Hehe*. Remember? You were about to lose your mind in that cave back there.”
“I remember. If I had been a little later, I would have become a useless case.”
“Hmm. Looking back now, maybe I was just a bit late? I think that’s when your personality started to change.”
“Shut up.”
The events from that place came flooding back, as if they had just happened.
I couldn’t help it.
The Majin’s supernatural memory dragged me into an unforgettably cursed memory.
Thanks to that, the image of Erica in soaked underwear nearly transparent came to mind.
Come to think of it, that underwear was the same one she had just shown me before running away…
The memories quickly rewound, showcasing the scene of the wooden boat slowly slicing through the sunlight on the water.
Soon, a petite girl shyly sitting and humming, using my chest as a backrest, came into my sight.
A smile formed naturally.
“Are you thinking about another girl right now?”
“Yeah. Your sister.”
“Ah…”
Erica’s grip on my hand tightened.
Slowly, her head inclined until it rested on my shoulder.
A soft, pained sound slipped from her mouth as she rubbed her cheek against my shoulder.
“Maybe it’s a bit too much right now. Should we talk later?”
“No, now is good. Talk to me now…”
“*Haa…* Where should I start?”
A deep sigh escaped me.
I realized I had to tell everyone sooner or later.
Who I was, where I came from.
There were two people who deserved to hear it first.
Erica and Iris.
Iris had met the version of Schlus that wasn’t me, and Erica lost her sister to me.
So I decided to tell them first and gradually reveal everything to everyone else.
For this reason, I marked Erica as the first person to share my story with.
If I didn’t tell her everything, if I didn’t reveal the truth, I’d never be able to face her directly.
I didn’t want to touch her inner self without being honest.
So I decided to reveal everything today.
Even if this decision twisted our relationship, I didn’t care.
It was something I had to say someday.
“Erica, you see, Julia looks exactly like someone I knew. No, it’s not just ‘looks similar’—she’s completely identical, except she’s a little younger. But it’s no coincidence. In fact, Julia is…”
In the end, I said it all.
Everything without skipping a beat.
While doing so, I couldn’t bring myself to look into Erica’s eyes.
I couldn’t see what kind of expression she had.
Sweat formed between our intertwined hands.
Every now and then, Erica would squeeze my hand tightly, and then, feeling suffocated, she would fidget her fingers.
Nevertheless, she never once let go of my hand.
She just quietly stood there, softly breathing, listening intently.
“… So that’s why I decided to stay here. I made a vow to myself. You all are here too. I couldn’t just leave like that. That’s my story.”
“That’s… it? That’s all? There’s nothing more?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry. It must have been sudden.”
Erica’s hand trembled.
It was certainly a difficult story to digest quickly.
I understood if she showed some reaction.
No, I had to understand.
I bore that obligation.
‘Did I miss the timing?’
A bitter smile graced my lips.
Perhaps the idea of staying overnight at Lichtenburg Mansion was too much to ask.
Shouldn’t I give Erica some time to think?
Just as I was about to suggest we head inside as the night wind began to chill,
“Schlus…”
Erica’s hand suddenly pulled me back.
I had no choice but to sit back down to face Erica.
With her head hung low, she looked ready to collapse, shivering.
“Does that mean… I’m the only one who hasn’t known?”
“There was one more.”
“Who?”
“Your sister.”
“Then, then… I’ve been rotting away with no one knowing?”
“Something like that.”
“How could you do that? How could you… how could you bear this all alone?”
*Drip. Drip.*
Raindrops fell onto the bench.
Before I knew it, tears were drying up faster than the raindrops, splattering here and there as they fell.
The rain slowly started to soak the bench, and soon it was noticeable.
“Erica, since it’s raining—”
“Don’t go. Stay with me.”
Once again, I was caught by Erica.
This time, instead of lightly pulling me, she sat facing me on my thighs, pushing me back onto the bench.
After almost 30 minutes apart, Erica’s eyes were stained with water, making it hard to tell if it was rain or tears.
“I’ve always… always felt it. That Schlus might suddenly disappear. That you could turn into someone else. I don’t know why, but those thoughts keep creeping in. Until now, I thought it was just my imagination, but it wasn’t. I was scared. I was scared, you jerk…”
“I’m sorry.”
“What are you apologizing for? I’m the one who didn’t realize.”
“How could you figure it out? I didn’t say anything.”
“Even so… If you really cared, you should have noticed…”
You think you’re some fortune teller?
How can you understand the mind of a guy who doesn’t say a word?
I let out a chuckle despite the circumstances.
Then, I soothed Erica’s back as she buried her face into my chest, sobbing gently.
Gently caressing her beautiful back that was gradually getting wet in the rain.
“I’ll bring you back down.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ll make sure you don’t feel special… I’ll pull you back to a normal human position. You’re just a slightly good-looking, considerate, and kind human to me. So don’t think foolishly. If you think of me as a character from the novel you wrote, then I’ll… I’ll cry.”
“You’ll cry?”
“Yeah. Really sadly. As if my heart is being ripped apart. And my heart will be shattered too.”
“No way. Don’t worry. That’ll never happen again…”
“Really…?”
“Of course.”
“You foolish idiot. Stupid idiot. I love you. I love you, I love you…”
Erica cried in my arms for a while longer.
I wasn’t sure what context made her feel that sorrow, but I simply stroked her wet hair, accepting it all.
By now, the rain had become heavier, pouring down hard enough to hurt my ears.
As Erica’s sobs began to fade, I took her hand and hurried inside the mansion.
Standing in front of the fireplace, I realized something.
Had I used a barrier or flame magic, I wouldn’t have been drenched like this…
*Pff. Pheehee…*
“Why are you laughing?”
“You look just like a drowned rat. Hehe.”
“You are the one soaked in… um…”
I glanced at Erica, who was smiling innocently, her thin house clothes clinging to her body, revealing everything underneath.
That sight stole my words, leaving me utterly speechless.
“Ah.”
“…”
Noticing how she looked, Erica suddenly blushed and wrapped her arms around my waist.
Seeing her think that was the best way to block my view made me laugh.
With an earnest look, she seemed to say, “Didn’t see anything, right?” as she desperately gazed up at me.
I wanted to say something, but bizarrely, my mouth only opened and closed without any words coming out.
It seemed Erica was in the same boat, her eyes piercing mine, pleading silently for something.
Had Emilia given Erica some of those kinds of tips?
Neither Erica nor I were fools.
We both had an inkling of what each other was thinking right now.
