Chapter 47
There is a noticeable building in our estate.
Among the simple wooden houses, a chapel rises high.
The spire stretches upward, and the windows are adorned with colorful stained glass.
The solid gray stone walls create a solemn atmosphere.
Its appearance is so foreign compared to the monotonous scenery around it.
At first, it was surprising.
But it didn’t take long to understand why.
“The day is approaching. Let’s prepare for the memorial service.”
During the time when my father was called Baron Julian.
Every winter, we held a grand ceremony there.
Upon entering, you first see the large pillars and neatly arranged chairs.
At the very back, there is an altar.
“It is the resting place of our family’s bloodline.”
My father would always say this.
Two statues were placed beneath the altar, and it was easy to understand what they represented.
My mother, Amelia Tilburg, the Baroness.
And my younger brother, Alphonse Tilburg.
Honestly, I’ve never seen the faces of either of them.
I was reincarnated after they passed.
They say that day, it snowed heavily.
***
In my previous life, I died in a car accident.
When I woke up, it was another world.
An uncomfortable bed.
The face of a stranger looking down at me with a worried expression.
Whispers came from people around.
“It must be hard for you, Julian.”
“To think something like this would happen on your estate.”
It wasn’t hard to deduce the situation.
The owner of this body is a boy named Anton Tilburg.
He went out to have a snowball fight with his mother and younger brother, but went missing.
A few hours later, he was found under the rubble of a collapsed building.
Most buildings here are made of wood.
They would have been utterly inadequate to withstand the weight of deep snow.
It was a tragedy.
The two of them lost their lives on the spot, while only I survived and was rescued.
If I hadn’t been reincarnated, fate might have been different.
In any case, I suppose I should be grateful.
“Anton? Do you remember me?”
When my father asked this, I replied, “Who are you?”
“Oh! It seems you’ve lost your memory as a side effect.”
Thanks to this convenient excuse, it was easy to adapt.
Gradually, I became the boy named Anton of the Tilburg Barony.
It wasn’t hard to learn the culture and etiquette of this world.
Several years have passed since then.
After the accident, my father strictly forbade me from going outside.
But that day, he said there was somewhere we needed to go, and we left the mansion together.
It was winter.
“It’s where your mother and Alphonse are resting.”
The place we arrived at was the chapel.
It seemed they had built it anew to honour their spirits.
In this world, they have a concept of a goddess.
When people die, they all go to her side for protection, and those left behind hold a memorial service to ask her to care for them.
A memorial service.
Every year, I would go to that place to see the faces of my mother and younger brother, whom I had never known.
“It’s starting to get cold.”
And this year, just as always.
“Let’s prepare for the memorial service.”
Winter had come.
***
“I would like you to perform.”
“Understood.”
Until last year, the ceremony had been simple with just a prayer.
But starting this year, they seemed to want to change the approach.
A requiem, perhaps.
Certainly.
If it’s something I can do, it’s worth doing.
“Leave the rest to Theo and me.”
With my father’s lead, preparations in the chapel began bustling.
Candles surrounding the altar were lit, and the priest burned incense.
Ordinarily, I would have helped, but knowing I was busy, they purposefully excused me.
I’m grateful for that.
So I absolutely mustn’t disappoint them.
“A requiem…”
I went straight home and sat in front of the piano.
If it’s a song suitable for mass, I could name ten pieces right away.
I have confidence in choosing something appropriate.
But.
My fingers wouldn’t move.
I took a deep breath.
A requiem.
A mass for the dead.
I’ve lived several years here under the name Anton Tilburg.
At the same time, memories of my original world have gradually faded.
Yet.
Sometimes, I still think about it.
How are those I left behind faring in the world I disappeared from?
My real family is all there.
For the first time in a long while, I closed my eyes and remembered the past.
The moments I spent with everyone in the world where my original self existed.
Just as winter has come here, surely winter would be visiting there, year after year.
Softly, I muttered words I would never again be able to say to them.
“Merry Christmas.”
Suddenly, a piece came to mind.
Perhaps it’s not a traditional requiem.
But one thing I’m sure of.
“A comfort for everyone who has lost someone in both worlds.”
***
The day of the memorial service.
With Theo, I moved the piano into the chapel.
Thanks to a few servants helping, it went smoothly.
Father said nothing.
Usually, he would say something like, “I’m looking forward to your performance.”
But he just quietly patted my shoulder.
The chapel was filled with the estate’s residents.
I even saw some faces of nearby noble families, including Count Haverland.
They were people I’d seen at the previous gathering.
The candlelight gently illuminated the altar, and I approached the piano with a trembling heart.
And once again, I whispered a phrase quietly.
Merry Christmas.
In this world, Christmas has no meaning.
It is part of the history and culture of reality.
So, I have no idea what thoughts came to mind for those watching.
But that’s alright.
This is music.
Music is understood through emotions.
Slowly, I placed my hands on the keys.
They were cold.
The light reflected from the chapel window cast a pale glow on one side of my face.
“Merry Christmas, Mr. Laurent.”
The first note rang softly, drawing out memories that had been forgotten.
The air began to shift.
The bass notes in my left hand were heavy and solemn, embodying a weighty emotion.
In contrast, the high notes in my right hand were clear and pure.
A collision.
The two melodies intertwined and moved forward together.
***
This piece, composed by a famous Japanese composer, is a soundtrack from a movie of the same name.
The main theme of the movie is the clash between two worlds.
The protagonists, facing war, collide in their differing values and humanity.
Gradually, the boundary between them blurs.
Two worlds that seemed impossible to unite become bound together by the medium of Christmas.
In the end, one character says “Merry Christmas” to an officer from an enemy nation with an open heart, and the movie concludes.
There is no Christmas in this world.
I am the only one who remembers that grand celebration.
But that is precisely why I am playing it.
This is both a requiem for my mother and brother, whom I don’t remember, and a requiem for everyone who had to let go of the real me.
A requiem I dedicate to myself.
Another year is passing.
Winter always comes, and snow still falls from the sky.
Under that sky, I have stood on the boundary between two worlds until now.
The world I left and the place I reside in.
As more time passes, I might forget everything from my past.
So for the last time.
While even a part of my heart still remains there.
I selfishly wish to convey it.
To everyone, Merry Christmas.
I am doing well here.
The performance ended like that.
I slowly stood up.
There was no applause.
I took one step forward.
The world I had pieced together with excuses split in half.
I knew where I had to go.
A life as Anton, the eldest son of the Tilburg family.
I could never turn back again.
But if there is one thing I wish for.
When I introduce myself, I always add the word “Eldest.”
Because I want everyone to remember the existence of my younger brother.
It’s a little funny, considering I’ve never actually seen his face.
In any case.
So somewhere, I hope at least one person remembers me.
Because being forgotten is a sad thing.
Warm sunlight poured into the chapel.
It seems that morning has arrived.
***
Not long after the memorial service ended,
I visited the theatre and met Edward.
“Did you receive the permit?”
I asked.
To construct a building in the capital, one must receive permission from the church or the imperial family.
“Well, about that…”
What could it be?
Judging by his hesitation, it didn’t seem like good news.
“They said there’s no land left in the capital.”
“I see.”
Expanding the theatre would mean tearing down the original facility and rebuilding it.
To make that possible, we would need a larger piece of land.
“Well, the capital is densely packed.”
“It would be unreasonable to tear down a perfectly good commercial area to build a theatre.”
In that case, I’ll need to find another way.
“I’ll ask Father about it.”
It doesn’t have to be in the capital.
If there’s available land in Father’s estate, building it there is also an option.
The place I currently live in is too small, so that probably won’t work.
“Then, please do.”
After saying goodbye to Edward, I immediately set off.
—
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