Chapter 51
“Hiss!”
Black Lotus rubbed its head against my cheek.
“What’s wrong?”
“Hiss….”
“You sense something bothering me?”
“Hiss, hiss!”
Black Lotus nodded as if affirming.
A ‘Shadow’ that even cares about its master’s state of mind.
“It’s nothing big. Just… I’ve been thinking about Elma.”
“Hiss.”
The words Elma said to me today kept circling in my head.
‘I had no idea such a thing happened.’
During gameplay, I had cleared the main quest countless times, and even more side quests.
But I had never paid much attention to or focused on each minor story.
After all, the background stories of mere NPCs wouldn’t give great rewards or hold much importance.
However, Elma’s expression as she told this story…
“…….”
She looked as if she was about to cry.
Her restless hands seemed like they wanted to hold her younger brother close at any moment, and her trembling eyes looked as if transparent tears would spill at any second.
I never expected there to be such a story behind that face she made whenever she thought of her family.
‘Is that why she doesn’t use her family name openly?’
If she acted under her family name, it would raise the status of her family in turn.
For someone like her, who has ample reasons to despise her family, there’s no reason to highlight the name.
‘The higher the family name rises, the more people get pushed aside.’
There are rare cases where individuals develop their power independently and leave the family through a form of self-reliance.
But mostly, unworthy members lose their family name and are expelled.
It’s a common practice in the noble families of the Valdeon Saga.
It’s also a plot device often used to reveal twists about heroines or other characters.
‘A timid, useless pauper turns out to be the child of a powerful family?!’
That sort of thing.
It seemed like a convenient setup to link other stories naturally, connected to the family.
“The reality is even harsher.”
When I think about it, I, too, was expelled from my family.
From that place, Oldeire or whatever it was called.
“It’s not entirely someone else’s story.”
For a brief moment.
I thought about the possibility that I could be Elma’s younger brother.
But.
[We can no longer tolerate your violent nature and bizarre behaviour. The family name of Oldeire is stripped from you, who has tarnished our honour.]
When I recall the [Exile Notice] I saw on the first day of my possession, it doesn’t seem likely.
Elma’s younger brother is a frail, sickly youth.
‘Someone like that wouldn’t be expelled for a reason like this.’
Even if he were the head of the family, he wouldn’t fabricate a reason to exile someone.
He could certainly add weight to existing accusations, but still.
‘Alben’ was tagged with the [Tyrant] and [Brute] keywords.
Before I possessed him, he was likely a total disaster.
“Hissss~.”
Black Lotus coiled itself on my stomach.
I chuckled and stroked its long body with my fingers.
“…Elma aiming to win this tournament.”
It’s probably to raise her standing within her family.
She likely has no interest in the ‘prize’ itself.
“As a partner, she’s the best.”
Skilled and driven to win, but not greedy for the prize.
The fact that Elma offered me a spot in the competition is a big stroke of luck.
‘So.’
Maybe, later on, helping her find her younger brother.
I could lend a small hand.
“Ahem, ahem.”
Anyway, that’s that.
Now it’s time to get ‘really prepared.’
The prize and all that can only be obtained if the tournament ends successfully, right?
“First of all….”
Knock, knock!
Just then, the sound of a knock broke my concentration.
A knock echoing through the dorm at this late hour.
It’s perfect for triggering my trauma.
“Black Lotus.”
“Hiss!”
Before I even signalled, Black Lotus slipped into my sleeve, ready to transform.
‘If it’s Karen again…’
I’ll intimidate her until she’s sobbing her eyes out.
Until she knows exactly who’s in charge.
“Who is it?”
-…Ran? Are you there?
The strength I had gathered in my legs to kick down the door completely drained away.
“Princess?”
-Yes, it’s me.
Angela.
She had come to find me in the middle of the night.
***
“Sorry to bother you at such a late hour. Am I interrupting something?”
“No, not at all. I was just lying down with nothing to do.”
Angela and I strolled down the path under the night sky.
“By the way, what brings you here at this hour?”
“Hmm… I just felt like we haven’t spent much time together lately.”
Well.
I don’t say it, but I spend quite a bit of time with Angela.
We have lunch together without fail, she sits next to me in class, and unless there’s a specific reason, we stick together during spare time.
As I glanced at her with a curious expression, Angela gave a slight laugh.
“That’s just an excuse.”
She stepped a half-step ahead of me.
“There’s something I wanted to talk about.”
“Something you wanted to say?”
“Yes.”
Angela’s blonde hair shimmered under the silver moonlight.
As she turned slightly to look at me, there was an unusual atmosphere about her.
“Ran, you’re participating in the Festival of Stars, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“You know I’ll be joining as well, right?”
“…With the First Princess.”
The list of festival participants was released long ago.
As I’d expected, Angela would be competing alongside Fernia.
“So, this time, we’re enemies, aren’t we?”
“Well…”
“Pfft! Don’t look like that, Ran. I didn’t come here to lament about it. In fact, I’m quite happy right now.”
Was she being truthful?
Angela wore a relaxed smile.
“Ran, please don’t go easy on me at the festival.”
“…….”
“Don’t hesitate. Treat me as an opponent. Of course, I’ll treat you as one too.”
Angela’s gaze locked onto mine.
‘What is this?’
The woman standing before me was unmistakably Angela.
Her appearance, her speech—it was all her.
‘…But something feels off.’
A strange feeling lingered in the air.
It wasn’t a malevolent sensation, but it was distinctly different from her usual self.
“Ran?”
“Ah, yes. I’m listening.”
“A dazed Ran… That’s the first time I’ve seen that.”
Angela gave a small, teasing smile.
“Anyway, I’m not saying this because I dislike you. I just want to be completely serious about this festival. And…”
“And?”
“…I want to be acknowledged.”
She stepped closer to me.
The scent of flower petals lingered lightly at the tip of my nose.
“I want to prove that I can protect you.”
…An unexpected answer.
There was a strange allure in her slightly downcast eyes today.
I unconsciously took a small step back.
“You really don’t have to push yourself so hard.”
“Honestly… Can’t you let me keep a little dignity? A girl is trying to put on some bravado in front of a guy.”
She puffed out her cheeks in a pretend pout, though she soon broke into laughter.
“But there’s one more reason.”
“…Is it what I think it is?”
“Yes.”
Angela’s playful tone vanished, replaced with sincerity.
“This tournament is my chance to make my mark with the public. To let them see the Second Princess, who’s always overshadowed by her sister.”
Half of the royal family’s authority already rests under Fernia’s command.
But conversely, that means she hasn’t grasped it all.
‘Fernia isn’t invincible, after all.’
Politics is a complex web of competing interests.
For various reasons, there are factions that don’t support Fernia.
Not that they necessarily side with Angela either.
The reason Fernia is considered the next in line for the throne isn’t because she has won everyone over; it’s simply because there’s no other royal candidate who could replace her.
In these circumstances…
‘Angela could become a valuable piece on the board.’
Until now, it had been impossible.
The massive wall that is Fernia blocked any chance.
But now, a small breakthrough had appeared.
It was the presence of Polaris—and me.
“Princess, if that’s the case.”
“…It might be a burden for you. It could be seen as overstepping, an unrealistic dream. But I want to say it.”
Angela declared.
“I want to become the Emperor.”
In a night bathed in the light of the moon and stars,
The girl spoke of her grand ambition.
“Yes.”
As someone who chose to follow her,
It’s my duty to share the weight of those words.
“It will happen. I’ll make it so.”
One day,
In the light of the sun instead of the moon,
I look forward to discussing this dream.
***
“How did it go?”
-Hmm, not bad.
After parting with Ran,
Angela sat in the park, speaking to someone.
“Not bad? My wife is the best in all of history on this continent!”
-Oh really? Have you lived through all of history? You’re only saying that because you haven’t met my husband.
“I don’t need to meet him to know! My wife is someone no god could dare to beat!”
Angela twisted her legs and blushed.
-…You’re deeply infatuated, aren’t you?
A figure with silver hair floated above her, crossing their legs as they sat in mid-air.
-But, well.
Their gaze turned to Angela’s shadow.
Seeing ‘it’ lying curled within the shadow, they shrugged.
-At least he’s reliable. Hardly seems like a man.
“Right?! My wife is so diligent that last time I…”
-There you go again, ugh.
The figure looked exasperated and then seamlessly melted back into Angela’s body.
—
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