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Chapter 55
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“L-Lan?! What are you doing here…?”
Elma’s expression turned to shock upon seeing me.
“Do you know this person?”
“…He is a junior participating as my partner in this competition.”
At the mention of a partner, the head of the family narrowed her eyes.
It was obvious she didn’t approve.
“Your partner? A man?”
Her gaze, filled with a mix of disdain and coldness, was directed at Elma.
“Is this intentional?”
“What do you mean?”
“You keep involving men in your life.”
Clench.
Elma ground her teeth.
Yet, she only clenched her fists tightly and silently listened without retorting.
“Here’s some advice. Discard any useless emotions. Only by abandoning trivial attachments and contemplating the future can one become truly strong.”
“If that’s what defines strength… I’d rather put down my sword.”
“Heh, I know better than anyone that you cannot put down your sword.”
The head of the family tilted her head slightly.
“Save your arrogance for those who deserve it.”
“……”
“Well, I’ll be watching. If you’re truly worthy of succeeding me, you should be able to win with a mere man as your partner.”
She passed by Elma and approached me.
“Hmph… Black hair. I can see why that child is attached to you.”
Black hair.
It was said that the man who had taken on the role of Elma’s father also had black hair.
Step, step.
That was all she said.
As if I was no longer of any interest to her, the head of the family left without a backward glance.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve encountered such complete indifference.’
As a male student in Polaris, I had always been the centre of attention in this world.
But the head of the family barely acknowledged me, sparing only a fleeting glance because I was Elma’s partner.
“…I showed you an unsightly side of myself. I’m sorry.”
Elma slumped her shoulders as she spoke.
“I find it hard to control my emotions around her….”
“It’s not your fault. If anything, it’s my fault for overhearing your conversation here.”
To be precise, it was Black Lotus that had brought me here.
Had I acted quickly, I might have left before the head of the family noticed me.
‘…But that probably wouldn’t have been possible.’
It’s not easy to escape the senses of someone that skilled.
“That person is….”
“Yes, the head of my family. She is… my mother.”
For someone referring to their mother, the tone was exceptionally detached.
I knew the reason well enough.
“I never imagined she would come all the way here. She doesn’t usually move unless it’s a battle situation…!”
“She must have learned about your actions.”
“You mean… my activities?”
“That you’ve been participating without using your family name.”
This was just my assumption, though.
“The head’s goal is likely to raise the family’s prestige while diminishing your influence within it.”
However, if Elma participated incognito and won…
“This would result in the exact opposite of what the head wants. The family’s name would remain hidden, while your achievements alone would stand out.”
Publicly, Elma’s victory would be announced.
And within the family, her standing would grow stronger.
“But if the head intervenes here….”
“My victory could end up being credited to the family.”
In normal circumstances, it wouldn’t be a major issue.
The successor is, after all, the future head.
Elevating the family name is akin to elevating one’s own.
However, in a situation like this where the head and the successor are in conflict, things become highly problematic.
The stronger the head’s influence grows, the harder it becomes to oppose her.
To stand against the current tide of the family’s power is like bracing oneself against a massive wave.
“…I’ve been had.”
Elma’s fists trembled with frustration.
“Still… don’t worry.”
“Huh?”
“I won’t give up on winning just because of this. For you, who believed in me and came here, I’ll do my best in this competition.”
She concealed her emotions and forced a smile.
“…Senior.”
“Yes?”
“Come with me for a moment.”
***
“Here.”
“What… what is this?”
“Cotton candy. I remember seeing you enjoy sweet things last time.”
“Ugh… that’s….”
I led Elma to a spot with a clear view of the scenery.
The sun was setting on the horizon.
Twilight cast its warm glow over the festival streets below.
“I heard that eating something sweet helps when you’re feeling down.”
“That’s something men say, isn’t it?”
“…Is it?”
“I’ve heard a few men say that while passing by dessert shops.”
Elma took a small piece of the cotton candy and placed it in her mouth.
After chewing a few times, she smiled faintly.
“It’s sweet.”
As she slowly ate about half of the cotton candy,
“Senior.”
I started speaking.
“The reason you want to win this competition, the reason you want to solidify your position in the family… it’s all for your younger brother, isn’t it?”
“……”
Elma, who had been moving her hands, suddenly stopped and nodded.
“Yes, that’s correct. It’s so that when he comes back someday, I can provide him with a place where he can rest in comfort.”
A child who had been persecuted all his life.
A child who, in the end, lost even his place to stand.
“To make sure it’s safe now… so that this kind of thing never happens again.”
When he drags his exhausted body back home,
At least he won’t have to tremble in fear.
“I want to become his shadow.”
“Even if it means sacrificing half of your life?”
“If it’s for him, I wouldn’t hesitate to dedicate not just half, but my entire life.”
Elma’s voice was resolute.
“I was saved by my father. So I thought I had to save him, my father’s bloodline.”
Once emotions begin to surge, they swell like a river after heavy monsoon rain.
A glimmer of tears appeared at the corners of her eyes.
“But… I was wrong. In truth, I’m the one being saved by him once again.”
“……”
“After my father passed away, in a world turned gray once more, he kept me alive. But he wasn’t even treated properly within the family. He was constantly discriminated against, looked down upon, and couldn’t even study in peace.”
And the reason for that was clear.
“It’s because of me.”
“…What?”
“Because I exist… he was demoted from the heir of the family to a mere hindrance. He gave me faith and love… but I repaid him with exile from the family and terrible treatment.”
Every word she spoke
became a blade piercing her own flesh.
…Drop!
A single tear slid across her pale cheek.
Drop! Drop!
Like a dam bursting,
The tears began to fall more fiercely.
“All I did was take… without shame….”
Elma’s expression crumbled.
“Every day, I’m terrified… thinking he might be enduring horrible things somewhere… everything feels like a sin….”
To sleep soundly.
To eat delicious food.
To maintain a normal life at the academy.
To enjoy the ordinary routines of daily life.
“Hic…! Sob…!”
For Elma, those were all sins.
“Let me just say one thing.”
I didn’t console her carelessly.
I didn’t offer words of comfort or encouragement.
Empathizing with a pain I’ve never experienced would be nothing but deceit.
“I’m neither wiser nor smarter than you, senior. I can’t give advice like telling you it’s foolish to dedicate your life to someone or that you should live for yourself.”
Guiding someone’s direction is always a task that requires caution.
When judging others based on your own standards, you must bear the corresponding responsibility.
Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me how Elma chooses to live.
Even if she gives up opposing the head of the family or decides not to look for her younger brother.
At most, I’d feel regretful, but I have no right to criticize her for it.
“But I can say this much.”
The words I could offer were words anyone could say.
But infusing them with sincerity isn’t something everyone can do.
“If you’ve decided to do something, let’s give it your all.”
Even if it’s a path shrouded in darkness with no end in sight.
If you’ve decided to walk it, then you must walk it.
Occasionally glancing back,
You might wonder if things would’ve been different had you taken another road,
But even so, you must move forward.
You can’t remain bound to something you can’t turn back from.
At the very least,
“At the final moment, make sure you can say you tried your best.”
“……”
“Even if it all turns to nothing, leave behind a strong enough trace. Let’s leave something, however small, in this world.”
Nothing in this world is meaningless.
‘Yeah.’
Even before I was reincarnated,
My wretched life eventually touched someone.
If someone as remarkable as Elma tries,
“You can do it.”
“……”
“Ahem. By the way, I was thinking. A great way to erase the family name during the competition might be….”
Hug!
At that moment,
A soft sensation buried itself into my chest.
“W-What, senior?”
“Thank… you….”
Elma spoke in a voice laden with tears, squeezing out each word with difficulty.
“For not calling me foolish… truly….”
I silently patted her back for a long while.
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