episode_0006

It’s been several weeks since I regressed and began staying in this mansion.

By now, even the comfort of my plush bed and this room has started to feel stifling.

I’m a proper member of the Grave Ducal House—shouldn’t I be carrying myself with more dignity than being cooped up like this?

Honestly?

I’m bored out of my mind being trapped in this room. Writing down future events is a day or two’s work at most, but repeating it over and over has become tedious.

Still, at least staying quietly holed up here has made the others lower their guard around me.

When the guards suddenly barged in last night and ransacked my room, I nearly jumped out of my skin, but I get it—it’s their job.

Given what I’ve done, that search was downright considerate.

And thanks to it, the mansion’s wariness toward me has probably dropped even further.

Now, let’s begin~

“A journey for my dreams, pika-chu~”

Humming softly, I opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

This one small step for me is a giant leap for mankind.

Once I took that first step, the rest came easy. I wandered the mansion, savoring my long-awaited freedom.

“Ah, I should sell this.”

A painting purchased by a former head of the Grave family hung proudly on the wall. Even as a ducal house, the Graves weren’t particularly interested in extravagance, so this was likely just something picked up haphazardly and hung here.

In my first run, I’d only seen this painting by chance while cleaning the mansion—it had been buried in the basement.

No one would ever guess this was a work by the genius painter Sevence.

Finding out had been pure luck.

A guest with deep knowledge of art had visited the mansion during my first run and recognized it.

Of course, knowing what would happen, I’d urged them to sell it quickly, but naturally, I was ignored.

“If it’s really a Sevence, its value will only rise just by keeping it,” they said.

And what happened?

Sevence’s hidden atelier was discovered, flooding the market with thousands of his works, and we ended up taking a massive loss.

I should find an opportunity to sell it first. Not that our house is strapped for cash—we’re still a ducal family, after all, with prime territory and close ties to the imperial family.

But that’s the family’s wealth, not mine. Who knows what the future holds? The more personal funds I have, the better.

“……”

Would taking the whole thing get me caught?

Clicking my tongue, I moved on.

I spent the rest of the time roaming the mansion, appraising various items. Of course, I made sure to hide quickly whenever I heard footsteps.

Given my current status—barely above a servant—getting caught by the staff would only earn me scorn. They’d probably grill me, wondering what crazy scheme I was plotting now.

But as they say, things never go as planned. As I turned a corner, I collided head-on with a maid.

BAM!

“KYAAAH?!”

“Ugh…”

After a solid itadakimasu (also known as a headbutt), the maid and I rubbed our sore heads and took a good look at each other.

Brown hair, wide, blinking eyes—more cute than pretty.

I could never forget her. Everything started going wrong after I failed to save her.

“Anna.”

“Eeeek?!?!”

No need to be that shocked. If anything, reacting like that hurts my feelings.

“F-Forgive me! How dare I commit such rudeness—”

“No, it’s my fault for wandering around carelessly. Are you… okay? If your head hurts, we could—”

“NoI’mFineThankYouForYourConcernButIHaveALotOfWorkToDoSoI’llBeGoingNow!”

Anna spat out her words in one breath and vanished, as if staying any longer would be disastrous.

Huh.

Maybe I have more standing in this mansion than I thought?

To test it, I deliberately crossed paths with a few more people.

“E-Excuse me!”

“I’m fine! Really!”

“All good here!”

Yeah, no way.

For a second, I’d thought I’d become invincible. But they weren’t avoiding me out of fear—more like disgust. They probably figured talking to a troublemaker like me was pointless.

It’s been a while since I turned over a new leaf, but their reactions still sting. I’ve been holed up quietly—couldn’t they give me a little trust?

At this rate, maybe going to the academy would be better. Speaking of, what’s the status of my enrollment now?

If I’m curious, I should ask.

“Hey!”

“Gah! E-Excuse me!”

I grabbed the wrist of a maid walking toward me.

“KYAAH?!”

Coincidentally, it was Anna—the same maid who’d bolted earlier.

Seriously, what kind of maid runs from her master?

Before she could scream loud enough to alert the whole mansion, I whispered quickly:

“I won’t bite, so keep it down. I just have a few questions.”

It took some coaxing to stop her trembling, but eventually, we managed a normal conversation.

“I know I’ve been a disgrace. But I’m trying to change that now.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I never even bothered to see how hard Chris was working—just clung to the family name like an idiot.”

“……”

Even empty words like these help build trust. And it’s not entirely a lie—I do respect Chris.

The more I spoke, the more Anna’s suspicious expression softened.

This is fun. I’ve got time to kill—might as well chat.

“So, what did you want to ask?”

“Just curious about my academy enrollment status.”

“The academy?”

“Yeah. I’ve caused enough trouble. Time to straighten up. Chris must’ve had it rough, huh?”

“You’re surprisingly aware. She was practically forced to leave the academy because she had to take over as heir—what exactly did you do?”

“Haha…”

I stayed silent. It wasn’t the first time I’d earned resentment over misunderstandings or unspoken reasons.

Even if I said it was all to stop the future Demon King’s army, I’d just be labeled a lunatic. Or worse—Chris might rush over, thinking I’d regained my memories, to apologize.

“What about Chris? She should still be enrolled, right?”

In the original story, the academy was a four-year program. The protagonist, Eric, received his revelation at the start of his second year and took a leave of absence right after the first semester.

Naturally, in my first run, I’d followed suit—raising hell from day one.

If I was going to regress, why not send me back to the start of the second year? Instead, I’m stuck in this tangled mess. Feels like someone’s messing with me.

“Lady Chris? She’s still attending the academy.”

“What?”

“She commutes between the academy and the mansion every day. We’ve told her to just stay at the academy, but she insists on coming home.”

I had no idea.

“Wait.”

“Yes?”

A question popped into my head.

“Daily commute? The academy and Grave Mansion are close, but it’s not exactly an easy distance.”

“It was Lady Chris’s strong wish. Since you were both students, she said she’d take responsibility. She was already a promising talent with great friendships, but the commute’s been wearing her out.”

Anna glanced at me.

“If she didn’t have to worry about someone else, she could’ve fully focused on honing her talents.”

“Yeah. Having a useless older brother must’ve been tough.”

Though Anna’s tone was accusatory, I brushed it off. She wasn’t wrong, and reacting to every jab would just exhaust me.

Besides, I failed to save her in my first run. If this is my penance, so be it.

“But since you brought up the academy… are you thinking of returning this semester?”

“Not sure yet.”

Technically, I could re-enroll anytime. I didn’t drop out because I couldn’t handle it—Chris practically forced me out.

Even without her, if I said I wanted to return, they’d take me back.

More students mean more tuition, after all.

“I don’t think I’m ready yet.”

Aside from Chris, the three main heroines are already at the academy.

They’ll remember everything too, so I’d have to constantly pretend to be amnesic around them—not easy.

One wrong word, one slip-up, and I’d be exposed. Especially with Eliana and Cecilia—they’re masters at interrogation.

“You’re lying.”

“Tch…!”

“If you’re going to deceive me, at least prepare better.”

Even if I told the truth, they wouldn’t believe me.

“My head hurts…”

“Huh? Don’t tell me you’re—!”

“It’s not that.”

Even if I tried avoiding them, given their statuses, they wouldn’t need to seek me out—they’d get all the information they wanted effortlessly.

And why wouldn’t they? One’s the princess of the continent’s strongest nation, another’s the heir to a ducal house, and the last two are the Saint and Hero chosen by the goddess.

Students would kill to report my every move if it meant currying favor with them.

If I ended up in the same class or lecture as them?

In the original story, that’d be a golden opportunity. Now? It’s like sitting on a time bomb.

“Damn it, I don’t know.”

The thought of facing those three at the academy is terrifying, but that’s a problem for later.

Right now, they’re probably too busy adjusting to this world anyway.

—

“Are you certain?”

A voice echoed through the innermost chamber of the imperial palace, the most opulent of all its rooms.

“Yes. For the past few weeks, Lady Christine has not returned to the dormitory. She’s told her classmates it’s due to personal matters.”

“Personal matters? How brazen. Of course she’d cling to her treasure, desperate to keep it out of sight. What of the other two I tasked you with?”

“Lady Cecilia shows no unusual activity, though her prayer time has increased recently. As for the commoner, Lu—”

“Lucella. Address her properly. She’s earned that much.”

“But Your Highness, to show such respect to a mere commoner—”

“Are you looking to argue with me? Don’t tell me you actually believe in that idiotic noble supremacy nonsense. How disappointing.”

The golden-haired princess, Elia, dragged a finger across her throat in a slow, deliberate motion.

“I’ll need to find a new spy. You’re dismissed, Agent 35.”

“I-I’ll correct myself! Lucella… sama has been frequently absent from the academy lately. She attends classes but vanishes afterward…”

“Hmph. About time. But she’s skipping lectures?”

“Yes. But there’s something odd—her name is always marked present.”

“She disappears after class starts?”

“Professors and students alike confirm seeing her there, yet no one remembers sparring with her or hearing her answers during lessons.”

“What’s the academy saying?”

“Since it’s only happened a few times, it’s being brushed off. But if it continues, excuses won’t suffice.”

“Is she already testing that artifact? What a fool.”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing. You’ve done well. Maintain your current orders until further notice.”

“Understood!”

Before the formal dismissal came, he’d already vanished from Elia’s sight.

A competent spy, if not for that baseless noble elitism.

“Everyone’s moving.”

Elia twirled a lock of her bangs around her finger—a habit when deep in thought.

For the past week, her bangs had never stayed untangled for long.