episode_0029

To cut to the chase, I rejected Labilaa’s proposal. The reason wasn’t anything special. It was because I already felt entangled excessively at this moment. It was enough. No, it was more than enough. It was the past me who desired such attention. The past me who struggled to break free from the image of a fool. “······One year.” It was a statement that what I didn’t want was the current me acting as if something had snapped after receiving a death sentence. “You reject every proposal I make.” “I’m sorry, Your Highness.” “No need to apologize. I didn’t expect you to accept my proposal in the first place.” Labilaa never really believed that I would truly accept the proposal. That was quite remarkable. It hadn’t been long since I started speaking properly. How could they understand me so well? It was so amazing that I wanted to ask them directly if the opportunity arose. “······If?” However, it was doubtful whether that opportunity would ever come to me. I was only curious if that opportunity would arise within the next year. One year. If it didn’t come within that time, the person who would accept would disappear forever. Of course, I could influence this to some extent. Just like I did just now. If I continued to spend time with the character from the original work, Labilaa, the opportunity would surely come sooner. I knew this fact well. Despite knowing this so well, I rejected Labilaa’s proposal. Because it was important. The predetermined goal was more important than mere curiosity. The goal that was already filled with contradictions. There were many arguments against this judgment. As I mentioned earlier, my goal itself was already full of contradictions. There were numerous points of contention. Since acquiring that goal, I’ve committed far too many inexplicable actions. I coldly pushed away Aria Trice. I engaged in unnecessary confrontation with Edgar Trystan.

Earlier, I intervened in the incident involving Ellis as it unfolded in the original work. Even the final action was ongoing at the time. It was an ongoing action that would continue until the end of the midterm exams. “An incident that didn’t need to happen.” The commonality among these incidents was that they all occurred due to actions that didn’t need to take place. Logically, I had no reason to create these incidents. Dealing with Aria’s matter could have been resolved even if handled carelessly and dismissed. The dispute between Phillip and Edgar was a problem that could have been consistently ignored as it had been until now. Lastly, there was Ellis’s matter. It could have been a minor event mentioned briefly in the original work if I had just observed without interference. Clearly, everything could have quietly passed by. It could have been something that didn’t concern me and could have been overlooked. At least, that’s how I thought at the time. “What could be the reason?” It was simply because I hadn’t thought so calmly at the time. This was even the belated regret I had during club time earlier. Ring— [Sender: Ellis Ackstra] Can you spare a moment right now? [End of the other party’s message.] “…” Receiving such a message only after regular classes and academy hours had ended. *** Inside the quiet café within the academy, a place I had visited before. It was the same café where Ellis and I had been before, the place she had summoned me to. “You’re early.” “…” “Honestly, I thought you’d be a bit later.” As I quietly opened the café door and entered, Ellis was already seated inside. “What’s all this about?” “This? It’s nothing, just some materials I’ve gathered.” Various complicated documents were spread out on the table where she was sitting. She mentioned using it as an office substitute at times. It seemed like that statement wasn’t a lie after all. “Do you think what we discussed here last time was a lie?” “Of course. How could I believe using a public place like this as an office?”

“Hmm, is that so? It seems like you still lack trust in me. At least I don’t think I’ve ever lied to you.”

It wasn’t a lie.

In both public and private matters, Alice had never lied to me.

“It’s not about creating situations where lying is necessary, is it?”

“···.”

Simply put, Alice intentionally avoided situations where she had to lie to me.

It was only natural from the start.

Our relationship, which had recently become slightly closer, was nothing more or less than a business relationship between Alice and me.

I held Alice’s secret hostage.

Alice conveyed information to me in order to keep that secret.

If we were to define it, it was a relationship where one party threatened the other.

As if knowing that I would say this, Alice smirked bitterly.

“That’s right, I’ve never brought up my story to you first.”

“···.”

“If there’s no need for me to bring up my story, then there’s no need for me to lie. Your point is valid, isn’t it?”

Alice, with a slightly bitter smile, seemed to be saying that.

As I silently gazed at her, I brought up the question that had been on my mind.

“So, why did you call me here?”

“Are you trying to get straight to the point already?”

“I don’t think you would have called me for no reason at all.”

“······If you’re that curious. Here.”

As soon as she finished that sentence, Alice handed me a document.

“······This is…”

“Yes, it’s a document I compiled, outlining the reasons for your change from my perspective.”

Precisely the moment I possessed him.

In other words, a document summarizing all of my actions from the moment I first made contact with Alice until now.

“···.”

A shiver ran down my spine.

Even though she clearly knew that the woman in front of me was originally like this, it sent a shiver down my spine.

Perhaps this, too, was only natural.

If one were to unknowingly undergo investigation, it would naturally send shivers down their spine.

As if reading my expression, Alice casually spoke as if to say, “What’s the big deal now?”

“Why are you making such a bewildered expression? You knew as well.”

“···.”

“I know better than anyone what kind of person I am, so why are you so flustered?”

“······Experiencing something and knowing it are different.”

“That’s not wrong. Until you pointed out my weakness, you didn’t even know what kind of person I was.”

Nodding in apparent agreement, Alice conceded.

“Well, anyway. The reason I’m showing you this is simple.”

“···.”

“The class earlier. Why did you do that during the afternoon session?”

“······Interfering between Erica Pereirano and you?”

“Yes, that incident. No matter how much I think about it, I can’t come to a conclusion. Why did you suddenly intervene there?”

And how did you know that if you hadn’t stopped me, I would have drawn the hidden dagger?

Crimson eyes blazed.

Alice Arkstria’s characteristic chilling crimson eyes were staring straight at me.

Truly terrifying gaze.

It was the kind of look that would freeze someone in fear if they lacked courage.

“I don’t know why I intervened.”

“···.”

“I don’t know why I got involved between you and that girl.”

Fortunately, as someone who had directly threatened Alice before, I was quite familiar with that intimidating gaze.

Alice slightly softened her menacing stare and opened her mouth as if in disbelief.

“Are you trying to mock me even in this situation?”

“No, I’m serious. I don’t even know why I did it.”

“······What are you saying?”

“It’s like what you said earlier. You’ve never lied to me, not even once.”

“···.”

“But the same goes for me. I’ve never lied to you either, not even once.”

“······Me?”

Alice looked at me with an expression that clearly indicated she couldn’t believe it.

However, unfortunately,

Even the words I was speaking now were not mixed with lies.

“I really don’t know why I got involved there.”

“···.”

I could have just stayed still. Why did I have to interfere there?

If you don’t know that, then who does?

True.

It was an inevitable question.

In this world, everything goes back to cause and effect.

If there is a result,

there must be a cause.

Someone might know, right?

…

I might not know either. Just consider it the nonsense of someone who doesn’t understand.

At least thinking like that would put my mind at ease.

Like how you dismissed the story you heard on the way back from the hospital as nonsense.

I didn’t speak the last sentence aloud.

I could have brought it up if I wanted to, but I didn’t particularly want to.

Even explaining that was difficult.

Even the words justifying myself were not lies.

I simply chose not to explain.

Like how Alice doesn’t tell me about her past directly.

Still, as she continued to stare at me foolishly, I quietly murmured in my head.