Ch.290Next

“…Huh?”

What’s going on?

I just woke up, but something feels very strange.

The ceiling is white, sunlight streams through the window, the bed is cozy, and the wallpaper and furniture maintain a moderate beauty that gives a comfortable feeling without being overwhelmingly luxurious.

This should be the same scene I see every day… but somehow it feels incredibly awkward. Unlike having just woken up, I don’t feel tired at all. I feel remarkably refreshed.

Even my back and joints, which always ached due to old age, feel completely fine as if nothing had ever been wrong with them. It’s like I’ve returned to my youth.

“I didn’t… oversleep, did I?”

Since this kind of feeling usually comes after oversleeping, I checked the clock, but it’s only pointing to 7 AM.

Hmm… It’s a bit late, but not really oversleeping, is it?

Given the era we live in, there isn’t much to do at night, so early to bed and early to rise is the norm, but 7 AM doesn’t fall into the category of oversleeping. It’s only an hour difference from the average wake-up time of 6 AM.

‘…Wait a minute.’

Why is that like that?

The clock hands… they’re not moving.

“Ugh?!”

As I realize this, suddenly a strong wind blows in through the window.

The half-open window rattles violently in the wind, but strangely, it doesn’t make a sound. Only the sound of the wind can be heard.

And the wind is so strong that it forces me to close my eyes. If I try to keep them open, the wind hits my eyeballs so fiercely that I simply can’t bear it.

The wind is so strong that I cover my eyes with my palms, but they still feel the wind.

What is… this…!

“What on earth is happen— huh?”

A moment later, when the wind calms down, I open my eyes to see what’s happening, but I freeze in place.

Literally, a glowing yellow orb is floating in the air. Like the sun, it emits brilliant light, and the emitted light forms beams that brightly illuminate the room.

[An angel? Hmm, should I say it’s like the sun? Or perhaps like a firefly… Anyway, it’s shining brightly.]

“…Angel?”

At that moment, the conversation I had with Jeanne suddenly pierces through my mind.

Angel, an angel…

…Its appearance is very similar to what I was told, though it’s much larger.

Woong— Woooong—

“…What?”

Suddenly, the glowing orb makes a strange humming sound. It grows larger then smaller, its light beams intensify then weaken, making a humming sound like a wind instrument, but surprisingly, it’s not irritating to the ears.

What’s even more fascinating is that it’s not just humming.

It’s speaking.

No, to be more precise, rather than speaking, it’s directly injecting its will into my mind via telepathy.

“…Three years?”

This glowing orb is telling me that I have three years left to live.

Normally, I would have dismissed it as a hallucination, but… strangely, there’s sincerity and credibility in those words. It feels as if the concept of trust is being forcibly injected into my mind, which is quite unpleasant.

…It’s similar to when I first met Jeanne. It was unpleasant then too, like someone was rummaging through my head and forcibly stuffing in affection for Jeanne.

“Why are you telling me this?”

Woooong—

“A reward for entertaining you… What?”

I asked why it was telling me such an abrupt thing, but the answer I got was even more abrupt.

It told me my remaining lifespan as a reward for entertaining it?

Entertaining it… What on earth is it talk— ugh?!

“…Was it you who reincarnated me into this world?”

Woooooong—

“Right, I understand.”

These rude bastards.

Not only did they suddenly reincarnate me, but they’ve been watching my every move? And just for entertainment?

So all those days I spent peacefully with the children were being broadcast live… ugh, it’s horrifying just to imagine. It’s beyond absurd; it’s utterly disheartening.

Woooong—

Suddenly, as if reading my thoughts, the orb of light flashes and sends another telepathic message.

…It’s strange that its brightness doesn’t hurt my eyes, now that I think about it.

“That’s not it? Well, that’s a relief.”

It says that my reincarnation wasn’t decided simply for entertainment, but rather as a gesture of goodwill for moving a Buddha statue that was buried in the soil to the outside.

…Wait, it said it was an angel. What’s this nonsense about a Buddha statue?

What? All divine beings are essentially the same if you dig deep enough? The desire to worship someone is human nature?

That’s even more incomprehensible.

Moreover, such divine beings watching my life for entertainment… no, let’s stop thinking about this. No matter how much I ponder, there won’t be an answer to this problem.

[Since you’ve entertained us, we’ll grant you one wish.]

“…Huh, how generous. You’ve already given me a second life and even told me my remaining lifespan, yet you’re offering to grant another wish.”

Living a second life is already an incredible blessing, and now they’re offering to grant another wish.

A wish as a reward for entertainment—was watching the ups and downs of my life that enjoyable?

If this being truly is divine… well, it certainly lacks a sense of humor.

Then again, it’s traditional for gods to have different emotional sensibilities than humans.

“…A wish, huh.”

I’ve had many wishes over the years.

That my descendants would rule as monarchs forever, that the people of Lotaring would live well and prosper, that Lotaring would become an eternal hegemonic nation, that my children would be happy, and so on.

…But now that it’s time to make a wish, I’m not sure what to choose.

Still, if I’m going to have a wish granted by transcendent power, I should ask for something that could never be achieved in reality.

……….

“Brother, brother…!!”

“Urgh… What is it…”

“Brother!!”

When I came to my senses, Chloe was right in front of me, her face so close our noses almost touched, wearing an extremely terrified expression.

The wrinkles on her face were completely stretched out.

“Chloe, what’s wrong?”

“Brother… you weren’t breathing…”

I can roughly guess what happened.

…So it wasn’t a dream after all.

Well, it was too vivid to be a dream. I was surprisingly certain about it myself.

If what Chloe says is true… hmm, was what happened earlier some kind of afterlife experience? I briefly died and met some LED light bulb claiming to be an angel?

“Chloe, calm down. Look, I’m alive, see?”

“Brother…”

The blanket and my pajamas were completely soaked with Chloe’s tears.

Good grief…

Even though she’s old enough to have grandchildren, she still hasn’t changed. She’s still my little sister who depends on her big brother.

…Well, I suppose I’m the same.

Even though Chloe is now elderly, I still see her as a child, as that pitiful orphaned girl we adopted when she was living with our mother.

“The attendants… are already here.”

The attendants are watching us with bewildered expressions. They must have rushed in from outside the door after hearing Chloe’s commotion.

“Summon everyone, I have something to say.”

“Your Majesty, by ‘everyone’ do you mean…?”

“I mean exactly that. Everyone. Except for my children who are abroad, all of my family members in the palace.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The attendants acknowledge and then leave.

The attendant who was about to stay by my side to assist me tried to hold his ground, but eventually succumbed to my pointed look and followed the others out.

I can’t let the attendants see me like this.

“Brother… don’t leave… don’t leave… okay?”

“I’m not leaving. Where would I go? I’m perfectly healthy.”

“But… it felt different from usual… even now…”

“Even now, you say.”

Is it a woman’s intuition from someone who loves me? Chloe seems convinced that I died once.

…Ugh, it pains my heart.

“Brother, do you remember when you said you’d repay me?”

“Repay?”

“Yes, 30 years ago, you promised to grant me a wish as repayment for all my efforts. I postponed it then, saying I’d use it later. I want to use it now.”

“Ah… yes… that’s right.”

I wondered what she was suddenly talking about—it was so long ago.

But I do remember clearly. I definitely promised to grant her a wish as repayment for her dedicated efforts since childhood.

But does she really need to use such a wish token?

Until now, I’ve never denied any of Chloe’s wishes—

“…Don’t leave my side. That’s my wish.”

Chloe’s expression as she says this looks more pitiful and sadder than I’ve ever seen before.

…Chloe.

“I keep telling you, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Really…?”

“Yes, so please calm down first. If you keep crying, all that skin you’ve been carefully maintaining will be ruined.”

“…Ugh.”

Hearing those words, Chloe immediately stops crying.

The tears that were already on her eyes and cheeks remain, but no more liquid flows from her tear ducts.

…Heh, she still wants to look pretty for me.

Well, that makes sense.

I want to look good for Chloe too, so why wouldn’t she feel the same?

“But why did you call everyone together?”

“I’m going to completely abdicate to Lothar. I have some things to pass on to him as well. And after that… yes, let’s have some fun.”

“Fun? We’ve already traveled everywhere…”

“No, traveling isn’t the only way to have fun, is it? Let’s enjoy ourselves even more.”

Dijon has so many entertainments. From the horse racing I established to various plays, bathhouses, and even stadiums—too many to list all at once.

Until now, I’ve refrained from participating in such crowded places because my security detail would inconvenience the people… but well, with only three years left to live, why should I worry about such things?