Chapter Index





    Ch.44The End of That Date (3)

    Meanwhile, the situation at the imperial palace was bustling with activity.

    One floor below the Emperor’s office was the spacious headquarters of the Nelfrugia Knights’ Commander.

    There, Bartlant Chester was vigorously fanning himself while clutching his head in despair.

    “Whoa… WHOOOA! This can’t be happening. There’s so much work to take over!”

    Bartlant had recently faced a formidable enemy that was almost impossible to handle. It was a feast of paperwork stacked from all sides—perfect for an assassination.

    “Marquess Justitia managed her family affairs personally too. What kind of superhuman was she?!”

    He had acknowledged Irefi’s abilities during their duel with Nepy. However, having never witnessed her administrative skills firsthand, he hadn’t thought she would surpass him as a warrior.

    That perception was beginning to change now.

    “If she handled this monstrous administration alone, her physical stamina must be incredible! Once again, I realize my foolishness today.”

    Just then, a grumbling voice came from beside him.

    “Young Duke… I mean, Commander. Your voice is too loud. And the battle aura you’re leaking with each exclamation is making the documents fly away.”

    “Ahem! My apologies.”

    Bartlant apologized to the man’s complaint.

    The audacity to scold the young Duke of Chester and prospective Knights Commander showed remarkable spirit.

    The man’s name was Isgal Linter. He was the newly appointed Vice Commander of the Nelfrugia Knights.

    “Besides, everyone who was at the ceremony witnessed Marquess Justitia’s miracle. That wasn’t a feat possible for humans.”

    “Of course I’ve heard about it, but it’s hard to believe. Who would easily accept rumors about cracks appearing in the sky?”

    Bartlant had encountered some disconcerting news while taking over the Commander position.

    Despite questioning Irefi’s qualifications and even dueling her, he learned that knights were dissatisfied about the change in leadership.

    Even knights from other orders!

    “If you cross swords with her just once, Commander, you’ll understand. It’s fortunate that Marquess Justitia is a person with her head on straight.”

    “Do you think she’s stronger than Marquess Alteon?”

    The Vice Commander responded indifferently to his question.

    “Marquess Alteon? You mean the honorary marquess who was the imperial physician?”

    “Mm. That’s right.”

    “How strong could a physician be with a sword? He’d be lucky to scratch an apprentice knight.”

    “Ah, haha! I see!”

    Bartlant recognized his slip and hastily glossed over it.

    The duel had taken place under the observation of those attending the hearing, and by the Emperor’s order, the results were kept secret.

    The Vice Commander, who had been an outsider, shouldn’t know about it.

    ‘Whew… It must be because of these mountains of paperwork. My mind gets foggy every time I read through these documents!’

    Battle aura leaked from Bartlant’s verdant eyes.

    Immediately, multiple documents fluttered away like paper airplanes.

    Bartlant scratched his head sheepishly at the Vice Commander’s complaints and embarked on the journey of collecting the scattered papers.

    “It was a nice shop. The reputation they earned abroad wasn’t exaggerated.”

    “Mmm. There were things that suited my taste, so it was good.”

    The plain-flavored scones and bread were particularly appealing.

    Irefi seemed delighted by the satisfactory review.

    “Ah, this is nice. It might be irresponsible to say, but… honestly, not having to work feels so good.”

    “Even gods probably have such thoughts, not just emperors.”

    “When Miren gets a bit older, I might consider passing on the family head position to her.”

    ‘Wait. Has Irefi become too corrupted?’

    While it would be an honor for Miren to take the family head position, the motivation seemed too impure.

    Becoming unemployed just to play around? Miren might decline such an offer from her sister.

    “Well, I’m just joking.”

    “Please stop with these plausible jokes…”

    “Miren has gone through so much hardship. I want her to choose only what she wants to see and do from now on.”

    “Who was it that mentioned banning novels?”

    “…Within the bounds of proper education, I mean. But seriously, getting fired by my sister? Getting fired!”

    “Even I, a third-generation only son from a Confucian family, agree with that.”

    Using such vulgar terms with an elder, and a blood relative at that!

    Maybe with Nepy, but not with family.

    “You were a third-generation only son? And to end up like this… your family must be sad.”

    “Unfortunately, they’re not in this world.”

    “Oh!”

    Shadows immediately fell across Irefi’s face.

    “I’m sorry… I didn’t know your parents were no longer with us. I didn’t realize they had passed away.”

    “Huh? What’s with the sudden death flag? That’s a bit too direct.”

    “Pardon?”

    “No, it’s nothing. Yes. It’s sad.”

    We regretfully inform you.

    I apologize for suddenly eliminating both parents.

    Sincerely, a third-generation only son from a Confucian family.

    ‘Well, they’re probably still in my previous world… I completely forgot about them during my time trapped in the Great Cavern.’

    I tried to change the suddenly darkening atmosphere by shifting the topic.

    “Come to think of it, Irefi. What about you? I haven’t heard about your family besides Miren.”

    “My parents and grandparents were all murdered. A year after my debutante, when I was seventeen.”

    “Urk…! I’m sorry, Irefi. For bringing up painful memories.”

    “It’s fine.”

    Irefi answered calmly, as if she truly didn’t mind.

    I had stepped on a landmine only to land firmly on an anti-tank mine.

    The guilt made it difficult to look her in the face.

    “Ahem! Now we just need to look forward, right? We have Miren.”

    “Nepy, I must emphasize again that I am Miren’s blood relative.”

    “But our hearts are connected, so I’ll call it a heart-relative.”

    “You’re really impossible…”

    She shook her head from side to side. Each movement of her hair tickled me.

    “So what do you think of the Chester kid?”

    “The twins? Enella and Arnel, right? Why bring them up suddenly?”

    “As you know, little Arnel looks at Miren with interest. I wondered what you thought as her sister.”

    “Hmm.”

    Irefi put her hand on her chin and stared into space, but quickly finished her deliberation.

    “I think it’s premature. Nepy, you wanted someone stronger than me and who would live longer than you, right? I agreed half-jokingly, but I was half-serious.”

    “What? I was completely serious…”

    I felt dumbfounded, as if struck by a hammer. Irefi sighed, giving me a look of exasperation.

    “Setting aside being stronger than me, where in the world would you find a human who lives five hundred years? Even if such a monster existed, I wouldn’t allow it.”

    “Ugh.”

    Monster? Her scathing assessment hurt my heart.

    “However, they should have the reliable capability to protect Miren for life. Since we don’t know how Arnel will grow up, that’s why I said judgment is premature.”

    She was fully displaying the demeanor of an eldest daughter looking out for her sister. It was different from me, who had simply fallen for Miren’s cuteness.

    Is this what it means to truly care for one’s blood relatives?

    “…Have I been too excessive in doting on Miren?”

    “Excessively so. To the point where I have a feeling it might become poisonous.”

    “Is that so… I see.”

    I felt a slight chill at the top of my head. Regaining my senses, I revealed something I had kept hidden deep inside.

    “I did it gladly. I kept thinking how nice it would have been if I had a sister like Miren.”

    “I know.”

    “So I unconsciously showered her with attention like a doting parent. Every time I did, it felt like I truly had a family.”

    Ah.

    By honestly admitting it, I realized something I didn’t want to acknowledge.

    I had prided myself on adapting well to this life, but in truth, I had been very lonely.

    In a completely different world without parents, siblings, or friends, I sought stability.

    Perhaps that’s why I projected the sibling I never had onto Miren and found comfort in it.

    “I’m embarrassed. Very much so.”

    I smiled awkwardly. She met my eyes gently and spoke quietly.

    “Nepy, don’t misunderstand.”

    “Misunderstand?”

    “If Miren or I were displeased with your attitude, then you should be embarrassed. But we have no complaints about you. Quite the opposite.”

    “…”

    “We’re always grateful. Miren often looks forward to seeing you. So stop belittling yourself.”

    “Irefi…”

    Simple words. Words that could be said out of courtesy, yet why did they resonate so deeply in my heart?

    “But if you think Miren might find it burdensome…”

    The corners of her mouth curved into a shy smile.

    “Would you share some of that passionate attention with me too?”

    “Irefi, what are you…”

    Irefi turned away from my questioning and looked at the distant mountains.

    Though she tried to hide it casually, her reddened ears betrayed her intentions.

    I could only stare at Irefi in a daze.

    “Ugh, don’t look at me. Even I find saying such things embarrassing.”

    “Yeah…”

    An awkward silence tickled my entire body. It was a silence that felt like it could last either a lifetime or just a moment.

    ‘Even someone as dense as me can’t help but notice!’

    All my past interactions with her played cinematically in my mind.

    First, I recalled the incident during our outing when she wore a wedding dress.

    Her meaningful attitude, getting upset over nothing and only calming down after Miren mediated.

    Second, the night I held her hand as we slept. It was a night when she showed a side completely opposite to her usual self.

    Even if I were a benefactor who had bestowed great favor, sharing a bed made no sense.

    Similarly, the dawn when I fell asleep with her in my arms played third.

    She had requested my presence because she wanted to remember her dream. She was none other than Irefi Justitia.

    She was the prim and proper lady knight who wouldn’t casually allow anyone by her side.

    “Irefi. If I’m not mistaken, what you just said…”

    Just as I was about to seek confirmation, Irefi’s desperate cry cut me off.

    “Nepy, wait! Wait… please. Don’t say anything yet. I beg you. Just for today. When today ends, I’ll properly reveal everything.”

    She looked like she might burst into tears if I pressed further. I instinctively nodded and kept quiet.

    “Alright.”

    “Thank you. I truly mean it, Nepy.”

    “Mm…”

    “”…””

    Suddenly, normal conversation with her became impossible.

    How could it be possible?

    Every small gesture of hers scattered my concentration with various distracting thoughts.

    Yet I felt afraid of how our relationship might change from today onward.

    ‘I… Irefi…’

    The time for choice had suddenly approached.

    I couldn’t help but be swayed by the storm of emotions raging inside me all day.

    Or perhaps hoping that the storm would stir up the hardened surface covering my true feelings.

    We continued our conversation like a metronome with a distorted tempo, not quite in sync.

    Until the red sunset had long since hidden our flushed faces.

    As the sun set and the pale moon took its place.

    Two figures, a man and a woman, entered a mansion, cutting through the darkness that seeped into their vision.

    They were none other than me and Irefi. A duo with foggy minds after reluctantly finishing the day.

    “We’ve arrived.”

    “We’ve arrived.”

    “”…””

    A silence that seemed coordinated, as if by agreement.

    I gathered my courage and asked.

    “Irefi. What is it you wanted to show me?”

    The mansion we arrived at was none other than Marquess Justitia’s Manor.

    Normally, after our outing, we should have parted ways and returned to our respective homes. But Irefi said she had something she wanted to show me, so I was invited back to the mansion.

    Irefi opened her mouth that had been numbly closed.

    “Now that I’m about to show you, I’m nervous. I’m afraid you might dislike it. But… there’s no choice. Yes, that’s right. There’s no choice.”

    “Whatever it is, I promise I won’t be disappointed, so don’t worry.”

    “Are you giving me your word on that, Nepy?”

    I was confident I could manage my expression even if I ended up looking at a formal history book of the Justitia family.

    She raised her gaze and looked straight at me, taking my hand.

    ‘Hup.’

    Her touch had always possessed enough magical power to steal my consciousness. Now that I could guess her feelings, it was even more so.

    It was a thousand regrets that I couldn’t suppress my pounding heart.

    “The place I’m about to show you is known to no one except me. Not the servants, and not even Miren.”

    “Is it okay to take me to such a place?”

    “There’s no choice. It’s a space created with that intention in the first place.”

    “What intention?”

    “You’ll find out soon. It won’t harm you in any way, so don’t worry.”

    Gulp.

    For some reason, a tense feeling ran down my spine. Was it because I was about to step into a sacred place of the Justitia family?

    Yes. That must be it.

    “Is this… a storage room?”

    “Not an ordinary one.”

    Irefi moved forward, pushing aside dust-covered items.

    She soon paused in front of a large wardrobe, then pushed it to sweep the floor.

    When the floor hidden by the wardrobe was revealed, a thin, small hole unnaturally pierced through it created a sense of dissonance.

    Irefi took a key from her uniform pocket and inserted it into the hole.

    Click!

    It was the sound of the floor welcoming a perfectly fitting key.

    Creeeeak…

    Eventually, the floor opened into a square shape just large enough for one person to enter.

    “Don’t lose sight of me and follow.”

    “Y-yeah. But it’s a bit scary.”

    “You’re quite timid, Nepy.”

    “Ugh, that’s normal, you know?”

    The entrance was filled with darkness as if the deep sea had been condensed. The cold air flowing from it carried an inexplicable chill.

    Step. Step.

    At the end of the stairs, which extended longer than expected, a thick iron door firmly blocked the inside.

    When Irefi effortlessly flung open the iron door, I almost vomited from an unprecedented disgust.

    “Urgh…”

    “Nepy? I’m sorry. The smell is revolting, isn’t it?”

    “Kuk, it’s beyond just revolting.”

    While my sense of smell is sensitive, it was a terrible odor that would be difficult for even an ordinary person to bear.

    ‘The smell of blood mixed with rotting meat… and rusty iron? What kind of place is this?!’

    For now, I decided to silently follow Irefi’s guidance. She wouldn’t show me such an ominous place without reason.

    “This should be good. Come here, Nepy.”

    “U-um, yes. This atmosphere is really scary.”

    “Is it? That makes me sad.”

    “Cut me some slack…”

    Though I grumbled, I eventually made my way to where Irefi was.

    ‘Even the expression “desolate” seems insufficient.’

    A narrow space with three sides surrounded by iron walls on a cold iron floor.

    The only means to view the outside was a small rectangular passage. Even that was merely an entrance with iron bars, making it look ominous.

    “So, what’s here?”

    “Nothing.”

    “What?”

    That’s when it happened.

    Whoosh!

    “I-Irefi!? What are you…!”

    I was overwhelmed with surprise as Irefi suddenly embraced me. She buried her face in my chest and whispered seductively.

    “I’m the type who doesn’t procrastinate once I’ve made up my mind.”

    “What do you mean?”

    She answered my flustered question with an irrelevant response.

    “Nepy, I really enjoyed today. How about you?”

    I decided to go along with her for now.

    “Me too. Hanging out together wasn’t bad.”

    “Right? Hehe.”

    “…Irefi.”

    “Yes?”

    “You seem different. Your attitude has been strange lately…”

    “Hmm, did you feel that way?”

    “I’ll apologize if I’m wrong.”

    “No, not at all. I have changed a lot. So much that I can’t remember my previous feelings, as if they were a blank page!”

    “That much?”

    “Yes! Would you like to guess who’s responsible?”

    “Miren, I suppose.”

    “While Miren is precious, that’s not the correct answer.”

    “Then…”

    Squeeze.

    Irefi’s embrace tightened like a vise.

    “Everything… everything…”

    “Irefi?”

    “Everything was changed by you, Nepy. My future, my heart, everything about me.”

    “You, you! What do you mean by that?!”

    “Nepy.”

    Just when I wanted to hear her true feelings, she mercilessly cut off her words.

    “…Yes.”

    “You lied, didn’t you?”

    “Lied about what?”

    “That hanging out together wasn’t bad… Of course, you didn’t intentionally lie, but that’s not true, is it?”

    Shiver.

    “Are you saying someone else is here?”

    “Nepy. The evil enemy still exists with us even now.”

    “That can’t be helped.”

    “That’s right. You can’t help it, Nepy. I know that. That’s why I’ve decided. This time, I’ve resolved to help you.”

    Her unfocused eyes and cold smile without luster tinged her with a poignant hue.

    “…Irefi? What are you trying to do?”

    “Please wait a little. I’ll lead that evil enemy to destruction for you. But… please understand that I don’t know how it will turn out?”

    Immediately after, she chanted a familiar incantation.

    “Holy Memory.”

    Clank! Clank!

    At that moment, blue, translucent chains appeared from thin air, binding my limbs and slamming me against the wall.

    Thud!

    ‘Kuhuk!? A transformed version of the chain-shaped guardian ability… I’ve never seen this form before!’

    With all my limbs restrained, I raised my head and appealed to her with bewildered eyes.

    “Irefi! This kind of joke is…?!”

    But my words couldn’t continue. I bit down hard on my teeth, astonished by an impossible phenomenon.

    Shaaaaa…

    A pitch-black aura began to creep around her.

    ‘This can’t be. Why… why is Malice emanating from Irefi? Could it be that last night, my Malice acted up because it resonated with Irefi’s? No, the very existence of Malice in Irefi doesn’t make sense!’

    Dozens of theories arose and disappeared in a single breath. No matter how much I pondered, it was an incomprehensible situation that diminished my ability to think.

    She declared her intentions, seemingly unaware of any abnormality, with claims colored by goodwill.

    “Nepy, you don’t need to worry about anything. Leave everything to me. This time, it’s my turn to save you!”

    Irefi stroked my bound limbs and sneered.

    The surface of the blue lake, where evil and love coexisted contradictorily, remained calm.

    Shortly after, the black aura floating around her external energy shyly disappeared.

    With her back against the cold wall, she gave a modest smile.


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