Chapter 16

Time truly flew by. A year had already passed, and I turned sixteen. The most surprising thing was that Ian hadn’t entered the Room of Solitude this birthday. I was so happy that I clapped my hands and said, “Good job! Now, instead of being depressed on your birthday, you should have a fun time! Because it’s your birthday!”

“Thank you for the suggestion. I’m going to class now.”

“……”

Concentrating on his studies even on his birthday and the day before returning to the academy, he left for the academy the next day. Unchangingly, we exchanged well-wishes through letters.

Following the previous year, Ian had also spent this semester at the academy without causing any trouble, maintaining his position as the top student.

‘Ian still doesn’t have any friends, though.’

The previous year, after the boat trip, I naturally thought he would become friends with Ethel. However, Ian still had absolutely no interaction with her. Angelo, frustrated by this, tried to arrange a meeting, but neithErlian nor Ethel cooperated.

‘Should I just be thankful that he’s not causing trouble?’

Life at the mansion without Ian was fine. Although we lived in the same house, I rarely ran into Duke Bellocchio, and the servants consistently took good care of me.

“You must come back early. You shouldn’t have too much fun.”

See? When I said I was going to my family’s estate after a long time, the maids were so sorry to see me go.

“I’ll have a moderate amount of fun and come back.”

I waved to the maids and got into the carriage. It was my first outing in a long time. Furthermore, the last time I went to my family’s estate was two years ago, to persuade my sister to break off her engagement.

My sister had consistently sent me letters, inviting me to visit. Although she was busy managing her merchant company and the family, so she couldn’t contact me often, I could feel her care as she always filled a page with her writing whenever she had time.

The strange thing was that even though we had relied on each other and grown up together until I got married, I felt awkward around my sister. So, I had kept declining, pretending to be busy. But this time, I couldn’t stand idly by.

‘My sister must not get involved with Liam.’

Perhaps because the declining Marquisate of Evra began to improve after she became the family head, several families sent her marriage proposals, and Liam was among them.

Although he was filled with inferiority towards Ian, he behaved quite courteously to others, which is why my sister was considering a date with him. Of course, I knew that for Ian’s cousin, his appearance wasn’t bad.

But Liam had a lot of flaws in his character. So, I headed to my family’s estate to talk my sister out of it.

After driving for a long time, the carriage finally arrived at the family’s estate.

“How have you been?”

My sister was the first to greet me as I stepped out of the carriage. When I nodded, my sister smiled with relief and took my hand. Led by her hand, I arrived at the dining room, and I couldn’t help but be flustered.

“Isn’t this too much?”

“No.”

My sister shook her head and denied it, but it was too much. Salad, meat, fish, and more. A variety of dishes filled the long table.

Even the Bellocchio Duchy, which was said to have so much money, didn’t set up this many dishes… I awkwardly smiled and sat down to start the meal.

“It’s been a long time since we ate together like this at home.”

“Sister, don’t meet that guy Liam.”

Regardless of my sister being sentimental, I brought up the main point first. Of course, my sister nagged me to please speak like a noble lady.

“Liam might have acted deceptively in front of you, but if you get to know him, he’s a guy full of inferiority.”

“Okay. I won’t meet him.”

“That easily?”

From my sister’s letter, it seemed like she was quite fond of Liam. When I gave her a questioning look, my sister smiled faintly and said, “I won’t meet any man you dislike.”

“Then that’s a relief. Liam’s younger sister, Celine, is fine. You can be friends with Celine.”

Unfortunately, the problem with Celine was that she was naturally frail and often sick.

“From now on, only meet men with my permission. And filter out any men who are too old yourself.”

“Alright. To think my little sister has grown up so well…”

Suddenly, my sister’s eyes welled up. Just as I nervously rolled my eyes, feeling burdened by her gaze.

“Huh?”

My eyes caught the painting hanging behind my sister. It was a painting beautifully depicting the sky full of stars at night.

‘This painting looks familiar; why?’

I pondered while busily moving my fork and knife. Realizing my gaze was fixed on the painting, my sister explained.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? It was Mother’s favorite painting.”

“Ah, right.”

“Grandpa said he painted the sky at the moment Mother was born.”

“Was Grandpa good at painting?”

“He was amazing. Even His Majesty coveted his skills.”

My sister spoke as if it were obvious, but why didn’t I know anything about it? My expression must have been very serious, as my sister quickly made an excuse for me.

“Sia, you were too young, so your memory must be hazy.”

“Is that so…”

Saying I was too young was strange, as my memory of my family’s estate itself was hazy. Enough to suspect I might have hit my head hard when I was little.

“Father sold this precious painting first when our financial situation wasn’t good. I bought it back.”

She smiled proudly. The painting still felt familiar yet unfamiliar to me.

“Was the painting in that spot even when Mother was alive?”

“Yes. I hung it back in that spot.”

That meant it was a painting I had seen countless times as a child, but I didn’t feel familiar with it. It just felt like a painting I had casually glanced at. In the end, I finished dinner with my sister with an uneasy feeling and returned to the mansion.

“Anna, do you remember all of your childhood?”

“I remember some things and not others.”

“Right? Memories can be faint, right?”

“Yes. There are faint memories.”

Right. I’m not the only one like this. Everyone is like this. However, the slightly unsettling feeling still hadn’t disappeared.

‘I should ask Ian when he returns.’

I felt like I would only feel at ease if I heard multiple opinions.

A week passed, and Ian returned to the mansion after finishing a semester.

“It’s been a while.”

“I’m the top student again next semester.”

He said abruptly and thrust his head toward me.

“Yes, well done.”

I reached out and stroked Ian’s hair. His hair still felt soft and wrapped around my hand. When I finished stroking his hair and withdrew my hand, he straightened up and looked down at me again.

“I don’t particularly have anything to be complimented on, do I?”

Then, suddenly, he stroked my hair. This had been happening since the last vacation. Forcing me to stroke his hair and then returning the favor by stroking mine.

“I didn’t wash my hair.”

When I spoke nonsense because his intense gaze made me uncomfortable, Ian nodded, saying he thought so. Actually, I washed my hair today… Feeling defeated by his reaction, I counterattacked.

“Did you make any friends in the meantime? Did you talk to my friend, Miss Ethel?”

“Not interested.”

Seeing Ian’s perpetually upturned lips drop, I felt a sense of victory. Still, I wished Ian and Ethel would become friends already…

‘Even if I don’t worry about it, won’t they become friends on their own eventually?’

Because the two of them were destined. I thought simply.

“Ian, do you remember all of your childhood?”

“That’s a very unexpected question.”

Ian let out a small laugh, sounding bewildered. But I was quite serious. I couldn’t shake off the subtly uneasy feeling since having dinner with my sister. Why couldn’t I clearly remember my childhood?

“Isn’t it stranger for someone to remember all of their childhood memories? How can anyone remember everything?”

“I guess so.”

Now that I thought about it, I didn’t remember everything I did even last year.

“The present and the future are more important than the past. If you’re really worried, why don’t you try writing a diary?”

“That’s too much of a hassle.”

I was so lazy that I hadn’t written a diary since elementary school. Of course, I think I attempted to write a diary a few years ago, but I only wrote it once. Since I didn’t have the confidence to keep it up, I decided to forget the uneasy feeling. But the mention of a diary made me feel strange again.

‘It feels like I’ve forgotten something important…’

But as soon as I arrived at the dining room, I quickly forgot that thought too.

Ian’s vacation was always the same. He always had a schedule packed with lessons, and we could only talk when it was time to sleep. That was about it.

Three weeks later. The day Ian had to forcibly skip all his lessons arrived.

“It’s a shame there’s no hunting competition this year.”

“Not really.”

The Founding Festival was approaching. However, this year’s Founding Festival was different from previous ones. The Emperor was stepping down, and the Crown Princess’s enthronement ceremony was scheduled. The dance party and hunting competition were omitted, and a night market would run for a whole week after the enthronement ceremony. It was meant for nobles as well as commoners to enjoy.

We headed to the Imperial Palace in a carriage to attend the enthronement ceremony.

“The atmosphere is different this time.”

The moment we opened the doors and entered the hall, sacred music enveloped my ears. While the luxurious interior had delighted my eyes at the dance party, now the emphasis seemed to be on a clean and simple look, without being excessive.

The burgundy curtains were all replaced with white ones, and in the center of the stage was a table draped in white cloth. On top of it, a crown adorned with various jewels sparkled, asserting its presence.

“It’s been a while, Sia.”

As I was observing the interior, Angelo approached. He hadn’t even sent a letter, saying he was busy lately… He looked a little thinner and had dark circles under his eyes, suggesting he had spent his days frantically.

“You look really tired.”

“I haven’t slept properly since the vacation started.”

Since last year, he and his father had been conducting magical research under the Emperor’s command. It was commissioned because the Emperor was worried that the imperial family members might threaten his daughter, who was about to become the Empress.

After all, at the dance party last year, hadn’t a member of the imperial family sent a monster into the Imperial Palace, claiming to expose the Crown Princess’s incompetence? Of course, I was the biggest victim of that incident.

“The angel statue in the right corner and the yellow jewel in the center of the crown are the results of my research.”

After a year of research, Angelo and his father completed a spell that protected the entire Imperial Palace from the entry of monsters, and a high-level spell that reflected an attack back if the Crown Princess was attacked. Hearing the news of their successful research, the Emperor could finally feel at ease stepping down and passing the throne to his daughter.

The sacred music stopped, and the sounds of people cheering and applauding filled the hall. Only then did we turn our attention to the stage. The Emperor, the Empress, and the main characters of the day, the Crown Princess and her husband, were waving their hands.

“I shall introduce the new ruler of the Empire.”

At the Emperor’s announcement, the Crown Princess stepped forward. The Emperor took the crown from the table and placed it on her head. Applause, the sound of fireworks, and the majestic sound of string instruments coexisted in the hall.

“I am ready to dedicate myself completely to the Empire. However, I know that it cannot be done by my efforts alone. I wish to create an Empire where everyone can live well, together with you all.”

The new Empress had an extraordinary spirit and gaze. Her eyes were sharp, as if she would kill anyone who didn’t help. Was that why?

“She’s magnificent…”

A gasp of admiration escaped my lips without my realization.

“Of course, you like perfect and useful people.”

Ian’s misunderstanding of me grew even deeper. I waved my hands, denying it vehemently, but he didn’t seem to believe me.

Music with a more cheerful tune began to play. Some people mechanically danced to the rhythm as if on cue, while high-ranking nobles were busy flattering the new Empress, and others were socializing with their close friends.

“Let’s go to the corner first.”

Since the focus of this event was the Emperor’s enthronement ceremony rather than a dance, it wasn’t mandatory to dance. So, Ian, Angelo, and I roughly found a spot in the corner. There was no particular big reason. Ian was severely shy, and I also felt burdened by socializing. And Angelo just followed us.

We leaned against the wall and looked around. Everyone was talking with fake smiles, as if meeting business partners. Even my sister.

My sister only gave me a nod and was conversing with some unknown nobles.

‘I hope that Liam doesn’t approach her.’

I glanced at my sister’s surroundings. Fortunately, Liam was talking with his mother a little distance away from my sister. Celine, who was often unwell, was absent from the event today as well.

With a more relaxed mind, I turned my gaze. There was a pink-haired woman in front of the table laden with refreshments. Although there was quite a distance, I immediately recognized who she was.

“Miss Ethel is over there. How about we go say hello?”

After all, I wanted Ian and Ethel to become friends. Besides, I hadn’t interacted much with her since the boat trip, so I was happy to see her.

Ian made a bothered face at my suggestion, but Angelo enthusiastically agreed. It was 2:1, so based on the majority rule, we moved towards where she was. She was seriously looking at the refreshments one by one, and taking a bite of a few desserts. She was in the baking club, so she must be researching bread even here.

“It’s been a while, Miss Ethel.”

When I greeted her first, she looked at me and smiled, looking pleased. I was quite relieved.

Last year, after the boat trip, she hadn’t replied to my letter asking about her well-being, perhaps angry that I had forced a meeting between her and Ian. But perhaps time had been the answer. She seemed happy to see me now.

“It really has been a while, Miss Sia. Have you been well?”

“I’ve been well. You know the two people next to me, right?”

They were members of the boat trip last year, and they were in the same academy anyway, so I didn’t feel the need to formally introduce them. Ethel and Angelo greeted each other quite happily, and Ian gave a slight nod to Ethel’s greeting.

‘It’s something that he even returned the greeting.’

Before, he was busy ignoring her, so as expected, their relationship seemed to be developing little by little. However, I felt a sense of pride yet a slight bitterness. I didn’t particularly want to know the reason.

“Did you eventually give up on your goal?”

Ethel, who had approached me, asked quietly.

“My goal?”

I thought about my goals. Come to think of it, I had more than one goal. I wanted Ian to grow up to be a good person and to make friends other than me. It would be best if that friend was Ethel. And that wasn’t all. When I became an adult, I had to get a divorce and start a new life. So, I was steadily saving my allowance.

“That goal, you know. The one we talked about before…”

She must be talking about Ian and Ethel becoming friends.

“I still want Miss Ethel to be close with Ian. Ian is severely shy, but he’s fine once you get to know him.”

“No, that…”

Ethel bit her lip, looking frustrated. She sighed softly and then spoke to me in a low voice.

“I’ll send you some bread soon. I’ll take my leave now.”

Ethel quickly picked up one of each type of refreshment from the table and left.

“That lady seems to have come just to eat refreshments.”

“Why is Miss Ethel leaving already?”

Ian and Angelo had different reactions as they watched her retreating figure. Ian really didn’t seem interested in Ethel. One would be curious if someone left early. It seemed their relationship narrowing was still a long way off.

We spent time having small conversations until the event ended. There were many nobles our age, but not a single one approached us. Of course, Ian would sometimes smile gently during a conversation and then glare sharply at his surroundings, but that’s probably not why the other nobles were avoiding us. …Probably.

Ethel’s talk about the ‘goal’ was strange, but anyway, we enjoyed the enthronement ceremony cum dance party smoothly.

And that night.

“Good night.”

“Yeah, you too.”

After saying goodbye to Ian, I closed my eyes.

‘I feel like I had to check something…’

No matter how much I thought, I couldn’t remember what it was. Then, I finally gave up thinking. My legs hurt from standing all day, and I was very tired. I quickly fell asleep.

[Would you like to check the Status Window?]

 

▷ Yes

 

▷ No

So, I failed to notice the familiar window that appeared before my eyes.

***

Two weeks had passed since I attended the enthronement.

After diligently finishing my calculations like a slave today, I followed the butler to the dining room upon hearing the news that a dessert gift had arrived.

“A snack gift for the young madam has arrived. The maids confirmed that there was no problem with the treats.”

“Wow, I’m excited.”

The butler didn’t bother to tell me who sent it, but I had a rough guess.

‘Angelo must have sent financiers.’

Of course, it was strange that he, who usually brought the financiers himself, only sent the snacks this time.

When I arrived at the dining room, I realized my prediction was wrong. In the center of the table was a letter and an elegant round plate. And on the plate, there were buns of a different shape than financiers.

‘Ah, now that I think about it, Ethel said she would send me bread.’

I thought she was just being polite, but she must have actually sent it.

“Honestly, I was suspicious at first because it was unfamiliar, but there was no problem. What’s sprinkled on top is salt.”

Marie, who was waiting for me in the dining room, explained with a bright smile, as if she had eaten it deliciously. I sat down on a chair, picked up a salt roll, and took a bite.

“It’s delicious!”

As expected, Ethel had good skills. The outside was crispy, the inside was chewy, and it was moderately salty. It was perfect for my taste, as I’m a strong advocate for crispiness.

‘I’ve been disappointed so many times when I went to places famous for salt rolls and ended up eating soft, moist ones…’

She sent me a lot of salt rolls that suited my preference.

‘She said she did kendo, after all.’

Her arm strength must be strong enough to effortlessly bake this much bread.

‘No, but…’

I took another bite of the salt roll and froze for a moment, as if I had been hit hard on the head. I had completely forgotten that I was in a game until I ate the salt roll.

‘When did I start forgetting?’

I was aware that I was in a game until I went on the boat ride. But from the next day on, I completely forgot about it. For a whole year, no less.

I put down the bread and hastily tore open the letter to read it.

「Hello, Miss Sia.

 

How have you been? If the content of my letter seems strange from now on, please ignore it.

 

You are the Miss Sia I know, right? Are you playing well?

 

I was wondering why you suddenly went quiet after wanting a happy ending so much.

 

Your behavior at the enthronement was also awkward.

 

Lala is persistently giving me a quest to meet Ian.

 

If I don’t clear it, she gives me the same quest again.

 

This place is truly too strange.」

Even while I was overly immersed in the game, Lala was trying to connect Ethel and Ian. Should I be grateful for this…?

‘She should have given me a quest too.’

If I had received a quest, I might have briefly noticed that I was in a game.

I sighed lightly and continued reading the letter.

「We talked about this game during our boat ride meeting, didn’t we?

 

Did you receive any penalty because of it?

 

I received a penalty for talking about the game with you.

 

All the money I earned selling apple pies at the hunting competition was taken away. F***.」

The swear word was scribbled down like a signature, showing how truly angry she was. She was the one who would grit her teeth when I provoked her, but never openly lost her temper. Even someone as calm as her can’t hold back when it comes to money, it seems. Her curse made me feel a sense of inner kinship.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I did not receive a penalty for talking about the game with Ethel. Was Lala on my side rather than being one of the game’s old hands?

「I tested it at home. Now I can’t mention anything related to the game out loud.

 

But thankfully, writing it down is still possible.

 

Of course, I don’t know what kind of penalty I’ll receive once Miss Sia reads this letter.

 

If I get a penalty because of this, I’ll contact you.

 

Goodbye for now.」

After finishing the letter, I got up and returned to my room. I took out my diary, which was in the corner of my bookshelf, for the first time in a while. I slipped her letter into my clean diary, which only had the first page written, and wrote a reply.

「Thank you. The salt rolls were really delicious. I think you could open a shop right away.

 

I haven’t received a penalty yet for mentioning the game.

 

And Miss Ethel, please don’t forget. This is not reality, and we are playing a game.

 

I think I’ve played the game for too long. I often mistake this place for reality.

 

If mentioning the game in a letter doesn’t result in a penalty, could you occasionally remind me that it’s a game?」

Is it because I’m not the type to usually keep a diary? I would realize I was in a game right away if I just checked the diary, but since I don’t have that habit, I don’t check the diary itself. I did consciously check it right after writing in it…

Perhaps Ethel’s help would make things better. Assuming, of course, that Ethel doesn’t receive a penalty.

The moment I sighed deeply and put the letter into the envelope, the door flew open and Ian walked in.

“You don’t look well?”

“Are you picking a fight with me right now?”

Is he targeting me because he’s all cleaned up? I clearly showered this morning too. When I glared at Ian, huffing, he chuckled.

“No. Because your expression looks bad and your complexion looks poor.”

“Ah, I thought you were picking a fight about my appearance.”

“So, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.”

“It looks serious for ‘nothing’.”

Ian’s gaze was intense, watching me as if observing my condition. When I gave a slight smile to indicate I was fine, Ian’s expression grew even more serious. Seeing that made me annoyed.

“Seriously, nothing’s wrong. Stop making that face.”

“What’s that letter?”

His gaze went to the letter on the table. I folded the letter in half, afraid Ian might read the content, and replied.

“I wrote a letter to Miss Ethel. You remember her, right? The young lady we took a boat ride with before. We also met her at the enthronement.”

“I know who she is.”

“That’s good. You remember.”

“Shall I deliver that letter to her?”

This was completely unexpected. Ian’s attitude, which was always indifferent to Ethel, had changed so much. If I asked Ian to deliver the letter, the two would naturally get a chance to talk. But I couldn’t do that.

‘The content of the letter shouldn’t be exposed.’

Because there would be a problem if Ian happened to read it.

I shook my head, conveying my refusal.

“Why? Is it actually a letter to Angelo, not her?”

“No, it’s not. It’s because I want you to focus on your studies, not letter delivery.”

I huffed and wrote Ethel’s name largely on the envelope, then wrote the address of the Academy.

“I’m really sending it to Miss Ethel.”

I put the letter inside the envelope and sealed it with sealing wax so that others couldn’t carelessly open it.

“Look at this! I’m sending it to Miss Ethel, right?”

When I shoved the envelope toward him, Ian chuckled softly and approached the bed. Watching his back, I felt a sense of self-mockery. Why was I so eager to prove I was sending a letter to Ethel?

Feeling embarrassed, I loudly rang the small bell, and Anna entered immediately, as if she had been waiting.

“When it’s bright tomorrow, please deliver this to Miss Ethel at Verditi Academy.”

As she politely took my letter, Ian, who was lying in bed, patted my spot. Realizing he meant for me to hurry up and sleep, I went and lay down next to him.

“Good night.”

Anna turned off the light after saying those words and left. 

Creak. 

The door closed, and darkness fell.

“You’ll have to go back to the Academy now.”

“Why, are you sad?”

“No.”

“If you really want me to, I’ll reluctantly switch to commuting.”

I couldn’t see his expression because it was dark, but Ian’s voice sounded excited.

“No. Go and enjoy your dorm life.”

“…If you get too bored, send me a letter. I’ll make time to visit on the weekend.”

“Dorm life, fighting!”

“Go to sleep already.”

Ian turned his back and pulled the blanket up to his head. I poked the blanket with my finger, muttered “good night,” and waited for Ian to fall asleep.

A year had passed. Therefore, I should be able to check Ian’s status window. But no matter how long I waited and waited, the status window didn’t appear.

‘Ian is asleep…’

Just in case, I waved my hand in front of Ian’s eyes, but he showed no reaction, seeming truly asleep.

‘Lala.’

I called out desperately, but there was no reaction. However, when I called Lala’s name about five times.

‘Come out before I roast you whole, Lala.’

– Long time no see♪ My beloved Elicia!

As expected, Lala doesn’t appear on the first try and needs to be called multiple times.

‘Are you kidding me? I completely forgot I was in a game for a whole year.’

– That means you were enjoying the game that much!

‘Is this normal? A person can’t distinguish between reality and a game.’

– You’re allowed to do that during this game♬

I seriously want to hit him just once. Since the conversation didn’t seem to be going anywhere, I asked a different question.

‘A year has passed, but Ian’s status window isn’t popping up.’

– Erlian’s status window can only be checked once a year, on a fixed day. Unfortunately, I gave you the chance on the day of the enthronement, but it seems you went to sleep early.

‘Are you kidding me? You didn’t tell me that.’

– Then please continue to enjoy your play!

I reached out my hand toward the escaping Lala, but the small creature had already disappeared.

‘This crazy game. That insane Lala.’

I was huffing with confusion about the game and anger toward Lala, and I couldn’t fall asleep until dawn.