C170
Tears ran down Liena's cheeks.
"Liena, let's go play at the mountain behind us!"
Ethel's smile came to mind as she took Liena's hand and led her back in time.
At that moment, Ethel took special care of Liena among the orphanage children, and Liena also loved her only friend very much.
The reason why the relationship between the two people ended like this was clear.
Her inferiority complex. More than she liked Ethel, Liena had a feeling of inferiority towards her friend who seemed superior to her in every way.
She wanted to be superior to Ethel. She didn't want to be an ugly friend who always had to receive Ethel's consideration and sympathy.
The only person she could consider precious was Ethel, and she hated admitting that there were more people besides her for Ethel.
So, after returning, Liena struggled to become a person superior to Ethel.
She reached a high status, earned the love of many people, and accumulated a huge amount of wealth.
But why? Even if she built a high tower, Liena's feelings would not be satisfied.
"Pleased to meet you, Princess Cassius. You are a lovely person, just as I heard from the young Duke."
At the moment Ethel, whom she had long forgotten, appeared with Leandro, Liena could understand the reason.
Simply becoming superior to Ethel was not enough.
Just as Ethel did in the past, this time she had to take care of her from a position higher than Ethel's.
In this way, she would also earn Ethel's love.
Liena finally admitted obediently.
The main reason she urged Leandro to marry her was her petty selfishness.
Saying it was compensation for a mistake or for Ethel's true happiness was nothing but an excuse.
Liena murmured self-critically.
"If with such selfishness I had formed a family, they would have been kinder to her..."
She was afraid of losing the false happiness she had accumulated through blessings, so she isolated Ethel in the mansion.
That was because Liena had not been able to rid herself of her feelings of inferiority towards Ethel until then.
When they reunited, she instinctively recognized it.
Although deprived of the chance to count on Liena's support and although she was taken in by a family in ruins, Ethel remained a bright and attractive person.
Fear always existed in the depths of Liena's heart.
She wondered if the people who had come to love her through the power of the blessing would someday open their eyes when they saw the truly charming Ethel.
At the same time, there was also stubbornness that denied such fears.
"That can't be possible. How could I have achieved this only to have everything collapse just because Ethel appeared?"
The two conflicting emotions made Liena show a strange attitude towards Ethel.
Liena couldn't completely exclude Ethel from the family, nor truly accept her as family.
"It was all just an illusion..."
Due to her inferiority complex, she made her only friend unhappy because she didn't want to lose everything she had accumulated so far.
As a result, her friend began to hate her, so she couldn't bear that fact and justified herself instead of being sincere.
She completely forgot her mistakes and believed that, since she was a friend who loved her when she was less attractive, she would naturally love the beautiful daughter of the duke.
Liena picked a raspberry from the basket and popped it into her mouth.
"... delicious."
It was sweet and delicious like the raspberries she used to eat as a child, but she hadn't returned to her childhood.
She regretted it deeply. Why was she so blinded by her vain feelings of inferiority and greed that she abandoned something truly precious?
Unlike others, she had been lucky enough to live a second life, but she only made mistakes.
"I want to apologize."
Liena suddenly revealed her true feelings.
"I know you can't forgive me, but I want to say I was wrong."
Tears flowed like rain, soaking the raspberries in the basket.
"I want to see you again just once."
But it may be too much...
There was no chance that Ethel, who had sent raspberries through Arsia, would come here, and Liena was scheduled to be executed in five days.
At that moment.
"Do I give you a chance?"
In a room where obviously no one was present except Liena, someone whispered in Liena's ear.
----------------------------
I realized an important fact too late.
"I'm sorry. I kept forgetting to return it right away."
"It's okay. It's not like it's wearing out or anything."
Terence took the pocket watch I offered him and responded with a smile.
Not long ago, during the sanctity verification, he lent me the pocket watch he always carried with him.
As soon as I casually mentioned needing something to measure the duration of the belt artifact, the hand that handed me his watch was very quick.
Apparently, his pocket watch was as high quality as it seemed, so the time was accurate.
"It looked like a very expensive watch."
"Yes. I don't know the exact price, but my father gave it to my mother when they were dating, so it must not have been cheap."
"E-Then that watch is from your mother...?"
"Yes, it's my mother's memento—."
"No, how could you lend it without saying anything?"
"Should I have told you?"
"I just ran with it, and I could have dropped it and damaged it."
"If it breaks, you can fix it."
Terence seemed so calm that I felt like I was making a fuss.
Please pay attention. I don't have the confidence to get away with damaging someone else's valuable belongings.
That wasn't the only thing Terence said that surprised me.
"This watch."
The man who returned the pocket watch I gave him said easily:
"I'll give it to Ethel."
"... what?"
"Please, use it well, Ethel."
"No, I can't stand it! How can I receive your mother's belongings?"
"The watch you used before is broken, so I lent you mine. I would like you to use this instead of buying a new one."
Terence was kind but stubborn.
"Just like my father gave it to his beloved, I want to give it to you."
"Terence..."
"It's my heart. Please accept this."
If you say it with such tender eyes, how can I dare to refuse?
I carefully polished the antique-looking pocket watch, thinking that I should treat it like a hidden treasure.
To put it bluntly, the joy was greater than the burden of being in charge of his precious belongings.
It means he loves me enough to give me his mother's belongings.
"And yet I..."
A slight feeling of guilt arose in my heart.
In fact, I still hadn't told Terence that the real Ethel and he had been lovers in a past life.
Although I was determined to confess as long as Liena's matter was resolved well, strangely, my resolve weakened just by looking at Terence's face.
I didn't think Terence would leave me, but I wasn't sure if anything would change between us.
But I have to be brave, at least for Terence, who believes in me.
"Hmm, Terence. I have something important to tell you."
It was then when I was about to speak.
Knock, knock! An urgent knock was heard on the annex door.
"Your Highness, the Royal Prince! I have something urgent to tell you!"
It was Jack's voice, Terence's assistant.
Terence looked at me and I nodded slightly to tell him to deal with matters first.
"Come in."
After he was given permission, Jack entered the room and whispered something in Terence's ear.
"It's an urgent report that has just arrived..."
At that moment, Terence's expression changed.
"Is that true?"
"I can hardly believe it myself, but the young servant told me he came running after receiving orders from the chamberlain."
Chamberlain? It seemed to be related to the emperor, as the chamberlain serving the emperor was mentioned.
"May I ask what's going on?"
In that case, I didn't think it was an issue I could interfere in, but Terence's expression was serious, so I cautiously opened my mouth.
"Oh, it's probably nothing much."
Terence, upon seeing me, relaxed his stern expression.
"It's a nonsensical story, so there's a high probability that there has been some mistake. Perhaps the young servant misunderstood something."
The voice clearly attempted to reassure me.
"Anyway, I suppose I'll have to go take a look."
"Yes, please come back soon."
"What you were trying to say earlier..."
"It's okay. It's not urgent. We'll talk again later when Terence returns."
"Then I'll see you tonight."
Terence left those words and exited through the door. It was a step that felt urgent.
"What the hell is going on?"
If it's about the emperor, wasn't he supposed to be at the main temple today with the empress to meet Arsia?
Could something have happened at the Grand Temple?
"If it's something important, we'll know soon."
Lucy, who was lying by the sunny window, responded to my internal dialogue.
"But somehow I feel..."
I looked back at Lucy and stopped as I responded.
"What worries you?"
"Why?"
"You look as serious as Terence."
"... there's something."
"Say it. I'll do everything I can, as long as it's just advice for your concerns. I'm your teacher by name."
"What is the meaning of my existence?"
"......"
It turned out to be a more philosophical question than expected.
"My teacher said it before. I heard what the goddess said about me."
"Yes, it was in my dream."
"The goddess considered that my teacher would properly guide me, so she guided me to her."
"So?"
"That means there is a proper direction to follow, but I don't know what it is."
I didn't know, but it seemed that Lucy had been harboring these concerns all along.
Unfortunately, I didn't have the ability to give helpful advice on this philosophical concern.
Instead, I said this.
"I'm not sure what it is, but let's think about it together. Still, wouldn't it be better together than alone?"
The divine beast, who briefly smiled at my words, suddenly stiffened.
"Stay close to me!"
"What?"
"Something is coming...!"
Knock knock, suddenly someone knocked on the door.
For some reason, I swallowed hard.
It's strange. The annex is heavily guarded by the Imperial Knights, and Vinetta was in the room next door.
So, no suspicious person can come to my room, so why is Lucy so cautious?
"Who is it?"
I asked with a trembling voice.
"It's me, Ethel."
Then the voice of a person who, according to common sense, shouldn't be here, returned.
"It's embarrassing, but I came here because I wanted to apologize."
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