I began to feel as if I was being worn down, though I can’t recall exactly when this sensation started.
The infinite cycle of regressions, coupled with the unexplainable malevolence directed toward me, felt as though it was eating away at my sanity.
By the time I ceased counting the number of regressions, I had grown indifferent to this malevolence.
Or so I thought.
“…Hmph.”
But I was wrong.
I had believed that laughing off the malevolence was a sign of my nonchalance, but I just now realized that it was all a mere facade.
Perhaps it was due to the sense of calm Duke Hardenberg had given me that dulled my senses.
Turning my head, I saw him, eyes closed, seemingly trying to sleep. His face, still otherworldly in its beauty.
Though a single scar marred his otherwise perfect visage, it only added to his uniqueness. Abel’s appearance was undeniably beautiful.
Because of this, I felt a sense of alienation. It felt like proof that this world wasn’t where I belonged, and a bitter feeling welled up within me.
That same sense of detachment, which I painfully experienced multiple times after torture and death, crept over me once again.
“…Pull yourself together, Adelle.”
It was dangerous to let my guard down, believing that things were going smoothly through my negotiations with the Duke. Misfortune usually struck right when I thought things were going well.
There was no law that said it wouldn’t happen again this time.
“You look lost in thought.”
“Huh? Oh…”
Abel had opened his eyes and was observing me as I took a deep breath. He was right; I had a lot to think about.
Our engagement was merely the beginning of my own survival plan.
I wasn’t sure what he thought of it, but his perspective was almost certainly very different from mine. After all, Abel was a high-ranking member of this world.
“I…”
“Are you concerned about the noblewoman’s fate?”
The noblewoman he mentioned must have been that Luna girl who tried to spill wine on me.
Even though I was worried about my own survival, her situation had me concerned now that her fate was mentioned.
“Most likely a social death, similar to what your past self endured.”
“…”
“This was Hardenberg’s engagement party after all. Many of the attending nobles were unaware of your notorious reputation.”
“So you’re saying…”
“Perhaps she will be disowned by the Aite family. They aren’t a compassionate house.”
With that, Abel smirked faintly, making my skin crawl. His easy mention of someone’s tragic end was unsettling.
No, the image of him as an engaged partner was probably the mask he wore. Being the Duke was obviously no easy position.
Perhaps he has seen even worse things than the challenges I face as someone experiencing regression.
“Shouldn’t you consider this fortunate?”
“Huh? What..”
“Otherwise, I might have had to intervene separately, but the Aite family differs from others in that regard.”
The Aite family had long historical ties with the Hardenberg Dukedom.
Marriages of political alliance were quite frequent between the two families, so it made sense. The Luna you mentioned might have been Abel’s intended fiancée originally.
The connection was severed when Abel became Duke, but it was a surprise to hear it confirmed through rumors from Lily.
“What if the wine incident earlier was related to that? She might have thought it was originally her place.”
Turning my head, I found Abel nodding as if to confirm my thoughts.
“How foolish. Our interactions with the Aite family were severed long ago.”
He chuckled.
“Of course, thanks to her, our arranged marriage will likely proceed more smoothly, so that’s fortunate.”
His attitude was alien to me.
Even though I thought I had experienced all kinds of hardship through regression, the way nobles thought always remained foreign to me.
The way they treated people as mere pawns or throwaway assets, their callousness, was a mindset I could never get used to.
While I was aware that our mentalities differed drastically, only now in this situation did I fully understand how different I, the modern person, was from Duke Hardenberg of this medieval world.
“Is that so?”
With that, I quietly closed my eyes in the now silent carriage. It was such a tiring evening.
—
The moon hung high in the midnight sky. Beneath its faint silver light streaming through the window, I absentmindedly gazed at the unfamiliar constellations.
I observed the distinctively bright clusters of stars, their brilliance captivating.
There is a superstition in this world: that each person has their own star constellation among the countless ones in the night sky.
Though I, who have read the original story, know this to be true, it is merely a superstition to most people.
“The stars…”
Amidst the countless stars, some shine strikingly brighter. I knew that these represented people’s fates. Also, that when you die, your personal star goes dark.
So, what does it mean that my star flickers like a broken streetlight? Is it warning me of my impending demise?
“What are your thoughts, Aite Baron?”
“I… don’t know, My Lord.”
The Baron’s voice trembled. He showed no interest in my musing about the stars, instead constantly darting his eyes around.
The tension in the room seemed palpable to me.
“Yes, you wouldn’t know. You’re the sort who couldn’t even keep track of your daughter.”
“I apologize sincerely.”
With a demeanor of utmost simplicity, the Aite Baron kneeled. Even as a baron, one would rarely kneel in front of a duke. This was because of the common courtesy among nobility.
But he had once been part of a plot with my father to assassinate me. Hence, his excessively submissive attitude.
Poor Luna, she likely believed her father cared for her, which fueled her audacity.
“Unfortunately, the Aite Baron is a noble. Would he really risk his life to cover for his daughter?”
Even she had likely chosen the wrong opponent.
Above all else, the fact that the baron was still alive was simply out of my mercy.
As if reading my thoughts, I heard the sound of him swallowing nervously.
“The choice between your life and your daughter’s reputation is simple math, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
His hands shook noticeably, even to me. Despite my blatant threats, Aite Baron was unable to say another word, and closed his eyes tightly.
From his perspective, it must have felt like he was on the verge of losing everything over his daughter’s poor conduct.
“Enough. You may leave.”
“Y-yes, My Lord.”
With those words, the Aite Baron hurriedly exited after the door closed. As soon as his figure disappeared, a shadow dressed in black emerged beside the door.
After sheathing his dagger, he quickly knelt before me on one knee.
“You’ll let him live?”
“Yes. There’s no sign he’s involved with the emperor’s lackeys.”
Indeed, in politics, perception changes fast.
Had there been any evidence of a deal between him and the royal house, I would have killed him to silence him right there. After all, his neck is already adorned with a metaphorical bomb necklace.
In a situation where so many people die before they can act, the Aite Baron was still a useful card. Furthermore, he knew something about the emperor’s true nature, so there was little need to overly worry about his betrayal.
“The royal nests?”
“We’ve identified five hideouts in the provinces. We’ve successfully dismantled three, but the other two disappeared beforehand.”
“What about the capital?”
“…We haven’t been able to locate them. Some form of cognition distortion seems to be at play.”
Ah, well, that was to be expected. Frankly, it was quite remarkable that we managed to uncover three.
The royal family’s interference in provincial areas appears to be less intense than I anticipated.
Though, considering the vastness of the Aria Empire’s territory, which covers seventy percent of the world, this perhaps wasn’t a surprise after all.
On the contrary, it was somewhat surprising that we even missed two.
“Emperor…”
The cards in my hand are Adelle, the Raven, and the Black Raven Knight Order.
While they may seem insufficient against the Emperor, if Adelle’s regression ability is factored in, it should be enough to challenge him.
For that reason, I need to build trust with her.
