Chapter 75: Mistake Three Years Ago


    Aneue! Lize-aneue!


    What? You still have something to say?


    Lize-aneue grumpily reply.


    Her voice, expression, bearing, everything screamed [Dont get close to me now]. She is clearly in a bad mood. Normally, I wouldnt approach her when shes like this either.


    But this time is an exception.


    Yes, theres a lot I want to say to you. You havent even cleared up anything yet either.


    I already refused Jurgen once and for all like you told me to right? What are you dissatisfied with now?


    I have no problem if you were being honest. But you werent right?


    What are you saying? I was beingpletely honest.


    You really are a bad liar you know.


    From the expression on her face, theres no way she was being honest.


    Rather, she looked like she regretted it instead.


    How about we talk while we walk? I have something I wanted to ask you.


    I dont feel like it.


    Is that so..actually, Christa just found herself a male friend you see.


    What!? What kind of man is he!? Is hepetent!? How old!?


    That was a lie.


    For a moment, Aneues face turned nk.


    Then,


    I see. It seems you want to take my lesson after a long time huh?


    Wa!? Its just a joke! A joke! But if you couldnt tell that was a lie then theres a lot of things you still dont know yet right?


    Stopping my sisters hand from reaching the sword on her belt, I bitterly smile.


    Aneue thought for a while and then exhaled.


    ..only a short while alright.


    That will depend on you Aneue. Lets walk together then.


    I say so and start walking next to her.


    Aneue stays silent all the time.


    As I thought, I have to create an atmosphere where she can talk to me.


    I have a lot of things I am curious about.


    Narrow it to one.


    Alrightonly one then. What happened between you and Leo three years ago?


    She probably doesnt expect that question.


    Lize-aneue opens her eyes wide.


    She then averted them away from me.


    You said you will answer one question right?


    ..its not rted to this.


    Probably. You havent visited the capital too often since then, right? We have only exchanged letters since then too. From my point of view, it looked like you were trying to avoid people you know.


    Lize-aneue looked at me annoyingly and looked up at the sky.


    Then.


    ..Three years ago, at the Crown Princes funeral. I tried to do something and Leo stopped me.


    What were you trying to do?


    I was going to kill Zuzan.


    Thats..


    Thats certainly like what Aneue would do.


    And stopping her was also what Leo would do.


    So something like that happened.


    He also has his own secret huh.


    She was both involved with the death of my mother and the Crown Prince. I was convinced that I have to get rid of her before a cmity befalls the Empirebut Leo stood in front of me.


    Even so..I wanted to kill that woman. I thought that I could never forgive her. Thats why I try to get past him with brute force butLeo didnt give up. No matter how many times I beat him down, he told me that I was wrong and stood in my way.


    Thats very like him.


    .Leo said that justice should be done by thew. But thew is powerless. Aniue was killed but there was no evidence of murder. Thats why I have no choice but to kill her myselfthats what I thought. Thats why I was trying to make him faint. But he didnt. Even after I beat him over and over and over.


    Come to think of it, he locked himself up in his room for a while after the Crown Princes funeral.


    I thought that he was in shock but maybe he was just hiding his beat-up self.


    Despite all that..Leo didnt back down. He said that I was wrong and that Aniue wouldnt want this. Still..two of the imperial family members are deadI just couldnt shut up and take it so I told him to stop talking about his ideal. I asked him if he understands the feeling of losing their own mother and the brother you have sworn to support. Whether he understands the feeling of those left behindthen he asked me, would happen to Christa if I am gone. My other family members? The Empire? What Aniue was trying to protect? He said what I was trying to do was only throwing away my responsibility and running away.


    So how did you reply to Leo?


    Lize-aneue turns her sight from the sky down to the ground. Her expression was very sad.


    This is my first time seeing her making such a face.


    .I couldnt say anything.I realized that blood got to my head. And before I noticedI just couldnt stand being there anymore. I have no right to face the tattered Leo back then.thats why I returned to the border like I was running away from him.


    I see. You cant forgive yourself so you stop yourself from meeting more people.


    ..Yeah. I couldnt forgive myself. I was scared. If Leo didnt stop me I would have done something stupid. I was scared of myselfI stopped making friends after that. I turned down anyone who attempted to get close to me. Still, I couldnt abandon you, Christa.and Jurgen. At first, I thought Jurgen was annoying because how he relentlessly came at me but I was grateful for him.


    Before we noticed we were climbing up a hill near the mansion.


    Aneue silently climbed it until she reached the top then she just sat there at the bench on top of that hill.


    That figure of her was like a different person from my pushy elder sister.


    I will only marry [someone who can die together with me]. Those words were the cornerstone for all this right.


    If I am left behind, I dont know what I would do. That being said.I dont want to make someone else feel that pain either. I am a soldier. I have already prepared for my death. But I cant ept the death of someone who is not a soldier.


    Thats why you kicked Duke Reinfeld out of the army right?


    Jurgen is excellent. I can leave him to manage the troops or I could have him be my chief of staff. But he cant die together with me. I couldnt let him feel the pain I felt.


    But you still cant cut ties with him. He is your closest friend isnt he?


    I dont know how he thinks but from my point of view, he is an old friend. But like you said. I shouldnt be binding him with me. I.was spoiled by him.


    Thats why she said that huh.


    She was clumsy, or how should I put this.


    Perhaps her time has stopped since that day three years ago.


    She turned her mind away from everything and only focused on her duty as a soldier.


    I cant me her. Aneue was the one who was the closest to the Crown Prince. She was watching him, supporting him. Like I am with Leo.


    If Leo is gone.I wonder what would I do?


    This is difficult. I will probably act the same way as Aneue.


    But what would I do if someone stopped me?


    Aneue has been living with feelings that have nowhere to go.


    I cant say that I understand Aneues feelings. I havent lost anyone after all. The Crown Prince was someone I looked up to but our rtionship as a family was shallow. I only have my mother and little brother. No one important to me has been taken away. But I have something that I can say.


    What is it..?


    I think of you as a family. Christa too, Mother too, Leos probably too. Thats why the life you lived makes me sad. I dont think you will be able to find happiness if you keep living like this.


    I am not looking for happiness. The happy ideal I drew.it was already shattered three years ago.


    Leo will make a happier deal for you. thats why please look toward the future too, Aneue.


    There was no persuasive power behind those words.


    It was only an advertisement that Leo who just entered the session war will be able to make a better ideal than thete Crown prince.


    Leo is oftenpared to the Crown Prince and He himself is trying to be like him.


    However, no one ever says that he wasparable to the Crown Prince. The current Leo is like an inferior version of him.


    But.


    I will make up for what Leo is missing. We can surpass even our elder brother. We will show you something much better than the ideal future you drew with him. Thats why please try to see it.


    .You have grown. The ideal I drew together with Aniue was much grander than you think you know?


    Thats how I want it.


    Saying so, I stare into Lize-aneues eyes.


    Her eyes are different from usual.


    They were peaceful.


    ..it really is a strange feeling to see my little brother grow up.


    Is that so? Then you might even feel strange if you saw Leo now you know. That guy also grew up after all. Everyone has grown since the Crown Prince passed away. Duke Reinfeld as well. Theres no way that was a good ending for a man who has been striving to be a man suitable for you. I dont mind if you dont want to marry him but you dont hate him right?


    I guess..he is a man who works hard for my sake. I think I like him quite a bit. Of course, I dont see him as a member of the opposite sex though.


    Then lets tell that to him. It would be wasteful to break ties with him after all.


    Thats true but


    Aneue seems nervous.


    Dont tell me.


    Its awkward for you isnt it?


    O, Of course, its going to be awkward!? I just said that to him right? What should I say if I meet him now!?


    Its fine, isnt it. If you properly being honest with him, Im sure that person wouldnt mind it at all.


    But I do! I cant fix this on my own! You have to talk with him and told him what I say! Thats the best method!


    You really are a troublesome person.


    What are you saying? If you are my little brother then you should put in the effort to help your sister here! Since you lent your hand to Jurgen, I wont let you say no to me now alright!?


    Haa, I should be helping Jurgen with his proposal but how did ite to this.


    If its Jurgen then if Aneue just said [Sorry, I said too much] then he would break down with tears of joy in no time. But it seems her pride wont allow her to say that huh.


    As I thought, she really is a troublesome person.


    Well even if its just a little, its good that Aneue has returned to herself.


    Lets do this slowly. Nothing goodes from rushing things after all.


    While I was thinking so, someone came up on the hill.


    Nn? Arent you the butler of Duke Reinfeld?


    I, I finally found you! Th, theres a reporting for both of you, Your Highness! There was a purple signal fire rising from the South. It seems that something is happening there that will threaten the whole Empire!


    Purple signal fire is signifying the highest level of emergency. Once you lit it up, it will be ryed to the Imperial Capital via ry stations installed in various ces.


    It was the signal that was used when the Crown Prince passed away on the battlefield three years ago.


    And now that signal has risen from the south.


    Leo.?


    I involuntarily look to the south.


    It was the same as that day.


    It seems that the turning point of fate alwayses when you are least prepared.


    Together with Aneue, we started running out at the same time.