[V7C18] Nostalgic Memories

Recalling the day they first shared a drink ten years ago, Einhard, now 26, put a smile on his fully-grown adult face.

Perhaps it would be an overstatement to say the three of them bonded immediately, but Einhard could say one thing for sure. He had grown fond of the kind, earnest prince and the eccentric troublemaker of a mage.

“It’s been a while since we met like this in private. I think the last time was right before Louis joined the Seven Sages, right?”

“Indeed, that was about four or five years ago,” replied Lionel.

Whenever Lionel and Louis visited the Empire on official business, or when Einhard went to Ridill, if the timing was right, they would invite each other for a drink——incognito, of course.

Once, he had dragged Louis into the pleasure district after the mage boasted that there was only one woman in his heart. Einhard received a roundhouse kick as payback.

Also the time he gave the two disguises, except the one for Louis was women’s clothes. That got him a dropkick.

After drinking too much, Einhard vomited on Louis’s clothes, receiving a heel drop…

“Whoa. All my memories are of getting kicked by Louis.”

“Well, he has gotten much less aggressive since his marriage.”

“Oh yeah, the marriage. I heard he even has a child now.”

“Indeed, a daughter named Leonora.”

Upon hearing the name of Louis’s daughter, Einhard involuntarily stopped in his tracks and burst into laughter, holding his stomach.

Puzzled by Einhard’s sudden odd behavior, Lionel furrowed his thick eyebrows.

“What has gotten into you all of a sudden, Einhard?”

“B-Because… Pfft! Wahaha! Man, he loves you so damn much!”

“…Huh?”

Einhard brushed off the prince’s doubts with a “It’s nothing really,” then waved the white flower in his hand.

Though unsatisfied with this answer, Lionel asked a different question.

“By the way, Einhard, where are we heading?”

Ever since the two met in the middle of the road, Einhard had been strolling in the opposite direction of the area with restaurants.

The sun had almost set, painting the sky in the colors of dusk. Nightfall was soon to come.

Einhard put on a mischievous grin, revealing the same prankster face he wore ten years ago.

“Well, I was just thinking of introducing you to the perfect lady.”

＊　＊　＊

Cecilia stood before the mirror and opened the neckline of her gown.

Her fair skin was as white as porcelain, but a faint violet-colored mark was visible on the left side of her chest. This was the contract mark that appeared on the skin of those officially contracted with an ancient artifact.

Some ancient artifacts allowed a contract to whoever was using it, while others imposed contracts that lasted until the death of the contractor. The Mirror of Bern, which Cecilia had contracted, was the latter.

This mark would not disappear until Cecilia’s death. This was the physical symbol of her connection to the ancient artifact… or so it should have been.

——”Unsightly. You have the same disgusting face as the man who let my darling Constanze die.”

——”I detest those who pretend to be weak, forcing all of the sacrifices upon those with power. How despicable and base.”

——”Insignificant girl. I will contract you in deference to Constanze’s bloodline. However…”

Cecilia lowered her eyes and pulled the neckline of her gown closer to hide the mark. The voices that once denied her echoed in her ears, giving her no reprieve.

(Onii-sama, doing as you say would be the best for everyone… however…)

Cecilia parted her tightly closed lips and mumbled a name.

“Lionel-sama…”

The moment that name left her mouth, the image of a man instantly appeared in her mind. He had the appearance of a soldier, strong and boorish… yet he was a kind prince with gentle eyes.

Remembering his calm smile and his low, soft voice brought a warmth to Cecilia’s chest.

However, the stronger she felt for him, the more the guilt ate away at her.

The Silent Witch Monica Everett had advised her on this subject. If you kept denying your feelings, you would eventually deny all the kindness given to you by your loved ones.

Thus, one must cherish their feelings of love.

(…I want to be like that too.)

She wanted to proudly declare her love to him. How could she possibly deny the feelings swirling around in her chest?

(With this secret weighing on me, I cannot hold my head high. Such would make me ill-suited for the sincere Lionel-sama. However, if my secret is exposed, then I am reduced to a worthless woman.)

Cecilia lowered her eyes, feeling trapped no matter what she did. But then, she noticed a shadow behind her reflected in the mirror. Perhaps a maid had come to check on her.

Cecilia lifted her head to look at the person standing behind her in the mirror, immediately gasping in shock.

“…Eh?”

Standing behind her was a petite maid with light brown hair. There was no way Cecilia could forget her. Not her charming smile. Not the dimples on her cheek.

Not the bloodied face of the dying girl who had saved her life.

“…M-Mia?”

Cecilia slowly turned to meet eyes with the petite maid wearing a big smile. However, this smile took the form of a sneer——something the girl in her memories would never display.

“Everything was a lie, wasn’t it, Princess?”

Blood began spilling down Mia’s face to cover her entire body. Droplets of blood fell to stain the luxurious carpet.

“I sacrificed my life to protect a fake saintess.”

Step by step, the blood-soaked Mia approached Cecilia.

Cecilia froze, unable to even breath, as Mia reached out with a bloodied hand. Her charming face twisted into a malicious scowl.

“Surely you understand. Deep within their hearts, everyone wishes for your death. Once you die, a new saintess can be chosen.”

As Cecilia began hyperventilating, a memory of her grandfather, Duke Achenwall, flashed through her mind.

——”…If it’s come to this, maybe we should let her die by her own hand.”

“You know what has to be done, Princess Cecilia.”

＊　＊　＊

“……ca……Monica!”

Someone called Monica’s name as she lay sprawled over a desk. This was the voice of a man she knew very well.

(Oh, this voice is…)

He let out an irritated grunt as Monica continued dozing off. This grunt was usually followed by an angry shout.

And just as Monica expected, the man raised his voice.

“How long do you plan to sleep there, Monica Everett!”

“Eek!”

Raising her upper body from the desk where she was lying, Monica found herself in a familiar classroom.

Looking down on her was a slim young man with silver hair and blue eyes.

“…Cyril-sama?”

Cyril was dressed in the uniform of Serendia Academy. Since he was a student here, there was nothing strange about that.

So why did she feel a sense of discomfort?

As she pondered over this doubt, Cyril raised an eyebrow and continued shouting.

“Why is a student council officer napping in the classroom!? Explain yourself!”

“Uh, well, um, s-sorry…”

Monica bowed her head repeatedly, causing Cyril to give her a doubtful stare.

His thin eyebrows were slightly furrowed, expressing a mix of anger and concern. This was a familiar expression of Cyril Ashley, one which Monica was very familiar with.

“…Is there something the matter?”

“N-No, I’m fine, perfectly fine.”

“Good. There’s a student council meeting after school today. Make sure you arrive on time.”

“Y-Yes!”

Cyril confirmed Monica’s nod and departed the classroom.

Watching his retreating figure, Monica murmured quietly to herself.

“…Cyril-sama.”

“Really, what are you muttering about now?”

A voice came from the side, and Monica turned to see Lana staring at her with an exasperated expression.

Lana leaned forward and pointed to Monica’s bangs.

“You’ve got bed hair there.”

“Oh, yeah…”

After fixing her hair, Monica checked her attire. It was a mostly white dress with a bolero and white gloves. This was the nostalgic uniform of girls attending Serendia Academy.

(…Nostalgic?)

Why did she feel nostalgic when looking at the uniform? After all, she was currently a student attending the academy.

As Monica grew puzzled, the door to her classroom opened, and a girl with orange-curls jumped in. This was Isabelle Norton, the daughter of Count Kerbeck.

Rushing over to Monica’s desk, Isabelle flashed a radiant smile and said…

“Onee-sama! Let’s go eat lunch together!”

“O-Okay.”

Monica found herself nodding in response to Isabelle’s overflowing enthusiasm, but she couldn’t help but feel something was off.

(Huh? Was it okay for me to have lunch with Isabelle-sama?)

Lana, who had been leaning on her hand in the adjacent seat, chuckled and said, “You two are always close, huh?”

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