Ceria is suspicious.
As soon as I heard that news, I recalled the bloodstained letter.
The phrases written in blood bore a chilling light. The content was no different.
To ask someone to cut up their own body and bury it in the ground.
I couldn’t utter a word in response to such a mad plea.
The conclusion my beloved junior had to face was far too cruel.
So I vowed time and time again. I would never let Ceria face such a fate.
No matter what means I had to devise.
I still had a year as a buffer.
All I had to do was find a way to save Ceria during that time. If I could do that, I would somehow be able to move toward a happy future.
But in my heart lingered an unease I couldn’t shake off.
What if my choice was wrong?
Because of my involvement, Leorick had been provoked. As a result, the retinue of the evil deity awakened, and I defeated Leorick after a fierce battle.
From that perspective, nothing had gone wrong.
If it weren’t for the truths revealed by that blood-stained letter.
It was said that the source of the power that corrupts Leorick was the ‘Seven Deadly Sins.’
Since the letter had begun arriving from the future, I had heard stories about those seven stars a few times.
The first was from Emma.
Emma declared that there was no such magic as reversing time.
But she left behind a peculiar possibility, suggesting that perhaps it could be possible if one borrowed the power of the ‘Seven Deadly Sins.’
The seven sins symbolized by the stars created by Delphrium.
And I had also heard about the ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ from the “me” who came from the future.
The seven legion commanders leading Omeros’ army.
Each one was said to be a monster that could match a master.
The monster that sacrificed Leorick was merely a seed. Yet, it had nearly brought the Northern Region to ruin.
The blood-stained letter also contained the following words.
“The power of the Seven Deadly Sins is akin to a curse. It never truly disappears, and someone must bear that sin.”
The Seven Deadly Sins do not vanish.
They only wander in search of a new sacrifice.
I didn’t know the specifics, but from the letter I received, Ceria was burdened with that sin. With the term “monster” appearing frequently, it seemed the blood flowing in her veins was a significant factor.
The bloodline of a “vampire.”
If she inherited the blood of the Mage called the worst ever, it would make sense.
So I had no choice but to run, panting for breath.
Could it have already begun?
Although the letter mentioned there was a little over a year to spare, it did not detail the course of events leading to Ceria’s fate. In other words, it wouldn’t be strange at all if something happened to Ceria right now.
In my anxious state, my actions became rough.
As soon as I stood in front of Ceria’s room, as indicated by the imperial princess, I opened the door without even knocking.
And what I saw inside was Ceria, startled, with wide eyes, sucking on a straw from a red drink.
“…Ah.”
A momentary silence fell between Ceria and me.
We were both frozen, seemingly paralyzed as if we had been petrified by the same day. We merely wore expressions of embarrassment.
In truth, it didn’t matter what Ceria was drinking.
It wasn’t a crime to relax in one’s chamber and enjoy a drink.
The reason Ceria and I grew tense was something else entirely.
It was due to the item decorating every corner of Ceria’s room.
If one were to look at the details, there was nothing shocking.
At most, there were dolls, portraits, and if one had to point out something unusual, it would be a tattered piece of clothing.
However, the problem lay in the uniformity of those items.
Both the portraits and dolls clearly depicted someone.
A man with striking black hair and golden eyes.
That man was me.
Even the tattered clothing displayed at the head of the bed appeared to be the outfit I had worn.
The bloodstains scattered here and there stirred up my memories.
It was probably the uniform I wore right before I was admitted to the Intensive Care Room.
As the scene of the room etched itself onto my retina, the stillness deepened.
Finally, it was Ceria who shattered the ice-cold silence.
The girl’s hands began to tremble, and soon a glass rolled clumsily across the floor.
The spilled drink conveyed Ceria’s feelings.
Like that liquid dyeing the floor red, Ceria looked like she wanted to cough up blood.
A faint tremor appeared around Ceria’s tightly shut eyes.
I opened my mouth, fumbling to manage the situation.
“It’s been a while, Ceria… Did I visit too suddenly? I’ve been well…”
“…D-die.”
Her tone was forced, struggling to suppress her emotions.
Ceria’s lowered head had reddened. I couldn’t even fathom the depth of her embarrassment.
So I had no choice but to silently watch my junior as she was.
I had no idea how to respond.
Who was the victim here?
Was it me or Ceria?
I could not even determine that, and my thoughts became a jumble.
Ceria had now undone the sword that was tied at her waist.
And respectfully, she raised it with both hands towards me.
“Please, kill me….”
With that request thrown with a gasp, I ran my hand over my face.
It felt as if this was my fault.
I sat across from Ceria.
After a desperate conversation, we had cleared up our misunderstandings. Even so, Ceria was still timidly glancing at me.
It was no wonder.
Ceria’s bedroom was adorned with countless items related to me.
From small dolls to my portraits and clothing.
It was somewhat awkward for me.
I was well aware that Ceria admired me.
If I ever met her eyes sparkling with that admiration even once, I would have noticed her feelings.
But I never imagined she liked me this much.
Ceria stammered, trying to explain.
“They’re, um, mass-produced items.”
What did she mean by that?
As I stared blankly at Ceria, she hurriedly added an explanation.
“I didn’t go out of my way to look for them, there’s a market, you see! A lot of students admire Senior Ian… So I couldn’t just pass by without buying anything! I can’t let my respect for Senior Ian diminish!”
“R-right.”
To be honest, it was an incomprehensible story.
No matter how many recent accomplishments I had, I was just an ordinary student at the academy.
My reputation at the academy wasn’t particularly good, either.
Given how many crazy things I’d done.
Yet somehow, there had emerged a group of followers for me, and they were selling items depicting me.
This was beyond surprising and a bit bewildering.
However, since Ceria was speaking with such fervor, I didn’t dare question her.
“As a result, it has created a competitive spirit… Ah, as you know, I can be a bit hot-headed.”
The hesitant excuse was the end of that.
Ceria’s blue eyes were flicking glances at me.
That expression was both endearing and cute at the same time.
I smiled faintly, as if it were nothing.
“Yeah, well… you’ve always had that side to you. You’ve improved a bit lately.”
“Yes, yes… right!”
Ceria nodded vigorously at my calm tone.
Seeing her bright smile brought me some relief.
It seemed that the imperial princess had misjudged her.
A kind and innocent junior like her couldn’t possibly go wrong.
I decided to apologize to Ceria immediately.
“Sorry, Ceria. I surprised you by coming suddenly, didn’t I?”
“N-no! Honestly, I was surprised, but I wanted to see Senior Ian too…”
“The imperial princess asked for my help.”
Ceria tilted her head at my words.
She had the face of someone who couldn’t even guess what I meant.
As if anticipating this, I wore a wry smile.
“It seems there was a misunderstanding. The imperial princess has a bit of a unique side….”
“Ah!”
It was then that Ceria let out a strange exclamation.
It seemed something clicked for her. Her blue eyes blinked as she rummaged through her memories.
“I remember running into you in the hallway today. I was a bit scatterbrained then, so I just briefly acknowledged you… But you looked so surprised to see me that you trembled.”
“…I trembled?”
“Yes, I don’t know why, but… maybe it was because my appearance wasn’t the best at that time.”
Saying that, Ceria wore a somewhat gloomy expression.
The self-deprecating smile particularly caught my attention.
Had something happened?
If I dug deeper, I could find out right away, but strangely, I didn’t want to pry further.
It was best to let it slide.
I couldn’t explain why, but my instincts told me so.
After all, I could just ask the imperial princess for more details later.
I decided to tease Ceria to lighten the mood.
“Right, I see… But Ceria, why are there so many different types of these dolls? They all look pretty similar anyway.”
“What? N-no!”
Ceria immediately raised her voice at my observation.
Unlike before, it was quite an intense display of emotion. The icy demeanor she had once shown was nowhere to be seen.
She had truly grown, Ceria.
I hid my pleased heart while watching her, now indignant, as Ceria began to explain.
“Look closely, Senior. This doll has a sword, and this one is equipped with an axe, right? They differ according to the times of how Senior Ian was armed. And after battles, there are instances where my uniform has been damaged as well, so these detailed depictions have their rare value….”
Of course, it was an embarrassing story to hear.
What was she even saying?
I swallowed the words that kept trying to rise up my throat several times.
Instead, I was able to ask all the questions I wanted to.
“What about this portrait? Why is it buried in flowers… Ah, it’s a sepia flower.”
“U-um, I thought it looked prettier that way….”
More than beautiful, it looked like a memorial portrait.
After chatting with Ceria for quite a while, I realized I had fulfilled my role admirably.
Now it was time to tend to other matters.
From the Yuridina Clan to dealing with the aftermath of battles with elves, I had a lot to do.
At least I was fortunate to have Senior Delphine around.
She was the only one who could assist me with my secretive tasks.
That said, I didn’t have much time to spare.
My eyes casually glanced at the clock hanging in one corner of the room. At that moment, my gentle junior carefully asked,
“Are you very busy?”
“Yeah, I guess… I have many things to do.”
Ceria nodded silently, as if she understood.
Though I felt regret at not being able to chat longer, this was also for the sake of Yuridina.
Furthermore, it was also for Senior Delphine.
I decided to leave behind a word of caution instead of a farewell.
“Ceria.”
After starting like that, I hesitated.
In truth, I had heard rumors before coming here.
That Senior Delphine had had a serious argument with Ceria.
I didn’t know the exact reasons, but Yuridina was currently facing a precarious crisis.
Sisterly love would not come from a rift.
So I earnestly advised Ceria.
“Well, I know things have been a bit shaken up in the clan lately. It’s only natural, given the shocking news we’ve received one after the other. But don’t hate your sister too much. Senior Delphine is also doing it for you and the clan….”
“Did that bitch say that?”
My words fell short.
For a moment, I couldn’t make a sound. I just maintained my silence, trying to interpret what Ceria had just said.
But no matter how much I wracked my brain, it was futile.
I found it hard to believe Ceria’s words, so I had no choice but to ask again.
“What did you say?”
“What I said was, did that bitch ask this of you?”
There was no room for me to interject in her perfectly calm tone.
Ceria wore the same sweet smile as always.
Cute, lovely, and innocent.
And that was what made it even creepier.
It felt as if her words had been sharpened into blades.
Was this how it felt to face a hidden dagger?
While I was dazed, grasping for my thoughts, her words struck the frozen atmosphere with a hammer.
“That bitch… no, sister Delphine….”
Instantly, the temperature around us dropped.
The beads of sweat gathering on me turned uncomfortably cold.
In the suffocating wave of emotions, I thought.
The imperial princess was right.
My junior, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, had something deeply broken within her.
And it was quite severe.
