Delusion (25)
As night turned into day, Estelle stirred and rose from bed.
Outside the window, where the darkness had receded, a faint dawn light was seeping in.
She gazed at the ceiling in silence for a long ti.
I had already finished smoking a pipe.
"Did you sleep well?"
Estelle couldn't answer my question.
She pulled the blanket up to her neck, covering her face.
The tips of her ears, visible above the blanket, were red.
"...I didn't sleep well."
After dawdling for a while, she threw on so clothes and left the room.
"I'm just going to wash up first."
The door closed, and silence once again filled the room.
I sat on the chair beside the bed and finished the remaining wine.
Traces of last night were scattered haphazardly around the room.
A slightly blood-stained, damp blanket, a carpet with fallen cigarette ash, wine glasses and snack crumbs strewn about.
Before long, the servants ca in.
Without a word, they began to clean the room with practiced movents.
They stripped the dirty sheets, opened the windows, and aired out the room.
By the ti the room was clean again, Estelle had returned.
She had washed up neatly and was dressed in proper attire.
A faint scent of soap emanated from her wet hair.
Estelle stood before , hesitated for a mont, then spoke.
"How was... yesterday?"
Her voice was slightly hoarse.
"It was good."
I replied calmly.
As if displeased with the answer, Estelle slightly furrowed her brows.
"More than that, I'm asking how it was compared to other won."
"I've never done this with other won."
Estelle shot a sidelong glance.
Then, a faint smile played on her lips.
"You know it's honestly hard to believe, right?"
"There was no love, after all."
At my words, Estelle's smile vanished.
She ca closer to and hugged tightly.
"You weren't disappointed?"
"How could I be disappointed?"
A warm sensation radiated from her body.
"You won't leave my side, will you?"
Estelle whispered.
I hesitated slightly.
And replied.
"Yes."
Seeing like that, Estelle wore a slightly sad expression, yet she smiled.
She said she felt tired, as if the tension had suddenly drained from her, and would rest a bit in the room, then began to sleep again.
Thinking I might as well read a book, I headed to the study.
The study was filled with the scent of paper and ink.
Levina had her head buried in piles of docunts.
Hearing enter, she raised her head.
Her face was weary with fatigue.
"I'm always confused, should I call you 'Family Head' every ti I see you?"
Levina said.
Her voice was laced with faint sarcasm.
"Just call Lavin."
I gazed at the bookshelf for a long ti before picking out a suitable book.
"You look busy."
"Of course I'm busy. The Family Head doesn't do anything and has dumped all the work on his subordinates."
Levina replied.
She put down her pen and leaned back in her chair.
"Lavin, I'm serious, we might have to flee soon.
Demons have already reached the vicinity of the territory."
"If we run away from here, where are we supposed to go?"
Levina couldn't answer.
"To the capital? Or to the edge of the continent?
If we're already at the point of ruin, then other places would have already fallen, wouldn't they, Sis?"
"...They did fall a long ti ago."
She dipped the nib of her pen into ink and began to write sothing again.
"Even so, we can last much longer than here.
We're demanding food, but it's not going very smoothly.
Even in this situation, there are plenty of people trying to avoid paying you taxes."
Levina sighed.
"Then, will I just lose everything to the Saintess, and die without accomplishing anything with you?"
Murmuring to herself, she pressed her empty hand firmly against her forehead.
I was about to leave the room.
Just then, Levina called out to .
"Lavin."
I turned around, and Levina was looking at .
Her eyes were filled with complex emotions.
"You know things are unsettled around here lately.
You should still run away, even if it's just you and Estelle."
"I'll think about it."
I answered thus, took my book, and walked to the greenhouse.
The greenhouse was still quiet.
Sunlight filtering through the glass ceiling stretched long across the floor.
I read my book and drank the tea Lineta had brought .
It was a ti of ease and tranquility.
Just then, the murmuring sounds from outside began to filter in again.
"Should I close the windows and the greenhouse door too, Young Master?"
Lineta asked.
I closed my book and told her to close them.
Lately, every day, the villagers gathered in front of the manor grounds, carrying torches or farm tools.
They shouted for reduced demands, or for food, at least.
A few days ago, they furiously hurled insults at , and tried to knock down the iron gate as if to skewer my neck and storm in, only to be decapitated by the knights.
Since then, they only gathered and loitered in front, not daring to approach, but the noise was just as botherso.
As I drank a cup of tea and put the cup down, I noticed the sounds gradually diminishing.
Even with a revolution underway, I could sowhat understand how the nobles felt, staying still as if nothing was happening, thinking it wouldn't matter.
The things happening now didn't feel like they concerned at all.
Perhaps it's because if I die, I'll just return, that I feel this way.
Lineta closed all the doors and returned, then said.
"They co every day lately.
But thanks to the guard uncles, they can't get too close."
Lineta naturally brought a chair and sat across from , and began nibbling on a cookie.
"By the way, Young Master, there's sothing I want to ask."
Lineta said in a slightly subdued voice.
"Ever since we first t, there was sohow an extrely strong, musty scent, just like in our village."
"Scent?"
"Yes, a scent."
This ti, Lineta didn't pick up a cookie with her empty hand, but gently placed her hand on the back of my hand.
"Have you really never been to places like a cave sowhere in our village, or a large tree in the middle of the forest, or such places?"
I nodded.
"The world you wished for is approaching, Young Master. Surely, how many people......"
As her words continued aningfully, a scream was heard from the vicinity of the corridor.
Aaaargh!
I turned my head in the direction from which the sound ca.
The sa people who had visited the church when the wedding was held last ti were approaching from the corner of the mansion's corridor.
Kyle, that female knight I saw before, Seraphina... and many other tough-looking n.
They were the kind of people with whom a weak and feeble person like would not seem appropriate to interact.
Taking Lineta, I bolted from my seat and imdiately left the greenhouse, moving quickly.
A few guards and the knights defending the mansion tried to stop them, but it seed they were simply no match.
I looked back and asked Lineta.
"Can I take you hostage?"
"Huh, yes? H-hostage? Uhm, by all ans."
The guards and knights weren't cut down but were instantly subdued.
I would just have to hold out until Estelle arrived, but even that didn't seem easy.
I never knew that the splendid knights who walked around so proudly in my childhood would fall so listlessly like that.
Kyle approached very quickly.
Soon, Kyle ca within striking distance.
I took a slight breath, then made Lineta stand in front of , pulled out the revolver I always carried tucked into my waistband, and aid its muzzle at the back of her head.
"Please, even now, give the succession to Lady Levina, Duke Edelgard.
The situation is urgent, so we will forgo bloodshed."
Kyle said.
"Well, what about the Demons?"
"...... That's why I'm begging you to hand it over to Lady Levina, even now."
"If I hand it over to Levina, will anything change?"
"Lady Levina, even if she can't nd the populace's ruined lives because of you, at least won't starve the soldiers.
Then, we could at least hold out for a few more years, and a chance......"
After cutting Kyle off, I replied.
"Indeed, that's certainly true."
As I conceded, he made a blank expression.
Even knowing that, it was as if he was asking why on earth I wouldn't accept it.
Now that I thought about it, I realized Kyle wasn't using a condescending tone towards .
Which was very awkward indeed.
"But was his tone always like that? Ah, maybe he's finally received a rank."
Kyle only stared at and didn't answer.
On his face, no anger or hatred towards was visible at all.
He just looked tired and worn out.
Not just Kyle, but everyone else looked the sa.
"For the sake of the people who live with you, at least......"
"Well, everyone's going to die anyway.
I don't see how you can do anything at all.
Though I don't know how you managed to resolve sothing like this."
Saying that, I approached Lineta, and fondled her chest in front of Kyle.
"Just stop living so tiredly, you should also give up everything, enjoy yourself moderately, and accept the end."
At first, he remained still, but when Lineta let out a slight moan, Kyle's expression hardened.
He gripped his sword very tightly.
And then he lunged forward, approaching .
As if Lineta's life wasn't important at all.
Fearing that my throat might be slit or my arm cut off, which might cause to pull the trigger on Lineta, I gave up and raised my hands.
Even so, the approaching blade didn't stop.
Very slowly, I saw the blade approaching my neck.
However, it couldn't cut my neck.
As Kyle extended his hand towards to strike with the blade, the wrist holding the sword was severed.
And he was pierced through the chest by a spear that materialized behind him.
Seraphina stood behind him.
She clutched her chest, her face blank, and simply wept.
She bit her lower lip so hard that blood flowed.
A drop of blood gathered on her chin before falling to the floor.
"......Ah. Th-this wasn't what I... Th-this wasn't how I ant to d-do it."
She was looking at , only .
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