18-1 Part 2
On the Sickbed
2/2
Translator : PolterGlast
「Who
could have predicted it. That we, despite both having reached a good age, would
have our hearts stolen by the same young woman...」
While going back and
forth between the boundary of old tales and dreams, my consciousness suddenly
awakened. The golden age ended, my life as the vessel for an Emperor began, and
after many months and years, our silver age arrived. It was our second peak
period, and the beginning of our parting.
「Because
Yulia closely resembled her mother. When that visage, which existed in
our most shining era, appeared, it is only natural to have one's heart stolen.」
We twice held
favorable feelings for the same woman. Around the time we evacuated to Gideon's
parents' home, there was a woman we admired.
「Good
grief... Men are foolish creatures...」
After we left the
land, what she was thinking I do not know, but that woman devoted herself to
the State Church, and later bore a child in her hometown. The child's name was Yulia.
One day, following the will of her deceased mother, that child appeared at this
Red Dragon Palace holding a memento.
「Even
now I think about it. If Yulia-sama had not passed away, how would Ashley-sama
have grown up. No, thanks to that, I was able to be by Ashley-sama's
side as if he were my own child...」
Yulia died
giving birth to a child. That child was born with dragon's eyes and a white
arm. I lost the partner I finally found, and only a deformed child, difficult
to even let call himself a Prince, remained. The order I had dedicated my life
to protect, Yulia's honor—that child could have destroyed it all just by
existing.
「Your
Majesty, I envy you. Because you will soon be able to go to the world where Yulia
and the others are.」
I had to strangle
the neck of the deformed child. But neither Gideon nor I could do it.
How could we kill the child of the woman we loved... But for me at that time,
just looking at Ashley was nothing but painful. I even almost convinced
myself that the deformed child killed Yulia...
「Please
leave Ashley-sama to me. As the memento of you two, I will protect him
even at the cost of this Gideon's life. Haaah... however, Ashley-sama
absolutely will not listen to what I say, though...」
As if to erase my
memories of Yulia, I kept Gideon and Ashley away from
myself. I locked them in a tower out of everyone's sight, making it as if
everything never happened.
「Always,
always nothing but recklessness; who did he take after... I do not recall
raising him like that. No, perhaps his excessively stubborn part is exactly
like you, fufu...」
If I can go to the
world where Yulia is, I am not afraid of death or anything. Ashley...
the child of me, Yulia, and my irreplaceable friend Gideon...
Every time I hear that you have grown up strong, along with a feeling of pride,
I cannot help but feel regret vanishing from my chest. You are not an
abominable child. You are my pride.
◆ ◇ ◆
・ The
Beloved Child of the Emperor
「What's
wrong, did you catch a cold?」
「No, my
nose just suddenly felt itchy.」
That night, while I
was reading on the bed in the Lord's mansion, Zirant appeared, perhaps
bored. And while I was wondering
what she was thinking, she lay down in the opposite direction from me, placing
her white legs on the right side of my vision.
「Go to
sleep, I can feel the fatigue of the expedition lingering in you.」
「But if
I sleep, tomorrow will start.」
It's been a long
time since I relaxed in my own room. A time to read books as I please, without
being disturbed by anyone—well,
I am being slightly disturbed by Zirant, but such a time was necessary
in life.
「Muu...
what are you reading so intently...」
「It's
your influence. It's not my hobby so I've been avoiding it all this time, but
I'm reading a romance novel from the other world. This is quite engrossing.」
「Hoh, a
good tendency. Let's see, tell me what kind of story it is, I will specially
listen.」
「You
intend to disturb me no matter what, huh...」
I placed a bookmark
and quickly flipped back through the pages.
「Kukuku,
a bibliophile is one who wants to talk about the contents of a book. Since you
can talk about your favorite book to your favorite Wagahai, you must be
so happy you could ascend to heaven.」
「Overconfidence
is worthy of respect when it goes that far.」
Zirant's feet
flew at my face, so I caught them.
「So this
book is... about a normal girl who one day meets a familiar like Zirant,
and fights evil.」
「Mu...
didn't you just say it was a romance novel? Which part of that is romance...」
「It
seems there are proper romance depictions too. I roughly skipped over those
parts, though.」
「You
fool, that is the best part!」
The young girl sat
up and straddled my
back. My lower back was a little tired too, so it wasn't bad. It works.
「More
importantly, Zirant, this thing called 'transformation' (henshin), could I do it too? Look here,
there's an illustration. It seems that through transformation, the costume
changes and they power up exponentially.」
「Mu...
That is deeply interesting. Show it to me more closely.」
After that, I had to reread the novel Puribel Infinite Heart from page one. Hurried to turn the pages faster by Zirant, who looked like nothing but a young girl rather than an Evil Dragon...
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