“What are you talking about? This life?”
As her expression turned icy, Jainer took one more step closer.
“You, and this kid too—”
Jainer alternated his gaze between Camilla and King, his eyes curving prettily. He brought his face close to her ear and continued, as if whispering.
“In the previous life, neither of you ever showed up even once.”
What?
“So I can’t help being sure.”
Jainer smiled again.
And at his last words that followed, Camilla froze on the spot.
“That you’re living a repeated life too.”
Chapter. The One Caught in an Error
“Just for a moment....”
“Stand right there.”
“I-I have a lot to do...!”
“Want me to call Zeno?”
“...No.”
She kept Dorman pinned to one side as he kept trying to run away from his seat.
This time too, she had a very strong hunch she was going to have a lot to ask that goddamn bastard.
Anyway, thanks to King, the problem of the Scholtz Mountains was resolved simply.
She didn’t know what the hell King did, but all the vicious Killing Intent she’d felt from the foothills onward vanished.
From what people were saying, in the past too, whenever a Guardian passed through like this, monsters never came out to the outside. Instead, it was also a principle that people themselves refrained from entering the Scholtz Mountains.
Was it like they’d formed a kind of contract relationship through the Guardian?
So the Scholtz Mountains matter was resolved, but....
Camilla was currently sitting face-to-face with Jainer, her expression stiff. Because there was still a very big problem left for him and her to unravel.
“Even if you try to deny it now, it’s pointless, right?”
At her words, a smile curved across Jainer’s lips again.
“Why? You want to pretend you don’t know? Aren’t you curious? The person who keeps repeating life, besides you, is right in front of your eyes.”
...She was curious. Too curious.
“So, you’re saying you’re living a repeated life?”
“You are too.”
To be precise, she hadn’t lived a repeated life—she’d only watched it. This time was the first time she was actually living that life.
Ah, no?
She’d heard that Sia Lee also kept repeating life. It was just that she didn’t remember.
“I’m the first time.”
Camilla didn’t tell him everything yet. It wouldn’t be too late to tell him after she learned a little more about him.
“I think I’m on the twenty-sixth time?”
“What?”
“After twenty, I stopped counting, so I don’t know exactly.”
Camilla barely swallowed back the groan that was about to spill out.
“...Twenty-six times?”
“Probably?”
“Do you remember all those lives?”
“It’s confusing, but roughly.”
Camilla closed her mouth again. She’d only watched. Watched the original Camilla die and live here.
Just watching fragmentary scenes repeat for a long time had been unbelievably hard. It was suffocating, and every time she died, her heart ached.
But this man—was he saying he’d gone through it himself? With his life not being erased like hers, with it all staying intact in his head?
“How did you know I was like that?”
Camilla stopped using polite speech with him. To beings who had lived the same life for a long time, actual age wasn’t particularly important.
He didn’t seem to care either.
“Because it changed for the first time.”
“Changed?”
“First, the Guardian was reborn in House Sorpel. That never happened even once, all this time.”
Of course. Unless someone who could see ghosts appeared, no one would’ve known where the Guardian’s egg was.
“And Crown Prince Edsen, who used to be injured so badly at the hunting tournament that his life was in danger, was fine this time too.”
His words didn’t end there.
“Besides that, the owner of the Mana Stone mine and the diamond mine changed too. The owner of those two places was always Duke of Jevillan. And for the first time... my father’s daughter appeared.”
He paused and met her eyes.
Again—again, that look. The look of someone watching something very interesting.
“The one at the center of all of it was you.”
“...Fair.”
There was more than enough reason to suspect it. There wasn’t even the tiniest gap she could deny.
“So, when do you die?”
At his question that followed, Camilla lost her words again.
Because his tone was too calm, because his face mentioning death was too cool.
“I’ve got a few months left now. There’s a difference of a few days, but I die around a similar time every time.”
“Then be careful so you don’t die.”
If he’d repeated the same life countless times, why was he dying? It wasn’t like his memories had been erased either—if he prepared, wouldn’t that be enough?
“It’s useless.”
“What are you talking about?”
“There’s no cause of death.”
“...What?”
What was that supposed to mean?
“I just die.”
“All of a sudden?”
“I’ve died while walking down the street perfectly fine, and I’ve died while eating. I’ve even died while laughing and talking happily with my companions.”
“.......”
“When it’s time to die, I die.”
He wasn’t being killed by someone, and he wasn’t getting into an accident.
He was saying he just died. Really, just died.
“As if it’s a predetermined fate.”
Goosebumps crawled over her whole body.
Then does that mean I’ll just die when it’s time too? No matter how hard I try to live, it’s useless?
Camilla snapped her head and looked at Dorman.
“You bastard... you lied to me?”
He’d babbled about how it was the last life, how the soul was this and that—and it was all bullshit?
“And now I get why you hid my shoes!”
“No, Miss!”
“What do you mean, no!”
“That man’s repeated life ends completely in this life too! Because your soul finally found its rightful place!”
“What does that mean? What do I have to do with this guy?”
As she flared up, unable to understand, Dorman squeezed his eyes shut and shouted.
“I-It’s an error!”
“An error?”
“He got caught up in the error where the souls were swapped.”
“What are you saying?”
Camilla hurriedly looked at Jainer.
He was simply listening to their conversation in silence. Then, when his eyes met hers, he asked only one thing.
“What is that servant?”
A long sigh slipped out of Camilla on its own.
Somehow, it felt like a very, very long conversation and explanation was going to be necessary.
*****
“Sis!”
When she returned to House Escra, the first thing she saw was Dive running over, delighted.
Camilla lightly patted the child’s head as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
“You weren’t hurt anywhere, right?”
“Yeah.”
She placed King into the child’s arms as his eyes brimmed with tears. At once, a bright smile spread across his face.
...This brat. Was he waiting for King more than he was waiting for me?
“Looks like you’re not that happy to see your brother.”
“Ah! Big Brother!”
There was someone who lightly tapped the child’s head—Jainer. He gave a small snort of laughter and passed by.
“Did you return safely?”
“Yeah.”
Even at the child’s belated greeting, he coolly waved a hand and disappeared. Watching him, Camilla gently shook her head.
How could he be that calm?
Camilla whipped her head around and stared hard at Dorman. She’d planned to beat him half to death, too.
“So... you’re saying this happened because two souls were swapped?”
“That’s correct. In the process of Miss Camilla and Lady Sia Lee in the other world each finding their rightful places, an error occurred—and Lord Jainer was caught up in it.”
Camilla ignored Dorman’s utterly pleading gaze without the slightest hesitation. Instead, she threatened him, telling him to hold his hand up straight.
“April 15th, 3:20 p.m. The date and time Miss Camilla was born. And, ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) coincidentally, at exactly that time, Duke Kais Escra takes Lord Jainer in as an adopted son.”
“So?”
“Lord Jainer took the place Miss Camilla was originally supposed to have, and another error occurred.”
“Another error.... So that’s why I went through this?”
“Yes. Every time the original Miss Camilla who existed here died, Lord Jainer also met death at the same time and returned together.”
In other words, Jainer had been unlucky enough to get caught up in it. Even Camilla, listening beside them, was dumbfounded.
Is that something you can even say?
Fine. Let’s step back and say it really was a mistake, really an error.
“Then shouldn’t you at least have erased that guy’s memories? Why did you leave all those memories of dying and living through so many lives intact?”
“T-That, we didn’t know either! It was literally an error. We only found out after the two souls found their rightful places this time. That another fate got tangled in as well, and then slipped out of that flow.”
“This is insane. So what’s the compensation?”
“Compensation?”
“If you filled a human being’s life with an error, there should be compensation to match.”
Camilla’s fist tightened as she watched Dorman’s eyes go wide. Don’t tell me that bastard....
“...There isn’t any.”
“There isn’t?”
“I could also care for him devotedly—”
“Jainer.”
“Hm?”
“Want to borrow my shoes? The sharpest pair I have.”
Even though it felt like she still wouldn’t be satisfied after beating him with shoes until dust flew on a rainy day, Jainer just snorted with laughter and stood up.
And until they returned to the estate, he didn’t say much of anything.
Remembering that, Camilla slowly shook her head. Was he really not even angry?
What is he thinking?
Is he just nice? Is this really something you let go?
Ugh, whatever. If he says he’s fine, then fine.
Camilla gave one shrug of her shoulders and headed for her quarters.
*****
“A family council?”
“I apologize.”
Count Alton bowed his head without warning.
“It seems a rumor has spread.”
“What rumor?”
“That Miss Camilla is Lord Kais’s daughter....”
“.......”
“I told them to keep their mouths shut, but it seems something leaked out.”
Count Alton’s gaze turned chilly for a moment. He clicked his tongue again and again, saying there seemed to be a rat in the house.
“Is that something that warrants holding a family council?”
Did I announce I was running for House Escra’s successor position, or what?
I’m someone who’ll stay quiet and leave. What kind of mindset is it to gather up and ‘confirm’ me?
“Family councils are held regularly. However, this time, people were unusually eager to attend, so I wondered what was going on. When I looked into it, it seemed talk about Miss Camilla was going around.”
“Hm.”
“They also requested that you be formally introduced, Miss Camilla. But don’t worry. Lord Kais refused immediately.”
Camilla nodded, since she also refused bothersome meetings.
“I thought you should know, at least....”
“Okay.”
“Then I’ll be going.”
Count Alton stood up as soon as he finished speaking.
She thought he would leave the room as-is, but suddenly, as if he’d spotted someone, he greeted them with a pleased face.
“Oh? Lord Jainer, when did you arrive?”
“Just now.”
“Miss Camilla’s tea is delicious, so I’ve been getting some often these days.”
“I see. If you aren’t busy, I’d like to have some too, but I’ll aim for the next opportunity.”
When Count Alton left the room like that, Jainer took his place instead and sat down in front of Camilla.
“Sounds like you were talking about the family council.”
“Yeah.”
“He’ll come too.”
“He?”
“My uncle.”
Uncle? Wait—if it’s his uncle....
“Duke Kais’s younger brother?”
“That’s right.”
He was alive?
