[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
Chapter 101 - Back to Where It Belongs (1)
Escaping the cage that once seemed eternal, taking hesitant steps toward a new story.
The autumn wind swirls, carrying wishes with it.
Shattered leaves scatter.
As the fading season paints the streets, the hooves of a galloping horse leave their marks on the crimson carpet.
We were traversing a long, winding road.
Thud, thud.
Perhaps it was because the carriage was of high quality.
The wheels rolled forward without a whisper of noise.
They simply moved, smooth and soundless.
"…"
I gazed out the window, watching the passing scenery.
Colors that added a fragment of peace.
Red and yellow blended naturally, creating a perfect scene.
Yet, inside the carriage, an awkward silence hung in stark contrast to the tranquility outside.
I quietly observed my surroundings.
"Hmm."
The children were all silent.
The Rose averted her gaze.
The Little Prince fidgeted nervously, glancing around.
And between the two princesses, the maid was breaking out into a cold sweat, seemingly caught in the middle.
The air was heavy.
‘Complicated, huh.’
I murmured quietly, reflecting on the words.
The invisible wall between them was palpable. It was suffocating, as if the sheer tension in the air could take one's breath away.
I tapped my knees absentmindedly as I sat.
Well.
Perhaps it was the long gap in their relationship.
The feeling of estrangement was overwhelming.
Having grown more accustomed to thorns than conversation, they now found this newfound calm strangely unfamiliar.
After nearly five years of separation, gazing into each other’s mirrors must have felt utterly foreign.
Especially for Elise.
Under normal circumstances, she would have unleashed several biting remarks by now, all in the name of pushing her sister away. But now, as she sat quietly, her unease was evident.
It was a dissonance born of unfamiliar peace.
Her attempt at a calm expression faltered, her wavering green eyes betraying her inner turmoil.
I silently observed this tense standoff.
"Um…"
The silence shattered suddenly.
It was Charlotte who broke the stillness.
Though hesitant, her gaze never left her sickly sister.
She started with a short remark.
"Are you… feeling okay? Is your recovery going well?"
As expected, her words were filled with concern for her sister.
She sounded cautious, almost timid, as if testing the waters.
The usual whimsical and unpredictable girl was nowhere to be seen; instead, she was entirely focused on her sister.
Her affection was evident.
"When we arrive at the academy, there will be a lot of attention on us. If you feel overwhelmed, just tell me. I’ll handle it."
"…"
Her tone reflected her determination to be helpful.
Her voice quieted as if bracing for the cold response that was sure to come.
But contrary to her icy expectations, what came was far from sharp.
It was just one word from the Rose.
"I told you… to knock it off, Sister."
Her tone was still irritable, but it lacked the venom of the past.
Normally, she would have spewed insults right away.
That alone marked a noticeable change, but what truly surprised the other two was something else.
It was the title she used at the end of her sentence.
"Sis… Sister…?"
Charlotte repeated the word in disbelief.
Five years.
It had been that long since she had last heard Elise call her that.
Ever since her sister had gone astray, she had only addressed her as "you."
Deep down, Charlotte must have held on to a shred of hope, like a scar that refused to heal.
Perhaps she missed her sister.
They had shared kind memories once, after all.
"Ah."
Drip.
A single tear fell.
Was it joy?
I couldn’t be sure.
I simply watched with a faint smile, letting the moment unfold.
It seemed the girl was finally soaking in the hope she had dreamed of.
"Y-Your Highness, p-please don’t cry."
Tanya dabbed at Charlotte’s cheeks with a handkerchief.
Yet even she couldn’t hide the tremble in her voice as she fought back tears of her own.
Having witnessed the pain of these sisters up close, Tanya was more than justified in shedding tears over a single word.
The carriage was soon filled with moisture—both literal and emotional.
I watched as each person reacted in their own way.
"W-wait… Why is everyone crying all of a sudden?"
Elise, taken aback, fumbled awkwardly, clearly unprepared for the response her words had triggered.
"Hwaahh… Your Highness has changed!"
The maid finally burst into tears.
"…"
Even the Little Prince, silently wiping at her own eyes.
The warmth of the moment was unmistakable.
Suddenly, Charlotte’s blue eyes met mine.
I offered a light smile.
Her expression was complex as she looked at me.
After hesitating briefly, her lips moved ever so slightly, forming a barely audible word.
"…Thank you."
I replied casually.
"Think nothing of it."
As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Charlotte smiled faintly in return.
A hint of gratitude in her expression.
It was a small but tender moment.
***
After arriving at the academy…
We immediately sought out the homeroom professor of Class A to begin the process of enrolling the Rose.
The weary woman who greeted us was all too familiar.
"Professor."
Her long, violet hair was unkempt.
Her dull red eyes carried a tired gleam.
And, of course, the ever-present bottle of alcohol in her hand.
She was as disheveled as always.
Upon seeing me, she let out a deep sigh, shoving aside the documents she had been working on.
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It seemed whatever she couldn’t say aloud, she swallowed along with her drink.
"Puah… You’ve brought me quite the problem this time, Student Judas."
Her dark circles were more prominent than ever.
The mark of sleepless nights.
Considering the sudden announcement of the Second Princess’s enrollment, it was no surprise she, as the professor of Class A, had been buried in paperwork.
I felt a pang of guilt as the one responsible for dropping this unexpected task on her.
"My apologies."
"I’m not here to scold you. It’s just… This seems beyond what I can cover for you, so I thought I’d voice my concerns."
Despite her words, Selena didn’t complain outwardly.
Instead, she offered a few words of advice, as if this was just another day for her.
"Student Judas, you’re always an enigma to me."
"Yet, you never ask questions yourself, Professor."
"That was our agreement from the start."
"And I feel guilty for relying on you so much."
"Don’t be. I’ve already completed the paperwork for her enrollment. I’ll hand you the documents, and you can be on your way."
"Thank you."
Once again, she had been a tremendous help.
Though I held the title of senior assistant, professors who went out of their way for their students like this were rare.
Despite her perpetually indifferent attitude, she was always meticulous when it counted.
After a brief word of thanks, I turned to leave the office, heading toward the children who waited outside.
Until then.
"…"
I could feel her gaze lingering on my back.
Despite the fact that the decision had been made only four days ago, word of the Rose's enrollment had already spread like wildfire within the academy.
The Second Princess, who had been absent from public life all this time.
Perhaps it was her enigmatic presence.
The news of her arrival naturally drew attention.
As a result, we had to endure the subtle gazes that followed us wherever we went.
"…I don't like this."
As we made our way toward the dormitory assigned to her, Elise, seated in her wheelchair, voiced her displeasure.
It was because of the stares that clung to us as we passed.
Having stepped into the outside world for the first time in ten years, the constant attention was making her feel seasick.
Sensing the sharp shift in atmosphere, I tried to soothe her.
"Please try to let it go. Think of it as the curiosity of your new peers."
"It feels suffocating… I just want to rest somewhere quiet."
"As you wish."
Elise likely understood.
The attention she was receiving wasn't malicious.
The students were merely curious about someone they’d never seen before, intrigued by the arrival of a figure they would now call their peer.
There had been no impolite remarks or inappropriate actions.
No one had even dared approach or make direct eye contact.
It was likely due to the chilly aura Elise exuded.
‘Perhaps it’s her melancholic expression.’
And, to add to that—
Her sharp, piercing glare made it clear she wasn’t someone to be trifled with.
For students encountering her for the first time, it was only natural to tread cautiously.
No one wanted to risk offending her with even a wrong glance.
"We’re almost at the dormitory."
I gently pushed the wheelchair forward.
As we crossed through the bustling courtyard, voices suddenly reached my ears.
"Lord Judas…?"
"Is that you?"
The familiar calling of my name.
When I turned around, I saw two girls standing together—a pink-haired one and another with light blue hair.
They had become quite the inseparable pair.
The protagonist and the villainess.
A sense of nostalgia swept over me as I greeted them.
"It’s been a while, both of you."
"You’ve returned!"
"Where have you been all this time?"
Regia greeted me with a radiant smile, while Emilia furrowed her brow, her tone more accusatory than welcoming.
Their contrasting reactions reflected their distinct personalities.
It seemed they had been waiting for me, having heard of my return.
I spoke in a low, cordial tone.
"I didn’t expect such a warm reception. I’m delighted to see both of you as well."
"We were waiting for you!"
"Speak for yourself. I was just indulging Regia's eagerness. Don’t lump me in."
"But, Lady Emilia, weren’t you the one who suggested we come here—"
"Don’t say unnecessary things!"
"S-Sorry!"
After a brief exchange of pleasantries and some lighthearted teasing—
Their gazes naturally shifted elsewhere.
It was toward the wheelchair I was pushing.
More specifically, the person sitting in it.
"Could she be…"
Their words trailed off hesitantly.
It seemed they were already aware of the situation to some extent.
They recognized her as the Second Princess.
The two girls bowed politely.
"I greet the Empire's Second Star."
"I-I greet the Second Star of the Empire."
The atmosphere grew slightly stiff.
Elise responded curtly.
"Enough with the formalities. Just stand up. I don’t like this kind of thing, so please don’t do it."
Despite her sharp words, she reluctantly accepted their greetings.
Watching this unfold with amusement from a step back, I noticed Emilia’s curious gaze turning toward me.
She leaned closer and whispered, her voice low.
"What in the world happened while you were away…?"
"Hmm?"
"Don’t play dumb."
Her question was, of course, about the Rose.
It was a natural curiosity.
The Second Princess, who had never shown herself in public, had suddenly declared her intention to enroll, and I was the one accompanying her.
Naturally, questions would arise.
What had happened?
Why was I now pushing her wheelchair?
And what kind of connection did we share?
With a mischievous grin, I decided to tease her a bit.
"Ah… You’re curious about my relationship with Her Highness, aren’t you?"
I thought it might be fun to see her reaction.
If I insinuated that we were deeply connected, surely I’d get a humorous response.
I readied my playful instinct, my smirk growing wider.
"As for Her Highness and me…"
"I’ll answer that."
"Eh?"
Elise, who had been silently listening, interrupted abruptly.
"Y-Your Highness?"
"Stay quiet."
Her sudden intervention startled me.
Elise leaned forward slightly in her wheelchair, grabbing my hand.
Then, without hesitation, she pulled my hand toward her, placing it over her abdomen.
Through the thin fabric, I could feel her warmth.
The unexpected and intimate gesture left both Regia and Emilia wide-eyed.
"He said he’d make me happy."
Her single statement was filled with enough ambiguity to spark misunderstandings.
Caught off guard by her unexpected declaration, all I could do was stare blankly in response.
"Excuse me…?"
Wait, why would you put it like that?!
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]