“…….….”
“Are you going to marry the person your family has chosen for you?”
“That’s…”
“If you back down now, you’ll have to live your whole life following your family’s wishes. Can you really marry the person they chose for you instead of the person you love?”
At that, Raffaelo’s face showed that he hadn’t considered it that far.
“I really don’t want that.”
“Exactly. So, make your own decision, not your family’s.”
“Phew…”
Raffaelo let out a deep sigh.
“Yeah, honestly, it’s true that it’s not what I want. You really know how to hit where it hurts.”
“I’ve always told you the truth.”
“It sounds like it has a double meaning.”
Sensing that Raffaelo was a little shaken, I quickly continued.
“Your life is yours. It’s something unique that no one else can touch.”
“……….”
“Life doesn’t always go the way we want. But at the very least, since our lives are our own, shouldn’t we shape our future according to our will?”
“…You’re right. Honestly, I also think I’ll regret it if I continue like this. I’m the kind of person who can’t stand it if I don’t do what I want.”
“Exactly.”
“It’s just that I’ve been acting a bit cowardly because I was worried about my relationship with my family.”
Raffaelo hesitated before finally speaking.
“But as you said, my life is mine.”
The reason I was interfering in Raffaelo’s future was simple.
At the very least, I didn’t want Raffaelo to be like the past me, who chose an unwanted dream for the sake of family.
“Accepting reality is not true growth. Sometimes, you have to hold on to the passion and determination you had as a child.”
“Come to think of it, becoming a soldier was also my childhood dream. People didn’t understand my dream, so I didn’t talk about it much.”
“They can’t understand a boa constrictor that has swallowed an elephant. To them, you have to say, ‘I saw a house worth twenty thousand dollars.’ Then they’ll shout, ‘Wow, what a great house!’”*
*Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
“…….….”
“Do you want to become an adult who only knows reality?”
“I definitely don’t.”
At last, Raffaelo nodded as if he had finally agreed.
“Yeah, I understand what you’re saying. Since it’s my life… there’s no need to give up on my childhood dream.”
“That’s right. For true happiness, you have to carve out your own path. If you give up now, you’ll end up giving up every time in the future.”
“If things continue as they are, I’ll have to marry the person my family wants me to marry… That makes sense. Wait a second.”
Suddenly, Raffaelo’s face turned serious.
“Damn it! One of the brides that my family is recommending is also Aurora!”
“What?!”
“That’s absolutely not happening! I will never follow my family’s wishes!”
“Yeah, marrying Aurora would be a bit much.”
“Seraphina, you’re right! I have to resist in advance! I should just quit being a politician altogether!”
“……….”
And so, rather absurdly, Raffaelo decided not to give up on his dream.
Perhaps Aurora had somehow been helpful after all…
“Thank you, Seraphina,”
Raffaelo said suddenly with a brief nod.
“After all, you did it for me, didn’t you?”
“Ha ha… It’s just that something came to mind…”
I couldn’t stay still because it reminded me of my past self.
“I always used to imagine a big field of rye where little kids are playing happily. There are only kids, thousands of them, and no adults except for me. And I’m standing by a distant cliff. My job is to catch the kids before they fall off the cliff.”*
*J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
For some reason, that line came to mind.
Hmm, I feel like I’m starting to get a sense of how I want to live.
“You don’t seem like it, but you’re actually a warm person, huh?”
Raffaelo met my eyes and curled his green eyes into a smile. It was a surprisingly gentle smile coming from him.
“I’ll definitely repay you later.”
“Uh, sure… I won’t refuse that offer.”
Seeing his smiling face, I couldn’t help but feel refreshed somehow.
***
Raffaelo stole a glance at Seraphina’s face, who was smiling in front of him.
‘I didn’t expect we’d get this close.’
To him, Seraphina was quite an interesting person.
When Raffaelo first visited Seraphina because of the Aurora matter, he felt a sense of shared hardship. After all, how could one not feel pity for another victim of Aurora?
But, unexpectedly, Seraphina, whom he thought would be just another ordinary noble lady, turned out to have a rather unique personality.
She was a funny and unusual noble lady.
As they journeyed together, Raffaelo gradually grew closer to Seraphina.
Well, perhaps it was only natural. Raffaelo had always been someone who got along easily with others.
But, putting his personality aside, Seraphina had this subtle atmosphere that put people at ease.
Apparently, his friends felt the same way. Those picky friends of his, one by one, began to open up to Seraphina.
And now, even Raffaelo himself had come to fully accept Seraphina as a friend.
‘It’s not wrong.’
As Seraphina had said, Raffaelo didn’t want to just accept reality. His life was his own.
Having constantly struggled with his relationship with his family, Raffaelo found courage in her words.
Since he had received help, he felt he should repay it as well.
He made up his mind to always look after Seraphina from now on.
‘…What is this feeling?’
Raffaelo paused to reflect on the nature of the emotion he was experiencing.
It was definitely not a rational feeling, but…
In other words, it felt like the kind of emotion one would have for a younger sister.
Before he knew it, Raffaelo had started to think of Seraphina as more than just a friend—a special person. It was almost as if she were family. Well, considering the long journey they had shared, perhaps it wasn’t so surprising.
But things were different when it came to Simone.
‘Simone…’
Raffaelo narrowed his eyes and cast a disapproving look at Simone.
Although Simone was undoubtedly his friend, Raffaelo didn’t fully trust Simone’s character. Despite having such a kind face, Simone was surprisingly cold-hearted.
…Or maybe not? Considering how he treated Seraphina differently, perhaps it was fine?
For now, it did seem like Simone also regarded Seraphina as someone special.
Raffaelo found himself briefly torn between whether he should keep them together or separate them.
***
“Raffaelo, what are you thinking about?”
“Oh, nothing much. I was just thinking about my friends’ personalities.”
“Haha, it’s not like it’s the first day you’ve realized your friends have flawed personalities, so what’s there to think about?”
“Yeah, after hearing your sharp words, I feel like I don’t need to think about it anymore.”
They were having a light-hearted conversation when a man suddenly walked straight toward them.
“Are you from the Kingdom of Boleno?”
“Yes, that’s correct, but…”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Marquess Gaton.”
Gaton spoke in a blunt tone.
“The magic you showed today was truly impressive.”
“We’re glad you think so.”
“To think that Boleno has such talented people, it makes me a bit envious.”
“Boleno and Cassan are brother nations, so of course, we’ll help each other if danger arises.”
While I responded politely, Gaton glanced around to ensure no one was listening before he spoke again.
“…Actually, there’s something I’d like to ask you. It’s about the current situation in the Kingdom of Boleno.”
At those words, Simone’s face grew serious. After all, he, like me, was aware of Princess Eva’s power and the crisis in the Kingdom of Boleno.
Although the rest of our group wasn’t as deeply informed, they had also found the control over Boleno’s capital unusual. Naturally, they turned their attention to Gaton’s words.
“What else has happened this time?”
“I’m curious too,”
As Ghieuspe and Arkhangelo raised their questions, Gaton answered.
“The Kingdom of Boleno has closed its borders.”
“…What?”
“What’s even more strange are the rumors coming from the Kingdom of Boleno.”
Gaton began to speak with a serious expression.
“First, they’ve reportedly rounded up all the homeless people. And now, they’ve established something called the ‘Population Reduction Bureau’ as part of a population control plan.”
“P-Population Reduction Bureau?”
How on earth do they plan to ‘reduce’ the population? No matter how much I thought about it, it didn’t make sense!
“If it’s about reducing the population, surely it’s not…”
Raffaelo couldn’t bring himself to finish his sentence, and I also trembled as I imagined what might come next.
“Gyaaaah…”
What is Princess Eva trying to do to the Kingdom of Boleno?
As I nervously bit my lip, Simone gently grabbed my arm. It was as if he was telling me not to be so anxious.
“For now, let’s discuss it among ourselves and figure out what to do.”
With that, Simone naturally led Allan and Gaton away from us.
I could feel the curious gazes of the other party members behind me, but they didn’t ask me any questions.
It wasn’t until after the banquet, when we had returned to the prince’s palace, that they brought it up.
“Seraphina, it’s true that the Population Reduction Bureau sounds extremely suspicious, but… why do you seem so frightened?”
“Do you know something about this incident?”
“…….….”
…Can I really tell them about it?
