Chapter 20
Facing Lenart’s suspicions directly, Ranje could only think how troublesome it was.
“I know it sounds suspicious too.”
Instead of making excuses or dodging the question, Ranje frankly shared what she knew.
“But it’s just hard to explain. You know how there are things you just understand when you see them? Like, for example, that weird sense of responsibility you have.”
Though she was practically insulting him to his face, her tone was so straightforward that Lenart didn’t feel angry.
“Yeah. I guess it’s not a big deal to accept that.”
He let out a dry laugh and relaxed.
“More importantly, I want to hear your story.”
“What story?”
“Do you think your previous explanation was enough?”
“Well…”
Lenart had only heard fragmented information. He couldn’t possibly have missed all the details that had been omitted before and after her leaving home.
Ranje didn’t resist and asked back.
“Are you really curious? About what?”
“More than one thing. Why did you decide to run away in the first place? And why did you walk away again after regaining your place…?”
“Hm.”
“Especially dragging your half-sister along?”
“Like I said before, it was disgusting how everyone suddenly changed their attitude. I bet even flipping your palm is harder than how quickly they turned.”
Ranje chuckled softly.
“To be honest, nothing really changed for me. All I did that day was open the vault. Sure, it was surprising that my mother changed, but does it really matter? Either way, both of them are already dead. But what really got me was my grandfather. How could he do that, when he hadn’t even looked at me before?”
“So that’s why you left? You don’t even resent your sister?”
“If by ‘rightful share’ he meant all that, then I don’t need that kind of opportunity. I can survive just fine on my own. But Erna… What can she even be responsible for? She’s sick. If she stayed there, she might have died. And I knew there was still a chance for her to get better. Could I just leave her there and walk out with a clear conscience?”
It wasn’t until Ranje finished speaking that she realized she’d gotten a bit too emotional.
She wondered what Lenart’s gaze meant.
He didn’t offer his thoughts or ask further questions. The silence stretched on, enough to feel strange, and Ranje was reminded of the real reason they had come up to the roof.
“Anyway, about Petra—how she ended up in that fight.”
Lenart had to abandon his train of thought. Ranje wasn’t giving him time to dwell. It wasn’t unpleasant though, thanks to her genuinely well-meaning gaze.
“I don’t think it’s something you should blame yourself for.”
“And how would you know that…?”
“It’s written all over your face.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You acted in good faith the entire time yesterday. You actually did good. We don’t need to know why some guy misunderstood and threw a tantrum, or why others rushed in with their assumptions.”
“…I know that too.”
Lenart couldn’t hold back his gloom.
“But like you said, I was taught to be ‘that kind of person.’”
He carried many responsibilities.
He had been disgracefully cast out, but he was still royalty and bore duties to the world. He also had to avoid causing any conflict that might irritate his uncle.
Some of those duties he had assigned to himself.
After all, nobody wants to die having done nothing. He wanted to be of use somehow. That’s why he had entered the academy of magic.
But life doesn’t go as planned.
When Petra finished speaking and he realized his actions had caused trouble, he thought back to the beginning of the journey.
His uncle, who believed the throne would have gone to his son if Lenart hadn’t stepped in, always viewed him as a threat.
Though his uncle didn’t dare eliminate him due to public opinion, Lenart’s good grades even at a school filled with nobodies were enough to draw ire.
Sensing this, Lenart decided to set out on a long journey.
Maybe time away would calm his uncle. And if he stayed away long enough, people’s evaluations might change. Even if he got expelled, it couldn’t be helped.
“…You probably guessed all that once you knew who I was. I left the capital because I thought it was better this way. And once I saw what you two sisters were trying to do, I couldn’t send you into danger alone.”
“That…”
“Yeah. Like you said, it was out of goodwill. But now that things turned out this way, it doesn’t sit right with me to just walk away.”
He couldn’t just stop thinking about it.
Ranje knew he wasn’t someone who could just live with a clear head all the time.
She turned her gaze to the wide-open city.
She had thought that maybe coming up to a high place would help clear her head, but it didn’t work that well. The cold air helped her focus, but it was more chilly than refreshing.
Lenart added bitterly,
“You said earlier you helped your sister because it was something you could do. If someone needs help and you can give it, you act. That’s definitely the right decision. But in this world, sometimes you just can’t. And sometimes, you shouldn’t.”
Ranje couldn’t agree.
But right now…
She didn’t think this was a situation where that kind of logic should apply.
She hadn’t responded properly to Petra earlier, not just because she didn’t want to return to Swan Hild, but also because walking away and pretending nothing happened felt too unpleasant.
“What if this time, we really can help?”
“What?”
“We can’t be sure Petra will win the coming battle. That’s why the fight has dragged on for ten years. But what if we could add more pieces to the board—wouldn’t that tilt the scale?”
Lenart looked at Ranje with shaken eyes. On her face, a mysterious confidence had returned.
What is she planning now?
Most of the time, her ideas didn’t inspire much confidence, but this time felt unusually ominous.
Regardless of Lenart’s unease, Ranje’s thoughts continued flowing.
If there’s ever a chance, it’s this.
In the future she remembered, Petra Simone’s name never came up.
Maybe it was because people didn’t know she was a sixth cousin, but years later, the Count of Simone was definitely a man. That meant Petra either lost to her brother or both were beaten by a third party.
That man never once opposed the Emperor’s decisions. Just like the man who had taken the title of Count of Swan Hild.
That blind obedience sparked a war, and the central army’s involvement in the northern civil conflict led to countless deaths.
But what if Petra could become the Elector?
Beyond the chance of victory, the ten-year stalemate hinted that the fighting was something both sides wanted to avoid.
Despite her firmness, Petra didn’t seem like someone who liked war. At the very least, if the numbers made sense, she would know how much a war could cost. She wouldn’t just blindly side with the Emperor.
Ranje stood up suddenly.
Her wobbling knees regained their strength, and vitality returned from her ankles to the top of her head. Her frozen cheeks and ears began to thaw against the cold winter air.
“I’ve seen enough to know how messed up things are here. That’s why it bothers you, right? Petra might not be the best person, but she could still be a decent count.”
So what are you going to do about it? Lenart wanted to ask, but Ranje was already walking to the window.
Following her quick, light steps, Lenart said,
“Explain properly.”
Ranje looked up at him from the attic while he still stood outside.
“It’s easier to say it all at once.”
She would have to explain it to Petra anyway. With a cheerful heart, Ranje replied.
Thinking about “why” had never been her thing.
What had already happened was reality, and since she was here, she wanted to live. Hopefully with joy and dignity.
To do that, she couldn’t repeat her past.
Not because her life had been unhappy, but because there were so many moments that couldn’t be changed by mindset alone. Like a death she couldn’t avoid.
To keep living, she had to change the world.
Right now, before anything happened.
If she handled what she could one by one, the world would shift, and so would the future.
As Lenart stepped into the room with a dissatisfied expression, running his hand over the back of his neck, Ranje said,
“If you’re curious, come along.”
“To where now?”
“I’m going to see Petra.”
Just like when she had climbed up, Ranje quickly headed downstairs.
She didn’t have to search far—she soon came across the automaton.
“Where’s Lady Petra? I have something to say to her.”
“Milady is in the study.”
The automaton guided them there.
Petra was reviewing a map with her close aides. The atmosphere was tense and chaotic, but Ranje barged in without concern.
“Do you have a moment?”
Instead of immediately turning away her odd relative, Petra answered indirectly.
“Thinking of leaving already? I thought you’d depart tomorrow morning.”
In other words, she didn’t have time to spare for goodbyes, so if Ranje wanted one, she’d have to wait until then.
But Ranje shook her head.
“No. Like I said earlier, I don’t plan on going back to Swan Hild. Besides, Erna can’t travel until she recovers a bit.”
If she was asking to freeload for a while, it was a bold move. And the timing made no sense.
Then what came next was even more baffling—it completely wiped away any irritation.
“While I have some time, I thought I might help out.”
Petra’s aides all stared at Ranje, bewildered.
So did Lenart, who hadn’t expected this.
“You’re going to help… with what?”
Petra’s voice was full of confusion and even a bit of concern.
As the daughter of an Elector, Petra had inherited her family’s vision and had the magical skills to back it up.
She had known Ranje was a mage from the moment they met. Her mana had been unstable due to her condition, so Petra had a rough sense of her ability too.
But the upcoming battle wouldn’t change just because one more mage joined.
Petra didn’t want to involve a minor relative either.
Ranje, as if sensing those thoughts, took a step closer.
A single mage who also happens to be counted as a child, too. No wonder she’s perplexed.