TSFA l CH 103

Chapter 103

Ryan lightly tapped my cheek and frowned.

“There are still a lot of bears around. What if one comes down again? Of course, if it meets you, the bear will die instead, but still…”

“The house is too noisy. I just wanted to take a walk.”

“Ah, I see.”

Ryan waved his hand at the mercenaries following us.

“Go do your work. I’ll personally guard the ‘goddess.’”

Ugh, that annoying ‘goddess’ nickname again. Ryan was really starting to enjoy teasing me with it.

“Ah! If it’s Lord Ryan, then we don’t have to worry!”

“Right! Lady Emma said she’s baking a cake as a snack, my lady! Please come back soon!”

“Mm, got it.”

Ryan and I started walking along the garden path.

It was the same path where the “Ratan incident” had happened.

“What the—did you get shot again?”

Ryan touched my damp hair from Alex’s water gun attack.

“Yeah. He hit me from the third-floor hallway while I was outside on the first floor. Even when I tried to run away, he kept hitting me.”

“His aim is insane.”

That’s when I realized Alex had a talent I didn’t notice the first time around.

The truth of the “Ratan incident” Alex once told me…

He and Marchen were walking this path when a bear came down from the mountain. Marchen deliberately ran into the forest, luring the bear away so Alex could survive.

She even told him to stay hidden inside the house. But my little brother? As if he’d ever just run and hide.

What he grabbed immediately when he returned home was… a gun.

Yes, that gun. The one Revan modified with magic stones, powerful enough to blast anything. Alex had his own too.

Of course, Alex had never needed to actually use it before, so nobody knew how good he was with it.

But that day, unbelievably, it was Alex who killed the bear attacking Marchen.

‘If he’d shot the bear before Marchen got hurt, maybe Ratan wouldn’t have appeared, and Alex wouldn’t have awakened either.’

Amazing.

Anyway, after defeating the bear, Alex went to check on the collapsed Marchen, and that’s when he witnessed Ratan emerging.

By then, our whole family had accepted that Marchen really was a prince.

A man hiding a monster inside his body… even if he turned out to be the last heir of a dynasty that fell 600 years ago, none of us would be shocked anymore.

“That bastard… I need to kill him soon.”

“Whoa—”

Ryan muttered it quietly, but I flinched at his words.

When I glanced up, his eyes were filled with murderous intent.

‘Geez.’

These days, Ryan’s anger is always boiling over. Whether walking like this, or eating a meal, he’d grit his teeth, muttering, “I’ll kill him… I need to get stronger quickly.”

It all started after he found out about Alex’s ability.

Because I had finally told him everything—how Father “trained” Alex by exploiting his power, and even forced him onto the battlefield as a tool to raise soldier morale.

“…That’s true?”

I’d never seen Ryan so furious before.

But who could blame him? Even someone like Ryan, who prided himself on knowing all of Father’s filth, was shocked by how horrible Alex’s past life had been.

‘Goodbye, Father.’

I had tattled on him like a little bird, telling the Executioner all of Father’s crimes he himself had probably already forgotten. Thanks to me, Father’s lifespan just got a little shorter.

But he deserved it. Serves him right.

“This time on the southern front, I’ll kill every single monster myself. I’ll clear it all out and move on to the next stage quickly.”

Ryan clenched and unclenched his fists, grinding his teeth.

The southern front…

Right. About a month and a half from now, the monster outbreak cycle in France (the southern continent) will begin.

Ryan will join the subjugation army again.

“But… Do you think the prince will be okay?”

“Oh! I asked him that too because I was worried, but he insisted on going. I think he wants to see it with his own eyes and let go of any lingering feelings.”

Do you remember?

Ryan once promised to take Marchen back to France, his homeland.

Since Ryan has to go anyway, our whole family planned a big trip south together.

“You’re going too?”

“…? Of course. I can’t let the prince go alone.”

“You’re sure it’s just for the prince?”

Ryan grinned slyly.

What’s with that look?

“Not because you want to see your boyfriend?”

Hah?

That sly smile—it was about Nike.

Unbelievable.

“I haven’t even thought about it! What reason would I have to see him? We won’t even be going inside the cursed lands anyway.”

Nike and the subjugation army will be camping inside Farnece, while I’ll be staying safely in the outer territories.

“Well~ if you say so~”

Ryan slung an arm around my shoulders, smirking.

Okay, fine, when he brought up Nike out of nowhere, I did start wanting to see him again… but—

“Ugh.”

We weren’t dating anymore.

And to him, I was just “the accused criminal’s poor 13-year-old daughter.”

There’s no way a prince and a lowly imperial citizen would ever—

…But it happened!

I honestly didn’t know if this was reality or a dream.

Because right now, Nike was standing right in front of me.

Just the two of us!

Outside the inn!

‘What is happening?’

Let’s retrace.

It had been a week since our big family trip south.

We stopped to stay at a manor along the way, and by coincidence, the Imperial Knights heading to Farnece were staying at the same place.

But it wasn’t a coincidence.

It was Ryan’s careful scheme.

“A gift for you, sister. Be grateful.”

Ryan knew everything—the knights’ departure dates, and the exclusive inns they always used during campaigns.

He had suspected that “Windsor Castle’s errand boy” was actually Nike, so he deliberately gathered information for my sake.

For me…

Ah, I almost cried.

Anyway, thanks to Ryan’s plotting, we ended up lodging at the same place as Nike.

That much I could believe.

But then—

“…Do you remember me?”

“……”

Late at night.

My ex-lover… had called me out alone… and asked the most unexpected question.

I could hardly believe it.

‘Stay calm. Don’t lose it.’

What did he just ask?

If I remembered him.

Specifically, if I remembered our first meeting after my regression—when he rescued me from being kidnapped.

‘But why ask this?’

That time, Nike had been wearing a mask, secretly working on a mission. His identity wasn’t supposed to be revealed.

So why was he asking if I remembered?

Was it because he knew I’d figured it out, and wanted me to promise silence again?

I didn’t know for sure.

But Nike seemed convinced that I had recognized him, and he looked like he genuinely wanted me to answer honestly.

“…Yes.”

I nodded carefully.

“But I’ve never told anyone. And I never will.”

As if he already expected that, Nike nodded.

“Thank you. That’s what I wanted to hear.”

“N-no, I should thank you. You saved me that day. And also…”

I still couldn’t believe this situation, or guess his real intentions.

But—

This was the perfect chance to clear up a misunderstanding!

“You know that thing I gave you that day? I’m really sorry. I meant to give you a handkerchief, but I made a mistake.”

Yes… that pink lacy underwear!

I forced myself to confess, face burning, and Nike gave a small laugh.

“It’s fine. I figured it was an accident.”

Then, forgiving me generously, he pulled something from his pocket.

“Here.”

A small gift, wrapped in blue paper.

“My thanks.”

“Ah… thank you…”

Unbelievable.

He left me standing there, holding his gift, before walking back into the inn.

‘KYAAAAH!’

The moment he disappeared, I hugged the present tightly to my chest, jumping up and down, screaming with joy inside my head.

“Hey, hey, hey!”

Ryan immediately came running out.

“What the hell! What was that!?”

Since Nike had suddenly pulled me away from dinner, Ryan must have been going crazy with curiosity.

“D-don’t tell me—you’re dating the Third Prince again? Did he confess? Or did he just accept your confession? He doesn’t even remember you, but he’s going after a 13-year-old? Isn’t that perverted?!”

I glared at Ryan.

“Of course not! Don’t say nonsense!”

“Then why did he call you out?!”

“…It’s… a secret.”

I couldn’t tell him. I promised Nike I wouldn’t.

“Ugh, come on, tell me! What kind of secret is it!”

Ryan then pointed at the gift I was clutching.

“Whoa, wait. Did he give you a present? Is this even real?”

Even if I could imagine him saying thanks for keeping his secret, I never expected a gift on top of that.

Grinning from ear to ear, I unwrapped the package.

‘Could it be… a handkerchief?’

It was the perfect size for one.

Nike, you fool. Even without memories, you still thought of our shared memento…

‘Oh. Nope.’

…Pink lacy underwear.

He was just giving it back.

I looked up.

Ryan stared at me, dead serious.

“Yeah. He’s a pervert.”

“…He’s not.”