Chapter 73 (2/2)

I prepare to use some hard-handed tactics even if it means gouging out his eyes, but I stop myself.

I’ve seen this before, somewhere.

“Also, Charles is using a horrible excuse to come to our house. It would make me really happy if you could do something about that as his brother, Your Highness!”

“I see. I can’t ignore Christina Noir’s negative influence on Charles, and it’s unbecoming of royalty to pay unnecessary visits. Very well. It’s my duty as his brother to keep an eye out for him-”

I frown at the increasingly strange feeling from the trivial conversation.

The topic itself is simply gossip. Ignoring it is not a problem. But I get a sense of deja vu just from seeing them talking.

I wonder why, but this event is clearly different from my knowledge of my past life. In Labyrinth Destiny, the first time they meet is in the Royal Academy. There is no situation in which they meet at this age.

So I shouldn’t be feeling this same sense of deja vu as it was with Leon–

“–Oh, I see.”

I remember now.

Yeah, I see now. It’s not my past life, but it’s overlapping with something I saw long ago.

A scene of Michelie talking with a smile, and a boy with a red face, drawing her attention. I remember seeing that.

Yeah, that’s what it was.

I felt the same thing when I first saw Leon.

Leon seems to be avoiding Michelie for some reason now, but I was upset when he was all shy in front of her when we first met. I felt like crushing the insect trying to crawl his way towards Michelie. I see, this was similar to how I feel towards Endo right now.

As I come to terms with the situation and the strange feeling begins to dissipate, I suddenly come up with an impossible theory.

“……Impossible.”

“Big sister?”

“N-no, it’s nothing.”

I try to cover it up, and give Michelie a smile. Obviously, she’s sensitive enough to notice. She gives me another questioning look, but I can’t tell her about it.

“I was about to tell you how impossibly stupid Prince Endo really is. Combined with the stories Viscount Igusa told me, this could become a comedic masterpiece.”

“Do you have a grudge against me?!”

A lot of grudges, actually. Especially our unforgettable first meeting?”

“Gh.”

“First meeting? What was that like?”

“Ah. Of all people, this guy came to me and–”

“Anything but that! That’s the biggest blot of my life!”

I stick my tongue out at him, dodging Michelie’s sharp senses while desperately looking for evidence to disprove my theory.

This can’t be. Michelie’s angelic cuteness and beauty drew Leon to her, and her deadly attractiveness is drawing Prince Endo to her right now. That much is obvious. My sister is the cutest in the world.

Michelie is the charismatic and adorable heroine of this world.

She’s… definitely… the… heroine… of… this… world… not because of her cuteness and charisma.

It’s because she’s the most charismatic girl in the world, that she’s drawn in both Leon and Prince Endo on their first meeting. It’s definitely not because of fate.

“Come on, Michelie. Let’s go to our room.”

“Yup! ……Are you coming too, Prince Endo?”

While urging Michelie forward, I keep looking for solid proof to deny my own theory.

It’s okay. There’s no way Michelie’s charisma is tied to the magnetism of fate. Otherwise, it makes no sense why I love her with every fiber of my being. Even if my response towards Michelie isn’t normal simply because I’m a “bug” born as a genius in this world, I have another solid reason to deny the existence of fate.

Because Charles was never attracted to Michelie.

My fiancé has been paying attention to me without the influence of fate. It’s precisely because of his passion toward me that I can bring myself to believe that fate does not exist. Michelie and I will grow without having to die young, get along with each other, and support each other through our lives.

“Alright. Since you’re our guest, we’ll bring you to…… hey, idiot prince. Step away from Michelie. Were you just about to touch her hair? If you dare lay a finger on her, I’ll slaughter you and bury you in the courtyard, you pervert.”

“……Prince Endo?”

“Huh?! T-t-that’s not how it is okay?! Why would I do that?! D-don’t call me a pervert! It’s just your imagination, Christina Noir!”

“Huh. ……Yeah. It’s just my imagination.”

Yeah.

It’s just my imagination.

“……Hm? You’re surprisingly honest. Stop it, it’s creepy.”

“Okay. I’ll take you to the courtyard later. After I bury you I’ll make a gravestone that says “Here lies a perverted prince.”

“You’re really scary.”

“Prince Edward, big sister is always honest. She’s always dazzling, too. That’s why she’s cool, and I love her!”

“I love you too. You’re always so radiant and honest and adorable!”

Holding my beloved sister’s hand and thinking about my fiancé with hope, I catch a flash of fate’s silhouette, even though it’s supposed to be far away.

(Fate) “I don’t see a way in for my debut so I’ll try calling.” *beep boop bup*

THE NUMBER YOU ARE TRYING TO REACH IS NOT AV-

(Fate) “…………”

－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－

Author’s note: This marks the end of the Age 11 arc.

I haven’t been updating new chapters regularly? ……I’m really sorry.

Leaving that aside, here’s another intermission before we enter the Age 13 arc. I’m planning to make that short, so there may be more intermission chapters.

……I feel sorry for Fate who was about to get a significant role.