Chapter 31 - Having met you (2/2)

★★★★★★★★

“Prince Alan surely also has things that you are good at, it’s natural that people will be more suited to some things than others.”

To the completely inferior me who had always been compared to my older twin, that’s what she told me.

That girl’s light blue eyes looked directly at me, and she would never go easy on me in a match, the hilarious girl who could climb trees like a monkey, Katarina Claes.

I had been troubled by whispers behind my back, and she returned me back to sanity from being filled with delusions of grandeur. After meeting Katarina, I was finally able to get rid of the feeling of powerlessness pressing down on my shoulders as well.

She was always so direct, it was very comfortable being by Katarina’s side. That’s why, I always stayed by her side as if it was the natural thing to do.

That…… How did it come to this……

That I might lose Katarina…… When I thought that, I experienced a terror that I’ve never experienced before.

Then, I noticed it for the first time. To me, Katarina had already become a very important person…… What’s more…… To the point where I always wanted to be by her side……

How could I have been so dense. Something like only noticing my feelings after being in danger of losing her……

Since she’s my older twin’s fiancee…… I’ve never thought of her that way before.

Even so…… I still want to stay as close by as allowed. I can’t bear the thought of losing her right now.

I want to do something to be able to help Katarina……

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“Your parents are so wonderful, and your sister is so cute as well, Nico-sama, you’re a really lucky person.”

I still can’t forget the day that she said that to me while smiling.

People decided on their own that my important family was a misfortune upon me, and pitied me…… No matter how much I told people “I’m lucky” they wouldn’t understand.

I thought that nobody would ever understand…… I had already given up.

Katarina Claes understood what I was thinking. My frustration at how others didn’t understand finally burst out of my chest, and I was filled with a warm feeling instead.

Ever since that day, Katarina became a special person to me.

Since I wasn’t really that good at dealing with other people, I often averted my eyes.

However, Katarina would always look straight at me with those light blue eyes of hers, and smile brightly like the sun. It was very comfortable being by her side.

Katarina’s the fiancee of my childhood friend, the third prince.

I had always thought that we’d all be together forever.

Even though I had always thought that I’d stay as close by as allowed by her side……

“You’re excellent, you’ll definitely be the next prime minister” is what people around me said about me, but I hate myself for being unable to do anything for the most important person to me.

I can’t even protect the person most important to me, what’s all this about the next prime minister supposed to be……

Once again, I clenched my fist as tightly as I could, to the point where my nails were digging streaks of blood into my palms.

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“I think, that Sophia-sama’s silken white hair, and eyes that sparkle like rubies are very beautiful in my opinion.”

My appearance that was different from others was called creepy and cursed. This girl told me “it’s beautiful,” and right after she took my hands in hers and said “won’t you be friends with me?”

At first, I thought that I was just having a really good dream, but…… I didn’t wake up from the dream.

She’s the first friend I’ve ever had since I was born, and would always smile so gently at me.

Ever since meeting the girl known as Katarina Claes, my world’s changed so much. I’ve flown out from the gilded cage of my room that I’ve always stayed in, to under the bright sun. I finally obtained the happy days that I’ve always been dreaming about inside my room.

I wished that these days would continue forever. Even though that’s what I hoped……

Why…… Why did it come to such a thing……

During these two days, if I lost focus for even an instant tears would come pouring out. I cried so much, that I thought all the moisture in my body should have dried up already…… Yet tears would still keep flowing out.

Since the two days that Katarina’s collapsed, I’ve tried my best to keep standing. I’ve visited her room so many times, and kept calling out to her, but there’s no reaction at all, and my chest would tighten at seeing how she continued to sleep.

Truthfully, I wanted to be by Katarina’s side forever. But, “you can’t say things like that” is what my brother lectured me with in the dorm rooms.

But, being separated like this right now, at this moment, I’m so unsettled from a strong sense of anxiety at the thought of possibly losing Katarina.

During these two days, various doctors have been here to check up on Katarina, but none of them found a way to wake her up.

If she keeps sleeping like this, Katarina’s life will be in danger……

At first, I didn’t feel like this was real, having been confronted with the facts so suddenly. No matter which doctor it was, they would always reply unfavorably during these two days, and reality crept closer and closer.

At this rate, I really might lose Katarina…… I won’t be able to see that smile anymore. I definitely couldn’t stand that! I don’t want to lose her!

As I thought that as hard as I could, that’s when it happened.

“That’s it! It’s unbearable! I don’t ever want to lose anyone again!”

From somewhere, I suddenly heard a voice. It’s a voice I’ve never heard before, yet it was still somehow nostalgic.

I was surprised, and looked all around, but there was nobody else in the room besides the servants.

“Even though I was finally able to meet her again…… I don’t want to lose her! …… This time, I’m going to help that girl! So, stop crying uncontrollably in a place like this, and take me to where she is!”

It was as if I was hearing a mysterious voice coming from myself. Under the mysterious voice’s orders, I stood up and headed for Katarina’s room.

“Sophia-sama!? What are you doing at this time of night!?”

The maid that was attending to Katarina raised her voice in surprise at my sudden visit.

Well, that’s to be expected. It’s already the middle of the night, and I suddenly visited without prior notification. Normally, this would be considered very out of the ordinary. Even so, I felt that I absolutely had to come here. Also, because that mysterious voice had appealed to me as well.

“……Katarina-sama.”

I approached the bed, and firmly grasped both her hands in mine.

When doing so, it seems that my odd behavior has been reported, and my brother came to pick me up.

“Sophia, please calm down.”

As he said so, he placed a hand on my shoulder, and prompted me to return to my room, but…… I categorically rejected it.

Somehow everyone seems to have been informed, and before I realized it, Jared, Keith, Mary, and Alan, everyone has gathered here as well.

Even so, I just kept holding on to Katarina’s hands, and wouldn’t move.

And, I brought her hands to my forehead and closed my eyes praying “please, I’m begging. Please help Katarina” with all my might.

Then, reflected on the back of my eyelids, was a girl I’d never seen before. She had black hair and eyes, and even though I haven’t ever seen her before, she still felt familiar and nostalgic, how strange.

“I know it! She’ll definitely come back! You should keep calling for Katarina here!”

After the girl with such a strong will in her eyes said so, she disappeared.

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It’s been two days since I used dark magic to cause Katarina to fall into a deep sleep.

Her knights desperately tried various methods to wake her up, but none of them worked. It’s something that only the caster can cancel.

At this rate, Katarina will probably just keep sleeping until her life runs out.

That’s what my wish was.

And yet…… For some reason, my chest was restless. When I think that at this rate Katarina will lose her life…… My chest would tighten painfully.

……No, I don’t want to lose her…… I want to cancel my dark magic……

“What kind of stupid things are you thinking about!?” The other me was yelling angrily.

“That girl is getting in the way of our revenge! We have to get rid of anyone that gets in the way of our revenge!”

……But……

To the confused me, the other me raised his voice even more roughly.

“The reason that you live is so that you can take revenge! The meaning of your life is so that you can cast those that stole away your mother’s life and made a tool out of you down to hell! Did you forget, your mother’s last words!”

……That’s right……

The last words of the mother that I loved so much…… “……Please, take revenge……” The last words of my dying mother have become the meaning of my life.

The only reason that I’m living is so that I can take revenge.