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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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Chapter 100 – Hope (2)
"We’re going to the academy. All of us together."
A calmly dropped bombshell.
Elise stared at me blankly for a moment before her eyes began to tremble, realization dawning late.
Her voice, tinged with unmistakable confusion, soon followed.
"Wait… what are you talking about?"
"Just as you heard."
"But the academy… This isn’t just sudden. It’s impossible, isn’t it?"
"Why are you so certain of that?"
I responded with deliberate nonchalance.
The confused Rose, sitting on her bed, fiddled with her cascading crimson hair. Her bewildered gaze poked at me like a finger pressing my cheek.
I simply smiled, unruffled.
My soft-spoken words scattered gently into the air.
"You needn’t worry about anything. Everything has already been accounted for."
"...…"
My sly, serpentine tongue flickered.
Leaning closer, I narrowed the distance between us.
Our breaths mingled in the still air as I pressed my palm lightly against the Rose’s abdomen.
"Your Highness."
Swoosh.
Sliding under her nightgown, my fingertips brushed against her pale skin.
I pressed down gently.
"Ngh…"
Her rosy lips let out a faint, pained whimper.
Her breath hitched for a moment.
After days of treatment, even a mere touch seemed to draw instinctive reactions.
I moved with purpose, my touch pressing insistently against her fragile body.
"W-wait…"
Press.
Press.
Her crimson petals seemed to crumble beautifully.
Her lips, biting down to suppress a sound, failed to conceal the raw emotions that welled up within her.
The chill in the room melted into the heat of her breath, her once-clear gaze beginning to blur.
The faint warmth of the scene was irresistibly vivid.
"Haa… hah, ah…"
Her breathing grew uneven.
Once I confirmed her dazed state, I leaned in close, whispering softly into her ear as if weaving a suggestion.
It was a single sentence that would define the relationship to come.
"All you have to do, Your Highness, is trust in me."
The serpent’s tail coiled gently around her fragile neck.
Her petals, once poised and upright, fell into disarray, stepping helplessly into a shadow she could no longer escape.
She didn’t even realize she was being consumed.
"...Fine."
Elise nodded.
I stroked her head with approval.
The murderous glare that had filled her eyes just days ago had softened considerably, leaving behind a subdued brightness.
Though traces of her sharp demeanor remained.
"Heh."
This was enough.
The distance I sought with the Rose was not one of opposition but of proximity, a space where I could fully intervene in her life.
All I needed was to keep her from succumbing to despair.
I allowed myself a small sigh of relief, smiling faintly.
It finally felt like the first step had been taken toward rewriting her tragic fate.
"Everything will be okay."
"I said I understand already. Don’t make me repeat myself."
Elise pouted slightly.
We exchanged a few light words, passing the coldest autumn night together.
With a storm waiting on the horizon.
* * *
The next morning.
At first light, I began discussions with Charlotte regarding the matter.
Unlike with Elise, whose agreement had been closer to an announcement, I had already hinted at my plan to her elder sister, so the conversation proceeded swiftly.
Of course, Charlotte didn’t agree right away.
Like her sister, her initial reaction to my proposal was skeptical.
Her blue eyes carried a hint of doubt.
"Is this really possible?"
"As long as Your Highness follows my instructions, everything will be fine. It’s all for Elise’s sake."
"If that’s the case… I understand."
Her signature drowsy demeanor softened her response.
She hesitated briefly upon hearing my explanation but nodded once I emphasized it was for her sister.
Determined, she left to make an appeal directly to the Emperor.
But—
Valcaros refused to see us.
His sole reason was a single word: "Busy."
Instead, he sent one of his secretaries in his place.
The secretary was one of the few who knew about the Rose’s existence and the secret surrounding her.
With a rigid tone, the man relayed the Emperor’s message.
"His Majesty has no particular interest in the matter. Do as you see fit."
As expected.
Valcaros didn’t stop us.
He seemed to have no lingering attachments whatsoever.
After I explained Elise’s improving health and our plans for her continued treatment outside the palace, permission was granted in less than half a day.
They even offered assistance in arranging her enrollment at the academy.
Though his indifference seemed like he was merely discarding unwanted waste, at the same time, it bore a faint resemblance to a father letting go of his child.
I found myself reconsidering my mixed assessment of him.
'Even so.'
The cold-hearted Valcaros.
It didn’t change the fact that he was the worst father.
He had cast his daughters into hell, after all.
But if my hypothesis about him was correct… perhaps there was room for some leniency.
I brushed aside my fleeting bitterness.
"Well, with this, everything can proceed according to plan."
I smiled brightly.
"...…"
Perhaps due to the unexpected approval, Charlotte’s expression remained somewhat conflicted.
Hesitating, she murmured in a voice so faint it was almost inaudible.
"…Will this really be okay?"
"Hmm?"
"I’m just… a little worried."
She was referring to Elise.
Though her health had improved over the past fortnight, she still spent most of her time confined to bed.
She seemed to wonder if it wasn’t too soon to take her outside.
It wasn’t an unreasonable concern.
In her current state, even a short stroll was impossible without a wheelchair.
Her frailty had delayed her enrollment indefinitely in the original story as well.
'But.'
This time was different.
I was here.
If she wanted to navigate the turbulent waters ahead safely, it was wiser to stay close to the serpent than remain locked in her cage.
Leaving her here would only worsen her depression.
"Your Highness."
Though I understood Charlotte’s concerns, this was a moment where I needed to press her firmly.
I had to secure her resolve to ensure she wouldn’t waver when facing the challenges ahead.
I erased the smile from my lips.
Meeting her gaze with a cold, serious look, I spoke.
"It’s troubling if you keep doubting this plan."
"...…"
"I’m doing my utmost to help, but if you aren’t willing to follow through, it makes things difficult for me."
"That’s not what I—"
"If this continues, I’ll have no choice but to step back."
"Please… don’t do that."
Charlotte clutched at my sleeve.
Her transparent eyes quaked with desperation, as if an earthquake had struck within.
It was a raw, fervent gaze that spoke of her fear of losing this hard-won opportunity.
I casually reached out, brushing her platinum hair gently.
"I don’t ask for much. Just follow my instructions faithfully."
"I’m sorry…"
"Do you remember what I told you last time?"
"That only Judas can help me."
"Exactly. Ignore what others say. Only my voice will lead you to hope without betraying you."
"Judas won’t betray me… Only Judas."
Charlotte mumbled the words as if engraving them in her mind.
Satisfied, I let my cold expression soften.
Moments later, my lips curled into a bright, easy smile.
"I’m glad your vision has cleared. I’ll take care of everything regarding the cage."
"I don’t know much about it… so please handle it."
"Gladly."
Our conversation concluded as we sank deeper into our respective roles.
Though the shadow of doubt lingered, the girl leaned into my touch, melting into the sweet whispers I offered.
"I’ll be by your side."
And the plan moved forward as intended.
* * *
Two days later.
With the final preparations complete, we were ready to leave the cage behind.
Outside, a carriage awaited us.
It was the same one we had arrived in.
"It’s time to leave."
A brief announcement came.
The Rose, seated in her wheelchair, seemed to awaken from her thoughts.
"Ah."
"The others have already boarded."
"I suppose we should go too."
"Heh… Allow me to escort you."
Leaning against the chair’s handles, I began to push it gently.
For now, this was a necessary means of transport.
Though she wasn’t incapable of standing, staying on her feet for long was still a burden on her frail body.
Given her condition, her physician’s care was indispensable.
As the wheels rolled silently, Elise murmured softly.
A faint, almost wistful soliloquy.
"I never thought… I’d leave this place in my lifetime."
She was right.
In her original fate, the Rose had never escaped her lonely cage.
Not until the moment she tied the noose herself.
The image of that final CG scene flashed before my eyes.
Feeling the gravity of the altered story, I responded in a quiet, steady tone.
"From now on, only good things will come your way."
"If that’s even possible."
"The world is full of things you’ve never experienced before. Things to see, hear, smell, feel, and touch. Perhaps it’s time to look forward to living rather than fearing it."
"…I’ve never feared it."
Her response was playful, yet her sparkling eyes betrayed her guarded words.
It was, after all, her first step toward freedom.
Having lived her life confined in a cage, she must have longed for the open sky.
How deeply she had yearned, I could never truly know.
All I could do was guide her.
To help the bird with broken wings fly again.
To restore the vibrance of a faded flower, so its fragrance might once again grace the world.
We walked through the garden of swirling petals.
"I don’t understand."
"Pardon?"
"You… You’re too kind to me and my sister. I can’t figure out why."
"Didn’t I tell you before?"
I smiled gently.
My lips spoke the truth.
"Because I want you to be happy."
A grim story.
I wanted to overturn its every conclusion and gift her a new world.
Perhaps it was a means of proving something to myself.
A realization of something lost long ago.
A desire, born of regret, that I now wished to fulfill.
Countless reasons jumbled in my mind, yet what emerged was the simplest truth.
I swallowed the rest of my thoughts, letting out a soft laugh.
"Pfft… Isn’t that expression a bit too touched?"
"Wh-what?!"
The girl turned her head sharply.
For a fleeting moment, the sunlight cast a perfect frame around her.
If emotions could be captured like Polaroids, this scene would be a vivid snapshot of the season.
The wheelchair rolled forward, cutting through the autumn breeze.
And so…
Out of the cage.
Toward the world.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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