To you who survived (2)
It was hectic during the festival.
This is because I had to attend a lot of events, help out with scholarships, continue camp life, and never stop personal training. As a result, I didn’t feel like I had properly enjoyed the festival at all.
One thing that is worth noting is that Princess Selaha often mentioned my name in official appearances.
In your interview with Vice Principal Rachel, you said you asked various things about a student named Ed Ross Taylor.
It is said that he mentioned Ed Ross-Taylor when giving a speech on the center stage, and that he apologized for his rudeness at the Ross-Taylor residence when he attended a prayer meeting presided over by the saint.
He was approaching me with such certainty that his arrogant attitude up until now was in vain, as if he had decided to take advantage of this opportunity.
In addition, there were a huge number of letters sent by her deacon Dest.
While staying at Sylvania Academy during the festival, he sent me a letter every day. In fact, they were all handwritten letters and the contents were quite dense.
It was not difficult to imagine him sitting at the private office table in the VIP quarters every night and writing letters with a quill pen. It wasn’t any kind of love letter, but it was full of romantic rhetoric, and the final conclusion was that people should stick to him.
– ‘It’s chilly at night on Aken Island. Does this mean that fall is slowly coming? Time really flies. It’s been a long time since we last saw each other during the Ross Taylor Mansion disaster, but we barely felt like we had a deep understanding of each other. Let me be blunt. I want to understand you more deeply. It means trying to find a political compromise, but I just want to know more about you as a person. Will you tell me? Will you make me understand the hardships of your life and the convictions you have held? ‘I believe that if your life has been lonely but strong, there is probably some part of it that touches mine.’
– ‘The fever of the festival continues. Today I went to inspect the living quarters. It felt special to think of it as where you live. And that’s what I think as I see the students humming peacefully, intoxicated by the festive atmosphere. In the end, conflict creates nothing.’
– ‘I am confident that if we put all the conflicts so far in the past and join hands, a better future will surely await us. I will treat you the best I can. ‘The power within the imperial family can be guaranteed to a level where it is not disappointing compared to when Crepin was the head of the family.’
– ‘Let’s end the antagonism. The disaster at the Ross Taylor mansion was nothing more than an aberration called Crepin. We can envision a new future in our own way. The beautiful blueprint may be different from each other, but I have no doubt that if we talk to each other well, it will become a stepping stone to create a greater empire.’
When I look at the letter filled with so much respect, I feel a sense of discomfort because it seems so contradictory to what I felt when I met Princess Selaha in person.
When I finish reading the letter and put it down, Deacon Dest, who came to deliver it, asks me in a polite tone.
“Princess Selaha is waiting. Would you like to accompany me?”
When asked a question like that, I just shake my head without saying anything.
Then the letter arrives the next day as well.
– ‘I thought you wouldn’t accept my invitation. Most likely, you want to continue to stand on Fenia’s side and give her strength. But it is something to think about carefully. Would it really be a happy thing for that child to become emperor? This is a child who normally did not care about things like power. ‘This is a child who has always heard stories of a benevolent princess who is kind and listens to those under her command.’
– ‘However, if you ascend to the position of emperor, you will inevitably incur someone’s resentment. Since ancient times, a monarch is someone who has the courage to turn half of the people who oppose his decisions into enemies. Do you think something like that would be possible for Fenia? ‘It is obvious that while pursuing idealism, you will get caught by the rocks of reality and end up rolling on the floor.’
– ‘If it were me, I could continue to protect Fenia’s delicate heart. As long as you handle things well by my side, Fenia can live forever in the Rose Palace as a benevolent and kind princess who cares about her people. ‘In a way, isn’t it the right distribution of roles for us to handle the real work and let children like Fenia live in a bright world?’
The letter that arrived the next day sold Fenia’s happiness.
For Selaha, who had no doubt that Princess Fenia and I had a special relationship, it was a game worth throwing.
But the more this happens, the more I remember the story that Fenia desperately told me.
– ‘You must never fall for Sister Selaha.’
– ‘Selaha… once she succeeds in obtaining it, she loses all interest. The time when Sister Selaha’s greed intensifies is when she discovers something she couldn’t get her hands on. So, no matter what suggestions Sister Selaha makes or what approach she takes… the moment you pass over, your value will plummet to the ground.’
It is truly a paradoxical story. In order to protect my value, I have to reject all offers from others who value it highly.
“Princess Selaha is waiting for you. Would you like to accompany her?”
Sitting next to the campfire, I shook my head again at Dest’s words.
Then, without a doubt, the letter arrived the next day.
– ‘I praise you highly for your firm will. However, I can speak with certainty. If you hold my hand, I will definitely become the emperor of this empire. We can guarantee you success in life. I can help you financially and spiritually so that the Ross Taylor family, to which you have worked all your life, can once again become the most prestigious family in this empire.’
– ‘I need you Ed Rosstaylor. I want you to be mine. I want you desperately.’
A tone of voice that openly asks people to come to their faction. The letter was becoming more earnest.
Of course, it’s just a letter. It is completely unknown whether the person who wrote this letter is actually desperate. The opponent is someone who has lived his or her entire life in politics. It was impossible to move my heart just because I felt sincerity from just a few words.
When Dest asks if I would like to accompany him, I shake my head again.
– ‘I think I thought about you all day today. Ed Rosstaylor. ‘I don’t think this is caused solely by the desire to involve you politically.’
– ‘At some point, your voice or face seeps into my heart, and I spend my days recalling memories of you whenever I get the chance. Of course, personal feelings should not take priority in politics that determine the direction of a country. But since I am also a full-fledged woman… there are times when I cannot help but feel heat rising in my heart.’
– ‘I’m curious about you. I am curious about your strong loyalty that allows you to firmly stick to your beliefs even in front of the princess of a nation. I wish it was directed at me. I wish I had respect for women. ‘When I sit in my office every day and review the agenda, I want you to stand next to me.’
– ‘I long for you. Ed Rosstaylor. I hope you will be by my side and support me on the path I walk.’
The next day, in the letter, he finally sold his love. Of course, there is no way I would ever believe this.
At this point, I’m getting scared. How much is this princess willing to sell to get what she wants?
The level of greed that is so scary is almost deafening.
“Princess Selaha is waiting. “Please accompany us.”
Of course… I still just shook my head.
This had to be repeated until the day the festival ended.
*The last day of the festival has arrived.
From what I heard, the festivities at Sylvania Academy will end with a grand fireworks display to be held in the student plaza at midnight today.
There is still some time left for the entire empire’s festival period, but Emperor Cloel and Princess Selaha’s stay on Aken Island ends today.
If all the festival schedules are completed well, you can take a two-day break over the weekend and then return to your daily routine of continuing your studies.
“Princess Selaha is waiting.”
Princess Selaha continued to send letters until the last day.
The content was somewhat as expected. It was almost a confession of love, but I gave a cold expression.
“…The princess has amazing writing skills. The flow of the words, which even feels strangely sincere, is truly amazing. “I would like to try writing poetry or a novel.”
After reading the letter, the answer I would give was decided. Dest was probably expecting it too.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not going.”
*“It is better to think positively, even if consciously. President Tanya.”
“It’s so disgusting that Senior Ziggs said that.”
“I’m telling you this out of concern for President Tanya.”
“…”
A long-awaited break.
Tanya, who was lying half-corpse on the sofa in the student president’s office, brushed her messy hair and looked toward the door.
Ziggs Eiffelstein, who had brought some snacks with him, threw a few pots on the office table and flopped down on the sofa opposite him.
The way he sat comfortably with both hands on the back of the sofa didn’t feel like he was paying any respect to the student council president.
I couldn’t help it. In fact, Ziggs was much more likely to take on the role of a stick than a carrot within the student council.
Since he was mainly trying to catch Tanya, who ran away, the other person now looked less like the student council president and more like a prisoner who dreamed of escaping whenever he got the chance.
“Looking at it, I held the meeting for no reason while lying down on the sofa. I want to retire. I want to die. I want to run away to a place where no one knows. What is Brother Ed doing? Should I just hand over the position of head of the family? Would they accept it in the first place? But isn’t it something I should take responsibility for? Why did you take responsibility in the first place? I just want to die. help me. Someone please save me. “Aren’t you repeating this monologue over and over again?”
Tanya took a deep breath and looked at Ziggs.
“Now… the repertoire is obvious, so it’s actually not that surprising. But as of today, haven’t you finished all the work that was delayed during the festival period? Now that Senior Anis is here, you will feel a lot more relaxed when you return to normal semester life.”
“I want to enjoy my own peace of mind, but what do I do when I have a lot of bad thoughts?”
“So, what I’m saying is, at least consciously, think good thoughts. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a lie.”
“If you lie and say good things, it doesn’t mean anything.”
“No, it has its own meaning. “I also heard this from Elka.”
Ziggs spoke half-heartedly while briefly checking the status of his equipment.
“It may be a kind of self-suggestion or just putting on a mask, but… they say that if you lie to yourself by immersing yourself in it over a long period of time, at some point your mind will accept it as truth. I think there was some technical terminology… I don’t really remember…”
“… It’s strangely psychoanalytical. “I don’t know much about that field…”
“I don’t know much either. But isn’t that a good thing? I am happy with myself every day. I am full of energy. I really like my job. I can’t stand it because I want to work. Work is my life. I will die working!! “Wouldn’t you be able to approach life more positively if you lied and implied repeatedly?”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t like it because it feels like my life is ending like that.”
“…The example was definitely a bit excessive. sorry.”
Ziggs let out a laugh and glanced sideways at Tanya, who was finally getting some proper rest after completing a long task.
No matter what happens, I am a person who somehow manages to complete all his tasks within the deadline. They say that everything about a person’s character is inherited, and he resembles my brother in many ways.
I think I could become a good leader if I provide good guidance, but… Right now, he has no dignity because he looks like a corpse lying on his back.
Well, there must be people like this.
With that in mind, Ziggs wiped the sheath of his sword with a cloth.
“… You refused to accompany me. “I think he will probably not accompany you until the end.”
Even though the princess of a country bends herself to this extent, she doesn’t even seem to flinch.
A luxurious private room prepared for Princess Selaha. Inside the neatly organized room, there was also a table set up for office work.
Princess Selaha, who was sitting at the huge table and playing with her quill, snorted at Dest’s report.
“Pretending to be expensive… in the end, you are just greedy for power…”
It is difficult to find time to accompany Emperor Cloel during the festival. Of course, it is impossible to go to Ed Rosstaylor’s camp every day.
Therefore, Princess Selaha tried to placate him through letters, but there were limits. He actively encouraged Ed Rothtaylor by writing more radical and bold content… but as expected, his strong mind shows no signs of moving at all.
Now, a strange feeling began to arise, and I began to put more effort than I thought into the letters I sent to him every day.
Of course, there is not a single word of sincerity in the contents of the letter. There is absolutely no reason for Princess Selaha, who has no blood or tears, to give up her liver and gallbladder just to get one of the duke masters.
It’s just a flattering rumor. Usually, it comes to pass at this point.
Intoxicated by the fact that the princess of a country needs her so much, she loses sight of the objective evaluation of her own worth.
However, the tyrant Selaha, who considers everything under him to be nothing more than a chess piece to be discarded… there is no reason to do that.
“I think it would be best to take the time and go one more time…”
Unfortunately, I have a lot of schedules for tomorrow morning and a lot of reports to review. I also have to schedule a visit to the Trix Building and go to lunch with Principal Obel Forcius.
In the end, there’s nothing I can do right now other than write the letter more sincerely… but the problem is that I’ve used up all the repertoire I can write. There are limits to writing a false letter that appears to be more sincere.
“They don’t even blink when I bend them down to this extent…”
Instead, Princess Selaha smiled bitterly. Just imagining the joy it would be like to defeat Ed Ross-Taylor, who has been so steadfast and loyal, makes my heart swell.
At least, Princess Selaha has never been this overly absorbed and tried to hold someone in her hands. Usually, it would come before that.
Recently, it got to the point where I spent the whole day thinking about what kind of phrase I should write in his ears this time.
He tried to stimulate his loyalty to Princess Fenia, and eventually told shocking stories such as saying that he was privately in love with Ed Ross Taylor.
Nevertheless, Ed Rothtaylor does not even dream.
‘Have you discovered that it’s all a lie…?’
That’s what I thought to myself. Aside from that, I wrote down a lot of all kinds of unconventional things… but seeing as I haven’t come across it even once, it seems like I don’t believe the content at all.
Is there a need for a more trustworthy and sincere tone? Promising more wealth and fame alone cannot move him, so what is needed at this point is sincerity that can make the other person believe that you are sincere.
You need to wrap your mind so that you can convince of its sincerity, so that even Ed Ross Taylor, the doubtful one, can’t be deceived and can’t be fooled… so that it seems endlessly earnest.
Once he falls into my hands and becomes a person who betrayed Fenia, I take advantage of him and then throw him away. I picture the man’s expression when he became the one abandoned by Selaha. When I imagine the joy of that moment, a smile already comes to my face.
In this way, Selaha continues to write letters filled with lies.
I think about the wording of the letter all day.
Over and over again, I was immersed in it endlessly… I was repeating lies to myself.
*“Your request to view has been denied. In fact, the Wise Man’s Seal is not currently being released to the public, even for research purposes, so it is difficult to obtain permission upon request from a student.”
The staff at the Trix building spoke kindly to Ayla behind the counter. She was a girl who had been asking to meet with Obel Forcius for several days already, submitting a request to read the wise man’s seal.
“Is that so…”
“Yes… Since it is a treasure with a history of theft, we must be cautious at the academic level as expected…”
“Okay… Thank you…”
Ayla bowed at the window and opened the Trix building. I got out.
Although the festival fever continues, the Trix Building, an office building, still has a fairly businesslike atmosphere.
That subtle heat remains, but you have to do what you have to do anyway.
Ayla looked back at the Trix building for a moment, lowered her head, and her expression hardened.
It became necessary to find a different method.
Somehow… I had an intuition that I had to read the Sage’s seal… because it kept welling up in me.
