The Wheel of Fate
“What does that mean?”
―It means exactly what I said.
The lips pressed against mine didn’t move. It was because he was infusing power into me. Instead, a youthful voice flowed directly into my head.
―Your fate has begun to change, Your Grace, Grand Duke Achille.
When I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again, the golden eyes filling my vision were glowing eerily. The sense of otherworldliness dwelling within them felt far more naked than usual.
It was a gaze that didn’t stop at merely looking at me before his eyes. It was a look that seemed to pierce through everything inside me, everything beyond me.
No, it was prescience. He was looking completely into my essence, my choices, and therefore my future.
―You wanted it to be this way. Isn’t that right?
It was true. I was in the process of changing Achille Lowyn Fel Betius’s fate in order to see the ending of this work.
‘Of course I can’t carelessly change the major flow…’
But I had to do at least this much. If I lived according to the original, I’d die before even reaching the middle part. Then I wouldn’t be able to see the ending of this place, and I wouldn’t be able to return to the original world where my little sister was waiting.
To live safely, I had to settle down here. If I became a lord who could be helpful, it seemed people wouldn’t resist and would acknowledge my existence.
So I’d been making the minimum effort.
―A great change is approaching you.
The voice that felt somehow distant was just like an oracle. I swallowed the cool power he was passing to me and replied quietly.
“Will it harm me?”
―Well…
That being blinked very slowly and said.
―I can’t guarantee it.
“……”
―But you will accept it. Even if it’s painful, willingly.
“…As long as I don’t die.”
As I said those words, my heart suddenly pounded and my mouth went dry. I didn’t know why.
It was something I naturally had to say. Because I could only return if I stayed alive. But why did it feel like I was saying something I shouldn’t, like I was telling a tremendous lie?
Fortunately, the thought didn’t continue long. Another handful of power came over through our touching lips. By now I’d grown accustomed to the overwhelming sensation accumulating around my solar plexus.
―That’s how it will be. Because I’ll protect you.
That was the end of the explanation. As if he couldn’t tell me anything more, he focused only on passing power to me.
While holding onto his shoulders like that, I struggled to digest what was pouring in like a flood…
Thunk.
Without warning, darkness came, and my vision turned black.
***
The castle was in an uproar.
I realized the commotion around the time I finished breakfast and sat down. Albert, who was usually calm by nature, opened my office door with an uncharacteristically flustered expression.
“…Your Grace. You need to come outside for a moment.”
“Did the reconnaissance team return?”
An uneasy feeling came over me with a thud.
Unlike ordinary beasts that went into hibernation when winter deepened, some magical beasts became more active as the weather got colder. There were quite a few individuals that crept down south to where people lived to replenish their insufficient magical power and satisfy their hunger.
The reconnaissance team had left just three days ago to assess the movements of such magical beasts. I’d selected and sent six people who were quick on their feet and battle-hardened, and according to Wieg’s report, the reconnaissance would take about five days.
‘They said they’d just check the wyvern nest closest to the territory and return.’
I also recalled the report that if problems arose, they’d return directly to the territory, reorganize their formation, and depart for a second survey. This was because the Northern Wyverns, which began their activities when winter deepened, caused the greatest damage to the territory.
So if they returned earlier than scheduled, it meant the Northern Wyverns had started their winter activities earlier than expected…
“No.”
Fortunately, Albert cut off my worry.
“There’s been no contact from the reconnaissance team. No distress signals have been detected either.”
“Then why is it so noisy?”
“That’s…”
Now that I looked, he wasn’t just flustered—he seemed to be gauging my reaction too.
“…Your Imperial Majesty has arrived.”
“I’m Your Grace.”
“Not Your Grace.”
“If not me, then who is Your Imperial Majesty?”
It’s not like there are two Grand Dukes of Betius, and who else here is “Your Imperial Majesty” besides me?
Albert squeezed his eyes shut and answered.
“His Imperial Majesty Emperor Lenox has arrived…”
…That annoying nine-year-old had finally barged into my territory.
“It’s really true.”
Even knowing Albert had no reason to lie to me, and so even as I bounded down the stairs three steps at a time, it felt somewhat unreal.
Well, it was because I figured that little brat, smaller than his peers, couldn’t possibly have really come to this cold land.
But Albert hadn’t lied, and the people’s commotion wasn’t for nothing.
“Lenox.”
The kid was standing majestically next to a cargo wagon from a nearby merchant guild we’d just started trading with. His spirit was good, but he must have been cold after all—not just his nose and cheeks, but even his ears and fingertips were frozen red.
Seeing that, my head began to throb. I eventually let out a deep sigh and pressed my brow.
‘I filled it completely yesterday, so the Chaos Meter is definitely at 100 percent…’
It seemed there was nothing I could do about a headache from pure physical mass.
“I came, Hyungnim!”
“…Yeah.”
You came. That’s exactly the problem.
Why did the protagonist come all the way to this backwater? What’s so good about this freezing cold land? Like there’s some pretty human living here.
You have so much to do. You’re still so young. Why on earth.
‘I should have recognized it when he made that exact disobedient expression.’
Sighing again, I said.
“I told you nine-year-olds aren’t allowed in my territory. Did you not understand?”
Lenox said cheerfully.
“I understood!”
No you didn’t. You didn’t understand at all. If you understood, you shouldn’t be here, you brat.
“I’m ten years old!”
The kid who hadn’t grown even one millimeter taller announced proudly.
“Just yesterday was my birthday. So I’m not nine years old anymore, Hyungnim!”
“…I said no nine-year-olds. I didn’t say ten-year-olds were allowed.”
“But it’s still a ban on nine-year-olds! Not ten-year-olds! You definitely said that, Hyungnim! I heard it all!”
Lenox clenched his tiny fists and then tensed his whole body and started trembling.
The merchant guild owner who must have secretly loaded and transported this disobedient nine-year-old in his cargo wagon was trembling just as much as he looked at me. If the little brat was trembling from being upset, that one was trembling in fear that I might be unable to control my anger and draw the sword at my waist to take his head.
“I’ll be good, Hyungnim!”
“You’ve already failed. If you were good, you wouldn’t have come here in the first place.”
“I’ll grow up well on my own!”
“What kid in the world grows up on their own? Are you a bean sprout?”
“Just give me an empty room! Even one the servants use is fine! Or should I sleep in the storage? I can camp outside too!”
“Whose lifespan are you trying to shorten… Haaa.”
My headache worsened. I clutched my head with both hands.
“It really can’t be done.”
It wasn’t because I disliked Lenox. It wasn’t because taking someone in was burdensome… well, of course that too, but it wasn’t the main reason.
“This place is dangerous.”
It was exactly as I said.
There were reasons why I’d organized and sent out reconnaissance teams, and had been doing my best to prepare defenses for winter. Reports kept coming in that magical beast activity would be more active than in previous years, and abnormal phenomena related to magical power had also been discovered in the northernmost regions.
It was already a land with many dangers, and on top of that, I—a variable in and of myself—was here too. To seat Lenox, the protagonist of Pavane for a Dead Princess, in such a place. It was something I couldn’t do unless I was insane.
I stretched out my arm and grabbed Lenox by the scruff of his neck and lifted him up. He’d been trying to sneak in, thinking I wouldn’t listen to reason.
“You don’t listen when I say no.”
“I’m listening though!”
“You’re only hearing it, only hearing!”
Lenox squirmed and protested.
“Since you’re saying no but I want to make it a yes, I was trying to go into the castle and lie down first!”
“How bold of you to say that. Huh?”
“I like Hyungnim. I missed Hyungnim. I wanted to live with Hyungnim so I waited just to turn ten. As long as I can live with Hyungnim, everything is fine. Even if Hyungnim hates me, my feelings remain the same.”
The ten-year-old kid poured out his heart like rapid fire while dangling in the air.
“I want to live with Hyungniiiim…”
“Ha…”
I mustn’t weaken. I mustn’t weaken. I mustn’t weaken.
I set Lenox down with a thump and commanded mercilessly.
“Throw him out beyond the castle gates.”
