Chapter 45: Father’s Expedition
“Father, please take great care not to get injured.”
“Of course, Albertina. I would never do anything to cast a shadow over your smile.”
Worry naturally drew my brows together.
Though he holds the position of marshal, Father is also one of the greatest magic users in the Sandis Kingdom. Naturally, there are tasks that only he can accomplish, and many of them are related to battle. Perhaps it cannot be helped. Even so, knowing he is heading somewhere dangerous makes it impossible for me to send him off with ease.
Father gently stroked my cheek, as if to soothe me.
Unlike me, he stood as calm as ever, showing no sign of anxiety or impatience.
Suppressing the tightness in my chest, I embraced him.
“Kishtarial, I leave things here to you. With Sebas around, there should be no issues.”
“Yes. Please take care, Father.”
After that brief exchange, Father and Kishtarial parted without lingering.
I watched as Father boarded his carriage and it slowly receded into the distance.
Clasping my hands before my chest, I etched that shrinking figure into my memory.
“It will be fine, Albel. Father is very strong.”
“…Yes, I know.”
As if sensing my worry, Kishtarial spoke gently to me.
But I could not even manage a proper smile and lowered my gaze.
“The wind is picking up. Let’s return inside.”
“…Yes.”
A few days after his birthday, Father left the estate once more.
Apparently, a stampede had occurred in the northern region.
A stampede is a large-scale outbreak of monsters. It can happen when a surge of magical energy transforms nearby plants and animals into monsters, or when a dungeon—a nest of monsters—emerges above ground for some reason. These are the most common causes.
Dungeons usually stabilize after a while, but stampedes caused by magical energy surges can severely disrupt ecosystems and have no clear end. They must be sealed quickly—or destroyed outright.
Sometimes, the magical energy is eventually exhausted and the situation settles down on its own, but not always.
During a stampede, unusually powerful monsters can appear. Rare materials can also be obtained, so it is not entirely negative. However, if left unattended, it would undoubtedly devastate the land.
A few years ago, insect-type monsters nearly consumed entire crops. Orcs and goblins can even wipe out nearby villages.
Even without war, the military will never disappear from this country.
This is a disaster unique to a fantasy world.
Kishtarial has returned to the Latiche household. After the uproar at the academy, an investigation has begun into the misconduct of Prince Lucas and his faction.
Even matters that had previously been overlooked due to royal authority are now being reexamined.
Prince Lucas and Prince Leold are currently confined in a noble detention facility within the palace grounds. Lucas, in particular, faces severe punishment and is effectively under house arrest.
Graham, the son of the prime minister, is confined at home, as is Joshua, the knight assigned to Lucas. Cain, due to his immense magical power, is being held in a special prison.
And Lenaria, considered one of the main instigators alongside Lucas, is imprisoned as well.
She is charged with inciting crimes against royalty, inciting the murder of high-ranking nobles, making false accusations, coercion, fraud, and numerous acts of disrespect. Her guilt is certain.
The only reason she has not yet been executed is because there are too many charges still under investigation.
At best, she may be allowed to take her own life with dignity. Otherwise, she will likely be treated as a criminal slave until death or executed outright. That was Kishtarial’s assessment.
It was a tragic end for the heroine of KimiKoi—but given the charges, perhaps inevitable.
Even for similar crimes, the severity increases depending on the target—commoner, noble, or royal.
“The Duches baron family will likely be stripped of their title. Even if she acted alone, the scale of this incident is too great.”
“She is still so young…”
“You do realize that same ‘young lady’ nearly had you killed, right? And for no reason at all?”
“…To be honest, I only remember how frightening Prince Lucas was… I have never even met Lady Duches.”
Kishtarial rarely spoke to me with such sternness.
He must truly despise her.
So much for romance… Was that incident just coincidence? Or because I am the villainess?
Either way, the heroine of KimiKoi was supposed to be simple and pure-hearted, not someone who would act out of spite. Why would a baron’s daughter provoke a ducal family?
Even the royal family would hesitate to offend the Latiche house.
In any case, it is safe to say her harem route has failed.
Given the low favorability from Kishtarial and Mikaelis, and the situation itself, it does not match the game’s conditions at all.
Realistically speaking, no noble family would accept someone with such a record. She will likely be executed without even the chance to atone.
“There is no way anyone would accept her. That filthy woman—surrounding herself with men and abusing their power for her own whims.”
“…Is it really that enjoyable, to surround oneself with men and flaunt authority?”
I believe one person who truly loves you is enough.
The original Albel was like that, but I cannot understand it.
Lenaria seemed to aim for a harem… but this world is reality, even if it resembles a romance game. Things cannot go so conveniently.
“She certainly seemed to enjoy it.”
“…That is disgusting…”
I could not help but frown.
As a fan of KimiKoi, the harem route is fun in a game—but in reality, it is repulsive.
Seeing Lenaria’s fate, stripped of status and nearing death, I am reminded that a steady path is best.
As a gamer, I feel some attachment to the heroine, but hearing the charges leaves no room for sympathy.
Even the tea Julius prepared tasted bitter today.
Kings may have multiple wives. Among nobles, monogamy is standard, but if there is no heir, a second wife or mistress may be taken. Bloodlines matter.
Though doing so often leads to succession disputes, so adoption from branch families is common, like ours.
…The harem route really is dangerous, is it not?
Would the heroine even know whose child it is…? No, surely not. Please do not ruin her image any further.
The harem route itself is extremely difficult. You must progress multiple character routes simultaneously, compensating with gifts and interactions where schedules overlap.
Since each character requires different stats, it is practically necessary to carry over abilities and items into a third playthrough or later.
And the ending is determined by the lowest affection among all targets. The bad ending rate is high.
If it were me, I would choose the normal friendship ending. It reflects your stats directly—high magic leads to becoming a mage, high charm leads to a good marriage proposal, and so on.
It is stable and realistic.
That would be my choice.
If she opened the harem route, could the heroine also be a reincarnator like me?
Either that, or simply someone excessively fond of men… either way, quite reckless.
As I pondered this, Kishtarial gently placed his hand on my head.
“It will be alright, Albel… Next time, I will protect you properly. I will never let something like that happen again.”
His large, warm hand reminded me of Father.
Though he is from a branch family, his ash-brown hair and aqua-blue eyes resemble Father’s more than mine.
His refined appearance and gentle voice would make most girls blush.
But to me, filtered through my “little brother” perception, it does not quite register that way.
I simply feel that Kishtarial is kind.
Perhaps a normal lady would blush here, but as a devoted father-lover shut-in, I only see traces of Father in him—and feel a bit jealous instead.
Despite being meticulously groomed and radiant, Kishtarial merely smiled wryly at my lack of reaction.
I like him, but as a man… I am not so sure.
Perhaps I have gone beyond a herbivore woman—I might as well be moss.
Why has such a fine young man taken an interest in someone like me?
I stared at him.
After ten seconds, his face gradually reddened, even to his ears, and he looked away.
He is handsome and cute…?
What is this…
My femininity is inferior to his…?
“I want to become a marimo and sink to the bottom of a cold lake…”
“What are you saying, Albel!? I understand you miss Father, but that is dangerous! You will catch a cold—worse, you might die!”
For some reason, he became extremely worried and carried me to bed.
I do not have a fever. I was just a little lonely… and maybe a bit jealous.
But the power of the blanket was overwhelming, and with Kishtarial holding my hand, I quickly fell asleep.
Kishtarial looked down at the sleeping Albertina and let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Though she herself did not realize it, every time Father left, she watched him off with a pale face, as if it were a final farewell.
For short trips, she managed better, but during long expeditions, her large green eyes would brim with tears, her red lips pressed tight, forcing a smile.
Despite being an extremely sheltered noble lady, she would stand there regardless of the time or weather, watching until the carriage disappeared beyond the estate gates.
Once, Father left before she woke to spare her the pain of seeing him off. She did not become angry or complain—she simply wondered if she had done something wrong and cried quietly in her room.
That day, she barely ate, and the entire household had to comfort her.
Even then, all she consumed was honeyed hot milk.
When Father learned of this, he returned within three days, and only after his explanation did she finally smile and resume eating normally.
Kishtarial had never seen the usually inhuman Greil so shaken.
Albertina is far more delicate than she appears.
A soft knock sounded. She did not stir. Without her usual expressions, she looked like a finely crafted doll.
“Come in.”
Anna, her maid, and Julius, her attendant, entered carrying a tea set.
“It is fine. She fell asleep immediately.”
“I see… Thank you, Lord Kishtarial.”
Anna showed visible relief. Normally composed, she is different when it comes to Albertina.
Julius placed a censer by the bed, and soon a gentle fragrance filled the room.
“…She has always been sensitive when the duke is absent, but recently it has become more pronounced.”
“You think so too?”
“Yes. Since you began attending the academy, her emotional distress has worsened.”
Anna quietly adjusted Albertina’s hair and bedding.
“She has also become more reluctant to go outside… especially after the incident with Prince Lucas. She now avoids contact with men even more.”
“That damned prince never does anything right.”
“Lord Kishtarial, please refrain from such words in front of her.”
“…Sorry. It slipped.”
Kishtarial covered his mouth, as if ashamed of the curse that slipped out.
Pierced by Anna’s slightly sharp gaze, he apologized honestly.
However, her reproach was not for insulting the prince, but for using crude language in front of Albertina.
She did not object at all to the words “good-for-nothing” or “damn” directed at Lucas.
In other words, Anna harbored similar thoughts deep down.
Next year, Kishtarial and Jibril would become the highest-year students at the academy.
Albertina had planned to enter a convent once Kishtarial graduated.
Because she believed she would only become a burden to the ducal house in the future.
Her eyes had wavered with loneliness when she once confessed that to him.
(…Does Albertina really think she can leave me so easily?)
If she had rejected him out of dislike or resentment, that would be one thing. But to say she would step away for his sake and the family’s—anyone could see the deep affection behind those words.
She had always been like that. Albertina had always been deeply caring toward him.
As he grew older, he saw, heard, and experienced the brilliance, cruelty, and ugliness of noble society. He met good people, bad people, honorable ones, and vile ones.
That was why he understood that someone like Albertina appearing in his life was nothing short of a miracle.
He was a poor noble from a minor branch family, and the son of a mistress at that. There were few who would accept and love someone like him.
Yet Albertina, with her impeccable lineage and status, had accepted him as her younger brother and treated him with affection.
But what grew within Kishtarial was not the same kind of feeling.
No matter how many people he met, there was only ever one person who was special to him.
Once he became the head of the family and gained even partial authority over the Latiche house, he intended to bring Albertina back by force if necessary—even if that meant pulling her out of a convent.
The closer one stayed to her, the clearer it became that her defenselessness and lack of desire made her enormous value all the more dangerous.
He could not simply leave someone so unable to protect herself.
And surely, even Greil would never accept his beloved daughter going somewhere beyond his reach, no matter how much she begged.
Albertina understood that the Latiche ducal house held great power, but she did not fully grasp the extent of it.
Both its visible authority and hidden influence were immense—enough to rival a shadow royal family.
If Albertina were elevated using her “royal eyes” as justification, it would be easy to overthrow the current royal family.
Yet neither Greil nor Albertina desired such power.
As long as the people within their reach were safe and happy, they wanted nothing more.
Though they seemed different, they were very much alike in that way.
Neither of them wished to become royalty. They even rejected engagement offers from princes without hesitation, refusing even political ties.
To Greil, as long as Albertina smiled happily at his side, everything was fine.
He was ruthless and inhuman—but on that point, Kishtarial completely agreed with him.
He glanced at the attendant standing nearby.
Albertina’s favorite servant.
Though he currently served Kishtarial, once academy life ended, he would likely return to Albertina’s side.
Highly capable and strikingly intelligent in appearance, he was both servant and guard.
Kishtarial knew that this man, too, held an extraordinary attachment to Albertina—because they shared the same nature.
(If I take my eyes off him, he might just kidnap her and flee the country…)
Compared to him, Mikaelis was easier to deal with.
He was serious and upright, the type who would follow proper steps and formally propose to Albertina.
The troublesome part was that, among the three of them, Mikaelis was the one she recognized most clearly as a man.
Jibril was frustrated by his lack of assertiveness, but Mikaelis’s carefulness and consideration steadily built trust and reliability in Albertina.
Kishtarial was bound by the role of younger brother, and Julius by that of servant and elder-brother figure.
Still, there was time.
Albertina had not chosen anyone. She did not even show signs of it.
Whenever someone confessed to her properly, she rejected them clearly.
She did not allow even the slightest false hope.
It was a cruel yet sincere response.
Not that he wanted her to become like that woman Lenaria, who toyed with noblemen—but he wished Albertina would be a little more emotionally open.
That Lenaria girl had been unsettling.
She spoke as if she knew Albertina, despite Albertina being kept mostly hidden.
Her claims were completely off the mark, yet she believed them as truth.
Her delusions were so confident they could have deceived others.
Lenaria had been fixated on Albertina, but in hindsight, Albertina had also been curious about her.
Perhaps she was simply interested in Kishtarial’s school life and relationships.
Jibril had also been concerned about Lenaria’s interest.
At the time, it had been called a romance crossing social classes, but in reality, it turned out to be a showcase of crimes.
Julius once said that before her kidnapping, Albertina had sadistic tendencies.
If she had remained that way, Lenaria’s claims might have been true.
But the current Albertina was nothing like that—just a gentle, somewhat childish young lady.
The only time she had ever hit him was when she sulked after he outgrew her height, lightly tapping his chest like a kitten.
That was nothing compared to the time she accidentally headbutted him when she tripped.
“Julius, Anna.”
“Yes.”
“Has Albertina ever hit you?”
“Before the kidnapping, Lady Albertina once poured tea over my head and kicked me.”
“Likewise, before the kidnapping, she once threw a music box at me. She also struck me with a riding crop.”
Anna gave the first answer, Julius the second.
Kishtarial had never seen that version of Albertina. It was hard to believe such a cruel child had ever been her.
“And now?”
“No. If anything… once she nearly fell from a stepladder while trying to reach a book, and I failed to support her properly, resulting in her falling on top of me.”
“If I must say… when I tease her too much, she sometimes pouts and lightly hits me, but that is countless times. During dance practice, she has stepped on my foot when making mistakes… and there was also the time she nearly fell down the stairs…”
Most of those were just accidents caused by her clumsiness.
And Julius clearly had some of it coming.
Kishtarial could not help but feel a bit of sympathy for Albertina.
Julius loved teasing her—always with a smile.
If he treated other noble ladies the same way, it would warrant punishment.
Albertina would resist with little kitten-like swats, but even that was part of the amusement for him.
In fact, Anna’s gaze when witnessing it was far more dangerous.
Once, Kishtarial saw Anna run over Julius’s foot with a tea cart loaded with pots, kettles, and trays.
It had been deliberate.
Julius did not cry out, but he could not remain completely unaffected either.
He tried to protest, but Anna silenced him with a cold glare.
“…During her episodes, when she loses composure, she has scratched or kicked us.”
Though less frequent now, Albertina still suffered from fear of darkness and confined spaces.
Her fear of people also stemmed from that incident.
She could handle spaces as large as a carriage, so daily life was manageable.
The magic stone lamp by her bedside had never been removed.
Kishtarial stood, infused magic into the stone, and lit the lamp.
When the curtains were drawn, a soft light filled the room.
Lenaria had insulted Albertina, who never lashed out at anyone.
She had spread baseless rumors about her.
Though Lenaria was now imprisoned, Kishtarial’s anger had not subsided.
He was still too powerless.
He could not even properly protect the person he cherished.
What Greil could accomplish effortlessly, he could not.
“…Let’s go.”
He silently prayed that one day, she would be able to sleep without fear of the dark.
That there would come a night when she no longer trembled.