Bedridden

ー

The last tea we drank at Grandmother’s house, only mine was poisoned. A total of 10 types of poison. I literally drank poison this time! Perhaps because I recognized that, I do not want to exert energy in any form. I returned to the dormitory, but could not get up, and is absent from school today.

I am a bedridden. On the window outside is the cold rain.

Winter is coming.

“Good grief. Elsa-sama is too outrageous… Here, antidote.”

Kodak-sensei came to see me.

“Thank you, Sensei. But I won’t be using the antidote. I was determined when I did this last night, my body will get used to it. But if I use the antidote, all of this will amount to nothing.”

-haa- Kodak-sensei sighs and strokes my head.

“Your Lady is too earnest. I’ll bring food that is easy to digest at noon, so sleep well. Call me if something came up.”

When I asked Sensei, Eris-senpai, Sasara-senpai, and Alma went to school. It’s okay to do this with me since I’m a relative. However, poisoning other children without permission will lead to imprisonment if there are any bad after-effects…… That’s it, right? Grandmother?

I spend my time alone, staring at the ceiling. I was an indispensable person in the world of 『Wild Rose You,』 but I should actually just be a junior high school girl. There should have been no need to fear being poisoned. If I was murdered like that in the previous life, the story would not be a secret. There would be flashy publicity everywhere.

The room is then suddenly filled with a powerful aura. I put my right hand out of the futon and cast <genjutsu>, <recognition inhibition>, and <soundproofing> magic.

「Sera, that is an unusual look you have. Are you feeling sick?」

I moved my face and greeted the Feathery Mofumofu after a long time.

“Ash, it’s been a long time. Aren’t your wings wet because of the rain?”

Ash’s brows(?) wrinkles.

「What is He doing even though Sera is in this situation?」

“Fufu, Lu went out to draw water from the <Dolman Fountain> since I vomited a lot last night.”

「……<Dolman Fountain>… Well, if you drink that, it will calm down. But, first aid for now.」

Ash jumped on my chest. I don’t feel any weight. It dropped a tear from one eye with a -porori- and wets my lips. My body becomes lighter.

“Thank you, Ash. As expected of a <Phoenix>.”

「…I am well aware. If you cut my neck and drink the blood from it, you will become an immortal? Want to try it?」

I managed to sit up and leaned against the back of the bed.

“Stop that. Surviving alone will just make me feel empty”

「You are wise. As expected of a <previous existence holder>」

“Where did you hear that?”

「Eavesdropping.」

“You are very defiant once again.”

I take a cookie out of my <magic room> and put it on my right hand. I do not serve the cake. The war of ‘Sacred Beasts vs. Sacred Beasts’ will break out when I do that!

Ash realizes that he cannot move forward and shrinks to a mofumofu size on the bed, it holds the cookie with its beak, and eats it on my chest.

I asked Ash while stroking it’s beautiful seven-colored feathers with my left hand.

“Ash, have you ever met the Divine Beast of the North?”

「…We haven’t met for a long time already. Why are you asking that?」

“Older Brother’s survey shows that someone seems to have been <used> it just recently.”

「…That’s the first time I’ve heard of it. Is that why Sera have a long face?」

“If you’ve heard of it already, you should know, right? My destiny in the book of prophecy. The Divine Beast of the North and its <contractor>. Its appearance at this time can only be related to the prophecy. When I think that there is someone out there who can beat me and might be aiming at me, I feel depressed.”

「What does Lu think about it?」

“Even if they do appear as enemies, they did not appear in the book of prophecy, so the danger of being knocked down by a mysterious power doesn’t exist. There would be no problem for us fighting and winning.”

「……I wonder about that?」

“Ash?”

「Tarl is the oldest one among us. You can’t win in a frontal confrontation. Well, it depends on the power of the <contractor> …But with Tarl, one would be on par with Ghilane.」

“…They would be stronger than me.”

「I’ll pass this story to Ghilane.」

“I don’t think I would be able to keep secrets from Ash and His Majesty!”

I pouted my lower lip and looked out of the window again. The rain is getting heavier. Is my Lu okay? I imagine a soaked Lu, and sigh.

「Sera」

“Yes?”

I moved my hand that had stopped and tidied Ash’s feathers for no particular reason.

「Ghilane has become the emperor. Both the first prince and the former emperor are in their residences.」

“……Fast”

「Faster than in the previous life?」

In the previous life, he was 25 years old when he got to the throne, and I was 15. He invaded Judor at the age of 27. I was condemned during the battle, and was asked by His Majesty to leave for Galle Empire at the age of 17. I became a prisoner at the age of 18. My magical power was continuously absorbed from then… Did I live to the age of 20?

The pace of events is about 2 years faster than in the previous life. Is this a deviation from the prophecy? Or did he follow the prophecy and became the emperor as a result?

“…His Majesty, did he wish upon the stars for an early rise to the throne?”

(TN: Chapter 2 part 22)

「Reigning in Galle isn’t a matter of being early or late, but rather the power of Ghilane and his decision. He need not rely on the power of the stars.」

“Sure.”

So what did he wish then? Can an ordinary person like me understand what a genius like him thinks?

“How has His Majesty changed since then?”

「He is as strong as ever. No one can approach him.」

No one can approach him…? He’s already a living god. Are his eyes now the same icy ones they were in the past? Regardless of how and why he wanted to be the emperor, he would have accepted the loneliness he would be in as a result, but… at least, at the very least…

I took a blue stone necklace out of the glove compartment beside the bed and wrapped it in my hands.

Good Luck Good Luck Good Luck Good Luck…………

Domestic safety Domestic safety Domestic safety Domestic safety…………

Fortune Fortune Fortune Fortune…………

The stone shines faintly.

“This is a self-made talisman from me. Give it to His Majesty as a celebration of him becoming the Emperor!”

I said that and hanged it on Ash’s neck.

「This is?」

“Ruri (Lapis Lazuli) is a stone that is said to bring good luck in my previous life. Also, a young dragon’s shell is woven on the string holding the stone, which would make the luck go up a little more. Ah, but His Majesty did not carry money. Is there anything he can’t get in the first place? Ash can have it if he doesn’t want it!”

「It is soaked with Sera’s magic. Did one just wear it like this?」

“Yes, I’ll give one to Lu and Father too, but the color and shape of the Ruri are different for everyone, so they have different designs. Ah, look! This stone, it is dark ultramarine like that night. There is a streak of gold as well, like a shooting star. Don’t you think so?”

「……Sure.」

“Ash came here today just to announce His Majesty’s ascension to the throne?”

「There are two years left before the promised ten years, I came to kindly remind you of that. Sera will turn 14 soon, right?」

His Majesty was 16 years old and I was 6 at that time. There is about 2 years until I turn 16, which is when he declared he would come for me.

“That promise is still valid? Isn’t he the Emperor already? There should be higher ranked and wiser Young Ladies, and more beautiful maidens, right? Does he really need a little girl like me?”

The mofumofu lazily listened to my statement.

「Naturally. But Ghilane can relax only next to you.」

Was I just praised? Or did he just nonchalantly diss my heart?

“2 years later… Fufu, I wonder if I would be alive then in the first place.”

I mutter what came up in my mind.

Ash’s eyes stare hard at me.

「……Sera, it is at times like this, Lu kept his mouth shut. The loss of a <contractor> would cause us to also lose our soul. What this implied is that he can’t be calm about that.」

“Lu didn’t tell me. But Ash did, just because I was sick.”

「Sera…… You will be 16 and you won’t just die. Ghilane would stand against the enemies that threaten you.」

“Ash, the Emperor is not so free. I am just a part of the world.”

「But you are the part… The only person in the world who can give Ghilane what he wants is you, Sera!」

It’s my magic, isn’t it? Even in the previous life. I understand…

ー

TN: Stay safe everyone.

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