Honestly, up until the moment the Imperial Knights aimed their weapons at Mother's back, I was prepared to use my Crimson Eyes for support.
"Haha, you're not really going to swing that sword at my neck, are you?"
"...."
"Frankly, I don't mind not having to watch this shitty country fall apart, but cleaning up the mess afterward will be a headache."
But in the blink of an eye, the weapons that had left the knights' hands were all pointed at the Emperor's neck.
Wait, Mother. Isn't this treason?
"Even for Belverk, treason is treason."
"...Tch."
"You might not care, but it would be troubling if harm came to this cute child, wouldn't it? Hm?"
The Emperor pinpointed my exact worry, stretching my cheeks with a smile in her eyes. Mother, who had been glaring at her with a chilling gaze for a moment, soon dropped the weapons to the floor.
"Judging by your words, it seems you're not the one behind this."
"…You? Astridje. Why use such a stiff word between us?"
"Emperor and Duke, sovereign and subject. Nothing more, nothing less, it seems?"
And then, abruptly, an oddly bizarre conversation began.
"Right, you've been a boring woman ever since the Academy days."
"...."
"Sigh, Kairen, was it? Good thing you don't take after your mother…."
I'd been relieved thinking they seemed to know each other somehow, but as soon as the Emperor finished speaking, the weapons on the floor began to float again. I quietly sucked in a sharp breath.
"Joking, joking. Haha…!"
"...."
"I was talking about your sense of humor, not your similar looks that anyone can see."
One fortunate thing was that while Mother kept exuding killing intent, the Emperor continued with her lighthearted words and actions.
From that, it seemed the Emperor treated Duke Astridje quite casually, unlike Mother. No wonder she just let it slide even when weapons were openly aimed at her.
"…If you're done playing, hand over Kairen."
"No? He's my son now."
"Do you want to make an enemy of Belverk after ten years?"
Honestly, I wondered what kind of emperor this was, but in this situation, it was truly fortunate.
Because if the Emperor had a personality like Mother's, just thinking about it was horrifying….
"Haha, Duchess Astridje."
I was holding my breath, lost in quiet thought, when a cold voice suddenly came from above my head. I nearly lifted my face into the chest of the Empire's ruler.
"There are things you can say and things you can't, no matter what."
Thankfully, such an embarrassing incident didn't happen, but that wasn't the problem.
"…So stop testing my patience."
For some reason, the Emperor, who had been chuckling casually until moments ago, was suddenly exuding an overwhelming aura that dominated the room.
No, why was the person who laughed it off even with weapons in her face acting like this all of a sudden?
My only guess was the keyword 'ten years ago.' Was the Emperor involved in that incident Mother changed after?
"You're the one talking nonsense. Don't you remember who tested whose patience first?"
"Right, it's about time to break Belverk's spirit."
"I've simulated imperial civil wars countless times. Might as well test it out this time."
This won't do. I couldn't predict at all where this conversation and their actions were heading.
Mother had no backing due to her overwhelming strength, but even the Emperor, still smiling with her eyes, was emanating a chilling aura that made my heart race.
They seemed friendly one moment, then glaring at each other like they wanted to kill, growling—it was hard for me, who could quickly sense and respond to most situations, to comprehend.
One thing was certain: if this continued, something disastrous would happen.
"Stop!"
So, I urgently crossed my arms into a big X and stepped between the two women, shouting forcefully.
"Please stop…!"
But as soon as Mother and the Emperor's gazes turned to me simultaneously, I hesitated for a moment before adding in a shrinking voice.
"I, I don't like seeing you two fight."
"...."
"C-can't you just get along?"
But even I thought it was too out of left field, so I added sheepishly.
"I-I'll do anything…."
And then a brief silence followed.
"…Hahahahaha!!!"
In that silence, the Emperor's lips twitched quietly before she burst into laughter, slapping her knee.
"Little one, you shouldn't make promises lightly."
"...."
"Plenty of people have gotten in over their heads that way."
She wiped the tears that had welled up in her eyes and whispered to me, then suddenly pushed my back forward.
Her gaze seemed directed at Mother for an instant, but I had no time to worry about that now.
"Now, off you go."
"Eek."
"I was getting bored anyway."
My head had started throbbing from the tension anyway.
"Thank you!"
"…Pfft!"
Still maintaining propriety, I straightened my back for a farewell bow (I now knew well that Belverks don't lower their heads). As the Emperor desperately held back laughter, I quietly tilted my head.
"…Kairen."
At that moment, soft arms wrapped around my now-empty waist.
"You keep disappearing from in front of me."
"...."
"…That's why, even if I try to forget, that day keeps coming back to mind."
Mother, who had scooped me up, stared at me with a dark expression, murmuring as such.
"I'm sorry…."
"…No, it's not something for you to apologize for."
She looked so sad that I apologized without thinking, but Mother shook her head firmly.
"It's all my fault for being lacking."
"Uh, um…."
"But I promise you one thing."
Unsure how to comfort her, I fidgeted awkwardly until her next words made me close my mouth quietly.
"Even if it costs my life, I will never let you go again."
For some reason, the look in Mother's eyes as she murmured that and stared at me was a little scary.
If I didn't want to live in Mother's office forever, I should never even think of using myself as bait again.
"I never imagined a day would come when I'd envy you for having him."
"...."
"Honestly, having such a cute son feels like cheating."
As I trembled quietly with those thoughts, the Emperor, who had been resting her chin and watching us with an annoyed look, suddenly lit up and spoke.
"…You've really changed, Astridje."
"...."
"Have you finally overcome the aftermath of that incident?"
I hadn't expected her to suddenly bring up Mother's sore spot like that. Hopefully no more trouble would arise.
"…Who knows."
But fortunately, Mother pondered silently at the question before turning away with an ambiguous reply.
"Well, not my business…."
"...."
"Remember this. Don't rampage like back then just because you have a pretext."
From behind Mother's retreating figure came the Emperor's parting words, unclear if blessings or curses.
"Don't forget. I know your weakness."
"...Ha."
"Make sure you don't force me to use it."
Mother let out a cold sigh and glanced back, replying to the Emperor with her first icy smile.
"…You'd better guard your throne well, Justina."
"Always so rude…."
"I'm serious. The Crown Prince's behavior lately has been unusual."
Upon hearing that, the Emperor's face filled with annoyance as she finally shut her mouth.
"Well, both of us are being eyed by our children…."
Mother, who had smirked triumphantly for a moment, soon returned to her usual expressionless face and added.
"…We're the same in that regard."
As expected, the adult world was deep and profound, beyond the comprehension of my 10-year-old intelligence and personality.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
That tumultuous night was now behind us, around the time dawn's mist blanketed the ground.
"Ack!?"
After leaving the banquet hall in Mother's arms, as soon as I boarded the prepared carriage, I gasped and bowed my head.
"Ka, Kairen?"
"H-hey, what's wrong again!?"
At my sudden odd symptoms, Mother holding me and Lilien already in the carriage widened their eyes and shook me.
"My, my head…."
Of course, I wasn't faking illness now to elicit sympathy.
The headache that had been worsening since meeting the Imperial Princess and Emperor was now pounding my head to the point I could barely endure it.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙Past Life Memories: Secondary Synchronization Complete. Information on 「Ruined, Crown, Princess」 has been updated.
Thanks to that, as I groaned and sweated coldly with my eyes squeezed shut, a system message appeared before me.
Only after reading the familiar phrase in that message did I realize the source of the discomfort I'd been feeling.
Like why the faces of the Imperial Princess and Emperor, whom I was surely seeing for the first time, felt so familiar.
Or how, despite never studying imperial history except Belverk's, I already knew the name 'Shinehart.'
'…Come to think of it, I used to play a certain game a lot before dying in my past life?'
It seemed I already knew this world from the start.
And if that was true, the future situation became rather urgent.
Because the game I'd just recalled, 「Ruined, Crown, Princess」, was….
'…That trash game with only bad endings.'
From my memory, it was a princess maker-style RPG filled with schemes, despair, and bad endings.
'Another cliché?'
The original fluffy romance parenting story was actually a dark, despair-filled tale with high probability.
I never dreamed even such useless details were perfectly reproduced.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Meanwhile, at that time. The now-empty imperial banquet hall.
"Gone?"
"...."
"Astridje, you fat pig who's gained weight around your chest."
The Emperor, still slouched in the most cornered room, scanned the surroundings quietly before muttering low about Astridje behind her back.
"Looks like she's really gone. Belverks have no conscience. They eavesdrop on everything, day or night."
She carefully checked around once more before turning to her side and speaking.
"So, did you get what you wanted?"
"...."
"If it weren't for the right granted to imperial kin only once in a lifetime, I wouldn't have gone this far."
Beside her, the youngest Imperial Princess had already returned to her original form, draping an outer garment over herself.
"Well, I'll admit this time was fun enough to momentarily forget my lethargy."
Seeming accustomed to the situation, the Emperor continued nonchalantly before asking with a curious expression.
"Oh? Is that the treasure you traded your one wish for?"
Her gaze was fixed on the engagement certificate in the Princess's hand.
"Yes, that's certainly worth the trade."
At the bottom corner of the engagement certificate was Kairen's half-written, dragged-out signature.
Of course, that alone wasn't sufficient proof of engagement, but the quick-witted Emperor noticed mana infused in the signature.
The Princess had probably prepared a mana-extracting pen from the start to prevent Kairen from denying it.
That made it sufficient evidence. Since it contained mana, it proved the signer had done so with intent.
"But remember this. If that causes the imperial family and Belverk to clash, I won't take sides…."
It was time to draw the line. The Emperor sought amusement and stimulation, but not at the cost of her own hassle.
"No need."
"...Hm?"
"I've already obtained something incomparable to this."
But before the Emperor, who was coldly drawing the line, something happened that made her doubt her own eyes.
"…That's why I no longer wish to settle for just this piece of paper."
The Princess quietly held up the engagement certificate, then gripped it tightly.
- Rip….
Before anyone could say a word, she tore it in half.
"…Huh."
The Emperor, wearing a blank expression for the first time in ages, stared dumbfounded before asking the Princess with a scoffing look.
"You just threw away your one chance at survival with your own hands. Are you aware?"
"Yes, I am."
"Why on earth would you do something so foolish?"
And the Princess, who had maintained an even more expressionless face than Astridje until then, blushed slightly for the first time.
"…Because what I want must be won with my own strength alone to have meaning."
But as if it had never happened, she finished coldly, stood, and bowed before leaving.
"Then, if you'll excuse me."
As she walked out without hesitation, the Emperor sat blankly for a moment.
"…Pfft! Hahahahaha!!!"
Then, she threw her head back in the most explosive laughter yet.
"This is… heh, cough, cough."
She laughed so hard she started dry coughing, yet couldn't stop, her body shaking as she muttered.
"Looks like I won't have time to be bored for a while."
But neither the Emperor, Duchess Astridje, nor even Kairen or the Princess knew one fact.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Bad Ending 1 has been deleted from the worldline.] [Bad Ending 3 has been deleted from the worldline.]
That a branch which should never connect had, astonishingly, just been etched into the worldline.
✨ NEW ROUTE UNLOCKED ✨[Happy Ending Route has been added to the worldline.]
And though details were unclear, it was certainly a miracle born from one reincarnator's effort and sincerity.