Chapter 5
Chapter 5
The Young Lady Who Is Looking Forward to It
“Only harmony and unity can bring peace to humanity.”
It was her father’s teaching.
The Alesta family was a lower-ranking noble house on the frontier, far from the capital, but in that region, they fulfilled a role akin to that of a lord.
Among them, Sylvia’s father, Grinta Alesta, was a lord who deeply contemplated the land he governed.
Alestia.
It was a border region with the continent where elves lived.
In a situation where conflict with elves could break out at any moment, the answer he presented was a policy of being “pro-nature” and “pro-elf.”
Elves and humans fundamentally distrusted and hated one another, but he believed they were companions who shared the same nature.
Grinta never harmed nature and showed respect even to the World Tree, which the elves cherished above all else.
In response to his attitude, the elves refrained from invading Alestia.
Peace came to a land where skirmishes had never ceased, all because a single viscount had taken charge.
At that time, Grinta was both a hero and a role model to Sylvia.
“I will become a great viscount like you, Father.”
“Haha. Unlike me, you have talent in swordsmanship, so how about becoming a knight?”
“It’s not fighting, but love, that brings peace, isn’t it?”
“Haha! You’re better than your father.”
However, those days did not last long.
A group that disapproved of their friendly relations with elves commissioned the murderous bandit group Octopus, and the Alesta Viscount family was destroyed.
Alestia fell into ruins in a single night, Grinta was executed with his limbs severed, and only Sylvia managed to survive and escape.
“Father… Father is dead. Why…? My father never did anything wrong.”
After that, Sylvia heard the same words countless times.
“It’s because he got along with elves.”
Vulgar, disgusting, filthy, arrogant, insolent—
because he dared to get along with elves, the enemies of humanity, he was punished.
Everyone who heard the story of the Alesta family said the same thing.
“But… peace isn’t wrong. What’s wrong is Octopus.”
Even so, Sylvia could not believe her father had been wrong.
She didn’t want to believe it.
So she distanced herself from the relatives and nobles who spoke ill of him.
Even after falling so low as to be sold to a slave trader due to lack of money, she never abandoned her beliefs.
To one day wipe out Octopus and restore the Alesta family, reclaiming her father’s honor—
that became her purpose in life.
Sylvia had never told anyone about her past.
Because even if she did, all she would hear was, “Oh, your family was that weird noble house that died because they got along with elves?”
She kept it buried, over and over again.
And so she became alone,
isolated,
lonely.
The more that happened, the harder her pride became, like stone.
Eventually, her pride alone became her refuge.
Even after becoming a slave, the adult Sylvia only grew stronger and more noble.
But she couldn’t remain a slave forever.
She needed to seize a chance to rise again.
And that chance came.
“I will select a guard knight for the Count’s daughter of the Volanschefort family.”
Those words, suddenly spoken one day by the slave trader Peter, struck her mind like lightning.
The Volanschefort Count?
A noble among nobles, even connected by blood to the royal family.
This was the clearest rope toward success.
Not grabbing it would make her a fool.
The opportunity she had been waiting for had finally come.
Sylvia immediately raised her hand and asked,
“What are the criteria for selecting the guard knight?”
“Of course, combat ability.”
Sylvia’s gaze naturally turned to the side.
There sat Solomon, proudly showing off his broad shoulders.
Solomon.
A man whose identity was unknown.
But… a strong man.
Among all these slaves, the only one who could be her opponent was him.
“Hmph… this works out. I’ve been wanting to settle things with Solomon anyway.”
With a confident smile, Sylvia stepped forward.
As expected, no one else dared to challenge her after she volunteered.
Still, Solomon… at least Solomon would step forward.
Thinking that, she waited for him—
“I’ll pass. It’s scary.”
He gave up just like that, as if it were nothing.
What the hell?
This should be an opportunity you can’t afford to miss too.
Sylvia carefully observed Solomon’s face.
She wanted to know what he was thinking.
But no matter how much she looked, she couldn’t read his intentions.
So later, she sought him out alone and challenged him to a fight.
And she was utterly defeated.
It was a defeat without excuse.
If Solomon had said, “Actually, I’ll take the guard knight position,” then she would have lost the chance she had finally obtained.
But Solomon didn’t do that.
He yielded to her once again.
And then, he spoke of her past.
A past she had told no one.
Her desire for revenge against Octopus, her longing to restore her family—
he knew all of it.
And knowing, he neither mocked nor ridiculed her, but understood her heart.
For the first time in over a decade, she had found someone who understood her.
“Someone who helps me without any reward, without any benefit… this is the first time.”
Since her family’s downfall, every person she met had tried to use her.
Relatives who persistently asked if any inheritance remained,
filthy capitalists obsessed with the title of a fallen noble,
disgusting men interested only in her body.
After enduring such people, Sylvia had come to despise humanity itself.
This was truly the first time.
Such pure goodwill.
Such selfless concession.
Such untainted sacrifice.
Sylvia wanted to become friends with Solomon.
If not with someone this kind, then with whom?
If not with someone who knew all her secrets and understood her, then with whom could she be friends?
“I want to form a sworn friendship! Solomon! A sworn friendship! A sworn friendship!”
“Mm… uh… hmm…”
For some reason, Solomon seemed reluctant.
He even looked tired.
Sylvia knew she was being clingy.
Even so, she didn’t want to let him go just yet.
“A sworn friendship!”
“Alright, alright. Let’s form a sworn friendship.”
It ended up looking like she had forced him into it, but Sylvia got what she wanted.
They held their cups, intertwined arms, and drank together.
“This feels like a love shot…”
“Hm? What did you say, Solomon?”
“…Nothing.”
After the ritual, Solomon spoke as if he were exhausted.
“That’s enough now, right?”
“Yes. With this, you and I are friends.”
“Got it, my friend… then you go to the Volanschefort family and live well.”
“What about you?”
“Me? I’ll leave this slave pit and live a new life too.”
“Why don’t you come to the Count’s family as well?”
“What?”
Sylvia suggested it excitedly.
“You’re stronger than me. If you come along, the Count’s family will surely welcome you.”
“No no no no. I’m good.”
Solomon reacted with an unusually strong refusal.
“? Why do you hate it so much?”
“W-well, guard knights are supposed to be one per person, right? No noble brings two guard knights. If I go, it’ll just complicate things.”
“But… I’m worried. What are you going to do from now on?”
“If we’re friends, shouldn’t trust come with that?”
“! I… I see.”
What a cool thing to say.
Sylvia nodded repeatedly.
“Well… if we each live our lives, we’ll probably meet again someday. Take care, Sylvia.”
“You too… Solomon.”
The two shared an awkward embrace and prepared to part ways.
Solomon said he would disappear to avoid Peter’s notice and set off first.
Sylvia waved him off, but Solomon suddenly turned back.
“Oh, Sylvia. There’s one thing I want to tell you.”
“Hm? What is it?”
Solomon said firmly,
“Be careful.”
“Hmm~ hmm~ hmm♪”
A cheerful humming.
The maids whispered anxiously as they listened.
“Why has Miss Roze been like this lately?”
“She keeps humming all the time. She’s never been like this before.”
“Well… at least she seems to be in a good mood these days…”
“In a good mood? She’s grinning to herself like she’s manic. It gives me chills.”
“If she suddenly gets angry, who’s going to deal with that temper?”
“I feel bad for the new guard knight.”
Roze Volanschefort paid no attention to the maids’ murmurs.
Twenty years.
No—
if including her previous life, seventy years.
“Hehe… Solomon~ Solomon~ I’m finally going to meet Solomon. Solomon will become my guard knight again. I have to treat him so well. This time, I’ll make him the happiest guard knight in the world. Ah… my beloved Solomon. To think the day would come when I can see your face again. I want to smell you. I want to hold your hand. I want to embrace you and confess that I love you. I’ll be able to do that soon, right?”
Firmly believing that her guard knight would of course be Solomon, the Count’s daughter in her second life hummed happily, unable to hide her excitement.
Having grown up yearning for the one she loved, she had become an even more beautiful girl than in her previous life.