The Return to Maidheaden
Four days had passed since we left Westbury, switching carriages at every relay station along the way.
The scenery outside the carriage was gradually shifting from unfamiliar roads to the familiar sights of home. It felt as if we were finally approaching the outskirts of Maidheaden, our family’s ancestral domain.
Perhaps in about thirty minutes we would reach the main estate. After that, things would grow hectic in an instant, so I decided to outline my basic plan now, at least in rough terms.
First, I had to avoid getting entangled with the original protagonist’s group as much as possible.
It was painfully obvious. Like every other protagonist in this world, Eugene and his companions would be swept into countless events ahead of them. If I lingered too close, sparks might easily jump my way. Besides, I had no desire for personal ties with them.
I had read the original novel with genuine enjoyment, yet nothing about Eugene’s personality or the heroines’ suggested they would mesh well with me. Some of the heroines, in particular, had sanity levels that left much to be desired.
Readers who loved their captivating, unconventional characters would probably adore them too, but from the standpoint of the people around them, those same traits were simply catastrophic.
In any case, since Iris—my only genuine connection to them—had already been cleared, I simply needed to behave appropriately from here on.
Second, I had to keep a clear head.
Having the memories of my previous life allowed me to predict the future to a certain degree, but that alone was insufficient. Even if the mana sclerosis plaguing my body could somehow be cured, I could not confidently promise that my current abilities would be enough to match the protagonist’s party or the other powerful figures who existed in this world.
Of course, if I managed to acquire the various items I remembered, I might become stronger. Yet I had no intention of stealing anything from the protagonist’s group. Regardless of my personal preferences, there were clearly events that could only be resolved once they grew powerful.
I also had no desire to step in and handle their problems personally. If I meddled and things went sideways, the real disaster would only begin then.
Above all else, I possessed nothing but a modicum of knowledge and the intelligence of an ordinary person. Restoring my body to its original state at this level seemed almost impossible.
Combining these realities, my true role boiled down to protecting those closest to me: my family, my domain, my friends—if I could form new bonds—and the people around me.
I had no intention of blindly conforming to the unjust world around me. I simply refused to equate the modest act of extending a helping hand to someone in immediate crisis with the grand task of “saving the world.”
Fundamentally, I was a petty bourgeois sort of man. Protecting what I already possessed filled every moment of my life.
Heavy, world-shaking events were best left to the protagonist’s party, while I focused on my own small circle. That seemed the only sensible course.
*creak*
While I was still sorting my thoughts, the carriage came to a halt with a jolt.
Footsteps and low voices approached from outside. It sounded as if we had finally reached the outer gate and the coachman was conversing with the guards.
Once the conversation concluded, one of the guards approached the carriage door and knocked.
“We welcome your arrival in Maidheaden. May I ask for your name and the purpose of your visit…?”
The guard began his routine greeting in mechanical fashion. Then he examined my face and froze in place, his expression one of pure astonishment.
“My prince!”
“Long time no see, Hicks. I see the outer gate management has been tightened. As the lord of House Reed, that makes me very happy. Originally I should have been at the academy for studies, but I had urgent business to handle and stopped by home briefly. I’ll head straight to the estate once I’m inside. You don’t need to provide an escort. Please keep up the good work. Greg, Larry, you too.”
I offered a casual salute to the guards and closed the carriage door.
The carriage resumed its rumbling journey toward the main gate.
The guards visible through the windows seemed oddly dazed, murmuring something to themselves.
“Long time no see…? Please take care…? That prince of yours…?”
***
After entering the city and riding for about twenty minutes, a towering mansion finally appeared on the horizon.
In front of its grand entrance, several people stood in an obvious formation of waiting, as if the guards had already sent word ahead.
It felt strangely awkward to be greeted with such a formal lineup, but I had wanted to slip in quietly.
The world never cooperated with a person’s will, no matter how small the desire.
The carriage soon stopped right in front of them.
“We’ve had a long journey. Here, take this. And since you’ve come all the way to Maidheaden, feel free to stay as long as you like. Even from my own mouth, it’s not a bad place to relax for a few days.”
“Haha, a noble lord’s recommendation cannot be refused. I shall accept with gratitude. I look forward to seeing you again soon.”
As I paid the coachman and stepped down, a faint ringing sound echoed in my ears, and a sudden wave of dizziness hit me.
I frowned and pulled a bottle of yellow liquid from my pocket, downing it in one swallow. From the other pocket I scooped up a handful of crushed powder and tossed it into my mouth.
The butler, watching from a distance, saw what was happening and sprinted over in a single stride, coming to a stop before me.
“Young master! What on earth is that? What are those suspicious liquids and powders?! How could you…?”
“Long time no see, Hudson. Stop fussing and get inside. Where’s Father?”
The butler stuck close beside me, fussing over every detail.
I wondered whether this man had mistakenly assumed I had taken some kind of medicine.
The liquid was a vitality potion, and the powder was finely ground death salt—the very items I had purchased with water back in Westbury before we left.
Over the four-day journey I had gone hungry, rationing small sips only when my body threatened to give out.
With no new nourishment entering my system, my mana had begun furiously burning through my fat reserves.
It was an extreme method, but it had its uses. My health would suffer, and I would face the unpleasant side effects of yo-yo cycling later, but…
…I was fine with that. I had plenty of ways to handle even minor issues afterward.
“Fussing?! Even if you’re heartbroken, medicine is medicine! And with so many eyes watching…!”
“It’s not medicine. It’s a potion and salt. If you doubt me, check for yourself.”
Hudson examined the items I offered with a suspicious look, then handed them back.
From his expression, the suspicion of me being a drug addict seemed to have vanished.
Yet his worry-filled words made me wonder whether the news of my return had arrived.
“The Count was in the reception room until just a moment ago, then moved straight to his study. He said your guests have arrived, so please receive them warmly and head to the study immediately afterward.”
I passed the servants still bowing deeply by the entrance and walked into the reception room with the butler.
Since Father had mentioned guests, my guess was that someone had come from House Robinet, Iris’s family.
If that was true, then Father already knew about the annulment of our engagement?
With no scolding, only instructions to be treated well, it seemed he had already accepted the situation and moved on.
“Young master… how did this happen… Is there truly another woman like Iris in this world…? You should come back right now and kneel before her… She would surely accept you even if she pretends to hate it…”
The butler, walking just a few steps ahead, never stopped chattering.
Recalling my memories, my relationship with my family and servants had not been particularly bad.
Most of the servants were people I had known since childhood, so I had simply accepted that Eugene’s personality was what it was. As for me… I had no clear memories of mistreating servants.
That was why Hudson was worried.
Ah, there was one exception. I had once dismissed a new maid who screamed that I was a monster upon seeing me.
Eugene had looked down on commoners, but he only thought it in private and never showed it on the surface.
Yet at the academy I had no one to rein me in, and meeting two people who encouraged that arrogance triggered a chain reaction. I had ended up in this situation after all.
Thinking back, I had also openly looked down on commoners in front of Iris. What had I been thinking?
Did I truly believe Iris would praise me for it…?
The same applied to the maid story earlier.
When I proudly told Iris I had thrown a maid into prison for insulting her master, Iris had begged me so pitifully that I finally relented and dismissed her instead.
But hadn’t I been guilty of insulting her master? Anyway, the more I thought about the past, the more it felt like nothing but a shameful chapter. I had to make sure such incidents never happened again…
“Enough, Hudson. It’s already over.”
While the butler continued his fussing, we had already reached the reception room.
“This couldn’t be helped. I’ve already made my peace with it. You should do the same, Hudson.”
Using a firm tone, I watched the butler’s expression darken slightly.
After passing him, I entered the reception room.
An elderly man was already seated on the sofa, and my gaze fell upon him.
“Prince Edwin.”
The old man rose at my arrival and bowed slightly in greeting.
“Baron Thomas Perkins. It is an honor to meet you. As the legal representative of House Robinet, I have come today to see you.”
“A pleasure, Baron Perkins. Please sit. I understand we have much to discuss. I hope we can conclude this matter quickly.”
I had briefly worried that Iris might be trying to hold onto our relationship, but it seemed my fears had been unfounded.
The perfect moment to fully sever our ties had finally arrived.