Inevitable - [1]
Morning sunlight streamed in dazzlingly. A fluffy comforter stuffed with the finest goose down enveloped my body in cozy warmth.
"Mm…."
Beyond the window, outside the mansion's walls, a constant buzz of voices had been going on since early morning.
"Hmph."
It wasn't just buzzing—it was like being in the middle of a massive protest or the heart of a bustling marketplace.
"Ugh…."
The rumble of carriage wheels over cobblestones, knights shouting to control the crowds, and even occasional cheers.
"…Fuck. Can't get any sleep."
A miracle… would that be too weird a way to put it?
Anyway, ever since that day, the entire imperial capital had been wrapped in a massive festival atmosphere for nearly a week.
Golden snowflakes had fallen across the empire, and the horrific incurable disease, the mana curse, that had plagued us for centuries vanished in an instant.
In other words, all the credit was heaped on me. Not sure if it was out of consideration or not.
I nearly passed out when I first saw the newspapers.
Headlines like that had spread everywhere.
The first one to deliver the newspapers wasn't Serika, Rozina, or Haruna.
It was Hans. That fucking bastard. He'd smirked like he was telling me to eat shit and handed them over.
'Haa….'
And now.
Crowds had gathered at this temporary mansion where I was staying (we'd moved here because that old shack wasn't fit for a noble).
It felt something like this:
The empire's savior, rumored to be close with the princess, loaded with cash… and a single viscount. What better prey for power-hungry hyenas?
"Ah. Life. Whatever."
Let the outside go nuts—I was just holing up here.
Once I started meeting one person, I'd have to keep meeting more. The thought alone gave me chills.
'…It's gotten a bit better, though.'
Stretching made my joints pop satisfyingly, loosening up nicely.
What can I say? It was definitely different. The inexplicable weakness and frailty that had weighed down my body were completely gone.
Was it because I'd started using mana too?
Or maybe every little imbalance in my body had been swept clean.
Each breath filled my lungs to the depths with fresh air… a refreshing sensation, I guess you'd call it.
'What excuse can I use to stay cooped up here today? Hiding in the house all the time is starting to look suspicious….'
Obviously, I couldn't just stay holed up in my room forever.
But charging out blindly wasn't an option either. Just as I was seriously pondering an excuse—
The door burst open.
"Oppa."
It was Serika. She stormed in, looking pissed from head to toe.
"…You're doing this again. Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused me?"
"Ahem. I know."
I had no choice but to read her mood.
She crossed her arms like she couldn't believe it, but I got it.
"Oppa. You know what I've been dealing with, right?"
"…."
"Since you won't leave this damn room, all the requests keep coming to me."
"To set up meetings with me?"
"Yeah."
"Haa… Fine, whatever. Oppa won't meet anyone, got it?"
Serika said it like she'd expected as much, but… I couldn't help feeling awkward.
Because I'd actually tried to meet someone before. It just fell through.
'Probably….'
Serika had pulled some strings to block it, I suspected.
Especially aggressively with the nobles bearing marriage proposals.
At this point, I couldn't ignore her feelings. But acting like I knew would be weird too….
I'd have to talk seriously about it someday.
I got up, washed roughly, and had a hearty late breakfast-slash-lunch.
Then headed to Haruna's temporary workshop. It was connected to my mansion, newly expanded.
Opening the door, the familiar whir of gears and thick oil scent greeted me.
"Haruna."
She glanced at me coming in, then went right back to work like nothing happened.
"Haruna?"
Still no response.
I grumbled and plopped into a nearby chair. Only then did she look my way.
"Why'd you come."
"What do you mean why? What's with you lately?"
"What."
"What's 'what'. You've been avoiding me lately?"
It was true. Ever since then, Haruna had been deliberately dodging me, and I couldn't figure out why.
She'd bolt the moment our eyes met… something like that.
"If you don't give me a proper answer, I'm staying here all day."
"…."
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No. It's not that."
"Then."
"…I'll think it over and tell you."
Haruna bowed her head slightly as she spoke. She really was short like this.
"Alright. You'll tell me later, right?"
"Yeah. I'll think seriously and give you an answer. That good?"
"Yeah. That's fine."
Felt like one weight off my mind. I grinned, satisfied, and stood up.
Afternoon. As the outside racket finally calmed a bit, I headed to the mansion's reception room that Rozina had prepared.
Perfectly soundproofed from the external noise, it was filled with gentle classical music and the fragrant aroma of black tea.
"I've been waiting, Iman-nim."
Rozina greeted me in her usual elegant dress.
She carefully poured black tea from the teapot into my cup.
Top-grade leaves with a beautiful red hue.
"It must have been quite noisy outside. I imagine it's wearing on you, given your personality."
"…Yeah, it is."
I had to nod at Rozina's words. I sipped the tea.
She set her cup down and looked at me with a more serious gaze.
"Iman-nim. Be honest."
"…."
"Does it really not bother you at all?"
"What do you mean?"
Rozina glanced around briefly, then continued.
"I'm a noble. Nobility… it's about honor. Power is quite sweet, you know. Everyone hanging on your every word."
"You're asking why I'm not seizing it actively?"
"Yes. You're a noble now too—surely you know how tempting it is."
I pondered her words. Citizens moving at my command, money flowing in.
'Not that appealing.'
I stared into my teacup. The red-black tea didn't reflect my face perfectly.
Maybe it suited me. My reflection in the liquid was indistinct, blurry.
Just like my personality.
"Who knows… Maybe I'm scared."
"Pardon?"
"Like, what if gaining power changes me?"
"…."
"I looked back on my life so far. Seems like I lived pretty passively."
Rozina listened thoughtfully.
"What I love is the piano, and the results just followed. So I want to say I love the piano."
"Not the power."
"Yes. Not the power."
"…Well, alright. I figured you'd say something like that."
Rozina nodded, satisfied.
"Iman-nim."
"Yes?"
"Do you know?"
"…?"
"Lately, I've been meeting often with both Haruna and Serika. We've been having some pretty deep talks."
I asked what she meant, but she just smiled vaguely and didn't answer.
Night deepened. A peaceful silence settled over the mansion.
I sat at a plain, unassuming piano in the room leading to the second-floor terrace.
Placing my hands on the keys instantly lifted my mood.
I started playing a light, upbeat jazz-style piece.
The rhythm was free-flowing, the chords improvisational. My mind felt utterly at ease.
Mid-performance, I suddenly looked up.
I'd sensed a subtle shift in the air's flow during the playing.
"…?"
I stopped and stepped out to the terrace, gazing at the night sky beyond the window.
A clear sky without a single cloud. Yet the starlight twinkled strangely, unlike usual.
"…??"
What was it? Like an unimaginably vast energy from some unfathomably distant place was slowly—ever so slowly—descending toward this world.