Lifetime Contract

“A lifetime contract? What are you talking about?”

“Didn’t you hear it from my father?”

“No, that…”

I felt wronged.

I hadn’t heard a single word of it. Neither Father nor the Grand Duke had ever so ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠much as breathed the phrase “lifetime contract” in front of me.

“You’re joking, right?”

I laughed awkwardly, silently begging her to say it was a joke—but Ilia shook her head with absolute firmness.

“I’m not joking.”

Saying so, she carefully set down the book she had been cradling so protectively, rose from her seat, and walked toward the study door.

“Where are you going all of a sudden?”

“I’m going to see Father. I’ll bring the contract and show it to you, so wait here.”

“……”

Click.

The door shut, leaving me alone in the study. I stared blankly at the door she had vanished through, then collapsed face-first onto the desk.

A lifetime contract.

According to the Grand Duke, this was neither a hostage ploy nor anything of the sort—simply Ilia’s personal request. What on earth was she thinking? Tying me down here for the rest of my life—what did she intend to do with me?

More than that, had Father known everything and still agreed to the contract? Without so much as a whisper of warning to me?

…Across both my past life and this one, these were the first parents I had ever known. I had resolved never to be unfilial to them. Still, it looked as though father and son would need to have a proper heart-to-heart soon.

Father was getting on in years; it was high time he handed the family over to my sister and stepped back from the front lines.

I lay sprawled across the desk, grinding my teeth at the thought, when my gaze fell on the book Ilia had left behind. What was written inside that she had been clutching so tightly?

Even so, I couldn’t bring myself to open it. I had just made a promise; breaking it the very next second would be far too shameless. I already had one prior offense on my record.

Yet a stubborn attachment clung to my heart and kept dragging my eyes back to the book. Relentlessly. Without ever growing tired of it. And that attachment snapped clean away the moment I noticed something protruding from between the pages.

“…A flower?”

A dried flower faded to sepia. Time had worn its color thin, but once this flower had been pure white as snow. How did I know that—

Click.

“I’m back. …What are you doing? Are you hurt somewhere?”

Ilia opened the door, spotted me sprawled across the desk, and hurried over at once. Then she gently stroked my back. At her sudden touch I turned my head just enough to glance at her, and wasn’t the corner of her mouth turned a fraction lower than usual? The difference was so subtle it was almost impossible to tell—yet it was there.

If I pretend to be sick right now, could I get out of the contract?

That wicked thought began to nibble at the edges of my mind, but I soon cast it aside. Even if I escaped, it would only be temporary. In the end I would clearly end up returning and taking the bodyguard knight post again.

Even if a rabbit caught in a trap managed to gnaw off its own leg and flee, could it truly escape the hunter’s grasp? The moment you were caught, it was already over.

I sighed and straightened my posture.

“No. I’m not hurt. Just a bit tired.”

“…Tired?”

With that she set the contract on the desk and suddenly brushed my bangs aside. At the same time she swept her own bangs up and leaned toward me.

Wait. Was this what I thought it was?

As Ilia’s face drew closer without stopping, I didn’t even have time to think of pulling my head back. I squeezed my eyes shut. I didn’t know why. Because her eyes looking at me sparkled especially brightly? Or because my gaze had been stolen by her moist lips, so different from my own drying ones? Either way, the cause was entirely Ilia’s.

And then—

Tap.

Our foreheads touched.

Cold. Even if I caught a cold, I wouldn’t need a separate ice pack.

“You’re hot. Are you sure you’re just tired?”

“I-I said I am…”

“Hmm.”

I felt her forehead lift away. Only then did I carefully open my eyes.

“Your face is bright red. You haven’t caught a cold, have you?”

“…No. You don’t have to worry.”

Instead, my heart hurt. How could she do something like this with such a nonchalant face? It was nothing new, but she really was an incredible woman.

“That’s a relief, then.”

Ilia straightened and tapped the contract with the tip of her index finger.

“Read it. It’s about your bodyguard knight contract.”

“…It’s pretty ironic that the party to the contract is only reading it now, don’t you think?”

“I… feel sorry about that.”

“……”

She turned her head and readily admitted her fault. Didn’t she know that when she accepted it so sincerely, I was the one left feeling awkward? Well, it had been like that even when we were children.

When I spoke in jest, Ilia took it seriously; when Ilia spoke seriously, I took it as a joke. A conversational style I could never decide was a virtuous cycle or a vicious one had always existed between us.

I took a deep breath to calm my wildly racing heart and forced a smile.

“I’m kidding. Why are you taking it so seriously?”

“A wrong is a wrong…”

The worst kind of person is the one who knows it’s wrong and does it anyway.

“Then wouldn’t it have been right to ask my opinion before proceeding?”

“…Even so, I wanted to do it.”

“Why on earth? And while we’re at it, let me ask. Why me, of all people, pushing everyone else aside? Did you miss me or something?”

“…Yeah.”

“……”

A moment of silence. The corners of my mouth that had risen gradually settled back into place. This was exactly when people used the expression “words stuck in your throat.”

So the reason she wanted to make me her bodyguard knight for life was… simply because she missed me?

Really?

“Didn’t you miss me?”

Ilia’s head that had turned away came back around, and our eyes met. Those eyes held a will that would never tolerate a lie. My answer to that was—

“…I did miss you.”

If I hadn’t known the original story, the future—right after leaving the Grand Duke’s Castle, wouldn’t I have pestered my parents every single day? To send me back. That I missed Ilia. Sorry to my family, but in those days we had been each other’s only friend.

At my words Ilia’s eyes widened slightly. They soon returned to normal, however, as she sat down beside me again. Then, all too naturally, she pulled my arm into an embrace and rested her head on my shoulder just as before.

…Now that we’re touching, I wish she’d stop clinging. It’s not that I dislike it. But it’s dangerous in many ways. I feel like my patience is being tested. I really need to say it clearly!

“Hey, Ilia?”

“What?”

“We’re touching.”

“What is.”

No—what do you mean “what.” Shouldn’t you understand if I’ve said this much?

“…Haah. Your chest. It’s touching.”

“……”

Ilia slowly lowered her gaze to look at her own chest pressed against my arm. And… that was it.

“…Ilia?”

“What?”

“No, I said it’s touching.”

“It’s fine. If it’s Roen.”

“Ah. Right.”

…Why was cold sweat pouring down my back? Wasn’t what Ilia just said ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠practically a confession ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of love? That it was fine even if her chest was touching.

Or was she doing this because she didn’t see me as a member of the opposite sex and only thought of me as a good friend? Was thinking the latter possibility was low just a delusion born of my arrogance?

…I didn’t know. Thinking any further would only make me lose my reason, so I decided to just read the contract. Since Ilia showed no intention of letting go of my arm, I made do with one hand and unfolded the document.

Unlike the Grand Duke’s letter I had seen yesterday, the contents were simple and clear. The main points of the contract were as follows.

Ha. Indefinite, it said. Indefinite.

And at the bottom sat the seals of both houses and the handwritten signatures. Father’s signature in particular was extraordinarily bold. It seemed Father had wanted to sell me off to the Grand Ducal family at the earliest possible opportunity. Thank you so much, Father.

I let out a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hollow laugh, rolled the contract back up, and tossed it to one side of the desk.

“Indefinite. It really is a lifetime contract.”

“Yeah.”

“But did you need to go to all this trouble?”

“Trouble?”

“If you’re in a position like the Grand Ducal Lady, can’t you meet the son of a count house like me anytime without needing a pretext? Did you really need to appoint me as bodyguard knight on top of that?”

I was truly curious. The North, which received absolute respect within the Empire. If it was the Grand Ducal Lady of that Nordwacht, summoning someone of my level here and there would be easier than lifting a finger.

“…I can’t tell you that yet.”

“Why? You’ve been answering everything I asked so well until now.”

“Later. When the time comes, I’ll tell you everything.”

With that subtle answer, Ilia finally pulled away from me. Then she drew the black-covered book that had been sitting on the desk all this time into her arms again—as if she could only feel at ease while holding it. Judging by how she had been earlier, it didn’t seem like a simple diary. There had been a flower stuck in it, too.

“That book.”

“I’m never telling you.”

“No, I’m not curious about the contents, okay?”

“…Be curious for me.”

What was I supposed to do with that? Be curious but don’t try to find out the answer—was that it? She really was a villain of a different caliber. I felt a sudden urge to give her a good knuckle-rap. Of course, if I actually hit her my safety would be in danger, so I held back.

“What I’m curious about isn’t the contents of the book, but the flower stuck between the pages.”

“…Flower?”

In that instant Ilia’s eyes flew wide and she shoved her face right up to mine. At that murderous atmosphere I froze solid.

“Did you open it?”

A voice colder than ever. The moment it was confirmed that I had broken my promise and opened the book, it felt as though she would slice me apart with a sword in a single stroke. I raised both hands high to prove my innocence. If necessary I was ready to raise both feet as well as I hurriedly opened my mouth.

“I didn’t look! I swear on our father!”

“Then it’s fine.”

As if nothing had happened, Ilia returned to her usual self like a lie. At the atmosphere that had softened in an instant I could only be dumbfounded. I still couldn’t keep up with her tempo. It was far too much.

“But how did you know there was a flower stuck in it?”

“…I saw a little bit sticking out between the pages.”

At my words Ilia stared hard at the book.

“Ah. You’re right. It’s sticking out a little.”

“That flower. You’ve been keeping it all this time? Even though the color’s completely faded like this.”

Ilia stroked the dry petals with her fingers and looked up at me.

“Of course. This is a flower you can’t get anywhere else in the world.”

A flower you can’t get anywhere else in the world.

That was true enough.