Which One Will You Choose?
Which one would you pick? The moment I regained consciousness, I bolted upright…
“Eek!”
…but failed.
“Ugh. What the…”
I barely managed to lift my head and look down. My state was a total mess. My two hands were neatly folded over my chest, and my whole body was bound tight with rope. My ankles were in the same predicament. In the end, all I could do was freely blink my eyes.
“……Familiar ceiling? Nah, this one's new.”
It hadn't even been ten minutes since I'd woken up under this unfamiliar ceiling.
I hadn't even gotten attached to my new house, new life yet. Waking up under yet another new ceiling felt like a bit much….
If I had to find a silver lining, maybe it was that I'd been through this once before, so I had a bit of immunity now.
“Sigh. What a life.”
A small sigh slipped through my lips.
What the heck was going on? Running into the protagonist out of nowhere was shocking enough, but getting kidnapped by her too?
If my memory served right, Ellicia’s family, the Lawrence house, was a count’s family in the empire. Even if they'd been pushed out of the political game lately and their momentum had waned, a count's position wasn't something to sneeze at. Kidnapping a count's young lady—and right from inside her own home, no less—was basically suicide.
“Veronica… what are you thinking?”
Setting aside why she was there in the first place. How had she kidnapped me and slipped out of the count's estate? And more importantly, why?
“Hoo.”
Thoughts spiraling led to a headache crashing in.
Okay. Fine. First things first: figure out where I was and what the situation was.
“To do that, hmm…”
I turned my head side to side and spotted a bedpost at the corner. It was tall, covered in sharp decorative protrusions all around. If I rubbed the knots against it just right, maybe I could loosen them.
I shook off the questions swirling in my head and tensed my abs. I was going to sit up like a crunch, but it didn't go as planned.
“Urghhh…! Hnggg…!”
I squeezed my abs with every ounce of strength (though I'd never nursed in this body), but my upper body wouldn't budge.
Blood rushed to my face. My head felt like it was steaming, but the only result was my back lifting off the bed by about a centimeter.
What kind of pathetic body was this?
Was this normal for a 7-year-old baby? What was I like at that age…?
“Haa…”
Sweat poured out, my body trembled. I'd poured everything into that effort and was totally drained. Sore muscles were just icing on the cake.
“No, too early to give up.”
The human body's potential is limitless.
You know, like how a mother lifts a bear or a demon to save her kid in a crisis. With my extreme mental fortitude and Ellicia's latent potential, I could definitely manage one sit-up!
“Hup! Hn, up…! Hup!”
I gritted my teeth and focused on my abs. I twisted like a worm, gave a recoil like in military fitness tests.
And the result of abusing my abs to the limit?
“…Ah.”
I gotta pee.
My (her?) vision went dark!
*
About thirty minutes of hell later, salvation arrived.
It came in the form of a maid girl. She freaked out at the sight of me squirming and sweating bullets, but after hearing the situation, she let out a relieved sigh.
I couldn't use my hands, so I had to endure the ignoble help pulling down my underwear… but whatever.
“Haa…”
Once the embarrassing trickle finally stopped.
With my insides fully emptied, my tensed body went limp. The maid watching over me shook her head.
“Jeez… If it was that urgent, you should've called. I was right outside the door the whole time.”
“How was I supposed to—”
I started to snap back but caught myself.
Hmm, nobles probably have maids on standby 24/7 as common sense? Saying something dumb might raise suspicions like ‘Why doesn't the count's young lady know that?’
The Lawrence house might be different, but in this unknown place, I couldn't afford unnecessary suspicion.
“…Anyway, help me up now.”
“Okay. Oh, before that.”
The maid paused while trying to lift my bound ankles and dangled something in front of my face.
“Toilet paper?”
“I'll wipe for you, so just lift your hips a bit.”
“W-Wipe…?!”
“I can't untie your hands without the young lady's order.”
As her toilet paper hand headed down, I shook my head frantically.
“No no no! Wait! Stop! I'm a count's daughter, you know?! Touch my body carelessly and you're in big trouble! Can you handle my dad?!”
…A total stranger, but beggars can't be choosers right now.
“The count's house…”
My half-threat landed; the maid's face stiffened. As a modern civilized person, squashing her with status felt uncomfortable, but right now, I slapped on a thick face and went for it.
“Y-Yeah! So untie the ropes for a sec! I'll let you tie them right back—”
“Well, it's natural you wouldn't know yet. Hmm.”
The maid nodded thoughtfully. I was about to sigh in relief at the successful negotiation—
“Up you go.”
“Eek?!”
My body floated up. How strong was she? She'd grabbed the knots around my body with one hand and hoisted me up like nothing.
The maid grinned at me dangling in midair, panicking.
“There. Since you're the count's young lady, I'll wipe you oh-so-gently. That okay?”
“N-No…! Nyaaah!”
I… had no choice but to helplessly accept her touch.
“Jeez, young lady. How long are you gonna sulk?”
“…”
“You should be grateful I helped so you didn't make a mess. Our young lady has no shame?”
“You…!”
I glared daggers, but the maid just chuckled and strode ahead.
“Haa…”
Fine, at least she untied my legs. Being able to walk on my own two feet was something.
Not out of consideration for me, but because carrying me was a hassle—still, progress.
With my soul half-scooped out, I trudged after the maid. After a bit, we reached a door, and she turned.
“Here we are. The patriarch's office.”
Knock knock knock. The maid rapped, and a deep middle-aged voice answered from inside.
The door cracked open, revealing lavish interior. To someone used to a bare-bones studio apartment, it was excessively luxurious. While I shrank back intimidated, the maid bowed to the front.
“Patriarch. I've brought Ellicia as you requested.”
“Good. You're dismissed.”
“Yes, sir.”
She whispered "see you later" and vanished.
Only after she left did I shift my gaze from the floor. Behind a massive desk sat a middle-aged man I couldn't identify even with original knowledge.
Hmm. Definitely someone high up.
I was debating a formal greeting when—
“Ah, don't mind…”
“Ah, ignore him. I have business with the young lady.”
“Eek?!”
A familiar voice from the sofa made me whip around. There, lounging languidly, was Veronica—looking like she'd been there forever.
“You, leave us.”
“Yes, Hero.”
The shock didn't end there. The patriarch, easily over fifty, bowed deeply to the child Veronica, then vanished like magic.
“Wha…?”
How to process this? The developments were way beyond my capacity; my brain overloaded.
“He's my father.”
Her words hit as I stood dazed, blinking. Veronica pointed impassively to the opposite sofa.
“Formally speaking.”
“What does that…”
“Age and status cause all sorts of hassles. You don't need to know. Anyway, not important.”
I cautiously perched on the sofa. Veronica uncrossed her legs and leaned toward me.
“You must have questions. Where this is, why I kidnapped you… right?”
“Tha—”
“Before that, my turn to ask. It'll be quick.”
Questions. Simple words, but knowing her ability from the novel, I couldn't take it lightly.
That power already? No way she had a mid-novel ability this early…?
“Answer only ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Easy, right?”
That confirmed it. Veronica already had the Eye of Truth.
The hero's authority to pierce truth from lies in statements. Useless against silence or vague answers, but forcing yes/no eliminated that flaw—total elementary schooler cheat power.
Her having it early was shocking enough, but knowing the workaround too…? How many times would she surprise me?
“…Yeah.”
No choice but to nod. She was fiddling with her sword hilt at her waist.
“Good. Such a good girl, young lady.”
She smiled with her eyes at my compliance, but those abyssal blue depths stayed pitch dark. I swallowed dryly, intimidated, as she spoke.
“Straight to it. You're a regressor too, right, young lady?”
My thoughts froze.
Regressor? Like, the regression loop I knew?
“Re, regression means…”
“I said yes or no only.”
Why ask me this? And ‘too’ implied… she was one too?
“…No.”
“Oh? Hmm.”
Veronica hummed, standing.
Clack, clack. As I sorted my thoughts, she approached slowly, eyes never leaving me, murmuring.
“Then how did you recognize me…? My face isn't public knowledge.”
“Uh, that’s…”
“Next, question two. Your feelings toward me—are they favorable?”
Her icy blue eyes loomed close. The abyssal pressure made my fingertips tremble faintly. I lowered my head, hands on my thighs.
“Favorable…?”
“You're seven now… hmm, not a regressor, so limited vocab… annoying…”
From her mutters, I'd caused some big misunderstanding.
“Ah, I know wha—”
“Simply: do you think positively of me? Like me.”
She cut off my correction swiftly.
“Uh…”
Did I like Veronica?
No need to think.
Veronica was the protagonist of a novel I'd devoured for three years. Sure, her grim moments made me cringe, her detours frustrated me when her skills got wrecked.
But I'd always watched her. Envied her straightforward personality, admired how she crushed foes despite crumbling repeatedly. Her story got me through days; it steadied me when I wanted to quit.
Lame to some, maybe. But to me, she was a friend, family in that dark room.
So yes, I…
“……Yes.”
Ellicia fidgeted with her fingers, pondered long, then gave her answer.
The Eye of Truth judged it truth again.
“Hmm.”
Not a regressor. No ill will toward me.
Logical conclusion: some screw-up during post-regression cleanup alerted her to me somehow.
“…”
Done for, this loop too.
Feels fresh how quickly it tanked—been a while.
“Good. Lucky you.”
At my voice, Ellicia looked up, startled I'd closed in to her feet.
I ignored her reaction, hopped onto her neatly gathered knees. Facing her, my small pale hands gently encircled her slender neck.
“Eek.”
“Congrats, young lady. That answer opened options for my final question.”
If regressor, I'd shatter her mind to prevent interference next loop. If hostile, behead per original plan.
But neither….
“Options…?”
Ellicia gazed up with wide eyes.
The woman I'd once hated more than the Demon King. Time and loops faded it some, but staring into those eyes still dredged memories. Comrades falling one by one…
“…Final question. This one's different. I'll give two choices; pick one.”
This loop was hopelessly tangled. I'd erred unknowingly. Variables unknown, more to come.
Demon King defeat impossible anyway. So.
“Tighten my grip now. Or obediently become my maid. Which one will you—you—choose?”
I tensed my fingers slightly; terror flickered in Ellicia's eyes.
Loop's ruined anyway—finish the revenge, jump to next if needed.