Chapter 56
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: The Princess and Fate (1)
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It was from when Erze was young.
The old woman peering into her golden eyes let out an exclamation of astonishment.
"Those are eyes that see the truth. Soon, you'll gain the power to peer into others' hearts."
The old woman was a seer who divined the empire's future through astrology. Having accurately predicted the empire's crises multiple times before, her words couldn't simply be dismissed as nonsense.
But Erze back then was far too young to understand. She had just giggled happily at her parents' surprised reactions.
How much time had passed since then? Erze was now eight years old, and the old woman's words were fading from her memory.
— Ah, this is such a hassle.
— I have no idea why I'm even doing this.
— Born with great parents, huh? What a jackpot.
Suddenly, inexplicable voices began to reach her.
It wasn't something she sought out. It happened entirely on its own, beyond her control.
Terrified, Erze ran straight to her parents and heard the old woman's words anew.
"Erze, it seems you've awakened the power to read minds."
Eyes that see the truth. The power the old woman had spoken of had finally stirred from its slumber.
From that day on, Erze contributed greatly to the empire's peace. More accurately, she was exploited.
"Erze, read that vassal's mind."
"H-He plans to win over the nobles one by one and ultimately overthrow the empire's order..."
"That's enough."
She rooted out rebels hiding among the vassals and extracted vital information from cultists.
Thanks to Erze's efforts, the empire was advancing toward becoming an unprecedentedly perfect nation. The emperor was also solidifying his place as the greatest in history.
But Erze's own heart was slowly crumbling.
Her single word could mean someone's death. Even if they were guilty, it didn't make it any less harrowing.
Moreover, she was no longer an innocent child. The faces of those who died because of her lingered in her mind, unerasable.
Nightmares plagued her every night, to the point where she couldn't even turn off the lamp.
How much time had passed since then? It was when the empire's situation had stabilized, and the emperor no longer summoned Erze.
"P-Princess? Why are your eyes closed? If something's wrong, I can fetch help right—"
"No. This was my choice. Don't worry."
Erze chose not to see the world. If these radiant eyes were a curse, she would seal them away with her eyelids.
Of course, she didn't close them completely. She kept them open just enough to barely see.
The power still affected those in her narrowed field of vision, but the number had drastically decreased.
Was it uncomfortable?
Of course it was. She wanted to fling her eyes wide open right then and there. But her heart had found enough peace to endure it all.
It was one such day.
Erze met the old woman again. More precisely, the old woman had sought her out.
"What brings you here?"
Erze's tone was sharply irritable.
In truth, she had been avoiding the old woman all this time. Though she never showed it, she harbored resentment deep down.
Of course, she knew the old woman had done nothing wrong. She simply needed someone to blame. Without that, her heart felt like it couldn't hold on.
"Your Highness, please allow this old woman to speak."
"Yes, go ahead."
"A great crisis will soon befall the empire."
Erze's heart sank. The old woman's predictions had never once been wrong.
But more than that, fury surged within her.
"Why tell me this? Wasn't the burden I've carried enough? Do I have to step up and sacrifice myself again?"
These were words unbecoming of an imperial princess. It was tantamount to turning a blind eye to the empire's crisis.
So Erze clamped her mouth shut after that. Opening it further would only bring more harsh words.
Reading her mood, the old woman continued softly.
"At the Academy, you will meet the one who will overturn that fate of the empire. A man cloaked in such profound darkness that even your truth-seeing eyes cannot pierce it."
Even eyes that reveal the truth cannot pierce it. In other words, she couldn't read his mind.
Erze felt a spark of interest. No one had ever evaded her eyes' power before.
"Thank you for listening, Your Highness. I shall take my leave."
"...Yes, go."
The old woman bowed her head and backed away.
Left alone in the room, Erze slowly opened her eyes. Her pupils still held that radiant glow.
"The Academy..."
She naturally knew of the Academy. It was one of the continent's premier educational institutions and a pride of the empire.
However, the thought of enrolling there had never crossed her mind. More people around meant more people in her sight, which was far from welcome.
Sacrifice herself again for the empire's peace, or ignore it and live for herself?
Erze agonized, unable to decide easily.
A few days later, as if their conversation had been the old woman's last words, she passed away.
The cause was natural death. Having lived over ninety years, it wasn't surprising whenever it happened.
"Why did you leave me another chain...? Rest easy there, without peeking into futures."
Erze mourned the old woman in a curt voice and turned away.
Those who would wear the crown must bear its weight, they said. She hadn't chosen to be a princess, but sitting in the position meant she would shoulder the responsibility.
The following year, Erze became a student at the Academy.
It wasn't through normal channels. She hadn't come to study in the first place, so taking the entrance exam would have been pointless.
Unfair, you say?
She had no desire to hear complaints from kids leisurely studying. Not that they could do anything about it anyway.
But something felt off.
"Where is he...?"
She had checked every student at the Academy, but couldn't find the pitch-black man the old woman described.
What if the old woman had senilely misread the future? What if it was far in the distant future?
Doubts piled up endlessly, but there was no way to resolve them. The prophet herself was no longer of this world.
"If such a person exists, it really would be fate..."
About a year after Erze muttered those words, shortly after new students entered the Academy.
"Oh, isn't that Sir Luke?"
Her younger sibling, eating a famous Academy snack with her, greeted someone excitedly.
She had already heard the name Luke. He was already famous within the Academy.
Since even her sibling knew him, she turned to perhaps introduce herself—and that was when...
For the first time in her life, Erze doubted her own eyes.
'What...?'
Luke Nineheart. His inner thoughts were dyed completely black. As if peering into an abyss.
It wasn't hard to realize he was the man destined to change the empire's fate, as the old woman foretold.
However...
— Sluuuurp... Were the princess's breasts always this big...?
It wasn't completely unreadable.
She had no idea why he'd think something like that, though.
Suppressing the blush rising to her cheeks, Erze lightly bowed her head.
"What a coincidence. To run into the two heroes of the entrance ceremony like this on the street. I'm Erze Kaiser, Evan's sister."
Fate.
If such a thing existed, it surely described her connection to him.
* * * * *
"Do you have something to say...?"
"No. I was just watching."
"Understood."
I bowed slightly to Erze and continued what I was doing. I divided the tea from the pot into cups.
Lately, something felt off. Or rather, Erze seemed to be staring at me blankly more often.
'Maybe there are more festival menu items?'
The current menu was just tea, pastries, and sandwiches.
The pastries could be prepared in advance, so no issue there. Sandwiches could be made by anyone with hands, so that was fine too.
"Princess, if there's any food you'd like to serve at the festival, feel free to tell me."
"Hm? Not really. I think this lineup is perfect as is."
"I see. I must have misunderstood."
"It's fine. Actually, I have a question—mind if I ask?"
"Of course, go ahead."
She trotted over.
The cups filled with tea, releasing a fragrant aroma.
"Who are you going around with during the festival?"
It seemed the princess was curious about my schedule.