The Royal Capital of Gallia (9)
The room held five people in total. If one considered the person sleeping on the bed, there were effectively four who could speak. Even so, with four people present, the room was wrapped in absolute silence. It simply wasn’t the kind of situation where anyone could easily open their mouth.
Ashtain kept his lips pressed tight in a sullen expression. Aria stared at the floor with a dark, gloomy face. Azazel wore a scowl that made it clear she found the entire situation distasteful. In the end, it was the prince’s doppelganger who broke the silence first.
“Shall I explain the circumstances?”
A brief pause followed. Ashtain realized he was the only one who could answer and gave a small nod.
“Yeah. That’s why we set this place up.”
Leon gazed at the ceiling with distant eyes.
“It was one ordinary day. When I came to my senses, another version of myself was sleeping in the bed. It was a truly strange feeling—seeing my own face from a third-person perspective.”
He looked down at his own palm and gave a bitter smile. His heart must have been incredibly complicated. Azazel tilted her head, as if she found this Leon odd.
“Aren’t you the doppelganger? You talk exactly like the real one.”
The prince’s doppelganger gave a wry chuckle.
“Isn’t that the very nature of a doppelganger? The word itself means ‘another self,’ like a reflection in a mirror. At any rate, when we both regained our senses and saw each other, we couldn’t hide our shock. But the surprise didn’t last long. We decided to reason out what had caused this phenomenon.”
He paused for a moment and scanned the room. His gaze was lofty and calm. If he hadn’t said he was a doppelganger, they might have mistaken him for the real prince.
“Who was behind it didn’t matter much. There were more than enough hyenas who wanted my head. The real question was—who was the true ‘me’? An untimely journey of self-discovery had begun. Fortunately, neither he nor I felt any hostility toward our other self. Deep down, I was curious. What would it feel like to meet myself?”
Anyone would wonder about it at least once. What would it be like to talk to another version of yourself?
“Talking with him felt strange. He knew exactly what I would say, and I knew what he would say. It was like holding a conversation with myself. It was unpleasant, yet somehow… understandable. It confirmed that this person was undeniably Leon de Gallia. So we spent time comparing our memories. Sure enough, as a doppelganger, I possessed the exact same memories as him. Not a single small discrepancy. Our recollections were perfectly identical.”
Aria hesitated before asking,
“Then… how did you realize you were the doppelganger?”
It was a sensitive question, but it cut straight to the core. He gave a sorrowful smile.
“It was surprisingly simple.”
Leon moved toward the mirror in the room. The sudden action caught everyone off guard, so no one stopped him. They simply watched. Everyone held their breath.
Leon’s reflection did not appear in the mirror.
It was a phenomenon that sent chills down the spine.
“As you can see, because of this body, both he and I were able to deduce that I was the doppelganger.”
His voice carried a hint of emptiness. Ashtain stared quietly at the doppelganger.
“From what I heard earlier, it sounded like the real Leon tried to kill you.”
“Ah, that was a misunderstanding.”
Ashtain frowned.
“A misunderstanding?”
Leon smiled bitterly.
Two men who looked exactly alike, like twins, stood facing each other in perfect symmetry. It was like looking into a mirror. The atmosphere between them was utterly solemn.
“Can you truly say that choice is right?” the real one asked.
“You agreed to it as well. For now he’s docile, but I’m a dangerous element. I’m a bomb that could be controlled by them at any moment. Rather than carrying that risk with me, it’s easier to eliminate it here and now.”
“Are you not afraid of death?”
“You know the answer better than anyone.”
Of course he was afraid. All living beings instinctively try to stay away from death.
“I respect your courage.”
“What courage? It’s all bravado.”
One man raised his sword. The other spread his arms wide, preparing to accept the oncoming death. Eyes that held a deep, abyssal light turned toward his other self.
“After you kill me, make sure my face is unrecognizable. You can claim an assassin came in the night. There won’t be any problems. Once they learn I’m dead, they’ll definitely reach out—if only out of curiosity. They’ll want to confirm whether you’re the real one or another fake they planted. Don’t miss that moment.”
“I know.”
“Of course. We share the same mind, so it’s obvious.”
Letting him talk like this was probably his own way of buying time. Time to organize his heart. Time to let go of any lingering attachments. He had said everything he needed to say.
The doppelganger closed his eyes.
The sound of space being sliced apart reached his ears. He had asked for a strike that would pierce the brain so he would only feel a moment’s pain. There was no such thing as a humane murder, but this was at least a relatively merciful method.
It’s a shame I won’t get to see Sir Edelis one last time.
He waited for death.
But death did not come.
Clang!
The sword had been blocked. The doppelganger clicked his tongue as he opened his eyes.
“Sir Edelis, entering the prince’s quarters without permission is a serious offense. How many times have I told you to knock if you don’t want to be disciplined?”
Hair that sparkled like silver thread. Eyes as pure white as a snowfield. The silver uniform that only the prince’s personal knight was permitted to wear within the royal palace. She looked like a painting come to life.
Though she would have been horrified to hear it.
Edelis Bride, who had just blocked Leon’s sword from the front, spoke in a flat, emotionless tone.
“I apologize. I determined the matter was urgent and acted on my own judgment.”
The doppelganger scolded her.
“The law exists to be obeyed.”
“The law cannot be more important than Your Highness’s safety.”
“How flexible of you.”
“I will write the report later, Your Highness.”
“Forget the report.”
The doppelganger glanced at his original self. If only you had acted a little faster. The original looked embarrassed and averted his gaze. Both Leon and the doppelganger let out a sigh at the same time.
The knight they had personally appointed was far too rigid and loyal. She would probably insist that even a doppelganger of Leon should not be killed. To her, the doppelganger was also Leon.
Their prediction was correct.
“This has become complicated, Leon.”
“Just bad luck, Leon.”
There was no point in trying to tell who had spoken. It was practically a monologue. However, there was one person who rudely interrupted that monologue—Edelis.
“For now, would both of Your Highnesses please lower your swords?”
Leon shrugged and sheathed his blade. The doppelganger replied with clear displeasure.
“Really, Sir Edelis is never any help at all.”
It looked as if dozens of question marks had popped up over Edelis’s head. Was this something a man whose life had just been threatened should be saying? Or had she stumbled into some bizarre game she didn’t understand? A game where someone tried to stab himself through the head? It wasn’t some primitive tribal ritual.
The knight who had just been reprimanded by her lord lowered her head. No matter how many questions she had, he was the prince who had knighted her. She couldn’t possibly talk back.
“I am sorry, Your Highness.”
At her apology, Leon and the doppelganger looked at each other.
“Can’t even take a joke.”
“I told you I can’t.”
The doppelganger who should have died had survived. All thanks to the knight named Edelis Bride.
Even after he explained the situation and begged, she stubbornly insisted on saving the prince’s doppelganger. Their opinions refused to align. The doppelganger found the very situation—having to explain why he needed to die—utterly ironic.
In the end, Edelis asked in a somewhat angry tone,
“Does Your Highness truly wish to die?”
It was rude language, but the doppelganger did not point it out. After all, he was a fake. Even the blood flowing through this body was nothing but counterfeit.
“It pains me that I won’t see you again, but this must be done. My existence brings danger.”
A sharp gaze stabbed into him from the original’s direction. The doppelganger gave a sly smile. Since he was about to die anyway, couldn’t he at least speak his true feelings?
Edelis shook her head, her face unchanging.
“My mission is to protect Prince Leon. Even if Your Highness tries to kill Your Highness.”
The doppelganger waved his hand dismissively.
“I am a fake. Do not concern yourself with a crude forgery, Sir Edelis.”
“You possess all of His Highness’s memories and personality. How could you not be him?”
“I told you I am a manufactured copy.”
“To me, that also makes you His Highness.”
What a frustrating idiot. Who on earth had knighted someone so stubbornly blocked? …Ah. Right. It had been him.
And so the doppelganger’s life was extended a little longer.
At any rate, Leon and the doppelganger had run into a major problem. There were now two second princes in the royal palace. They were managing to hide his presence for now, but sooner or later—whether they liked it or not—he would be discovered.
The doppelganger spoke to the original.
“……Since things have come to this, I must leave the palace.”
“Leave the palace? Do you have anywhere to go?”
“Anywhere is fine as long as it’s not by your side.”
It was an ideal solution. But Leon shook his head.
“What if they target you? What if they have a way to control you?”
They. That was what they called the ones who had created this situation. The doppelganger answered while gripping a sword identical to the one at Leon’s waist.
“Then I will fight them with everything I have.”
It was a resolute will. Leon tried to stop him but read the unyielding determination in his eyes. In the end, the prince turned to Edelis.
“Sir Edelis, escort him outside the palace and return.”
“Your Highness, that is……”
“Are you refusing my order?”
Leon did not enjoy using his authority to suppress others, but he could do it whenever necessary. If he spoke this firmly, Edelis would have no choice but to withdraw. At least, that was what both he and the doppelganger thought.
“……I cannot do that.”
She was a knight with far more stubborn integrity than they had imagined.
The doppelganger gently stroked Edelis’s forehead as she lay on the bed and said,
“………The night has grown deep. Shall we stop here for today?”
The doppelganger had cut the story off right as it was reaching its climax. Azazel exploded in anger at the vicious act.
“You can’t stop there!”
“She’s absolutely right.”
Aria also sent a protesting look his way, clearly curious about what happened next. Part of it was the interesting content, but the doppelganger’s storytelling skill had been exceptional as well. Ashtain didn’t say anything, but his expression was clearly sulky. The support was overwhelming.
The doppelganger gave a bitter smile. It was a painful memory, so he hadn’t wanted to talk about it at length.
“To summarize, the conflict between the original and Edelis over how to treat me grew more intense. Days without arguments became rare. I tried my best to mediate between them, but mending a broken relationship is never easy, is it?”
As he spoke, the doppelganger glanced at Ashtain and Aria. Ashtain frowned as if he had been struck where it hurt. Aria lowered her head deeply.
“And then that day came.”
Ashtain asked, as if trying to shake off his embarrassment,
“That day?”
“Edelis was attacked. More precisely, she was hurt while trying to protect me.”
It was an ambush. The moment the door opened, an assailant thrust a dagger forward. Because it was a surprise attack, their reaction was slow. There was no defense against a true ambush.
The instant the doppelganger was about to be stabbed, Edelis quickly shoved him aside.
Shunk.
The dagger naturally sank deep into her side. Edelis pushed the assailant away and pulled out the dagger, but her body staggered. It was only natural—the blade had damaged her internal organs.
The doppelganger burned with rage. He cut down the assailant who stood in front of him and examined the fallen dagger. Strange characters were engraved on its surface. He guessed they were ancient runes.
Edelis, who had been stabbed in his place, had collapsed to the floor. Suddenly, a blue light began to emanate from her body. Seeing that ominous glow, he became certain. It was a curse. Being stabbed by this bizarre dagger was the trigger that activated the curse.
“No.”
The doppelganger embraced the fallen Edelis. His mind grew hazy.
I can die. But you cannot. You have to support him.
“……Are you unharmed?”
Her voice was as weak as a candle flame about to be extinguished by the wind. The doppelganger felt as if his heart were being torn apart.
“Why did you protect me!”
“That is…… my mission.”
“I told you I’m a fake! How many times do I have to say it! You—!”
She gave a faint smile.
“I told you many times as well. To me, you are all real.”
Tears welled up. Even in this situation, even though he was a fake, she had saved him.
Creak.
The door opened belatedly. It was Leon. When he saw Edelis’s condition, he ground his teeth.
“Was this your doing?”
“It wasn’t. We were attacked.”
“Then how do you explain the dagger in your hand?”
“That was dropped by the assailant who……”
“Where is this assailant?”
Just as he said, the assailant had vanished from the room. Like an illusion. As if he had never existed in the first place.
The doppelganger’s breath caught. Rage and a sense of betrayal burned in Leon’s eyes.
“I asked where the assailant is!”
“Do you really think I did this to her?”
“Didn’t you?!”
“Think rationally! What possible reason would I have to harm her!”
Unfortunately, the doppelganger’s self-defense did not reach Leon.
“Even if you didn’t, the ones controlling you might have other ideas.”
“I did not harm her! I am innocent!”
“Even if that’s true, you still brought disaster upon us.”
Although Leon had argued with Edelis, he was a man who treasured her more than anyone. He would not be able to tolerate the doppelganger who had caused this catastrophe.
The doppelganger felt utterly miserable.
“Ha! If you’re that angry, then just kill me already!”
“Yes. I should have done so from the beginning.”
He drew his sword.
If only I had died back then without causing this emotional turmoil. It would have been better to die with composure. This must be what it felt like to fall into a perfectly laid trap.
Wait. A trap?
Could this have been a planned crime?
Now that he thought about it, there were more than a few strange points. Why had the assailant targeted him instead of the original? Was it because they couldn’t tell the original from the fake? That couldn’t be it. They were the ones who had created the doppelganger. They would surely know that he did not reflect in mirrors.
Then why were they trying to kill him?
No. Maybe killing him wasn’t the goal. What if the real objective had been to inflict the curse on this dagger onto him, the doppelganger?
His head spun. But his instincts screamed that he could not allow himself to be taken like this.
However, the original did not seem willing to listen. He would probably dismiss it as the pathetic excuses of a doppelganger.
Yes. He should just accept it. What was the point of struggling? In the end, he was neither a prince nor anything else.
The doppelganger tried to let go of Edelis, whom he had been holding. If she had not spoken in a faint voice.
“Please don’t give up, Your Highness.”
Don’t give up. Are you saying that to me? What is a fake like me supposed to not give up on?
But. If that is your wish.
I will listen. Even if I must stake everything I have.
I did not want to become so pathetic that I would ignore the request of a knight who believed in me.
The doppelganger dodged the original’s sword. And with Edelis in his arms, he fled.