Night Market (5)

"How did you...?"

For a moment, my mind went blank. The shock felt like being struck hard on the head with a hammer, leaving me slightly dizzy.

My thoughts wouldn't turn properly. I struggled to comprehend what Estelle had just said to me.

"My body carries the Emperor's blood."

"This is my Authority as a member of the Imperial Family."

"Does it make sense now? You who came from another world."

The shock of having my true identity exposed wouldn't fade easily.

Not only had I never imagined being discovered, but I especially hadn't anticipated being exposed in this manner.

'The Emperor's bloodline.'

I clearly understood that Estelle was of the Emperor's lineage. That the Authority she possessed was the ability to see through others.

Now I finally understood what my friend had meant by saying she had "good eyes." It was literal—her eyes were truly extraordinary, capable of discerning others' true identities to that extent.

Was that how she recognized me as Id, who had been active during the Subjugation Expedition? After all, a Spirit Knight was by no means a common existence.

Moreover, considering what she said next, there was no room to doubt the nature of her Authority.

"You who came from another world, she said."

Like untangling a knotted ball of thread, I slowly began organizing the tangled mess in my mind. Taking a deep breath, I lifted my head.

Then, I saw Estelle looking at me with a benevolent smile on her face.

Exhaling deeply, I tried to calm my frantically pounding heart. Then, I asked her what had been on my mind.

"How did you figure it out?"

"At first, I didn't know either."

Estelle readily answered my question. Her explanation was simple.

She said she first realized something was unusual ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠about me when I was the one who approached her initially.

'From the very beginning.'

From that moment, she had already noticed that my state was different from before—through those all-seeing eyes of hers.

She just hadn't known what exactly had changed or how.

"After seeing you a few times, I started to get an idea."

A woman who had once harbored jealousy and resentment toward her suddenly approached her first.

And not with lies or empty gestures, but with genuine sincerity.

Estelle added that it would have been stranger not to notice, given how drastically even my personality had changed.

But there was something that couldn't be explained by that alone.

She might have sensed that I wasn't Adel. But realizing I was an existence from another world was an entirely different matter.

In this world, where the very concept of extraplanar entities was dismissed as delusions or nonsense, her saying such a thing was bizarre in itself.

"How did you realize I came from another world?"

"I was testing you."

"...Huh?"

Estelle's expression as she said this was nothing but cheerful. Gone was her earlier serious demeanor, replaced by a smile that made me frown.

Mentioning another world had merely been a test, nothing more.

And I had fallen for it without realizing. Feeling absurdly hollow, I let out a dry laugh.

"Of course, I had my suspicions for a while."

I was lacking in common sense to an unusual degree for someone from this world.

Moreover, I seemed utterly ignorant of noble customs and norms.

Not to mention how unfamiliar I appeared with this world's currency.

Even common passersby knew how the Empire's unified ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠currency worked—something even a foreigner wouldn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fail to understand, yet I had no idea.

"I see. So, what's the reason for revealing my secret?"

My voice came out slightly sharp. At ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my less-than-friendly demeanor, Estelle's eyelids fluttered faintly, as if taken aback.

"Aren't we friends?"

Friends.

Even now, she was saying something like that. There wasn't a trace of deceit in Estelle's face as she spoke.

She truly meant it.

"And in return, I've revealed my own big secret."

'She said she was of the Emperor's bloodline.'

It was certainly not a secret one would reveal lightly. The moment it became known that she was the Emperor's illegitimate child, she would become a target for Imperial Family members with succession rights.

Even if the Princess was one thing, who knew how things would unfold if the Crown Prince found out?

No matter how much he liked Estelle, would he simply leave her alone when she could threaten his claim to the throne?

That power-hungry, desire-soaked brat? Even if he didn't kill her, it was obvious things wouldn't end well.

Yet Estelle had just shared that secret with me.

Even knowing I wasn't Adel, but an existence from another world.

'Sharing secrets, is it.'

Only then did I begin to understand Estelle's thoughts a little. Had she brought this up intending to exchange secrets between friends?

But remaining wary was only natural.

The fact that I was a human from another world was, in itself, threatening information.

Especially since she, who was deeply connected to the Emperor, possessed that knowledge.

"I liked you exactly as you are."

Her gaze was unwavering, as if she truly meant it.

"Won't you kill the Emperor with me?"

As she spoke, Este extended a hand toward me.

"The... Emperor?"

My voice faltered in bewilderment at her sudden words. She was of imperial blood, yet she wanted to kill the Emperor?

What kind of absurdity was this?

First the princess, and now Este—both of them wanted to bring down the Emperor.

My thoughts began tangling again.

"Yes. To me, the Emperor is no different from an enemy."

As she said this, she roughly bit down on her lip.

Este clenched her teeth, then looked at me with slightly trembling eyes. In them burned an anger unlike her usual self.

Her quivering voice and wrist left me speechless.

Gone was her usual warmth and gentleness—only raw emotion remained on her face.

Her golden eyes, seething with hatred and fury, seemed to sear themselves into my retinas.

That was how violently her emotions blazed within them.

"I will never forgive him."

"Is that... so?"

"I want Adel to join my plan."

She stretched out her hand toward me.

I had no idea how to respond to her proposal. Maybe it was because she had caught me off guard—my thoughts refused to settle.

The moment I opened my mouth, I feared I'd say the wrong thing.

"You..."

I trailed off, unable to continue.

Nothing good would come of speaking in this state.

This was exactly the kind of situation where I'd always ended up saying something sharp.

So I chose silence. What I needed now was time to think.

"Give me some time. This is... sudden."

"...I understand."

Este nodded, as if she understood my hesitation.

She seemed to acknowledge that her words had been abrupt—her expression darkened slightly.

Somehow, she looked pitiful.

Had she acted impulsively, letting her emotions overtake reason? Watching her fidget anxiously, I bit my lip.

"Let me say one thing."

"Yes?"

"I feel the same way as you do about the Emperor."

I had witnessed the atrocities he committed.

The massacre he orchestrated under the pretense of confronting Abel aboard the train to Ark.

And yet, not a single word of it appeared in the newspapers.

The rumors among the people faded just as quickly as they spread. No doubt he had pulled strings behind the scenes.

But that wasn't all.

Not content with attacking my hometown, he personally killed the woman who was like a mother to me.

The memory of him grinning as he choked me would never fade.

The helplessness and despair I felt that day had shaped who I was now.

Looking back, hadn't it been the same during the Hunting Festival?

Seated alone in the place of honor, he had calmly watched as the calamity-level monster invaded.

Only the imperial knights and nobles in attendance had panicked.

"...Could it be that even the Oblivion Whale back then—"

The gaze of the monster we encountered during the festival overlapped with that of the Oblivion Whale staring at us.

Those eyes, fixated solely on me—and movements that seemed controlled by something else.

How many had nearly died because of it? Without Abel's help, countless lives would have been lost again.

Ugh.

In the end, the Emperor was the root of all malice.

So of course my feelings toward him aligned with Este's.

"...I see. That's a relief."

Perhaps reassured by my response, Este let out a soft laugh.

"I'll give you my answer the next time we meet."

"Understood. I'll look forward to a good answer."

With those words, Este walked away. Watching her retreating figure, my legs gave out, and I staggered.

Leaning against the wall with trembling arms, I exhaled deeply.

The moment she disappeared, the clamor of the festival flooded back into my ears.

Though the lively atmosphere was palpable, my tangled thoughts refused to settle.

"...Adel?"

At the familiar voice, I reflexively lifted my head. A man in a black hood stood before me.

The hood was enchanted with recognition-inhibiting magic, making his presence faint.

Even so, I could tell it was Abel.

The large-framed man stared at me with questioning eyes. For some reason, his presence brought me comfort, and I leaned into him.

"Abel."

As I called his name and leaned in, Abel naturally wrapped an arm around my back.

Having embraced me so often, his touch was now familiar—effortless.

"Can I lean on you for a bit?"

"...Sure. I don't know what happened, but..."

Today, his embrace felt especially comforting. The warmth of his body eased the chaos in my mind, if only slightly.