Foreknowledge's Burden
Information about accidents was incredibly important. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that seizing the initiative with information could determine the future. But I already knew the plot of the original novel. The problem was that it no longer mattered much. After all, I was someone who didn't even appear in the original story. It was safe to say the original plot had already gone off the rails. In any case, the point I wanted to make was that there was no need to obsess over the original novel. It was best to treat it as nothing more than a reference and not attach any greater meaning to it. Though, of course, some facts remained unchanged.
"Haaam……."
Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I let out a long yawn.
"Didn't get any sleep?"
"Huh? I did sleep."
Helena, who had naturally taken the seat beside me again today, asked while looking at me. Seeing her gentle, light-blue eyes curve softly, I shook my head from side to side.
"Then why do you look so exhausted?"
"…No matter how much I sleep, I'm still tired."
The truth was that I stayed up late training and studied at night, but I couldn't admit that honestly. The Academy had written exams in addition to practical ones, so I had to make up for my lack of knowledge. If only I could recall Felice's memories, I wouldn't have to worry about this… With that thought, I rested my chin on my hand and stared blankly ahead.
"What were you doing at night…?"
"Nothing much, really."
"Hmm…"
Helena let out a low hum, clearly sensing my blatant evasion, and stared intently at my profile. I simply pretended not to notice.
"Well, Felice isn't the type to study anyway. There's no way you'd be doing sword training at night either."
"That's right."
I let out an awkward laugh. Maybe it wasn't that the memories weren't coming back, but that this guy had never studied in the first place, so there was nothing to remember. That thought probably wasn't just my imagination. After all, Felice wasn't the kind of person who'd study diligently, so it made sense. The one fortunate thing was that in my previous life, I'd studied quite hard. There was no need to aim for a perfect score on the written exam, and no one was forcing me to do so, but that didn't mean I had to fail either. At seventeen, having transmigrated into a body the age of a high school student, I needed to live out my school days properly. The fact that studying was part of that process wasn't just because I'd grown older. It was because I'd learned through experience that if you don't do what you can, things only get harder later.
'By the way.'
Helena, ignoring my efforts, had better be prepared. I'd crush her in both the written and practical exams this time.
"……Huh? Why?"
Helena, unaware of the mental blades I was sharpening, simply blinked her large eyes at me.
"It's nothing."
Fiddling with the note in my pocket, I answered casually, as if it were nothing. The sky today was clear and blue. A fresh spring breeze blew gently. It was the perfect day for something to happen.
@
Nobles tended to be quite busy. At the age when they entered the Academy, they didn't have much to handle, so they weren't particularly busy, but nobles were busy by nature. Though the public image was that they did no work and simply lived off the taxes of the common people, they were the ones maintaining imperial society, so they had no choice but to stay occupied. Cain was no exception. As the second son of the Jairus Duke family, he had passed the position of family head to his elder brother. It was a decision made under the belief that there was no reason for siblings to fight over the heir's seat. Cain's relationship with his brother wasn't particularly good, and they'd fought often as children, but after meeting Silvia, Cain had changed his mind. In just two weeks, he'd given up the position of heir, but he didn't regret it. However, that didn't mean he'd abandoned everything he held within the Jairus family. He was still a member of the Jairus Duke family, and his influence remained intact. His brother had tacitly acknowledged and supported that. It was the result of carefully weighing what he could gain in exchange for what he gave up. Therefore, while Cain had relinquished the political influence of the Jairus family, he hadn't abandoned its business interests. In fact, he could wield even greater influence in the business sector. His sharp judgment and quick calculation skills, unusual for his age, supported this. Thanks to that, despite not having been at the Academy for long, he already had to leave for a second time on outside business.
"So the key point of this deal is……"
"If we proceed that way, then this part……"
Even while discussing business matters that some might find tedious, Cain remained unshaken. He knew that these things would strengthen his future. After several hours of business talk, when a short break came, Cain sat alone in his chair and let out a long sigh.
"Huu……"
After hours of reviewing dense documents, revising and negotiating points, his temples throbbed. Removing his cumbersome glasses, he pressed his fingers to his eyes and leaned back against the chair.
"Are you all right?"
"It's nothing at this level, Young Master."
"You can speak comfortably."
Just then, his brother Zelos entered the tent where Cain was and asked. Cain straightened his posture and replied.
"Yes, Brother."
"You've been working hard."
At Zelos's words, accompanied by a couple of pats on Cain's shoulder, Cain merely shook his head slightly with an expression that was neither smiling nor frowning.
"It's my duty."
"True. If it weren't for you, things wouldn't have gone this smoothly."
"It's not that much."
At his brother's still stiff attitude, Zelos gave a bitter smile and exhaled softly. Zelos and Cain weren't particularly close, but they weren't on bad terms either. More accurately, after Cain met Silvia, their previously strained relationship had improved.
"…Is something troubling you?"
"Me?"
Zelos, who had always wanted to get along well with Cain, was quite pleased by this change in his brother. That was why, noticing Cain's unusually dark expression today, he asked. Cain looked puzzled, as if he hadn't even realized his own expression was dark.
"Yes, your face looks rather gloomy today."
"It's nothing."
"Is it because of that child?"
"……"
Cain answered Zelos's question with silence. His worries were indeed about Silvia. More precisely, not about Silvia herself, but about Leonhardt, who was by her side. Without himself as a restraint, he couldn't predict how Leonhardt would act. At the same time, the fact that Leonhardt had been acting strangely lately only added to his concerns.
"Brother, there's something I'd like to ask."
Since news from the imperial family—especially political matters—was Zelos's domain rather than Cain's, the information Cain possessed was extremely limited. In other words, Zelos was very well-informed about imperial affairs.
"What is it?"
Since Cain rarely initiated conversation, Zelos looked at him with a surprised expression. Cain took a brief moment to choose his words. Even though it was his own brother, he needed time to decide whether he should ask this question or not.
"What kind of question requires so much hesitation?"
Seeing Cain's hesitation, Zelos smiled faintly and spoke as if to encourage him. Even so, Cain had no choice but to open his mouth carefully, more carefully than his usual nature would allow.
"…How is the current situation in the imperial family?"
"The imperial family?"
Zelos couldn't help but tilt his head in confusion. After all that hesitation, was it just about the imperial family?
"I thought you'd completely withdrawn from politics?"
"I'm not saying I'll return to politics, it's just…"
"I know. Besides, if you were to handle politics as well, I'd be grateful."
Zelos let out a hearty laugh and raised a hand to stroke his chin, trying to recall recent events in the imperial family. He also seemed to be considering what matters might interest Cain. Cain simply waited in silence for his brother to speak.
"If I had to name the biggest piece of news……"
When Zelos finally spoke the information Cain had been waiting for, Cain couldn't help but let out a deep breath and clutch his head.
"What's wrong?"
"…It's nothing."
It wasn't that important a story. He simply hoped that he wouldn't cause any more trouble before Cain returned to the Academy.