A Faded Gift (5)

It was only after Heron had left that a slight sense of relief finally settled in — along with the taste of blood lingering in my mouth.

I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror and immediately took water into my mouth, swished it, and spat it out.

Even though it had surely been diluted plenty by the water, the liquid that left my lips still looked unmistakably red.

Tsk. Arina, that woman really did hit hard.

Now I understood why Claire had insisted I get treated first thing.

When I came back to my senses, the inside of my mouth had split open, and the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠metallic tang of blood was vibrating through it. When I first looked in the mirror, I could see the traces of blood that had flowed out and dried stiff around my lips.

It took several more rinses before the color of the water finally began to fade. I'd be eating my meals on a different angle for a while.

"This much is nothing. Doesn't even hurt that much."

My mouth would probably be full of canker sores by tomorrow morning. But it didn't matter. It wasn't like one slap across the face could kill me.

According to the status window, the groundwork I had laid down had landed exactly as intended — the dangerous Dead Flag never took root and simply vanished.

On top of that, I had properly tied down one person at the start of the episode. That would prove quite useful.

Not only had I survived, but I was now walking the game's actual progression — and that, for me, was the greatest windfall of all.

Slosh.

"Haah."

Washing my face with cold water to clear my head, I laid out the progression of Episode V and its key points, one by one.

Before Episode V begins, as a consequence of Episode IV, Karsein finds himself the sole recipient of his family's attention.

He never got to enjoy his past birthday gifts, nor the Snowflower Festival, and though he caused no incident, he still fell under suspicion — drawing the eyes of the entire family upon himself.

They offer to get him something, anything. They tell him to ask for whatever he wants. They even untie his hands, and before him stand considerable rewards.

When I first stepped into this episode, I accepted those rewards without knowing a thing. Naturally, I assumed there would be no problem.

And then I died.

The game, which I had finally begun to think I was getting the hang of, cruelly pronounced Karsein's death.

So then — what reason, exactly, killed me this time? I had to know.

Ordinarily, the rewards that arrive are meant to prepare you for the next episode. But before long, a message appears: you will be cast out of the ducal house and die.

Strangely enough, this bad ending was always the same, every single time. Cast out of the ducal house, dragged somewhere unseen, buried — and there Karsein meets a cold, silent death.

With only a single line of dialogue left behind.

I had a rough idea of whose line that was.

Come on. Anyone could tell it was Flora.

When playing the game, it was obvious at a glance that it was Flora. But even knowing the culprit, the clues were hard to come by. Why Karsein died the exact same way every time this episode rolled around — that I simply couldn't figure out.

Even trying desperately to evade it, there was no way through. No matter what I did, that bad ending screen appeared before my eyes. I put in the effort in-game too, but compared to the other deaths, I couldn't find a single difference.

But when I studied that line closely and applied my experience from real life, Karsein was finally able to survive.

It wasn't a matter of Intimacy. It wasn't a matter of branching paths, nor of stepping on some particular trigger.

It was information gleaned from the defining trait of a character named Flora.

At a glance, Episode IV looks like it exists to make the Intimacy Karsein patiently built up — protesting his innocence to his family, little by little — finally shine...

Except for one person.

The one who stands apart from all of that is Flora.

Isabella and the two older sisters are in a favorable position, open enough to receive all that focused attention — but Flora is not.

And that held true in reality as well.

The other two will at least listen when you shove evidence in their faces. That brat, though, is buried neck-deep in confirmation bias.

And there was one phrase Flora always had on her lips.

— You think doing that will make you part of our family?

And if you connect that line with Flora screaming he's my family in Episode V's bad ending, you arrive at a very telling conclusion.

That's right. Flora, having received the most attention in this family of anyone, was terrified that Karsein might steal her place.

The family's gazes. The family's gifts. The family's attention. All of it was dangerous for Karsein.

In other words — the hint was Episode IV itself. Everything given as "rewards" was nothing but a cunning trap. A substantial piece of foreshadowing had been laid down: only by relinquishing every reward Karsein received could he survive.

Only figured that out later, though. That she was the one who craved being the center of attention the most.

On this point, I could sympathize. I'd been tormented enough by the youngest of a family — a spoiled brat who threw tantrums to hoard every scrap of attention at home — to be sick of it forever.

And so, I needed to earn someone's hatred.

Exactly like I just did.

Anyway. To sum it all up:

First — I don't know if all youngest daughters are like this, but she wants more attention than anyone else in the family.

Second — Episode V carries a self-contained trigger that can never simply be dodged; the only way past it is to draw someone's hatred.

Third — I earned Arina's hatred to break that trigger, and by tying Emma down instead, I've secured the freedom to make my next move.

And finally—

Knock knock.

"Open the door, Karsein. It's me, Flora."

Alongside the progression I already knew from the status window, the follow-up segment continues with a conversation with Flora.

It's the final condition for coming and going from the Training Grounds — and following the game's progression, Flora will inevitably come looking for me. I had to deal with her decisively.

As for how — well, I'd already worked that out.

But there was something to watch out for in this follow-up segment, too.

These penalties — this is exactly why.

Because ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the restrictions the game system imposed, the player — who knows the whole truth of the incident — loses the golden opportunity to simply drag in one other person and gang up on Flora. And if you try to dodge the conversation instead, the system has already sealed that route too. Truly vicious design.

If I defied the penalties, well — back in the game I died outright, so no doubt that ominous warning window would pop up again, and I didn't need to check to know it.

One side is a restraint placed on the player; the other prevents evasion. This is the part of the game that shows you exactly why its difficulty is so damn infuriating.

Here in reality, there are bound to be even more variables for me. But that doesn't mean this situation scares me.

No — if anything, I'm almost confident.

Because the third child I knew and the Flora of this world are people so alike it's sickening.

Click.

"...!"

She hadn't expected me to open the door right away — Flora flinched in surprise and took a step back.

Beneath her golden hair, her trembling blue eyes gave away her state of mind, plain as day.

Ah, here's where the choice bombardment starts.

First, I threw a sneer her way.

"Come to pick at me again?"

"P-Pick at you? What's that supposed to—"

"There's something you do all the time, isn't there? You deliberately stir up an incident, and the moment I get pinned as the culprit, you tease me with that nasty little grin of yours. From where I'm standing, assuming you came here to pick a fight is a perfectly reasonable conclusion, isn't it?"

Upon choosing option 1, Flora jolted in shock and blurted out before she could stop herself.

"Th-that's not why I came this time!"

"Then what is it?"

Option 2 here is a bit of a detour. Picking 4 would let me wrap up the conversation faster, but now was the time for a little more caution.

Of course I knew all the right answers — but unlike the progression I watched in the game, I had used a different item this time, so new options might appear. My plan was to gather information slowly, one step at a time.

Flora glared at me, fidgeted for a moment, and then answered in a voice shrinking into itself.

"It-It wasn't me this time either."

"..."

"You kept glaring at me over and over! I-I'm not the culprit! I didn't even touch your stuff!"

Unbelievable. She did it herself, and now she doesn't want to get scolded for it?

"I-I really didn't! And... this time I actually came to talk things out nicely."

"Talk things out nicely?"

"Yes!"

The fidgeting Flora pulled something out of her pocket — a round, cylindrical object.

It seemed like a familiar image, and sure enough, the status window identified the item for me. An ointment — one I'd seen before.

"Your proof of residence that was supposed to be delivered got torn up, so every single maid and servant is being investigated. If you tell Second Sister to stop the investigation, I'll give you this."

"Ha."

Handing me an ointment in exchange for calling off Claire's investigation?

The sheer, barefaced audacity of it felt oddly familiar — pushing a shameless trade straight into my face. And I hated how familiar it was.

Smack!

I slapped Flora's hand away roughly.

"...!"

The ointment tumbled to the floor and rolled away, spinning helplessly. Struck out of nowhere on the back of her hand, Flora clenched her fist tight and stumbled back a step.

"Wh-what is wrong with you?! I'll tell my sisters everything you just—"

"Ha — for fuck's sake. You want me to take this and just let it slide? Are you kidding me? Do you think I'm that much of an idiot?"

"...!"

"If you pulled off something like that, then you're the one who has to answer for it. Not me."

"Ans... wer?"

Flora's blue eyes shook violently.

"It was you who did it, wasn't it? You just couldn't stand to see things go well for me. You hated watching your sisters and your mother fuss over me. You couldn't bear to see even one thing go right for me — so you tore it up. That's what happened, isn't it?"

"Wh-what?! No! That's not it at all, I told you!"

Struck dead-center, Flora denied it. But an overly strong denial always ends up becoming an admission. This fool probably doesn't even know that.

"Because of you, all the maids and servants from the meeting hall are under suspicion right now. There's a sweeping investigation going on. And now — because of you — Emma's been locked up. This is all your doing!"

"So what?"

"G-get Emma out! You got Camilla out by talking to them, so you can do it again, right? If you take this ointment, your wounds will heal faster and..."

Emma, who was her wet nurse. Who would absolutely never do such a thing. And — she herself wasn't like that either, she said.

Flora spoke as though this were an obvious, perfectly fair exchange.

"Oh, and... it's a secret from Mother, okay? She'd hate it if she heard about this!"

On top of everything, the special brand of lying that children do. As expected, there wasn't a single line I could cut her any slack on.

The choices popped up right on cue, huh.

I knew from experience with the third child. Things like this had to be repaid — in full, without a doubt. Otherwise she'd pull this stunt again and again, every chance she got.

All I had to do was carve it, clearly and permanently, into that little head of hers.

What that single document was. What it meant to Karsein. And... the fact that until now, through no fault of his own, he had given up even the rights he should have taken for granted.

"You got quite the bountiful birthday presents last year, didn't you?"

"What?"

"Claire was showered with gifts from everyone at her Coming-of-Age Ceremony, and I hear Arina got plenty from her fellow knights last year too. So I'm asking you. What did you get?"

"..."

As if to say why are you suddenly bringing that up, Flora's face clouded with confusion. But before long, something seemed to dawn on her, and the puzzlement faded away.

"That thing I received — it was a birthday present from ages past, and a reward I earned by enduring surveillance at the festival."

"...!"

"And it got torn to pieces. Before I could even receive it, before I could even look at it, it ended up in some bastard's hands — and instead of reaching me, all it did was provoke Arina. Thanks to that, I get looked at with suspicion and take a slap across the face."

Gulp.

Flora swallowed heavily.

I began to clap, and kept talking.

"It's all thanks to you. You made sure everything in this ducal house casts suspicion on me — and that's how we ended up here."

Clap clap clap clap clap.

"The moment I do anything at all, I become the troublemaker. Wherever I go, I'm the lowborn, filthy wretch who started the whole incident. And this time, I ignored the goodwill of Arina, who went out of her way for me, and deceived her — so now it seems I won't be receiving anything ever again."

Clap clap clap clap.

"But you know what? I'm fine with receiving nothing. It's sad, sure, but I don't mind being the fool who causes trouble every single time. Being the lowborn, filthy wretch that even the servants look down on — I've gone numb to that now. All thanks to you."

Clap clap.

"It doesn't hurt anymore. It isn't bitter anymore. I don't even feel wronged these days. So then—"

The clapping gradually slowed, until at last both my hands fell away entirely.

"Thank you, truly, for pinning false accusations on me over and over again, Flora."

With a smiling face, I made sure she heard it, crystal clear.

The last choice was that single one, and there the selection ended.

But I kept adding more, line after line, on and on. It was probably—

It was what I had always wanted to say to the third child who tormented me so patiently and so long.

For never letting me grow attached to this family. For keeping my guard up every single hour, so I could escape this house. For tormenting me, and tormenting me again — teaching me that in surviving this harsh world, petty suffering like this meant absolutely nothing.

And so I learned how to live on my own strength.

Isn't that something to be truly grateful for?

"..."

At my heartfelt thanks, Flora froze on the spot, and then bit by bit, her face drained to a deathly pale.

The little blonde girl, staring at me in blank silence, backed away unsteadily — until her back hit the door.

"Hnngh!"

And then... with a single drop of dew falling from her eye into my room, she yanked my door open and fled.

Tsk. Why is this showing up as a reward? That little brat just tossed it into my room, that's all.

Not that I'd have any use for it anyway. I put it away, casually, in the same drawer as the original one I'd received.

"Hah... hah..."

— That thing I received — it was a birthday present from ages past, and a reward I earned by enduring surveillance at the festival.

That was a birthday present?

The reward Arina unnie talked about — that was it?

But that...

— And it got torn to pieces. Before I could even receive it, before I could even look at it, it ended up in some bastard's hands — and instead of reaching me, all it did was provoke Arina. Thanks to that, I get looked at with suspicion and take a slap across the face.

It was torn up... by my own hand?

That's impossible. That can't be true.

— It's all thanks to you. You made sure everything in this ducal house casts suspicion on me — and that's how we ended up here.

No. That's a stretch. There's no way. It has to be a lie, like it always was—

— But you know what? I'm fine with receiving nothing. It's sad, sure, but I don't mind being the fool who causes trouble every single time. Being the lowborn, filthy wretch that even the servants look down on — I've gone numb to that now. All thanks to you.

"..."

He's fine with it? It doesn't matter? He's gone numb?

— It doesn't hurt anymore. It isn't bitter anymore. I don't even feel wronged these days. So then—

It doesn't hurt? He doesn't feel wronged? And even—

— Thank you, truly, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for pinning false accusations on me over and over again, Flora.

He's... thankful?

...

"Something's wrong with this. What is it? What — what is this...!"

In the corridor, Flora clutched at her heart as it pounded like a thing gone mad.

She ran — running as if fleeing from herself — all the way to her room. And then she ran some more. But the sound of Karsein's voice, welling up endlessly inside her head, refused to fade.

It was only because she was afraid he might covet her family. It was only to protect her family. Because he got along with the servants. Because she wanted to protect this ducal house. That was why she had tormented Karsein — wasn't it?

"You mean I made it so he couldn't even receive a birthday present? I... did that?"

Without warning, Emma's voice, pleading from her solitary cell, rose unbidden in her memory.

— My lady. That commoner is your enemy, and the enemy of this ducal house. He must be driven out!

— You must make sure he can never hold any rights. Otherwise, one day he will rise up against us!

Is that true? Was that right, Emma?

Karsein has... nothing at all, does he?

One side of her chest had grown so heavy. Heavy enough to choke the breath right out of her.